The Four Elements of

Santorini Architecture
Lessons in Vernacular Sustainability

Thanos N. Stasinopoulos PLEA 2006

School of Architecture, NTUAthens, Greece Geneva 6-8 September 2006
tns@oikotekton.net
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The Four Elements concept

An ancient philosophical theory:

Four fundamental elements
-Fire,
Fire Earth,
Earth Air,
Air Water-
Water
generate all natural entities & phenomena
through numerous interactions.
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The Four Elements connotations

Fire Earth Air Water

warm - dry cool - dry warm - humid cool - humid
(summer) (winter) (autumn) (spring)

Greek philosophers linked the Four Elements to the Platonic solids.

solids
Aristotle related them to our senses,
senses with further reference to the four seasons.
seasons
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The fifth element

An obscure Fifth Element (‘Ether’?) binds the other four together

being the catalyst of life.
life
…thus the fifth Platonic solid completes the geometric correlation.
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Three additional actors

Nature includes 3 more ‘actors’: man,

man flora & fauna,
fauna
all surviving by adapting to the conditions imposed by the Four Elements.

The extra Fifth Element [?] distinguishes living from dead matter.
The Four Elements as an architectural prism
The Four Elements concept offers a handy tool to probe
methodically the link between nature & architecture.
Vernacular settlements offer splendid examples of that link,
developed long before our Machine Age, where electricity
and oil substitute ingenuity and prudence.

Case study: Santorini

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The island of Santorini
Santorini or Thira:
a group of islands around the
volcanic bay of ‘Caldera’
90 km north of Crete.

Santorini

“the blue drinkable volcano”

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Atlantis

• The volcanic cataclysm of 1500 BC

• Is Santorini Plato’s Atlantis?
• Traces of the legend in Akrotiri?
 99
Santorini climate

A sun-scorched, wind-swept, dry land:

• much sun, little rain
• sea mass brings high humidity,
mild winters & summers
• exposed to strong [north] winds

1 comfort zone: no extra heating / cooling required

2 thermal mass zone: comfort via heat emmitted/absorpted by building mass
3 ventilation influence zone: comfort via convection / sweat evaporation
4 activity influence zone: comfort via metabolic heat
5 mechanical cooling zone: comfort via air conditioning
6 mechanical heating zone: comfort via heating system
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The urban fabric 10

The
The fear
fear of
of pirates
pirates relocated
relocated villages
villages
far
far from
from the
the shore
shore on
on steep
steep cliffs
cliffs or
or hidden
hidden valleys
valleys
where
where they
they were
were harder
harder to
to spot
spot or
or to
to reach
reach from
from the
the sea.
sea.
The urban fabric
High density, narrow streets, small buildings due to:
• shortage of safe land
• mutual protection from sun & wind
• security
• family growth
• construction economy
• the highly communal spirit of the old societies.
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Major building features 12

Solid volumes, thick walls, small openings, unifying plaster

fused into neighbourhoods via flexible repetition.
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Major building features 13

• organic forms, responding to environmental constraints

using local resources, imprinting social evolution

• ergonomic scale similar to ships

• material & space minimalism vital for sustainability

• products of necessity rather than choice.

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A r-evolution 14

Neoclassical evolution:
an iconoclastic departure from tradition by rich captains.
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EARTH: Building materials 15

• Red & black lava stone everywhere

• Timber: an exotic luxury
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EARTH: Theran soil 16

‘Theran
‘Theran earth’,
earth’, aa volcanic
volcanic ash
ash like
like cement:
cement:
strong,
strong, cheap,
cheap, local.
local.

just mortar
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EARTH: The vaults 17

An architecture of compression:
thin vaulted roofs bridging thick sidewalls at any scale.
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Vault examples 18

Cross vaults of a rich mansion Vaults of various footprints

A cross vault over a small farm storage

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EARTH: Hidden vaults 19

pumice

Parapets enclosing a layer of pumice

transform vaults into a ‘flat roof’
-a fashion for the wealthy.
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EARTH: Hidden vaults 20

Luxury had more signs

than just ‘flat’ roofs

pumice over vault marble

frame
carved stone
large fascia
low window
height
vault

wooden railing
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EARTH: Fashion tricks 21

in less lavish examples the vault ‘enhancement’ was limited to the front side only...

