Thatched House in East Asia

AS 3100 Materials and Tectonic

Individual Project

Jinyong Park
Definition
Typical housing form in rural area in agricultural society in East Asia that uses
different kinds of straw, residue of farming as main materials of a roof.
(Wood, earth, stone for the lower structure.)
Cultural Context
- Typical housing for peasants in rural area who couldn’t afford a Kiwa (tile) roofed house.
- By-product of agricultural society: make use of residue material of yearly harvesting (cost
efficient & environment-friendly)
- Now mostly built for the purpose of preservation of tradition
Design
- Commoner’s rustic and rough aesthetics
- Different compositions of roof planes make varying types of roof design.

Different compositions of roof planes

Maatbae Woojingak Sangtoo

Design
- Slope of roof varies depending on the climate: heavier rain & snowfall,
steeper roof (45° - 65°)
- Using stems of straw with or without heads of straw determines the form
of the tip of a roof, straight & solid, or round & soft

Korea: Mediate Rain/Snowfall Japan: Heavy Rain/Snowfall Sharp cut at stem (above)
Mix of stem and head (below)
Material
- Gramineae plants are used, a stem of which is straight and cross section is rounded.
EX) Eulalia, sedge, sweet flag, reed - diameter is about 5mm, length 90cm.
- Empty, smooth surfice, thus light-weighted, but easily decay by water.

Sese (Bamboo) Gama Suseuki (Eulalia) Asagara

Straw in general

Komuki (Wheat) Yoshi (Reed) Oki (Common reed)

Structure
Roof system is basically the same but base system varies

Type 1 Thatching over Wooden column

Relatively sophisticated way that demands more labor to process and build the wooden structure
Type 2 Thatching over Stone wall
Simpler and cost efficient way - the roof builds on top of the wall as pile of stone and earth

Ridge Beam Timber tie at top of

frames

Beam tying rafters

Rafters at gable
together
ends

Type 1. Wood Column Type 2. Stone wall

Building Process
- Flatten the ground
- Place foundation stones
- Cut and process wood and erect columns
- Set up rafters (30cm between each rafter) and
panels in between
- Spread earth on the roof
- Thatch the roof and cover straw ropes

Left -> Right

Top -> Bottom
Building Process
- Thatch the roof and cover straw ropes:
Tie straw - Weave Yongmarum (for covering the ridge of a roof) - Put on the thatch (from eaves to ridge) -
Overlay straw ropes to fix the thatch

Left -> Right

Top -> Bottom
Sustainability
Pros
- Low construction cost: easy and simple construction, efficient delivery:
- Effective heat insulation

Cons
- High life cycle cost:
- Decay fast and easily by rainfall : annual or by-annual renovation
Next Step
Thatched house as a accessible form of housing for lower class
(Wood, stone, earth, and straw)
>>>
Lower material & life cycle cost
Recyclable material architecture: Plastic & Metal + Straw

Plastic Waste Nickel-silver Pots Metal Container