Abstract

Vernacular buildings across the globe provide instructive examples of sustainable solutions to building problems. Yet, these solutions are assumed to be inapplicable to modern buildings. Despite some views to the contrary, there continues to be a tendency to consider innovative building technology as the hallmark of modern architecture because tradition is commonly viewed as the antonym of modernity. The problem is addressed by practical exercises and fieldwork studies in the application of vernacular traditions to current problems. This study investigates some aspects of mainstream modernist design solutions and concepts inherent in the vernacular of Asia, particularly that of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). This work hinges on such ideas and practices as ecological design, modular and incremental design, standardization, and flexible and temporal concepts in the design of spaces. The blurred edges between the traditional and modern technical aspects of building design, as addressed by both vernacular builders and modern architects, are explored.

Abstract

The 2017 Puebla Earthquake on September 19 struck a big part of Mexico causing the loss of historic buildings in several states, being the state of Morelos one of the most damaged in the whole country. Jojutla de Juarez was the most affected locality of Morelos presenting important structural damages or total collapse in the built heritage, being the traditional earthen buildings, made of adobe bricks, the most vulnerable buildings to seismic efforts. Some of the causes which contributed to the poor behaviour of the buildings were the improper handling of the constructive systems and materials, the insufficient resistance of the structures and the problems derivate by the foundations. The adobe houses of Jojutla presented a mixture between the traditional building techniques and industrial materials like concrete, bricks, blocks and steel; also with irregular heights and plant layouts and inadequate connections between the walls and foundations and roofs, resulting into a higher seismic vulnerability when the earthquake impacted. Also the adobe bricks presented irregularities in its composition and use of additives which resulted in completely different typologies and the loss of the traditional construction techniques. There was conducted a study to determine the earthquake resistance of the adobe bricks of the houses in Jojutla, considering that the remaining structures were severely damaged and a whole study of the seismic vulnerability would not be possible due the loss of the physical buildings. The granulometry and composition of the adobe samples of the buildings were determined as well as the natural aggregates like straw and its proportion. Also the compressive strength of the pieces was tested by two methods: the compression test and the point-load test, in order to obtain the indicative values which could be compared with other patrimonial and vernacular study cases.

Abstract

The effects of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal revealed deficiencies in the most recent vernacular architecture, which no longer uses wooden reinforcements due to national anti-deforestation laws. It also highlighted the shortcomings found in reinforced concrete architecture, which is generally scanty and poorly reinforced due to the high import cost of construction steel. The geography of Nepal has led to the development of a wide variety of vernacular architecture using local materials such as stone, brick or earth in the form of rammed earth and adobe walls [1]. Moreover, although its tradition in the construction of vaults is not as prominent as in neighbouring regions of India, Nepal has developed its own tradition in the construction of vaults and domes, which are generally self-supporting and made of brick or adobe with lime mortar. The design of a prototype of seismic house in Nepal aims to use a modular housing unit with rammed earth walls and/or walls made of materials recycled from previous earthquakes, as well as tile vaults with bamboo sleepers, and possibly vegetable fibre grids. These avoid the use of imported materials, favouring km0 and sustainable materials while following local tradition. Several potential housing units have undergone linear seismic analysis on finite element models, with variations in planimetric layout and the types of tile vault, from the simpler barrel vault to the sail vault. Both are analysed searching for the best shape in terms of seismic efficiency, evaluating stress and strain state. The results obtained from this preliminary study clearly show that, under seismic actions, the response from the construction system using depressed sail vaults and rammed earth walls with bamboo reinforcements is more efficient and homogeneous in terms of tension and deformation. This is due to the geometric symmetry which determines the same response in several directions, unlike vaults with a characteristically strong directionality (barrel vault). The seismic response of the prototype described is examined by assessing the influence in terms of thrust and deformation of bamboo reinforcements inside the walls. For this, laboratory tests are used to identify the mechanical characteristics of bamboo to be employed in the finite element modelling and calculation, as the values found in the literature vary depending on the physical and chemical characteristics of the material. This study therefore proposes a more sustainable architectural model with greater antiseismic resistance, always in keeping with local constructive tradition.

Abstract

The aim of this communication is to analyze the architectural, historic and construction values of the Costa Rican Caribbean architecture, which constitutes an architectural typology of the identity of the city of Limón. Damages linked to biological agents in these buildings were identified based on the multidisciplinary research project titled “Conservation of the Costa Rican Caribbean architecture by applying advanced techniques for studying the causative agents of damage in the buildings”. An inventory of the study area was conducted in order to identify predominant elements of this type of architecture, as well as to quantify and georeference, through a Geographic Information System, the buildings that are still preserved; the identification of damage-causing agents within the inventory was also part of the process. As a second stage, samples taken from the buildings will be analyzed in the biological sciences laboratory to identify biological agents that were potentially responsible for damage. Thirty representative buildings of the Costa Rican Caribbean architecture were identified, for which inventory records were made that included information about architectural and building aspects, as well as damage identification and classification, and types of causative agents. Based on a multi-criteria evaluation, Capitanía de Puerto, Casa Misionera de la Iglesia Bautista and other edifications were selected as the buildings to conduct the inventory of biological damage, sampling, and environmental monitoring.

Abstract

The Dominican vernacular architecture, based on the indigenous bohio with Spanish influence, is built with natural materials, such as the royal palm (Roystonea Hispaniolana) and the cana palm (Sabal Dominguensis). This model of housing has remained practically unchanged for five centuries, responding adequately to the Caribbean tropical climate. In the twentieth century, start to replace the traditional palm leaf roof by a corrugated sheet zinc, significantly affecting the temperature inside these houses and altering the conditions of living comfort. For this reason, the aim of this research is to evaluate the thermal behavior of two roof types of vernacular housing. One type is a cana palm leaf roof and the other is a corrugated sheet zinc roof. The houses are in the towns of Villa Sombrero and Sabana Buey, Peravia Province, in the southwest of the Dominican Republic, a region with a Tropical savanna climate (Aw) according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The climate is characterized by temperatures from 20°C to 38°C, with rainfall below 500 mm per year. The technique and tools used for this research are: Infrared Thermography (IRT) and digital thermometer for measure of thermal properties of roof materials, a thermometer and hygrometer to measure the relative humidity and temperature inside and outside of the houses, and carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) meter. Passive IRT is used to measures the temperature differences of a structure that are generated under normal conditions. The results indicate that there is a difference in temperature between one type of roofing material and the other. Finding that houses with palm leaf roofs have lower temperature than corrugated sheet zinc roof and present a temperature difference between the interior and exterior