They stacked the straw, using whole bales and partial bales that they modified to fit into each layer. With a little carpentry, they built the door and window frames, and roof rafters. Carezo is a type of bamboo that is prevalent in Baja and many southern states. The carezo was placed vertically and fastened on opposite sides of the straw bales, tied together with a loop from side to side. Bundles of carezo were also used to make the roof surface.
Cob is a mixture of clay and long-stemmed straw.
Cob has been used for hundreds of years as a building material in Europe. It was used as a surfacing plaster on both the wall surfaces and the roof covering. When they left, they had made many new Mexican friends, and had gained the firsthand knowledge of how to build in a way they had never thought possible. They were also empowered by a new understanding of themselves that they had never before experienced. This is what this project is all about.