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Building From Tradition
Building From Tradition
Building From Tradition
Building from Tradition examines the recent resurgence of interest in the handmade building and the use
of local and renewable materials in contemporary construction. In the past, raw materials were shaped
to provide shelter and to accommodate the cultural, social, and economic needs of individuals and
communities. This is still true today as architects, engineers, and builders turn once again to local resources
and methods, not simply for constructing buildings, but also as a strategy for supporting social engagement,
sustainable development, and cultural continuity.
Building from Tradition features global case studies that allow readers to understand how building
practices—developed and refined by previous generations—continue to be adapted to suit a broad range
of cultural and environmental contexts. The book provides:
• a survey of historical and technical information about geologic and plant-based materials such as: stone,
earth, reed and grass, wood, and bamboo;
• 24 detailed case studies examining the disadvantages and benefits to using traditional materials and
methods and how they are currently being integrated with contemporary construction practices.
Elizabeth M. Golden is a registered architect in the United States and in Germany. She has contributed her
expertise to the design and construction of the Gohar Khatoon Girls’ School, the largest institution of its kind
in Afghanistan, and to Niamey 2000, an urban housing proposal for the rapidly expanding capital of Niger.
As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington, she teaches
courses focused on design, materials, and building technology, with an emphasis on sustainable systems.
She is also co-director of the Philippines Bamboo Workshop.
Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group
http:/taylorandfrancis.com
Building from Tradition
Local Materials and
Methods in Contemporary
Architecture
Elizabeth M. Golden
ROUTLEDGE
Routledge
Taylor & Francis Group
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
The right of Elizabeth M. Golden to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in
accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any
electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used
only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Several individuals deserve special recognition for offering their expertise on materials and building
traditions. Thanks goes to Ray Villanueva, Rene Armogenia, and Herbie Teodoro for furthering my
understanding of bamboo construction, and to Kent Harries, for bringing me up to speed on bamboo and
the ISO standardization process. I also owe a great deal to Mariam Kamara for enhancing my knowledge
of compressed earth block construction, as well as earth architecture in Niger. Thanks to Li Peipei Sun
who assisted with translations and advanced my work through her graduate thesis project, which included
research on counter-urbanization and building traditions in China.
I am extremely appreciative of the cooperation, enthusiasm, and generosity of all participating firms and
organizations. I would like to specifically thank Till Gröner, Corrina Salzer, Christina Jentsch, Lutz Nadia,
Clemens Quirin, David Barragán, Jordan Mactavish, Alejandro Soffia, Bruce Engel, Finlay White, Alastair
Townsend, Li Wan, Sandy Bishop, Takashi Niwa, Gerrit Schilder Jr., Hill Scholte, who spent time answering
questions and reviewing case study drafts.
I must also thank Nancy Later for her editorial assistance and Jacqueline Golden for her copyediting and
encouragement. And finally, I am grateful to my husband Philip Straeter; his unwavering patience and
support allowed me to complete this book.
vi Acknowledgements
Figure Credits
1.1 Mud brick ice house in Iran. Source: © Adam Jones
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
1.2 Contemporary rammed earth house in Arizona, USA. Source: © David Quigley
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
1.3 Traditional mud brick house next to contemporary concrete home in Al Huwayah, Oman. Source:
© Bart Dooms
1.4 Agadez, Niger. Source: © Russell Scott
1.5 Rammed earth construction. Source: © Steve Hoge
1.6 Making mud bricks. Source: © Frank Stabel
1.7 Compacting earth with pneumatic backfill tamper. Source: © Markus Bühler-Rasom
1.8 Cob combined with light wood frame construction. Source: © Natural Building Extravaganza
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
1.9 Making compressed earth blocks. Source: © Gustave Deghilage
1.10 Massive dry stone wall at Machu Picchu, Peru. Source: © Jorge Láscar
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
1.11 “The Slave” by Michelangelo. Source: © Scala/Art Resource, NY
1.12 Granite cobble stones. Source: © Onnola (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
1.13 Limestone wall. Source: © Martin Thomas (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
1.14 Marble flooring. Source: © Xlibber (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
1.15 Irregular stone wall. Source: © Stefan David (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
1.16 Stratified wall. Source: © Edgar Pierce (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
1.17 Squared ashlar wall. Source: © SEIER+SEIER (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
