MAT ERIAL ISATI ON T WA N A GUL 路 THIS D O C IS PART OF TH E REFUG EE CIT Y AN ALYSES
CONTENT INTRODUCTION 01. MATERIALS LOCAL Cane / Reed Clay Concrete / Cement (Blocks) Earth Fabric / Nylon Fertilizer Natural Stone Timber Water ASSESSMENT WORLD ELEMENTS Containers Framework (Synthetic / Steel ) Panels 02. EXPLORATION Cane / Reed Earth / Sand LITERATURE
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MAP OF KURDISTAN REGION
LEGEND Visited Camps Material Availablility
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INTRODUCTION
A variety of materials will be discussed in this short booklet to achieve a broad perspective on possible materialisations. For centuries, Kurdistan developed most buildings with local materials, such as timber, concrete blocks and earth. In the past decade the economy started to rise rapidly which made it possible to import construction materials for the facade and structure. These days, most buildings are developed with in-situ concrete structures, the windows are made of aluminium framework and the facade is covered with different types of cladding or panels. On the contrary of the latest development in Kurdistan, a refugee camp is composed in a primitive manner. Prevalently, a shelter is comprised of a sheet of fabric, plastic / aluminium poles as a structure and ropes to support the structure. By cutting off expensive materials and solutions, such a camp is made possible. The goal of this analyses is to seek affordable solutions and techniques in order to design a refugee city.
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01. MATERIALS LOCAL AND WORLD
LOCAL
C A N E , C L A Y, C E M E N T. . .
CANE / REED
COLLECT IN (ALMOST) ALL WATER ZONES
In the southern part of the Kurdistan Region is a river, called Dokan. During spring and summer reed grows along this river.
LARGE DEPOTS
In addition, the farmers in the mountain region (North) and in the neighbourhood of the capital, Erbil, possess a certain amount of reed during the year due to their cultivation. Reed is flexibile, strong if combined and digestible in the nature. It can perform as a sun shader or as a base material in the facade.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During Spring and Summer across the region.
INSPIRATION
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GEHRY BENCH Tokyo, Japan
SHERATON HOTEL Gran Canaria, Spain
WATER + REED VILLAS Rotterdam, Netherlands
INTERIOR The flexibility of reed provides a huge advantage in case of organic shapes.
SHADING The outdoor walkways in the sheraton hotel, which is located on top of a mountain, are covered with reed to resist the direct sun in the summer and perform as a buffer against wind.
CLADDING The top facade is developed by combinining reed with mud. This method has an environmentally low impact but provides exceptional insulation and protection from inclement weather.
CLAY
COLLECT IN (ALMOST) ALL WATER ZONES OR CREATE ON SITE
Before using advanced building methods and materials, most houses were built with clay in Kurdistan. Some people covered their facade with clay as an insulation material and others to construct the whole compound.
LARGE DEPOTS
Till this day, many houses in the villages around Suleymaniyah and Koya are developed with clay. This material could be used as cladding, insulation or as the main structure. In the refugee camps, some brickbuilt-shelters are cladded with clay to keep out insects and water.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During Spring, Summer and Autumn across the region.
INSPIRATION CLAY POTS Art, Jeremy Woodhouse
MUSGUM CLAY HOUSES Mayo-Danay, Cameroon
WAREHOUSE 8B Madrid, Spain
WALL FINISHING Clay could be utilised in a form which is already defined: the clay pots. Woodhouse translates the pots as an artistic identity, however the pots could be also filled with vegetation to enhance the insulation.
STRUCTURE The house is created from compressed sun-dried mud. Mud is a mixture of water and any combination of soil, silt, and clay. Mud is a great environmental friendly alternative for cement.
LOAD-BEARING WALLS The warehouse is totally built using refurbished clay roof tiles. The shape of the tiles reveal a new purpose and dimension in perception in terms of texture and transparancy.
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CEMENT (BLOCKS)
COLLECT IN FACTORIES AROUND THE LARGE CITIES
In different factories surrounding Erbil and Suleymaniyah develop cement (blocks) particularly for buildings.
LARGE DEPOTS
Roughly 60% of all dwellings in the Kurdistan Region are built with cement blocks. This is a very popular and cheap material due to its resistance to different climates and easy building method. In most refugee camps some of the buildings blocks are constructed with these blocks. Due to its easy operation, many people tend to develop their shelters by themselfs.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During the whole year across the region.
INSPIRATION
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1ST HEMP HOUSE Asheville, USA
FIBRE CEMENT ROOFING Order @ Cembrit Limited
SOIL-CEMENT VAULTS Mapungubwe, South Africa
STRUCTURE Hemp building boosters claim that hempcrete foundation walls are up to seven times stronger than those made of concrete, half as light and three times as elastic. Combine hemp with lime, sand, plaster, some cement and water to create it.
ROOFING Rust free, rot free roofing ideal for single storey buildings such as stables, shelters and garages.
LOAD-BEARING STRUCTURE The load-bearing bricks are made of a mixture of the local soil and cement. Cement is a perfect substance to blend with dirt and other materials, which are not strong enough on their own existance.
EARTH
COLLECT (ALMOST) EVERYWHERE
Most of the security checkpoint throughout the region use earth and sand bags to protect the gate against villians.
LARGE DEPOTS
One of the possibilities of this material is creating a wall by stacking earth and sand bags. Even though the bags do not isolate or keep out the rain, it could be used as an external facade layer for protecting the inner space. Earth could be implemented in four methods: Rammed Earth, Mud Bricks, Compressed Earth Blocks and Molded Earth.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During the whole year across the region.
INSPIRATION G. CHILDCARE CENTER Glendale, USA
MATTHEWS RESIDENCE Phoenix, USA
VILLAGE SCHOOL Chimundo, Mozambique
LOAD-BEARING WALLS Type: Rammed Earth The walls are produced using the rammed earth building method. In the winter and summer the inner climate is suďŹƒciently preserved thanks to the thermal mass.
WALL FILL-INS Type: Mud Bricks The load-bearing walls of the residence is mainly constructed with mud bricks, which amplifies the architectural materiality and quality of each space. The rough texture sketches the maturity of the building.
WALL FILL-INS Type: Molded Earth The school building in the Mozambique village is constructed with sand bags, bottles and grass.
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FABRIC / NYLON COLLECT IN ERBIL OR SULEIMANIYAH
Rock wool insulation is quite expensive in Kurdistan and rarely used in the refugee camps. As a substitute, people tend to utilise water-resistable fabric or nylon to insulate their roof or facade.
LARGE DEPOTS
Fabric is widely used for a variety of functions, such as sun shaders, due to the low price and high stock availability through the region. This material has not been profoundly explored as a building material, but the possiblities are there to be captured.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During the whole year across the region.
INSPIRATION
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BASKETBALL ARENA London, UK (2012)
FABRIC FACADE Amsterdam, Netherlands
SANTE FE OPERA New Mexico, USA
FACADE The temporary Basketball Arena for the London 2012 Games was a structure of heroic proportions. The lightweight fabric was rapidly constructed and allowed fresh air to penetrate easily in the playground.
KINETIC With the help of mother nature, wind, the appearance of the facade changes and is resulted into a kinetic wall. Each fabric strip is connected to the wall along one edge, allowing the fabric to flap in the wind.
SHADING The canopy of the cantine is made of stretchable fabric. During the hot summer the system allows the space underneath it to ventilate regularly while avoiding direct sunlight.
FERTILIZER COLLECT AT FARMERS
There are many farmers around the refugee camps creating different types of products or managing livestock. One of the waste materials that they possess, is dung.
LARGE DEPOTS
In the past dung was used to cover the facade and protect the inside from insects and so on. Contiguously, dung could be used to develop the Adobe material and create a bio / green facade. There are possibilities still to be discovered.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During the whole year across the region.
