Authors: Eswara Rao Petta, Viswanadh Kumar G.
Abstract: Ethiopian Tukul houses embody a close relationship among local materials, craft practice, spatial organization and climate-responsive building. This study examines the passive thermal logic and conservation significance of Tukul architecture in Kechema Ward, East Shewa, Oromia, with attention to the circular plan, earthen and wattle-and-daub walls, conical thatched roof, restricted openings, roof-wall air paths and locally available materials. The investigation adopts a qualitative architectural-heritage approach based on author-prepared field drawings from a 2023 field study and a structured synthesis of 35 peer-reviewed studies, with emphasis on Ethiopian, sub-Saharan African and recent architectural-heritage research. Architectural features are interpreted through heat-transfer and environmental mechanisms and examined through cross-study triangulation. The synthesis indicates that the Tukul envelope functions as a coordinated passive system in which earthen walling can buffer diurnal heat flow, deep thatch and eaves limit direct solar loading, and the doorway and roof-wall gap support controlled air exchange under favourable outdoor conditions. Conservation priorities therefore extend beyond the circular silhouette to compatible earthen finishes, roof craft, the raised base, ventilation details and the knowledge required for maintenance. The study presents a heritage-centred framework for understanding the environmental logic of Tukul architecture and for guiding conservation and climate-responsive adaptation.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23080000
