October Mud Blast
Cornerstones’ staff at TICRAT 2024. From left to right, Jake Barrow, Isaiah Romo, Kateri Lopez, Issac Logsdon. Photo by Mayté Mendoza.
Dearest friends and supporters, as the temperatures begin to cool and we relish the changing of the seasons, we want to share exciting news and project updates with you. Please read on to learn about what Cornerstones has been up to lately!
2nd Annual Photo Contest Fundraiser!
We are proud to announce that our Second Annual Photo Contest Fundraiser is kicking off next Friday, November 1st! So many wonderful photos were submitted during last year’s contest, and we can’t wait to see more of your photos! This year’s theme is Community Empowerment. We want to know; what traditions empower your community? From November 1-15th, you can enter your photos for a chance to win!
EARTH USA
Cornerstones has been involved with Adobe in Action’s EARTH USA International Conference on Architecture & Construction with Earthen Material for a number of years. As a proud sponsor, we happily participated in this year’s conference held at the Scottish Rite Center’s Alhambra Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico. During this conference, valuable discussions were had, and presentations were made investigating earthen materials and methods such as adobe, rammed earth, compressed earth block (CEB) and monolithic adobe (cob).
Cornerstones’ Executive Director, Jake Barrow, gave a presentation outlining the restoration and rehabilitation of the Casita Desiderio y Pablita Ortega in the Plaza del Cerro, Chimayó, New Mexico. Attendees marveled at the undertaking, and commented on the stark difference of the historic streetscape from start to finish.
Photo by Jeremy Zilar, courtesy of Adobe in Action.
You can watch Jake’s 2024 EARTH USA presentation here: https://www.earthusa.org/
TICRAT 2024
Following EARTH USA, Cornerstones partnered with Bernalillo County’s Open Space division to host the TICRAT International Workshop 2024 at the Gutierrez-Hubbell House in Albuquerque’s South Valley. TICRAT, known by its Spanish acronym (Taller Internacional de Conservación y Restauración de Arquitectura de Tierra), is a binational initiative started over 25 years ago. The purpose of these workshops is to promote earthen architectural knowledge and preservation and highlight the shared heritage between the United States and Mexico.
TICRAT 2024 Workshop modules focused on adobe construction, building assessments, and preservation treatments.
Several organizations such as the National Park Service (NPS), Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), University of New Mexico and Cornerstones Community Partnerships have been partnering and collaborating to ensure this important workshop can continue to disseminate and keep alive sustainable and traditional techniques for the conservation of earthen architecture, particularly those found in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. There are many commonalities between the Southwest and Northern regions of Mexico culturally, historically, and environmentally. For this reason, similar traditions and methods of building are often shared. Thank you to all who attended!
Read more about the TICRAT 2024 here:
Gutierrez-Hubbell House Community Day
As a way of sharing what was learned and discussed during the TICRAT workshops, Cornerstones partnered with the Gutiérrez-Hubbell House and Bernalillo County Open Space Division to host a free, all-ages, family friendly Community Adobe Making Day event at the Gutiérrez-Hubbell House, a rehabilitated adobe structure dating to the 1850’s, a project of which Cornerstones was an integral part. Participants were encouraged to explore the grounds and walk through the house, which is now a museum and open space.
During the event, attendees asked wonderful questions about restoring adobe homes, working with terrones, finding materials, soil samples, and moisture testing. Children made adobecitos (mini adobes) and constructed their own mini-adobe structures. Thank you for participating!
Capilla de San Pedro, Chamita, New Mexico
Throughout September and October, Cornerstones partnered with Nuevo Mexico Profundo, the Mayordomos of La Capilla de San Pedro, and community volunteers to replaster the chapel. This included the removal of failing plasters, adobe repair in select locations, and reapplication of mud plaster. A special thank you to community members who cooked wonderful meals throughout the project, and to all who volunteered!
Model Adobe Home Update – 1st Brick & 1st Inspection!
