Adobe is his passion, tool for preservation

Adobe buildings tell David Yubeta their stories … and he listens. Yubeta is the adobe whisperer (aka historic preservation specialist) at Tumacacori National Historical Park near Tubac. Stabilizing and preserving the church is part of Yubeta's job, but when he talks about adobe, it's clear it is his passion. Catch Yubeta in his element — inside the mission at the park. He explains that the perfect mix for adobe is 25 percent clay and 75 percent sand. He talks about the different types of adobe, sun dried and fired. He touches the walls reverently and points to different areas in the church. His words move beyond the realm of interpretive talk into poetry. "Adobe is a noble material. It needs to twist, to move and to dance," Yubeta says. An adobe building needs to breathe, he says, and patching it with cement or glue inhibits that natural process...read more