EarthUSA News Bridge Issue

Welcome to the Bridge Issue of EarthUSA News

Welcome!

Welcome to this “bridge” issue of EarthUSA News.

This electronic newsletter on earth building in the United States and beyond was conceived more than three years ago with the mission of engaging those interested and involved in earthen construction; preserving and promoting its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects; and being a source of both timely news and institutional knowledge. It has also acted as a bridge between the biannual Earth USA conference as well as an outlet to those involved in complimentary fields and the general public. Hopefully, you have found it of interest and value.

That said, this is a special issue: a “bridge” issue between regular issues. In it, you will find timely information on two upcoming earthen architecture conferences — Terra 2022 and Earth USA 2022 — taking place next year in New Mexico. For example, you will see that Earth USA 2022’s call for abstracts has just opened and those interested in presenting a paper or poster at the upcoming conference should submit the abstract soon.

Also in this issue, we highlight two recent episodes of Mud Talks, a podcast devoted to adobe and earthen construction and produced by Adobe in Action. In the latest episode, Kurt Gardella interviews Mike Lopach who is leading up Scottsdale, Arizona’s innovative Brick by Brick program. In this program, Mike and his team have been working with individuals who are experiencing homelessness and are manufacturing compressed earth blocks for capital projects and, hopefully in near future, tiny homes. The episode prior to that is part 1 of a two part series on plumbing and electricity in adobe construction. Here, Quentin Wilson focuses on important planning and logistical issues to keep in mind.

We also have learned and are sharing that the Adobe Brick Mailing List, started in 1999, has been relaunched. This is an online forum for owner-builders and others worldwide to exchange ideas, techniques, inspiration and support in the field of earth building. Check it out!

While we are not including EarthUSA’s regular column, “Getting the Dirt on …” in this issue, we are soliciting your ideas about whom you would like to see interviewed. Since the inception of EarthUSA News, “Getting the Dirt on …”, has highlighted an individual who has made their mark in the field of earth building. Past interviewees have included adoberos, academics, brick manufactures, and supporters to the field. Please send us your suggestions of possible interviewees and we will reach out to them and, hopefully, learn more about their experiences and contributions in this field.

As usual, we have included a few upcoming online and in-person activities and events. If you know of other timely events or news please send them our way and we will be sure to let the earth building community know about them.

Finally, we are planning an exciting next issue, but need your help! The next issue of Earth USA News will focus on earthen architecture, construction, and preservation — including its cultural, historical, and social effects outside the Southwest United States. Many individuals are simply not aware of the numerous past and current earthen structures and activities in the United States beyond this geographical area. We very much welcome your suggestions and contributions to this upcoming issue.

It should be noted that, as this bridge issue is published, the worldwide coronavirus pandemic continues to present us with uncertainty, trials, and challenges. We at EarthUSA News hope that you, your families, friends, and communities are well and we hold dear all who have been affected. Please be safe and take care.

Contributions, comments, and questions can be sent to editor@adobeinaction.org.

Mark Zaineddin editor, EarthUSA News

This Just In … Earth USA 2022: Call for Abstracts!

Online abstracts will be considered through February 11th, 2022.

With Earth USA 2022 scheduled for September 23rd - 25th, 2022 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the conference organizing team has officially opened a call for abstracts. The window to submit abstracts will close on Friday, February 11th, 2022.

Those interested in presenting a paper or poster at Earth USA 2022 should submit an abstract prior to the February deadline. Abstracts can be submitted at:

https://form.jotform.com/212593963411356

Paper Subject Categories include:

  • Historic buildings and cities including their stabilization, preservation, modernization and repurposing.

  • New architecture, construction projects and construction methods.

  • Education and information transfer including codes, norms and regulations.

  • Physical and thermal properties of materials and structures including seismic, flood and storm resistance and passive solar heating and cooling of earthen buildings.

  • Social and cultural elements fostered by earthen building practices and traditions.

  • Commercial presentations including architects, designers, contractors and product manufacturers.

At the conference, presenters will have 20 minutes for presentation including time to answer questions. Time limits will be carefully monitored.

Key Earth USA 2022 Dates and Deadlines:

  • Friday, February 11th, 2022: Call for abstracts ends and online abstract submission form closes.

  • Friday, April 8th, 2022: Notification of speaker acceptance.

  • Monday, May 2nd, 2022: Online conference registration opens.

  • Friday, June 10th, 2022: Full papers due.

  • Friday, September 23rd - 25th, 2022: Earth USA 2022 Conference

Questions regarding Earth USA 2022 or abstract submission can be directed to the Earth USA 2022 organizing team.

An Update: Terra 2022 and Earth USA 2022 Conferences

Two previously postponed earthen architecture conferences plan to convene in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2022

Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and its uncertainties, challenges, and repercussions, two important earthen architecture conferences, Terra 202: the 13th World Congress on the Study and Conservation of Earthen Architectural Heritage and Earth USA 2022: the 11th International Conference on Architecture & Construction with Earthen Materials are stated to take place in Santa Fe, NM, in 2022. Both of these conferences were previously postponed.

Both conferences are among the most important worldwide conferences in the field of earthen architecture and in addition to podium presentations and poster sessions they generally also include pre and/or post-conferences activities such as workshops and tours. Organizers of both conferences will continue to update details in the coming months.

Terra 2022

Terra 2022 will convene June 7th - 10th, 2022. Since 1972, Terra has been organized under the auspices of the International Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage (ICEAH) of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and has been held in a different venue around the world. This will be 13th Terra Conference and the second time to have been taken place in New Mexico.

Themes include: Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico; archeological sites; historic buildings and structures; urban settings; cultural landscapes and routes; advances in research; history of conservation; education and advocacy; risk and vulnerability; and care by and for communities.

In addition to the conference, organizers are offering a series of monthly virtual lead-up events. Each month, earthen architectural specialists from around the world will share their work and, in the course of this series, will highlight the diversity, vastness, and significance of earthen architecture and the impact that its has and continues to make. More information on the Terra 2022’s virtual lead-up events can be found at www.terra2022.org/website/8033/virtual-events/.

Earth USA 2022

Group photograph of Earth USA 2019 attendees

Group photograph of Earth USA 2019 attendees

Earth USA 2022 is planned for September 23rd 25th, 2022, at the Scottish Rite Center's Alhambra Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Conference organizer, Adobe in Action, has noted that alternate locations in New Mexico as well as a live/online hybrid event are also being considered depending on how the pandemic develops over the next six months.

Earth USA is normally held every two years and is among the largest — if not the largest regularly-held earth building conferences in the United States. It will be of interest to academicians, architects, practitioners, those involved in various aspects of public policy, as well as the general public.

This conference will include diverse podium presentations and poster sessions which feature adobe, rammed earth, compressed earth block (CEB), and monolithic adobe (cob). A Friday evening speaker meet and greet presentation, open to all attendees and sponsored by The Earth Builders’ Guild, will also occur.

A featured event will be the awarding of the Second Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize. This prize is given to a student for their work in innovative design or engineering solutions in new construction or a preservation project. The inaugural prize was won by Professors Jun Mu, Tiegang Zhou, and Wei Jiang, all of the Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, China.

For more information on Terra 2022, please visit www.terra2022.org. For more details on Earth USA 2022 as well as proceedings of past Earth USA conferences, please see www.earthusa.org.

Please Note: Given the Covid-19 pandemic and ever-changing circumstances, it is important to regularly visit the Terra 2022 and Earth USA 2022 conference websites and/or subscribe to their mailing lists for periodic updates.

Getting the Dirt on … Suggestions for Upcoming Interviews

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In each issue of EarthUSA News, we feature an individual in the field of earth building. Previous interviewees have included adobero practitioners, academics, brick manufacturers, and supporters of the field.

If there is someone you think would be wonderful for us to interview, or about whom you would like to know more, please let us know by emailing the editor of EarthUSA News at editor@adobeinaction.org.

Timely News and Events

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Please find below upcoming activities and events. While seeking to promote earth building activities and events, EarthUSA News cannot vet or verify all activities and events, or the entities that are organizing them. As always, please contact the entity with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Upcoming 2021 Adobe in Action Online Earth Building Courses

In spite of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, Adobe in Action’s activities have continued uninterrupted due to the online delivery format that the organization has been using since 2012. Adobe in Action's final online class of 2021 is:

Floors for Adobe Structures (November 8th - December 19th, 2021)
This course covers the fundamentals of installing common floor types used in adobe structures in New Mexico. The class will focus on high-mass floors which work well in passive solar adobe structures. There will be a special emphasis on earthen floors.

More information about these classes and how to register can be found at www.adobeinaction.org/event-calender/.

Adobe in Action’s full eight course Certificate in Adobe Construction program will be launching again in early 2022. More information on the courses, registration, and the full certificate program can be found at www.adobeinaction.org/certificate-classes/.

Adobe in Action is a New Mexico-based 501c3 non-profit organization which supports owner builders with the planning and construction of adobe homes; promotes adobe home building and ownership through education and student-based field support; produces Mud Talks, a podcast dedicated to earthen construction; and organizes Earth USA, the largest biannual conference on earth building in the United States.

Mudtalks! A Podcast Dedicated to All Things Earth Building

Mud Talks #13: An Interview with Mike Lopach, Brick by Brick, City of Scottsdale, AZ
Mud Talks #12: Plumbing and Electricity in Adobe Owner Builder Construction

Mud Talks – created by Adobe in Action (AinA), a non-profit organization based in New Mexico – is a worthwhile and highly informative podcast devoted to adobe and earthen construction.

In Mud Talks #13, Kurt Gardella, the Executive Director of Adobe in Action, interviews Mike Lopach, its former director. Kurt specifically discusses Mike’s current efforts with the city of Scottsdale, Arizona, and its Brick by Brick program. Mike and his team are working with individuals experiencing homelessness to make compressed earth blocks (CEBs), utilizing a manual press for capital projects, and, hopefully in the future, tiny homes. In the interview, Mike discusses why he and the city initiated this program; some of the key differences between compressed earth block and adobe brick fabrication; and the intricacies of compressed earth block manufacturing.

If you missed Mud Talks #12, check it out. Mud Talks #12 is the first of two episodes about the topics of plumbing and electricity in adobe construction. In this episode, Quentin Wilson focuses on important planning and logistics questions. Part two, in an upcoming episode, will feature a conversation with Ethan Novikoff. Ethan recently competed an adobe home. As an owner builder, he will talk about his experience with in the areas of plumbing and electricity and offer some worthwhile advice on what you can realistically do yourself and where to look for assistance when needed.

Note: All past Mud Talks episodes can be found directly on Adobe in Action's website at https://www.adobeinaction.org/mud-talks, through Adobe in Action's Spreaker page at https://www.spreaker.com/show/mud-talks as well as most other podcast hosting services.

A Relaunch of The Adobe Brick Mailing List

An online discussion group for adobe and other earthen construction discussions and encouragement is relaunched

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In 1999, Quentin Wilson, interim Adobe in Action President and director emeritus of Northern New Mexico College’s Adobe Construction program, created the Adobe Mud Brick Mailing List as a forum for owner-builders and others worldwide to exchange ideas, techniques, inspiration and support in the field of earth building.

This forum has recently been relaunched at groups.io/g/adobe.

The forum encourages owner-builders, professional, architects, students, and others to engage in critical discussions and to be a place of support. As stated on the site, “This group was founded on the idea that plain, simple adobe as used over the millennia works well in the modern world and needs no improvement, just encouragement. We are friendly toward rammed earth, compressed earth blocks, monolithic earth walls (cob), wattle and daub (jacan and fuerte), low-fired bricks (quemados), 3D earth printing and any other system that uses clay as the main binder. Existing buildings are as interesting to us as new construction.”

We encourage you to check it out.

Call for Contributions to EarthUSA News

Next issue to focus on earth building architecture and construction beyond the Southwest, United States

EarthUSA News very much welcomes your contributions. EarthUSA News promotes earth building architecture and construction as well as its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects. The target audience of EarthUSA News is not only those directly and indirectly involved in the field but also the general public.

The next issue of EarthUSA News plans to focus on earth building architecture and constriction beyond the Southwest, United States. Many do not realize that earthen architecture and past and present activities around it can be found well beyond the Southwest. We would love your contributions or ideas.

Submissions can include articles, photoessays, timely news, book reviews, and upcoming events or activities. They should be clearly and concisely written. We reserve the right to edit, postpone, or reject submissions based on relevancy or other matters. We regret that at this point we cannot pay for such submissions. For more information on contributing, please do not hesitate to contact the editor at editor@adobeinaction.org.

EarthUSA News Issue #5

Welcome to the Fifth Issue of EarthUSA News

Welcome!

Welcome to the fifth issue of EarthUSA News, an expanded electronic newsletter on earth building in the United States and beyond. This issue comes out as the worldwide coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic continues to present us with uncertainty, trials, and challenges. We at EarthUSA News hope that you, your families, friends, and communities are well and we hold dear all who have been affected. Please be safe and take care.

EarthUSA News seeks to engage those interested and involved in earthen construction; to preserve and promote its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects; and to be a source of both timely news and institutional knowledge.

EarthUSA News further acts as a bridge between the biannual Earth USA conference as well as an outlet to those involved in complimentary fields and the general public.

We hope you find the articles in this issue of EarthUSA News informative and exciting. The first article highlights the mission and activities — past and present — of Cornerstones, a non-profit organization in Santa Fe, NM, which restores historic structures, preserves cultural landscapes, encourages traditional building practices, and conserves natural resources always in partnership with communities. The second article discusses Adobe in Action’s mission and how it has been offering, for nine years, a full array of online adobe earth building courses to inform and educate interested individuals on earthen construction worldwide. These classes include theoretical and practical coursework and upon completion of all eight of them, students receive a certificate and are eligible to apply to its owner-builder support program. And the third article and photo essay is by Ethan Novikoff, an adobe owner-builder in southwestern New Mexico. This article includes reflections as well as lessons that he has learned throughout the process of building a home; reflections and lessons that might be of help to potential adobe owner-builders.

EarthUSA’s regular column, “Getting the Dirt on …” features Helen Levine. My guess is that many of our readers already know Helen Levine and New Mexico Earth Adobes, the family-owned business that she co-manages with her brother. New Mexico Earth Adobes is located in Albuquerque, NM, and is one of the largest adobe manufacturing yards in the world. We are so excited that she took the time to fill us in on her interest in earth building; how she became involved in this field; how New Mexico Earth Adobes is managing in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic; and what the general public should know about building with the earth.

We also look into the recent podcast of Mud Talks, a podcast devoted to adobe and earthen construction, produced by Adobe in Action. The latest podcast features an interview with the previously mentioned Ethan Novikoff, an owner-builder, who is constructing his first adobe home outside of Silver City, NM. And, we learn about a recent book that chronicles the Weir family — brothers who forty years designed and built adobe homes in San Diego, CA.

Finally, it is worth noting that Covid-19 has forced two major earth building conferences — Terra and Earth USA slated to occur in 2021 in Santa Fe, NM, to be postponed a year. Terra 2022 is now scheduled for June 2022, and Earth USA 2022 will take place that following September.

We hope that whether you have been reading EarthUSA News since its inception or you are doing so for the first time, you find it of interest and value. We also welcome your written contributions to it as well as your comments.

Contributions, comments, and questions can be sent to editor@adobeinaction.org.

Mark Zaineddin
editor, EarthUSA News

Can Adobe be Relevant in the 21st Century?
Cornerstones Community Partnerships Evolves

Written by Jake Barrow

cstones-logo.png

Cornerstones works in partnership with communities to restore historic structures, preserve cultural landscapes, encourage traditional building practices, and conserve natural resources. Founded in 1986, under the title “Churches Symbols of a Community”, the organization first embarked on a program to save the disappearing historic adobe churches in Northern New Mexico. The fundamental idea driving this mission was that if a community had the will to roll up their sleeves and spearhead an initiative to save their church, then the organization would find a way to help. Supported, at first, by local benefactors and grants, the work exploded in popularity. Repair work was performed by volunteers under the supervision of at least one paid expert. Local leadership including mayordomos and elders always is and has been the link to the particular tradition, materials, and techniques of the place.

By 1992, Churches had outgrown the original mission and organization. A new board of directors was formed and Cornerstones was founded. At this juncture the organization began to expand to work in Pueblos and with other types of public buildings. Throughout these years and into the new century, the main focus was the preservation of adobe, with energy also put towards stone, timber, and log traditions.

The work of Cornerstones has always been about the heritage, keeping in mind that the process is the important goal of preservation, not the product. This process depends upon the people performing the work, and together these two aspects — that is, the heritage and the people performing the work — are always core to any endeavor that Cornerstones undertakes. This process was part of the age-old tradition in New Mexico in which the people of a community built their villages out of the earth on which they had settled and farmed. Until the 20 th century — and until the multitude of modern changes which overwhelmed the built environment came fully into view — this tradition was alive and well after centuries of continuity. Prior to the Spanish colonial period, native populations had used earthen architecture for millennia. These traditions ran deep in New Mexico and their threads are still profound, even though they have been challenged and put to the test in the face of so many contemporary materials and methods.

During the 20th century, industrialization has systematically altered building practices to such an extent that the idea of working with earth by hand in a non-mechanized and labor intensive way has become an anathema in much of the modern world. Yet, in New Mexico, a nostalgia for the old ways and an appreciation for the heritage of ancestors still has resonance. Cornerstones has mined this interest and enthusiasm carefully. This nostalgia — coupled with a new energy among a younger generation responding to climate change — has provided an impetus for adopting age-old principles and practices of working with earthen materials. The changing of attitudes is not limited to New Mexico but rather can be seen across the globe. For example, many are realizing that Portland cement, the main competitor to adobe, is an environmentally polluting material and has undesirable qualities when mixed with it. Furthermore, interior design has fostered new interest in natural finishes even on modern materials. These take the form of tinted clay plasters and washes applied even to dry wall.

In New Mexico, earthen architecture never disappeared; but, rather, it went from being a home owners option to being the choice of the wealthy, higher-end housing market. This transformation was facilitated by the use of asphalt emulsion as an additive which, when introduced in the appropriate concentration, can make an adobe brick nearly as durable as a concrete block. This material, along with the expanded use of cement-based stucco, makes for a traditional “like” adobe building. Both this use and that of cement have proven incompatible with traditional adobe. Furthermore, it is an expensive building system, not due to the additive, but rather for the same reason traditional adobe can be expensive. The cost of labor to handle bricks — weighing approximately 35 lbs each — which have to be made, dried, stacked, moved, and laid up into walls causes high costs.

It should be mentioned that, during its initial years, Cornerstones produced a handbook of best practices to preserve adobe. At first, a loose leaf binder, it was added to as various experts compiled documentation of methods and materials. Eventually, it was formally printed and remains available for sale at Cornerstones. It has achieved substantial recognition world-wide.

In recent years, one hurdle overcome has been New Mexico’s burdensome adobe building code when it comes to historic preservation and renovation. Requirements for new construction such as concrete footings, insulation requirements, cement stucco plaster, and concrete bond beams were also applied to historic adobe architecture renovation. This resulted in the destruction of fabric. Cornerstones successfully led a five year campaign to create a code for historic earthen architecture that allows for the many vernacular details inherent in old adobe so long as a professional reviews the plans.

