SOME STRANGE CONSTRUCTIONS

 

 

Whoever travels over the provinces of the "Republica Oriental del Uruguay", or simply Uruguay as most people know us, will find thousands of strange constructions that will inevitably surprise even the less curious of travellers. Scattered all over the country and specially in rural areas, some semi-spherical shapes, dark-coloured and sometimes almost hidden appear to us offering the doubt whether they are natural formations or the work of expert builders. Such is its integration with the landscape that it is difficult to see in them another thing except a masterpiece of nature. In the same way, such is its excellent technical level that it makes us think that a superior intelligence must have taken part in its construction.

These works have been in our country from remote times and even today, after hundreds or perhaps thousands of years of being done, they keep surprising those who observe the world with concern and pain towards the brutal and systematic destruction with whom man impose its domination upon the punished and each day more vulnerable nature. No work of construction in the world has ever been so considerate of the natural background as those we are referring to, and its constructors, although they are natives of very limited intelligence, are great masters at the time of finding a solution to a common necessity: dwelling

 

A SIMPLE AND PRACTICAL DWELLING

These strange shapes are not more than places to live based on an elemental scheme but using absolutely original building techniques. Its design does not refer to any well-known style and civilization and its latest trends of fashion have not influenced these superb creators. Indifferent to the technological advance, its projects are the same as those of one thousand years ago and they are only worried about getting their building materials without depredation or damage to their habitat.

The shape of these dwellings consists of a big and unique vault that contains the only two interior spaces available. An access doorway has both the function of illuminating and ventilating the house. In short, a simple and functional design without any possible theoretical objection.

The process of construction is simple although it requires a great skill in the handle of materials as no beams, formworks, concrete or metallic structures are used during the execution. The material used is simply mud obtained by kneading the soil taken from different places near the building site together with water and dry straw. In this way you get something similar to small mud bricks that are placed together, without baking, ones over the others. The perfection in the dough or mould and the dosification of the components of the bricks is such that once put in place they get stiff and adhere in such a way that they make a solid, impermeable wall, with a great capacity of thermal insulation. Very slowly and without a pause, these native builders give its work, with skillful ability, its unmistakable arched-roof shape reaching a perfect curvature that is wall and ceiling at the same time. The initial circular shape is repeated on the previously levelled land and piled one on top of the other in such a way that its diameter reaches zero and the vault is finished.

During the execution process no tools of any type or measurement instruments are used. Neither the height of the house, nor its diameter or the angle of inclination of the walls are verified at any moment or previously indicated in the drawings or in ground. The mastery of the technical construction is such that the own body of the builder is the only and permanent reference. The builders work alone and no more than one per house and their task is constant and without a pause until the house is ready to be inhabitated. There is no architectural project drawn on papers or arguments against the categorical sobriety of the resultant shape, only the irrepressible impulse of creation.

In spite of the poor conditions of their houses, the families that inhabit them seem to live happily far from the alienating speed of modern cities.

 

WHO AND FOR WHOM DO THEY KEEP ON BUILDING?

However perfect and original this building technique is, it is not at all new as over the centuries and in many parts of the world, different civilizations used similar procedures in their constructions, specially in those places such as Africa where the resources were limited.

In the case of Uruguay, it can sound strange that even today someone makes use of such primitive techniques to build a house. Technology and modern building materials landed in the country in the 2Oth century, which together with the impulse of European migration built a nation that turned out to be the cultural capital of Latin America.

Who are then these strange and perfectionist builders that live backwards the evolution of mankind?. Could it be an environmental group that tries to claim life in contact with nature or perhaps some indian tribes that try to keep their traditions alive and unpolluted,conscious of the damage of contact with civilization? Neither the former nor the latter, as our ecological conscience is just waking up, and of the three million inhabitants that live in Uruguay nor a single one is native due to the fact that no one survived the savage colonizing killing of the 19th century.

These builders are not ecologists, nor Indians, not even human beings. These cathedrals, jewels of the architecture raised in praise of the majestic beauty of our world are the work of a bird. This bird is called "Hornero" (Ovenbird) and lives in Uruguay. It is a simple brownish bird that carefully works with its beak. A bird that unlike other birds of its size learnt to walk with steps and not hopping as to resemble the good things of men. So intelligent this bird is that it can build without measuring or destroying. A bird that is a builder because it dominates its art in such a way that no judgement is possible. A bird that is an architect because its work is a brilliant example of humility.