PERFORMANCE OF BIOCLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE IN BUGIS VERNACULAR HOUSING: A CASE STUDY OF JIDA AND LAMMADA HOUSES

Bioclimatic architecture is composed of climate-responsive knowledge in vernacular buildings as an effort to create comfortable conditions. This study aims to evaluate the suitability of the application of bioclimatic design to the performance of the thermal environment in one type of Bugis house. The method used is visual assessment and measurement of temperature and humidity in the case studies of Jida and Lammada houses, South Sulawesi. The results of visual observations show the accuracy of the bioclimatic design on the volume and slope elements of the roof; wall type and material; floor height and shade tree layout. The performance of the thermal environment in the living room and bedroom of Lammada house is better than similar rooms at Jida house. The bioclimatic elements that affect the performance of the thermal environment are the volume of the roof, the type and material of the walls and the height of the floor.

Environmental impact assessment of vernacular thatch building tradition in Mexico: Case studies of three palm species and related technology along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

<p>This project involves research into vernacular buildings, in particular traditional and contemporary coastal palm thatch buildings in the middle-west coast deciduous forest environments in Mexico. The fieldwork-based grounded theory research investigates the natural materials and techniques involved in constructing thatched vernacular buildings using three different palm species (Attalea guacuyule, Brahea dulcis and Sabal rosei) in different climatic contexts along the Trans Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB). The aim is to achieve a holistic approach to the environmental assessment of these building types through a life-cycle assessment. The present research emerges from the premise that vernacular buildings are generally taken for granted as sustainable, and yet they are under-investigated meaning this assumption may not be correct. In general the performance of vernacular buildings in terms of sustainability and in relation to their embodied energy is under reported, particularly in terms of vernacular case studies in Mexico. However the deterioration of the environments where such buildings are located through anthropogenic causes is of world-wide importance, therefore it is a priority for this research to study the relationship of the vernacular traditions with their immediate environment. The first section of the thesis analyses theoretical frameworks for sustainability and vernacular architecture. Both terms are widely used and carry many different meanings, so it is important to establish the definitions used in this research to better set the boundaries of the study as a basis for seeking the best methods for assessing the environmental impact of the selected vernacular thatch building technologies. The second section undertakes qualitative and quantitative fieldwork on traditional practices of palm thatch buildings in selected regions of Mexico and related case studies, six in total. The fieldwork was combined with investigation into ethnographical, ethnobotanical and historical records and data for the three palms used for thatching and their related materials and technologies in order to derive data concerning yield factors, lifespan of the building materials, carrying capacities, embodied energy of transport and embodied energy of materials. The third section applies the collected information for a life-cycle environmental assessment (LCA) of two typical buildings for each of the three different palm species and the diverse techniques involved. The assessment is carried out based on various assumptions that are commonly used in LCA to give a carbon account and an ecological footprint for each building component both after construction and for a 50 year building life. However, during the research particular variables in the analysis were revealed, such as operating energy, recycling of building elements, durability of materials and transport practices, which can vary widely from case to case, therefore the limits and scope of the assessment excluded such data for a better comparative scenario of the building process itself. This suggests that a different way of life-cycle accounting may be needed when assessing vernacular structures. The results show the environmental impact of these techniques in terms of carbon and ecological footprints, and reveal that the rural vernacular case studies had lower environmental impacts than the suburban and urban vernacular case studies as measured by their carbon content, energy expressed in Giga Joules (GJ) and their ecological footprints.</p>

Environmental impact assessment of vernacular thatch building tradition in Mexico: Case studies of three palm species and related technology along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

<p>This project involves research into vernacular buildings, in particular traditional and contemporary coastal palm thatch buildings in the middle-west coast deciduous forest environments in Mexico. The fieldwork-based grounded theory research investigates the natural materials and techniques involved in constructing thatched vernacular buildings using three different palm species (Attalea guacuyule, Brahea dulcis and Sabal rosei) in different climatic contexts along the Trans Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB). The aim is to achieve a holistic approach to the environmental assessment of these building types through a life-cycle assessment. The present research emerges from the premise that vernacular buildings are generally taken for granted as sustainable, and yet they are under-investigated meaning this assumption may not be correct. In general the performance of vernacular buildings in terms of sustainability and in relation to their embodied energy is under reported, particularly in terms of vernacular case studies in Mexico. However the deterioration of the environments where such buildings are located through anthropogenic causes is of world-wide importance, therefore it is a priority for this research to study the relationship of the vernacular traditions with their immediate environment. The first section of the thesis analyses theoretical frameworks for sustainability and vernacular architecture. Both terms are widely used and carry many different meanings, so it is important to establish the definitions used in this research to better set the boundaries of the study as a basis for seeking the best methods for assessing the environmental impact of the selected vernacular thatch building technologies. The second section undertakes qualitative and quantitative fieldwork on traditional practices of palm thatch buildings in selected regions of Mexico and related case studies, six in total. The fieldwork was combined with investigation into ethnographical, ethnobotanical and historical records and data for the three palms used for thatching and their related materials and technologies in order to derive data concerning yield factors, lifespan of the building materials, carrying capacities, embodied energy of transport and embodied energy of materials. The third section applies the collected information for a life-cycle environmental assessment (LCA) of two typical buildings for each of the three different palm species and the diverse techniques involved. The assessment is carried out based on various assumptions that are commonly used in LCA to give a carbon account and an ecological footprint for each building component both after construction and for a 50 year building life. However, during the research particular variables in the analysis were revealed, such as operating energy, recycling of building elements, durability of materials and transport practices, which can vary widely from case to case, therefore the limits and scope of the assessment excluded such data for a better comparative scenario of the building process itself. This suggests that a different way of life-cycle accounting may be needed when assessing vernacular structures. The results show the environmental impact of these techniques in terms of carbon and ecological footprints, and reveal that the rural vernacular case studies had lower environmental impacts than the suburban and urban vernacular case studies as measured by their carbon content, energy expressed in Giga Joules (GJ) and their ecological footprints.</p>

