Does anybody know the reasons behind the differences is mud construction in different countries?

Recently I saw a re-run of a 'Grand Designs' restoration of two barns, the older one being cob, and they were slapping on the new cob in handfuls and smoothing it to the shape of the wall. I always thought Adobe buildings were formed the same way, but in Bulgaria (from what I understand) actual brick shapes are made and then built up into walls, instead. I'm fascinated to know why, do we have any experts in this subject on here?

Dirt---as in clay, gravel, sand, silt, soil, loam, mud---is everywhere and it's free. The ground we walk on and grow crops in also just happens to be the most widely used building material on the planet. Civilizations throughout time have used it to create stable, warm, low-impact buildings. The world's first skyscrapers were built of mud brick. Ronald Reagan lived in an earth house at various points in his life. Its is estimated that one half of the world's population around three billion people on six continents--lives or works in buildings constructed of earth. Lets not forget adobe brick building is an ancient technique common in the Americas and the Middle East. The oldest structures in earth dating back to at least 8300 BC are in adobe, as well as some buildings around 900 years old, which are still in use. As with other forms of earth construction, adobe bricks are a fireproof, durable yet biodegradable, non-toxic building material which provide sufficient thermal mass to buildings to ensure excellent thermal performance. Other benefits include low sound transmission levels through walls and a general feeling of solidity and security I would think? Earth building can be a very cheap way of building. This is not necessarily always the case however. If you become too ambitious in your plans and design a building full of cathedral ceilings and stained glass, you are likely to find that any savings you might make by using mud are offset in the added expense of these features.

There is something here that might interest you fruitlover [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... oryid=9587

Thankyou this is a useful link, very informative.

I wondered if the different techniques are to suit the climate, wet and cool or hot and dry, or more extremes of hot and cold within the year? Also wondered if they are more vulnerable to insect or rodent infestation and penetration? The propenents don't seem to mention that.

I'm a bit of a "
mud pie"
person myself, as a child I loved to play in clay stream beds or near the foot of cliffs moulding the clay to divert the water into different shaped courses with little dams and pools, trickles and rapids and waterfalls. Later on moulding concrete by hand into the shapes I wanted in our children's play areas. The temptation to buy a suitable plot and build a mud brick house hovers, I like curved shapes in homes. Or a straw bale house, or a mixture. I used to think if I ever built a straw bale house I might incorporate a sofa base or two and make the cushions to fit them, maybe even a bed base if I'm feeling adventurous.

When our children were babies there were no such things as changing units, but I got my husband to build a range of wooden furniture including a box shape in the top of an open cabinet, in which I put a plastic baby bath and sealed round it with sloping Polyfiller finished off with mosaic tiles and grouted. I got him to cut a drain hole in the plastic bath and fit a proper drain waste, but we never got as far as bringing water pipes, I filled it with a bucket from the bathroom. Our midwife and health visitors were blown away by it and when we came to move, it virtually sold the house for us!

The more pictures I see of traditional Bulgarian interiors (and outdoor kitchens) the more I think this country is for me!