INSPIRATION ECOFAEBRICK Prasetiya M. Business School
NDEBELE HOUSE Ndebele, South Africa
PUBLIC URINALS Amsterdam, Netherlands
STRUCTURE EcoFaeBrick are made from cow dung with soil extracts and are cured using biogas. The result is a building material that is 20% lighter than clay bricks and has 20% greater compressive strength.
LOAD-BEARING WALL The Ndebele people of South Africa are famous for the the colorful patterns applied to the exterior of their houses, which are made of a mixture of dung, mud, and clay.
GREEN ROOF Knowing that human urine contains a lot of nutrients, Waternet set up a project to harvest pee from public urinals. The pee is recycled for public gardens and vegetated rooftops around the city.
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NATURAL STONE COLLECT IN ALL MOUNTAIN ZONES
Stones are available in all the cities and villages in the Kurdistan Region. There are some attempts visible in the villages to built their houses with stones. But unfortunetly this material has been underestimated.
LARGE DEPOTS
Many dwellings, in the large cities, use natural stones for their facade as a decoration. The issue remains that this material, which is plenty available, is not profoundly investigated for structural or secondary purposes.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During the whole year across the region. After the rainy season many stones flush from the mountains to the roads, creating dangerous obstacles. Collecting in Summer would be eďŹƒcacy.
INSPIRATION
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CAMEL QUARRY HOUSE Edmonton, UK
HILL TOWN Mardin, Turkey
THE STONE HOUSE East Hampton, USA
LOAD-BEARING WALL The exterior of the house is done in raw stones combined with several wood inserts. The translucent windows compete with the heavy structure to reveal the inner space.
STRUCTURE The town is located in the mountains, far from the large cities. Due to the location the people are forced to build with the local material, which is mainly stone.
LOAD-BEARING WALL The refined stones are stacked and connected with a slight of cement to keep everthing standing. Wood is used to soften the masculinity of the building.
TIMBER
COLLECT IN SEVERAL MOUNTAINS
In the mountains of Zagros or in the North West are several forests with a huge amount of trees waiting to be used.
LARGE DEPOTS
Due to the hot climate in the summer and disbelieve in wood as a strong material for the facade and structure, people tend to decline timber usage. Timber cools down slowely and is perhaps the reason of people preferring concrete, with a much quicker cool-down rate, above wood.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During Autumn and Winter across the region.
INSPIRATION L. EXHIBITION HALL Stuttgart, Germany
PALLETS PAVILLION Oberstdorf, Germany
TEMPORARY SHELTERS Mae Sot, Thailand
DIGITAL FABRICATION Plywood is strong, easy to work with, and made from a renewable resource. Computers can drive digital tools to cut it and finish it in unimaginably complex forms.
STRUCTURE Shipping pallets are found all over the world and make for a sturdy low-cost building material. The pavilion consists of 1300 shipping pallets and is held together using tie rods and pull straps.
STRUCTURE The dorms were designed for rapid construction using local materials, bamboo and raw timber, and techniques in order to house child refugees from bordering Burma.
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WATER
COLLECT USING AN UNDERGROUND WATER SOURCE OR AT THE RIVER IN DOKAN
In some refugee camps, water is supplied using an underground water resource. The river in Dokan, which flows directly from the mountains, provides cold fresh (clean) water after the winter season.
LARGE DEPOTS
This water could be used in the building sector to cool down the facade or floor. The issue is the transportation of the water to the camps though. If it is possible to relocate the refugee camps near the water, it could be used as cooler during the summer.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During Spring, Summer and Autumn across the region.
INSPIRATION DIGITAL WATER PAVILION Zaragoza, Spain
WATER-COOLED HOUSE Bukit Timah, Singapore
The most recent update on Kurdistan’s local building materials can be found on the website: www.refugeecity.com QR Code Scan with your phone
RECREATION The roof is covered by what else, a thin layer of water. At the end of the day, the roof of the structure lowers itself into the ground, making the entire structure of the exhibit disappear.
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CLIMATE - COOLING The purpose of the pond is to thermally insulate the dining, bedrooms and family spaces underneath from solar heat gain. The water body also helps to regulate temperature swings within the house.
