Mud Talks 31: Earth USA 2024 "Poured Clay Studio in Tucson" & "Getting Cob through the Inspection Process in North Carolina"

In our thirty-first Mud Talks podcast, we listen to Joe Silins and Stephen Hren deliver their podium presentations at the Earth USA 2024 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Download the accompanying PDF research papers here:

Joe Silins is the Owner of Tierra Buena Home and Garden, LLC, which is an Arizona-based general contractor specializing in strawbale and earthen construction, and small-scale real estate development. Joe received an M.S. in Urban Planning and a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Arizona.

Stephen Hren is a natural builder, inspector, writer, teacher, husband and father living in Durham, North Carolina. He currently teaches cob classes at Mud Dauber School in Silk Hope, NC.

Earth USA 2024 was the 12th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks 30: Earth USA 2024 "Robotic Nubian Vault Construction"

In our thirtieth Mud Talks podcast, we listen to Ronald Rael deliver his podium presentation "Robotic Nubian Vault Construction" at the Earth USA 2024 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Download the accompanying PDF research paper here.

Ronald Rael is a trained architect, activist, design technologist, multi-generational rancher, and traditional builder. His work blurs the borders between architecture, art, technology, land-based practices, and social justice. He writes books, forms startup companies, advocates for human rights at the U.S.–Mexico border, creates software, invents novel materials and new forms of construction, and designs buildings as an applied research enterprise. His work often combines indigenous and traditional materials and processes with contemporary technologies to speak to the contrasts, contradictions, and complexities of othered subjects, ranging from people to materials, and places, in modern society. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, The London Design Museum, LACMA, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Renwick Smithsonian American Art Museum. He is the Chair of the Department of Art Practice and Eval Li Memorial Chair in Architecture at the University of California Berkeley

Earth USA 2024 was the 12th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks 29: Earth USA 2024 "Building Momentum: Creating a U.S. Earthen Masonry Standard"

In our twenty-ninth Mud Talks podcast, we listen to Ben Loescher deliver his podium presentation "Building Momentum: Creating a U.S. Earthen Masonry Standard" at the Earth USA 2024 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Download the accompanying PDF research paper here.

Ben Loescher is a founding Principal at Loescher Meachem Architects, where his work focuses on the reuse of existing buildings and the founder of Adobeisnotsoftware, an earthen education and advocacy initiative. He has acted as author of portions of the International Building Code sections on adobe masonry, and recently initiated the recent effort to create international design standards for earthen masonry through the Masonry Society.

Earth USA 2024 was the 12th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks 28: Earth USA 2024 "The Challenges of Keeping Earthen Construction Low Carbon"

In our twenty-eighth Mud Talks podcast, we listen to Anthony Dente, Lisa Morey and Rachel Tove-White deliver their podium presentation "The Challenges of Keeping Earthen Construction Low Carbon" at the Earth USA 2024 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Download the accompanying PDF research paper here.

Anthony Dente is a licensed engineer across the US and CEO at Verdant Structural Engineers and Verdant Building Products, which produces straw SIPs developed with EPA support. He’s the vice president of the Cob Research Institute and was the lead engineer for the Cob and Hemp-Lime IRC appendices. He leads the earthen masonry structural committee in TMS and authored Essential Cob Construction with New Society Publishers. Please visit www.verdantstructural.com for more information.

Lisa Morey, is owner and founder of Nova Terra Inc (formerly Colorado Earth LLC), a company that designs, manufactures, and builds with earthen masonry. Committed to the advancement of earth building, Nova Terra is exploring new additives to reduce the embodied carbon of compressed earth blocks while creating energy-efficient and durable walls. Please visit www.novaterrausa.com for more information.

Earth USA 2024 was the 12th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks 27: Earth USA 2024 Keynote Address by Lola Ben-Alon

In our twenty-seventh Mud Talks podcast, we listen to Lola Ben-Alon deliver her keynote address "EARTH MATERIALS "RECIPES": EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH AND PEDAGOGIES" at the Earth USA 2024 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Lola is an Assistant Professor at Columbia GSAPP, where she directs the Natural Materials Lab and the Building Science and Technology curriculum. She specializes in earth- and bio-based building materials, their life cycle, supply chains, fabrication techniques, and policy. Ben-Alon received her Ph.D. from the School of Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University and holds a B.S. in Structural Engineering and an M.S. in Construction Management from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. At the Technion, Ben-Alon co-founded the Experimental Art and Architecture Lab. Her work has been exhibited at the London Craft Week, Indian Ceramics Triennial, Tallinn Architecture Biennale, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, and published in Building and Environment, Journal of Green Building, and Automation in Construction. Ben-Alon serves on the board of ACSA’s Technology | Architecture + Design, and Elsevier’s Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.

