Adobe Alliance
The Adobe Alliance is a non-profit group dedicated to:
* helping communities apply cooperative building techniques in earth architecture;
* educate groups in fulfilling the widespread need for low cost, salubrious, energy efficient, sustainable housing;
* enhance rather than defile landscapes by designing solid contemporary structures of simple design which respect local climate, environment and culture.
Means to reach these goals include:
* the use of local renewable, recycled resources and building materials to considerably reduce cost and environmental impact, avoiding the use of industrial materials;
* providing roofs in the configuration of adobe vaults and domes, a unique yet ancient design feature which eliminates the use of wood, an increasingly scarce natural resource;
* designs which harness natural energy for heating and cooling . Adobe walls retain heat in the winter and stay cool in the summer, eliminating the cost of mechanical heating and cooling systems;
* a system to meet local housing needs using indigenous skills, thereby providing a source of employment and simultaneously incorporating, preserving and enhancing local architectural heritage.
* an appropriate building technique for chemically sensitive individuals, using only materials that are totally non-toxic.
