Restoration of a Barraca Cottage in the Valencian Albufera

Abstract

The barraca thatched cottage, emblem and icon of the architectural tradition of the farmland and wetlands along Spain’s eastern seaboard, belongs to a whole family of thatched vernacular buildings once to be found throughout the Iberian Peninsula, and today at risk of disappearing. The restoration of this cottage in the Valencian Albufera region was envisaged as a pilot project for the refurbishment of such buildings, with the aim of showing that it is possible to adapt them to contemporary requirements—including compliance with modern fire safety regulations—and to make them fit for public use. The restoration also employed strictly local materials and techniques so as to ensure material compatibility, facilitate decarbonization through the use of indigenous resources, encourage local people to stay in the area by stimulating the economy, and recover traditional building trades.