Houses Based on Natural Stone; A Case Study—The Bay of Kotor (Montenegro)

Abstract

The Bay of Kotor, in its exceptional natural conditions, thanks to its geographical location and influenced by historical events, saw the development of rural settlements that are historically, artistically and culturally worthy of recognition. These stone settlements were acquired completely spontaneously, keeping the same pace as the settling, and transformed to some degree due to contemporary social movement and migration. Up until the middle of the 20th century, structures on the coastline in general were built by applying the same verified methods, which remained unchanged for centuries. Unreinforced stone walls as load-bearing vertical elements, coupled with wooden floor joists attached in a traditional way are typically present in the stone architecture of the Adriatic region and karst areas in general. The construction characteristics of the stone houses built in such a way meet all needs in terms of strength, thermal insulation, and are suitable for the coastal climate of this region. The fast-paced development in the past 50 years, the inadequate legal protection of residential buildings in the Bay of Kotor, poverty, and the new rich have brought about the devastation of not only buildings built in traditional architecture styles themselves, but also the urban landscape of the bay. Throughout the Bay of Kotor, buildings built in traditional architecture styles are nowadays more and more rare to see in their original shape—houses outside of cities but which display all characteristics of civic coastal houses and buildings free of rigid style rules, even though closely in contact with them. Regardless of efforts to preserve the heritage inherited by our ancestors, cultural monuments and houses referenced here deteriorate on a daily basis due to troubles and neglect.

Seismic Evaluation and Methods of Rehabilitation of Old Masonry Buildings in the Bay of Kotor (Montenegro)

“…Joints were usually filled with mortar along the wall edge and their size varies from 5 to 7 mm. Joint processing was not always consistent in its quality [12].…”

Sustainable Development of Vernacular Residential Architecture: A Case Study of the Karuč Settlement in the Skadar Lake Region of Montenegro

“…In terms of the use of materials for a Karuč house, the basic material is stone; the wider area is characterized by the dominant use of stone as a basic building material, in accordance with the richness and availability of this natural material in this area [27]. Massive walls were built from local stone blocks.…”

Seismic Rehabilitation Techniques for Conserving and Managing Cultural Heritage of old City Fortress in Novi Pazar

“…The use of inappropriate stone can result in significant damage to heritage [27]. The replacement stone on the damaged parts of the building should be of the same type as the original or the closest possible equivalent, with knowledge of its characteristics that should correspond to the original stone [28]. During the construction of the medieval fortification, the following types of stone were used (Figures 14 and 15):…”

“…The authors analyze the sources dealing with examining the magnitude and frequency of earthquakes in a given area [7][8][9] with the aim of rehabilitation and recommendations for strengthening and improving seismic resistance of building with significant cultural importance, the most important principles of protection, and the possibility of application [10][11][12][13][14][15]. The properties of the historical masonry constructions in seismic zones are shown in the case study on the remains of the Dzephana Tower by presenting the different types of stone found in the environment and used in the building [26][27][28].…”