Sunil Mahabir: Castles construction and building to last
Answer by: Hsiang (05/18/11)
Question: Good day
I read that some castles like those in Germany are 800 years old. How does one construct and design a structure to last more than 800 years old. Why have such structures remained and what are the key construction techniques for creating a structure that stands for more than 1000 years.
Regards,
Sunil Mahabir
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Answer: Hi Sunil,
Thank you for your question,
Have you seem the documentary directed by the Danish director Michael Madsen called “Into Eternity” which followed the design and building of the Onkalo nuclear waste repository in Finland. A facility meant to last 100,000 years? It’s a fascinating film both about the implication of nuclear power as well as what is involved in designing and creating a facility that is meant to last for such a tremendous amount of time.
Building materials all have relative life spans, wood being the shortest and stone being the longest. And how long a building would stand have more to do with the material used then the building technique. If you build with nothing but stone (the Egyptian has the right ideas here) then what you build will likely last for hundreds of years. This is also why we see a lot less examples of architecture from ancient cultures that build with wood rather than stone, like the Chinese. The durability of materials also usually has a direct correlation with cost, this explains why most of the buildings now aren’t design to last as long.
If you like to pursue this subject further, I highly recommend that you look up Into Eternity as it is a fascinating film.
_Hsiang Lin, AIA LEED AP
Thank you for your question,
Have you seem the documentary directed by the Danish director Michael Madsen called “Into Eternity” which followed the design and building of the Onkalo nuclear waste repository in Finland. A facility meant to last 100,000 years? It’s a fascinating film both about the implication of nuclear power as well as what is involved in designing and creating a facility that is meant to last for such a tremendous amount of time.
Building materials all have relative life spans, wood being the shortest and stone being the longest. And how long a building would stand have more to do with the material used then the building technique. If you build with nothing but stone (the Egyptian has the right ideas here) then what you build will likely last for hundreds of years. This is also why we see a lot less examples of architecture from ancient cultures that build with wood rather than stone, like the Chinese. The durability of materials also usually has a direct correlation with cost, this explains why most of the buildings now aren’t design to last as long.
If you like to pursue this subject further, I highly recommend that you look up Into Eternity as it is a fascinating film.
_Hsiang Lin, AIA LEED AP
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About Us...
Guido Tenaglia
LEED AP
LEED AP
Guido Tenaglia has over 15 years of experience in the architectural profession and has worked on a variety of projects including corporate, retail & professional office installations.He received a Master of Science in Architectural Science from the University of Buenos Aires School of Architecture & Urbanism. Also had Post-Graduate courses in Architecture & History in the Universita IUAV of Venezia Italy.Mr. Tenaglia is Leed Accredited Professional ,meaning that he has demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of green building practices.Also he is a member of the Buenos Aires Board of Architects(CPAU).
Hsiang Lin
AIA, LEED AP
AIA, LEED AP
Hsiang Lin is a registered architect in the State of New York with 12 years of experiences and holds the NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards)certificate, which signifies that he has met the profession's most objective standards of competence.He received a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University and graduated with the Dean's Citation Honor and is a LEED accredited professional from USGBC (United State Green Building Council).