The Pueblo people created striking and durable homes, some of the longest-standing buildings in existence.
What Are Adobe Houses?
Adobe houses are built using resources available in dry, arid climates.
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Indigenous people created their homes by using earth, grass, and water.
History
Adobe-style architecture in North America dates back to the Pueblo people around 750 C.E.
Originally, adobe Pueblo homes were circular and often built half underground as pit houses.
As the style developed, they took on a rectangular shape commonly seen today.
Earthen materials are used outside to keep the look cohesive with more traditional adobe-style homes.
Adobe houses are ubiquitous in New Mexico.
These areas are famous for protecting historical buildings, and many original adobe houses can be seen there.
How to Style an Adobe Style House
Adobe houses are staples of the Southwest.
Hence, the interiors emulate the regions surrounding landscape and culture.
Adobe houses are defined by their earthen construction with smooth walls made from earth, grass, and water.
Adobe houses can stay warm in the winter, depending on sun exposure during the day.
Adobe is best recommended for relatively dry climates; snowy, rainy regions are not ideal for adobe.
Adobe houses can erode with prolonged exposure to water, so they arent suited for colder, wetter climates.
They are also prone to structural issues with seismic shifts or earthquake activity.
U-Maine led research in northern Peru unearths oldest adobe architecture in the Americas.
