
Eskimo Tents:

-Seasonal Specialization:
Extreme seasonal contrast result in a summer and winter culture.


-The summer culture is associated with kayak hunting, summer
tents, and fishing
-The winter culture is associated with dog sleds, hunting on ice, and
the winter house.
Native American Tipi:
-Conical
-Central fire and smoke
hole
-Two, three, and four pole
foundations
-Eastern entrance, place
of honor opposite of the
entrance
Winter Dwelling
-Whale ribs spring from outer
walls and converge at a point
over the entrance that is
supported by the whale's jaw
bone.
Pre-Modern Tensile Buildings
-Animal hides were laid and
fastened on top.
-Difficult to transport
Tensile structures date back to the first humans. Structures were primitive where a
skeletal frame made from wood or animal bones was made and then covered with
material like animal hide or some sort of fabric.
However, time did not make a difference in the tensile structures’ design until the
early 1950s. Before the 1950s, climate, geographic location, and climate determined
the shape and function of the structures.
Tensile structures in the colder parts of of North America resembeled those of Eastern
Europe. They were made from animal bones and covered with animal hide. They are in
different parts of the world and different time periods, yet share very similar characteristics. The same pattern appears with structures in Siberia and the Native American
tipi. Both of those cultures were nomadic and depended on animals. These tents were
light and can be transported quickly, which made it easy to follow the movement of
animals.
Summer Dweling
- Summer shelter was
composed of drift wood that
was covered with animal
skin.
The first tensile structure that resembeled modern day structures was the Middle Eastern black tent. This culture was nomadic and depended heavily on animals. The tents
were made from woven goat hair and dromedaries were used to transport the tent.
The tent was built for its environment. The aerodynamic shape of the tent allowed it
to withstand strong winds. And because of its flexible nature, the tent’s orientation
and size can be quickly manipulated to accomadate change of wind direction.
-Wood was scarce and
valuable and was not burnt
and so there was no smoke
hole in an eskimo tent.
-large rocks were placed
on the animal fur to hold in
place at the ground.
- The tent was easily trabsportable
on dog sleds or on one's back.
Sources:
Drew, Philip. Tensile Architecture. Boulder, CO: Westview, 1979. Print.
FABRIC INVESTIGATIONS
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
ARCH 584 FABRIC STRUCTURES SPRING 2013
3
5 Yakut Urasa Tent:
Kibita Tent:
-Prefabricated, demountable and
transportable.
-Consists of external envelope of
felt or reed. supported by a sturdy frame of wood.
4
3
-Conical and domical
structure
-Made from mammoth
bones and animal hide
-Erected in the summer
6
5
-Used in the ice age by
hunters
-Was not transportable
4 Middle Eastern Black Tent:
6 Siberian Tents:
- Prestressed velum is tensed in an aerodynamic shape over wood
supports and is able to withstand strong winds.
-Conical, cylindrical,
and polygonal
structures.
-Closest form to 20th century prestressed tensile architecture.
-Flexible construction, animal dependent
-Summer dwellings
used by nomadic
herders or hunters
Features of a siberian tent
-Its stability and resistance
to wind depends heavily
on its orientation and
aerodynamic shape, long
slanting anchor ropes, and
the geometry of the tent.
-Made from woven goat or camel
hair and velum. It is woven loosely
to allow air to permeate the walls.
When it rains, the fabric shrinks and
thickens, preventing water to go
through.
-Conical framework of
inclined poles, arranged
in a circle with their
upper ends secured at
the peak.
-T-struts brace brace roof
poles at mid span and the
walls, which are supported by tripod supports or a
inverted V-strut framing.
-Foundation of the cylindrical tent is similar
to the conical tent.

Eskimo Tents:

-Seasonal Specialization:
Extreme seasonal contrast result in a summer and winter culture.


-The summer culture is associated with kayak hunting, summer
tents, and fishing
-The winter culture is associated with dog sleds, hunting on ice, and
the winter house.
Native American Tipi:
-Conical
-Central fire and smoke
hole
-Two, three, and four pole
foundations
-Eastern entrance, place
of honor opposite of the
entrance
Winter Dwelling
-Whale ribs spring from outer
walls and converge at a point
over the entrance that is
supported by the whale's jaw
bone.
Pre-Modern Tensile Buildings
-Animal hides were laid and
fastened on top.
-Difficult to transport
Tensile structures date back to the first humans. Structures were primitive where a
skeletal frame made from wood or animal bones was made and then covered with
material like animal hide or some sort of fabric.
However, time did not make a difference in the tensile structures’ design until the
early 1950s. Before the 1950s, climate, geographic location, and climate determined
the shape and function of the structures.
Tensile structures in the colder parts of of North America resembeled those of Eastern
Europe. They were made from animal bones and covered with animal hide. They are in
different parts of the world and different time periods, yet share very similar characteristics. The same pattern appears with structures in Siberia and the Native American
tipi. Both of those cultures were nomadic and depended on animals. These tents were
light and can be transported quickly, which made it easy to follow the movement of
animals.
Summer Dweling
- Summer shelter was
composed of drift wood that
was covered with animal
skin.
The first tensile structure that resembeled modern day structures was the Middle Eastern black tent. This culture was nomadic and depended heavily on animals. The tents
were made from woven goat hair and dromedaries were used to transport the tent.
The tent was built for its environment. The aerodynamic shape of the tent allowed it
to withstand strong winds. And because of its flexible nature, the tent’s orientation
and size can be quickly manipulated to accomadate change of wind direction.
-Wood was scarce and
valuable and was not burnt
and so there was no smoke
hole in an eskimo tent.
-large rocks were placed
on the animal fur to hold in
place at the ground.
- The tent was easily trabsportable
on dog sleds or on one's back.
Sources:
Drew, Philip. Tensile Architecture. Boulder, CO: Westview, 1979. Print.
FABRIC INVESTIGATIONS
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
ARCH 584 FABRIC STRUCTURES SPRING 2013