Strategies and Solutions from Vernacular Architecture to Sustainability • Technical and constructive strategies and solutions
in the late 19th Century when it was gradually replaced by roll blinds. On the other hand, other types of curtains in especially hot climates were made of strands of hemp, a solution to be found in several cultures from the Mediterranean basin to Japan at the entrance of street shops, to allow the wind inside but avoid sunshine, insects and views inside the house. Roll blinds: Especially in the last quarter of the 19th Century, roll blinds made of rush and roll blinds with wooden or bamboo laths appeared, apparently to replace the outside curtains on buildings, perhaps because they were easier to maintain and because the use of wire had become popular. They are rolled up quickly and easily by means of a cord. They were also very popular in Japanese traditional architecture, where it is called sudare if regulated vertically or yoshizu, if regulated horizontally (Yagi 1992, p. 31). Originally the wooden lath on top of the opening on the façade was hung on the outside or placed inside de jambs, without interfering with the upper part of the window. The blinds were used exactly in the same way as the curtains described above, either hanging down vertically or sloping over the handrail of the balcony, for the same purpose of offering light, shade, breeze, side views and, at the same time, safeguarding privacy from the front (fig. 10).
Louvered shutters: These shutters have horizontal slats angled in a way to admit light and air but to keep out direct sunshine and rain. The angle of the slats may be fixed or operable, so that the light coming in and the views onto the street may be adjustable (fig. 11). Due to their complexity because of the insertion of slats, this system only became widespread from the 19th Century on in small formats. The bigger louvered shutters open and shut by folding them vertically like an accordion so as not to take up too much space and consequently are rather expensive, they are usually found in mansions and palaces, and placed on the outside of the windows for extra protection. In full-length louvered shutters, the lower part or apron of the shutters can also be opened or shut independently from the top, converting this architectural element, capable of enriching the nuances of the light inside the house, into a piece of craftwork that required special attention.
• Fig. 8 Bay windows made of wooden latticework in Cairo, Egypt. Fig. 9 Old system of lightly woven esparto curtains in Malaga, Spain. Fig. 10 Roll blinds in Malaga, one of them hanging over the handrail of the balcony Spain. Fig. 11 Operable and graduable louvered shutters vertically foldable not to take up too much space. Barcelona, Spain. (photos: F. Vegas, C. Mileto)
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