THE END OF LOCAL MATERIALS
ASSESSMENT
WHICH MATERIAL HAS THE HIGHEST RANK? MATERIAL NAME
AVAILABILILTY
COSTS ($)
SPEC. SCORE
OVERALL
Cane / Reed
2.3
1ST
Clay
3.6
3TH
Concrete / Cement (blocks)
3.3
Earth
3.6
Fabric / Nylon
3.0
Fertilizer
4.3
Natural Stone
3.6
Timber
2.6
Water
4.3
2ND
LOWER IS BETTER! THE FORMULA LABOUR+MAINTENANCE+WEIGHT 3
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WORLD
C O N TA I N E R S , F R A M E W O R K A N D PA N E L S
CONTAINERS
IMPORT FROM SOUTH IRAQI HARBOUR, TURKEY OR IRAN
An easy and cheap method to create a space without the necessity of different materials, are containers.
NOT IN KRG
The harbour of South Iraq performs as the main import and export location of the whole nation. During the year there are an overload of containers unused and left behind. By giving these containers a new purpose in the refugee camps, the harbour would be cleaned up. NOTE: Currenlty, the shelter’s of the organisations in the refugee camps use a container shaped structure, which seems demountable.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During Spring, Summer and Autumn across the region.
INSPIRATION
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CHILDREN’S ACT. CENTRE Melbourne, Australia
CONTAINER STUDIO Amagansett, USA
SHIP SHAPE Texas, USA
All materials were scavenged, salvaged or recycled. Container walls were simply cut up to form awnings and balustrades and their surfaces left unpainted, so the original superscale graphics are still visible
By cutting 75% of the floor of the containers, they were able to move the painting studio to a lower level via a wide staircase and take advantage of a high ceiling.
A shipping container is morphed into a welcoming guest house. For a cooling effect, 4-foot-by4-foot planters sit a few inches above the container’s roof with vegetation.
FRAMEWORK (SYNTHETIC / STEEL) IMPORT FROM TURKEY OR THE WEST
Using a framework as a main structure promotes the ability to demount.
NOT IN KRG
Generally, the shelters in the refugee camps use a basic framework consisting of plastic or metal to support the fabric sheet. Unfortunately, these light frameworks are not strong enough and need consistant care to keep in place. If this method is selected as a main structure, it it prudent to consider a strong material for the framework and the ability to replace a certain part of the structure without demounting the whole building.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During Spring and Summer across the region.
INSPIRATION POLYCARBONATE HOUSE Massachusetts, USA
SAI PROJECT Seoul, South Korea
WESTCLIFF PAVILION Johannesburg, South Africa
A new polycarbonate framework is designed to embrace the existing building. By opening the large moveable framework on the front of the facade, the living room is extended towards the garden.
All elements, such as the stairs and slaps, are hanged in the core steel structural framework. Due to this property the structure performs totally Independently.
The house is built from steel, glass and stone and appears to hover above the ground thanks to the steel framework.
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PANELS
IMPORT FROM TURKEY OR THE WEST
Insulated panels or just for decoration to express the function are widely used in office or commercial buildings.
NOT IN KRG
These panels are currently imported from the Western countries. This material is expensive, but could be used in various ways. Practically, panels are easy to mount and have all the required layers to insulate and resist all climates. The great feature is that it could be easily packed and transported. More importantly, certain panels are demountable and reusable.
TOP FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS Costs ($) Labour Maintenance Weight
UTILISATION
AVAILABILITY During Spring and Summer across the region.
INSPIRATION INFINISKI M. HOUSE Curacaví, Chile
SALVAGED CAR PARTS California, USA
The most recent update on Kurdistan’s local building materials can be found on the website: www.refugeecity.com QR Code Scan with your phone
The Manifesto house represents the Infiniski concept and its potential: bioclimatic design, recycled, reused materials, non polluting constructive systems, integration of renewable energy.
