Talk about a not-so-fresh feeling.

If someone delays treatment for such a predicament because they fear being ridiculed, why the hell don't they delay getting into the predicament in the first place?

I believe bOINGbOING now owes us a unicorn.

Unreinforced masonry (including adobe) is known to perform poorly in major earthquakes, and is a significant hazard to occupants should these structures collapse. I hope the construction protocols for these buildings include seismic-appropriate reinforcement.

I live in southern California and own an adobe house, built in 1938. I love the house -- the thermal efficiency is amazing (which is good and bad, because once it settles in at a particular temperature, it's awfully hard to change it either up or down). Its 14 inch thick walls are also virtually soundproof, and it has a certain aesthetic that is hard to describe. From the outside it just looks like any old plain stucco house, but on the inside it's lovely.

This is a great building material, economical and beautiful, but it can also kill you. My house shows signs of repaired damage from a severe quake 50 years ago, and it has obviously withstood an unknown number of smaller quakes as well, but any unreinforced masonry building is a potential hazard.

I hope the enthusiasm for this project does not overshadow the very real necessity to reinforce during construction.