Constructive techniques of the past for a sustainable future. The case of traditional earthen architecture in Aragon (Spain)

Abstract

[EN] Traditional architecture in general, and earthen architecture in particular, are highly vulnerable to globalisation and the adaptation to modern uses, partly due to a lack of information. Hence the importance of knowledge about the values of this architecture, linked to the constructive culture of specific locations or regions which have optimised the use of resources and constructive techniques for centuries. In Aragon, traditional earthen architecture is found almost throughout the entire territory. The study of different constructive techniques and variants, identifying their locations, was the starting point for this analysis. This research aims to establish correlations between the singularities of the variants in a specific location and the climate, geological and cultural characteristics of this location. This made it possible to identify some geographical characteristics which favour or hinder the development of earthen construction or some of its techniques or variants. The study of the relationship between the characteristics of the architecture and the features of the setting is geared towards recovering lessons on traditional architecture which have formed over centuries of trial and error and have been increasingly disappearing in recent decades. These lessons on interventions on existing buildings, in combination with the design of new buildings, are considered the starting point for sustainable construction linked to its location.