>Adobe

Nader Khalili defines Adobe as "a sun dried construction block made of earth-clay and sand; the essential building block of many earth structures. This material is common in arid climates particularly in the South-West of North America and in the Middle East. Specific examples can be found in Taos Pueblo, New Mexico and Boshrouyeh, Iran. The process is relatively simple- simply experiment with the native soils to determine the appropriate mixture of clay and sand. Make several test blocks, if the mixture contains too much clay it will be full of cracks. If the mixture has too much sand it will crumble easily. US building codes call for blocks with no less the 25% clay and no more than 45% clay. Straw is also incorporated into mixtures for obvious reasons of structural integrity. I can begin to see a possible relationship betweent the use of straw in Adobe, and the use of lattice works in other mud architectures.

Geltaftan (fired-earth) differs from Adobe due to its higher clay content. It is also purer then adobe containing less rocks and debris.

>Bahareque

"To make a bahareque house, the four main posts called horcones are put up. At the top they are connected by roof beams called vigas. Then a lattice work of woven wood is made that reaches from floor to roof beams, but this does not support the roof. This lattice work forms the wall that is filled with mud. Then the women finish it off with repello -- layers of yellow and white mud that look like white washing. Every month the women do minor repairs to the repello to keep the house looking nice"-exerpt from here.

Bahareque is the South American and Latin American example of a mud and woven lattice work architecture. The above examples demonstrate the woven lattice work, mud filled lattice, and finished exterior of a typical bahareque process.

>Quincha and Pau-a-Pique

Quincha, is a Spanish form of Wattle and Daub-notable for its reduced weight which allows for greater structural flexibility. The innovation of Quincha was in response to an earthquake which shook the city of Lima in 1687. The new and improved Wattle and Daub system consisted of cane or giant reed and made the structures much more impervious the the deformations caused by earthquakes. The Spanish and Portuguese societies used essentially the same system yet the Portuguese term is called Pau-a-Pique.

>Wattle and Daub

Wattle and Daub refers to the process of layering a mixture of sand and clay onto a woven lattice framework. The wattles being the woven frame work and the daub being the mixture applied to the surface. This form of construction is most commonly found in the formation of housing. White washing the finished surface helps protect agianst rain, and unwashed surfaces are common to arid climates such as the examples found in Catalhoyuc,Turkey. It is most common in English societies spreading throughout northern Europe with a drastic decline in production around the 18th century. This particular process also spawned the use of plaster and lathe on the interior of houses.