Characterization of the earth-based construction techniques used in the 18th and 19th centuries in the historical centre of São Luís (MA, Brazil)

Abstract

The architectural heritage of the historical city centre of São Luís of Maranhão, located in the northeast region of Brazil, has approximately 5,600 registered buildings, out of which 1,400 were included in the UNESCO World-Heritage List in December 1997. The architectural heritage of 18th and 19th centuries is made up of sobrados (ground storey for commercial and upper storeys for residential use), solares (constructions with distinguished fi nishing, exclusively for residential use by privileged families) and single-storey constructions where poorer families used to live. Different construction systems can be found in the same building of the historical city centre. It is common to have structural walls made of stone masonry with lime mortar (in rare cases made of adobe) and interior partition walls made of pau-a-pique (also called taipa de mão), cruz de Santo André (resembling the gaiola pombalina style) and tabique. Therefore, in the majority of the internal partition walls earth-based masonry is found, which, in many interventions, was replaced by contemporary techniques. This article discusses the earth based masonry typologies found in the buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries in the historical centre of São Luís belonging to the registered areas at federal and state level. It characterizes the different typologies of the earth-based masonries, analysing the historical, cultural and socio-economic period when they were used in the region. It is designed to contribute to the scientific and technological knowledge of the earth-based masonry systems used in São Luís in the 18th and 19th centuries and thus to the preservation and rehabilitation of its heritage.

Key words: traditional construction techniques, typologies, earth constructions.