Earthen architecture’s on seismic areas: Costa rica’s case

In Central America, Costa Rica is located in the zone of convergence of three tectonic plates: Cocos, Caribe and Nazca. This condition causes hundreds of earthquakes each year, some with higher and important magnitudes. As a result of these events, the legislation has hardened to the detriment of the traditional buildings of adobe and wattle and daub further aggravating their deterioration and contributing to its loss. This article is focuses on earthen architecture and its restoration in seismic areas, making aware of problems that include its maintenance under these conditions and showing some techniques for their conservation.