An adobe-making workshop at the Palmerita Ranch BLM site in Arizona

An adobe-making workshop at the Palmerita Ranch BLM site in Arizona

Preserving historic adobe — as Cornerstones has done — nurtures an appreciation for the rich patrimony of New Mexico architecture appreciated by locals and visitors alike. Tourism is a vital industry to New Mexico and many visitors travel to rural areas appreciating the cultural landscape. Rural New Mexico remains economically challenged and opportunities for jobs are limited. Cornerstones believes in tourism to help sustain community; but, tourism only with a small ‘t”. This small “t” is about controlled tourism which is managed so as not to transform communities into museum places frozen in time.

Another sustainability effort involves training local youth. Working with adobe is an ideal entry into the world of masonry construction and is relatively easy to learn. Hands-on workshop settings have become a core activity offered by Cornerstones and these learning opportunities sustain the organization and provide employment for interns and experts.

In the 21st century, earthen architecture is taking on renewed importance. No longer essential and ubiquitous, this ancient tradition is thriving among a population both appreciative of cultural heritage and also seeking better and more sustainable ways of living.

Since 2016, Jake Barrow has served as Executive Director of Cornerstones, a non-for-profit organization that works in partnership with communities to restore historic structures, preserve cultural landscapes, encourage traditional building practices, and conserve natural resources. He came to Cornerstones in 2009 after retiring from a thirty-year historic preservation career with the National Park Service. For more information on Cornerstone, please see visit its website at: https://www.cstones.org.

Nine Years of Online Mud at Adobe in Action

Written by Kurt Gardella, Education Coordinator and Instructor at Adobe in Action

Introduction

Adobe in Action (AinA) is a New Mexico-based 501c3 non-profit organization. The organization supports owner builders with the planning and construction of their adobe homes. It also promotes adobe home building and ownership through education and student-based field support. AinA's Certificate in Adobe Construction Program is unique in that the organization has been offering all eight of its classes via online instruction since 2012. Once a student finishes the online classes, they are eligible to apply for AinA’s Owner Builder Support Program which is also carried out using mostly online tools.

Some Background Information about Adobe in New Mexico

Adobe construction has been used in New Mexico and in surrounding areas since the eleventh century. As one of the world’s oldest forms of building, it produces solid, long-lasting structures. The great mass of adobe walls absorbs heat during the day and releases it when the temperatures drop making it the perfect building material for high-desert regions. It is a straightforward process to create a passive solar structure with this much mass available to store heat. Due to the fact that New Mexico has an established earthen building materials code and a long history of adobe architecture, adobe is an accepted and well-respected method of building a home. It is actually the building material of choice for premium homes across the state. For owner builders, adobe offers cost savings that other building materials simply cannot match as long as a people are willing to put in most of the labor themselves.

Adobe in Action's Online Certificate in Adobe Construction

AinA’s online adobe certificate classes focus on new construction and promote the continued qualification of adobe craftspeople through theoretical and practical coursework. A certificate of completion is presented for each class that is successfully completed. Upon completion of all 8 classes, the student is presented with a final Adobe in Action Certificate in Adobe Construction. AinA strives to align its classes with existing academic and professional earth building institutions to contribute to a nationally recognized certification in adobe construction (for example, AinA’s Certificate in Adobe Construction is a great way to prepare for the Adobe Proficiency Certification that The Earthbuilders' Guild offers).

The Adobe in Action Certificate Program is made up of the following online classes:

1. Passive Solar Adobe Design
2. New Mexico Adobe Building Permit Process
3. History & Basics of Adobe Construction
4. Foundations for Adobe Structures
5. Adobe Wall Construction
6. Roofs for Adobe Structures
7. Interior and Exterior Plastering
8. Floors for Adobe Structures

“Adobe construction taught through the internet? How does that work?” is a question we hear on a weekly basis.

The short answer: The technical aspects of adobe are presented via reading material, podcast audio interviews, and video demonstrations as well as through discussions with the instructor and other students. The students complete small hands-on adobe assignments at home which cover the full spectrum of the basics of adobe construction from foundation to roof. Instructors supply the students with the knowledge, confidence, and motivation to begin working with this simple yet powerful building material on their own.

The long answer: The courses run for six weeks each and new content is released to the students on a weekly basis. Each week contains a mix of course elements accessible through AinA's online learning management system. An online course generally consists of the following elements:

Example student final project for the online Adobe Wall Construction class - story pole construction and set up in preparation for an adobe wall build.

Example student final project for the online Adobe Wall Construction class - story pole construction and set up in preparation for an adobe wall build.

  • A weekly theoretical reading assignment dealing with the topic of the week. A good portion of the reading material is found on the web but some courses also employ a textbook.

  • A weekly audio podcast interview with Adobe in Action's Interim Board President, Quentin Wilson, on the week's main topic. Students download the podcast to their computers and listen at their leisure. They are expected to comment on the interviews and e-mail in questions as a follow-up assignment.

  • A weekly step-by-step video demonstration which students can stream online and view at their leisure. The video sequences assist the students with their hands-on projects by helping them visualize the hands-on techniques described in the reading and assignment sheets.

  • A weekly practical hands-on assignment which students are expected to complete on their own and then share with the group via written description and/or digital image documentation (still image or video) of the completed project.

  • A private web-based discussion forum which the students and instructors use to communicate with each other. This discussion forum is the course’s main communication platform for posting questions and answers related to adobe construction, making announcements about assignments, and for students to share their completed work if they wish.

  • The program has also experimented with occasional live internet chat/video sessions to give the groups more real time opportunities to interact and support each other on questions which arise during the courses.


How the Online Course Management System Works

Logging In: AinA’s online courses each have their own dedicated online workspace which students log into the day the course begins. The online courses are managed through Adobe in Action's online learning management system. The instructor and students do not all have to be logged in to the course website at the same time which gives participants greater flexibility over the 6 weeks an online course usually lasts.

Content Access: Students have access to the online course workspace 24/7 for the entire six weeks of the course. Content is released to the students one week at a time via PDF files, downloadadble MP3 podcast files, and streamable MP4 video files. The video files cover all topics related to hands-on demonstrations and give the online courses a very practical touch.

Communication: Students have the opportunity to communicate with each other and the course instructor using an integrated discussion forum. This forum really makes up the heart of the course. It is where all communication between the students and the instructor takes place. This six week communication channel is what separates AinA’s courses from a normal self-study online course. Questions addressed specifically to the course instructor are usually answered within 12 hours. All of the messages posted to the course discussion forum can also be automatically forwarded to a student's e-mail address. Students can interact with the course via e-mail if they do not feel the need to log into the course each time a new message appears. This is especially helpful for students who are away from the computer during the day.

Realtime Interaction: In addition to the integrated discussion group, AinA instructors sometimes schedule one realtime text chat or video conference session per course. This is the only part of the course where it is necessary for everyone to be online and logged in at the same time. Participation is optional.

Example of an adobe home under construction in Santa Fe, NM by a past graduate of the AinA online classes and current recipient of AinA owner builder support.

Example of an adobe home under construction in Santa Fe, NM by a past graduate of the AinA online classes and current recipient of AinA owner builder support.

The Next Step: Adobe in Action's Owner Builder Support Program

As more and more students completed AinA’s online adobe certificate program and moved on to building their own adobe homes, the organization realized that a second level of support was required. Adobe in Action's Owner Builder Support Program provides ongoing project support during the planning and construction phases of a past student's owner builder adobe project. Current and past project support has included (but is not limited to):

  • lot selection/purchasing advice

  • cost estimation for owner-builder projects

  • design & building plan consultation

  • code & permit assistance

  • construction site planning

  • student-supported adobe brick production

  • student-supported adobe wall construction

  • student-supported natural plastering

Graduates of the online certificate program are eligible to apply for support and if their project is selected, special project management software is used to create an online group collaboration space where project support can be requested and provided. For each project, the support recipient is given access to the online project management system as well as Adobe in Action's Owner Builder Support Team. The support team is currently made up of the following Adobe in Action board members:

  • Quentin Wilson (a retired adobe contractor and Director Emeritus of The Adobe Construction Program at Northern New Mexico College)

  • Ben Loescher (a licensed architect)

  • Kirk Higbee (Bachelor of Science in Engineering: Civil Engineering - Construction Engineering)

  • Ethan Novikoff (an AinA Certificate in Adobe Construction holder and past owner builder support recipient)

Kurt Gardella (Adobe in Action's education coordinator and online instructor) provides technical administration for the support.

Generally speaking, most of the project support is provided via the online project management system. Telephone support and in-person site visits can also be requested by the support recipient. The project management system contains the following online collaboration/project support tools:

  • A project discussion forum which the support recipient and support team use to communicate with each other. This discussion forum is the project's main communication platform for posting questions and obtaining answers related to the support recipient’s adobe construction project. The messages can be pushed to the participants' e-mail addresses as well.

  • A file-sharing tool which keeps all important documents and building plans in a consolidated space that is accessible to all participants at all times.

  • A project calendar tool which can be used for setting project milestones.

  • A to-do list tool which can be used to assign and keep track of project tasks and deadlines.

The project support team also helps to coordinate volunteers (usually past or current students of the online certificate program) who wish to spend a day or two helping out with a project. Looking to the future, we are also in the planning stages of coordinating more formal on-site support workshops which will connect students who are currently enrolled in the online certificate program with program graduates who have moved on to building their own adobe homes.

Conclusion

In these times of dwindling raw materials and increased wild fire risk, it is essential that we explore and experiment with earth building techniques past and present to educate a new workforce of adobe builders. New Mexico has kept adobe construction alive by focusing on basic, time-tested building techniques which put the skills of building a home back into the hands of the average person. One of the Adobe in Action’s main goals is to make the adobe techniques that are common in New Mexico more well-known around the United States and even internationally to help contribute to the promotion and revival of earthen construction worldwide. The unique mix of online instruction and online owner builder support offered by AinA is now reaching a nationwide audience and spreading the word about the benefits of adobe as a building material. The original motivation for moving its education offerings online was to reach more students around the southwest United States. The current Covid-19 crisis has confirmed to AinA that online education is an essential part of keeping adobe alive in the hearts and minds of potential owner builders. Adobe in Action accepts the challenge of continuing to push the boundaries of online mud collaboration to achieve our mission of promoting adobe home building and ownership.

Links

Adobe in Action's Certificate in Adobe Construction (https://www.adobeinaction.org/certificate-classes)
Adobe in Action's Owner Builder Support Application (https://www.adobeinaction.org/owner-builder-support)
Ethan Novikoff's Owner Builder Adobe Project Blog (https://visioncreationadobe.com/)
The Earthbuilders’ Guild Adobe Proficiency Certification (https://theearthbuildersguild.com/teg-basic-adobe-proficiency-certification/)

Acknowledgements

This article is inspired by an earlier version that appeared in the Conference Proceedings of LEHM 2008 - The 5th International Conference and Trade Fair on Building with Earth which took place in Koblenz, Germany.

Kurt Gardella is the education coordinator and instructor at Adobe in Action. He specializes in online and field-based adobe construction education. In addition to having a Certificate in Adobe Construction from Northern New Mexico College, Kurt is also certified as a Specialist for Building with Earth (Registration #01-208-0810) by the Dachverband Lehm (German Association for Building with Earth) and the Handwerkskammer Ulm (Ulm Chamber of Trades and Crafts). Kurt also holds an Adobe Proficiency Certification from The Earthbuilders' Guild.

At One with the Earth: At One with Oneself — Reflections and A Photo Essay of an Owner-Builder

written by Ethan Novikoff

To build an earthen house is to struggle, endure, and ultimately realize a dream that begins as a hazy vision and is slowly defined in detail as the house takes shape. In fact, the owner-builder must be a bit of dreamer, for a house is more than just an enclosed space. Houses influence the lives lived within their walls, and the best houses create a sense of well-being, comfort, and connection for their inhabitants. The owner-builder should be motivated not only by a desire to create a house that satisfies his or her need for shelter, but also by a vision of the house as a place in which one can live more healthfully, more autonomously, and more sustainably.

In this article, I’ll be sharing some of my reflections as an owner-builder of an adobe house. I think it’s important for prospective owner-builders to have a solid understanding of what it takes to build one’s own house and to know what to expect of the experience. These are a few of the lessons I have learned throughout the building of my house that I hope can be of some use to other builders. I will also endeavor to spread some of my enthusiasm for earthen construction and for doing the work yourself.

Aspects of Character

You do not have to be a particularly confident person to embark on the building of your own house. You don’t even have to be an experienced builder. When you are starting out, you do not have to fully understand how you are going to do everything that you will eventually do over the course of the entire project. Almost anyone can build their own house, as long as she or he has the drive and desire to take on the venture.

Really, what is needed most, is an openness and willingness to make mistakes, as well as the resolution to overcome the obstacles that define, and ultimately enrich, the owner-builder experience. The virtue of perseverance is much more important than the virtue of confidence. Confidence is acquired as the house progresses, as challenges are met, and as the quality of one’s work begins to speak for itself.

Getting Started

When starting to build, even if significant designing and planning has already taken place, it can feel quite overwhelming to think of the project in its entirety. There is so much to be done; and for the novice builder, it may be hard to envision aspects of the build that rely on the prior completion of numerous stages of construction. Throughout the building of a house, I have found it most helpful to focus almost entirely on the current phase of the project. Aside from making sure to always be prepared for the next stage of construction, there is little value to worrying over future construction stages when there is so much left to be done in the present. Conceptualizing the project in terms of a series of stages, while giving each stage an adequate amount of energy and focus at the appropriate time, is a manageable and effective strategy for the owner-builder.

Doing the Work

The building of an earthen home requires hard, physical labor and a lot of time. I find working with earthen materials to be more enjoyable than working with other types of commonly used materials, such as wood, sheetrock, metal, and fiberglass insulation. More conventional construction materials may sometimes be quicker and lighter to use, but they are often not as pleasant to manipulate and handle. They also generally require greater resources to produce, and thus, are less sustainable than earth-based materials. Earthen materials are, perhaps paradoxically, both simple and sophisticated. Plus, they just feel better.

Although earthen construction is hard and slow, I tend to view these qualities as desirable for the owner-builder experience. Hard work increases the sense of accomplishment. Working slowly and repetitively can help facilitate a certain mindfulness and singleness of purpose. These elements are often lost in more conventional methods of construction, and the builder who chooses to construct with earthen materials puts him- or herself in position for a truly rewarding experience.

The Bigger Picture

It is also valuable for the owner-builder to look beyond the personal experience of constructing her or his home and realize how the project fits into a broader movement towards greater sustainability. Although owner-builders are often somewhat isolated and there are no formal organizational or professional ties between builders, owner-builders are connected to each other in solidarity through the positive impact that their work has on their communities. These builders are embedded in communities across the world and are demonstrating to these communities that building one’s own house is a modern, sensible, and achievable goal. They are showing that houses can and should be built to the specific needs and preferences of the inhabitants, and that the use of sustainable and natural materials is a contemporary and elegant design choice.

Even people who have not the faintest desire to build something themselves can be influenced by their exposure to modern houses built with such different materials and design considerations than most conventional houses. These people can be reoriented toward an appreciation of the nonlinearity, the imperfection, and the impermanence that natural materials can provide. They can learn to see these characteristics not as undesirable abnormalities, but as explicitly modern features of houses designed for the modern era.

For people interested in building their own homes, an owner-built project can demonstrate the reasonability and attainability of this goal. I believe that owner-builders have a responsibility to encourage and support these aspiring builders, as this is perhaps the most direct way of passing along and continuing the owner-builder tradition. Owner builders should make their projects more visible by sharing photos of their work and by articulating their construction narratives, especially online and through social media. They should demonstrate an openness to have interested parties visit their worksites and learn about their work firsthand. Providing volunteer and employment opportunities can give a huge boost to aspiring builders looking for on-the-job experience.

The building of a house is part of a timeless tradition common to all humankind, even though the materials, techniques, and styles of construction have varied widely throughout time and place. To be a part of this tradition is meaningful and significant. The more that modern humanity is connected to the buildings we inhabit, the more these buildings will suit our needs and accurately reflect our culture. The more we are connected to the places we inhabit, the more likely we are to prioritize natural materials and sustainable design. This sort of paradigm shift would have far-reaching implications for minimizing our impact on the world, and for improving our connectedness with natural systems and natural processes.

Photo One: Prior to beginning construction, this is the natural clearing on our hilltop where we chose to build our house.

Photo One: Prior to beginning construction, this is the natural clearing on our hilltop where we chose to build our house.

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Photo Two: The rubble trench foundation is complete.and we are ready to pour the concrete grade beam.

Photo Three: Perhaps unsurprisingly, laying adobes is definitely the best part of building an adobe house!

Photo Three: Perhaps unsurprisingly, laying adobes is definitely the best part of building an adobe house!

Photo Four: The roofless house in the silent stillness of a snowy morning after we hiked up to brush off the snow.

Photo Four: The roofless house in the silent stillness of a snowy morning after we hiked up to brush off the snow.

Photo Five: A view from atop the house before the ceiling and roof were installed.

Photo Five: A view from atop the house before the ceiling and roof were installed.

Photo Seven: The view of the north side of the house with the roof completed.

Photo Seven: The view of the north side of the house with the roof completed.

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Photo Six: My friend, John, helping me install the ridge cap on the metal roof.

Photo Eight: A view down the hallway showing the base coat of earthen plaster on the walls and the base coat of earthen floor.

Photo Eight: A view down the hallway showing the base coat of earthen plaster on the walls and the base coat of earthen floor.

Ethan Novikoff continues to build his adobe home in southwestern New Mexico. He writes about his project at www.visioncreationadobe.com. He is a board member of Adobe in Action and presented a paper on the owner-builder experience at Earth USA 2019.

Regular Column: Getting the Dirt on ... Helen Levine

Helen Levine is co-manager with one of her siblings of New Mexico Earth Adobes , a family-owned business, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1972, New Mexico Earth Adobes is one the largest adobe yards in the world and continues to serve customers in New Mexico, the Southwest, and beyond. Ms. Levine is also active in The Earthbuilders' Guild, where she currently serves as its treasurer. In addition to her interest and involvement in adobe, Ms. Levine plays the clarinet and the tuba in two community bands and a local orchestra, enjoys reading, and doing endless construction projects and repairs on her little house in Albuquerque’s north valley.

1. How did you first get interested or involved in adobe construction and earth building?

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Helen Levine of New Mexico Earth Adobes driving a loader

It was an accident! In 1972, our father and a friend started New Mexico Earth Adobes (NM Earth) in the north valley of Albuquerque. In 1978, I returned to New Mexico from Central California for a summer job with my father’s company, and never left. I was 18!

In the beginning, I worked as a laborer in the yard, scraping adobes and loading trucks. It was hard work, under the New Mexico sun! At the end of the first year, I started working on the pug mill along with another woman. We mixed mud in addition to performing other general labor. The following year, it was as a laborer with the addition of driving the tractor and moving mud from the mud pit out to the forms. As years went by, I was given more responsibility and varied jobs including office and paperwork—though these were never my favorite things. To this day, one of things that I still do is continue to work as a laborer!

