Roofing in Argentina and Chile

Argentina and Chile stretch from the Andean altiplano and Atacama desert to the cold, wet forests of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Roofing changes with that range: grass thatch in the high Andes, clay tile in the Mediterranean-climate centre, timber shingles in the rainy south and sheet metal across much of the region today.

Andean traditions

In Inca-influenced building of the Andes, roofs were usually made of grass or reeds laid on wooden or cane poles and tied with ropes. The coarse bunchgrass of the altiplano, known as ichu (Quechua for "straw"), grows in both Peru and Bolivia and neighbouring Andean areas. Communal grass-rope work survives in traditions such as the annual rebuilding of the Q'eswachaka rope bridge in Peru, recognised by the Peruvian government as cultural heritage in 2009.

Central valleys

In central Chile and the Argentine interior, colonial houses were built mainly of earth and straw, typically adobe walls with timber roofs covered in curved clay tiles in the Spanish tradition. Many of these buildings suffered badly in earthquakes.

Chiloé and the rainy south

The Chiloé archipelago in southern Chile is known for its wooden churches, built under a Jesuit mission tradition that began in 1608 and continued by Franciscans in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their builders drew on boat-building techniques, and the churches are clad in large numbers of wooden shingles that cope with the humid, rainy ocean climate. Sixteen of them are inscribed by UNESCO as the Churches of Chiloé. In March 2002 a storm brought down the tower of the church at Chonchi, and a national conservation programme has run since 2003.

Sheet metal and modern roofs

Corrugated and profiled metal sheet is widespread on houses, farm buildings and industrial buildings in both countries, and is especially characteristic of southern towns and port cities. Modern urban buildings use reinforced concrete with membranes, while suburban houses use clay or concrete tiles, metal sheet and asphalt shingles.

Seismic design

Chile is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, and its building rules are among the most demanding: buildings are expected not to collapse even in a very large earthquake. Lightweight roof systems and well-anchored structures are favoured.