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Made out of 100% salvaged car parts, this temporary shed is surprisingly strong and versatile.
THE END OF WORLD ELEMENTS
02. EXPLORATION CANE AND REED
CANE
D E TA I L S A N D C A S E S T U D I E S
DETAILS OF CANE / REED (PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS)
It can grow in damp ground, in standing water up to 1 metre or so deep, or even as a floating mat. The erect stems grow to 2–6 metres tall, with the tallest plants growing in areas with hot summers and fertile growing conditions. The leaves are long for a grass, 20–50 centimetres (7.9–19.7 in) and 2–3 centimetres (0.79–1.18 in) broad. The flowers are produced in late summer in a dense, dark purple panicle, about 20–50 cm long. Later the numerous long, narrow, sharp pointed spikelets appear greyer due to the growth of long, silky hairs. Max-Height: 6 metres Broad: 2–3 centimetres Leaves (LxW) 50 x 3 centimetres Reed is used in many areas for thatching roofs. FOOD
Numerous parts of Phragmites can be prepared for consumption. For example, the young stems “while still green and fleshy, can be dried and pounded into a fine powder, which when moistened is roasted like marshmallows.” Also, the wheat-like seeds on the apex of the stems “can be ground into flour or made into gruel.” Rootstocks are used similarly. WATER TREATMENT
Waste water from lavatories and greywater from kitchens is routed to an underground septic tank-like compartment where the solid waste is allowed to settle out. The water then trickles through a constructed wetland or artificial reed bed, where bioremediation bacterial action on the surface of roots and leaf litter removes some of the nutrients in biotransformation. The water is then suitable for irrigation, groundwater recharge, or release to natural watercourses.
PRE-SUMMER
AUTUMN
WINTER
USE REED AS...
1. 2. 3.
an insulation material a roof / facade finishing (Breating Facade) a lightweight structure
HOW TO PREPARE REED AS A STRUCTURE? STEP
#1
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BIND A COLLECTION OF REED
STEP
#2
CUT TO ALIGN ALL REED
STEP
#3
RESHAPE TO PREFERRED POSITION
MUDHIF
MA’DAN COMMUNITY, IRAQ
It was Iraq’s ‘Garden of Eden’; unique wetlands in southern Iraq where a people known as the Ma’dan, or ‘Arabs of the marsh’, lived in a Mesopotamian Venice, characterised by beautifully elaborate floating houses made entirely of reeds harvested from the open water. These little-known architectural wonders are known as a ‘mudhif’; built without nails, wood or glass in under three days, even the islands the houses rest on are made of compacted mud and rushes. It’s a construction method that has been used by the dwellers of the plains for thousands of years, but in recent decades, this exotic architecture has almost completely disappeared, and at risk of being lost along with it of course, is the ancient knowledge of the unique building technique itself. One of their most recent efforts to rebuild the Ma’dan community saw the organisation re-construct a traditional mudhif, to demonstrate how the alternative, low-cost and sustainable building methods could work once again. CLIMATE PERFORMANCE
PRO CON 27
IN SUMMER DURING DAY, HOT AIR IS REDUCED DUE TO PERFORATION
IN SUMMER DURING NIGHT, COLD AIR CAN RAPIDLY REDUCE HIGH TEMPERATURE
IN WINTER SNOW CAN DAMAGE THE ROOF
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WALL INSULATION AS A SECONDARY LAYER
Reed could be used in two ways as an insulation layer: Compressed Reed Panels or Raw Reed Bindings. The compressed version has a higher density of reed and therefor thermal leakage is minimal. In nature reed is able to resist different climates - even though it is weaker in the winter season. The light weight promotes reed to combine it with a light structure. Raw reed bindings perform perfectly in hot climates, as it allows the facade breath passively. Due to their good diffusion properties, their excellent price-performance ratio and their natural composition reed panels are perfectly suitable for the insulation of buildings. Reed insulation panels combined with clay offer an insulation system which has proven its worth over the years. Thanks to their coarse texture the reed insulation panels can serve as a plaster base at the same time. PERFORMANCE
PRO CON
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ANNUALLY MINIMAL THERMAL LEAKAGE AND MAXIMUM SOUND REDUCTION.