In terms of management, my younger brother, Mark, started at the adobe yard shortly after I did. Richard, our dad, gradually moved more responsibilities onto us. When he retired from everything but serving as an advisor, Mark and I were able to take up the management of the business. It was such a slow transition that I can’t pinpoint a particular year in which that happened!

2. Where do you find your passion in this field? For example, are you particularly interested in the architectural, community building, cultural, economic, engineering, environmental, historical, regulatory, or sociological aspects of adobe construction and earth building?

I am very interested in the historical, cultural, and environmental aspects of earth building.

Historically, building structures for shelter was a community activity, and, therefore, important culturally. Just look at New Mexico. In our small corner of the world, we have an abundance of old adobe. Pueblos of earthen construction, dating from before the Spanish arrival, are very much community-oriented, cultural, and historic. Spaniards who came to this region created land grant communities with adobe buildings throughout. They, themselves, had been historically influenced by the Moors and then further encouraged by the environment, the access to earthen materials, and the proof from native Pueblo peoples showing them that adobe was successful in New Mexico. Old churches — with 48” thick walls of adobe — once again show a community-orientation, a rich culture, and a long history, much of which carries on through the present day as communities gather to worship and celebrate; to restore and maintain; to uphold and affirm. The threads running through all of these tie the present together with the past, which cannot be separated from culture.

Adobe is integral to vernacular building in many parts of the world. It’s highly unlikely, no matter where you are building, that there is no dirt! As adobe aficionado Quentin Wilson is fond of saying, “Adobe buildings are found on every continent in the world, except for Antarctica.”

With respect to the environment, in our world today, it is critical — in my opinion— to emphasize the importance of a circular economy. What better illustration do we have for this than adobe: adobe comes from the earth, often close to the building site; it is used and reused again and again, either in the existing structure as it is occupied from generation to generation, or when it is recycled into new adobes; and, in the end, it returns to the earth. In our operation, we recycle every bit of rubble, every broken adobe. We estimate at least the first several thousand adobes produced, at the beginning of a season, contain 95 percent recycled material!

3. Since you started making adobe bricks, have you seen any changes in your business? In who is procuring adobe bricks? In the direction of adobe construction?

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New Mexico Earth Adobes manufacturing yard

The late 1970’s and the 1980’s are considered by many the heyday of modern adobe in the Southwest. Here in New Mexico, at that time, we had over 50 adobe yards … from small backyard businesses to large commercial operations. Now, we have two commercial yards. Occasionally I will hear of a small yard here and there, but it is infrequent.

In 2008, business virtually disappeared. From a production of 400,000 - 500,000 adobes per year, we dropped to just over 100,000. Previously, we had sold to contractors twice as often as to homeowners. At that time, however, the reverse took place; that is, sales to homeowners occurred more often than to contractors. It seemed that more people were holding onto their homes; that they were adding additions and improving their landscapes with adobe walls instead of purchasing new homes. Although our business changed dramatically, we were able to hold steady at the new rate and continue with adobe production.

In recent years, sales have been fairly steady and the proportion of contractor purchases to homeowner purchases has largely returned to a more usual pre-recession ratio; that said, business has never regained its pre-recession levels.

4. What have been the highlights of your career? What are you currently focusing on? Has the current coronavirus pandemic and its effects offered new challenges and/or opportunities?

We were forced to close for a few weeks at the start of this year’s coronavirus pandemic, but quickly reopened. We have only six to seven months in our production season so we needed to get back to work as soon as possible. Fortunately, construction material manufacturing was deemed an essential business! We were busy this summer as people staying home seemed to pass the time doing home improvements, and, in many cases, this required adobes. I moved the office out onto the patio and set up a ‘customer zone’ on the far side of the patio gate in order to maintain a goodly distance and to stop people from walking up upon me.

5. Why is it important that the general public become more educated about earth building and adobe construction?

Lack of education may be the biggest stumbling block to the success of earthen construction in our modern world! Comments I hear from people include, “I didn’t know that adobe was still a thing!” and “The contractor I talked to said I didn’t really want adobe; that he could build me a house much faster out of frame in a Southwest adobe style.”

Educating the public on the advantages in comfort and on the beauty of a true adobe home, and on the longterm economic savings and benefits to the environment in a well-designed earthen home is critical.

If you do not know about it you cannot choose it!

On a small scale, we inform people coming into our yard about the benefits of adobe. We give tours; host field trips for people of all ages; and remind potential customers and others to assess long-term savings, not just the initial cost of building.

People have a view that adobe is an expensive material to which to build. We try to put that in context — why quibble over $5,000 spent on exterior walls when someone will gladly throw down $20,000 on a kitchen? The truth is it is the extras that can really add up in a home: for example, adding vigas in the roof, latillas, using brick floors, or including tile, and none of those are unique to the adobe home. You cannot get away from the labor factor though. It takes longer to build an earthen home, but it is well worth it!

Through The Earthbuilders’ Guild (TEG), we attempt to do this on a larger scale. TEG has worked with a number of organizations including Adobe in Action, Northern New Mexico College, Cornerstones, and others to develop a curriculum and a method to increase access to educational programs, both hands-on and on-line. TEG offers a certification for earth builders, and reaches out to the public with invitations to join in on tours of various fascinating sites of earthen construction, old and new. In this way and others, we are working to bring adobe in particular, and earthen construction in general, into the mainstream as a viable and beneficial mode of construction.

6. What else would you like to share with the earth building community or the general public about yourself, your business, or the field?

I fell into this business — you might say — and consider myself very fortunate to have landed doing something I could enjoy for a lifetime!

NM Earth is much more than just another manufacturing business. We provide a service to our community and help keep the idea and the reality of adobe alive. I feel lucky to be a part of it!

Timely News and Events

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Please find below upcoming activities and events. While seeking to promote earth building activities and events, EarthUSA News cannot vet or verify all activities and events, or the entities that are organizing them. As always, please contact the entity with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Final 2020 Adobe in Action Online Earth Building Course

In spite of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, Adobe in Action’s activities have continued uninterrupted due to the online delivery format that the organization has been using since 2012. Adobe in Action's final online class of 2020 - Floors for Adobe Structures - begins on November 9th. Join us and learn how to install your own earthen test floor in a wooden box. More info about this class can be found at https://www.adobeinaction.org/event-calender/.

Our full eight course Certificate in Adobe Construction program will be launching again in early 2021. More information on the courses, registration, and the full certificate program can be found at https://www.adobeinaction.org/certificate-classes/.

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Adobe in Action is a New Mexico-based 501c3 non-profit organization which supports owner builders with the planning and construction of adobe homes; promotes adobe home building and ownership through education and student-based field support; produces Mud Talks, a podcast dedicated to earthen construction; and organizes Earth USA, the largest biannual conference on earth building in the United States.

Terra World Conference and Earth USA Postponed to 2022

Two Important Earthen Architecture Conferences to be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico Pushed Back a Year

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and its uncertainties, challenges, and repercussions, two important earthen architecture conferences, Terra 2022 and Earth USA 2022, that were slated to take place in Santa Fe, NM, next year have been postponed to 2022.

Terra 2021: the 13th World Congress on the Study and Conservation of Earthen Architectural Heritage has been renamed Terra 2022 and will convene June 7th - 10th, 2022. Earth USA 2021: the 11th International Conference on Architecture & Construction with Earthen Materials will now be called Earth USA 2022 and will be held September 23rd - 25th, 2022.

Both conferences are among the most important worldwide conferences in the field of earthen architecture and in addition to podium presentations and poster sessions they generally also include pre- and/or post-conference activities such as workshops and tours. Organizers of both conferences will continue to provide further details in the future.

Since 1972, major international conferences on earthen architecture and heritage have been organized under the auspices of the International Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage (ICEAH) of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS); each time in a different city around the world. This will be the 13th such conference and the second to have taken place in New Mexico.

Earth USA is generally held biannually and is among the largest — if not the largest — regularly held earth building conferences in the United States. In order to further engage with the earth building community and with both previous and prospective 2022 attendees, the organizers of Earth USA 2022 are considering a one-day virtual conference in the fall of 2021. Be on the look out for information about this.

For more information on Terra 2022, please visit https://www.terra2022.org. Check out the details of Earth USA 2022 as well as proceedings of past Earth USA conferences at https://www.earthusa.org.

Mudtalks! A Podcast Dedicated to All Things Earth Building

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Mud Talks – created by Adobe in Action (AinA), a non-profit organization based in Santa Fe, NM – is a worthwhile and highly informative podcast devoted to adobe and earthen construction.

Mud Talks #11 was launched in late August. In this latest episode, Adobe in Action spoke to Ethan Novikoff about his owner builder adobe experience. Ethan has gone through all phases of owner builder support at Adobe in Action - he has taken all eight of the online courses, participated in AinA’s remote owner builder support program, and has even served as a volunteer at the biennial earth building conference, Earth USA. Ethan also recently became a board member at Adobe in Action. Listen as he walks you through his personal owner builder adobe journey.

Note: All past Mud Talks episodes can be found directly on Adobe in Action's website at https://www.adobeinaction.org/mud-talks, through Adobe in Action's Spreaker page at https://www.spreaker.com/show/mud-talks as well as most other podcast hosting services.

New Book Chronicles San Diego's Mid-Century Adobe Family

written by K. Ben Loescher

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San Diego has perhaps the largest collection of adobe homes outside of New Mexico, many of which designed and built by the Weir Brothers. Rob Weir, grandson of the famous Weir Brothers construction family, has compiled a remarkable collection of anecdotes and photos from the Weir Brothers forty years of adobe construction. Built during a uniquely optimistic and prosperous time for the region, the homes combine western ranch house aesthetics with Southern California lifestyle preoccupations of the time - broad lawns, swimming pools, and wet bars. All are well documented in this book which was elegantly edited by Scott Hulet of Surfers Journal.

The book is available for purchase online.

K. Ben Loescher is a licensed architect and the principal of Loescher Meachem Architects. Among other endeavors, he sits on the boards of The Earthbuilders’ Guild and Adobe in Action.

Call for Contributions

A Call for Submissions to EarthUSA News

EarthUSA News very much welcomes your contributions. EarthUSA News promotes earth building architecture and construction as well as its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects. The target audience of EarthUSA News is not only those directly and indirectly involved in the field but also the general public.

Submissions can include articles, timely news, book reviews, and upcoming events or activities. They should be clearly and concisely written. Photos are also welcome. We reserve the right to edit, postpone, or reject submissions based on relevancy or other matters. We regret that at this point we cannot pay for such submissions. For more information on contributing, please do not hesitate to contact the editor at editor@adobeinaction.org.

EarthUSA News Issue #4

Welcome to the Fourth Issue of EarthUSA News

Welcome to the fourth issue EarthUSA News, an expanded electronic newsletter on earth building in the United States and beyond. This issue comes out during uncertain, trying, and challenging times due to the worldwide coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. We hope that you, your families, friends, and communities are well and our hearts go out to all who have been affected. Please be safe and take care.

EarthUSA News seeks to engage those interested and involved in earthen construction; to preserve and promote its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects; and to be a source of both timely news and institutional knowledge.

EarthUSA News further acts as a bridge between the biannual Earth USA conference as well as an outlet to those involved in complimentary fields and the general public.

In this issue of EarthUSA News, there are a number of informative and illuminating articles. Firstly, readers will find a most engaging photo essay on adobe churches in New Mexico with the photographer/writer capturing the breadth and diversity of these traditional churches. Also of interest to readers, we hope, are the two timely articles on building with cob; one highlights the recent inclusion of a cob construction appendix to the International Residential Code while the other discusses an innovative project within the European Union utilizing cob to reduce carbon emissions. Thirdly, we hope that the article on how one might encounter and engage the regulatory process in Canada when planning to use earthen materials in construction might be both revealing and helpful to those in that country and beyond. And fourthly, there is a recap of Earth USA 2019, with this conference demonstrating how earth building continues to be of interest and importance worldwide.

In additional to articles, readers will note that EarthUSA News’ regular column, “Getting the Dirt on …” features Quentin Wilson. Quentin is a tireless advocate who for years has been promoting all things adobe, and had been a colleague, friend, and mentor to so many in this field. We also look into the recent podcast of Mud Talks, a podcast devoted to adobe and earthen construction, produced by Adobe in Action.

Finally, one will find the announcement of two major conferences that are slated to occur in next year: Terra 2021 and Earth USA 2021. Both are scheduled to take place in Santa Fe, NM; Terra 2021 in June, and Earth USA 2021 in September.

We hope that whether you have been reading EarthUSA News since its inception or you are doing so for the first time, you find it of interest and value. We also welcome your written contributions to it as well as your comments. Contributions, comments, and questions can be sent to editor@adobeinaction.org.

Mark Zaineddin
editor, EarthUSA News

A Photo Essay of New Mexican Adobe Churches

Photographs and text by John A. Benigno

My Adobe Church Project is a visual narrative in the great tradition of documentary/fine art photography exemplified in the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, Edward Weston, Edward Curtis, and William Christenberry. Christenberry’s work is especially important to me. It captures the fragility of the world he observed.

It was Eudora Welty who wrote, “Place is my source of knowledge. It tells me important things.” These artists focused on specific places, and rendered them iconic. Like them, place is the primary theme in my work.

My passion for place developed from my educational background in the social sciences, especially anthropology and history. In New Mexico, there are few places more specific, distinct and unique to place than its adobe churches (especially those still overlaid in the traditional manner with either mud and straw or lime plaster) which are quickly disappearing from the landscape. These “traditional” churches are the focus of my project. They are monuments to the Native American and Hispanic civilizations that first settled New Mexico. They function as the metaphoric spine that binds the people of New Mexico to their religion, rituals, traditions, and culture. For these reasons alone, they should continue to be preserved in the long-established, time-honored ways.

Social, religious, economic, cultural, political, and natural forces all threaten these sacred buildings so deeply rooted in New Mexico’s history. Tragically, too many traditional churches have been replaced, fallen into disrepair, or been plastered over with modern building materials. While the social scientist in me appreciates the cultural alienation that attends modernization, the resulting neglect of these churches signals a growing disconnect between parishioners, their churches and their traditions.

My objective is to photograph and document these endangered churches before they literally melt away, yielding to both natural and social forces.

Three churches, in particular, exemplify what draws me to this project.

First is the Capilla de Santa Rosa de Lima in Santa Rosa. Today, it is in ruins. The community simply outgrew this tiny structure – their spiritual needs are attended to by a large modern church.

The chapel continues to serve as the centerpiece for the local Catholic cemetery, and, in its current state, lends a certain otherworldliness to the timeworn graveyard. I cannot help but wonder if, in the still of night, this tired and frayed sanctuary ever senses its past glory.

Second is the San Francisco de Asís Church in Ranchos de Taos. For economic reasons, several years ago the local residents decided to cover the exterior of their church with stucco. However, they were disappointed with the look of this modern building material. For both historical and cultural reasons, they removed the stucco and replaced it with traditional mud and straw.

Third is the San Rafael Church in La Cueva. When Joe Gurule’s and Gina Pacheco’s father returned from World War II, he gave thanks by taking a sacred vow to maintain the decaying church. Today, only his son, Joe, his daughter, Gina, and her husband, Raymond, remain to carry on. It is a tremendous responsibility, especially considering that, over the years, layer upon layer of mud and straw have stressed the exterior walls. This past year, with the help of Cornerstones Community Partnership, they removed the mud and straw from the exterior walls and replaced it with a new coating.

Adobe needs constant care. Its use speaks to the steadfastness of faith and culture to endure despite the relentless erosion of not only time and environment, but from the pressures caused by the rapid modernization that took place in New Mexico during the 20th Century. This project is dedicated to the volunteers who contribute their time and resources to maintain their community church in the traditional manner. Their unselfish efforts are truly an inspiration.

Photograph one: Santa Rosalia Church I, Moquino, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.Moquino, an old mining town, and the Cebolleta Land Grant are located about 50 miles west of Albuquerque. The 200,000-acre Cebolleta Land Grant was conveye…

Photograph one: Santa Rosalia Church I, Moquino, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.

Moquino, an old mining town, and the Cebolleta Land Grant are located about 50 miles west of Albuquerque. The 200,000-acre Cebolleta Land Grant was conveyed to settlers and their heirs by the King of Spain in the year 1800.

Photograph two: Abandoned Church I, Newkirk, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.Newkirk, a small village with several derelict abandoned buildings, is almost a ghost town. The old church sits just south of the Phillips 66 station along I-4…

Photograph two: Abandoned Church I, Newkirk, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.

Newkirk, a small village with several derelict abandoned buildings, is almost a ghost town. The old church sits just south of the Phillips 66 station along I-40. The steeple has fallen from the roof and weeds grow right up to its door. This old church hasn’t seen a mass in many years.

Photograph three: San Francisco de Asís Church III, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. Copyright, 2004, John A. Benigno.Several years ago the residents of Ranchos de Taos covered the exterior of their church with stucco. However, they were disappointed wi…

Photograph three: San Francisco de Asís Church III, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. Copyright, 2004, John A. Benigno.

Several years ago the residents of Ranchos de Taos covered the exterior of their church with stucco. However, they were disappointed with the look of this modern building material. For both historical and cultural reasons, they removed the stucco and replaced it with traditional mud and straw.

Photograph four: San Francisco de Asís Church XII, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. Copyright, 2019, John A. Benigno.The historic “Ranchos Church” was built between 1772 and 1816. Parishioners and community volunteers gather every few years to re-plaste…

Photograph four: San Francisco de Asís Church XII, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. Copyright, 2019, John A. Benigno.

The historic “Ranchos Church” was built between 1772 and 1816. Parishioners and community volunteers gather every few years to re-plaster the church exterior with tradition mud and straw. This project is called “The Enjarre”, or “the mudding” of the church. The church has inspired the greatest number of depictions of any building in the United States. It was the subject of several paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe, and photographs by Ansel Adams, Paul Strand, and Ned Scott.

Photograph five: La Capilla de Lima I, Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.The Catholic population of Santa Rosa long ago outgrew this small chapel. Today, its ruins serve at the centerpiece of the city's Catholic cemetery.

Photograph five: La Capilla de Lima I, Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.

The Catholic population of Santa Rosa long ago outgrew this small chapel. Today, its ruins serve at the centerpiece of the city's Catholic cemetery.

Photograph six: Santa Rosa de Lima Ruin I, Abiquiú, New Mexico. Copyright, 2019, John A. Benigno.Santa Rosa de Lima was an early 18th-century Spanish settlement in the Rio Chama valley, near the present-day town of Abiquiú. Today, the site of Santa …

Photograph six: Santa Rosa de Lima Ruin I, Abiquiú, New Mexico. Copyright, 2019, John A. Benigno.

Santa Rosa de Lima was an early 18th-century Spanish settlement in the Rio Chama valley, near the present-day town of Abiquiú. Today, the site of Santa Rosa de Lima is a ghost town, with substantial adobe ruins of the church, and mounds where the settlers' adobe houses stood.

Photograph seven: San Lorenzo Church II, Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico. Copyright, 2006, John A. Benigno.Every Summer the Picuris Pueblo residents gather to replenish the traditional mud and straw exterior of the church. The original mission was excava…

Photograph seven: San Lorenzo Church II, Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico. Copyright, 2006, John A. Benigno.

