Traditional dwellings of the asir region

الملخص EN

The traditional dwellings ©f the Asir region of Saudi Arabia ؛it well into the landscape of the area, are economical, and provide a good indoor climate.

They are not being built anymore today, and unfortunately the knowledge of their building technology is being lost.

This region has a variety of traditional houses.

The various types match the materials which are found in the vicinity of the structures.

Nowadays, however, structures everywhere are built in a contemporary way, using cement-blocks and concrete.

Many traditional houses are still in use.

An estimate is that the number in Abha is about 10% of all houses, while at more remote settlements in inland wadies the percentage of use rises from 30 to 80%.

In this paper, three examples of traditional houses and their characteristics are shown together with relevant drawings: a stone house, a mud house with bands of protecting slate slabs, and a mud house with plain mud-walls.

These dwellings show a balance between the available materials, the climatic conditions, and human dimensions.

They demonstrate the ability to create the art of building.

آه view of the fact that the loss of the traditional art of building is inevitable, an awareness of the value of this tradition with its ecological and economical technology becomes more desirable.

Further research and development on the value of this tradition is necessary.