Back to Earth: Adobe Building in Saudi Arabia

by William Facey, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin 'Abd al-'Aziz Al Sa'ud (Introduction)

Until 1986, the farmhouse al-'Udhaibat was a tumbledown, neglected mud-brick ruin, no different from many other such old buildings which have survived in Saudi Arabia. It was unmaintained and -- as all buildings of sun-dried mud will, if left -- was quietly sliding into oblivion. The restoration of this farmhouse developed into a complex project, with important implications for rural housing and the place of traditional materials in modern building. Al-'Udhaibat has become a source of inspiration for the new generation of Saudi architects. This lavishly illustrated book, aimed at architects, planners, and general readers alike, uses the history of al-'Udhaibat to examine the role of vernacular style in modern architecture; traditional techniques of adobe building; issues in adobe restoration and re-building; and the future of adobe in the modern world.

216 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1997

Reviews

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very relevant book, peer reviewed by such qualified people as the Prince of Wales or one of the many Prince al Saud.

Otherwise its smells of brown nosing and grant money. A good business. And the book is the vehicle to a better life in the case of Facey.