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Traditional architecture is the result of collective experience in the optimum use of available materials in a given location and adapted to specific conditions and needs. Although forms and groups also depend on other cultural and social issues, the constructive techniques used depend mostly on geographical conditioning factors such as altitude, hydrography, lithology, climate, etc. This text aims to analyse the possible relationships among the multiple variants and specific geographical conditioning factors of each location; in turn, this should provide an understanding of the reasons motivating or reducing their use and the mechanisms adapting these techniques to these conditioning factors. The analysis cross-referenced GIS systems from a database compiling information on 1160 half-timbered walls with a series of themed maps containing information on geographical factors. The conclusions reached show that a single technique adapts to different geographical conditioning factors, giving rise to a wide range of solutions which can provide greater durability and improved habitability. This capacity to adapt to the location is a lesson in sustainability that can be applied at present and is above all part of the intrinsic wealth and value of traditional architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional building practices, which are typically regarded as repositories of heritage and material culture, are undergoing significant transitions in northern Ghana. This transition is evident in the use of building materials other than locally accessible traditional materials. These transitions are driving creativity and innovation as households strive for continuity of tradition, while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of their buildings. This article analyses the architectural traditions and building practices in northern Ghana using the building work and commentaries of the people of Gbabshe in peri-urban Tamale as a case study. The results show that building practices are transitioning because of environmental changes, migration, wealth accumulation and access to modern building materials and technology. As the peri-urban community becomes urbanised, the people encounter "modern" building styles which are appropriated into their traditional architecture, resulting in a hybridisation of architecture. The innovative tendencies and philosophical continuities of these builders, and the desire to achieve sustainable buildings and the hybridisation of architecture, has implications for the future of earth buildings' relevance, resilience, sustainability, and sociocultural significance in people's everyday lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the study of the main phenomena of material weathering and structural damage that affect traditional architecture built in adobe, analysing the damage found in 553 case studies, representative of different technical varieties of adobe construction in Spain. The analysis methodology proposed in this text made it possible to quantify and identify the risks of damage appearing, establishing its impact and identifying its main mechanisms and causes. At the same time, the behaviour of adobe construction systems was further studied, observing how specific modifications in technique can promote or hinder deterioration and establishing the probable causes of the different responses to these phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a detailed study of the traditional construction with earthen masonry walls based on 553 case studies throughout Spain. In order to facilitate their identification and interpretation, the variants in this study have been assorted into constructive groups with similar characteristics. In the discussion chapter, a quantitative analysis of the results is provided, highlighting the most common variant. Conclusions reflect on how the combination of opportunity and adaptation to the context—characteristics essential to vernacular constructions—shed light on a wide range of alternative techniques in this architecture. This article further expands on the existing information on earthen masonry, essential to proposing studies and projects aiming to protect, retrofit, and consolidate this type of architecture in Spain and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan’s modern buildings are dependent on fossil fuel driven air-conditioning systems and are increasingly unable to adapt to a warming climate. In contrast traditional architecture is more adaptable to the environment according to principles evolved over many generations. Indigenous technologies are energy efficient and sustainable. This paper reports observations on the degree of thermal comfort provided by the traditionalhaveliwith some account of the design techniques. The results show that traditionalhaveliswork well in modulating the temperature swings, lowering the ambient temperature and providing the occupants with various comfort zones in the hot summer. The study concludes that thehaveliform is a good choice for Pakistan’s buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This research studies the optical behaviour of Moshabaks in Kashan's houses, with emphasis on the concept of transparency. The topic of this study is important not only because it allows for a better understanding of the different types and purposes of these Moshabaks, but also because through calculating the veiling and revealing factor of each type, one can regenerate the use of Moshabak in the architecture of hot and arid regions. This study is an analytical-descriptive research and its information has been gathered from documents and fieldwork. After examining different examples, seven residential buildings were chosen in the hot and arid climate of Kashan. The tools used to gather the data were cameras for photography and video recording and a photometer for measuring light levels. The analysis of the information gathered indicates that the different characteristics of Moshabak all in their own way affect the level of veiling/revealing or shading/lighting that the Moshabak provides. By better understanding the effects of these characteristics, it is possible to design modem Moshabaks that are better suited to contemporary tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the thought experiment method is used to demonstrate what can result from taking the goal of energy efficiency to extreme measures. The point of departure for this thought experiment is the assumption that in order to minimize energy needs in Norwegian buildings the following three principles are to be followed: minimize building volume per person, maximize building shape compactness and use a well-isolated building envelope with smartly designed windows. The conclusion of the thought experiment applied for single-family houses leads to the building form similar to the årestue, the simplest building shape common in Scandinavian villages up until the 18th century, having an open fireplace in the middle of the floor and an opening in the roof to let the smoke out and the daylight in. The thought experiment exposes a latent wisdom buried here in the old and well-adjusted architecture of the årestue, an anonymous architecture that emerged in times when human beings could not afford to waste resources. A modern version of the Norwegian low-energy, single family house would have been built using modern materials and advanced technology, but the shape of the house would have been surprisingly similar. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since the late 1970s, Complexity Scientists have shown that many natural systems possess similar geometric patterns that are repeated over multiple scales of observation. This observation lead to the development of fractal geometry, as a means for determining, over progressive scales, the characteristic visual complexity of natural systems and forms. More recently it has been demonstrated that fractal geometry can also be useful for measuring the visual complexity of the constructed environment. As a result of this, it became possible, in the late 1990s to compare the fractal dimensions of both natural and constructed forms and thereby investigate the extent to which buildings are a reflection of their natural setting. The most famous examples of this provided evidence that a formal connection could be traced between the city of Amasya in Turkey and the landforms of its natural setting, and a similar argument has been made about Sea Ranch in California. With only minimal evidence, a range of conclusions were drawn from this early work about the connection and influence of a local ecology on local architecture. The present article re-tests these previous results using a more refined, computational version of the fractal analysis method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The village of Kimzha, near the Mezen River in the far north of European Russia, is a valuable repository of traditional Russian wooden architecture in a relatively untouched setting. The fact that so much of the village has survived is in large part due to its remoteness and difficulty of access (near the Arctic Circle). This article provides a detailed record of two field campaigns to Kimzha, together with a selection of the author's photographs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]