1.18 Emplecton wall. Source: © Harvey Barrison (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
1.19 Corbeled roof. Credit: Maxim Matusevich
1.20 Massive stone exterior of the Druk White Lotus School. Credit: Eryn Gaul
1.21 Massive stone foundations of the Gohar Khatoon Girls’ School. Source: © Sahar, Credit: Airokhsh
Faiz Qaisary
2.1 Traditional Japanese minka house in Japan. Source: © Tanaka Juuyoh
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
2.2 Reed structure built by the Al Shakamra tribe in Al Kuthra, Iraq. Credit: 318th Psychological
Operations Company, US Army
2.3 Common reed. Source: © The New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell
University (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
2.4 Earth plaster with straw. Source: © Frank Stabel
2.5 Roof thatch installation. Source: © Bernard Marcia (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
2.6 Traditional thatched roof in Japan. Source: © Bryan (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
2.7 Straw bale house ca. 1926 in Nebraska, USA. Source: © Nebraska State Historical Society
2.8 Yusuhara Marche by Kengo Kuma & Associates. Source: © Takumi Ota Photography
2.9 Contemporary straw bale construction in Utah, USA. Source: © U.S. Department of Agriculture
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/)
2.10a Prefabricated CLT and straw elements for the Gateway Building. Source: © Make Architects
2.10b The Gateway Building at the University of Nottingham. Source: © Make Architects
2.11 Wood detailing of the Villa Sørensen by Arne Jacobsen. Source: © SEIER+SEIER
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
2.12 Wood under a microscope at 40x magnification. Source: © GorissenM
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
2.13 Log cabin in Kansas, USA. Source: © Luke Lienau (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
2.14 German Fachwerkhaus. Source: © Michael Pollak (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Figure Credits ix
5.3.4 Ground-floor plan. Source: © Atelier TeamMinus
5.3.5 Stone masonry. Source: © Atelier TeamMinus
5.3.6 Viewing platform. Source: © Atelier TeamMinus
5.4.1 Courtyard elevation. Source: © Sergio Grazia
5.4.2 Main floor plans and longitudinal section. Source: © Eliet & Lehmann Architectes
5.4.3 East elevation. Source: © Sergio Grazia
5.4.4 Noyant quarry. Source: © Pierre-Yves Brunaud
5.4.5 Section and elevation detail. Source: © Eliet & Lehmann Architectes
5.4.6 Cut stone. Source: © Pierre-Yves Brunaud
5.4.7 Stone assembly. Source: © Pierre-Yves Brunaud
5.5.1 Wind and Water Bar exterior. Source: © Hiroyuki Oki
5.5.2 Plan and section. Source: © Vo Trong Nghia Architects
5.5.3 Bamboo framing. Source: © Hiroyuki Oki
5.5.4 Roof structure. Source: © Vo Trong Nghia Architects
5.5.5 Foundation connection. Source: © Vo Trong Nghia Architects
5.5.6 Bar interior. Source: © Phan Quang
5.6.1 Haus am Moor east elevation. Source: © Adolf Bereuter
5.6.2 Plans and transverse section. Source: © Bernardo Bader Architekten
5.6.3 Panel installation. Source: © Bernardo Bader Architekten
5.6.4 Studio interior. Source: © Adolf Bereuter
5.6.5 Foundation excavation. Source: © Bernardo Bader Architekten
5.6.6 Heating system installation. Source: © Bernardo Bader Architekten
6.1 Earthquake-resistant construction at the Aknaibich Preschool. Source: © Frank Stabel
6.1.1 View of learning center and Kargyak village. Source: © arch i platform
6.1.2 Collecting stones. Source: © arch i platform
6.1.3 Exterior of Kargyak Learning Center. Source: © arch i platform
6.1.4 Construction site. Source: © arch i platform
6.1.5 Diagram of wall construction. Source: © arch i platform
6.1.6 Diagram of wall heat capture system. Source: © arch i platform
6.1.7 Diagram under-floor heating system. Source: © arch i platform
6.1.8 Floor plan. Source: © arch i platform
6.2.1 Northwest corner Pani Community Center. Source: © SchilderScholte Architects
6.2.2 Plaza. Source: © SchilderScholte Architects
6.2.3 Classroom south elevation. Source: © SchilderScholte Architects
6.2.4 Ground-floor plan and longitudinal sections. Source: © SchilderScholte Architects
6.2.5 Bamboo column details. Source: © SchilderScholte Architects
6.2.6 Work area. Source: © SchilderScholte Architects
6.2.7 Brick pier construction. Source: © SchilderScholte Architects
6.2.8 Classroom interior. Source: © SchilderScholte Architects
6.3.1 Haus Rauch west elevation. Source: © Beat Bühler
6.3.2 Rammed earth with tile inserts. Source: © Beat Bühler
6.3.3 Wall construction. Source: © Lehm Ton Erde Baukunst
6.3.4 Longitudinal section. Source: © Roger Boltshauser
6.3.5 Exterior wall detail. Source: © Roger Boltshauser
6.3.6 Heating system installation. Source: © Lehm Ton Erde Baukunst
6.3.7 Reed insulation installation. Source: © Lehm Ton Erde Baukunst
6.3.8 Interior walls finished with clay plaster. Source: © Beat Bühler
6.4.1 Aknaibich Preschool west elevation. Source: © Frank Stabel
6.4.2 Plan and transverse section. Source: © BC architects + MAMOTH
6.4.3 Classroom north elevation. Source: © Frank Stabel
6.4.4 Classroom interior. Source: © Frank Stabel
6.4.5 Detail of reinforced masonry piers. Source: © BC architects + MAMOTH
6.4.6 Classroom construction. Source: © Thomas Joos
x Figure Credits
6.4.7 Cork roof insulation. Source: © Frank Stabel
6.5.1 Blooming Bamboo Home exterior. Source: © H&P Architects
6.5.2 Floor plan and section. Source: © H&P Architects
6.5.3 Lower level living space. Source: © H&P Architects