Every Summer the Picuris Pueblo residents gather to replenish the traditional mud and straw exterior of the church. The original mission was excavated in the 1960s, and using archaeological and historical information, the church was reconstructed and its profile restored to appear much as it did in 1778.

Photograph eight: Abandoned Church I, Griegos Street, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Copyright, 2019, John A. Benigno.The ruins of this long-time abandoned church are to be found in the midst of a residential neighborhood in Albuquerque.

Photograph eight: Abandoned Church I, Griegos Street, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Copyright, 2019, John A. Benigno.

The ruins of this long-time abandoned church are to be found in the midst of a residential neighborhood in Albuquerque.

Photograph nine: Santa Rita Church III, Lucero, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.Built in 1836, the church is named for St. Rita of Cascia - an Augustinian nun. While she was meditating a thorn from Christ's crown of thorns was implanted…

Photograph nine: Santa Rita Church III, Lucero, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.

Built in 1836, the church is named for St. Rita of Cascia - an Augustinian nun. While she was meditating a thorn from Christ's crown of thorns was implanted in her forehead so she could suffer with Him.

Photograph ten: San Isidro Church Ruin II, Sapello, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.Sapello is just north of Las Vegas. San Isidro, built as a satellite of Our Lady of Guadalupe - the town's main church, has long been abandoned, and sta…

Photograph ten: San Isidro Church Ruin II, Sapello, New Mexico. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.

Sapello is just north of Las Vegas. San Isidro, built as a satellite of Our Lady of Guadalupe - the town's main church, has long been abandoned, and stands alone at the top of a hill.

Photograph eleven: La Segrada Familia I, Lemitar, New Mexico. Copyright, 2008, John A. Benigno.Built in the early 1830s. Around 1900 a metal roof and clear glass windows were added. In 1950, Conrad Hilton added to funds raised by parishioners for st…

Photograph eleven: La Segrada Familia I, Lemitar, New Mexico. Copyright, 2008, John A. Benigno.

Built in the early 1830s. Around 1900 a metal roof and clear glass windows were added. In 1950, Conrad Hilton added to funds raised by parishioners for stained glass windows. The present facade and bell towers were added in 1963. After extensive damage during renovations, the church was completed rebuilt in 2000.

Photograph twelve: Sagrado Corazón Church I, Rainsville, New Mexico. Copyright, 2004, John A. Benigno.The church was built in 1910. Of particular architectural interest are its neo-Gothic windows.

Photograph twelve: Sagrado Corazón Church I, Rainsville, New Mexico. Copyright, 2004, John A. Benigno.

The church was built in 1910. Of particular architectural interest are its neo-Gothic windows.

Photograph thirteen: Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Placitas, New Mexico. Copyright, 2008, John A. Benigno.Built in 1869, the church is located along the "High Road to Taos" just beyond Peñasco.

Photograph thirteen: Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Placitas, New Mexico. Copyright, 2008, John A. Benigno.

Built in 1869, the church is located along the "High Road to Taos" just beyond Peñasco.

Photograph fourteen: San Antonio Church II, Córdova, New Mexico. Copyright, 2006, John A. Benigno.Built in the early 1830s, the structure has remained virtually unchanged since 1925 when an interior buttress was added. The town is proud of its histo…

Photograph fourteen: San Antonio Church II, Córdova, New Mexico. Copyright, 2006, John A. Benigno.

Built in the early 1830s, the structure has remained virtually unchanged since 1925 when an interior buttress was added. The town is proud of its history of fine santero artists, and the church features many fine 19th Century examples of their work.

Photograph fifteen: Nuestra Señora de la Luz IV, Canoñcito at Apache Canyon. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.This is a detail of the cross that fronts Nuestra Señora de la Luz. The adobe church was built in the 1880s, as a mission of St. Anthony of…

Photograph fifteen: Nuestra Señora de la Luz IV, Canoñcito at Apache Canyon. Copyright, 2016, John A. Benigno.

This is a detail of the cross that fronts Nuestra Señora de la Luz. The adobe church was built in the 1880s, as a mission of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Pecos. The church sits only a few feet from I-25, and is threatened by vibrations from the high volume of traffic along this major highway.

John A. Benigno is a Philadelphia-based photographer who has dedicated the past 20 years to project oriented fine art/documentary photography. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States and at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait as part of the U.S. Department of State's Art in Embassies program. Photographs from the Adobe Church Project have been shown or collected at the Archives of the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, NM; the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM; the Diocese of Gallup, NM; the Christian Brothers San Miguel Mission Church Archives, in Santa Fe, NM; and the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA, among other places. Benigno's other projects include Amish Country Landscapes, White Flowers, Details, By the Sea, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Riding the Rails, Philadelphia Scene, and Southwest Landscapes. His work from these projects can be viewed on his website (http://www.photographicimages.us) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/jabenigno).

Cob Research Institute’s Cob Code Approved for the 2021 IRC

Written by members of the Cob Research Institute

For the first time, a Cob Construction Appendix has been accepted for inclusion in the International Residential Code (IRC). The IRC is a part of the International Code Council's (ICC) model building codes, which form the basis for building codes in 49 of the 50 United States and a number of other countries.

Also known as “monolithic adobe,” cob is an ancient method of earthen construction, used for thousands of years around the world in regions including Britain, Northern Europe, the Middle East, West Africa, China, and the Southwestern United States. A stiff muddy mixture of clay-soil, straw, water and usually sand is placed in layers to create walls that can support a roof with no need for structural posts. When properly designed, constructed, and maintained, cob homes have proven to last many centuries. Embraced as environmentally friendly, non-toxic, low cost, easy to learn, and artistically inspirational, cob construction has undergone a revival in the United States and around the world since the mid-1990’s. However, because there has been no building code for cob, it has been difficult or impossible to obtain permits for cob buildings in most parts of the United States. With the approval of a cob code this will change, creating the possibility for legal cob construction throughout the US and beyond.

Two-Story cob cottage in Devon, England, built in the 1400’s

Two-Story cob cottage in Devon, England, built in the 1400’s

Modern cob house built in the 1990’s, Devon, England

Modern cob house built in the 1990’s, Devon, England

 

What is this New Cob Code?

The new code was developed as a public service by the non-profit Cob Research Institute (CRI), the result of collaboration by dozens of individuals and years of research and testing at several universities and laboratories. The entire code and supporting documents can be found on the CRI website www.cobcode.org. It will be published in August of 2020 as an appendix to the 2021 International Residential Code. The IRC is revised on a triennial cycle, and anyone can submit proposed codes or modifications. In January 2019, CRI submitted a proposed cob code and in May testified in its support before the IRC Committee. The code was initially disapproved by the committee, citing the lack of testing to support the claim of a one-hour fire rating. The CRI team removed the fire rating and re-submitted the proposal in the Public Comment second phase of this code development cycle.

On October 26, 2019, at the IRC Public Comment Hearings in Las Vegas, CRI’s revised proposed code was voted on by ICC voting members in attendance (mainly building and fire officials). The proposal received an overwhelming 93 votes in favor to 6 against, and later garnered the support of at least two-thirds of participating ICC members in an on-line ballot, leading to its official adoption into the 2021 IRC as Appendix U: Cob Construction (Monolithic Adobe).

While the IRC is a model building code with no legal standing of its own, it is used in most of the United States as the basis for building codes for one-and two-family dwellings, townhouses, and accessory structures. It becomes enforceable through adoption by a governmental jurisdiction such as a state, county or city. State and local jurisdictions have their own schedules for revising and adopting building regulations, typically requiring at least another year or two before new codes are adopted. For example, the 2019 California Residential Code, based on the 2018 IRC, went into effect on January 1, 2020. Check with your local building department or the agency that oversees code adoption in your state to find out when changes based on the 2021 IRC will be enacted in your location.

Furthermore, appendices to the IRC are expressly optional; unlike the main body of the code, each appendix must be specifically adopted by a jurisdiction to become a part of its building regulations. The public can influence this process by expressing a need for such a code to their local building department or overseeing state agencies. Other natural building systems, including strawbale and light straw-clay, have undergone the same process, first becoming appendices to the IRC, and then being adopted into state or local building codes. For example, IRC Appendix S: Strawbale Construction was approved as part of the 2015 IRC and has since been adopted by at least six states and nine city or county jurisdictions.

Even before the cob code is adopted for your location, it could still help you get a permit for your cob building project. All building codes contain a provision called Alternative Methods and Materials Request (AMMR), which allows approval of building systems not included in the code if it can be demonstrated to the building official’s satisfaction that the alternative is “at least equivalent of that prescribed.” To date most permitted cob buildings in the US have used this approach, but the process of compiling the evidence needed to support the permit application is often arduous. The publication of Appendix U should go a long way towards reassuring officials that cob buildings can be a safe and reasonable alternative. Even before adoption, Appendix U can be proposed to a local building department for use on a project basis.

First permitted cob structure in Berkeley, California under construction in 1998 and after completion

First permitted cob structure in Berkeley, California under construction in 1998 and after completion

 

How the Code Effort Began

The Cob Research Institute is a non-profit organization started in 2008 with the mission “to make cob legally accessible to all who wish to build with it.” It was founded by Bay Area architect John Fordice, who fell in love with cob after attending a hands-on cob building workshop in 1996. The class was led by by Ianto Evans of the Cob Cottage Company, the first group to reintroduce cob construction to North America in the 20th Century. Frustrated by the difficulty of obtaining legal permission for cob buildings, Fordice passed the hat at a Natural Building Colloquium and raised enough money to file for official non-profit status. He assembled a volunteer Board of Directors and began combing through the international literature on the engineering and regulation of earthen buildings, while outlining the necessary testing and other steps towards approval of a cob code.

In 2013, CRI Board members Massey Burke and Anthony Dente, PE of Verdant Structural Engineers collaborated with engineering faculty and students at the University of San Francisco to determine the physical properties such as compressive strength and modulus of rupture of cob mixes with varying amounts and lengths of straw. This led to a series of other research collaborations. In 2018, CRI worked with Santa Clara University to construct four full-size cob wall panels with varying kinds of internal reinforcement, ranging from straw-only to a rebar grid similar to those used to reinforce concrete walls. The panels were attached to a testing frame that applied force to the tops of the walls in back-and-forth cycles that simulate the effects of earthquakes. The testing of these walls under laboratory conditions, along with other testing, gave civil engineer Dente the data he needed to write the structural sections of Appendix U.

Santa Clara University in-plane reverse cyclic testing (left) and Cal Poly University out-of-plane testing (right)

Santa Clara University in-plane reverse cyclic testing (left) and Cal Poly University out-of-plane testing (right)

 

Another key member of CRI’s team is Bay Area architect Martin Hammer. Hammer is a long-time ecological building advocate who has been involved with code-writing efforts for decades. He was the primary author of IRC Appendix R: Light Straw-Clay Construction and IRC Appendix S: Strawbale Construction, among others. His familiarity with the ICC process and personnel, along with that of colleague David Eisenberg, were critical factors in the success of this endeavor. The team also solicited input from over a dozen experienced cob builders, six civil engineers, and four architects, including Graeme North, chair of the committee that developed the seminal New Zealand Standard for Earth Buildings. The New Zealand Standards are among several earthen building codes and standards that also informed Appendix U.

Further Testing is Still Needed

Although the adoption of Appendix U is a major accomplishment for CRI, the group has its future work cut out for it. The team plans to improve the code in future IRC cycles to make it more useful to designers, builders and homeowners in more diverse geological and climatic areas. The highest priorities for continued testing and research include fire resistance, thermal performance, and additional reinforcement options.

The rising frequency and intensity of wildfires that have devastated western states in recent years have brought increasing scrutiny to the fire safety of our homes and communities. Earthen building materials could provide part of the solution. In bushfire-prone Australia, earthen walls have been classified along with masonry and poured concrete as the most fire-resistant building techniques known. Although cob is so fireproof that it is commonly used to build fireplaces and wood-fired ovens, the code approval process requires testing by an approved laboratory in order for a building method to receive a fire-resistance rating. CRI is currently collaborating with Quail Springs of Southern California to procure the testing required to demonstrate a one-hour or greater fire rating, which would allow cob to be used close to property lines (where it could help stop the spread of fires) and as a common wall between residential units.

One of the most significant remaining obstacles to the legal construction of cob is complying with the energy conservation requirements of the IRC (or your state’s energy code). A building’s thermal performance depends on both the mass and thermal resistance (insulation value) of its thermal envelope, in the context of the local climate; energy codes take all of these factors into account. Cob walls have high thermal mass, which is very beneficial in warm climates or seasons, but low thermal resistance, which is especially important in cold climates or seasons. Most energy codes consider a cob wall a “mass wall” like concrete block, brick, or rammed earth, which reduces the requirement for thermal resistance. But even in warm climates, it is difficult for cob walls to comply without adding some type of insulation. For example, California’s energy code requires that an exterior mass wall in Los Angeles have a minimum insulation value of R-8. The cob samples CRI had tested by Intertek Laboratories yielded an R-value of just 0.22 per inch. At that R-value, a cob building in L.A. would need walls 36 inches thick in order to pass the energy code. This is about twice as thick as common cob building practice in North America and could cause structural concerns in high seismic zones.

To address this issue, CRI has begun a project to test both the structural and thermal properties of lower density cob mixes made by substituting lightweight aggregate such as crushed pumice for the sand, and by increasing the straw content. Even these measures will be insufficient in colder regions. A research project called CobBauge, based at the University of Plymouth, England, has been devising ways to insulate cob walls by wrapping them with lighter mixes of clay and natural fibers including hemp and straw. Further research and testing in this arena will be critical to enable cob homes to be built both legally and efficiently across North America and other temperate regions.

The EU-funded CobBauge project aims to develop composite earthen walls with both good insulation and structural qualities.

The EU-funded CobBauge project aims to develop composite earthen walls with both good insulation and structural qualities.

Another concern is cob’s performance in earthquakes. The IRC divides the United States into Seismic Design Categories (SDC) A through F, based on the likelihood and severity of earthquakes in each locale. Appendix U states that any cob building outside of SDCs A, B and C requires an engineered structural design, typically by a licensed civil engineer. The full-scale testing done with Santa Clara University, along with similar tests in collaboration with California Polytechnic State University, Quail Springs, and Oasis Design, yielded data about the strength of several reinforcement methods that are summarized in tables in the code. The test walls employed a combination of reinforcing strategies which included straw, with and without steel bar and/or steel mesh to strengthen the wall against seismic and wind lateral loads. Other reinforcing combinations, materials and strategies could be tested, including the use of bamboo, fiberglass, basalt fiber and/or plastic mesh and bars, to increase the range of options available to builders and designers. Further testing can also increase our understanding of proper connections between cob walls and foundations and roof assemblies.

Plans to Promote the Cob Code

In addition to further testing, CRI plans to advocate for the adoption of Appendix U by as many building jurisdictions as possible. As evidenced by the ICC vote last October, building officials have shown remarkable enthusiasm for the cob code, presumably motivated by their desire for environmentally responsible and fire-safe building methods. Still, the building regulatory community is understandably conservative, as it is charged with ensuring building safety, and a great deal of education and advocacy will be necessary to bring the code into widespread usage. 

CRI also intends to create an educational guide for builders who wish to use the code. Building codes can be challenging to interpret, and many people who are drawn to natural building methods lack experience deciphering the technical language. Towards that end, Hammer and the CRI team are currently writing the official commentary to be published along with Appendix U next year. This commentary will provide useful background information and further details intended to help builders and officials alike understand the intent of the code and how to use it correctly. Appendix U: Cob Construction (Monolithic Adobe) will be an evolving resource for promoting best cob building practices, hopefully encouraging ever greater acceptance of this treasured and time-tested building method.

CRI Needs Your Support

The research, testing, and writing of this Cob Construction Appendix, and its submittal to the ICC for approval has been an expensive undertaking. Although our work has been generously supported through crowdfunding and donations, as well as by enormous amounts of volunteer effort, we still have a substantial debt remaining to paid. In order to continue our work, CRI needs your support. If you recognize the value of building with cob, please go to www.cobcode.org and join with CRI to make cob safe and accessible to everyone.

Thank you,
the CRI Team!

This cob bathhouse in Oregon shows the medium’s sculptural potential.

This cob bathhouse in Oregon shows the medium’s sculptural potential.

 

This article was initially drafted by Michael G. Smith and edited by many of the board members of The Cob Research Institute (CRI). It originally appeared on CRI’’s website at: https://www.cobcode.org. CRI is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2008 by John Frodice and others whose mission is to make cob legally accessible to all who wish to build with it. CRI is dedicated to three major goals: 1.The scientific study of cob's material properties; 2. The development of standards for safe cob construction which can be easily understood by builders and officials alike and which retain cob’s character as an environmentally sound, user-friendly building technique; and 3. The development and widespread adoption in North America of a building code for cob.

CobBauge: An Innovative European Project Seeks to Reduce the Carbon Footprint through Earthen Construction

The CobBauge Wall

The CobBauge Wall

Written by the CobBauge Team

A unique partnership in earth building is currently taking place in Europe; one which has resulted in a project called CobBauge. CobBauge — a play on the English and French words for cob construction — is a project that is part of the European Union’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions by twenty percent in the French and English Channel (FCE) area by 2020 (2012/27/EU).

CobBauge is a two-phased project focused on constructing low-carbon buildings. It makes use of cob, a centuries-old earth-building technique, to accomplish this. Constructing low-carbon structures is important as energy consumption in the building sector currently represents 40 percent of the total energy produced (UE2010). 60 percent of this is used by occupants to heat buildings.

Why cob and earthen construction? Well, anecdotally, many ancient building techniques have provided householders with properties that are cool in summer and warm in winter while using little fuel to heat or cool them. Additionally, less embodied energy is needed in this construction. Knowing this, it is therefore logical to look to vernacular buildings such as those constructed from the earth to potentially provide future solutions for new housing. The cob houses that are the focus of this project are commonly found in the Channel Regions of France and Great Britain, some of which date back over 400 years.

CobBauge incorporates an innovative twin-layer composite wall

CobBauge incorporates an innovative twin-layer composite wall

Yet, today, thermal and energy regulations in residential and commercial construction can be stringent and these vernacular forms of architecture have been unable to conform to the required standards (United Kingdom [Part L], and France [RT2012]) in this region. So how does this project address such regulation? That is, how can one make use of earthen materials and the advantages of constructing with cob while at the same time allowing homebuilders, architects, engineers, and contractors to legitimately meet regulatory standards?
CobBauge does this through a unique wall design. Phase one of the project generated the concept of a twin-layer composite wall; one structural layer is an optimized version of traditional cob, while a second light layer of earth and fiber provides the insulation required to meet above mentioned UK and French building regulations. This first phase was competed in December 2019.

The CobBauge team in front of a prototype wall.

The CobBauge team in front of a prototype wall.

A second phase is now underway. This phase will incorporate the new CobBauge walls into two full-scale buildings and will continue through to June 2023. During this time, the new buildings will be both occupied and monitored for energy use, indoor thermal conditions, and indoor air quality. Results will be then compared with equivalent, conventionally constructed buildings. But it is not just the completed buildings that will be evaluated; the construction process and energy usage during construction will also be assessed. Currently, researchers are seeking clients to construct pilot buildings in the United Kingdom and France where the CobBauge walls can be applied and monitored in practice.

