Adobe Houses Can Last Thousands of Years and Barely Cost Anything to Make. Here’s Why They’re Banned

Adobe bricks, made of raw earth mixed with straw or another fibrous substance, are about as old as civilization itself. The word “adobe” traces back thousands of years to the Middle Egyptian word ḏbt, meaning “mud brick.” This evolved into the Arabic word al-tob (meaning “brick”), which was brought to Spain by the Moors. Meanwhile, Indigenous peoples in the Southwestern United States and South America were also building adobe structures. In Peru, for instance, ancient adobe monuments and cities were built more than 5,000 years ago.

When Spanish settlers finally arrived in the New World, they combined their own European construction knowledge—incorporating features like courtyards and lime plaster—with Indigenous building methods, which led to the type of adobe architecture we now see in the American Southwest and California.

Many ancient structures still stand today thanks to this natural material.

It’s also worth noting that adobe is not only resilient but also cost- and energy-effective. The clay naturally regulates temperature, keeping homes cool in summer and warm in winter without heating or air conditioning, and it costs only a couple hundred dollars. It’s also mold-, insect-, and fire-resistant. All in all, it feels like the ancients figured things out a long time ago.