A case study in low-tech building practices in context of environmental approaches in architecture

Throughout history, the conventional societies which used the existing materials around their physical environment became the pioneers of sustainability-the contemporary main heading of environmental approaches- long before the term of sustainability emerged. With the conscious of knowing their existence relied on the balance of the nature, they constructed their physical environment not by conflict but harmony with the nature. In historical process, industrial revolution that triggered social, cultural, economic, and technological changes created a breaking point in the existing ideology of conventional architecture. Human beings who used to be producers earlier, transformed into consumers. Together with the perception created, the technological, industrial product happened to be accepted as the good and desired one. As a result, increase in the demand of energy needed for industrial production meant a rise in the use of fossil fuels which caused negative results both for environment and human health. By the time, the industrial products that were once regarded as safe and secure showed their harms on environment and human health, and with the economy and energy crisis created by the culture of consumption which also consumed itself caused modern human being to question this fairy new order and direct themselves for alternative solutions. This orientation that can be briefed as environmental approaches kept its precession by showing some changes in thought and in action starting from the emergence of problems in 60's to present day. Thus in this study, low-tech architecture in means of an alternative solution to economic, environmental, and indirectly cultural and social problems in the existing system that is about to consume itself has been examined. The concept as its theoretical infrastructure is made, has been studied in terms of building material and construction method and theoretical knowledge has been supported through a selection of examples chosen from various regions that show different climatic, environmental and cultural characteristics.