Capivara, in the state of PiauĂ, where there are cave paintings from the period extending from the end of the last glacial age to a thousand years before the Common Era. The region is presently a national park in which, at the time of its establishment, there were still people living in the caves (Figure 1, see page 35). It is incredible that, in the 21st century, there still exist human beings who live as did their ancestors fifteen thousand years ago. The Village House. An interesting building that synthesizes the emblematic contribution of indigenous populations to Brazilian popular architecture is the YanomĂŁmi village-house complex (also called shabono) (Figure 2, see page 35) on the border of Brazil and Venezuela, where up to 50 people live. The building, in the shape of a truncated cone, is approximately 20 meters in diameter and
Afro-Americans. The influence of African cultures on popular architecture in Brazil was quite diversified due to the different origins of the slave groups that were brought to the country. The groups that represented a more complex architecture set down deeper roots. The most prominent architectural presences, in terms of quantity of immigrants, are those of the Quimbundo, brought as slaves from present day Angola, and the Eve culture from the Gulf of Guinea. A large number of these buildings (Figure 4, see page 36) were constructed with posts dug into the ground, enclosed by walls, with rectangular ground plans and gable roofs made of plant materials. Luso-Germanic Influences. Germanic peoples were present on the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th through the 8th centuries
has a central courtyard with a diameter of 5 meters. This area is important for light and smoke exhaust. The external part, which is lower, measures approximately 1.5 meters, while the central part, the highest, measures 3.5 meters. The roof is made of wood and plant leaves, and has a short life of approximately two years, after which it will be burned and rebuilt. Indigenous Legacies. Indigenous constructions influenced various settlements, mainly in the Amazon, such as the TaipirĂ (Figure 3, see page 35) or the houses of the seringueiros9, which are also completely made of plant materials. The roofs are of dry straw, 20 centimeters thick, and the adequate inclination to prevent flooding from the ever-present rains. The wooden floor is always elevated which, in the case of rooms next to rivers, provides a moisture barrier and, in the case of jungle dwellings, it promotes ventilation and provides protection from animals.
and, in addition to being great warriors, they also built sturdy fortifications. The contribution of these peoples to Iberian popular architecture was the introduction of the framework structure where the walls are made of wood as flat surfaces that were lashed together independently. The idea of the Luso-Germanic influence is associated most frequently with constructions relating to Germanic colonization, characterized by diagonal elements (Figure 5, see page 35). It is also present in various buildings with free-standing structures (Figure 6, see page 36), in the region between the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. Luso-Berber Contributions. The Berber or Moorish cultures were present in the Iberian Peninsula from the 8th through the 15th centuries and had a significant influence in Portugal. The Berber houses are built side by side forming rows, not only for economical reasons, but because of the climate influenced by the Sahara,
Dominican Popular Architecture
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