DANGER NOT FIRE RESISTANT
ECOLOGICAL OUT-OF-THE-BOX USAGE. THERE IS NO NEED IN CHANGING THE MATERIAL.
LIVING ON THE EDGE ZOETERMEER, THE NETHERLANDS
Dutch architect Arjen Reas has created the project Living on the Edge. Completed in 2010. This project is a private assignment for an entrepreneur from the city center, and the question was posed, how could the family find peace on the edge of that same city. The site located where the city and open planes meet, and therefore has an obvious recognition that cannot be ignored. In the earlier times people here used to work with shapes for houses that were pure and plain, thatch was used as a cover for the roofs and the walls where made out of stones and a clay plaster. The fine texture of the thatch in combination with the smooth white plaster surfaces a house is formed that is very modern and traditional at the same time. The compactness of the thatch gives optimal protection against the elements. PERFORMANCE
PRO CON
ANNUALLY MINIMAL THERMAL LEAKAGE AND MAXIMUM SOUND REDUCTION.
HAIRY BUILDING THE MATERIALISATION TRANSLATES INTO A WARM ENVIRONMENT
DANGER NOT FIRE RESISTANT
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EARTH
D E TA I L S A N D C A S E S T U D I E S
DETAILS OF EARTH GENERAL INFORMATION
Some of the oldest buildings on the planet are made of earth. currently it is estimated that one half of the world’s population – approximately three billion people on six continents – lives or works in buildings constructed of earth. Earth is a 100% eco-friendly building material. it is neither manufactured nor transported. A wall made from raw earth serves as a natural air conditioner, being warm in winter and cool in summer. When the building is demolished, the earth returns to the soil and can be recycled indefinitely. Largely shunned since the arrival of its close cousin ‘concrete’ in the 1950s, earth is now back in fashion as its ecological and aesthetic benefits attract the attention of an increasing numbers of contemporary architects and eco-builders. Industrial sectors devoted to earthen building are currently emerging as this sustainable material wins over. Both brick and stone materials are aesthetically pleasing, durable, and low maintenance. Exterior walls weather well, eliminating the need for constant refinishing and sealing. Interior use of brick and stone can also provide excellent thermal mass, or be used to provide radiant heat. Some stone and brick makes an ideal flooring or exterior paving material, cool in summer and possessing good thermal properties for passive solar heating. Rammed earth is more often considered for use in walls, although it can also be used for floors. Rammed earth and caliche block can be used for structural walls, and offer great potential as low-cost material alternatives with low embodied energy. In addition, such materials are fireproof. ADVANTAGES
1. 2.
Reduction of energy costs related to transportation, can be produced on-site. Reduction of material costs due to reduced transportation costs, especially for well-established industries.
BUILDING METHODS FOR EARTH ARE...
1. 2. 3.
Rammed Earth Mud Bricks Compressed Earth Block (C.E.B.) MOIST EARTH MIXTURE OF SAND, GRAVEL, CLAY AND CONCRETE
TYPE
#2
TYPE
#1
USE A COMPRESSOR
#3
32
REMOVE FRAMEWORK CAREFULLY
MUD BRICKS
PLACE SOIL IN MOLD
TYPE
ADD NEW LAYER OF MOIST EARTH
MAKING OF A RAMMED EARTH WALL
COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS
COMPRESS
FINETUNE
REMOVE MOLD
MACHINE-WISE MAKING EARTH BRICKS, WHICH ARE DIRECTLY STACKABLE DUE TO THEIR SHAPE.
