12 Reasons Why Earthen Walls Are Awesome!

Ashton Wolfe • December 2, 2022

And are way better than traditional frame construction

Exterior of the Castro Marin House SIREWALL rammed earth home at dusk.

Earthen walls have been around for centuries, and earth is the most widely used material in construction around the world. (⅓ of the world’s population lives in an earthen home). Here in Taos, New Mexico, our Pueblo (made out of adobe mud bricks) has been continuously inhabited by the indigenous Tewa people for over a thousand years!


There are so many reasons why earthen walls are fantastic to build and why earthen structures are so amazing to live in:


1. They are wonderful for the environment! Earth is a plentiful, renewable resource, and the materials (dirt from the site, sand, clay) can be sourced locally– reducing the number of miles needed to ship building materials. 


2. The walls they create are soundproof, pest-resistant, and fire-resistant.


3. When utilized properly they can regulate their own temperature. More on this below…


4. They require up to 30% less energy than concrete block or wood frame to heat and cool. 


5. They use significantly less cement than most other methods of modern construction. Unlike many conventional buildings, earthen walls do not off-gas any toxic chemicals. 


6.Cell phone / radio / electromagnetic frequencies are inhibited by most mass earthen walls. This can be a real plus for people whose health is negatively affected by these invisible energies.


7. Earthen materials are alive! They react to the air and to their environment. Adobe bricks and other earthen mass walls can self regulate humidity– they breathe. 


8. Earthen walls can help alleviate allergies and create a better indoor air quality, because a little known fact is that clay absorbs toxins. They can be part of a much healthier home to live in. 


9.  From a lifecycle / footprint perspective, earthen homes will return to the earth in a much more natural way–leaving behind much less waste. They are from the earth and can be returned to the earth.


10. They FEEL better. When you’re in an earthen home, there is a feeling that cannot be easily explained in words. You know it when you’re in one. They are cozier, quieter, and more comfortable. Not only that, but they feel safer and healthier. 


11. They are also (subjectively) more beautiful - with thick window sills, curving walls, and other architectural elements (like a nichos - a shelf-like opening carved into adobe walls to display pottery, store firewood, and so on) that aren’t always possible to achieve with other materials and wall systems. 


12. Cost. The skyrocketing price of conventional materials (the cost of lumber is crazy high as we write this) is making building with earth more appealing, even less expensive / cost-competitive in some areas.


A half formed adobe brick wall with a stack of adobe bricks ready to be used .

Photo By: Ashton Wolfe of Alice Ko's adobe brick build in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico



Circling back to earthen walls regulating their own temperature: More is required than just simply having earthen walls. You will need for those walls to be the appropriate thickness and density to store temperature. When the walls are thick enough and dense enough, they will achieve thermal mass and will maintain a steady temperature of 55°F to 65°F. They will also allow for temperature transfer (insulation will block temperature transfer and so this layer will need to be located on the exterior of the building - more on insulation and how it can work with thermal mass in future posts). So when the room is hot, the heat will want to travel into the cool 60°F walls. When the room is cold, the heat will be released from those walls, into the cooler room. Creating a kind of temperature equilibrium. When you live in a cold climate, sun-facing glazing will help warm the interior temperature up from 60°F to a nice comfortable 70°F. In the summertime, cooling tubes and natural ventilation will aid the thermal mass in cooling down the interior temperature. 

In addition to thermal mass and insulation for temperature regulation the home will also need:

  • To be oriented properly for the climate
  • The appropriate amount and placement of window glazing for the climate
  • To consider the room depth and configuration to maximize the heating and cooling benefits



Interior of an adobe brick home with saltillo tiled floors, wooden ceiling (vigas and latias), lots of windows and a built in banco (sofa) as well as a regular sofa in the middle of the living room.

Photo: By Ashton Wolfe of her adobe home in Taos, New Mexico


All in all, earthen walls are sturdier, longer lasting, will hold up better against climate disasters (especially fire), and are a lot healthier to live in! And with the cost of lumber being what it is, earthen walls are now more cost effective (especially when the home is designed to heat and cool itself) than traditional frame construction. 

Side note: here, in Taos, New Mexico, earthen homes also command a much higher resell price than frame construction. 

Exterior of a Passiv haus with r 2 car garage made out of SIREWALL, rammed earth.

Photo Courtesy of SIREWALL USA

We hope you will consider buying or building an earthen home so that you can experience all of their many benefits for yourself! 

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