Journal of Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism

Revitalizing Tradition in Dandaji, Niger: A Mosque and Library for Community Life

Yasaman Esmaili, Mariam Issoufou — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In Dandaji, Niger, the mosque and library designed by Mariam Issoufou and Yasaman Esmaili address the dual challenge of preserving vernacular heritage and providing new community amenities. The original adobe mosque, insufficient for current needs, was conserved and adapted into a library, while a new mosque accommodating 1,000 worshippers was constructed alongside it. This undertaking demonstrates how traditional knowledge and locally available resources can be combined with contemporary methods to ensure continuity of building culture. The process encouraged community involvement and enabled the transmission of building expertise across generations. Today, the mosque and library operate as a civic ensemble integrating religious, educational, and social functions, reinforcing the village’s cultural identity and social fabric.

Complete Rehabilitation of an Eighteenth-Century Mansion in Fuentes de Andalucía

Fernando Martín Sanjuán, José Luis Pérez Hidalgo — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This project has involved the full restoration of a mansion representative of the vernacular Andalusian Baroque style in the town of Fuentes de Andalucía, in the La Campiña region east of Seville. The house, built in the mid-eighteenth century by Alonso Ruiz Florindo—outstanding figure of a saga of master builders—is notable for the remarkable cut and carved brickwork of its facades and courtyards, characteristic of the distinctive ornamental language of this master’s output. When the project was undertaken, the building was in a dilapidated state, showing signs of dereliction and ruin. The work ranged from structural consolidation, removal of damp, and refurbishment of roofs to its extension through the addition of new volumes, the recomposition of the exterior spaces, a full renewal of amenities, and installation of new heating and cooling systems. Original features were also restored, such as the woodwork of eighteenth-century carved doors and beam-and-panel ceilings, along with a comprehensive restoration of the original ornamental geometry of the carved brickwork in the facade and courtyard.

Vanderbilt University’s West End Residential Colleges

Gregory Hoss, Steve Knight — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Vanderbilt University’s West End residential colleges, in Nashville, Tennessee, were designed to enhance campus life through a blend of traditional Collegiate Gothic architecture and modern amenities. They include E. Bronson Ingram College, Nicholas S. Zeppos College, Rothschild College, and the newly opened Carmichael College. Together, they create a cohesive, distinctive community environment, housing over 1,300 students within some 76,350 square meters. In each building, thoughtful account is taken of Vanderbilt’s historic character and the Nashville context, with prominent towers and a harmonious architectural language that resonates with the original campus. The Vanderbilt West End residential colleges enrich the student experience with a range of programmatic features: each one has a dining hall as a social hub, versatile event spaces for lectures and gatherings, and study rooms on each floor for individual and collaborative work. Rothschild College’s 100-seat studio theater serves as a creative venue for student performances, while faculty apartments and offices in each college facilitate student-faculty interactions, creating a dynamic, community-focused environment blending tradition into a modern campus.

The Red Pepper House in Lamu: An Exploration of the Limits of Makuti

Urko Sánchez — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Red Pepper House is a project that explores the connection between architecture and nature, with a makuti—a traditional palm-leaf thatch roof—as the key feature of the ensemble. Located in Lamu, Kenya, the house is respectful of its setting, as the existing trees are preserved and it occupies only clearings in the woods. Its bioclimatic design optimizes cross ventilation and shade so as to offer thermal comfort with no need for artificial air-conditioning. It was built using local materials such as coral stone, lime, and mangrove timber, along with artisanal labor, employing traditional techniques that minimize carbon footprint by dispensing with machinery. More than a house, it is a proposal for life in harmony with nature and Swahili culture.

The Haus am Burggarten in Bonn: At the Top of the Stairs, the Stars

Uwe Schröder — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Haus am Burggarten, built by architect and university professor Uwe Schröder in the Poppelsdorf district of Bonn, is small, housing just six compact student flats, two on each floor. Constructed on a vacant plot, the former garden of a Gründerzeit-era corner building, the house now completes the perimeter of this block. Although the site offered enough depth for only one large room per flat, Schröder has created an ingeniously designed and spatially captivating architectural structure whose small dimensions are barely noticeable. Despite the confined space, he has been able to demonstrate his theory of architecture while creating spaces that may be described as beautiful.

Reflections on the Rehabilitation of a Masía Farmhouse in Les Gavarres, Province of Girona

Oriol Roselló Viñas — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article discusses the rehabilitation of the Can Fruitós masía farmhouse as an exemplary intervention in the field of vernacular architecture, guided by criteria of sustainability, consistency of materials, and continuity with traditional building techniques. The project strategy was based on the use of natural materials—ceramics, lime, solid wood, and dry stone—and active involvement of local craftspeople. We used traditional building solutions such as Catalan vaults or wattle and daub as well as passive climate control, supplemented on occasion by modern equipment discreetly integrated into the traditional fabric. This project has shown that it is possible to upgrade rural buildings while preserving the identity of their architecture and landscape, and that traditional building techniques, far from being a technical limitation, are a resource of high value in today’s context.

Mosul’s Heritage Restored: The Story of Al-Tahera Church

Anas Zeyad Abdulmalek, Ali Salem Al-Khatabi — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The restoration of Al-Tahera Syriac Catholic Church in Mosul, Iraq, represents one of the most significant post-conflict heritage recovery efforts worldwide. Hit by airstrikes in 2017, after being used as a court of law during the ISIS occupation, the church was largely destroyed. As the cathedral of Mosul’s Syriac Catholic Christians, Al-Tahera has long been a testament to the city’s religious diversity and centuries of coexistence. Commissioned in 2018 by UNESCO within the “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” initiative and supported by the United Arab Emirates, the project sought not only to rebuild a monument but also to foster reconciliation and social cohesion. Built in 1859, the church stands in Mosul’s historic quarter, near three other churches and two mosques, across the Tigris from the ancient city of Nineveh.

Restoration of a Barraca Cottage in the Valencian Albufera

Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares, Camilla Mileto — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

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.

The Harsukh Complex in Lahore

Kamil Khan Mumtaz, Hussain Ahmed — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Harsukh Complex, situated near Lahore, Pakistan was designed by the architect Kamil Khan Mumtaz on a commission from Jawad and Bina Khawaja as a family home for themselves and their four children and an arts center. Situated on the family’s agricultural estate, the complex represents a deliberate return to the region’s vernacular tradition. The design, driven by the clients’ desire for a deeper connection with the land and the region’s cultural heritage, aligns with the architect’s context-specific approach, integrating the physical, social, functional, material, historical, and spiritual dimensions. This article looks at how Mumtaz developed a design approach allowing the architecture to emerge naturally as a consequence of engaging with the site. The Harsukh Complex is his most significant departure from the modernist worldview and reflects a shift toward the pursuit of a more timeless architecture.

Two Contemporary Hanoks Embracing Tradition and Modern Life: Myeonglinheon and Sugyeongjae

Kim Won-cheon — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Myeonglinheon and Sugyeongjae exemplify how contemporary Korean hanok houses can reinterpret tradition while responding to modern life. Nestled in Eunpyeong Hanok Village, Myeonglinheon is a three-level dwelling organized around a spacious courtyard, with a public ground floor for gatherings, a private upper level oriented toward Mount Bukhansan, and a basement for leisure pursuits. Hand-carved latticework, turtle-shaped balusters, and paper windows contribute to a timeless feel. At Gahoe-dong in Bukchon, Sugyeongjae combines a 1930s wooden hanok house with a new semi-basement for cultural use. Its courtyard opens south toward Namsan and its spaces are layered from communal to intimate, reusing historical timber and tiles. Together, these two houses demonstrate how Seoul’s hanoks can evolve, maintaining their identity while offering new perspectives for the future of heritage.

Rediscovering the Half-Timber Tradition

Dirk Mortier — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

After many years working as a commercial manager in the petrochemical industry, I decided at the age of forty to radically change direction and devote myself to timber-framed architecture—a tradition that in Belgium was nearly lost. I studied historic rural buildings, visited open-air museums, and began restoring and building with traditional techniques and natural materials such as green wood, reclaimed bricks, and lime mortar. I seek to show that these methods are not relics of the past but viable, sustainable approaches for today. I also feel a responsibility to pass on this knowledge. Through regular workshops and hands-on activities with young people, I help preserve traditional know-how and encourage future generations to value and continue these time-tested ways of building.

Ecological Systems of Care: The Nubian Homes of Gharb Aswan

Neha Garg — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

With the rise of sustainable building and the growing desire to “build green” comes a need to understand the centuries-old practice of building with earth. For generations, earthen buildings have been integral to communities around the world, and it is these building practices that show the way for the innovative sustainable technologies we use today. During my travels in Egypt, while studying mud-brick Nubian homes in Gharb Aswan I encountered a unique way of combining ecological building with systems of care and resilience rooted in tradition and generations of craft. As building with earth is becoming popular within the discipline of architecture, can we learn to better understand and integrate care into our built environment in ways that are efficient, resourceful, and ecological?

