There are many historical sites to see in Mexico and many different types of architecture. One that is easy to overlook, as it so prevalent, is an ancient building technique that uses the simplest ingredients possible. Read on to learn more about the adobe brick building method that has existed in Mexico for over a millennium.
No, we are not talking about the ubiquitous Adobe of the internet. This particular adobe does not exist in an electronic medium and the only updates needed are simple patches that require no downloading. The Adobe company may take its name from this building material, but that is really where the similarities end. Lets now learn more about this material that gives many Mexican buildings their unique look and feel.
This non-digital adobe uses some of the most abundant and easiest to acquire materials on the planet in its composition. The four main ingredients are: soil with a high percentage of clay, straw, sand and water. One bonding agent that is sometimes used is dung. These four, sometimes five, ingredients are combined and poured into brick molds. The molds are then left in the sun to bake until rock hard. Once dry, the bricks are then layered like Lego blocks to form walls. Wet adobe is then applied like a cement mortar to seal up all the spaces. A thickly mixed adobe slurry can be used as plaster to texture or even out walls.
There is a very long tradition of building with this material that predates the arrival of European's in what was dubbed, The New World. The idea of pouring a liquid version into molds was though, first introduced by the Spanish, who at one time used a similar method in their buildings near the Mediterranean. It is estimated that the Spanish were using this method since the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age.
Though adobe structures with good overhanging roofs can survive in any climate, they are especially suited to Mexico. In a dry climate adobe needs incredibly little maintenance. In a wet climate occasional touch ups may be necessary if the walls are exposed to water for extended periods of time. There are very old structures still standing today, coincidentally, that are comprised of the same elements that make up modern adobe.
The cost of this building material is obviously cheap, but there are other money saving benefits to be had. This material is high in a special property that is known as "thermal mass". The benefit of having a high thermal mass is the ability to absorb heat during the day, which keeps the structure cool. The material is a great temperature regulator as it releases built-up heat from the walls at night, and keeps the interior cool during the hottest periods of the day, by absorbing daytime heat into the walls.
If this has peaked your interest in this age old building material, then a trip to Mexico is what you need, in order to see it in all its splendor. Adobe construction techniques are still in use today, and there is a good chance that you can witness the construction method in action. Who knows, maybe you will even get to try your hand at making some adobe bricks.
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