A distinctive feature of El Cóporo is the earthen architecture which is part of its construction system. Remains of this are seen in the walls of the structures which are made with adobe (sun-dried mud bricks) and also in the stucco, which used to be decorated with bright colors.

An example of this is the Salón del Ocaso (“The Sunset Room”), which takes its name from the colors of its floors and walls, which shift from red to orange, imitating the color of the sun when it is setting. The structures had flat roofs over 15 inches thick made from dried mud and branches.

Another material used was the rock known as rhyolite, which the inhabitants gathered in the immediate surroundings.