Mud Talks

In our thirty-eighth Mud Talks podcast, we speak to passive solar adobe architect  Mark Chalom  on the topic of the recent National Ambient Energy for Buildings Research Symposium and his take on the current state (and future) of passive solar architecture.

In our thirty-seventh Mud Talks podcast, we speak to artist and Adobe in Action certificate graduate Lea Marta Andersson about how she integrates earthen building materials into her art and conservation work practice in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In our thirty-sixth Mud Talks podcast, we speak to passive solar adobe specialist and Adobe in Action board member  Quentin Wilson on the topic of the recent National Ambient Energy for Buildings Research Symposium which took place at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM - almost 50 years after construction began on the  Sundwellings Project .

In our thirty-fifth Mud Talks podcast, we speak to adobe owner builder Paul Mallory on the topic of the “Volunteer Work Days" he has begun offering in support of ongoing Adobe in Action owner-builder projects.

In our thirty-fourth Mud Talks podcast, we speak to Adobe in Action field instructor Issac Logsdon on the topic of his recent  “Horno Design & Construction” workshop which took place in Abiquiu, NM with a group of eight students. In addition to his teaching at Adobe in Action , Issac is the Assistant Program Directo r for  Cornerstones Community Partnerships . With deep family roots throughout...

In our thirty-third Mud Talks podcast, we speak to Debora Barros and Siena Leone-Getten from the Pratt Institute Historic Preservation MS Program on the topic of Adobe in Action’s recent “Intro to Adobe Preservation with Pat Taylor” workshop which they attended in Mesilla, NM with a group of eleven students. When asked why the preservation of adobe buildings is a special experience for Historic Pr...

In our thirty-second Mud Talks podcast, we speak to architect and Adobe in Action board member Ben Loescher on the topic of the recent Los Angeles fires and the role that adobe might play in the rebuilding process. 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 educat...

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 : Play, Toil and Ritual: Building an Experimental, Poured Clay Studio in the Covid19 Era Stephen Hren : Getting Cob through the Inspection Process: My Experience...

In our thirtieth  Mud Talks podcast, we listen to Ronald Rael deliver his podium presentatio n "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 arch...

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 an...

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...

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-...

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...

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.

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.

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.

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...

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 decad...

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 curriculu...

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 win...

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. Download their accompanying PDF research paper here . Earth USA 2022 was the 11th International Conference on Earthen Architecture &am...

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 enviro...

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 sensitivit...

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. Resourc...

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. Resources & Further Reading: Adobe Conservation - A Preservation Handbook pp. 127 to 148,...