La tapia pisada como técnica constructiva vernácula

Abstract

Soil is one of the oldest materials used in construction, with which the building of the major cities was started during the colonial times. During this historical period the citizens living in these regions experimented with this material through the empirical knowledge and the building experiences brought by the Europeans, getting the most benefit from it. Since then, construction has constantly evolved. Initially the houses from Barichara, were mostly built with adobe, rammed earth, and rocks and reached heights of one or two stories. Over the centuries baked bricks replaced the soil based construction techniques, evolving the change in search for the industrialization of construction processes, setting aside the preservation of the environment and natural resources. This research aims to provide evidence for the vernacular construction processes based on the usage of rammed earth in the municipality of Barichara, Santander, where the work of the local builders exhibits the possibilities of this ancestral technique, and the benefits of its materials. In the search to contribute with new knowledge, it’s expected to raise awareness about this construction technique, whose benefits promote a sustainable and friendly development with the environment.