Is it possible? In terms of insulation and wall construction. Masters thesis in temporary homes.
In Kutch district of Gujarat in Western India,where day temperatures soar to 45 degree & night to -2 especially in open arid lands,the locals construct their house with the help of locally available materials.These consists of animal dung,strips of bamboo/wood from local trees & mud.A wooden house frame is made which is round & in between the alternately placed strips,mixture of cow dung & mud is plastered,so that they remain in position.A centrally placed wooden stalk supports the leaves of date palms to which they are tied, & this forms the roof,so that the inside of the house is warm during cold & even during daytime temperatures. Being round in shape,gusty winds even laden with sand particles has no effect on its structure. During rains which are very sparse in those places,as mud particles are bounded together by cow dung,they remain in place.
Have no idea whether it will work in frigid zones.
The study refers to climates , but it goes further and deeper than that, More than just a climate , climate adaption and sustainability , for me, should be about answering windy areas versus not windy, sunny vs cloudy, dry vs humid etc.. There is a lot more than a definition (besides the fact that climates can be divided differently according to different authors, with more or less subdivisions)
A house cannot be the same.. but can a core element be the same and then suggest mix of adjustments that allow the house to adapt to each specie location? I believe so.. I believe that there is a mix of solutions (adjustments) that will be influence by temperature, humidity, daylight, CO2 levels, etc. and for that reason.. we can consider 1. insulation and type of wall, 2. openings, 3. shading devices and elements 4. compact form, 5.urban organisation, etc
Right now I have been comparing solutions by simulating different contexts and mix in softwares such as Bsim and Ecotec. I am trying to see how much can good thermal mall -obtained/achieved with heavy construction- can be proposed with light weighted walls. Can prefabricated solutions (cheeper/ faster/ mass produced) be placed in a climate such as the arid - Saudi Arabia, for example- and still allow comfortable and habitable inside space?
Dear Concha
Of course I know architecture needs the “where” and besides that I have studied and enjoy the concept proposed in “Nigtlands” and of course other authors, of the “genius loci”. And you’re of course right.. because all houses depend on those things.
I am not trying to propose or study how architecture does not relate to space (even though there are architects today that do not follow what i wrote and what you expressed), but to try to merge - container architecture (more than a trend) + humanitarian causes + sustainable approaches (passive) considerations/ reflections.
The intent is to reflect upon all the different things learned “at architecture school” and try to develop a realistic solution or line of thought about the possibility or not to develop something that has been already considered - shelters and temporary structures (Book : “Design like you give a damn” or “Beyond Shelter” are interesting cases where solutions are shown but usually only relate to one place) What i wanted to answer in a way is if we can actually think globally and locally but not in the traditional way.. if deepening on climate and mostly features (rain/snow(sun/wind.. etc) if a solution can be flexible to adapt and be considered of one place and still come from the same core initial idea - one concepts, adapted designs..
Did it make sense?
Thanks for your help
(Shigeru Ban is a good example to start with, even though there a lot more “less star like” architects that do a lot of valid work also )
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