Abstract
Geographical and environmental conditions were two of the most important factors on the design and construction of traditional architecture. Traditional earthen architecture is found throughout the Iberian Peninsula in numerous constructive techniques and variants, most notably rammed-earth, adobe and half-timber. The varied morphology, climate, geology and culture of the Iberian Peninsula, together with its immediate surroundings, have a direct effect on the development and the properties of traditional architecture. Thus, the objective of this research is to establish the relationship between the geographical characteristics and the distribution of the earthen techniques. For that purpose, the authors of this text have carried out a thorough data collection throughout the whole of the Iberian Peninsula in order to identify the main characteristics of this architecture in each location and to produce maps featuring the locations for each technique. This mapping of numerous techniques has been compared with other thematic maps of the territory, establishing relationships between the different techniques and specific properties of a given area. These provide hypotheses on which factors encourage or hinder the use of earthen construction techniques. Moreover, the relationship of traditional architecture with geographical factors and its specific morphology on a given place has provided many design lessons for a sustainable architecture. Those lessons must be taken into account on rehabilitation works and new architecture.
Highlights
The Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe includes the territories of Spain, Portugal, Andorra and United Kingdom (Gibraltar), this study is limited to Spain and Portugal, which occupy almost the entire Peninsula with an approximate surface area of 582,000 Km2
The documentation of traditional earthen architecture in the Iberian Peninsula began with the study of the general literature on traditional architecture, and on specific traditional earthen construction techniques, complementing these with extensive fieldwork of the buildings found throughout the Peninsula [4,5,6,7]
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Summary
The Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe includes the territories of Spain, Portugal, Andorra and United Kingdom (Gibraltar), this study is limited to Spain and Portugal, which occupy almost the entire Peninsula with an approximate surface area of 582,000 Km2. Throughout history, the Iberian Peninsula has acted as a base and home to many cultures Those cultures have influenced and enriched the configuration of its urban nuclei and architecture. These have adapted and optimised the constructive solutions which were eventually imported from these individual cultures to specific locations. Traditional architecture includes frequent examples of great diversity and size This architecture is found in all types of buildings, both individual and in groups in rural and urban nuclei, and fulfilling different functions (residential, agricultural, manufacturing, etc.). Different factors including the varied climate, morphology, geology, culture and materials to be found in the Iberian Peninsula give rise to an extremely varied traditional architecture, closely linked with these characteristic external factors in each given location. Those lessons must be taken into account on rehabilitation works and new architecture
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