Reed as a Sustainable Building Material: Historical Perspectives
Historically, reeds have been used to build homes, boats, baskets, mats and other items in different parts of the world. Recent research in Europe and Egypt is confirming the value of reed as an environmentally-friendly building material. They can be used for insulation in new and retrofit applications, replacing flammable energy-intensive materials. History of Reed Houses The reed structures of the Arab al-Ahwār (Ma’dan) in the Middle East demonstrate what can be done. Their buildings are constructed using only reed bundles in arches to frame the building. Guest houses (mudhif) were typically 6 meters (18 feet) long and 3 meters … Continue reading