An outside view of the old adobe garage converted to office and studio in Chimayo, New Mexico.
This image shows the small adobe block structure at the conclusion of our work which included adding cosmetic touches and some repair. We added the double French doors, filled in some minor cracking on wood, plaster transitions on this exterior wall and window above.

This building would benefit from some proper roof overhangs, given the exterior plaster is an earthen plaster from the local soil and is not designed to receive direct contact with the elements. It is most assuredly the lack of 2 foot over hangs which contributed to the large crack and wall structural damage we repaired with cob infill on the east wall.

Those building with adobe back in the day, so to speak, did not quite often apply the natural building basics when building with earth. That of needing a “good hat” (roof) and a “good pair of shoes” (proper and tall enough stem wall foundation).

Given the age of this building and the no doubt large number of intense weather conditions it has endured over the years, we are impressed at how well it has stood up. But with earthen construction, we often are.