How to Make Adobe Mud Huts

Beams can be placed among the adobe bricks to support the roof.

People have been living in structures created out of adobe for millennia. In Yemen, skyscrapers constructed of adobe that have stood for centuries. Peru, Mali and Iran are also known for having grand structures constructed from adobe. Most adobe structures are not grand at all, however. They tend to be very simple dwellings with little architectural embellishment. They are inexpensive to build and can provide significant protection from the heat and cold.

Things You'll Need

• Clay/sand soil mixture
• Straw
• Tarps
• Shovel
• Trowel

Instructions

Making Adobe Bricks

1. Gather the materials you need to make adobe bricks. Adobe bricks are cheapest to make if you can use the soil you have on your building site. The New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service recommends using a soil or soil mixture that contains roughly 30 percent clay and no more than 50 percent sand. You can have your soil tested at your local extension agency to see if it is suitable for making adobe bricks. You will also need straw; the adobe mixture should contain about 15 percent straw.

2. Build a frame that is the size of the brick you want to make. You will put the adobe mixture in this frame to mold the brick, remove the frame, and use it for the next brick. The frame can be very simple---think of a picture frame with higher sides.

3. Place a thick tarp on the ground close to your building site. Put the soil, any clay or sand additions and the straw on the tarp. Mix the material together by stomping it and moving it around with your feet. Add some water, and continue to mix until you have a very stiff mud that is suitable for bricks.

4. Put the mud in your frame and make your first brick. Continue until you are out of mud. Allow the bricks to dry. If it is threatening to rain, cover the bricks with a tarp.

Building Your Hut

1. Clear a space for the mud hut. The ground should be hard and completely flat. Dig a trench in the ground where you want the walls of your hut to go. The bricks you place in this trench will serve as a rudimentary foundation.

2. Find wooden beams to support your roof. You can position these in the wall, molding the adobe bricks around them. You can also lay them across the top of the hut, adding another layer of bricks over them. How you place the beams will depend on the shape of your house and the type of roof you decide on.

3. Mix another batch of adobe. This will serve as the mortar for the bricks as well as the outside covering. Place your bricks in the trenches and build up until your hut is as high as you would like it to be. You can use your hands or a trowel to place the mortar on the bricks.

4. Smear adobe on the inside and outside of the hut, covering up the bricks. Keep mixing water into your adobe mixture as needed to prevent it from drying out.

5. Allow your hut to dry thoroughly. Place the roofing of your choice on your adobe hut. Many circular huts have thatched roofs, while rectangular ones often have simple pitched roofs of aluminum or other commonly available materials.

Tips & Warnings

• Check your local building codes before beginning any new construction.

• Do not build your hut in an area that is prone to earthquakes; mud huts are notoriously unstable during quakes.

References

• Treehugger: The Future Is Mud--Earth Architecture in Africa (and Lots of Other Places)
• Earthquake Engineering Research Institute: World Housing Encyclopedia Report (PDF)
• New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service: ABCs of Making Adobe Bricks