Learning from historic wooden structures: performance through hurricanes earthquakes and other challenges in the tropics

摘要

The design, construction process, performance and materials of the historic wooden structures in Puerto Rico should be taken as an example. Their performance through hurricanes and earthquakes make them valuable in order to understand their success. This paper will highlight their qualities and the topics of materials, energy and water conservation, cross ventilation, construction details, structural details, restoration, reuse and human knowledge, from my personal experience in the restoration of my house. Every component of the wooden structures was designed with a specific purpose. The sustainable process requires learning from the efficiency of the past and reuse in the future.