Conservation of Earthen Architecture 14. A letter from Mexico.

Abstract

This article explores the 20th century vernacular architecture in the western Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. The settlement of El Willy, once a remote area accessible only by dirt road, now benefits from a paved road that has reduced travel time. This has led to changes in the population, with many families moving to nearby towns for education and job opportunities. As a result, half of El Willy's housing units have become vacation and retirement homes. While traditional homes in the village are made of sun-dried brick with sloping tin roofs, newer structures are often log cabins or concrete block buildings. There are no electricity nor gas service in the village, and the residents are relying on solar power and other alternative sources. The new construction of the state government clinic in El Willy is a concrete structure, and its typology does not fit the local cultural context.

The documentation and evaluation of the traditional dwellings are important to record sustainable and alternative knowledge of living before they are replaced. The inventory conducted from 2020 included the creation of 2D drawings and 3D point cloud data of traditional dwellings. The article also mentions the different types of houses observed during the documentation, including board barns, log houses, one- or two-room sun-dried brick dwellings, and larger sun-dried brick dwellings with indoor bathrooms. The roofing material was formerly pine shingles, but has since been replaced with tin.