Working with unstabilized mud and its masonry forms has excited us from the very start of our learning practice. Adobes have given us the opportunity to bring cost-effective, community-driven solutions to several of our projects. Our research of the vernacular use of Adobe has taken us to deep pockets of rural India, Mexico, Peru, and Nepal.
Masonry has always interested us, and we have been able to take the use of adobe into arches, vaults, and domes in several of our projects. While we continue learning about ways to design and apply, here is a list of themes we are continually exploring.
History of masonry construction, aspects of design | History of Adobe from around the world | Vernacular architecture with Adobe from around the world | Adobe Production methods | Soil selection and stabilization methods | Selection of size, form, method, and type of Adobe | Texture, porosity, and durability | Design of plastic mixes | Use of additives and fibers | Control & use of shrinkage | Mortar joints and method of structural pointing | Details of joints with various materials and components | Control of variations in product quality, construction quality | Methods of loading and buckling | Thermal properties, density, and thickness selection | Hygroscopic properties and humidity buffering potential | Structural design and calculations | The behavior of masonry under seismic forces | Costs and time | Codes of practice and normativity | Care, maintenance, and repair
List of Reading materials we’ve covered so far
How to sign up for a workshop?
See images of previous workshops here