This innovative project is the recent recipient of the EU RegioStar’s award in the sustainability category. Details and highlights of the project were presented at Earth USA 2019, an international conference on earthen construction which took place in Santa Fe, New Mexico in October 2019.

CobBauge is supported by INTERREG VA France (Channel) England and involves six partners in France and the United Kingdom. Project partners are Plymouth University; Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs des Travaux de la Construction de Caen (ESITC Caen); Parc naturel régional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin (PnrMCB); Earth Building UK and Ireland (EBUKI); Caen Normandy University – LUSAC Laboratory; and Hudson Architects (HA).

More information on the CobBauge project and technical methods can be found on the project website, http://www.cobbauge.eu/en/.

Encountering and Engaging the Regulatory Building Process in Canada when Utilizing Earthen Materials for Construction

Written by Tim Krahn, P.Eng., LEED TM AP. Building Alternatives, Inc.

Authorities having jurisdiction in Canada are currently in their third code cycle since the introduction of an objective-based national model code. The first National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) to adopt an objective-based format was issued in 2005. The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes attempts to re-issue an updated version of the major model codes (Building, Fire, Plumbing, and Electrical) every five years. The current national model building code is the 2015 edition, with a 2020 edition on pace to be issued late in 2020 or early 2021.

The move to an objective-based code did not eliminate the listing of prescriptive solutions for a given building assembly, rather it involved adding alternative regulatory paths to acceptable solutions. By defining the goals of the code via cross-referenced objective and functional statements, the objective-based format attempts to give designers and code officials methods to evaluate a potential design for conformance apart from a ‘cookbook’ approach. Specifically, an alternative solutions proposal protocol was first introduced into the 2005 NBCC. However, differences in the way that each province and territory adopts the model code into their legislation, compounded with differences in the way any given municipality enforces their regional code and/or modifies it via local by-laws, leave designers and project proponents with a range of conditions to deal with when applying for a permit to build.

Before the adoption of the objective-based model code, non-conforming materials and designs were permitted on a project by project basis, either via the building official’s discretion, via some type of approved research program, or because of exceptional circumstances. An example of the building official’s discretion is given in the first case study below. An approved research program is most often a case where a municipality and an academic institution co-operate to demonstrate a novel building technique that is funded publicly. Exceptional circumstances are really an extreme case of this; for instance, an Olympic village or World’s Fair site. It is not the purpose of this paper to deal with projects of that magnitude per se; rather, the example is given because those projects are also designed, permitted, insured, funded and ultimately constructed – simply at a scale much higher than most residential builds.

Both before and after the advent of the objective-based code model, a key element to winning the building official’s approval directly or via a research program is the establishment of material qualities that can be measured and shown to be consistent with the design methodology adopted by the engineer or architect. This is a primary challenge for the designer; choosing an accepted design methodology developed for a similar, yet different, material and then developing a test method to prove that the different material behaves sufficiently like the accepted one to justify the analysis and final design. Two examples are given in the case studies, one following the Canadian concrete design manual and the other the Canadian masonry design manual. Engineering design standards and their accompanying manuals, guides, and commentaries are published by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

Similar to the ICC-ES system in the United States, the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) is responsible for evaluation and national certification of innovative building materials, products, and systems. Conventionally, a material or product attains CCMC certification in order to be widely accepted by designers, regulators, and builders. All CCMC certifications are referenced in the NBCC by default; thereby, allowing relatively easy specification and acceptance. At some point in the future, the material or product may be cited directly in the body of the building code itself. Polystyrene Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are an example of a product or system that has gone from CCMC evaluation to outright specification in the national code within the past 20 years.

The variability in aggregate content, mix recipe, and method inherent in working with natural or pre-industrial materials and techniques such as Stabilized Rammed Earth (SRE) effectively precludes evaluation by a body like the CCMC. It should also be noted that the evaluation process is lengthy and expensive, and, to date, there have not been any proponents of earthen construction in Canada willing to attempt it.

This leads to each project being evaluated on its own merits, which raises another challenge. Before the issuing of a permit, inspection criteria must be determined along with a quality control and materials testing program to be carried out during construction. A requirement for any project varying from common construction techniques or materials is a “Commitment to General Reviews” by the design professionals. This is a basic form establishing the party or parties responsible for inspections and site reviews, but it does not include a great amount of detail and is often accompanied by a document clearly stating the agreed upon schedule, notable milestones, and substantial completion criteria. Two different pre-construction testing programs and two different construction phase inspection protocols are given in the case studies.

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Two Case Studies

Extra-urban residence – Huntsville, Ontario
The Allen residence, located just outside of the town of Huntsville, in the Muskoka region of Ontario, was completed in the fall of 2012. It was the first SRE single-family dwelling to apply for a building permit in the region. The preconstruction materials testing program for this project was initiated in the spring of 2010.

The town of Huntsville has a Development Services branch, which includes their Building and Planning Departments, along with By-Law enforcement and Sustainability. As of 2013, the Building Department did not employ any registered professional engineers for plan examination or inspection.

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The design methodology for the engineering of the SRE walls on the Allen residence was a hybrid of the Canadian Concrete Design standard CSA A23.3 (Canadian Standards Association, in press) and various techniques and analysis tools taken from the international literature. Of primary concern was the effect of freeze-thaw cycles on exposed SRE walls in a Canadian climate. Pre-construction testing included evaluating different grain size distributions in the source soil mix, varying Portland cement content, the addition of a silicon emulsion ad-mixture for permeability reduction (Plasti-cure by Tech Dry), and oxides for color control. The structural design was controlled in large part by the compressive strength of the test samples. 150mm diameter x 300mm tall test cylinders were tested at 28 and 56 day curing times. The durability of the different mixes was tested by exposing block style samples to the environment and by creating excessive freezethaw cycles during the winter months.

For durability, a minimum Portland cement content of 5% by weight, plus the manufacturer’s recommended dosage of admixture to reduce permeability was determined to be adequate. For structural stability, a minimum of 7.5% Portland cement by weight was determined to be necessary to achieve a 15 MPa design compressive strength. The testing program was summarized in a simple document and presented to the building officials in Huntsville along with the completed drawings set at the time of permit application. The building official requested an in-person meeting with the structural engineer in order to discuss the material and building technique, and was satisfied within 15 minutes; provided that the engineer take on responsibility for inspecting the SRE walls and assume full liability for their performance.

Follow-up testing involving samples taken during construction was requested, but occupancy was not denied before the test results were submitted after construction was completed.

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Urban residence – Ottawa, Ontario
The Smyth-Allcott residence is a two story single family dwelling built just south of Ottawa, Ontario in the suburban community of Kemptville. The building has single story SRE walls with light wood frame second story walls above. The conceptual design was taken to the city of Ottawa’s building department for an initial consultation by the client and architect in April of 2012. At that point in time, a zoning official looked over the proposed design and told the owner and architect that they did not see any outstanding issues that would prevent or delay a building permit being issued.

Following a similar pre-construction testing program to the one employed for the Allen residence, the design was completed over the winter and spring of 2012/13. The city of Ottawa is in an active seismic zone, and the appropriate lateral load capacity of the structural walls is required to be shown in any engineering design submitted for permit.

The city of Ottawa has a Planning and Growth Management Department, employing several registered professional engineers and architects in the Building Code Services division. In the case of the Smyth-Allcott permit application, a technician in the residential plan examination division reviewed the plans and then passed them up to an engineer in the commercial division. The technician did not feel qualified to review the plans, as the structure included materials and techniques outside of part 9, the prescriptive core of the Ontario Building Code (OBC), similar to the IRC in the US model national code.

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The structural engineer reviewing the set of plans and calculations was not familiar with earthen construction methods, nor with SRE as a material that could be designed using engineering principles. As a result, the engineer requested evidence via testing done in a Canadian context to prove that SRE could reliably be designed in general accordance with CSA A23.3.

Notwithstanding the lack of published research on SRE from Canada, two larger concerns were raised regarding the use of the concrete design standard for this different material. First, the minimum compressive strength for reinforced concrete is currently set at 25 MPa. Second, the CSA A23.1 and A23.2 standards set limits to the quantity of particles of less than 80 µm diameter present in a given sample of aggregate. The inability of SRE to meet these two qualities effectively ruled out the use of the concrete design standard for engineering analysis in this case.

Supporting documents submitted with the initial permit application included the New Zealand Engineering Design of Earth Buildings, which is written in concert with both masonry and concrete design methodologies for reinforced and un-reinforced assemblies alike. Reference to this standard prompted a re-design carried out in general accordance with the CSA S304.1 standard, Design of Masonry Structures. The minimum compressive strength for reinforced masonry under seismic loading in CSA S304.1 is 15 MPa, and the standard contains no minimum aggregate size criteria, as masonry containing clay - both fired and chemically stabilized - are permitted.

The primary change to the engineering analysis resulting from the shift to a masonry-based standard from a concrete one was the increased importance in slenderness ratio as opposed to reinforcement in driving the final design.

In terms of the permit application process, the fastest path forward was determined to be an alternative solution application asserting the equivalence of the reinforced SRE to a reinforced masonry wall.

Conclusions and Recommendations

It is common to encounter varying interpretations of building code requirements between different jurisdictions. It is also common to find that a jurisdiction with a larger population will have more rigorous plan examination and inspection requirements than a neighboring jurisdiction with a smaller population. In large part, this is due to higher staffing capacity and experience with a broader variety of projects in the more populous region. However, the resulting inconsistency in the application and enforcement of federal and provincial codes at the municipal level effectively creates separate classes of construction regulation where no such separation is intended, or even allowed.

A recommendation is for regulators to set a minimum level of adjudication necessary for an alternative solution proposal to be considered. This may involve third party professionals in some jurisdictions, but this is not unprecedented for plan examinations or inspections that are outside the expertise of the staff in any given building department.

Correspondingly, designers must educate themselves about what regulators need to see in order to move a permit forward when an unfamiliar material or building technique is being proposed. The challenge lies in working together without blurring lines of liability and client responsibility. At the same time, the opportunity exists to work together to create clear and consistent design and administrative guides that lead to a better built environment.

This article was first presented as a paper at the 1st International Conference on Rammed Earth Construction in Perth & Margaret River, Western Australia, February 10-13, 2015. That paper has been published in the conference proceedings, printed by CRC Press, Edited by Ciancio & Beckett, 2015. ISBN: 978-1-138-027701

Tim Krahn is a licensed engineer with degrees in the civil and geotechnical disciplines. His professional interests include natural building materials, integrated design and education, energy and infrastructure sustainability, and a healthy built environment. He is a LEED accredited professional and heads up Building Alternatives Inc.’s Ontario office. He is the author of the book, Essential Rammed Earth Construction: The Complete Step by Step Guide, published by New Society Publishers.

Earth USA 2019 Demonstrates the Importance of Earthen Materials in Architecture and Construction Worldwide

Written by Kurt Gardella, Adobe in Action

Earth USA 2019 conference attendees in front of the Scottish Rite Center, Santa Fe, NM

Earth USA 2019 conference attendees in front of the Scottish Rite Center, Santa Fe, NM

Earth USA 2019, the 10th International Conference on Architecture and Construction with Earthen Materials, took place from Friday, October 25th to Sunday, October 27th, 2019, at the Scottish Rite Center's Alhambra Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The conference was organized by Adobe in Action.

More than 150 earth building enthusiasts attended the conference to view 32 podium presentations, 20 poster presentations, and two demonstration sessions. Walking and bus tours of significant and vernacular adobe structures followed the conclusion of the conference.

Presenters converged on Santa Fe from around the world including countries such as Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, India, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Rwanda, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The United States also had strong representation with presenters and attendees from California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

Fred Webster Memorial Prize winner Jun Mu (second from left) with Fred Druc, Brendan O’Connor Webster, and Quentin Wilson

Fred Webster Memorial Prize winner Jun Mu (second from left) with Fred Druc, Brendan O’Connor Webster, and Quentin Wilson

Prof. Ronald Rael (Acting Chair of Architecture and the Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley) dazzled attendees with his keynote presentation entitled "Mud Frontiers: Notes from the Borderlands”. Also of note was the inaugural Fred Webster Earth Building Engineering Prize. This was awarded to the presentation "From 'Why to do' to 'How to do': Research and Practice in Rammed-earth Architecture in China" by Professors Jun Mu, Tiegang Zhou, and Wei Jiang all of the Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, China.

Paperback copies of the Earth USA 2019 Conference Proceedings can still be ordered at a special discounted price here.

Full details about past, present, and future conferences can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Regular Column: Getting the Dirt on ... Quentin Wilson

Quentin Wilson has spent a career in the field of adobe in New Mexico and is a vociferous proponent of building with the earth. As this column suggests, he became interested in adobe as a youngster. In addition to constructing adobe homes, he started and oversaw the adobe program at Northern New Mexico College, and has been a principal instigator, facilitator, and promoter of the Earth USA conference, a biannual conference in the United States that brings scholars, practitioners, and others from all over the world to discuss and share their earth building undertakings and interests. Practicing what he preaches, Quentin and his wife Maria continue to live in the same adobe home which have resided in for fifty years.

  1. How did you first get interested or involved in earth building?

    At age ten in the fifth grade, I was highly influenced by two barefoot men who led a horse around between the Armijo Ditch and Sunset Road in Albuquerque’s South Valley to mix mud to make adobe bricks. When my teacher assigned us the job of making house models there was no choice for me but to make miniature adobe bricks on a cookie sheet and bake them in my mother’s oven. The rest, as they say, was houses, forts, banks and churches.

  2. Where do find your passion in this field? For example, are you particularly interested in the architectural, community building, cultural, economic, engineering, environmental, regulatory, or sociological aspects of earth building?

    Right now, I just love living our adobe home of fifty years. Maria and I raised three children here and in the past two years we finished projects, started new ones, and renovated, renewed, replaced, replicated, modernized, conserved energy, shored up, activated, celebrated, and worked toward a space for aging in place. The house is largely passive solar and I relish walking through in the morning opening up to the sun and walking through at nightfall closing apertures. This would be a nice place to die in if I live that long.

  3. Since you started the adobe program at Northern New Mexico College, what changes within the field of earthen construction have you witnessed? Where do you see important contributions coming from in the future or likewise where do you see earth building going?

    All the important structural imperatives were known and in use in Biblical times and probably the Shang Dynasty in China: a good foundation, sturdy lintels, a bond beam and a good roof. Further developments are mostly aesthetic and convenience items.

    The number of earthen homes being built yearly in New Mexico remains at low level. We hit bottom in 2013 – which is how long the 2008 downturn took to hit New Mexico. That year ten adobe homes at most were built in the State. We have improved but are far from the fifty to sixty homes built in the banner years around 2000. We are seeing very few commercial or other large buildings being built.

    Beacons of hope come along. In 2010 for the 40th anniversary of the Smithsonian Magazine came the list “Forty things you need to know about the next forty years.” Number One was: “Sophisticated Buildings Will Be Made Of Mud,” according to MIT professor John Ochsendorf. Ten of those years are gone so we need to accelerate our work. Keynote speaker at Earth USA 2019, Ronald Rael, showed us four small but habitable buildings that he 3D printed in Colorado with materials sourced from within a hundred feet. Italians have a beautiful tripod machine that builds earthen buildings and students at Indiana University are working to get a large drone to place twenty-pound blobs of mud to create walls in the manner of a mud dauber - call it monolithic or cob. Personally, I strongly favor the methods of simple labor. Besides buildings, the world needs jobs.

    It is comforting to know that besides the ten Earth USA conferences there are other earth building-related conferences around the world every year. Young people are paying attention.

  4. What have been the highlights of you career? What you currently working on?

    Starting in 1976, I spent twenty-five years building adobe homes in Northern New Mexico as a licensed general contractor. Those were certainly formative years for me and I relished each of the twenty modest, affordable houses I built. The smallest was 1000 square feet for the man who built New Mexico’s tallest building and the largest was 2700 square feet for the director of Ghost Ranch.

    My career capstone is the fifteen years 1995 to 2010 developing and teaching The Adobe Program at Northern New Mexico College in El Rito. The real highlight is seeing students go out and form careers in construction, teaching, community building, design and architecture. For example, Mike Lopach established Adobe in Action in Santa Fe, NM, and now, Brick by Brick in Scottsdale, AZ; Kirk Higbee has created the world’s largest bibliography on earth building subjects, got a BS in Engineering so he can defend adobe, and is the treasurer of Adobe in Action; and Kurt Gardella developed the teaching of foundation to roof earth building skills over the Internet and is a certified earthen plasterer by the Dachverband Lehm of Germany all while being a major organizer of Earth USA Conferences.

  5. Why is it important that the general public become more educated about earth building?

    John Ochsendorf goes on to say it nicely: actually, very sophisticated buildings of masonry were constructed for five thousand years. Then in the past decades the romance of titanium and other high-tech materials have led the public’s image of what sophistication means. Gone are the arches, domes, vaults, buttresses that made such buildings as the sixth century Hagia Sophia in Istanbul stands with a sixty-meter high dome. The world needs to appreciate the sophisticated simplicity of masonry and the simplicity of its sophistication. The public needs to know that earth building is legitimate, well understood, mainstream, and prolific across the globe and time. It isn’t quaint, cute mud huts that wash away in the first rain; it’s powerful structures that stand up to weather, human foibles, and time.

  6. What else would you like to share with the earth building community or the general public about yourself or the field?

    After each brick goes into the wall, grab another.

Timely News and Events

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Please find below upcoming activities and events. While seeking to promote earth building activities and events, EarthUSA News cannot vet or verify all activities and events, or the entities that are organizing them. As always, please contact the entity with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Adobe in Action 2020 Online Earth Building Courses

In spite of the current Covid-19 crisis, Adobe in Action’s activities have continued uninterrupted due to the online delivery format that the organization has been using since 2012. Adobe in Action's next online class - Foundations for Adobe Structures - begins on May 11th. This is a great class to begin the program with since every successful adobe project begins with a sound foundation. More info about this class (as well as our summer/fall 2020 online classes) can be found at https://www.adobeinaction.org/event-calender/.

More information on the courses, registration, and the certificate program can be found at www.adobeinaction.org/certificate-classes/.

Adobe in Action is a New Mexico-based 501c3 non-profit organization which supports owner builders with the planning and construction of adobe homes; promotes adobe home building and ownership through education and student-based field support; produces Mud Talks, a podcast dedicated to earthen construction; and organizes Earth USA, the largest biannual conference on earth building in the United States.

Conferences

Two important earth building conferences will be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, next year — Terra 2021 and Earth USA 2021. Both organizers are monitoring the Covid-19 pandemic very closely and the challenges it presents. Please check the website of each respective conference for updates as well as for deadlines.

Terra 2021 to be Held in Santa Fe, NM in early June 2021
Terra 2021, the 13th World Congress on Earthen Architectural Heritage, is slated to take place June 8th - 11th, 2021, in Santa Fe, NM, at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. It will be the second time the conference has been held in New Mexico since the conference was inaugurated in 1972. Terra 2021 is expected to draw hundreds of specialists from a wide variety of fields from all over the world. Pre-congress workshops and post-congress tours will also be available.

