Adobe is the traditional building material of the Southwest. Early Spanish colonists began making and using these sun baked mud blocks for their buildings, which formed the southwestern vernacular. Today, though many other building materials are available, some still choose adobe for its natural, earthen aethetic and its thermal ability to absorb heat, thereby slowing indoor temperature fluctuations. Adobe is best suited to warmer climates, yet it has been adapted to colder regions with use of insulation. We chose to use it on the first floor of our own home and left it exposed on the interior.
Cob is essentially a blend of the insulative properties of straw with the thermal mass of mud and together form a strong wall system. The use of cob originated in England several hundred years ago and has withstood the test of time.