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Sustainability
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Protection and Sustainable Development of Traditional Earthen Architecture
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Protection and Sustainable Development of Traditional Earthen Architecture

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2020) | Viewed by 19983

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Camilla Mileto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación en Arquitectura, Patrimonio y Gestión para el Desarrollo Sostenible (PEGASO), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Interests: traditional architecture; cultural heritage; vernacular construction; heritage conservation; earthen architecture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación en Arquitectura, Patrimonio y Gestión para el Desarrollo Sostenible (PEGASO), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Interests: vernacular heritage; sustaintability; heritage education; heritage communities; local construction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Throughout history, earth has been one of the most widely used materials in traditional construction, both for vernacular and monumental architecture. This is evidenced by the multiple varieties of earthen architecture found in many countries worldwide, where it continues to provide shelter to a third of the world’s population. This abundant and inexpensive low-energy embodied material, which can be found locally almost anywhere in the world and generates no waste at the end of its life cycle, is therefore highly sustainable. Earthen built heritage should therefore be protected for its inherent values as green architecture and as a sign of identity of our common past, as well as for being a clear example of sustainability for future architecture. However, this earthen architecture is exposed to natural threats (floods, landslides, earthquakes, wind, climate change, etc.), social risks (abandonment, social discredit, demographic pressure, etc.), and anthropic dangers (human error, negligence, lack of protection and maintenance, etc.). In turn, transformation dynamics such as replacement or use of incompatible techniques and materials have given rise to a need for scientific examination and the implementation of conservation, intervention, and restoration strategies to highlight and take into consideration the inherent sustainability of this architecture. This Special Issue will provide an opportunity for a comprehensive examination of the protection and conservation of this earthen vernacular and monumental architectural heritage, and of the sustainable development linked to this protection.

Prof. Dr. Camilla Mileto
Prof. Dr. Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • earthen architecture
  • heritage
  • conservation
  • sustainability
  • natural, social, and anthropic risks