The conference, held under the aegis of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, International Scientific Committee on the Conservation of the Earthen Architectural Heritage, is being organized by the Getty Conservation Institute, the National Park Service Vanishing Treasures Program, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.

For more information, please visit www.terra2021.org.

Earth USA 2021 coming to Santa Fe, NM, in late September 2021
Earth USA 2021, the 11th International Conference on Architecture & Construction with Earthen Materials, will be held from September 24 to 26, 2021 at the Scottish Rite Center's Alhambra Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is organized by Adobe in Action.

This biennial conference will include diverse podium presentations and poster sessions which feature adobe, rammed earth, compressed earth block (CEB), and monolithic adobe (cob). It will be of interest to academicians, architects, practitioners, those involved in various aspects of public policy, as well as the general public. The call for abstracts will be opening in September 2020.

Full details about past, present and future conferences can always be found at www.earthusa.org.

Paperback copies of the Earth USA 2019 conference proceedings can still be ordered at a special discounted price here.

Mudtalks! A Podcast Dedicated to All Things Earth Building

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Mud Talks – created by Adobe in Action (AinA), a non-profit organization based in Santa Fe, NM – is a worthwhile and highly informative podcast devoted to adobe and earthen construction.

As of this issue, nine episodes have been produced by Kurt Gardella, Education Coordinator and Instructor of AinA, and feature Quentin Wilson, director emeritus of Northern New Mexico College's Adobe Construction Program and currently President of AinA.

In the ninth Mud Talks podcast, Quentin Wilson takes us through the basics of finishing adobe structures with interior and exterior plasters.

The series will be now shifting to a series of guest interviews with other experts from the field.

The Mud Talks podcast can be listened to at www.adobeinaction.org/mud-talks/, iTunes, and other favorite sites where one downloads podcasts.

Call for Contributions

A Call for Submissions to EarthUSA News

EarthUSA News very much welcomes your contributions. EarthUSA News promotes earth building architecture and construction as well as its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects. The target audience of EarthUSA News is not only those directly and indirectly involved in the field but also the general public.

Submissions can include articles, timely news, book reviews, and upcoming events or activities. They should be clearly and concisely written. Photos are also welcome. We reserve the right to edit, postpone, or reject submissions based on relevancy or other matters. We regret that at this point we cannot pay for such submissions. For more information on contributing, please do not hesitate to contact the editor at editor@adobeinaction.org.

EarthUSA News Issue #3

Welcome/Intro

Welcome!
Welcome to this special issue of EarthUSA News, the expanded electronic newsletter on earthbuilding in the United States and beyond. This issue focuses on the upcoming Earth USA 2019 conference, taking place in Santa Fe, NM, October 25-27th, 2019.

In addition to Earth USA 2019 details and how to register, one will find a timely piece on the inaugural Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize as well as the regular “Getting the Dirt on …” column featuring Ronald Rael. Professor Rael, the Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, will be offering the public keynote at this year’s conference.

Be on the lookout for articles related to important presentations and happenings that occur at Earth USA 2019 in upcoming issues of this newsletter.

The mission of EarthUSA News is to engage those interested and involved in earthen construction; to preserve and promote its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects; and to be a source of both timely news and institutional knowledge.

The newsletter further acts as a bridge between the biannual Earth USA conference — the largest conference dedicated to earthbuilding in the United States — as well as an outlet to those involved in complimentary fields and the general public.

As always, we hope not only that you like EarthUSA News, but that you pass it on to colleagues and others who may have an interest in this field. We also welcome your written contributions to it. Contributions, comments, and questions can be sent to editor@adobeinaction.org.

Mark Zaineddin
editor, EarthUSA News

Earth USA 2019

Earth USA 2019: Earthbuilding Enthusiasts to Converge Upon Santa Fe Later This Week …
Registration Still Open!
An important bi-annual conference dedicated to earthen construction to take place in Santa Fe, NM, October 25th - 27th

Earth USA 2019, the 10th International Conference on Architecture and Construction with Earthen Materials, will be taking place at the Scottish Rite Center’s Alhambra Theater in Santa Fa, New Mexico, October 25th through 27th.

This conference, which occurs biannually and is among the preeminent conferences in this field, considers any material or method that uses clay as a binder — such as adobe, compressed earthblock, monolithic adobe (cob), and rammed earth block among others.

Earth USA 2019 will certainly be of interest to academicians, architects, practitioners, public policy officials and specialists, as well as the general public who have an interest in earthen construction and all that entails.

Three days of podium and poster presenters include academicians and practitioners from throughout the United States and all over the world and their expertise spans a wide variety of disciplines and diverse subject matters.

The keynote presentation, open to public and occurring late Saturday afternoon, will feature Ronald Rael, the Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. His keynote is entitled “Mud Frontiers: Notes from the Borderlands.”

Also of note will be the inaugural presentation of the Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize. This prize will be awarded to a student who is working on innovative design or engineering solutions for new construction or preservation projects in the field of earthbuilding.

Other activities include a Friday evening “meet and greet” for all conference attendees sponsored by The Earthbuilders’ Guild and optional walking and bus tours of Santa Fe and beyond.

Architects are eligible for American Institute of Architecture (AIA) continuing education credits for the conference as well as the optional full day bus tour.

The organizer of this conference is Adobe in Action, a New Mexico-based non-profit organization.

For more details on the conference including the conference schedule or to register, check out the Earth USA 2019 website at: www.earthusa.org

Regular Column: Getting the Dirt on ... Ronald Rael

Image copyright Rael San Fratello.

Image copyright Rael San Fratello.

Ronald Rael is Chair of the Department of Architecture and the Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley.

With interests connecting traditional and indigenous materials to contemporary technologies, he is a noted activist and innovative thinker in fields of borderwall studies and earthen construction. Additionally, Professor Rael has been at the forefront of using 3D printing to construct out of sustainable materials including the earth. Publications of his include Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing (2018); Borderwall as Architecture: A Manifesto for the U.S.-Mexico Boundary (2017); and Earth Architecture (2008).

Professor Rael will be the keynote speaker at Earth USA 2019, the 10th International Conference on Architecture and Construction with Earthen Materials, taking place in Santa Fe, NM, October 25th – 27th. The title of his keynote is “Mud Frontiers: Notes from the Borderlands.”

1. How did you first get interested or involved in earthbuilding?

I grew up in adobe houses and my father was a builder. Since childhood I've participated in renovating and building adobe houses. When in Colorado, in my mother's family’s village, I live in the house my Great Grandfather built — a humble adobe house. I also am working to restore several adobes in the village and in nearby communities in Conejos County Colorado, including some that date to just after the Mexican American war.

2. Where do you find your passion in this field?  For example, are you particularly interested in the architectural, community building, cultural, economic, engineering, environmental, regulatory, or sociological aspects of earthbuilding?

My primary interest is in the material itself.  There is something about it that resonates with me and is connected to my DNA. I believe that living in earth is fundamental to our being as humans, but many have become disconnected from that relationship we have with living in and making buildings made out of earth.

3. Since the publication of your book, Earth Architecture, what changes or continuities within the field of earthen construction have you witnessed?  Where do you see important contributions coming from in the future or likewise where do you see earthbuilding going?

I would like to think that the publication marked an important moment that reinforced the idea that earth was a modern building material, not only a historic material. It has been a great pleasure to see the number of contemporary buildings constructed using the various earthbuilding techniques around the world, from adobe, rammed earth, wattle and daub, and 3D printing, which is what I predicted would be the future of earthen construction back in 2006.

4. What you currently working on? 

3D printing mud!

5. Why is it important that the general public become more educated about earthbuilding? 

Certainly we live at a time where we should be more conscious of the materials we use in construction for reasons of environmentalism, health, economics — and our global heritage of earthbuilding; especially in a time when we are globally connected, earthbuilding opens the opportunity for everyone on the planet to be aware that our most technologically advanced material, the one we as humans have been refining for the longest amount of time, is right beneath our feet.

Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize

The Inaugural Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize to be Awarded at Earth USA 2019
A tribute to a passionate and committed leader in the field and an inspiration for younger generations involved in earthbuilding.

At this year’s Earth USA 2019 conference, the Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize will be awarded for this first time. This prize, which includes a monetary award as well as a podium slot presenting the winning project, is a tribute to Fred Webster and his important contributions in the field of earthbuilding.

The announcement of this prize notes that it is “targeted to engineering and architecture students worldwide who are working on innovative design and engineering solutions for new construction as well as preservations projects in the earthbuilding field.” Quentin Wilson, director emeritus of Northern New Mexico College's Adobe Construction Program and President of the board of directors of Adobe in Action, affirms, “The Fred Webster Prize is both a tribute to this leader and the work that he pursued as well as an encouragement to younger generations who are following in his path.”

Fred Webster, who passed away in October 2015, was a civil engineer with a Ph.D. from Stanford University. His career spanned more than forty years. Passionate about earthen construction and seismic rehabilitation and preservation of earthen structures, he consulted or worked directly on many important historic buildings including Mission San Miguel in San Miguel, CA; The Castro Adobe in Watson, CA; the Royal Presidio Chapel in Monterey, CA; the Santa Antonio del Rio Colorado Church, in Quesa, NM; the San Miguel Church in Santa Fe, NM; and the Stanton Monastery, in Stanton, TX to name but a few. He also helped write the New Mexico Earthen Buildings code and was involved in revisions of this as well.

Known to his professional colleagues as “Fred” or “Dr. Webster”, he worked with, or was active in, many organizations including The Getty Conservation Institute, Cornerstones, and the Earthbuilders’ Guild. He presented at numerous Earth USA conferences as well as others including Terra 2012 in Lima, Peru.

Wilson notes, “Fred was fully involved in adobe from new design to preservation. He continues to leave us with something to think about, especially with respect to seismic safety. Fred’s legacy lives on and he has left us with homework as we continue to think about and pursue his ideas.”

For Bill Druc, a structural engineer and colleague and friend in the field of earthbuilding and preservation, “Fred Webster was more than a colleague. He was an amazing human being dedicated to earth architecture. He considered himself to be a ‘mud engineer’. Recognized as a leader in the field, he was much more than that. He was a loving and thoughtful husband and friend. He continues to be missed.”

What would Fred Webster think about a prize named after him? Brendan Webster, his widow, mentions, “Four years ago about this time Earth USA was meeting in Santa Fe but without my husband’s physical presence. He was dying. Nevertheless, the members of this group sent him a video which spanned the audience two times with everybody waving and saying “hi” to Fred. I wasn’t with him when this happened, but later in the day he called me to his bedside and said, ‘look at this’, and showed me that little video. For him it was an ‘oh wow’ experience, which is how I think he would regard the Fred Webster prize, given in his name. He was a modest man of few words and ‘oh wow’ was a very big deal.”

Indeed, the Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize will be but one way to keep the legacy of this leader in the field of earthbuilding alive as well as inspire others to work on ideas and research that he was passionate about and found timely and important. And “oh wow”, it’s a very big deal!

Call for Contributions

A Call for Submissions to EarthUSA News

EarthUSA News very much welcomes your contributions. EarthUSA News promotes earth building architecture and construction as well as its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects. The target audience of EarthUSA News is not only those directly and indirectly involved in the field but also the general public.

Submissions can include articles, timely news, book reviews, and upcoming events or activities. They should be clearly and concisely written. Photos are also welcome. We reserve the right to edit, postpone, or reject submissions based on relevancy or other matters. We regret that at this point we cannot pay for such submissions. For more information on contributing, please do not hesitate to contact the editor at editor@adobeinaction.org.

EarthUSA News Issue #2

ARTICLES

Welcome to the Second Issue of EarthUSA News

Welcome to the second issue EarthUSA News, a new expanded electronic newsletter on earthbuilding in the United States and beyond.

EarthUSA News seeks to engage those interested and involved in earthen construction; to preserve and promote its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects; and to be a source of both timely news and institutional knowledge.

EarthUSA News further acts as a bridge between the biannual Earth USA conference — the largest conference dedicated to earthbuilding in the United States — as well as an outlet to those involved in complimentary fields and the general public. We plan to publish this newsletter four times per year.

In this issue, you will find interesting articles on Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Colorado and New Mexico that are using adobe to construct affordable homes; the rebuild of a historic literary archive by Abari, a social and environmentally conscious design-build firm in Nepal, that made use of bamboo and earthen construction; and an interview of a long-time adobero, Antonio Martinez, as part of the regular column, “Getting the Dirt on …”. Furthermore, we look into the recent podcasts of Mud Talks, a podcast devoted to adobe and earthen construction, produced by Adobe in Action.

Timely news subjects such as the upcoming Earth USA 2019 conference in Santa Fe, NM, in October, and the Earthen Construction Initiative’s recent receiving of the prestigious San Antonio SA Sustainability Tomorrow Award are also highlighted.

We hope not only that you like EarthUSA News, but that you pass it on to colleagues and others who may have an interest in this field. We also welcome your written contributions to it. Contributions, comments, and questions can be sent to editor@adobeinaction.org.

Mark Zaineddin
editor, EarthUSA News

Acting with Adobe …

How two Habitat for Humanity affiliates are using adobe to help provide affordable housing, foster community, and bring hope to rural Colorado and New Mexico.
Written by Mark A. Zaineddin

In the midst of the often snow-capped San Christo mountains of northern New Mexico and in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, miracles are happening. Under the auspices of the Habitat for Humanity of Taos and the San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity affiliates — and through the remarkable efforts of soon-to-be owners, volunteers, and a few paid staff — affordable homes are being constructed, homes that utilize adobe.

These two Habitat for Humanity affiliates are committed to using this traditional medium to build affordable housing, to foster community, and to elicit hope. Both affiliates have been in existence for approximately 25 years and over this time have served their communities well. Since its inception, Habitat for Humanity of Taos has completed 31 homes and has plans to complete 4-5 houses this year … the most ever done by this small affiliate. Of the 31 homes, 23 have been made of adobe. At the same time, the San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity affiliate has constructed homes with 20 families, 15 of which have utilized adobe. The San Luis Valley affiliate builds on average 1½ to 2 homes every three years.

Building Houses, Building Hope: Volunteers working hard on an adobe house constructed under the auspices of the San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Building Houses, Building Hope: Volunteers working hard on an adobe house constructed under the auspices of the San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Perhaps, for a number of reasons, it is not surprising that these two non-profit organizations would construct with earthen materials. For one, homes in this region of the United States have been built using dirt, sand, and water for as long as anyone can remember. One need only look at historic Taos pueblo, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and its multi-storied adobe residences which have been continuously lived in for centuries.

Making use of adobe is also culturally, environmentally, and socially relevant in this part of the country. Audrey Liu, Executive Director of the San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity affiliate, notes, “Building with adobes has been a great educational tool to teach culture, tradition, and history. Many of our ancestors lived from and of the earth. In our building, we wish to teach living in harmony and balance, with the additional lure of the majestic mountains.”

Both affiliates utilize bricks that have been purchased, are compression tested, and meet building standards. However, Cynthia Arvidson, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Taos, adds that on their projects, “some bricks are also made on-site with sand, straw, water, and dirt. We use them in our garden walls and sell them at the ReStore for folks to use in their walls or hornos. (And) each group gets to make bricks.” No matter one’s age, who doesn’t like “playing in the mud” while helping build a house at the same time?

Building with adobe can be a major draw. Ms. Liu affirms, “(By) working with traditional adobe, we have gathered the support of many who are curious to learn, experiment, be part of a creative building process, and provide affordable housing. Our volunteers, families, and staff are totally intrigued with building homes with mud.”

Habitat for Humanity of Taos and San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity are among the smallest Habitat affiliates in the United States. And they each face significant challenges. For example, both are located in rural areas with very sparse populations. The geographical area that the San Luis Valley affiliate covers is similar to the size of the state of Connecticut, is quite isolated, and has only a population of 40,000 from which to draw for local support. Alamosa, the commercial center of the valley, where the affiliate has been building its homes has about 12,000 residents, of which 2,500 or so are students at Adams State University. Similarly, Habitat for Humanity of Taos is one of close to 300 non-profits in the town of 5,000 residents, competing for offerings of time and money. The county of Taos in which the affiliate is located has a population of only 32,000, and 90 percent of its residents cannot afford to purchase a home there.

Given these challenges, both Habitat affiliates rely heavily upon visiting work groups for support. For example, in 2018, Habitat for Humanity of Taos hosted 26 work groups coming from all over the United States, including Illinois, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.

Indeed, each year, volunteers from churches, colleges and universities, companies, and other organizations come to provide valuable support to these non-profit organizations. In addition to giving their time, these groups also contribute funds which are used to purchase building materials.

In return, volunteers are exposed to, and learn about, the diverse local cultures and historically-rich traditions including their use of adobe; they get a chance to work side-by-side with soon-to-be new home owners and others; and they have fun at the same time. For these groups, Ms. Arvidson suggests that while a work group’s mission trip may still be in the United States, “it feels like a global experience.”

Volunteers working with adobe on a Habitat for Humanity of Taos’ Women Build Taos 2018, part of Habitat National Women Build Week.

Volunteers working with adobe on a Habitat for Humanity of Taos’ Women Build Taos 2018, part of Habitat National Women Build Week.

At the same time, there are challenges to building with adobe. For one, Ms. Liu notes that it is important to have a construction supervisor who is very comfortable working with earthen materials. It also requires that there be many volunteers to help. For the San Luis Valley affiliate, this means that the summer is by far the busiest season; for it is then that most work groups come for a week long experience. Ms. Arvidson adds that building with adobe can be a bit more time consuming than constructing stick and frame homes. That said, because of volunteer labor, adobe construction is cost competitive. And the visiting work groups love to experience making adobe bricks.

But the benefits far outweigh the challenges. Benefits that include promoting cultural traditions, energy efficiency, stewardship of our earth’s resources, community enhancement, and home ownership.

Not only do these homes — which the new owners partner with volunteers and staff by adding 500 hours of sweat equity and purchase with a no interest mortgage — continue a long cultural tradition in the region of building with adobe. In doing so, they introduce time-tested building with earth to both local and non-local volunteers. But also, the homes are energy efficient, utilizing in many cases trombe walls, solar hot water systems, and solar gain in their design. Additionally, these Habitat homes help also foster community, with volunteers working together to complete a common project. And importantly they help alleviate an affordable housing crisis, one home at a time.

Finally, for the new owners, their earth-built homes elicit a deep sense of hope and pride. Ms. Liu states, “Our Habitat home owners are thrilled to be living in a house built like their grandmother’s and paying lower utility bills.” To which Ms. Arvidson adds, “Most partner owners are single Hispanic mothers and they love the adobe!”

For more information on these two Habitat for Humanity affiliates, their current work and on-going activities, as well as volunteer opportunities, please check out their respective websites on the Internet:

Building with Bamboo and the Earth in Nepal

Abari, a local socially and environmentally committed design-build firm, rebuilds an important historic literary archive.
Written by Pranathi, pictures by Ashesh Rajbansh

Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya (MPP) is located in the historic precinct of Patan, adjoining the Patan Dhoka — the gateway to the city of crafts. It has been a beacon for archival endeavors in Nepali literature.

It is a receptacle of literary and cultural treasures. It hosts the largest archives of Nepali literature in the country and has an active documentation of historic books and documents.

