The [dis]position of Albanian Adobe Constructions. The potential of earth as a traditional building material in the future

Abstract

In traditional societies, building construction was related with local materials available in situ. In Albania, traditional architecture is especially built with adobe in the lowest areas, especially near the coast and with stone especially in the mountains. The scarce resources of stone near the coast and the facility to build with mud bricks, has made possible its implementation both in urban and rural dwellings. The greatest number of adobe constructions belongs to the Ottoman period and lasted until the first decades of nineties. This paper focuses in analyzing the design principles and the constructional elements of the traditional earthen architecture in Albania. Through the documentation and study of the local traditional adobe construction systems, it would be more interesting to understand its potential use today. This paper’s analyses are based on large-scale in-situ research made with students in the framework of the restorations course at Polis university, which includes field survey, archival research, detailed photographic recording of the remaining traditional buildings mainly in central Albania and literature review of the main causes of deterioration of adobe structures. Analysis of spatial distribution of housing typologies, basic structural elements, and different construction systems influenced by the geographical position highlight specific earth architecture techniques used in different traditional building typology. Based on the collected data and critical analyses, this paper will provide some useful suggestions concerning the typology, form, and the construction techniques of traditional earth buildings, and it will guide us in finding some techniques currently used for the restoration and preservation of traditional adobe buildings and the use of new earth buildings construction in particular locations.