Terra 2022: More Than Just A Conference

Cornerstones was well represented, received plenty of accolades, and had great opportunities to present our work across TERRA 2022, the international gathering of the earthen architecture community.

The opening session of TERRA's second day focused on the Latinx community and the challenges of preserving the culture and history of adobe in rural New Mexico. Francisco Uvina and Antonio Martinez, both alumni of Cornerstones, told personal stories of their work, as did Rebecca Montoya, Cornerstones liaison to the Mora churches. Pat Taylor, also an alum, recounted a lifelong personal history of adobe life, centered around his life and work in old Messilla. And I explained how our current work—in Mora, Abiquiu, and Chimayo—continues our mission of supporting communities by preserving their adobe heritage.

In the very next session, I presented a paper on the current project at the Plaza del Cerro in Chimayo that focused on the adaptive reuse of the Casita Desiderio y Pablita Ortega. Later that afternoon, I led 20 participants on a walking tour through Santa Fe. After many stops, we ended in the Barrio del Analco and San Miguel Chapel. San Miguel was a perfect ending to the day, providing an insider glimpse into the secrets of the enduring mud plaster, first applied there in 2011 and untouched to this day.

At the closing of the conference, I had the opportunity to express my deep appreciation for all who made the journey to Santa Fe. TERRA 2022 brought immense knowledge and expertise together, and that synergy will work itself into the fabric of Santa Fe’s building and restoration efforts. A wonderful time was had by all.

TICRAT 2022: A Weekend Adobe-building Bonanza

Cornerstones was front and center at the two-and-a-half-day earthen building workshop, TICRAT, a pre-conference workshop in Abiquiu for the larger Terra 2022 conference held in Santa Fe this past week. The International Workshop on the Conservation and Restoration of Earthen Architecture (known by its Spanish acronym, TICRAT) is a bi-national partnership between U.S. Gov, NGOs, and Mexican counterparts, particularly, the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH).

TICRAT was virtually lecture-free, with all participants getting their hands in the mud. Our own Angela, Issac, and Jake led training modules in plastering, adobe making, building assessments, and wall stabilization. Issac worked alongside Eric Calvert, an Ohkay Owingeh adobero, and Pat Taylor, a contractor, to teach basal repairs, stitching cracks, and surface repair. Issac also led the adobe making, allowing every attendee to make sun-dried bricks. Angela joined Mexican experts Haydee and Frida to teach many aspects of interior plastering, decorating wall surfaces with color, the lime cycle, and the fundamentals of lime plastering. Jake led the assessments and exterior plastering sessions using only their hands dipped into buckets of mud to spread a protective layer on a Jacal structure. Hawks and trowels rested in a pile on site unused. (Jacal, as seen around Northern New Mexico, is a structure of verticle logs set into the ground side by side and mud plastered over.)

Francisco Uvina (UNM), National Park Service experts, and Mexican specialists from INAH were shoulder to shoulder with Cornerstones in bringing the TICRAT to an incredibly happy and successful conclusion. Abiquiu warmly welcomed and hosted all throughout. Cornerstones is now evaluating how the work the TICRAT did will ripple out across the community and stimulate the preservation of more buildings and homes there.