Reflections on My Time with EWAP

As I leave the Endangered Wooden Architecture Programme (EWAP), I have been reflecting on the extraordinary opportunity it has given me over the past two years. This role became a journey across cultures, landscapes and building traditions from around the world.

One of the greatest privileges of working with EWAP has been discovering both the diversity and the shared humanity reflected in traditional architecture. Every project tells a unique story, shaped by local materials, environments and customs. Yet wherever the projects are based, they reveal common themes: the need for shelter, community, identity and a connection to place.

My role focused on reviewing project documentation and preparing digital resources for long-term preservation and access. This gave me the opportunity to engage closely with hundreds of photographs, interviews, surveys and recordings, often providing a window into communities and traditions I would otherwise never have encountered.

Martin and Aylin in Ahmedabad

Among EWAP's many remarkable projects, several have been particularly memorable. One of the first projects I reviewed was EWAP1042SG, Documenting the Endangered Reed Architecture of the Iraqi Marshes. I was struck by the beauty of the mudhif reed houses and their ephemeral existence. The reed architecture of the Marsh Arabs represents the survival of one of the oldest known building traditions in the world, with large communal meeting halls constructed entirely from locally sourced reeds using specialist knowledge passed down through generations. The photography and documentary material are especially powerful, capturing not only these remarkable structures but also a way of life now under increasing threat from climate change, water scarcity and environmental change. The project documents the buildings, their methods of construction, and the extensive traditional knowledge required to create and maintain them.

Another standout project was EWAP3130SG,The Trojes Building Culture from the Purépecha Highlands of Michoacán, Mexico, which I reviewed earlier this year. I particularly enjoyed the interviews with carpenters and householders, which were as celebratory of the local community as they were informative. The project focuses on trojes, the characteristic wooden buildings of the Purépecha people, traditionally used as granaries, sleeping spaces and family homes. Built entirely from pine timber using sophisticated carpentry joints rather than nails or adhesives, they can be dismantled, relocated and handed down through generations. As traditional knowledge declines and many trojes are abandoned or replaced with modern materials, this building culture faces an uncertain future. Alongside architectural surveys, photogrammetry and 3D modelling, the project's interviews and audiovisual documentation captured the knowledge, traditions and lived experiences that give these buildings their cultural significance.

I also spent considerable time reviewing EWAP1007LG, Wooden Havelis of Gujarat, India, an extensive project containing a remarkable number of photographs and survey records. Through the review process I became extremely familiar with many of the structures documented, and the exquisite wooden carvings found throughout these historic buildings left a lasting impression. The havelis are of significant historical, cultural and architectural value, reflecting centuries of craftsmanship and the blending of Islamic, Mughal and European influences. They also demonstrate how local communities developed highly sophisticated construction techniques in response to limited timber resources and differing regional conditions. Today, many of these buildings face deterioration, demolition and earthquake damage, while traditional building knowledge is gradually being lost. The project's documentation of 59 havelis through 3D LiDAR scanning, architectural drawings, archival research and oral histories has created an invaluable record of this endangered architectural heritage.

A personal highlight of my time with EWAP was the opportunity to visit India in February 2026 as part of the team's delegation to the CEPT conference and EWAP's own international conference. It was a privilege to visit Ahmedabad, meet colleagues at CEPT, and spend time with project leaders who had travelled from around the world. I formed genuine friendships with a number of the delegates and enjoyed contributing to two memorable events.

Written by Martin Devereux, Archive Project Manager