Earth USA 2024 was the 12th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks 26: The Owner Builder Adobe Experience with Paul Mallory in Santa Fe, NM

In our twenty-sixth Mud Talks podcast, we speak to Paul Mallory about his owner builder adobe experience in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Paul has gone through all phases of owner builder support at Adobe in Action - he has taken all 8 of our online courses, participated in our remote owner builder support program and also served as a repeat volunteer for our biennial earthbuilding conference Earth USA. Listen as Paul walks you through his personal owner builder adobe journey.

Paul Mallory in front of his owner-built adobe home in Santa Fe, NM during the Earth USA 2024 Monday Bus Tour. Photo by Cornelia Theimer Gardella.

Mud Talks 25: Celebrating 25 Episodes with Adobe Inspiration by Quentin Wilson

In our twenty-fifth Mud Talks podcast, we celebrate the milestone of 25 episodes by returning to our roots with a new round of adobe inspiration by Quentin Wilson - recorded in Quentin's adobe home in La Madera, New Mexico.

Quentin Wilson & Kurt Gardella recording Mud Talks 25 in La Madera, NM in May 2024. Photo by Cornelia Theimer Gardella.

Mud Talks 24: Owner Builder Adobe Off-Grid Site Prep in Eastern Arizona with Jaimus & Kim

In our twenty-fourth Mud Talks podcast, we speak to future adobe owner builders Jaimus & Kim about the steps they have taken to get their property ready for an upcoming off-grid adobe home build in Eastern Arizona.

Jaimus & Kim in their off-grid RV during the interview. Photo by Adobe in Action.

Mud Talks 23: Owner Builder Rex Edhlund Making Adobes in Pioneertown, CA

In our twenty-third Mud Talks podcast, we speak to owner builder Rex Edhlund about his adobe blockmaking operation and plans to build his own adobe home in Pioneertown, CA.

Mud Talks #23 Resource List

All photos by Adobe in Action.

Mud Talks 22: The Owner Builder Adobe Experience with Dan Krause in Taos, NM

In our twenty-second Mud Talks podcast, we speak to Dan Krause about his owner builder adobe experience in the Taos, New Mexico area. Dan has participated in all 8 of our online courses at Adobe in Action and also gave a podium presentation about his project at Earth USA 2022. You can download his full paper about the project here. Dan recently became a board member at Adobe in Action. Listen as he walks you through his personal owner builder adobe journey.

Mud Talks 21: Earth USA 2022 "Experiments in Modernizing Cob Construction"

In our twenty-first Mud Talks podcast, we listen to Stephen Hren deliver his podium presentation "Experiments in Modernizing Cob Construction" at the Earth USA 2022 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Download his accompanying PDF research paper here.

Stephen Hren is a general contractor, writer, and home inspector living in Durham, North Carolina. He has been building with cob for over two decades.

Earth USA 2022 was the 11th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks 20: Earth USA 2022 "Pedagogical and Research Frameworks for Earth Architecture"

In our twentieth Mud Talks podcast, we listen to Lola Ben-Alon deliver her podium presentation "Pedagogical and Research Frameworks for Earth Architecture" at the Earth USA 2022 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Download her accompanying PDF research paper here.

Lola Ben-Alon is an Assistant Professor at Columbia GSAPP, where she directs the Natural Materials Lab and the Building Tech curriculum. She specializes in socially and environmentally sustainable building materials, construction practices, and engineering-architecture collaborations. Her current work focuses on natural earth- and bio-based building materials, their manual and digital fabrication, life cycle, supply chains, and policy. She uses quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the embodied and operational impacts of low-carbon assemblies such as cob, rammed earth, and light straw clay.

Earth USA 2022 was the 11th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks 19: Earth USA 2022 "Flood-Resilient Earthen Construction Technology: When Earth Meets Fabric"

In our nineteenth Mud Talks podcast, we listen to Scarlett Lee deliver her podium presentation "Flood-Resilient Earthen Construction Technology: When Earth Meets Fabric" at the Earth USA 2022 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Download her accompanying PDF research paper here.

Scarlett Lee is a PhD Candidate & Tutor of Architectural History at the University of Edinburgh, UK. She was the winner of the 2022 Fred Webster Earthbuilding Engineering Prize at Earth USA 2022.

Earth USA 2022 was the 11th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks 18: Earth USA 2022 "Legal Adobe in California - A Pathway for Building Permits"

In our eighteenth Mud Talks podcast, we listen to architect Ben Loescher and professional engineer Anthony Dente deliver their podium presentation "Legal Adobe in California - A Pathway for Building Permits" at the Earth USA 2022 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Earth USA 2022 was the 11th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks 17: Earth USA 2022 Keynote Address by Mark Chalom

In our seventeenth Mud Talks podcast, we listen to architect Mark Chalom deliver his keynote address "Building with Earth - Past, Present and Future from my Street Corner" at the Earth USA 2022 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mark specializes in blending handcrafted Traditional and Contemporary styles with sustainable technologies. Mark’s experience spans both design and construction of environmentally appropriate buildings. Since 1975, Mark has taken his architecture beyond Passive Solar and looks at the total structure, site, materials, systems, water, landscaping and their interaction with each other and the environment. His sensitivity to the historic cultures has blended these new technologies with the traditional forms and materials that have evolved in Northern New Mexico out of common sense and appropriateness. Mark is known for his expertise in the development of the “Solar Adobe” based on the past but adaptive and relevant to the future.