Catholic Churches and Dwelling Temples: An Isomorphic Study of Construction Techniques on Early Catholic Churches and Vernacular Dwellings in East Fujian, China (1840-1900) – A Secondary Publication

This paper attempts to examine the typologies of early Catholic churches in East Fujian Province, China, and analyze how they were internally relevant to local vernacular buildings. Focusing on the connection of architectural typology, this paper investigates the origination of the internal relevance, the Chinese path of Catholic church typological development, and the patterns of building techniques for Catholic churches in China. The conclusion indicates that both the early Catholic churches in East Fujian Province and local vernacular buildings were based on traditional Chinese craftsmanship, and therefore were isomorphic in their building forms. In the meantime, those early churches which hybridized traditional Chinese and Western architectural elements were typologically different from those “Chinese style” churches built in the Sinicization period of Christianity. This study contributes to enhancing the broadness and depth of the understandings of early Catholic churches in China.

Wood Identification of Ancient Temple Structures in Ladakh, Located in the Western Himalayas

Microscopic wood identifications were performed on five Buddhist temple structures, three vernacular houses, two stupas, and two holy trees located in Ladakh, a region in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Western Himalayas. Leh is Ladakh’s capital and is located along the Indus River, the backbone of Ladakh. The vernacular buildings, stupa, and holy trees are located in Leh. Ladakh is a high-altitude desert with extremely scarce vegetation. Natural vegetation occurs mostly along the watercourses. The temples are located in villages along the upper Indus river valley, or along confluent rivers. From the 110 wood samples, 4 wood species were identified: poplar, willow, juniper, and pine. Building type, local availability, specific physical and mechanical properties of the wood species, and religious considerations were apparently the leading criteria for timber selection.

Evolution and Review of Modern Eastern Vernacular Buildings

This paper divided the evolution of modern Chinese vernacular architecture (1949–2010) into 3 stages: early exploration, confine and confusion, and modern development, by taking time line as the clue, vernacular characteristics of modern architecture in Xi’an during different phases as the support, and combining literature research and field investigation. On this basis, it reviewed historical background, relevant context and typical features of modern vernacular architecture in Xi’an during different phases, and further concluded the evolution laws and research level of modern Chinese vernacular architecture.

Evaluation of occupant's adaptive thermal comfort behaviour in naturally ventilated courtyard houses

PurposeIn vernacular buildings, many climatic and passive solutions have been used to create indoor thermal comfort. Seasonal occupant movement is an example of a traditional response to increasing thermal comfort. This article investigates the influence of these user behaviours on thermal comfort in courtyard houses.Design/methodology/approachParametric models of three different scenarios of courtyard houses are simulated. The courtyard houses are located in Shiraz, Iran, and share the same orientation and construction materials. To enhance the accuracy of the study, the indoor adaptive thermal comfort (ATC) analysis is performed with three different window-to-wall ratios (WWR) of 25, 50 and 75%. The ACT analysis is performed on an hourly basis for summer and winter scenarios.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the indoor ATC is 8.3% higher in winter than in the summer in the seasonal zones. During the summer, the amount of ATC is relatively sustained in all zones. Unlike common beliefs, seasonal movement can enhance the ATC, especially during winter, specifically in the northern part of the courtyard. In northern zones, the seasonal movement of occupants improves the indoor ATC from 10.1 to 23.7%, and in southern zones, the improvement is from 2.2 to 4.8%.Originality/valueThis research presents a new numerical investigation into occupants' seasonal movements in courtyard houses during summer and winter. It provides a precise pattern to show how much this seasonal movement can affect the habitant's ATC.

Towards Sustainable Construction Practices: How to Reinvigorate Vernacular Buildings in the Digital Era?

The starting point of this article is the critique on socioeconomic and environmental implications of conventional construction practices around sustainability. The focus is on exploring the sustainability dynamics of the emerging “Design Global, Manufacture Local” (DGML) configuration with emphasis on building construction. Combined with the concept of conviviality which we identify in aspects of vernacular architecture we explore how it can foster meaningful sustainability practices in the construction sector. We introduce a framework of “open construction systems”, an expression of DGML in building construction, as a way to foster the conjunctive use of the digital commons and local manufacturing technologies for the construction of buildings through three interlocked elements—modularity, sharing and adaptability. We suggest that the “open construction systems” framework may point towards more sustainability in building construction.