…but fashion is inverse today:

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EARTH: Volcano & earthquakes 22

Frequent tremors necessitate aseismic rules

about building geometry & structural elements.
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EARTH: Excavated shelters 23

Topography and construction economy led to vaulted caves of various sizes & uses,
excavated into soft but coherent volcanic ash.
Their masonry fronts may well support a terrace or a footpath above.

Excavated church w. rain-collecting roof

 EARTH: Excavated dwellings
• deep caves are divided in 2-
3 rooms by partitions similar
to front elevations
• most aseismic structures
• natural heating & cooling
due to earth mass
• drawbacks: poor ventilation
& daylight.
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EARTH: Topography 25

3-D
3-D urban
urban layout
layout with
with aa
complex
complex property
property system.
system.
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EARTH: Material recycling 26

•• aa major
major construction
construction difficulty:
difficulty: transport
transport of
of materials
materials
•• the
the only
only available
available means:
means: donkeys
donkeys & & mules
mules
•• rule
rule 1:
1: respect
respect ground
ground stability
stability
•• rule
rule 2:
2: embed
embed oror recycle
recycle to
to lessen
lessen transportation
transportation burden.
burden.
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FIRE: Cooling 27

• a too sunny place

• excessive insolation
creates discomfort by
reflections, glare, heat-
emitting mass
• shading devices were
too costly or flimsy
• climbers require
precious water and
cannot endure winds
• solar protection is
provided by adjacent
buildings or free-
standing walls
• ‘meltemi’ offers relief
when not too strong
• only caves comfort in
daytime, thanks to low
radiant temperature.
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FIRE: Heating 28

•• winter
winter isis humid
humid & & windy
windy
•• fireplaces
fireplaces diddid not
not exist,
exist, just
just small
small portable
portable stoves
stoves –’mangali’
–’mangali’
•• bush
bush branches
branches werewere the
the main
main fuel
fuel
•• heavy
heavy clothes,
clothes, metabolic
metabolic heat,
heat, or
or patience
patience were
were the
the alternatives
alternatives
•• radiant
radiant heat
heat from
from cave
cave walls
walls improved
improved comfort
comfort for
for most
most of
of winter
winter
•• small
small openings
openings reduce
reduce heat
heat losses…
losses…
•• …but
…but at at the
the same
same time
time they
they decrease
decrease daylight
daylight to
to the
the interior
interior
•• artificial
artificial light
light only
only from
from oil
oil lamps
lamps && candles.
candles.
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WATER: Precipitation 29

• annual rainfall <370mm

• no underground water reserves
• plants survive thanks to air moisture
• meagre vegetation offers little firewood
• humidity promotes mould in poorly ventilated caves…
• …and lessens indoor comfort at the end of winter.
 WATER: Rainwater collection
•• rainwater
rainwater collection
collection was
was absolutely
absolutely
vital,
vital, affecting
affecting building
building layout
layout && form
form
•• the
the precious
precious liquid
liquid was
was directed
directed from
from
roofs
roofs && terraces
terraces to
to cisterns
cisterns via
via well-
well-
laid
laid routes
routes
•• limestone
limestone was
was used
used for
for disinfecting
disinfecting
the
the cistern
cistern and
and the
the water
water route
route -that
-that
had
had toto remain
remain free
free of
of droppings.
droppings.