Earth USA 2022 was the 11th International Conference on Earthen Architecture & Construction hosted by Adobe in Action. More information about the conference can be found at www.earthusa.org.

Mud Talks #17 Resource List

Mud Talks 16: CEB Home Construction & Finishing with Jim Hallock

In our sixteenth Mud Talks podcast, we speak to Jim Hallock of Earth Block International / Native Earth Block. Jim left traditional construction methods nearly 30 years ago for a life devoted to building with a healthy, sustainable, and superior product - Earth - and has since become the Western Hemisphere’s preeminent expert in Earth Block creation and construction. Due to the chemical sensitivity of his wife, Nora, Jim left California for rural Colorado in search of a non-toxic building material. After attending multiple seminars and presentations on various “green” systems, he found the answer right beneath his feet, leased a machine from New Mexico, and built what he now refers to as Earth Block One: his first of hundreds. The rest is a long and dirty history, spanning eight states and nine countries. Join us for this episode as Jim gives us an in-depth overview of his personal preferences when designing and building homes with CEBs.

Mud Talks 15-8: Preserving Earthen Architecture - Wood Elements in Earthen Structures & Their Preservation + Maintenance Plans & Cycles

With Mud Talks 15-8 we wrap up a special eight-part miniseries dedicated to the topic of preserving earthen architecture. In this final episode of the series we speak to Jake Barrow, Cornerstones Community Partnerships Program Director. We speak about wood elements in earthen structures and their preservation as well as the importance of maintenance plans and cycles for earthen structures.

The Mud Talks Preserving Earthen Architecture series is brought to you in collaboration with Cornerstones Community Partnerships and is made possible by the support of the US Department of the Interior, National Park Service and a National Center for Preservation Technology & Training grant.

Mud Talks #15-8 Resource List

  • Adobe Conservation - A Preservation Handbook
    pp. 117 to 126, 159 to 174, 191 to 208
    by Cornerstones Community Partnerships (Author), Francisco Uviña Contreras (Illustrator)
    Publisher: Sunstone Press (August 15, 2006)
    ISBN-13: 978-0865345270
    https://www.cstones.org/books

Mud Talks 15-7: Preserving Earthen Architecture - Traditional Plasters & Plaster/Surface Conservation

With Mud Talks 15-7 we continue a special eight-part miniseries dedicated to the topic of preserving earthen architecture. In this seventh episode of the series we speak to Angela Francis, Cornerstones Community Partnerships Project Manager. We speak about traditional plasters & plaster/surface conservation.

The Mud Talks Preserving Earthen Architecture series is brought to you in collaboration with Cornerstones Community Partnerships and is made possible by the support of the US Department of the Interior, National Park Service and a National Center for Preservation Technology & Training grant.

Mud Talks #15-7 Resource List

  • Adobe Conservation - A Preservation Handbook
    pp. 127 to 148, 155 to 158
    by Cornerstones Community Partnerships (Author), Francisco Uviña Contreras (Illustrator)
    Publisher: Sunstone Press (August 15, 2006)
    ISBN-13: 978-0865345270
    https://www.cstones.org/books

  • Clay Culture: Plasters, Paints & Preservation
    by Carole Crews
    Publisher: Gourmet Adobe Press (8 Sept. 2010)
    ISBN-13: 978-0984222902
    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8421842-clay-culture

Mud Talks 15-6: Preserving Earthen Architecture - Basal/Wall Stabilization & Stitching Techniques, Repairing Structural Cracks

With Mud Talks 15-6 we continue a special eight-part miniseries dedicated to the topic of preserving earthen architecture. In this sixth episode of the series we speak to Pat Taylor, Historic Preservation Specialist & General Contractor. We speak about basal/wall stabilization and stitching techniques as well as repairing structural cracks.

The Mud Talks Preserving Earthen Architecture series is brought to you in collaboration with Cornerstones Community Partnerships and is made possible by the support of the US Department of the Interior, National Park Service and a National Center for Preservation Technology & Training grant.

Mud Talks #15-6 Resource List

Mud Talks 15-5: Preserving Earthen Architecture - Raw Material Identification & Testing, Making Adobe Bricks, Working with Earth & Stone

With Mud Talks 15-5 we continue a special eight-part miniseries dedicated to the topic of preserving earthen architecture. In this fifth episode of the series we speak to Pat Taylor, Historic Preservation Specialist & General Contractor followed by Calvin Chimoni from El Morro National Monument. We speak about raw material identification & testing, making adobe bricks as well as working with earth & stone.

The Mud Talks Preserving Earthen Architecture series is brought to you in collaboration with Cornerstones Community Partnerships and is made possible by the support of the US Department of the Interior, National Park Service and a National Center for Preservation Technology & Training grant.

Mud Talks #15-5 Resource List