Landscape, Memory, and Sustainability: A study of Troglodytic Architecture in the Canary Islands (Spain)

[EN] Troglodytic heritage represents a significant global legacy, found across diverse regions from theAmericas to Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Africa, and notably the Canary Islands. Famousexamples such as I Sassi di Matera (Italy), Les Eyzies in Dordogne (France), Cappadocia (Turkey), andGuadix in Granada (Spain) have become international benchmarks for the conservation, rehabilitation,and promotion of this unique architectural style. In contemporary contexts, troglodytic spaces areincreasingly recognized for their potential in high-end tourism or as viable alternatives to large-scaleurban housing and horizontal developments like the garden city model. This is largely due to the humanfascination with returning to primitive habitats, particularly caves, which drives contemporary efforts torevive this architectural heritage by adapting ancient living spaces to modern lifestyles. This researchaims to provide a conscious approach to the values of troglodytic architecture and its potential as analternative model for preserving architectural heritage. As a modest and historically rooted habitat,troglodytic dwellings make use of natural terrain resources, creating a unique synergy betweenarchitecture and environment, which can be considered a precursor to modern bioclimatic design. Thethesis highlights the typological and constructive features of these excavated dwellings, which reflecthistorical, social, and economic shifts in their surrounding contexts. These dwellings, with their mimeticarchitectural language closely tied to the landscape, present exceptional potential for contemporaryresidential living. Given the widespread existence of such settlements worldwide, the study begins with ageneral overview before focusing specifically on the Canary Islands. A comparative analysis is alsoundertaken with southern Italy to understand shared characteristics and differences. The researchproceeds with an in-depth historical review of troglodytic habitats in the Canary Islands, addressingcurrent challenges related to these dwellings and proposing constructive solutions to preserve andrevitalize them within modern urban planning and heritage conservation strategies.