#3 Darbazi
Darbazi is a building culture originating in the eastern part of Georgia and can be dated back to the early Bronze Age. One of the earliest descriptions of Darbazi is conveyed by the Roman architect, Vitruvius, who characterizes Darbazi with a wooden dome, stone walls and wooden pillars.
It is dug into the surrounding terrain and is therefore deeply rooted. Through the use of primitive materials such as stone, stamped floors and green roofing, Darbazi is intertwined with the landscape. And thus its solid structure, it is still somewhat exposed to the whims of the earth.
Ornaments are opposite from the Oda-house, storytelling motifs related to the culture and traditions of Darbazi and the local environment from where it came.
From the dim light of the fireplace; the core of the cave-like structure that Darbazi truly is, the mother-pillar casts its shadows on a stone bed as the sparks fly upwards.
THE MOTHER COLUMN
The “Mother Pillar” is, as it implies by name, the load barrier of the main structure of Darbazi – the wooden dome that breaks through the hill and out in the open. It is best made out of oak to hold a higher pressure. The indiginous mother pillar would be an existing tree rooted underneath the wooden dome and with its branches to support the construction. Over decades it has been reshaped into a ram with horns overlooking the fireplace.
THE DOME
darbazi is a floating wood construction with walls that are supported by terrain. In case of an earthquake the wood construction is not relying completely on the walls because it has its own vertical construction. The dome is constructed by freshly cut wood so that the compression creates a natural joinery.
A HOLE IN THE GROUND
East-Georgia is both more cold and dry than the western part creating the perfect climate for digging and inhabiting holes in the ground. The walls of a Darbazi-house are made out of stones but without cladding, meaning that they are completely dry. Neither are the walls load bearing but support the structure of the many wood columns that carry the roof construction.
CURRENT SITUATION DARBAZI
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