“It is not so much ‘how to build’ as ‘how to choose techniques and materials appropriate to a given situation.’ ”

Most of the entries in this chapter cover construction materials and techniques for building houses. The emphasis is on simple methods, whose principal advantages are twofold: they are inexpensive and they can be used by people to build their own homes. Wood-framed and stone structures are relatively low-cost in many areas. Earth is the most important building material, providing housing for the majority of the world ‘s population.

This chapter deals with universal problems of the enclosing of space, weathering, wind forces, and portability; the ways in which different people have solved them; and the form consequences these solutions may have.

1. The Process Of Construction.

The custom of cooperative building not only helps overcome complex building tasks, but also has social implications, as we have seen in the Cebuan dwelling in the Philippines. If social aspects lead to cooperative construction, certain complex or difficult techniques and forms become possible. For example, take a group of  "The Fon Of Dahomey", this group aids the three tasks best performed by group labor-making a farm, building a wall, and roofing a house- and while the host normally provides food for the group, those who are sick, old, or poor need not provide a feast; their society assures them of a minimum for survival. There are several examples discussed in this chapter about community help. For example  among the Kabyles, both tradesman and the people are involved in a cooperative effort which has received special attention.

2.Materials-Basis For Choice.

It has been suggested that primitive and pre industrial vernacular builders always use materials most conveniently available, and that, since materials determine form, the nature of local materials determines form. These over simple beliefs are not necessarily true; it has already been shown that the same materials may produce very different forms.

There are many instances where choice of materials is determined by the tendency to use permanent solid materials, such as stone, for cult buildings and tombs, while houses are built of more perishable materials. It remains true that what it is not available cannot be used which is another example of negative impact- of things becoming impossible rather than inevitable. Because of the low criticality a choice exists, and use of materials is decided by fashion, tradition, religious proscription, or prestige value. The scale at which we examine the use of materials is of great importance.

3. Portability.

Problems created by the need for portability seem very constraining yet there are a great number of solutions, ranging from tents of various sorts to large dwellings like those of the northwest Indians and the overnight igloo used by Eskimos when hunting. There are two examples discussed in thjis chapter out which the most elaborate example of all the tents, which are themselves almost a symbol of portability, is the MONGOL YURT. Each YURT is used by one family and is sparsely furnished.

PREFABRICATION

Obviously, most portable structures involve pre fabrications, but the process involves more than just portable buildings. For example, circular and rectangular roofs in Africa, Melanesia, and the Nicobar Islands are built on the ground and hoisted into place by cooperative effort.

4.Lateral Forces

Resistance to lateral forces, such as wind or earthquakes, generally requires either rigidity or bracing. The Fiji islands provide a number of examples of methods of dealing with the lateral force problem. In some areas the roofs are very simple and supported by central poles as well as peripheral columns. Since these poles are buried deep in the ground, the building acts as a rigid frame, although the flexibility of the members themselves assures some flexibility. In other parts of the islands roofs consist of trusses made by tying the members together. Overhangs are not used in order to avoid the uplift in the strong winds and storms common to the area. The frame of the house is not triangulated, so in case of hurricane the structure sways and gives much like a palm tree.

WEATHERING

A English study pointed out that traditional building has taken into account the forces of climate, aspect, site, height of building, and severity of exposure as they affect weathering, and that modern builders need to consider these forces carefully since they lack intimate knowledge of local traditions.

In the Cylades, we find dependence on nature to cure the puddle earth (patelia) roof, which becomes waterproof through the action of rain. the same agent is used to maintain the roof, which tends to crack during the dry season. Before the first rains a layer of dry earth is placed on the roof; they wash this dirt into the cracks, which are thus sealed. A similar method is used among the Pueblos. The form of roof boards in the northwest indian house has as much to do with weathering as with initial water tightness.

5. Gravity

In order to handle the problem of gravity, any structure needs two components-a horizontally spanning element which collects the forces, and a vertical component which carries them to the ground, where they can be resisted.

One striking example is the Arab tent where slender poles stuck in the ground, the vertical elements, form a demountable framework and are joined by a light, tensile membrane of felt, goatskin, or calfskin which is both structure and enclosure.

By  ABDULLAH KHALID.