Introduction With an enduring presence spanning four thousand years, the ongoing evolution of adobe integrates old and new architectural styles as gracefully as it melds indoors with out. Calle pise de terre, or rammed earth, in France, tapial in South America, "cob" in northern Europe, adobe throughout Africe, the Middle East, and the American Southwest, every region of the globe has used variations of earthen architecture to construct its homes and public buildings. Though stereotypically associated with arid desert climates and primitive living, adobe building has risen above its once limited topographic and socioeconomic boundaries. Excerpted from Casa Adobe by Karen Witynski, Joe P. Carr All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