The trust of MPP approached Abari, a design-build firm, in their quest to commission home-grown designers to re-build this monument of sorts. The core value of the rebuilding process was to uphold their values of preserving the vernacular, using architecture as a language.

The original Rana style building that was adversely affected following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015 was built with the characteristic Nepali bricks and decorated with plaster of Paris trimmings. Its library look was emphasized with the minimalist grid windows that looked out into the manicured gardens, creating an atmosphere fit for reading.

“When we set out to rebuild the historic building we had to pay homage to its previous incarnation, so we decided to build on the same foundation and reuse some of the historic bricks, with the notable Bikram Sambat (Nepali) dates still evidently adorning the relic. The old surely set the foundation for the new in this case” shares Nripal Adhikary, founder, director and chief designer of Abari, the architectural practice that is responsible for designing and building this historic space. Abari has a reputation of building with natural, locally sourced materials rendering them in a modern perspective.

The simple form of the structure as seen from the outside is contrasted by the complex web-like structural trusses seen in the interiors. The earth and bamboo library has a double height space which regulates natural lighting and air quality through…

The simple form of the structure as seen from the outside is contrasted by the complex web-like structural trusses seen in the interiors. The earth and bamboo library has a double height space which regulates natural lighting and air quality through the fenestrations.

The walls bear a natural palette of pastel yellows and reds of the local clay varieties used in plasters. The ceiling is finished with bamboo mats not only for aesthetic but also for its insulation properties.

“The theme of the building was to filter light into these archives and set a stage for visitors to admire the sheer numbers of books and artifacts they’ve conserved over the past decades. It was surely to be earthquake friendly and took a revolutionary new turn when we decided to have a separate structure to support the roof and have self-supporting light weight walls,” adds Kamal Maharjan, project architect and lead supervisor of the construction of this conservatoire. The design is inherently made of bamboo, the preferred choice of in-house designers and engineers at Abari, based on their decade long research on this wonder grass.

When quizzed why they work with bamboo and earth, Nripal notes, “Asia has a great bounty of bamboo varieties, yet lack of knowledge and research, and the lobbies of cement and steel industries has pushed natural materials to the fringes. The biggest challenge in setting up an industry involving natural materials is to create and sustain a supply chain. We have been able to identify a few districts in Nepal ideal for growing and producing bamboo suitable for construction and over the past five years have been working with farmers’ cooperatives to build a network of bamboo producers, eventually buying back from them

The benefits of fostering and working with bamboo is multifold. Bamboo is known to have the strength of steel without the heftiness. It also has a property no other natural material or man-made technology could have; of being able to sway and shift during an earthquake or turbulent winds and come back to its original (upright) position. This made it ideal to have the entirety of this structure be designed with such a versatile, carbon neutral material but other contextual necessities such as humidity levels for books and thermal insulation during extremities of seasons for human comfort earmarked a shift in our design approach.

Earth is known to best regulate humidity and temperature and have porosity that allows for ‘breathability’ in a space. We wanted to promote and showcase an ancient building system that has evolved in mountain communities all over the world and still exists in upper Mustang. We wanted to celebrate and revive rammed earth!

The design of the truss is unique because the roof does not rest on the rammed earth walls. The walls and roof being independent of each other and having their own structural load paths ensures stability and safety during an earthquake.The behavior …

The design of the truss is unique because the roof does not rest on the rammed earth walls. The walls and roof being independent of each other and having their own structural load paths ensures stability and safety during an earthquake.

The behavior of the wattle and daub light weight walls is very different to the rammed earth and the bamboo truss during seismic movements. This design takes into account the varying behavior and hence the separation.

It is essentially load bearing construction and has dual benefit of not needing heavy vertical reinforcements and has inherent solar passive thermal properties. It’s known to store solar radiation and slowly release it overnight garnering interiors cool in summers and warm in winters.”

The company has been a pioneer and specialist in contemporizing the ancient technique of rammed earth walls. The core of the complex is comprised of rammed earth walls and the offices are designed around it, for a more constant thermal comfort; whilst the archive has a more light-weight breathable wattle and daub wall construction that is inspired from the Terai region’s vernacular language. The archive has a dramatic double story which is best appreciated when one is looking down at it from the split-level balcony.

The entrance to the library is punctuated with the unmistakable feature of Abari’s spatial designs, a bamboo staircase! It has beautiful detailing and floats effortlessly to the split-level upper story.

The material palette is truly a celebration of earthen colors with pastel shades of earth paint on the wattle and daub walls, from deep reds to subtle yellows. And the golden hues of the bamboo are offset with the black angular metal junctions. This joining technique was developed over years of research and was found ideal in Nepal’s context where one could construct a large space using pre-fabrication systems. It played a pivotal role in the speedy yet steadfast resurrection of the library to ensure the books and articles are restored safely at the earliest.

The exterior walls are finished with a casein coating to protect the earthen walls from the natural elements. Both the rammed earth wall and the wattle and daub walls benefit from this sacrificial layer which needs to be repainted every 3 to 5 years.

The exterior walls are finished with a casein coating to protect the earthen walls from the natural elements. Both the rammed earth wall and the wattle and daub walls benefit from this sacrificial layer which needs to be repainted every 3 to 5 years.

The library has been functional for the past two years and has been appreciated by the staff and visitors for its customized spaces with quiet corners and the filtered sunlight. The chamber with the collection of books is adorned with small windows at strategic locations to ensure there’s plenty of light and ventilation, whilst the façade has dramatic glass windows which invite the passerby to enter and explore the space. The minimalist design approach deftly highlights the bamboo which is meant to be the subject of discussion and exploration.

One of the highlights during the construction process as recalled by the designers and foundation members alike, was when the late chairman, Kamal Mani Dixit, addressed this new take on the building as a chapel of light. He appreciated the marriage of the modern take on fenestrations and the classical look of a cathedral in the double height space of the library.

It stands singularly proud of its new-age design yet blends effortlessly into the soft hued brick and tiled roof neighborhood of the colloquial Newari architecture. It represents a promising future for conserving, preserving as well as contemporizing all that is traditional, cultural, and vernacular.

This article previously appeared in Spaces Nepal. It is republished with permission of the author. More information on Abari and its work can be found at www.abari.earth.

Mud Talks - A Podcast Dedicated to All Things Earthbuilding

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Mud Talks – created by Adobe in Action (AinA), a non-profit organization based in Santa Fe, NM – is a worthwhile and highly informative podcast devoted to adobe and earthen construction

As of this issue, eight episodes have been produced by Kurt Gardella, co-executive director of AinA, and feature Quentin Wilson, director emeritus of Northern New Mexico College's Adobe Construction Program and currently President of AinA. 

Current episodes include topics such as “Adobe Wall Construction Part I - From Planning to Laying Bricks & Mortar” and “Adobe Wall Construction Part II - Lintels & Bond Beams”. The most recent episode, the eighth produced, takes the listener through the basic design and materials of typical roofs used on adobe structures in New Mexico.

Kurt and Quentin will be continuing the series through the fall with a focus on the most important owner builder adobe topics - earthen plasters and floors are next on the list. Starting in early 2020 the series will be shifting to a series of guest interviews with other experts from the field.

The Mud Talks podcast can be listened to at www.adobeinaction.org/mud-talks/, iTunes, and other favorite sites where one downloads podcasts. If you're enjoying Mud Talks, consider supporting future episodes by contributing to Adobe in Action's podcast production fund.

TIMELY NEWS

Earthen Construction Initiative receives a SA Tomorrow Sustainability Award!

On February 20th, 2019, Earthen Construction Initiative (ECI) received the 2018 SA Tomorrow Sustainability Award in the Sustainable Program category by the City of San Antonio, TX’s Office of Sustainability.

SA Tomorrow Sustainability Award with (left to right) Ron Evans (ECI board member); Celia Mendoza (ECI board member); Stephen Colley (ECI President); and Lauran Drown (ECI Vice President).

SA Tomorrow Sustainability Award with (left to right) Ron Evans (ECI board member); Celia Mendoza (ECI board member); Stephen Colley (ECI President); and Lauran Drown (ECI Vice President).

In granting the award, the Office of Sustainability noted the non-profit’s efforts in recommending and submitting a number of modifications to the building code used by San Antonio and meant to encourage earthen construction in the city. The City Council approved the ECI’s recommendations in June of last year with the modified building code going into effect in October.  

The City of San Antonio’s Office of Sustainability sponsors the SA Tomorrow Sustainability Awards annually. According to a press release announcing a call for nominations, “The award honors businesses and organizations that showcase breakthroughs and innovations using the three pillars of sustainability - social, economic, and environmental. … The awards also spotlight the City’s SA Tomorrow initiative, which plans for the San Antonio area to grow by another one million residents by 2040. Each category covers projects that support the goals of the SA Tomorrow Plan in the areas of energy; green buildings and infrastructure; land use and transportation; natural resources; and public health.”

ECI is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 whose mission is to advance and promote earthen construction through research, education, and outreach. Based in San Antonio, Texas, ECI boasts nearly 50 members from across Texas and neighboring states.

More information on Earthen Construction Initiative and its current endeavors can be found on its website at: www.earthenci.org. To learn more about the city of San Antonio’s Office of Sustainability, SA Tomorrow Awards and other 2018 winners, check out: www.sanantonio.gov/sustainability/sustainability-awards

Earth USA 2019: October 25th - 27th in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Mark Your Calendars! Registration is Now Open!

Earth USA 2019, the 10th International Conference on Architecture & Construction with Earthen Materials, will be held from Friday, October 25 to Sunday, October 27, 2019 at the Scottish Rite Center's Alhambra Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

This conference is slated to draw a wider field of interest than every before and will include diverse podium presentations and poster sessions which feature adobe, rammed earth, compressed earth block (CEB), and monolithic adobe (cob). It will be of interest to academicians, architects, practitioners, those involved in various aspects of public policy, as well as the general public.

We are very excited and pleased to announce that Ron Rael, Professor of Architecture and Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, will be this year’s keynote speaker.

Also of interest, the inaugural Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize will be awarded to a student for her or his work in innovative design or engineering solutions in new construction or a preservation project

Earth USA 2019 is slated to include three days of podium presentations and poster sessions as well as pre- and post-conference workshops, tours, and a Friday evening meet and greet presentation.

Online registration is now open!

For more information on the conference, please check out the Earth USA 2019 website.

We look forward to seeing you in Santa Fe in October!

REGULAR COLUMN: GETTING THE DIRT ON ...

Adobero Antonio Martinez outside the historic San Miguel Mission Church in Santa Fe, NM.

Adobero Antonio Martinez outside the historic San Miguel Mission Church in Santa Fe, NM.

Getting the Dirt on Antonio Martinez


This interview was conducted by Gilbert Gutierrez and features Antonio Martinez, a longtime adobero in New Mexico. The interview has been edited for brevity. The complete unedited interview has been kept as part of an oral history that Adobe in Action and EarthUSA News are initiating.

1. Tell us about yourself. How did you become involved in adobe construction?

I grew up as a lumberjack. My father and my uncles operated a sawmill. They did everything … the logging, the milling, the transporting, and the selling. When I was in the ninth grade, both my uncle and grandmother died. These basically ended the business. My dad went into carpentry and, throughout high school, whenever he had a project, when I could, I would tag along.

And after I graduated from high school, I got hired on as a construction laborer but did not work with adobe until 1985. That year, the mayordomo of the church in Rociada Arriba noticed a crack that appeared near a window. After looking at it, a state building inspector ended up condeming the church. For two years, the community tried to figure out what to do. (Through the efforts of the parish priest and archbishop), the community got introduced to what is now known as Cornerstones. They came, looked at the building, and organized us. At one point, this organization held a big workshop and invited a lot of people who were working with adobe architecture. And everybody who saw the wall felt that it could be saved. (Many trials and tribulations took place. Some wanted to walk away from the church, others wanted to repair it. Years went by.).

Yet, it was through working on this church and others that many people, including myself, were exposed to adobe. Indeed, we were two months shy of 10 years from the time the church was closed to its rededication. At the same time, in the early 1990s, I was asked to be a part of the archbishop’s commission (for the preservation of historic churches). Shortly, thereafter, Cornerstones offered me a position and, in it, I got to see what was happening throughout the state … in Mora, Taos, Socorro, and elsewhere. That is how, I had basically learned how to work with adobe.

2. So you learned adobe through trial and error and working through Cornerstones?

Well yeah. Ed Crocker of Cornerstones was the advisor to Rociada and he taught me a lot. I remember the first day that we were going to start laying adobe. I drove from Santa Fe to Rociada. And as I pulled up to the church, the community members that were going to work on the church were all sitting outside. I said “Well, what are we waiting for?” They said, “we’re waiting for the guy from Santa Fe.” To which I replied, “what’s the guy from Santa Fe going to teach us?” Someone chimed in, “He’s going to teach us how to make mud.” I laughed and started shoveling dirt into the mixer. (Needless to say, I had no idea what I was doing). When Ed walked up. he showed us the correct way to mix the sand, dirt, and water. I had a hard time accepting that. … But (eventually) I listened to him and, little by little, I learned. We rebuilt this church … fixed the portion of the wall that had fallen and did a mud-plastering. (The experience) gave me an opportunity to work for the archdiocese and evaluate churches in it. It wasn’t only Rociada that was having problems, it was all over. Any church that had been cement-plastered was having a problem.

3. Was this a condition that you found common in the historic churches in New Mexico?

Yes, the footprint of all structures will trap moisture. At one point, I thought a cement stem wall or foundation would protect it, but it doesn’t. For example, the church in Cerro (which we worked on) had been built in the 1930s. In the 1930s, they probably simply used sand from an arroyo — sand that would have been dirty enough to allow moisture to creep up. And then when the church was cemented after World War II, it became sealed up and no longer could breathe. Needless to say, moisture started to accumulate.

4. What were some of the other churches you were either a consultant on or helped the communities restore their churches?

I have worked on a lot of churches; churches in the Mora area, in Taos, over by Abiquiu Dam, and down south by Socorro. There have been a lot of them. I never kept a list of them. Every once in a while, I will get a phone call from a community who will say back in so and so you did an evaluation and I will have to look through my notes or the report that I wrote (just to remember). … Sometimes I would see three or four churches in a day; sometimes ten in a week.

5.  How important was getting the community involved?

When I went to look at a church which had very visible problems — for example, the wall had collapsed — the community would often be completely in shock. They had no idea what needed to be done first. All they would say was, “What are we going to do without a church?”. And some people in the community would cry. (For me), it was like Rociada all over again when our church had been condemned. Little by little the community would be shown what had to be done. And even if they had never worked with adobe, once they got over the fear that the church would melt away, the community would embrace the project and they would do the work. It does bring the community together. In our case in Rociada, you had community members who had their own little wars. But those private little wars would be set aside and they would work together on the church.

6.  How did you come to work on the historic San Miguel Mission Church in Santa Fe?

I started working on San Miguel in Santa Fe after working on the San Miguel mission in California. Pat Taylor used to work with Cornerstones in the southern part of the state. He was invited to work on San Miguel mission in California because I guess the contractor couldn’t find anybody who could make an adobe or an adobe mix from scratch. … Pat Taylor asked me if I would go with him and I ended up spending six months with the Franciscans there at Mission San Miguel. … After we came back, the following year, San Miguel Church in Santa Fe was getting started. Pat Taylor was hired on as an employee of Cornerstones. He brought me on to the project. And basically I would stay on to run the job and Pat would run back and forth to do his other jobs.

7.  Tell us about the history of the San Miguel Mission Church in Santa Fe.

They claim the San Miguel Church dates back to 1610 and supposedly it is the oldest church in the United States. … Santa Fe San Miguel underwent a major restoration in the 1970s. At that time, they changed out some of the roof structures and fixed some of the parapets. When we got started, we had to work on a lot of the parapets and also remove a lot of the cement plaster and build it up. We had a lot of stitching to do because the cement plaster caused many of the adobes to deteriorate. A lot of stitching was done to ensure the walls would remain standing. And then we worked a lot on the parapets. We rebuilt some of them and then replastered the church.

8.  What was the most recent project you’ve worked on?

I’m still doing a lot of consulting work. I don’t do any of the physical work anymore. My last job was in Polvadera, a mission of Socorro. And that was this past Fall. The problem was that the interior had plastered right over the mud. The mud was too smooth a surface and the gypsum plaster started to fall off. They had decided they wanted to redo it. I told them that the plaster was trapping moisture. We ended up taking off all the interior plaster … so the wall would have an opportunity to breathe. Then they decided to do a lime plaster. Your only choices when you remove the cement is to do either a lime plaster or a mud plaster. Because it is these two that will breathe.

9.  Where do you see earthbuilding going in the future?

I see a big boom in restoration. A lot of old buildings — whether private homes or a public buildings like old school houses and churches — were cemented and are beginning to become troubled. Here, there is a need for restoration. People, when they start having problems with a building, think they have to raze it and start from scratch. (But that is not true). When you rebuild a wall like that has a traditional mud and stone foundation, you have to go with the same mud and stone foundation. When you mix a concrete foundation with a mud and stone foundation, everything is going to act differently because one is a rigid material and one is a soft material. A slight tremor — even the vibration of vehicles passing the building — may affect it (when concrete and mud and stone are combined).

10.  Are most opportunities in the area of restoring older buildings made with traditional materials.

Yes. I’ve worked on a lot of private buildings that were sold because the original owners didn’t know how to fix them. They thought that maybe they would have to raze them and were looking at a very high cost. (In many cases), the owners became overwhelmed and didn’t want to deal with the buildings, so they sold them. New owners would then come in with a bit more money and fix them. The only way to fix an older adobe building is to use traditional adobe, to stitch it in, and to make sure that the building is able to breathe.

11. Why is it important to become more educated about earth building?

Well, the more educated you become, the less you are afraid of building. You don’t hit a wall and feel hopeless. You can say, “I can fix this!” Once you are educated, you are more confident and enthusiastic about taking on a project. Even though it might take you ten years to fix it! The key is the willingness to take it on. And then if (a family or community) are undertaking the work, it’s not as expensive as a contractor who wants to come in, quickly construct or repair, and then move on to the next project.

12. Any final words you want to share?

Every time I go into a community, the experience I had in Rociada is revived. The hopelessness is overcome. The hope is there. The building can be saved if they are willing to do the work.

Each issue we feature an individual in the earthbuilding field. If there is someone you think would be wonderful for us to interview, or about whom you would like to know more, please let us know by emailing the editor of EarthUSA News at editor@adobeinaction.org.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS


Please find below upcoming activities and events. While seeking to promote earth building activities and events, EarthUSA News cannot vet or verify all activities and events, or the entities that are organizing them. As always, please contact the entity with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Adobe in Action 2019 Fall Online Earthbuilding Courses

Join Adobe in Action for its 8th year of offering its online Certificate in Adobe Construction. Sign up for the full fall 2019 semester of classes and receive a special discounted tuition price. Fall semester courses are as follows:

  • Adobe Wall Construction
    Dates: July 8 to August 18, 2019

  • Roofs for Adobe Structures
    Dates: August 19 to September 29, 2019

  • Interior and Exterior Plastering
    Dates: September 30 to Nov. 10, 2019

  • Floors for Adobe Structures
    Dates: November 11 to Dec. 22, 2019

More information on the courses, registration, and the certificate program can be found at www.adobeinaction.org/certificate-classes/.

