Colten explores Georgian darbazi in research project

In an article with WashU Libraries, Senior Lecturer Jennifer Colten reports on her travel, study, and photography in the Republic of Georgia last spring.

“The aim of my travel was to study and photograph one of the foremost vernacular dwelling structures in the region — the darbazi — and to contribute to ongoing field study work being done by a group of architects, students, and teachers primarily from the Free University in Tbilisi, Georgia.

"The darbazi structures are more diverse than I had originally understood. The architectural features, the local land characteristics, the age of the structures, and the contemporary usage/or lack of usage had significant impacts on what each dwelling looked like. These conditions also affected how much or whether we were able to enter the darbazi. What could be seen, and how much could be understood of the histories of the site, varied as well. I was able to photograph at each site we visited, observing and recording both details of ancient architectural features as well as some of the current-day conditions at the sites. The goal is that some of this documentation will support and contribute to the Darbazi Dialogue website and larger research goals.”

Read more here.