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from VoiceOver:
I
am advised to rent a 4x4 to drive through the
stony landscape. Many of the roads are unpaved.
A tour of the island. This singular landscape
reflects the volcanic origins of the island.
Stone, upon stone, upon stone, upon stone.
Here started a tradition, that is strongly related
to the characteristics of the land. A prehistoric
architectural technique is still used for most
dwellings here and is perfectly functional today.
It is 30 degrees outside! I enter one of the houses
and have to put on an extra layer. I never expected
it to be cool inside.
I read that the dammusi are made from lava rocks
to construct thick, mortar-less walls that maintain
a constant temperature inside.
Necessity generates diversity.
Is this the origin of smart design? An interesting
lesson on how to build with the land, rather than
on it. Here the choice of materials has the function
of clearing the land as well.
I am astonished to see such rich vegetation in
this dry terrain. Maybe because the volcanic land
is very fertile! Yet water is scarce on the island.
The smart ancient design took this problem into
consideration:
the Dammusi are built to gather rainwater on the
roofs and redirect it into reservoirs underneath
the dwellings.
Consideration of climate, minimal energy consumption,
natural ventilation: these ancient structures
take into account all the characteristics of what
we today consider as bioclimatic design.
Simple solutions that take into account differences
rather than standards.
This archaic architecture seems to be a futuristic
solution for dealing with the increasing temperature
and scarcity of water. In the age of fluctuation
and rapid changes, I find myself here surrounded
by stones, fascinated by a technique that has
remained unchanged over centuries.
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