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4041 KiB  
Article
A Sustainable Approach for the Refurbishment Process of Vernacular Heritage: The Sesga House Case Study (Valencia, Spain)
by Camilla Mileto, Fernando Vegas, Carmen Llatas and Bernardette Soust-Verdaguer
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9800; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179800 - 31 Aug 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4277
Abstract
The refurbishment of traditional vernacular architecture is currently of interest for the conservation of heritage, historic landscape and cultural landscape, as well as for its potential benefits in the field of environmental sustainability. The carefully selected materials and techniques used in the refurbishment [...] Read more.
The refurbishment of traditional vernacular architecture is currently of interest for the conservation of heritage, historic landscape and cultural landscape, as well as for its potential benefits in the field of environmental sustainability. The carefully selected materials and techniques used in the refurbishment of a traditional dwelling in Sesga (Valencia, Spain) maintain the local construction techniques while causing the least possible environmental impact, saving on transport and transformation and construction energy. This article uses LCA to showcase this contribution, examining three scenarios: the first option is the refurbishment of the case study using natural traditional materials and techniques; the second presents a hypothetical refurbishment using widely used industrial materials; and a third option looks at the demolition of the existing building and the addition of a new construction with widely used industrial materials. This comparison has shown where and why the first option is, broadly speaking, the most sustainable option in environmental, sociocultural and socioeconomic terms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protection and Sustainable Development of Traditional Earthen Architecture)
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30 pages, 8107 KiB  
Article
Earthen Plasters Stabilized through Sustainable Additives: An Experimental Campaign
by Silvia Rescic, Manuela Mattone, Fabio Fratini and Loredana Luvidi
Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1090; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031090 - 21 Jan 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3016
Abstract
The earthen architecture widely spread in many countries of Europe, America, Asia, Africa, testifies to a particular material and immaterial culture. Nevertheless, it is a fragile heritage, which needs continuous maintenance. To encourage the preservation of such evidence of building techniques, an experimental [...] Read more.
The earthen architecture widely spread in many countries of Europe, America, Asia, Africa, testifies to a particular material and immaterial culture. Nevertheless, it is a fragile heritage, which needs continuous maintenance. To encourage the preservation of such evidence of building techniques, an experimental campaign aimed at the development and evaluation of the performances of protective earthen plasters was undertaken. The durability of the plasters was improved through the addition of different additives, some of them traditional (such as lime and gypsum) and others innovative (geopolymers, enzymes), and resulting from industrial wastes (cement kiln dust). These additives have been selected considering low production costs and a reduced environmental impact, to improve the sustainability of the interventions. The performances of the earthen plasters in terms of efficacy (resistance to water erosion, water absorption, drilling, thermo-hygrometric cycles) and compatibility (changes in color and water vapor permeability) have been evaluated. Good performances were obtained by the different mixtures and, in particular, by those stabilized with gypsum. The results of this experimentation could find a useful application in the preservation of both ancient and new earthen built heritage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protection and Sustainable Development of Traditional Earthen Architecture)
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27 pages, 16662 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Analysis of Material Degradation Processes in Half-Timbered Walls with Earth Infill in Spain
by Alicia Hueto Escobar, Camilla Mileto, Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares and Maria Diodato
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020772 - 14 Jan 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2573
Abstract
This analysis of the material degradation processes most commonly found in half-timbered walls with earth infill in Spain is part of a much broader line of research aiming to analyze, catalogue and understand their constructive techniques, state of conservation, and transformation in order [...] Read more.
This analysis of the material degradation processes most commonly found in half-timbered walls with earth infill in Spain is part of a much broader line of research aiming to analyze, catalogue and understand their constructive techniques, state of conservation, and transformation in order to propose conservation guidelines. Systematic data collection and statistical analysis of material damage for 268 half-timbered walls with earth infill have made it possible to identify the most common degradation processes. The effect of these processes on this type of technique, as well as the relationship between them and any possible conditions contributing to their frequency, were examined. Almost half of the sample studied presents some type of material degradation, most frequently surface erosion, while the presence of vegetation is the least common pathology. Any future decisions about the most suitable maintenance and conservation actions should be based on the conclusions reached here concerning the frequency and scope of these degradation phenomena. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protection and Sustainable Development of Traditional Earthen Architecture)
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24 pages, 6755 KiB  
Article
Return to the Native Earth: Historical Analysis of Foreign Influences on Traditional Architecture in Burkina Faso
by María Lidón de Miguel, Fernando Vegas, Camilla Mileto and Lidia García-Soriano
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 757; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020757 - 14 Jan 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3632
Abstract
Learning from the sustainability of traditional architecture, as a solution to the current ecological crisis, seems more challenging in societies where a cultural imposition has occurred. In Burkina Faso, vernacular architecture has experienced a process of transformation, still in course, relying heavily on [...] Read more.
Learning from the sustainability of traditional architecture, as a solution to the current ecological crisis, seems more challenging in societies where a cultural imposition has occurred. In Burkina Faso, vernacular architecture has experienced a process of transformation, still in course, relying heavily on foreign resources and losing its adaptation to environmental conditions. As in other contexts, the dynamics of transformation are being examined. Joining this line of work, this research aims to explain the causes of the current local perception of traditional building techniques in Burkina Faso in order to consider how a sustainable development of its architecture would be possible. To this end, a historical analysis is conducted by reviewing the literature, consulting historical documents and collecting data during two stays in 2018. The study shows how earth has ceased to be appreciated by progressively becoming associated with “non-definitive constructions”; this perception is due to the narratives put forward by foreign agents since the end of the 19th century. The sustainable development of architecture in Burkina Faso seems to demand a return to the use of earth, local resource par excellence, but this will only be possible if the devaluation of this building material is reversed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protection and Sustainable Development of Traditional Earthen Architecture)
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18 pages, 8365 KiB  
Article
Tradition and Sustainability in Vernacular Architecture of Southeast Morocco
by Teresa Gil-Piqueras and Pablo Rodríguez-Navarro
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 684; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020684 - 12 Jan 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5741
Abstract
This article is presented after ten years of research on the earthen architecture of southeastern Morocco, more specifically that of the natural axis connecting the cities of Midelt and Er-Rachidia, located North and South of the Moroccan northern High Atlas. The typology studied [...] Read more.
This article is presented after ten years of research on the earthen architecture of southeastern Morocco, more specifically that of the natural axis connecting the cities of Midelt and Er-Rachidia, located North and South of the Moroccan northern High Atlas. The typology studied is called ksar (ksour, pl.). Throughout various research projects, we have been able to explore this territory, documenting in field sheets the characteristics of a total of 30 ksour in the Outat valley, 20 in the mountain range and 53 in the Mdagra oasis. The objective of the present work is to analyze, through qualitative and quantitative data, the main characteristics of this vernacular architecture as a perfect example of an environmentally respectful habitat, obtaining concrete data on its traditional character and its sustainability. The methodology followed is based on case studies and, as a result, we have obtained a typological classification of the ksour of this region and their relationship with the territory, as well as the social, functional, defensive, productive, and building characteristics that define them. Knowing and puttin in value this vernacular heritage is the first step towards protecting it and to show our commitment to future generations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protection and Sustainable Development of Traditional Earthen Architecture)
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