Thatching is a traditional building technique that has been reinterpreted in different ways in contemporary projects, allowing its value to continue to endure over time. As well as being a culturally and historically valuable technique, given its presence in humanity for centuries, it also has a number of other constructive advantages, such as its great environmental value, as it is an accessible renewable material.
The technique consists of grouping, intertwining, and overlapping dry vegetation, creating light surfaces with excellent thermal and sound insulation and which are cheap and relatively simple to build. In addition, flexibility is one of the technique's most prominent features, and it is particularly popular in roofing applications.
When searching for examples of thatched roofs in our project library, we can find roofs of the most varied shapes, sizes, inclinations, and compositions. So many creative possibilities are also the result of the presence of this technique around the globe. Research studies have identified the presence of thatched construction in Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with hundreds of species used, varying according to local availability.
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Extending Roofs from Brazil to India: Parallel Residential Design Elements as Seen in 10 ProjectsIn the midst of such a variety of shapes, sizes and species being adopted, it is also possible to find similarities in design solutions in opposite hemispheres of the globe, as we can see by placing together projects in countries such as Mexico, Ecuador and Costa Rica on one side and Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and India on the other.
As we have already discussed in another article, the exchange of knowledge between cultures in different parts of the world has been going on for centuries and has influenced the way human beings perceive and build the environment in which they live. In addition to the visual similarities between the projects, especially with regard to the shapes of the roofs, we also see a common concern from one hemisphere to the other: rescuing artisanal and traditional techniques in contemporary designs as a way of building in a more sustainable way and adapted to the context.
You can explore the similarities between projects with thatched roofs, from America to Asia, in the following examples:
Castaway Island Resort / VTN Architects
Vietnam
Luum Temple / CO-LAB Design Office
Mexico
The Green Island Community Center / Estudio Cavernas
Thailand
Tulum 21 House / As Arquitectura + Diseño
Mexico
Temporary Dormitories / a.gor.a Architects
Thailand
Nueva Esperanza School / al bordE
Ecuador
Keeng Seafood Restaurant / BambuBuild
Vietnam
El Mirador Tulum / Jorge Kelleher + Studio Arquitectos
Mexico
Hideout / Studio WNA
Indonesia
Kusy Kawsay / AL BORDE + David Guambo
Ecuador
Maayaa Resort / Aslam Sham Architects
India
Casa Arena / Álvarez Arquitectos
Costa Rica
Hartland Estate / Studio Jencquel
Indonesia
Cliff House / Zozaya Arquitectos
Mexico
Hideout Horizon Bamboo House / Studio WNA
Indonesia
Hotel Bardo / Taller de Arquitectura Viva
Mexico
THU House / KIENTRUC O
Vietnam
Nosara Teahouse / LOOP Design Studio
Costa Rica
Clan Living Hotel and Co-living Space / Ruang Nyaman
Indonesia
Pelicans Villa / Main Office
Mexico
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