How Traditional Design Can Protect Modern Homes from the Elements
Discover how we could sustainably regulate temperature and manage humidity using simple techniques from the past
Julia Bolotina
22 April 2022
International Associate Editor at Houzz
How do we make our homes energy-efficient, keep heat inside in winter and outside in summer, and hold moisture and humidity at bay? And how do we do that with a minimal carbon footprint?
It’s possible traditional architecture holds some of the answers. Historical techniques often represent less embodied energy, adapt to the local geographical context, and make the best use of local materials – so the thinking goes. But can traditional techniques really suit modern tastes and lifestyles?
Here, we examine how Houzz architects around the world have worked traditional techniques into their modern-day designs, and explore some of the lessons we can take from global architectural traditions when it comes to regulating temperature and managing humidity. By no means exhaustive, this list presents a taste of the magic that can happen when old informs new.
It’s possible traditional architecture holds some of the answers. Historical techniques often represent less embodied energy, adapt to the local geographical context, and make the best use of local materials – so the thinking goes. But can traditional techniques really suit modern tastes and lifestyles?
Here, we examine how Houzz architects around the world have worked traditional techniques into their modern-day designs, and explore some of the lessons we can take from global architectural traditions when it comes to regulating temperature and managing humidity. By no means exhaustive, this list presents a taste of the magic that can happen when old informs new.
Insulation and Thermal Control
Thermal control is in some ways the holy grail of modern sustainable design. It was primarily this aspect of construction that was targeted by sustainable architecture standards such as Passivhaus and the RT2012 regulation in France. However, humans have been solving the problem of how to regulate temperature at home for much longer.
Thick walls The most basic technique? Extremely thick walls to separate inside and out. And it doesn’t get more basic than a cave dwelling, with the stone walls of the cave itself ensuring a controlled temperature inside.
In Spain, cave dwellings are being rediscovered and adapted to modern life, including the one pictured here, designed by UMMOestudio. In these caves in Andalusia, the natural shielding keeps the temperature stable at 15°C to 19°C, despite local temperatures ranging from 0°C in the winter to 40°C in the summer.
Thermal control is in some ways the holy grail of modern sustainable design. It was primarily this aspect of construction that was targeted by sustainable architecture standards such as Passivhaus and the RT2012 regulation in France. However, humans have been solving the problem of how to regulate temperature at home for much longer.
Thick walls The most basic technique? Extremely thick walls to separate inside and out. And it doesn’t get more basic than a cave dwelling, with the stone walls of the cave itself ensuring a controlled temperature inside.
In Spain, cave dwellings are being rediscovered and adapted to modern life, including the one pictured here, designed by UMMOestudio. In these caves in Andalusia, the natural shielding keeps the temperature stable at 15°C to 19°C, despite local temperatures ranging from 0°C in the winter to 40°C in the summer.
Trulli – conical dry-stone huts like the ones pictured here – have been built in the Apulia region of Italy for over a millennium. Their thick stone walls achieve a similar effect.
Architects Enrico Maria Cicchetti and Francesco Palmisano added a very modern glass cube entrance to this complex of five renovated trulli.
Architects Enrico Maria Cicchetti and Francesco Palmisano added a very modern glass cube entrance to this complex of five renovated trulli.
Cool white Of course, the classic Mediterranean whitewash of Apulian trulli also helps to reduce heating inside – a technique architect Roger Christ adapted here in more northern latitudes, in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Green roofs Nearly as old as cave dwellings are green roofs, which have roots in the neolithic period. Although we have more efficient ways of insulating homes today, a green roof can help to provide additional insulation for both heat and sound.
In fact, vegetated roofs play an important role in heat control on a larger scale, by reducing the urban heat island effect in cities. This refers to the rise of ambient temperatures in urban areas due to an overabundance of hard, reflective paved surfaces.
Green roofs can also address another problem: biodiversity. The Wave House (pictured), designed by Patrick Nadeau with a green roof by Ecovegetal, has been covered with sedums, grasses, thyme, lavender and other small perennials and aromatic plants. These plants also provide food and shelter for insects and other wildlife.
In fact, vegetated roofs play an important role in heat control on a larger scale, by reducing the urban heat island effect in cities. This refers to the rise of ambient temperatures in urban areas due to an overabundance of hard, reflective paved surfaces.
Green roofs can also address another problem: biodiversity. The Wave House (pictured), designed by Patrick Nadeau with a green roof by Ecovegetal, has been covered with sedums, grasses, thyme, lavender and other small perennials and aromatic plants. These plants also provide food and shelter for insects and other wildlife.
Thatch Thatched roofs are another classic form. Despite its rustic feel, thatch provides both thermal and sound insulation and, when it’s built at the right angle, conducts water away from the building envelope.
Thatched roofs are also durable and can last for decades without needing to be replaced, though they require regular maintenance. Möhring Architects used thatch on both the roof and walls of this home in Germany.
Thatched roofs are also durable and can last for decades without needing to be replaced, though they require regular maintenance. Möhring Architects used thatch on both the roof and walls of this home in Germany.
Danish thatcher Bjarne Johansen took his craft to the extreme to build this thatched sauna, which can be controlled remotely by smartphone.
Traditional insulation Traditional architecture also offers a wealth of insulating materials that make creative use of locally available resources.
On Ibiza, pagesas similar to the one pictured here by architect Marià Castelló would traditionally have been insulated with Phoenician juniper beams, layered with Phoenician juniper chips (tegell) and dried Posidonia oceanica, a seagrass that’s found in abundance in the area.
Fun fact: Posidonia oceanica, and the ecosystem it creates, is the reason for the stunning clear blue waters that make the Balearic islands a tourist favourite.
On Ibiza, pagesas similar to the one pictured here by architect Marià Castelló would traditionally have been insulated with Phoenician juniper beams, layered with Phoenician juniper chips (tegell) and dried Posidonia oceanica, a seagrass that’s found in abundance in the area.
Fun fact: Posidonia oceanica, and the ecosystem it creates, is the reason for the stunning clear blue waters that make the Balearic islands a tourist favourite.
In Japan, one traditional method of insulation is charcoal made out of rice hulls. The owners of this home on Kashikojima Island smoked the hulls themselves. They then split the charcoal into 400g bags and laid them under the floor. In this way, the insulation makes use of not only a local but also a waste product.
Rice hulls being converted into charcoal during the construction of the home in the previous photo.
Rammed earth Perhaps one of the most widespread materials used for insulation and thermal control is rammed earth, which shows up in construction all over the world.
Rammed earth has high thermal mass and acts as an excellent insulator, as well as helping with moisture control. And this is on top of low embedded carbon in its production and transportation, particularly if soil from the site itself is used.
Pictured here is a rammed earth building in Auroville, an “experimental micropolis” of rammed earth construction built on the border of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India, in 1968. The town serves as a centre for teaching about and experimentation with the architectural applications of rammed earth.
Rammed earth has high thermal mass and acts as an excellent insulator, as well as helping with moisture control. And this is on top of low embedded carbon in its production and transportation, particularly if soil from the site itself is used.
Pictured here is a rammed earth building in Auroville, an “experimental micropolis” of rammed earth construction built on the border of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India, in 1968. The town serves as a centre for teaching about and experimentation with the architectural applications of rammed earth.
The Japanese homeowners who smoked rice husks for insulation also packed their own earth floor using traditional techniques.
Techniques combined This award-winning set of apartments designed by Luigi Rosselli Architects was built to house musterers and shearers in Western Australia. It combines a number of techniques listed above: the huts are built into a sand dune, taking advantage of its natural cooling; the bank also creates a natural green roof for the structure, and the walls are made of rammed earth, mixed from clay sourced from the build site and gravel from a nearby river.
Light Control and Ventilation
Of course, other methods of heating and cooling go hand-in-hand with insulation. Controlling how light enters and heats a building – both to take advantage of that heat in winter and to minimise it in summer or in hot climates – is a basic tenet of passive construction.
Extended eaves In Japan, the play of light and shadow is central to traditional architectural forms. The engawa, for example, is a porch-like indoor-outdoor area; the floors of the indoor spaces are extended to the outside, and covered by overhanging eaves. An engawa controls the amount of light that enters into the home, thereby helping to keep the interior space cool. It also keeps rain away from the building envelope.
The engawa pictured here, created by Cubo Design Architect, faithfully reproduces the proportions of one described in a 16th century Japanese text. This engawa is part of the traditional Japanese wing of a home that also incorporates French influences and contemporary design.
Of course, other methods of heating and cooling go hand-in-hand with insulation. Controlling how light enters and heats a building – both to take advantage of that heat in winter and to minimise it in summer or in hot climates – is a basic tenet of passive construction.
Extended eaves In Japan, the play of light and shadow is central to traditional architectural forms. The engawa, for example, is a porch-like indoor-outdoor area; the floors of the indoor spaces are extended to the outside, and covered by overhanging eaves. An engawa controls the amount of light that enters into the home, thereby helping to keep the interior space cool. It also keeps rain away from the building envelope.
The engawa pictured here, created by Cubo Design Architect, faithfully reproduces the proportions of one described in a 16th century Japanese text. This engawa is part of the traditional Japanese wing of a home that also incorporates French influences and contemporary design.
The engawa structure ensures that only soft, indirect light enters the interior. Traditional Japanese sliding screens, like this one in a home in Tsuchiura City, Japan, likewise filter light. Here, the screen is crafted with a traditional senbon-kōshi or ‘thousand slat’ technique.
