With Mud Talks 15-1 we begin a special eight-part miniseries dedicated to the topic of preserving earthen architecture. In this first episode of the series we speak to historical architect Randy Skeirik and Jake Barrow from Cornerstones Community Partnerships about the use of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties in connection with earthen structures.

Resources & Further Reading:

US National Park Service Website
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards.htm

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.

In our fourteenth Mud Talks podcast, we speak to Lisa Morey of Colorado Earth - Colorado's own Compressed Earth Block Maker. Lisa is a professional engineer and architectural designer who has been working in the construction industry since 2000. Join us for this episode to hear more about Lisa’s mission to scale the natural building industry in Colorado by offering an affordable wall system made from locally obtained material.

In our thirteenth Mud Talks podcast, we speak to Mike Lopach, the original founder of Adobe in Action. Mike has moved on to a new project in Scottsdale, Arizona called Brick by Brick. He and his team are using a manual block press to make CEBs (compressed earth blocks) together with people experiencing homelessness. Mike introduces us to some of the key differences between adobe and CEB production as well as his complete CEB production workflow - from raw soil to cured block.

In our twelfth Mud Talks podcast, we tackle one of the more challenging topics for the adobe owner builder - plumbing & electric. Quentin Wilson gets this topic started for us in Part I by focusing on essential planning and logistics questions. In an upcoming Part II episode on this topic we'll continue the conversation with Ethan Novikoff about his recent owner builder plumbing & electric experience with some good advice on what you can realistically do yourself and where to look for assistance when needed.

In our eleventh Mud Talks podcast, we speak to Ethan Novikoff about his owner builder adobe experience. Ethan 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 even served as a volunteer for our biennial earthbuilding conference called Earth USA. Ethan recently became a board member at Adobe in Action. Listen as he walks you through his personal owner builder adobe journey.

In our tenth Mud Talks podcast, Adobe in Action Board President Quentin Wilson takes us through the basics of installing different floor types in adobe structures.

In our ninth Mud Talks podcast, Adobe in Action Board President Quentin Wilson takes us through the basics of finishing adobe structures with interior and exterior plasters.

In our eighth Mud Talks podcast, Adobe in Action Board President Quentin Wilson takes us through the basic design and materials of typical roofs used on adobe structures in New Mexico.

In our seventh Mud Talks podcast, Adobe in Action Board President Quentin Wilson continues our discussion on the planning and construction of adobe walls with a special focus on lintels & bond beams.

In our sixth Mud Talks podcast, Adobe in Action Board President Quentin Wilson takes us through the first steps of planning and constructing adobe walls.