INTERCHANGEABLE CLADDING

The Wampanoag tribe, of what is now Rhode Island and Massachusetts, constructed small hutlike dwellings made of tree limbs and bark called Wetus. 066 The wetu is constructed by bending young cedar saplings into the appropriate domelike shape. The frame of the dwelling is then clad with dried bark pieces and covered with bulrush mats during the winter months to curb moisture and intense wind; while in the warmer months, the structure is covered with woven cattail mats for flexibility and passive airflow.067 068 Popular bark was often used as the exterior cladding, below the mats. Currently, historic preservation reconstructions of the wetu have a shorter lifespan than original indigenous techniques simply due to deforestation, age of trees, and human-impacted environmental damage like acid rain.069 The wetu responds and adapts to the changing climate with an interchangeable cladding, depending on the season. This is an interesting and unique way to provide passive protection from the elements, while capitalizing on local materials and resources. This technique could be updated and modernized to outfit smaller homes or structures to bolster sustainable passivity of the built environment. Technology like this could positively impact the popular nomadic tiny house movement, pushing the boundaries of sustainable adaptability on a modular scale.