MOUNTAINS and WINDS
BUILDING MATERIALS
Shigatse: latitude - 29, longitude - 89, elevation - about 3800 m.
Annual average temperature: 8C º. Annual average precipitations: 430 mm.
Cold and rainy summer, cold and dry winter.
Main building materials: stone and earth. Due to the high elevation of Tibet the flora here is very scarce and does not permit the use of wood for building or stove heating. Wood is mainly used to construct doors and window frames.
Every use of wood is accompanied by an investment of time and energy in design and beauty in proportion to its scarcity.
The walls are very thick, usually at least a half-meter. This increases the thermal mass of the building and helps to regulate the inside temperatures. Usually the northern exposure wall may be as much as 40% wider than its southern counterpart. This allows a more comfortable interior environment owing to heat absorbtion from the southern wall.
The climate in Tibet is distinctly mountainous: characterized by significant differece in temperature between day and night (12-15º in summer, 20º in winter), strong solar radiation, forceful winds, which increase in intensity as the air becomes colder, and reduced rate of oxigen (approximately 2/3 comparing to the one ate the sea level).
Protection from the wind is of major importance. Simple weather-vanes, nounted on the roofs of buildings allow residents always to be aware of chages in wind velocity and direction. Tibetans also use protective walls around their homes for additional wind protection.
The need to collect the maximum of solar energy dictates the form of the openings in buildings. Windows are big and plentiful. Windows facing south are always bigger than at the other sides. Wide wooden frames protect the connection between windows and walls. This decreases the danger of winds penetrating inside. Protection from rains is less considered and is provided by small overhangs.
THE SUN
WINDOWS and DOORS
Dimensions of doors and windows can be adjusted by using blankets. They are placed at the bottom of the windows and during the colder hours help maintain body warmth for the inhabitants within. When the sun is shining it's very easy to remove them. Blankets are attached also to every door - to protect the rooms from winds.
General form of the building in the Tibetan traditional architecture is determined mostly by the need for maximum absorbtion of solar energy as nearly sole source of the energy there. Consequently most dwelling are built as elongated rectangles, wherein northern and southern exposure sides are twice as long as their east/west counterparts.
CLIMATE ADJUSTMENT
IN THE TIBETAN TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE
