COMPORTAMIENTO TERMICO DE EDIFICIOS RURALES

1. Study of vernacular architecture inStudy of vernacular architecture in
Spanish areas of extreme climate forSpanish areas of extreme climate for
the selection of bioclimatic designthe selection of bioclimatic design
strategies.strategies.
Silvia Martín OcañaSilvia Martín Ocaña
Ignacio Cañas GuerreroIgnacio Cañas Guerrero

2. OBJECTIVES
Analyze the desgin strategies related to prevailing
climatic conditions found in vernacular
architecture in order to translate them to
modern architecture.

3. INTRODUCTION
The passive use of natural resources has been
present in people and animals behaviour along the
time.
Along the history the relationship between climate
and architecture has always been close.
There is a dependency between construction
materials, systems and techniques, building design
and local climate.

4. INTRODUCTION
Spain belongs to the temperate climate area.
Furthermore, due to its geographic situation, we
can find five different areas with a
specific climate:
1) Oceanic climate
2) Continental climate
3) Mediterranean climate
4) Mountainous climate
5) Tropical climate

5. INTRODUCTION

6. INTRODUCTION
However, climate is simply one more of the various
forces that generates the forms of architecture.
The more severe is the climate, the more influence
it has on the vernacular architectural forms.
That is the reason for the selection of regions of
extreme climate in Spain.

7. METHOD
A simplified method was elaborated in order to
select 10 regions of extreme climate: 5 with cold
winters and 5 with hot summers. For this, free
information from the National Meteorological
Institute was used.

8. METHOD
A climatic index was used for the selection of the
regions:
IChot summer = 0.4 tM + 0.6 TM
ICcold winter = 0.4 tm + 0.6 Tm
tM is the annual average of monthly maximum temperatures,
TM is the average maximum temperature of the hottest month,
tm is the annual average of monthly minimum temperatures
Tm is the average minimum temperature of the coldest
month.

9. METHOD
PlacePlace tMtM TMTM tmtm TmTm ICIC AltitudeAltitude
Hot summers regionsHot summers regions
Cordoba 24.5 36.2 10.4 4.2 31.5 123
Sevilla 24.7 35.1 11.7 5.5 30.9 34
Jaen 22.3 34.6 11.4 4.6 29.7 580
Toledo 21.8 34.4 9.2 0.9 29.4 516
Jerez 23.6 33.0 11.6 6.0 29.2 27
Cold winters regionsCold winters regions
Molina 17.1 28.4 2.9 -2.7 -0.5 1063
Soria 16.5 28.0 4.4 -1.4 0.9 1082
Teruel 18.1 29.7 5.0 -1.7 1.0 902
Burgos 20.9 32.3 11.0 4.9 1.1 890
Leon 16.5 27.6 5.0 -0.9 1.5 916

10. METHOD

11. BIOCLIMATIC DESIGN STRATEGIES
With the available climatic information of each
locality, Givoni´s bioclimatic charts were carried
out in order to know the design strategies more
suitable for each region.

12. BIOCLIMATIC DESIGN STRATEGIES
SUMMER
1) use of high thermal
mass envelopes,
2) use of high thermal
mass envelopes in
addition to night
ventilation,
3) use of natural
ventilation and
4) solar protection.

13. BIOCLIMATIC DESIGN STRATEGIES
WINTER
The building design should
aim at minimising heat loss
and maximizing solar
gains.

14. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
References about Spanish traditional architecture
were studied in order to analyze how people in
ancient times and with little technique built their
houses in good response to the climate.
 Regions of hot summers
 Regions of cold winters

15. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: hot summers
The main characteristic that should be pointed out
as the most spread in Andalusian
architecture is the white colour of the walls.
Another spread characteristic is the small size of
the housing, and the compactness of the town
layout.
The patio is another typical element found in
houses from the South of Spain.
Underground dwellings.
Small openings to avoid solar radiation.

16. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: hot summers

17. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: hot summers

18. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: hot summers

19. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: cold winters
The main characteristic of traditional buildings in
these regions is the use of massive walls. Various
materials were used to construct the walls – mainly
stone and earth - , it depends on the local
availability.
The use of local materials and techniques has
social and environmental advantages.
Although solar gains are recommended, the
openings in the observed examples are small.

20. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: cold winters
The need of insulation against harsh climatic
conditions, in a time when thermal insulation
materials did not exist, was supplied by different
methods:
1) thick walls to increase the thermal resistance,
2) small openings to reduce air tightness,
3) use of natural resources,
4) adapted living practices.

21. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: cold winters

22. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: cold winters

23. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: cold winters

24. LESSONS FROM THE PAST
 Our popular architecture may well be the kind
which can best teach us today how to assimilate
the bioclimatic approach in the practice of
architectural design.
 The solutions found in vernacular architecture
may be use as a lesson and a source of
inspiration, not as a model to copy.
 Another aspect of vernacular architecture that
can be used as a model is the people behaviour.

25. LESSONS FROM THE PAST
Some good examples of popular architecture are being
abandoned due to rural exodus. They could be rehabilitated.

26. LESSONS FROM THE PAST
Some strategies from popular architecture can be
translated to modern architecture with no additional cost.

27. CONCLUSIONS
 The way to achieve the premises of sustainable
construction can be found in the vernacular
architecture.
 The observation of traditional elements allows us
understanding the vernacular architecture as a way
to respect the local features.
 The good way to use the vernacular architecture
is by translating the design elements to the present.