1st Edition
Building from Tradition Local Materials and Methods in Contemporary Architecture
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.
Introduction: Building From Tradition, Part I: Material Fundamentals, 1. Geologic Materials, 1.1 Earth, 1.2 Stone, 2. Plant Materials, 2.1 Reed and Grass, 2.2 Wood, 2.3 Bamboo, Part II: Material Strategies 3. Bespoke to Standardized, 3.1 Onjuku Beach House, 3.2 Hostal Ritoque, 3.3 Niamey 2000, 3.4 Affordable Urban Housing, 3.5 ModCell Straw Technology, 3.6 Ricola Kräuterzentrum, 4. Local Engagement , 4.1 Opera Village and the Center for Health Care and Social Promotion, 4.2 Dungga Daycare, 4.3 Common Ground Neighborhood, 4.4 Women’s Opportunity Center, 4.5 Esperanza Series, 4.6 Ma'anqiao Village Reconstruction.5. Materials and Place , 5.1 Tåkern Visitor Center, 5.2 Al Jahili Fort , 5.3 Jianamani Visitor Center, 5.4 Bry-sur-Marne Social Housing, 5.5 Wind and Water Bar, 5.6 Haus am Moor, 6. Primitive to Performative, 6.1 Kargyak Learning Center, 6.2 Pani Community Center, 6.3 House Rauch, 6.4 Aknaibich Preschool, 6.5 Blooming Bamboo Home. 6.6 Thread Artist Residency and Cultural Center, 7. Reflections and Looking Ahead
Biography
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.
