ABSTRACT
A first step of research was aimed to realize a preliminary census (Fig. 1), done with indirect instruments: maps, pictures, books and on line sources (Harrington, S. L. 1945, Robinson, W. B. 1981) due to really large dimension of areas to investigate. So this census must be considered only a preliminary and not complete investigation. However it was useful not only to have a first approach to an interesting, but complex architecture, in terms of typologies, technical characteristics and conservation conditions, with possibility of show following data. Mexican adobe architecture: typology (houses 60%, churches 10%, others 30%); conservative condition (ruin 35%, no good 25%, good 40%). American adobe cottage: typology (residential 65%, not residential 25%, others 10%); conservative condition (ruin 20%, no good 25%, good 55%). A first data concerns a macroscopic element; these architectures can be classified in two big categories: Mexican adobe architecture, which are vernacular buildings realized generally before 20th century (Fig. 1, top), and American adobe cottage, realized after 20th century (Fig. 1, middle), by US communities, who, for them new settlements, chose this technology considering it better, in comparison to wooden frame technic of prefabricated system, due to environmental condition of this territory, confirming a good perception in time of performances of this constructive system.