Progress is being made and attitudes are high as things move forward in the Preserving Heritage: Adobe Construction course at Luna Community College. Every Friday and Saturday, students are taught skills in adobe construction. Cornerstones’ instructors Ernesto Aragon and program director, Jake Barrow, students have thus far made 1500+ adobes, made and used batter boards (to establish the structure’s corners & elevations), poured the foundation!
The class celebrated the passing of their first inspection by continuing with the laying of the first adobe brick. A small gathering took place to celebrate the occasion and was attended by the students, sponsors, and Luna Community College Interim President Carol Linder. Linder kicked off the event by laying the first adobe.
Luna Community College Interim President, Carol Linder, laying the first adobe brick with course instructor, Ernesto Aragon.
Santa Fe Community Foundation’s Director of Grants & Community Impacts, Diane Hamamoto, joined us for the milestone event and placed the Model Home’s second adobe!
Photo Recap!
In just over a month, the class has established the Model Adobe Home’s corners and elevations by making and referring to batter boards, installed a French drain, infilled with stone, and poured the concrete foundation. The class is now constructing the adobe walls!
Please follow along for more updates about the project! Videos will be published periodically on the Cornerstones’ YouTube channel, found here:
Read about this project in an article published by the Las Vegas Optic here!
New Course Provides Hands-On Experience in Adobe Construction
Volunteer of month: Anika Marcus
How did you find out about Cornerstones?
I first discovered cornerstones while enrolled in the sustainable building program at Santa Fe Community College in 2022. Over the course of the program, I had the opportunity to work with cornerstones on a few different restoration efforts in northern New Mexico.
What was your first volunteer project?
My first volunteer experience with Cornerstones was at the Capilla de San Pedro in Chamita, New Mexico in the summer of 2023. My family is based in the area, and it was a lovely opportunity to learn more of the regional culture and traditions while working to preserve them.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering with Cornerstones? Do you have a favorite memory or project?
What I have enjoyed most about volunteering is the opportunity to connect with the local community and other like-minded individuals. I appreciate the dedication this organization has to preserving local techniques and materials, as well as the effort that goes into community building and organization. Thus far, my favorite project I've worked on with Cornerstones was in Albuquerque while making replacement bricks for a nearby church. There was a good turnout, and it was amazing to see so many people working together on all the different stages of brick making.
Why should others consider volunteering?
Not only are the staff all incredibly kind, but the work they do to maintain and spread their expertise surrounding the material and application is, in my opinion, a critical need moving forward. I truly believe we would be better off if the long history of this art form and its use in all parts of the world were more commonly known. It is important for us as both a community and individuals to uphold each other and support local revitalization. I truly think that adobe building and natural building in general are a wonderful way to regain autonomy and deepen connections in a highly individualistic and currency focused society.
San Miguel Parapets
Each year around the first of October, Cornerstones Project Manager Don Sena leads a small group of volunteers in the replastering of the San Miguel Chapel parapets in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Parapets are low, protective walls along the edge of a roof and bear most of the weathering throughout the year. On an earthen structure, these often need to be replastered annually.
This year, Don was joined by volunteers Janaki Ranpura, Reecee White, and Alheli Harvey, who participated in the mixing and plastering. Dave Wilson volunteered with scaffolding set up and take down.
THANK YOU!
As always, none of our projects would be possible without your support. If you would like to support our mission of empowering local communities by preserving their cultural heritages, or feel inspired by a particular Cornerstones initiative, please consider donating today.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2023 Annual Report
Our 2023 Annual Report has been published and mailed – please check your mailboxes for a glimpse into the past year with Cornerstones, today! As always, feel free to stop by the office during office hours for additional copies.
Annual Report cover image by Michael Pacheco.
Save the Date!
Planning is continuing for the 2025 Preserve NM Conference: Viva Vegas ’25 to be held in Las Vegas, New Mexico. You can find updates and more information, including an upcoming call for Abstracts on the conference website: