Ancient construction technique: a way to the future?

“There is no Planet B” is a slogan one sees quite frequently at Climate Change protests and rallies because the current generation is aware of the consequences of global warming and extremely concerned about the future of our planet. The most common answer to preserving the integrity of our planet is sustainability- a word one might see / hear / use quite regularly. According to the UN World Commission on Environment and Development, to be sustainable is to "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations, to meet their own needs, especially with regards to use and waste of natural resources."

The last few decades have seen an increase in the number of “Green buildings” designed responsibly by various architects. The One Angel Square in Manchester, ParkRoyal on Pickering in Singapore, and even the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan in New Delhi are a few examples of Sustainable architecture in today’s world. Presently, most architects use sustainability as a concept for their designs. This practice, however, dates back to the ancient times, when our ancestors made sure that the resources that were available in great abundance were used efficiently without any wastage. They used materials indigenous to their location to keep their habitats cool or warm depending on their climatic zone, and even constructed elaborate water supply and sewerage systems without the use of PVC pipes.

Take the Ajanta caves, for example, a series of 29 rock-cut Buddhist?Chaityas?and?Viharas?in Maharashtra. The vaulted ceilings of the Chaityas were penetrated with sun windows to illuminate the entire prayer hall. While most cases have a very high ceiling, the caves at Ajanta have a low one- done experimentally to use the tunnel effect horizontally. The low ceilings allowed the hot air to flow into the cells surrounding the prayer hall on either end, which were filled with cool water. This water-cooled the hot air which leads to cooling down of the entire cave. The stone that the caves are carved into also adds to the cooling of the space.

Persian wind towers, traditionally known as Badgirs, were another type of architectural device widely used in ancient times to keep interiors of a building cool. The openings in the wind towers catch air above the ground and direct it to the lower living space, which thereby receives cooled air (as cool air sinks). A pressure gradient is hence created which directs the hot air upwards in the tower, out through the openings at its top. These towers were also used in water reservoirs in arid regions, where water could be stored at near frigid temperatures during summer months due to evaporative cooling. These wind towers are also found in Iran and Bahrain. These devices are commonly used today in the Middle East, and certain houses in Rajasthan have also been influenced by this design.

There are many examples that we could make in this sense, from the ancient Roman houses to the architecture of Siam.

These are all projects that today we will evaluate as virtuous from the point of view of environmental sustainability.

Would it be enough, therefore, to adopt these design schemes to have sustainable design practices?

In fact this is not possible

These are design schemes that in our contemporary reality are not applicable since times and costs would not be compatible with the current world or with the future perspective.

Hence the obligation to continue reflecting on environmental sustainability and on an obvious oxymoron "is sustainability sustainable?"

Here the great challenge involving research and development starts.

Inspiration and concepts emerge from the study and rediscovery of the past but must necessarily be reworked and updated to our contingent reality.

From here I will launch you a food for thought on which I would like to have your opinion.

How important will the public thrust be in accompanying and stimulating all private individuals to a tension towards sustainability?

Let's discuss it in the comments