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The School of Constructive Arts is assembling text, drawings, and images in an open online format. The constellation of thought collected here defines our field of study better than any description. We do not intend to promulgate a single idea of “the right way to build” but to provide an open, rigorous, non-hierarchical platform for knowledge exchange. We learn best by experience and by example. The examples here span many centuries and civilizations, connecting our work to an ancient question: How do we provide for our desires in healthy balance with the living world we are part of? We welcome anything that aids the pursuit of this question. A technical reference and an image that expands our notions of the possible are equally useful and welcome here. If you have anything to contribute please email info@constructivearts.org.





PLEASE EXCUSE OUR APPEARANCE WHILE WE UPDATE THIS SECTION TO REFLECT OUR DEVELOPING CURRICULUM.               WANT TO HELP? PLEASE CONTACT US AT INFO@CONSTRUCTIVEARTS.ORG                

Earth Science Introduction

In this section we will compile resources related to the basics of Earth Science and especially energy cycling through biotic and non-biotic processes. It is not possible to understand how to design and build human communities in harmony with natural proceses without first understanding those processes. As such this introduction will focus on concepts that provide a foundation for the subsequent lessons on holisitc building, water, waste, and agricultural systems. There is also an emphasis on new discoveries of progressive western science that reveal the profound intricacy and interconnection of life on earth. The title slides at the top outline the basic structure of the curriculum taught at SCA which this visual refference attempts to generally follow. Most images link to resources, videos, scientific papers, books, or other media. This visual library is intended to help facilitate independent research and study of these subjects. If you would like to suggest resources please email info@constructivearts.org

Sun, Wind, and Water to Power, Heat, and Cool

In this section we will compile resources relating to utilizing natural sources of energy to power, heat, and cool buildings. There is a special focus on ancient techniques that directly utilize Sun, Wind, and Water to heat and cool without complex and expensive modern technology. Modern methods that utilize natural energy directly without need for electricity are also covered. If the heating and cooling of buildings can be achieved largely through these direct means then the remaining energy needed for utility power, lights, fans, pumps, etc. is minimal and easily offset with local renewable electricity. The title slides at the top outline the basic structure of the curriculum taught at SCA which this visual refference attempts to generally follow. Most images link to resources, videos, scientific papers, books, or other media. This visual library is intended to help facilitate independent research and study of these subjects. If you would like to suggest resources please email info@constructivearts.org









ĀB ANBĀR | رابنا بآ
The ab anbar is a traditional water storage reservoir of ancient Iran usually submerged and covered with a double walled dome (yakchal). Persian engineers in 400 bc developed a way to freeze and store ice through the desert summer. Water from subterranean channels (quanat) was channeled to the shaded north face of a wall where it would freeze more quickly in winter. The ice was then stored in a nearby double walled dome (yakchal). Water channels (karez/quanats) and wind escapes (bagdir) were used in combination to substantially cool the submerged room. The wind passing the opening of the bagdir creates a low pressure due to the Bernoulli effect. Replacement air is drawn from distant inlets and is passed over the water in the cooler subterranean qanat. Contact with the cool walls of the qanat and the evaporation of water into the dry air cools the air as much as 27 degrees Fahrenheit.



Computational Fluid Dynamics opens new possibilities for the design of forms for passive heating and cooling. Credit: Bushra Obeidat, Hammam Kamal, Amal Almalkawi
Computational Fluid Dynamics opens new possibilities for the design of forms for passive heating and cooling. Credit: Bushra Obeidat, Hammam Kamal, Amal Almalkawi




Halawa House - Hassan Fathy Malqaf with Baffles - Hassan Fathy - Natural Energy and Vernacular Architecture MALQAF یگداب The malqaf is a small hollow tower with a directed opening which catches breezes and directs fresh cooling air into a building below. When the opening is on the leeward side a negative pressure is created within the building due to the Bernoulli effect. This negative pressure draws air from an inlet located elsewhere. Often the air is drawn underground or over water to cool it and remove dust before it enters the space. BÂDGIR فقلم Often multiple wind-catchers / wind-escapes would be combined in a single tower to catch winds of varying direction. Inscriptions found in Egypt indicate that counterposed wind-catchers were used in pharaonic times but the technology was most developed in ancient Iran where the towers are called bâgdir. The multiple directions have an additional advantage in that the windward and leeward sides of the tower, separated by a septum, develop opposed pressures which can induce more substantial airflow than a single directed opening. Often multiple bâgdir would be placed around a water reservoir, āb ānbar. By drawing air over the water a substantial evaporative cooling effect was obtained. This ancient refridgeration was capable of maintaining near freezing temperatures without electricity. Bâgdir of Dolat Abad in Yazd Iran QUANAT ةانق The qanat is a gravity fed horizontal well system that is able to provide a reliable supply of water for irrigation and human settlements in hot arid and semi-arid locations. The qanat draws water from upland aquifers often in the steppes of mountains which receive consistent rainfall and delivers it to land where the water table is too deep to reach by vertical well. The channel eventually surfaces as its slope is slighter that the ground above. A series of relieving wells aid in the construction, maintenance and continual flow of the qanat. The qanat is a naturally sustainable means of extracting water since it draws exactly what the aquifer can supply. Many towns throughout the Middle East, North Africa , and parts of Asia still rely on these ancient channels for water. The layout of these towns is largely determined by the qanat and the sloped distribution of water. Quanats at Gur - Subterranean water channels were integrated with wind escapes to cool homes in ancient Iran.Image Credit - Georg Gerster





Natural and Recycled Mateials



In this section we will compile resources relating to Natural and Recycled materials with a special focus on earthen construction. The title slides at the top outline the basic structure of the curriculum taught at SCA which this visual refference attempts to generally follow. Most images link to resources, videos, scientific papers, books, or other media. This visual library is intended to help facilitate independent research and study of these subjects. If you would like to suggest resources please email info@constructivearts.org



Rammed Earth Construction A specially prepared mix of earth is poured damp into a form and tamped or rammed. The compression creates a durable monolithic wall with a texture like sandstone which can stand unfinished for hundreds of years. The mix can be natural or stabilized by adding pozzolans or cement as binding agents. Tapial usually refers to the older practice of forming the wall in small sections. Modern rammed earth often utilizes large forms and machinery for mixing, placing, and tamping. Shibām Ḥaḍramawt شِبَام حَضْرَمَوْتOften adobe and mudbrick construction are associated with mud huts and humble single story dwellings. The Yemeni city of Shibam proves this conception erroneous. The houses of Shibam are made out of mud brick but about 500 of them are tower blocks which rise 5 to 11 stories high. While Shibam has been in existence for an estimated 1,700 years, most of the city's houses originate from the 16th century. The city has some of the tallest mud buildings in the world, with some of them over 30 m (98 feet) high, making them some of the earliest examples of high-rise apartment buildings Guia de Construccion Bahareque Parasismica - Wilfredo Carazas Aedo Alba Rivero Olmos Materials of Earth Building - School of Constructive Arts Earth Building Workshop - 3.19.2021 Geologic Atlas of Texas, Emory Peak Presidio Sheet Maps of Surficial Geology within the U.S. are available through the USGS and are a useful means of determining where to source soils of particular composition for earth based building. Gernot Minke's "Building With Earth" is the earthen construction text book / bible. Compressed Earth BlockCompressed earth block combines the health and environmental benefits of earthen construction with the efficiency and precision of modern manufacturing. A damp mix of inorganic subsoil including clay and aggregate is compressed at high pressure to form blocks using a mechanical press. Blocks may be stabilized with lime or portland cement. Typically, around 1500 - 2000 psi is applied in compression. The compression strength of properly made CEB can meet or exceed that of typical cement or mud brick. Blocks may be shaped to accommodate rebar. Adobe Workshop - School of Constructive Arts - 3.2.2021 Compressed Earth BlockCompressed earth block combines the health and environmental benefits of earthen construction with the efficiency and precision of modern manufacturing.

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CONSTRUCTIVE ARTS


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info@constructivearts.org

The School of Constructive Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. We support resilient communities and encourage individuals to study, experiment, and advance models for building and living in healthy relation to the natural environment.

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