Eleven graduate students in the Historic Preservation program at the Pratt Institute of New York spent their Spring Break shoveling soil, straw, and sand into wheelbarrows, mixing buckets of lime plaster, and applying limewash on historic walls as part of an Adobe Preservation Workshop in Mesilla, NM. They were assisted by Adobe in Action, a New Mexico based non-profit organization supporting the planning, construction, and preservation of adobe homes.
During warm, sunny days, students restored historic adobe homes and buildings with local earthen and lime-based materials. They applied limewash and lime plaster to the facades of late 19th century homes, reinstating their original shield against weather damage and their historic appearance.
“The students benefited from having the tactile experience of making adobe and preparing materials to restore these beautiful historic structures,” said Vicki Weiner, academic director of the Historic Preservation program.
Adobe construction and restoration draws on indigenous knowledge and locally sourced materials. It contrasts with modern construction and repair techniques that are reliant on globally produced, commercialized materials carrying substantial carbon footprints. Interventions on earthen buildings made with incompatible materials like cement, a common practice, can accelerate an adobe building’s deterioration, a phenomenon that students encountered in Mesilla.
During the trip, students learned that well-built and properly maintained earthen buildings can remain structurally sound indefinitely, offering a sustainable construction option.
“It’s so important to have these hands-on experiences where students can touch the material and be present with it,” said Debora Barros, visiting assistant professor of Historic Preservation. “It’s a sensorial experience that provides a reawakening. It’s an invitation to step away from the hyper technological world in which we live and reconnect with nature, self, and each other, building a sense of community within the classroom. By fostering the students’ understanding of earthen building techniques with a global perspective, both philosophically and practically, we work to nurture a generation of critical thinkers in the field, and encourage them to employ these concepts and methods in their own future practices towards modes of production of the built environment that integrally respond to the needs of people and the planet.”
You can read the original article at www.pratt.edu
Great article, interesting projects, viva l’adobe! Thanks Kelly.