Adobe in Action is a New Mexico-based 501c3 non-profit organization which supports owner builders with the planning and construction of adobe homes; promotes adobe home building and ownership through education and student-based field support; produces Mud Talks, a podcast dedicated to earthen construction; and organizes Earth USA, the largest biannual conference on earthbuilding in the United States.

Earthen Construction Initiative Meetings and Presentations

Board Meetings and Member Present! Speakers Series
First Tuesday of each month:
Board Meetings - 6:00 pm; Members Present! Speakers Series - 7:15 pm.
Southwest School of Art, San Antonio, TX

Earthen Construction Initiative (ECI) board meetings are held each first Tuesday of the month at 6pm at the Southwest School of Art. Following board meetings at 7:15pm, ECI hosts Members Present! a popular short-format presentation series where a member or invited speaker shares knowledge on a topic related to the use of earthen materials in building. Board meetings and Members Present! are both open-to-the-public and free to attend. For more information on these and other ECI happenings, please visit their website at www.earthenci.org. 

ECI is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 whose mission is to advance and promote earthen construction through research, education and outreach. Based in San Antonio, Texas, ECI boasts nearly 50 members from across Texas and neighboring states.

A Call for Submissions to EarthUSA News

EarthUSA News very much welcomes your contributions. EarthUSA News promotes earth building architecture and construction as well as its its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects. The target audience of EarthUSA News is not only those directly and indirectly involved in the field but also the general public.

Submissions can include articles, timely news, book reviews, and upcoming events or activities. They should be clearly and concisely written. Photos are also welcome. We reserve the right to edit, postpone, or reject submissions based on relevancy or other matters. We regret that at this point we cannot pay for such submissions. For more information on contributing, please do not hesitate to contact the editor at editor@adobeinaction.org.

EarthUSA News Issue #1

ARTICLES

Welcome and an Introduction to EarthUSA News

Welcome to EarthUSA News, a new expanded electronic newsletter on earthbuilding in the United States and beyond. EarthUSA News seeks to engage those interested and involved in earthen construction; to preserve and promote its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects; and to be a source of both timely news and institutional knowledge. It further acts as a bridge between the biannual Earth USA conference — the largest conference dedicated to earthbuilding in the United States — as well as an outlet to those involved in complimentary fields and the general public.

In this issue and issues in the future, you will find interesting articles and interviews, timely news, book reviews and podcast links, and upcoming events. We plan to publish this newsletter four times per year.

We hope not only that you like EarthUSA News, but that you pass it on to colleagues and others who may have an interest in this field. We also welcome your written contributions to it. Contributions, comments, and questions can be sent to editor@adobeinaction.org.

Earthbuilding in the Big Apple … Who Would Have Thought!

A call from the Polo Corporation leads to laying earthen floors in New York City
by Richard Connerty - R. P. Connerty and Son Construction Co.

Several years ago I received an intriguing phone call; “Mister Connerty, my name is Doug Hockmeier and I’m with Polo Corporation here in New York. We were wondering if you might be able to come to our showroom here in the city and install a mud floor for us.”

During the course of the call, Hockmeier went on to explain that his boss, Ralph Lauren, was developing a line of homewares such as sheets and towels with a Southwestern motif. And, as a stickler for providing an accurate environment for these products, Hockmeier said, “Ralph expects the real deal for the display… mud plasters, mud floors, Southwestern furniture, navajo blankets, and so on. Buyers come from all over the world to this annual show. And it’s on the sixth floor of the Polo showroom … on the sixth floor! Can you do it?”

I gave this proposal some serious thought and considered many factors. Firstly, I felt certainly knowledgeable and competent in laying mud floors. My company, R. P. Connerty and Son Construction Company, had laid several earthen floors and I had full confidence in our ability. We had further volunteered on a Cornerstones project, restoring an number of deteriorated capillas and moradas in Northern New Mexico; and, in the process, we had learned a great deal under the leadership of two experts, Sam Baca and Ed Crocker. And finally, I knew that with my son and brother in-law, I had the skilled labor to undertake this endeavor.

Now, before formally accepting, I needed to figure out costs and procurement possibilities for undertaking such a job in Manhattan. Hockmeier had presented me with the square footage requirements of the floor plan, and, based on calculations, I realized that I need about six cubic yards of a clay and sand mix. Now, I’m originally from Boston but I knew New York fairly well as I had lived there for several years before moving to Santa Fe in 1978. In fact, when living in New York, I drove a cab and had a good idea of happenings of this city and how one gets things done.

So what did I do? First, I put in a call to my old friend Sweeney with whom I had co-owned a small bar on the lower East side back in the day. I explained my venture and that I need a truckload of clay and sand mix delivered to the showroom of Polo Corporation at Broadway and 38th. Sweeney replied, “Let me get back to you. My cousin Timmy works as a groundskeeper at Shea Stadium and I think he’ll be able to hook you up!” And, indeed, he did. Sweeney followed up with a call, saying “You need to talk to the DiFrancini brothers. They have a sand and gravel business in Flushing and they provide the clay mix for the infield at Shea. They specialize in clay tennis courts and baseball infields.”

With this information, I phoned to Ray DiFrancini who assured me that he could deliver the six cubic yards of material at a reasonable price. Following this, I called Hockmeier back and offered him a cost figure for the work to which he quickly agreed. In fact, he agreed so quickly that it made me wonder if I had underbid the job.

Nonetheless, two weeks later my brother-in-law, Kevin, my son, Eamon, and I were off-loading a dump truck at the service entrance of the Polo Corporation, shoveling the clay-mix into wheeled metal bins, taking it up the service elevator, and onto the showroom floor. It is there where we mixed the dry ingredients and water in wheelbarrows.

The newly installed mud floor looked nice and the design staff of Polo Corporation were very happy with the result. The only hitch was that, as with all mud floors, they sometimes take a couple of weeks to completely dry out and time was limited. As it happened, while the drying was happening, other contractors walked back and forth over our mud floor. This created an aged patina that looked terrific.

As for me, the best part of the job was that Eamon and I got to spend some memorable time together along with my dear mother-in-law, who lives on the Lower East Side, and who put my son and I up for the seven days that it took to do the job.

And once again, Hockmeier and others at the Polo Corporation liked it. How do I know? They paid us in cash!

So there it is … a phone call from the Polo Corporation leads to a mud floor in the Big Apple! Don’t let anyone ever tell you that earthen construction is limited to the Southwest!

Mark Your Calendars! Earth USA 2019 to be Held in Santa Fe, NM, in October 2019

Earth USA 2019, the 10th International Conference on Architecture and Construction with Earthen Materials, will take place October 25th - 27th, 2019, in Santa Fe, NM. This conference, the largest of its kind in the United States, focuses on adobe, cob (monolithic adobe), compressed earth block, rammed earth, and any other material or method that uses clay as a binder. For anyone involved or interested in the field, this is a must conference to attend. Indeed, Earth USA 2019 is geared towards academics and practitioners as well as policy makers and the general public and draws attendees from all over the world.

The conference will feature three days of podium presentations and poster sessions; a Friday evening speaker meet and great; tours of local earthbuilding sites in and around Santa Fe; and pre- and post-conference earthbuilding workshops offered by Adobe in Action. Furthermore, attendees can avail themselves of the opportunity to network with other individuals involved directly or indirectly, in this field.

One of the unique feature of Earth USA 2019 is that it is very broad in scope with presentations covering:

  • the preservation, stabilization, and re-purposing of historic buildings and cities;

  • new architecture, construction projects, and construction methods;

  • education and information transfer including codes, norms, and regulations;

  • physical and thermal properties of materials and structures; and

  • social, cultural, and environmental elements fostered by earthbuilding practices and traditions

Furthermore, there will be commercial presentations including architects, designers, contractors, and product manufacturers. And, for this first time, the Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize will be offered. This prize will be presented to an engineering or architecture student working on innovative design and engineering solutions for new construction or preservation projects in the earthbuilding field.

More information on Earth USA 2019 and the Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize as well as important call for paper and registration deadlines and sponsorship opportunities can be found on the Earth USA 2019 website at: www.earthusa.org

Mud Talks

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A New Podcast Dedicated to All Things Earthbuilding!

Mud Talks - a new podcast devoted to adobe and earthen construction - has been created by Adobe in Action (AinA), a non-profit organization based in Santa Fe, NM. As of this issue, five episodes have been produced by Kurt Gardella, co-executive director of AinA and feature Quentin Wilson, director emeritus of Northern New Mexico College's Adobe Construction Program and currently President of AinA.

Current episodes include topics such as “why adobe?”; “passive solar design”; “raw materials in adobe brick making and the adobe bring making process”; and “foundations for adobe structures.”

Furthermore, the most recent episode, the fifth produced, is dedicated to Richard Levine, the founder and longtime owner of New Mexico Earth Adobes. Levine passed away at the end of September 2018 and this episode includes a 2012 interview of him, recorded at the Swan House in Presidio, TX, (home of The Adobe Alliance).

The Mud Talks podcast can be downloaded at www.adobeinaction.org/mud-talks/, iTunes, and other favorite sites where one downloads podcasts.

TIMELY NEWS

San Antonio Passes New Earth Construction Permit Codes

The Right Time for Code Change: How Earthen Construction Initiative helped San Antonio become the first U.S. municipality to adopt IBC-based amendments on Earthen Construction
by Lauran Drown, AIA

In June 2018, San Antonio City Council voted unanimously to approve the adoption of the 2018 International Code Council (ICC) Building-related, Fire and Property Maintenance codes and corresponding local amendments. In San Antonio, adopting the latest ICC codes occurs every three years following the three-year update cycle of the ICC. What was remarkable in 2018 was that included among the local amendments was language related to the use of earthen materials in building construction. This made San Antonio the first municipality in the United States to adopt International Building Code (IBC) -based amendments on earthen construction (EC).

The adopted amendments, which comprised changes and additions to IBC Section 2109: Empirical Design of Adobe Masonry and to corresponding definitions in IBC Chapter 2: Definitions, were put forth by Earthen Construction Initiative, a San Antonio based 501c3 organization devoted to advancing and promoting earthen construction. ECI was motivated to take this on when in February 2018 at a member’s meeting, San Antonio City Councilman and architect, Roberto Treviño asked if it would be helpful to have more representation for EC in the local building code and pledged his support of an ECI-sponsored proposal during the then ongoing ICC adoption process.

Between February and May, the five-member ECI technical committee chaired by Michael Donoghue, PE of Austin, TX, met regularly to research current codes on EC, develop a proposal strategy, and craft language suitable to regional conditions as well as to a potentially wider U.S. audience.

Ground work for ECI’s proposal was laid by The Earth Builder’s Guild (TEG) in the previous ICC cycle. Prior to its 2018 publication, IBC Section 2109: Empirical Design of Masonry dealt primarily with fired masonry and contained only a few provisions about earthen construction. Due in great part to the preference for frame buildings with masonry veneer, the chapter had seemingly become defunct causing it to be considered for deletion. Present at the ICC hearing where this matter was discussed, TEG members realized the possible tragedy of losing a nod to EC as an opportunity to successfully propose a rewrite of Section 2109 based on successful language from the New Mexico Earthen Building Code.

Having this language already in the IBC, provided a point-of-origin for ECI’s proposal and for discussions with officials at the City of San Antonio’s Development Services Department. Prescriptions that would guide officials on how to interpret code to adequately inspect earthen structures was a tangible concern as several rammed earth or compressed earth block (CEB) structures had in recent years been built within city limits. Development Services officials aided ECI with their feedback and with help navigating the formal amendments process.

Considering adobe, CEB, and rammed earth as the primary technologies that would most often be used locally, ECI’s proposal centered on developing language applicable to all three. Chapter 2109 in the San Antonio Building Code is now aptly titled, Empirical Design of Earthen Construction. The new code went into effect on October 1st. A summary of the changes is available on the City of San Antonio’s website at https://docsonline.sanantonio.gov/FileUploads/DSD/CI2018-001.pdf.

Lauran Drown, AIA is a founding member and the current vice president of Earthen Construction Initiative. She is a Texas-registered architect employed with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. where she specializes in building enclosure consulting for contemporary and historic buildings.

REGULAR COLUMN: GETTING THE DIRT ON ...

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Getting the Dirt on Kirk Higbee

1. How did you get involved in earthbuilding?

In kindergarten, I toured the old adobe Fort El Pueblo in my hometown, Pueblo, Colorado. The lifelong interest, passion, and quest for knowledge in earthen buildings and methods had begun. In the years that followed, I visited Bent’s Fort, another massive adobe structure which was rebuilt near La Junta, Colorado. Spending many years walking around the empty space where it once existed, I saw first hand and from practitioners how the massive fort was rebuilt.

Additionally, I volunteered at Fort Garland, another adobe fort on the western side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado. In my free time, I regularly searched out adobe buildings as well as adoberos in my hometown and learned a number of things that continued to pique my interest in, and knowledge of, adobe building.

2. What you currently working on?

I have been working on a number of projects. Current endeavors include working on my own adobe house in Phoenix, Arizona. This has required me to search for the city’s adobe building codes as I was met with dead ends at the Building Department. 

Secondly, I have been working with a number of other individuals on projects. For example, this past summer, I assisted in the construction of an adobe hogan on the Navajo Nation for an extended Navajo family. Furthermore, I have been volunteering with Brick by Brick, a compressed earth block project in Scottsdale, Arizona. And I have been helping a number of neighbors who need basic instruction on how to simply and affordably maintain their adobe homes.

Thirdly, I am experimenting with a common weed that produces a latex sap for use as a stabilizer. Trials of the plant have so far proven effective. 

And lastly I continue to add to an annotated bibliography of adobe and earth building resources that I began several years ago. At this point, the bibliography includes nearly 12,000 sources. To make it more accessible to practitioners and scholars, I have begun to rank the top 50 sources — journals, books and movies — in various earthbuilding sub-topics such as mud plasters, rammed earth, cob, and earthquake stabilization for adobe. 

3. Where do find your passion in this field?  For example, are you particularly interested in the community building, cultural, economic, engineering, environmental, regulatory, or sociological aspects of earthbuilding?

My passion for the field is in building infill housing in large cities of the Southwest where adobe architecture is or has existed. Infill is building on vacant lots in already established or transitioning neighborhoods. 

Another passion or goal would be the construction of sub-divisions or housing developments across the Southwest. My passion for earthen architecture is rooted in the local economy using locally available resources: earth, laborers, and building materials.

4. Within earthbuilding, where do you see important contributions coming from in the future or likewise where do you see earth building going?

Future contributions in earthbuilding will come from space travel. For example, out of the Apollo space program to the moon, artificial joints were developed. In space, joint hinges cannot be oiled as the oil would float away. The same principle is seen in artificial human joint, as oil cannot be applied or be present in our bodies. On planets, there is a limited amount of space and resources for building materials. Yet, we need only look to what is present. For example, on Mars, the soil is readily adaptable for soil construction. The science behind seismic engineering, thermal resistivity and capacitance, along with durability and resilience are all the same needs that exist on earth. 

Young scientists and engineers are relearning about earthen construction because of the excitement of space travel and colonization which will aid greatly, at least in my view, earthen construction on earth!  Additionally, there are those throughout not only the United States but the world who are currently making advances on 3D earthen printers, on the thermal factor of earthen architecture, and on the resilience of earthen architecture … these are all current factors affecting earthbuilding.

5.  Why is it important that the general public become more educated about earthbuilding?

Earthbuilding helps the local economy through jobs, technological training, sourcing local building materials, using less energy to heat and cool our homes, and living in cleaner nontoxic spaces that often leave no carbon footprint!

Each issue we feature an individual in the earthbuilding field. If there is someone you think would be wonderful for us to interview, or about whom you would like to know more, please let us know by emailing the editor of EarthUSA News at editor@adobeinaction.org.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Please find below upcoming activities and events. While seeking to promote earth building activities and events, EarthUSA News cannot vet or verify all activities and events, or the entities that are organizing them. As always, please contact the entity with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Adobe in Action 2019 Online Earthbuilding Courses

Join Adobe in Action for its 8th year of offering its online Certificate in Adobe Construction. Sign up for the full spring 2019 semester of classes and receive a special discounted tuition price. Spring semester courses are as follows:

  • Passive Solar Adobe Design
    Dates: January 7 to February 17, 2019

  • New Mexico Adobe Building Permit Process
    Dates: February 18 to March 31, 2019

  • History & Basics of Adobe Construction
    Dates: April 1 to May 12, 2019

  • Foundations for Adobe Structures
    Dates: May 13 to June 23, 2019

More information on the courses, registration, and the certificate program can be found at www.adobeinaction.org/certificate-classes/.

Adobe in Action is a New Mexico-based 501c3 non-profit organization which supports owner builders with the planning and construction of adobe homes; promotes adobe home building and ownership through education and student-based field support; produces Mud Talks, a podcast dedicated to earthen construction; and organizes Earth USA, the largest biannual conference on earthbuilding in the United States.

Earthen Construction Initiative Meetings and Presentations

Board Meetings and Member Present! Speakers Series
First Tuesday of each month:
Board Meetings - 6:00 pm; Members Present! Speakers Series - 7:15 pm.
Southwest School of Art, San Antonio, TX

Earthen Construction Initiative (ECI) board meetings are held each first Tuesday of the month at 6pm at the Southwest School of Art. Following board meetings at 7:15pm, ECI hosts Members Present! a popular short-format presentation series where a member or invited speaker shares knowledge on a topic related to the use of earthen materials in building. Board meetings and Members Present! are both open-to-the-public and free to attend. ECI is also happy to announce it's first fundraiser event to take place in spring 2019. For more information on these and other ECI happenings, please visit our website at www.earthenci.org. 

ECI is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 whose mission is to advance and promote earthen construction through research, education and outreach. Based in San Antonio, Texas, ECI boasts nearly 50 members from across Texas and neighboring states.

Earth USA 2019 Call for Papers

Online submissions accepted until February 15th, 2019
Abstracts must be submitted using the Earth USA 2019 online abstract submission form.

Earth USA 2019, the 10th international conference on architecture and construction with earthen materials, is now accepting abstracts for papers and presentations at the 2019 conference. Earth USA 2019 will be held in Santa, Fe, New Mexico, from October 25th to 27th, 2019. It is the largest conference dedicated to earthbuilding in the United States and draws presenters and attendees from all over the world.

All abstracts should be submitted using Earth USA 2019’s online abstract submission form. More information on paper subject categories, deadlines, and other relevant information can be found at www.earthusa.org/call-for-abstracts/.

A Call for Submissions to EarthUSA News

EarthUSA News very much welcomes your contributions. EarthUSA News promotes earth building architecture and construction as well as its its cultural, economic, environmental, historical, and social aspects. The target audience of EarthUSA News is not only those directly and indirectly involved in the field but also the general public.

Submissions can include articles, timely news, book reviews, and upcoming events or activities. They should be clearly and concisely written. Photos are also welcome. We reserve the right to edit, postpone, or reject submissions based on relevancy or other matters. We regret that at this point we cannot pay for such submissions. For more information on contributing, please do not hesitate to contact the editor at editor@adobeinaction.org.