Adobe House Design and Sustainable Building

The adobe house design is certainly one of the oldest techniques, but it’s certainly one of the most popular ones as well.

This is partly because it’s one of the best economical options for building a home, and it is quite sturdy and stable.

It’s a house design that originated directly from the south western part of the United States of America, as well as from some of the Spanish speaking countries. Fortunately, it’s one of the most economical techniques in many regions that are rich in prevalent adobe soils.

It’s also great for regions that have a relatively dry climate (because the house design is basically based off of clay and other materials). In addition to these great attributes of the adobe house design, bricks are cured directly on the site, and this is much more of a reason why the adobe house is one of the most technologically efficient homes.

The adobe house can actually be built without the addition of insulation which helps to ensure a comfortable home to live in with the high thermal mass. Actually, in areas that don’t receive as much sun, the exterior walls usually receive plaster as well as stucco cement. Also, adobe mud plaster can be substituted for the stucco cement.

This is generally because the building materials are usually constructed at the building site. These are some of the reasons why many people choose to go with the adobe house design.

The adobe homes usually consists of building materials that include earth clay that has been extremely compacted, as well as handmade straw. Adobe houses usually have flat roofs, the adobe walls, and lots of noticeable and universal features such as the arched doorways and parapets.

The best soil used in building an adobe house will normally have on average between 15% - 30% clay in it. This is generally to help bind the materials together. The rest usually consists of sand or even larger aggregate.

Another noticeable trait in adobes is that they have substantial eaves to help protect the walls. They are also built with sturdy foundations to help keep the adobe up and off the ground.

Books to help you plan and build Adobe House

Small Adobe House, by Robert Reck, This is a lovely photograph book more like a collection of some adobe home with its history

Adobe Houses for Today: Flexible Plans for Your Adobe Home, by Alex Sanchez, This book is a great start with accompanying CAD generated images which are practical and straightforward. Recommend!

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