Of course, the idea of a protective roof overhang is not unique to Japan; it serves a similar purpose in the Alps, for example. The pitched roof here also helps to stop snow from accumulating.
Verandas In the US, the ever-present verandas and sleeping porches screen harsh light and take advantage of cooling breezes in much the same way.
In addition to limiting the amount of light that enters the home, they create a comfortable place for owners to escape indoor heat and take advantage of ambient breezes.
In addition to limiting the amount of light that enters the home, they create a comfortable place for owners to escape indoor heat and take advantage of ambient breezes.
Building in cross-breezes Remember the Japanese home whose owners smoked rice hulls and packed earth themselves? Note the large openings on all sides of the house, which can be closed with sliding doors. Likewise typical of Japanese construction, these large openings ensure proper ventilation and bring in a cooling breeze in summer.
Cross-breezes are leveraged in a similar way in ‘dogtrot’ houses, a traditional architectural form from the southern US, where an open breezeway cuts through the centre of a home, as in this house in Portland, Oregon by Caleb Johnson Studio.
Jali, mashrabiya, louvres and blinds Ventilation is not only important for cooling hot rooms and removing stale, hot air. As we’ve all discovered in the pandemic, it also has a role to play in good hygiene by reducing the spread of airborne infection.
Ornate screens, called jali in India and mashrabiya in much of the Arab world, are used to control light while allowing breezes through.
Spasm Architects designed this jali screen out of Corten steel for a home in Ahmedabad, India. “The corners of the building are perforated in patterns of trees and branches, a nod to the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque jali, an architectural wonder of Ahmedabad,” says architect Sangeeta Merchant, who worked on the project.
Ornate screens, called jali in India and mashrabiya in much of the Arab world, are used to control light while allowing breezes through.
Spasm Architects designed this jali screen out of Corten steel for a home in Ahmedabad, India. “The corners of the building are perforated in patterns of trees and branches, a nod to the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque jali, an architectural wonder of Ahmedabad,” says architect Sangeeta Merchant, who worked on the project.
Letting the hot air out This house in Singapore, built by architect Teo Yee Chin of Red Bean Architects, is a modern version of a house on stilts, which allows air to circulate on the bottom floor. A regular pattern of holes created by absent bricks in the upper walls allows hot air to escape.
The same principle is applied in double-hung windows such as sash windows. Open both the top and bottom panes and you encourage air to circulate.
Courtyards In many traditional architectures, circulation is ensured by courtyards built into the home.
In Japan, tsuboniwa are small gardens, traditionally built into internal courtyards, but which can really be built into any unused urban space.
“I don’t think we need to divide it into Western or Japanese,” award-winning Japanese landscape architect Kazuyuki Ishihara says. “We can look at [tsuboniwa] as a way to make use of small, unused spaces, turning them into green spaces. We don’t need to use Japanese plants specifically, but rather local plants native to the region.”
In Japan, tsuboniwa are small gardens, traditionally built into internal courtyards, but which can really be built into any unused urban space.
“I don’t think we need to divide it into Western or Japanese,” award-winning Japanese landscape architect Kazuyuki Ishihara says. “We can look at [tsuboniwa] as a way to make use of small, unused spaces, turning them into green spaces. We don’t need to use Japanese plants specifically, but rather local plants native to the region.”
Controlling Moisture and Keeping Out Water
Another component of a healthy and safe home is keeping water out – both in terms of flood-proofing and in managing humidity, which can destroy materials and encourage the growth of bacteria and fungi that can be harmful to health.
Building on stilts is one method that’s found around the world. Queenslanders, a traditional residential architecture in Queensland and other parts of Australia with a tropical climate, were built on stilts called ‘stumps’ to keep out flood waters and torrential rain.
Another component of a healthy and safe home is keeping water out – both in terms of flood-proofing and in managing humidity, which can destroy materials and encourage the growth of bacteria and fungi that can be harmful to health.
Building on stilts is one method that’s found around the world. Queenslanders, a traditional residential architecture in Queensland and other parts of Australia with a tropical climate, were built on stilts called ‘stumps’ to keep out flood waters and torrential rain.
It’s an approach seen around the world. These traditional fishermen’s huts on the lower Adriatic coast of Italy, known as trabucco, used this approach to elevate the structures over the incoming tide. These huts provided a stationary base for fishing in waters that are too dangerous for boats.
Although its lack of plumbing made it difficult to convert this trabucco into permanent housing, studio zero85 turned it into a multipurpose room and a space for community concerts.
Although its lack of plumbing made it difficult to convert this trabucco into permanent housing, studio zero85 turned it into a multipurpose room and a space for community concerts.
