I materiali vegetali nel linguaggio universale delle thòlos

The plant materials identified technological matrices rather versatile and they have been employed for the realization of very simple constructive solutions with a certain level of performance, and sustainable by definition. In fact, they are in continuity with the natural environment such as to be able to trigger universal languages. Wood, straw, reeds and plant materials in general, reductively defined "poor", bind to the building tradition of united peoples from the practice of agricultural activity, although they are culturally different in space and in time, starting from those protohistoric to the so-called "primitive", without interruption between those nomadic, semi-nomadic or sedentary. The characterization of these materials is particularly emphasized in the cylinder-conical construction, that is spread not only among the indigenous African, Australian and American populations, but it has also many similarities with the oldest constructions Neolithic Europeans. These one can be defined tholos for the shape of the volumes, and today we tend to identify with this term, even more extensively, all the buildings with a circular plan, transcending the funerary destination. In addition, they are energy-balanced solutions in the relationship between the necessary requirements and benefits offered. This makes these building systems intrinsically sustainable, but also places them in the history of building. In fact, they are prototypes that document the principles of building in relation to the connection between man and nature and they stem directly from ways of living in synergy with the agricultural landscape. It is a “timeless” construction model because it is shared by different cultures. Even if it is an easy technical-constructive execution, it has linguistic and architectural values that ratify belonging to the tradition and history of the built.