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The volume, part of the “LANDSCAPE IN TRANSLATION” series, gathers a collection of texts documenting a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) focused on Mediterranean Vernacular Architecture, particularly the use of rammed earth (taipa). This inter-university project, held in 2024 in southern Portugal, aimed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and experiential learning among architecture students. The contributions examine the cultural and historical significance of earthen architecture—especially within the Alentejo region—while exploring its potential for sustainability and contemporary innovation. The authors challenge the notion of obsolescence by integrating traditional construction techniques with advanced technologies. The volume also includes theoretical reflections on existential space and the primitive dwelling, as well as detailed accounts of the workshop’s practical phases, which involved the analysis of ruins and the development of design proposals for their reuse and enhancement.

TERRA DA NOSSA TERRA. CULTURA MATERIAL NO ALENTEJO. ARQUITETURA DE TERRA: ENTRE A CONSERVAÇÃO E A INOVAÇÃO

Daniela, Ladiana
;
2025-01-01

Abstract

The volume, part of the “LANDSCAPE IN TRANSLATION” series, gathers a collection of texts documenting a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) focused on Mediterranean Vernacular Architecture, particularly the use of rammed earth (taipa). This inter-university project, held in 2024 in southern Portugal, aimed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and experiential learning among architecture students. The contributions examine the cultural and historical significance of earthen architecture—especially within the Alentejo region—while exploring its potential for sustainability and contemporary innovation. The authors challenge the notion of obsolescence by integrating traditional construction techniques with advanced technologies. The volume also includes theoretical reflections on existential space and the primitive dwelling, as well as detailed accounts of the workshop’s practical phases, which involved the analysis of ruins and the development of design proposals for their reuse and enhancement.
2025
Rui, Braz Afonso; Daniela, Ladiana; Nuno, Lacerda Lopes
Esperti anonimi
Inglese
Italiano
Portoghese
Spagnolo
STAMPA
LANDSCAPE IN TRANSLATION
6
1
276
276
978-989-8527-71-4
© Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto
Porto
PORTOGALLO
The volume, is the sixth publication in the “LANDSCAPE IN TRANSLATION” series, promoted by the Centro de Estudos de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (CEAU) of the Faculdade de Arquitetura da Universidade do Porto (FAUP). ACADEMIC AND INSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY The authority of the volume is ensured by several notable academic and financial elements: Institutional and Scientific Recognition: The publication is part of a series whose books are subject to a peer-review process. The work is supported by national funding provided by the FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the project UIDB/00145/2020. The series is directed by Rui Braz Afonso and scientifically coordinated by Daniela Ladiana. It benefits from a wide and well-established Scientific Committee. The volume itself is coordinated by Rui Braz Afonso, Daniela Ladiana, and Nuno Lacerda Lopes, and includes contributions from professors belonging to various universities, as well as a text by the architect Henrique Schreck, a key figure in earthen construction in Portugal. The inherently international character and interdisciplinary approach are central features of the publication, reflecting the mission of its parent series. International Research Context: The “LANDSCAPE IN TRANSLATION” series stems from the international research line Landscape in Translation—For the Government of the Transition. Research protocols were established among architectural and urban studies research centers at major European universities: the Universities of Valladolid, Enna Kore, Chieti-Pescara, and the Politecnico di Milano. The main goal of the series is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue around the dynamics of territorial transformation—physical, economic, and social—and their implications for landscape quality. This specific volume develops theoretical, methodological, and operational reflections focused on the theme of Taipa (rammed earth), addressing Mediterranean Vernacular Architecture as a fundamental heritage. Vernacular architecture is examined through multiple disciplines—history, ethnology, anthropology, urban studies, and sociology. The volume gathers the results of an intensive and multicultural educational experience: the workshop “Cultura Material no Alentejo” (September 2024), organized within the framework of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). The workshop brought together professors and students from six schools of architecture in Portugal, Spain, and Italy: the University of Porto, the University of Granada, the Universitat Politècnica de València, the University of Venice, the University of Chieti-Pescara, and the Politecnico di Bari. CONTENT AND CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE Although the text focuses on vernacular earthen architecture in southern Portugal (Alentejo Litoral), its significance extends beyond the local context, positioning Taipa as a timely and necessary contemporary solution. Taipa (rammed earth) is not presented as a mere legacy, but as a valid, urgent, and necessary response to today’s economic, environmental, and social challenges. The material is valued for its intrinsic qualities: low embodied energy, infinite recyclability, hygroscopic and thermal properties (ensuring comfort and humidity control), and minimal environmental impact. The workshop adopted a “learning by doing” methodology, emphasizing observation, analysis, and hands-on construction. This situated and immersive pedagogy allowed students to physically engage with the material, learning directly from local experts and builders. The volume highlights the need to recover the essence of constructive processes that celebrate materiality and the humility of traditional methods, promoting a more rooted, sustainable, and human architecture. Taipa is thus understood as an alliance between tradition and the future—an ethical and political act that centers the relationship between people, material, and environment.
Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
Goal 3: Good health and well-being
Rammed Earth, Alentejo, Vernacular Architecture, Sustainability, Learning by doing, Conservation, Innovation, Landscape, Interdisciplinarity, Workshop (BIP) Blended Intensive Programme
sì
7 Curatele::7.1 Curatela
3
Afonso, Rui Braz; Ladiana, Daniela; Lacerda Lopes, Nuno
284
info:eu-repo/semantics/other
none
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11564/865615
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