Abstract
This paper seeks to explore the material transitions in vernacular dwellings to explore how local knowledge can inform future construction practices rooted in material circularity. Behramkale village in northwestern Türkiye harbours traditional dwellings where reused earthenware from pots to roof tiles are integrated into masonry for durability and ornamentation. This unique and site-specific construction technique reflects the resourcefulness of local craftsmanship. Under the methodology titled “tracing the earthenware,” the study maps the distribution and uses of these elements throughout the village, interpreting them not as passive remnants but as active agents which can help envision future pathways for material circularity, while the adaptation of similar traditional techniques is already evident in certain contemporary design initiatives. Thus, the paper discusses this stratified indigenous material practice, positioning it as an instructive model to reveal how vernacular knowledge can shape resilient and waste-derived material systems in today’s sustainability-driven design paradigm.
Keywords
vernacular dwelling; material circularity; local knowledge; Behramkale
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1077
Citation
Gonul, H., and Hasgul, E. (2026) Reused earthenware in the wall: Learning from vernacular dwellings as a source of tacit knowledge for material circularity, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1077
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Reused earthenware in the wall: Learning from vernacular dwellings as a source of tacit knowledge for material circularity
This paper seeks to explore the material transitions in vernacular dwellings to explore how local knowledge can inform future construction practices rooted in material circularity. Behramkale village in northwestern Türkiye harbours traditional dwellings where reused earthenware from pots to roof tiles are integrated into masonry for durability and ornamentation. This unique and site-specific construction technique reflects the resourcefulness of local craftsmanship. Under the methodology titled “tracing the earthenware,” the study maps the distribution and uses of these elements throughout the village, interpreting them not as passive remnants but as active agents which can help envision future pathways for material circularity, while the adaptation of similar traditional techniques is already evident in certain contemporary design initiatives. Thus, the paper discusses this stratified indigenous material practice, positioning it as an instructive model to reveal how vernacular knowledge can shape resilient and waste-derived material systems in today’s sustainability-driven design paradigm.