There is still quite of adobe used for new construction here, there is even a whole NM state code section. There are huge adobe yards that manufacture the bricks, which is essentially pouring the soil slurry into molds and leaving them out in the sun to cure. Most of the new bricks have a small asphalt content to stabilize them to mosture. Traditionally the adobe walls were covered with an earthen plaster containing straw that was smeared on by hand. You can still see hand marks in alot of the old buildings here. New construction usually gets a cement based stucco with a synthetic topcote. Working on the older buildings requires some creative thinking, like to keep the drop from pulling the whole service off of the mud wall.
By the way, in the small town where I live, there are still quite a few un-electrified buildings, where all the cooking is done on wood cookstoves.
highground
