A comparative study: vernacular timber construction techniques of Iranian, Japanese, and Spanish granary structures

The typology of elevated timber structures in different countries illustrates efficient self-built structures made of local materials. The timber structures of Shekili structures provide agricultural dry storage structures for the crops from the farms. The similar structure of the Japanese and the Spanish Horreo do the same function in other countries across the world, as mentioned in this paper. Horreos are traditional rural buildings in Spain used for the desiccation and conservation of cereal grains. This paper explores the construction techniques of these building structures, including the roof, body, and foundation, considering the structures' joints and connections. The research is carried out by conducting a literature review in ScienceDirect and site visits. The focus will be drawn to the 'structure' layer, the load-bearing layer, and their adaptation toward two Design for Disassembly (DfD) principles. This paper's findings rely on using an open building system and structural grids in granary structures and their adaptation to the DfD principles. Moreover, it discusses the construction techniques that highlight resilience from weather and are relatively easy to assemble and disassemble. Future studies focus on implementing these techniques in real-scale prototypes considering holographic construction.