RAUCH FAMILY HOME SCHLINS, AUSTRIA
The materiality and form of the residential house are direct reactions to the steep south-sloping scarp situation of the slender plot in its landscape context – as if a monolithic block, similar to a piece of abstract and artificial nature, had been pressed out of the earth. Two clefts articulate the building of rammed earth, wedging it backwards with the scarp and establishing a frontal prelude or welcoming gesture towards the valley. The inside of the house is developed in the form of sequences of individualizable spaces that respond storey-wise to the variable conditions. As opposed to more organic, archaic clay architecture, the morphology of the building aims towards a certain clarity and sharp-edgedness. The strips of clay bricks that are inserted between the typical clay layers optically stabilise the building structure by emphasising the horizontality and heightening the light and shadow effects. PERFORMANCE
PRO
TEXTURE THE DETAIL IN THE WALLS ENHANCE ROUGHNESS
CON
RAIN / SNOW COATING MAINTENANCE REQUIRED
33
++
THERMAL MASS THICK WALLS REDUCE THERMAL LEAKAGE
DRY AT CONSTRUCTION, 7-NORAIN-DAY REQUIRED
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THE GREAT MOSQUE OF DJENNÉ DJENNE, SAHARA
A massive building of an impressive size is located in one of the oldest cities in Africa, which in our days is on Mali’s teritory. This mosque is considered to be the world’s largest mud brick building. The town of Djenne was founded around the IX century BC and is considered one of the oldest cities south of the Sahara desert. For years Djenne has been one of the centers of Islamic culture. The construction of the Great Mosque began in 1906 and was completed practically after one year. Although some sources claim that it happened two years later. It was built in the place of an old mosque destroyed by the French. Since 1988, the Great Mosque of Djenne is listed in UNESCO World Heritage List. If you’re not a Muslim, you will not be allowed inside the mosque. PERFORMANCE
PRO
HOT CLIMATE MUD BRICKS PERFORM VERY WELL IN HOT CLIMATES DUE TO THE THERMAL MASS
ECOLOGICAL OUT-OF-THE-BOX USAGE. THERE IS NO NEED IN CHANGING THE MATERIAL.
CON
RAIN / SNOW COATING MAINTENANCE REQUIRED
DRY AT CONSTRUCTION, 7-NORAIN-DAY REQUIRED
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PRIMARY SCHOOL GANDO, BURKINA FASO
The need for a new primary school in this village allowed architect Kéré to introduce the small community to new building practices. Instead of the high-impact practice of bringing steel and concrete to the remote community, Kéré re-engaged with the traditional material of mud, yet modernized it with a machine that produced the compressed earth bricks. Kéré also introduced green building elements like a large open roof to increase circulation and prevent heat gain. The community worked together to build the school and learn the new techniques. Attendance immediately increased at the school, and Kéré went on to build an annex and housing for teachers. PERFORMANCE
PRO
HOT CLIMATE CEB PERFORM VERY WELL IN HOT CLIMATES DUE TO THE THERMAL MASS
CON
DEVELOPMENT MACHINE REQUIRED ON SITE TO CREATE BLOCKS
FAST APPLICATION STACK AND GO.
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LITERATURE
UTILISED TO COMPOSE THIS REPORT
Camps: A Guide to 21st-Century Space, 30 April 2009 C. Hailey (Author) Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Reponses to Humanitarian Crises, 10 Jul 2006 Achitecture for Humanity (Author) Design Like You Give a Damn 2: Building Change from the Ground Up, 1 May 2012 Achitecture for Humanity (Author) Earth Architecture, 5 July 2010 R. Rael (Author) From Camp to City: Refugee Camps of the Western Sahara, 25 November 2012 M. Herz (Editor) New Portable Architecture: Designing Mobile & Temporary Structures, 30 September 2014 W. Shaoqiang (Author) Urgent Architecture: 40 Sustainable Housing Solutions for a Changing World, 5 April 2013 B. Meinhold (Author)
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Notes
39
“A G RO U N D BREAKI NG AN ALYSES ON T H E LO C A L MATERIA L S IN T H E KU R D IS TA N REG IO N (KRG ) . A L L M AT E R IA L S A RE C A REFU L LY ORDERED BASED ON AFFORDABILIT Y, DI S TA N C E O F G ATHERING A ND U T I L I S AT I O N . “
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