6.5.4 Upper level living space. Source: © H&P Architects
6.5.5 Assembly diagram. Source: © H&P Architects
6.5.6 Exterior façade. Source: © H&P Architects
6.6.1 Thread from southeast. Source: © Iwan Baan
6.6.2 Thatched roof. Source: © Iwan Baan
6.6.3 Floor plan. Source: © Toshiko Mori Architect
6.6.4 Gathering space. Source: © Iwan Baan
6.6.5 Materials and water diagrams. Source: © Toshiko Mori Architect
6.6.6 Bamboo roof structure. Source: © Toshiko Mori Architect
6.6.7 Binding grass. Source: © Toshiko Mori Architect
6.6.8 Roof thatching. Source: © Toshiko Mori Architect
7.1 Agriculture Pavilion and Crafts Workshop in Pingtian, China. Source: © DnA Design and Architecture
7.2 Abandoned village of Dushang, Guangdong Province, China. Source: © Yu Wu
7.3 Pingtian Agriculture Pavilion and Crafts Workshop exterior. Source: © DnA Design and Architecture
7.4 Exhibit space. Source: © DnA Design and Architecture
7.5 Dandaji Mosque. Credit: Mariam Kamara
7.6 Axon of Dandaji Library. Source: © Yasaman Esmaili and Mariam Kamara
7.7 Interior of library. Source: © Yasaman Esmaili and Mariam Kamara
Figure Credits xi
Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group
http:/taylorandfrancis.com
Introduction:
Building from Tradition
Over the course of the last decade there has been medium through which accumulated knowledge
a resurgence of interest in the handmade building, was passed from one generation to the next.
as well as in the use of local and renewable Materials were selected not only for their functional
materials in building construction. This has come properties but also for their social, symbolic, and
at a time when concerns about the environment ritual value. It is this process of discovery and
and economic development are at an all-time high. identification, when repeated over successive
These volatile circumstances have either provoked generations, that can be identified as tradition.
or encouraged some individuals to consider Tradition is often understood as something that
methods of construction that are more responsive is passed down through action, and in this case
to local conditions. In the past, raw materials were specifically, through the act of building. Methods
shaped to provide shelter and to accommodate and techniques were disseminated globally over
the cultural, social, and economic needs of thousands of years; knowledge was transferred
individuals and communities. This is still true today via diverse routes and adapted according to the
as architects, engineers, and builders turn once regional climate and resources. Local identities and
again to local resources and methods, not simply building practices emerged out of this constantly
for constructing buildings, but also as a strategy changing process.
for supporting social engagement, sustainable Today, the builder’s immediate relationship
development, and cultural continuity. Building from to the site and building process has given way
Tradition closely examines how building practices— to construction systems dependent upon global
developed and refined by previous generations— supply chain logistics and economies. Beginning
continue to be adapted to suit a broad range of with the Industrial Revolution, building construction
cultural and environmental contexts. has been radically transformed and traditional
The relationship between materials and humans methods have been superseded by construction
began with the first attempts to build shelter. systems reliant on manufactured materials such
Materials employed in construction rarely remained as steel and glass. After World War II, the use
in their ‘natural’ or raw state, and were transformed of industrialized materials grew dramatically. In
from the moment they were exposed or extracted. the United States, for example, almost half of
To understand the nature of a material meant to the materials consumed in 1900 were based on
work with it directly, and working with accessible renewable resources such as wood and other
resources led to an understanding of their limits plant-based materials: by 1990, the consumption of
and capabilities. As architectural historian and these resources declined to less than 8 percent.2
theorist David Leatherbarrow notes, “No stone is The shift from traditional to modern methods
known in construction that is not first ‘grasped’ has not occurred in all places equally, nor has it
manually. Knowledge of the nature of materials, transpired all at once. The reliance on large-scale
on which selection depends, is a matter of manual manufacturing and distribution—now the norm
or at least bodily comprehension.”1 Materials in industrialized countries—has been periodically
originated from direct methods of production— challenged by (perceived and real) material
worked by hand or formed using simple mechanical scarcity, causing brief returns to older, more direct
equipment. This immediacy fostered a dynamic methods of construction. Such a revival of low-
exchange between materiality and people, each tech practices occurred in the German Democratic
influencing the other. Republic during the Cold War period, when the
Building materials were the product of human lack of resources and growing demand for housing
work, their ‘evolution’ occurring through manual prompted the government to implement a large-
processes and the material itself acting as the scale program reliant on earth-based construction.3