access hatch

cistern under terrace

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WATER: Domestic hygiene 31

Washrooms were away from the main quarters,

over a collection tank; its contents were periodically
transported to the fields as a man-made fertilizer.
Today tankers bring water to the arid island,
supplementing the desalination plant.
Thus many old cisterns are converted to septic
tanks and swimming pools emerge everywhere.
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AIR: Wind 32

guess the prevailing wind direction…

• totally exposed to the frequent strong winds -local plants know that too well
• extra discomfort by sand-blasting turbulence
• wind protection is vital for outdoor living, more than a ‘nice’ view.

gate
blocks
a windy vineyard spectacular
view

shutters
always
inside
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AIR: Ventilation 33

• ventilation & daylight

provided into caves only
through their façade.
• top clerestory lets warm
air to escape; brings
daylight deeply.
• vertical ducts through
the ground admit extra
air & light.
• lack of heating plus
limited ventilation
trigger condensation &
mould growth, assisted
by soil moisture.
• bad indoor air, chronic
water shortages, co-
existence with numerous
animals: a smelly rather
than idyllic picture of
everyday life in the past.

looking out looking in

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Synopsis table 34

Fire Water Air Earth

layout dense fabric for mutual shading dense fabric for mutual wind stepped back due to topography
protection
building types excavated
masonry vaults
layout features yards for shade terraces for rainwater collection yards for wind protection narrow & deep spaces
materials Theran soil for mortar no water? no timber! robustness needed, to withstand wind soil easy to dig
pumice for insulation large variety of stones
difficult transport

walls heat capacity dampens temperature wind protection earthquake

swings plastered to avoid decay horizontal vault forces

roofs insulated with pumice no timber? vaults! heavy to avoid uplift covered with pumice
rainwater collection
windows small size reduces heat transfer stone lintels shutters behind glazing for wind small size to avoid wall weakening
protection
forms compact to minimise fabric heat flow curved structures with compression materials aerodynamic shapes & details reduce compact to save materials
rainwater channelling affects geometry wind effects aseismic rules dictate geometry
embedded rubble & rocks to reduce
transport

heating minimal direct gain no fuel for heating, just for cooking wind may reduce comfort thermal mass augments indoor air
moisture lessens indoor comfort temperature in early winter
cooling high reflectivity reduces solar load no timber for shading wind may improve comfort thermal mass absorbs heat improving
warm mass emits heat no climbers for shading strong winds damage shading devices indoor comfort
moisture enhances indoor comfort

ventilation clerestories expel warm air dampness & mould due to limited ventilation clerestories & air ducts enhance air limited in caves
movement
daylight small openings sufficient for summer limited in caves
daylight
clerestories admit daylight more
deeply

watering rainwater collection in cisterns no water reserves in volcanic ground

plants surviving on moisture
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Conclusions 35

The
The architecture
architecture wewe cherish
cherish
nowadays
nowadays as as ‘picturesque’
‘picturesque’ is
is
in
in fact
fact the
the outcome
outcome of of aa
long
long struggle
struggle for
for survival
survival in
in
an
an adverse
adverse setting
setting by
by many
many
generations
generations that
that have
have
squeezed
squeezed their
their means
means out
out Perhaps
Perhaps herehere wewe should
should
of
of the
the available
available resources
resources in
in perceive
perceive thethe ‘Fifth
‘Fifth Element’
Element’ as
as
aa truly
truly sustainable
sustainable manner.
manner. the
the spirit
spirit and
and ingenuity
ingenuity of of the
the
The locals
locals that
that have
have created
created and
and
The locals
locals adapted
adapted their
their
comfort sustained
sustained lifelife through
through the
the
comfort & & needs
needs to
to the
the
given other
other Four
Four Elements.
Elements.
given conditions,
conditions, merging
merging
the
the Four
Four Elements
Elements into
into an
an
honest
honest & & minimalist
minimalist
architectural
architectural idiom:
idiom:
aa brilliant
brilliant example
example ofof
vernacular
vernacular environmental
environmental
sustainability.
sustainability.