Imagining a Whole New Architecture:

» bancopolis - Hassan Fathy

After 20 years of working with the adaptation of domes and vaults(based on an Hassan Fathy model)to the real world (where for example it rains, and masons trained at their grandfathers knee are not available)and the Sahel. The techniques are now well established and are known as "Woodless Construction" or "Construction Sans Bois".Methods of training were developed so that for example the Nubian vault became teachable rapidly)

I have great respect for Hassan Fathy but feel that the uncritical adoration his work receives has a negative effect on the potential impact of sun dried earth block buildings particularly using Domes and vaults.

Example 1) As described by Hassan Fathy the Nubian vault has received much attention but very little success, building out from one end is very tricky, even converging from both ends is not easy. Once one accepts that there are problems and genuinely looks for solutions, they are there.

Example 2) Abique, the Islamic university, I was on site during the construction.The design was completely unadapted to the climate, created insolvable problems, all of which is never reported.

-- posted by bancopolis

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» coulibaligreg - Re: Hassan Fathy

Great. Thanks for the points. Look at the greater good though of Hassan Fathy.

He has paved the way for domes and vaults in the U.S. Earth was considered a material for the poor in many neighborhoods in the U.S. until recently. There is much potential for building houses with earth, especially with the poor. Look at its success in Niger where there is really no other option. There are no trees there.
Abiquiuquiu it is true that the plan is not adopted to the climate, but solar design has evolved in the last 20 years to a point that windows can make the difference in such a building.
k'ana k'herelaherela

Greg

-- posted by coulibaligreg

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» coulibaligreg - Re: Hassan Fathy

Great. Thanks for the points. Look at the greater good though of Hassan Fathy.

He has paved the way for domes and vaults in the U.S. Earth was considered a material for the poor in many neighborhoods in the U.S. until recently. There is much potential for building houses with earth, especially with the poor. Look at its success in Niger where there is really no other option. There are no trees there.

In Abiquiu it is true that the plan is not adopted to the climate, but solar design has evolved in the last 20 years to a point that windows can make the difference in such a building.

Ala k'an to herela

Greg

-- posted by coulibaligreg

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