The Art of Khachkar-Making

Artak Hambardzumyan — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The khachkar, or Armenian cross-stone, has a unique cultural and artistic tradition originating in the fourth to the seventh centuries. Evolving from simple carved crosses to intricate compositions of symbolic motifs, it enjoyed a golden age spanning from the eleventh to the thirteenth centuries. Today, contemporary masters like Artak Hambardzumyan continue the tradition through both new and restoration work. Khachkar-making combines sculpture, geometry, theology, and ornamentation, following a rigorous process—from design to installation—where each piece is both a spiritual act and an artistic creation. In over 50 countries, Hambardzumyan’s works are to be seen in churches, public spaces, and cultural institutions, testifying to the khachkar’s enduring relevance as heritage and living art.

Fetsund: Reimagining the Norwegian Village

Arild Eriksen, Kristoffer Røgeberg — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Many towns in Norway are characterized by limited housing diversity and car-dependent residential areas. In contrast, several European cities are developing neighborhoods with dense but low-rise housing, based on participatory processes in which residents are given influence. These processes result in public zoning plans and detailed design codes defining what may be built. But can this be adapted to existing residential areas? This study explores new models for suburban and small-town densification in Norway, challenging negative perceptions of suburban densification. We critique current planning tools for failing to ensure architectural integrity and community coherence, and advocate for design-led regulatory frameworks rooted in historical urbanism and emphasizing variation, sustainability, and co-creation. Our findings show how reimagined densification can create vibrant, affordable, and environmentally sound neighborhoods that counteract sprawl and foster strong communities in both suburban and rural contexts.

Selected Counterprojects in Brussels

Lucien Steil, Victoria Schulz-Daubas — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article explores the role of counterprojects as didactic tools for challenging destructive modernist practices and proposing alternative visions rooted in tradition and civic identity. Drawing on the legacy of Léon Krier and Maurice Culot, it criticizes the superficiality of much contemporary “sustainable” architecture and the erosion of the public realm into “anti-space.” It situates the emergence of the growing “Architectural Uprising” within broader cultural, political, and ecological movements, emphasizing grassroots resistance and education for traditional design. Through examples in Brussels such as the Blaton Tower, the Maison du Peuple, and Place de Brouckère, it explores how adaptive reuse, classical language, and urban reconstruction may restore continuity, beauty, and permanence to the Belgian capital’s civic fabric.

Indiana Limestone in Three Classical Buildings Today

Thomas D. Stroka — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This essay examines the contemporary use of Indiana limestone, a material employed in the United States for over two centuries for its durability and aesthetic qualities. Three recent Classical projects illustrate its versatility: the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Tampa (2018), featuring a Doric portico with monumental columns and carved reliefs; Christ Chapel in Michigan (2019), where massive limestone columns and entablatures support an unreinforced masonry dome; and Capstone Classical Academy in Fargo (2025), with an Ionic facade, inscriptions, and sculptural reliefs. In these applications, Indiana limestone serves as cladding, load-bearing masonry, or sculptural detail, demonstrating technical performance, dimensional stability, and an enduring capacity to embody Classical proportion and ornament in demanding climates.

An Active Water-Driven Hammer Forge: Mazo de Mazonovo and Wrought Ironwork in Asturias

Friedrich Bramsteidl — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Mazo de Mazonovo, in Santa Eulalia de Oscos, is an eighteenth-century water-driven hammer mill still operating as a blacksmith’s forge, employing the same ironworking techniques used by local smiths over generations. The ensemble demonstrates the precision and efficacy of traditional water-powered systems applied to forge work and reflects the high technical accomplishment attained by Asturian ferrería ironworks. Its continuing use keeps the whole ensemble—dam, millrace, waterwheel, hammer, and forge—in working order, conserving the know-how required to operate such a forge and assuring the continuity of a technology which for centuries was essential to Asturian metallurgy.

Proportion as the Timeless Essence of Mughal Architecture

Taimoor K. Mumtaz — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper presents a geometric analysis of four seventeenth-century Mughal buildings in an attempt to decipher the design methods used by Mughal architects to create their masterpieces. The geometric analysis is placed in the framework of the Hasht Bihisht (Eight Paradises) plan-form, the archetypal ground-plan of Mughal architecture. Categorized as a type of “nine-square mandala” diagram, the Hasht Bihisht is a symbol of the cosmos, i.e., a harmoniously created universe. Our findings are a continuation of those of scholars of Central Asian Timurid architecture and analogous to what is common to traditional architecture generally, down to our times, as will be shown through the work of a hereditary master mason. In conclusion, it is proposed that these design methods be interpreted in the light of traditional cosmology.

“Ear-Roofed” Houses in Mixteca Baja, Puebla State: The Ñuu’Davi Traditional Building System

Óscar Rafael Cruz Vázquez, Luis Fernando Guerrero Baca — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The “ear-roofed” (techo de oreja) houses of the Mexican region of Ñuu’Davi are a dwelling type whose construction system has been handed down traditionally since time immemorial. Of late, socioeconomic factors have led them to fall almost wholly into disuse. But in 2024, thanks to local interest and support, a project to build a new dwelling of this type was launched, allowing the associated construction procedures to be recorded and documented. This paper presents the documentation obtained by the ethnographic method of direct observation. Our analysis takes a biocultural approach, with particular attention to traditional building know-how linked to the utilization of biodiversity and the philosophy associated with the “ear-roofed” houses of the Ñuu’Davi people.

Tegizamin: The Invisible Engineering of Ichan-kala, Khiva

Bonu Azizova — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Khiva, a UNESCO World Heritage city, is widely known for its monumental architecture, but beneath its iconic madrasahs and minarets lies a lesser-known legacy: an intricate underground water infrastructure based on cisterns known as tegizamins. This article investigates the historical logic and material construction of Khiva’s traditional buried cistern systems, essential for drainage, rainwater harvesting, and potable water storage from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, together with proposed pathways for studying and reviving them. The tegizamin, in conjunction with drainage elements such as those known as gulbidav and adan, exemplifies how Khivan builders developed climate-adaptive and circular water infrastructure using regionally available materials and passive engineering. The rediscovery of several cisterns during infrastructure works in recent decades has sparked renewed interest in their conservation. This in turn contributes to broader discussions on vernacular engineering, heritage-based sustainability, and the recovery of embedded environmental knowledge for contemporary urban resilience. Through archival manuscripts, historical cartography, and comparative analysis of Central Asian water systems, we reconstruct the tegizamin’s layered typology and hydraulic functions, proposing a methodological framework for stratigraphic investigation, material sampling, and non-invasive geophysical surveying to map Khiva’s buried cistern networks.

Dovecotes in the Principality of Asturias: A Neglected Heritage

María Prieto Vergara — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The dovecotes of Asturias are an aspect of traditional architecture and cultural heritage intertwined with rural life. Historically associated with farming or social status, they once played a large part in domestic economies and local customs as well as being features of the landscape. They are to be found in many districts, linked to stately houses, religious edifices, or farmsteads. Most have now lost their original function and become derelict, though some notable refurbishments have been undertaken through public and private initiatives. Involvement by owners, communities, specialists, and government is vital to ensuring they are preserved and that this heritage is kept alive as a part of Asturian cultural identity.

Exploring the Beauty of Tradition: How Fractal Geometry Influences Visual Attention in Architectural Design

Brandon R. Ro, Xavier Parareda — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Traditional, classical, and vernacular architectural forms often exhibit fractal qualities that enhance aesthetic appeal and engage the human eye. This study explores whether the complexity and ornamentation found in traditional designs have measurable impacts on how people unconsciously perceive and visually engage with buildings. Through analyzing 28 facades generated with artificial intelligence, we calculated the fractal dimension of each one by the box-counting method. Unconscious visual attention was then predicted using eye-tracking emulation software to determine which fractal qualities capture most attention. Our results show a significant correlation: buildings with more fractality and organized visual complexity tend to capture more pre-attentive visual attention before viewer cultural associations come into play. These findings highlight the enduring appeal of the proportional complexity, fractal scaling, ornamentation, and intricate geometries found in traditional architecture. The fractal patterns inherent in traditional buildings may contribute to human visual experience, aesthetic appreciation, and psychophysiological health.

Building Village Life in Kamhua Noknu, Arunachal Pradesh

Tara Douglas — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Modernizing change at the periphery of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India is visible in the growing number of modified structures in traditional Wancho settlements. This project researches and documents the community’s endangered architectural heritage. Their ephemeral buildings of organic materials require regular reconstruction, and each rebuilding becomes a significant event that brings the village together and revitalizes the transmission of indigenous knowledge. This study synthesizes the expertise of architects with the knowledge of local craftspeople and construction experts, surveying four villages along the border with Myanmar with a focus on four building types: the traditional house, the modified frame house, the morung or paa, and the chief’s house. Our ethnographic recordings form an archive of knowledge on construction methods, materials, history, customs, and a traditional way of life.