The Preservation of Fire: Reviving Traditional Knowledge in the Built Environment

Traditional building techniques have responded to local material, cultural and climatic conditions for millennia, producing buildings and urban landscapes that are enduring, sustainable, and foster local character and regional diversity. While the modern construction industry grapples with issues of poor-quality construction, community opposition, environmental degradation and the social atomisation engendered by the alienating nature of many new developments, this Fellowship report investigates how a new generation of architects, builders and craftspeople are reengaging with traditional building techniques to help address these challenges, and rediscovering how traditional knowledge can help us build better and more meaningful buildings and places today.