[GSBN] Colombage in Haiti (was Modeling or measuring mass effect of interior plaster)

Thu May 9 06:39:45 UTC 2013

Thanks, Martin. We use a specific structural design software for wood
framing houses called sema-soft (www.sema-soft.de ) that also makes great
3D illustrations.
In the exteriior walls we use several solutions, depending on the region
materials, but also in the summer climate (warmer regions need more thermal
mass). Straw-clay, or pisé coulé (1/3 clay and 2/3 gravel-stones...this is
an excelent combination for thermal mass), or sand & lime, or unfired clay
bricks, or clay/granulated cork...
Those who live in warm regions (38º C to 45º C in Summer!!) knows how
important thermal mass is. And if well insulated, this same thermal mass is
a valuable heat stock on winter. The main issue is how to dissipate the
heat on Summer. A good solution (a part from the shadow and ventilation
solutions) its to put water tubes on the clay walls (not less then 19ºC
because of condensations, and 30-35 º C water on the winter).
Aglomerated expanded cork its an amazing and unique material and we
(Portugal) are the first world producers (actually, do you know that it was
discovered in New York by a life jackets producer and merchand called John
Smith?).
We use the OSB not only as structural reasons, but also to easly attach the
cork. With strawbales outside, we then use diagonals, not OSB.

All the best

Jorge

On Thu, May 9, 2013 at 6:13 AM, martin hammer <mfhammer at pacbell.net> wrote:

>  Great 3D illustration Jorge.  You might be right that you could use
> diagonal framing instead of the OSB.  Depends on the level of seismic risk.
>  I like the exterior cork insulation.  My only other thought is that for
> the building you show (with that type of wall framing), in a heating
> climate, I would use straw-clay infill between framing on exterior walls
> instead of stone or masonry.  It’s much better as insulation.  Probably
> enough to eliminate the layer of cork.  Can you see an advantage to using
> stone or masonry infill for the exterior walls, as compared to straw-clay?
>
> Martin
>
>
>
> On 5/8/13 2:42 PM, "Van Krieken" <vankrieken at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thank you Martin, for this valuable information. I  am very much focus on
> this colombage & Insulation building methods, for several reasons, like
> price, building speed and architectural art potential.
>
> Mainly, I am interested on self sustainable projects for rural areas,
> where a house can be made in 2 or 3 weeks, at a cost bettwen 20 and 30.000
> euros.
> And -- very important -- easy to expand, acording to the needs and
> possibilities of the familly. Just like "before"...
>
> Pick any beautiful designs like Gingerbread Houses, with the colombage
> system, and just apply the ETICS (External Thermal  Insulation Composite
> Systems), like cork, fibre wood (or, why not, strawbale)... and I believe
> we have the right solution for fast and confortable building.
>
> I attach one of our small projects for a farmhouse (36m2), with 1 and 1/2
> floor (mezanine, 36 m2 more) that I am doing at the moment. On the walls we
> use a kind of colombage, but OSB on the outside (I wonder if we should just
> use the diagonal framing instead of OSB!...), then cork (10 to 20 cm), then
> lime render. Inside, we use lime or clay, depending on the regions.
>
> Thank you for the report on Haiti and for sharing this information.
>
> All the best
>
> Jorge Van Krieken
> Portugal
>
> On Wed, May 8, 2013 at 9:00 PM, martin hammer <mfhammer at pacbell.net>
> wrote:
>
> Hello Jorge,
>
> You beat me to it.  I’m a co-author of the report/book on the “Gingerbread
> Houses” in Haiti.  Part of a small team sent by the World Monuments Fund to
> investigate these remarkable Victorian-era houses 3 months after the
> earthquake (see attached photos of a few, the second visibly distorted from
> the earthquake).  Some of these buildings are extraordinary works of
> architecture, and an important part of Haiti’s cultural heritage.
>  Unfortunately many are in peril of disappearing.
>
> The book is also published French.  This link gives access to free
> download in English and French:
>
> http://www.conservationtech.com/PROJECTS/2010HAITI/haiti(1)book.html
>
> Three methods of construction were used – masonry bearing wall, colombage
> (braced wood frame with masonry infill), or braced wood frame with wood
> siding.  Sometimes more than one method in a single building.
>
> Most used the colombage method, and we routinely saw them standing (though
> some with damage) next to a collapsed reinforced concrete and concrete
> block building (see 4th photo).  Even though the Gingerbread houses (the
> name used by Haitians) are 85-120 years old (and the concrete buildings
> only 10-40 years), and often with deteriorated wood framing from rot or
> termites. (Note: If I’m reincarnated as a termite I will request deployment
> in the termite paradise of Haiti).  Lots of reasons for that, but it
> demonstrated the resilience of this wood reinforced masonry wall system.
>  (However, Jorge, your statement that they were the only ones that did not
> fall down is greatly overstated.)
>
> There are many cousins of the colombage system, including what Jorge
> mentioned in Portugal (gaiola).  There is also dhajji dewari and bhatar in
> Paksitan, taq in Kashmir, and others by various names in Turkey and Spain,
> and the many half-timber systems in Europe (fachwerk in Germany, etc).  An
> excellent book on the buildings in Pakistan and Kashmir (“Don’t Tear It
> Down!”) was written by our Haiti team lead and can be seen at:
> http://www.traditional-is-modern.net/
>
> Also lots of related info at:  http://www.conservationtech.com/
>
> Although none of this is strawbale, I see it all as vernacular “natural”
> building (using wood, rock, fired and un-fired brick, lime or earthen
> mortars and plasters) (see last photo), as well as high architectural and
> building system art.  I hope others see it as relevant.  I do think modern
> applications are not only possible, but are being done.  I noticed interior
> walls with a form of colombage in a strawbale building in one of the links
> David Eisenberg just posted.  Jorge identified the poor insulation
> shortcoming, but there are ways to address this (and is not an issue for
> interior walls or in a tropical climate like Haiti’s).
>
> Martin
>
>
> On 5/8/13 10:17 AM, "Van Krieken" <vankrieken at gmail.com <
> http://vankrieken@gmail.com> > wrote:
>
> Concerning my last post, there is a very interesting paper about the
> colombage building in Haiti:
>
>
> http://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/wmf_publication/WMF%20Haiti%20Mission%20Report.pdf
>
> Best
>
> JVK
> Portugal
>
>
> On Wed, May 8, 2013 at 3:32 PM, Van Krieken <vankrieken at gmail.com <
> http://vankrieken@gmail.com> > wrote:
>
> We put a 12 cm clay bricks  wall on the interior side of the strawbale
> walls, filling the timber framing.
>
> We also leave a 2-3 cm space between the strawbale (also rendered with
> clay) and these adobe bricks. If any condensation is to occur, looked to me
> that's the way to avoid complications. Also, no chimenea effect, as there
> is nothing there to burn.
>
> We have temperatures of 43º C in Summer and -5ºC in Winter, and the inside
> temperature of this house need very little heat on Winter (depends more on
> the sun direction) and no refrigeration al all on Summer. Ofcourse, we need
> good shading on Summer.
>
> At this moment, we are building several houses with his method, using 10
> and 20 cm aglomerated cork painels instead of strawbale, rendered with lime
> mixed with aglomerated cork granulate.
>
> You may see the strawbale/colombage building method we use at
> http://strawhouses.carbonmade.com
>
> The colombage method was very popular in Europe and was known by the
> Romans as the *opus craticium* technique.
>
> In recent Haiti earthquake disasters, it seams that these colombage houses
> -- (the technique was taken to Haiti by young haitian architects graduated
> in Paris in the early XX century) -- were the only ones that did not failed
> down.
>
> In Portugal, we still have many houses like this with more then 400 years,
> and still in good conditions.
>
> However, they did not had a good insulation, so when you add a good
> insulation from the outside (strawbale its also good), the result is
>  amazing.
>
> And simple.
>
> All the best
>
> Jorge Van krieken
>
>
>
>
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