Material approaches And then, of course, there are material approaches to controlling moisture.
Traditional architecture offers a variety of creative approaches to keeping water away from the building envelope and allowing construction to breathe – using locally available, sustainable materials. Thatch, discussed above, is one.
Wood shingles Wood shingles are another, traditionally used as a facade material in Russia, Japan, Scandinavia and elsewhere.
Wood is, of course, a renewable resource, and involves less embedded carbon than materials such as concrete. Wood shingles can last decades, depending on the species, climate and quality of upkeep. Today, fungicidal and fire-retardant treatments can help extended their lifespans even more.
This lightweight material is also suitable for multistorey construction, as demonstrated by this eight-storey building designed by Gert Wingårdh and built by wooden construction specialist Folkhem in Sweden.
Rammed earth Clay and rammed earth, already discussed above for their thermal mass advantages, can also help to regulate humidity.
Traditional architecture offers a variety of creative approaches to keeping water away from the building envelope and allowing construction to breathe – using locally available, sustainable materials. Thatch, discussed above, is one.
Wood shingles Wood shingles are another, traditionally used as a facade material in Russia, Japan, Scandinavia and elsewhere.
Wood is, of course, a renewable resource, and involves less embedded carbon than materials such as concrete. Wood shingles can last decades, depending on the species, climate and quality of upkeep. Today, fungicidal and fire-retardant treatments can help extended their lifespans even more.
This lightweight material is also suitable for multistorey construction, as demonstrated by this eight-storey building designed by Gert Wingårdh and built by wooden construction specialist Folkhem in Sweden.
Rammed earth Clay and rammed earth, already discussed above for their thermal mass advantages, can also help to regulate humidity.
Lime mortar Traditional lime mortar pointing is more porous than cement, responding better to the movement of the building and allowing moisture to evaporate more easily. This is particularly important when pointing historic buildings made of materials such as brick or stone that are porous themselves, as the accumulated moisture needs a route of escape.
In Italy, lime mortar was also adapted to a waterproof flooring material called cocciopesto or opus signinum. Going back to Roman architecture, the material is made of broken tiles and bricks mixed with lime mortar. It’s not only waterproof, but also a good way to reuse existing materials. It was used to great effect in this masseria, or farmhouse, restored by Studio Talent, where it was even used in the shower.
In Italy, lime mortar was also adapted to a waterproof flooring material called cocciopesto or opus signinum. Going back to Roman architecture, the material is made of broken tiles and bricks mixed with lime mortar. It’s not only waterproof, but also a good way to reuse existing materials. It was used to great effect in this masseria, or farmhouse, restored by Studio Talent, where it was even used in the shower.
Zinc In the French region of Alsace, zinc cladding was traditionally used on farmhouses. This material is highly resistant to corrosion, long-lasting and highly recyclable. Architect Sébastien Arnold used it in this modern family home in the Alsace region.
The best of both worlds
These examples demonstrate the beautiful synergy that happens when traditional knowledge is incorporated into modern builds. The key is taking the best from both tradition and innovation and putting them together.
Of course, as societies and lifestyles change, so do our needs in the home. A Japanese engawa, for example, ensures thermal comfort in summer, but makes for a very cold interior when traditionally paired with paper screens.
Historically, this was addressed through a localised approach to heating: cosy clothes and small sources of heat to warm people, not spaces. Modern homeowners are unlikely to find this lifestyle comfortable, but they can solve this problem by pairing an engawa with glass sliding doors instead. This is how the problem was addressed in the home on Kashikojima island, pictured earlier.
Inspired by some of these approaches? A professional who understands energy, heat, airflow and humidity can help adapt these valuable traditions to modern builds.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas appeals to you? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
The best of both worlds
These examples demonstrate the beautiful synergy that happens when traditional knowledge is incorporated into modern builds. The key is taking the best from both tradition and innovation and putting them together.
Of course, as societies and lifestyles change, so do our needs in the home. A Japanese engawa, for example, ensures thermal comfort in summer, but makes for a very cold interior when traditionally paired with paper screens.
Historically, this was addressed through a localised approach to heating: cosy clothes and small sources of heat to warm people, not spaces. Modern homeowners are unlikely to find this lifestyle comfortable, but they can solve this problem by pairing an engawa with glass sliding doors instead. This is how the problem was addressed in the home on Kashikojima island, pictured earlier.
Inspired by some of these approaches? A professional who understands energy, heat, airflow and humidity can help adapt these valuable traditions to modern builds.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas appeals to you? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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I love this article! I actually looked for this exact information about a year ago and never found any source this comprehensive. Thanks for your great research!
I love this article!
Finally, we are learning from old masters and use their knowledge. Instead of building houses with ugly attached air conditioning on their walls