Test your design IQ: What are these type of houses called?

MANILA, Philippines - They are traditional Apulian dry stone huts with a conical roof. Their style of construction is specific to the Itria Valley, in the Murge area of the Italian region of Apulia. These houses were generally constructed as temporary field shelters and storehouses or as permanent dwellings by small proprietors or agricultural laborers. Their golden age was the 19th century.

The Italian term refers to a house whose internal space is covered by a dry stone corbelled or keystone vault.  It is an Italianized form of the dialectal term truddu used in a specific area of the Salentine peninsula where it is the name of the local agricultural dry stone hut. These houses have replaced the local term casedda, which was used by locals in the Murgia to call this type of house.

The houses are essentially rural building types. With their thick walls and inability to form multi-story structures, it is wasteful of ground space and consequently ill-suited to high density settlement. However, being constructed of small stones,  they have a flexibility and adaptability of form which are most helpful in tight urban situations.

In the countryside, these domes were built singly or in groups of up to five, or sometimes in large farmyard clusters of a dozen or two dozen, but never for the occupancy of more than a single rural family.

Traditionally these houses were built using dry stone masonry, without any mortar or cement. This style of construction is also prevalent in the surrounding countryside where most of the fields are separated by dry-stone walls.

 The house may take on a circular or a square plan. The circular house is mostly a temporary shelter for animals and their fodder, or for the peasant himself.

* * *

Text your answer to 0927-7579807 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Call the store manager at 634-1943. Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.

* * *

Last week’s question: Who is this edgy architect who designed the Louis Vuitton Maison in Shanghai, Paris and Hong Kong?

Answer: Peter Marino

Winner: Conrado S. Wong of Cainta, Rizal