Changing the World One Brick at a Time

Fortunately, the Riviera Nayarit not only comprises of an ecologically diverse landscape and vibrant culture, but it is also home to international, innovative designer/builders who have come to the Pacific Coast of Mexico with a a plethora of tricks up their sleeves. Through the design/build process of our home, I have had the honor of collaborating and building relations with a handful of very skilled design/build geniuses. Rick Kahn, a Colorado based contractor who has spent a lifetime in his roots, adobe design/build, caught my attention through his interest in bringing 21st century adobe technique to Nayarit. He has introduced me to the most practical and ecologically conscious building material in the entire world, and the most applicable for our site: CSEBs. 

 Compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEBs) are becoming the new frontier for natural, cost effective building materials. The CSEBs are essentially an adobe brick, but with the block's intense compression and added lime element, they are the most compact and sturdiest natural building material available. This high density and lime component facilitates the bug and mold resistant qualities, its sweat and sound proof characteristics, and its unique hypothermal, evapo-transpiration.  

The blocks are ideal for the Nayarit's coastline climate with it's hot days and cool nights, and seasonal spells of overbearing humidity and rainfall. With it's hypothermal, evapo-transpiration qualities, the blocks trap hot air during the day leaving the interior spaces cool and releases the hot air at night warming the living areas. This provides natural ventilation therefore eliminating the need for air conditioning. While Mexico as well as many other developing nations use the inexpensive cement blocks as their central construction material, these blocks lack any beneficial evapo-transpiration characteristics therefore confining the heat inside the interior space and feeding human dependence on energy driven cooling systems. Cement blocks also absorb humidity, which is rampant during the rainy season, thus providing hot spots for mold and mildew. 

Our design intent is to be the first home to use CSEBs for its' construction and are thrilled for the ecological benefits of the material as well as the advantageous practical application of stability, ventilation, long-term eco-footprint and cost efficiency (it is the least expensive material available). We will be able to use the dirt we excavate from our building site for the block's substance (sand and clay) and use a hand press brick machine make each individual brick on site. The brick will cure for a month while the post and beam construction is being finished and then the house will be finished within a matter of two more months. At that time, we will have a beautiful home on our jungle hillside, and our home will be one of the first case studies for residential application of CSEBs along the Mexican Riviera. We are basically leaning over the cutting edge down here!