Prototype of a Putuco-Type Vernacular House Based on Ch’ampa to Improve Thermal Comfort in a Cold and Dry Climate in Southern Peru

In the rural high Andean region of Puno, where a cold climate prevails, thermal comfort in buildings is a challenge due to the lack of adequate living conditions. This study focuses on a specific environment with coordinates 405132.69 m E and 8312571.47 m S, where historical and cultural buildings of heritage value called Putucos are observed. These structures, built with ch’ampa, face deterioration and oblivion. The objective of this work is to analyze the thermal behavior and physical resistance of ch’ampa in prototypes of circular vernacular dwellings, known as Putucos. The properties of the ch’ampa revealed an average compressive strength of 10.6 kg/cm \(^2\) , with a moisture content of 2.1% and a plastic index of 16.1%, classifying it as clay. In terms of thermal variation, the interior of a Putuco housing prototype shows a fluctuation of only 3.5  \(^\circ \) C, compared to 12.8  \(^\circ \) C in conventional adobe housing. This disparity demonstrates the remarkable ability of Putuco and ch’ampa to conserve heat more effectively. The internal surface temperatures differ significantly from the external surface temperatures, especially in the mornings, where the exterior reaches −10.0  \(^\circ \) C while the interior remains at 9.3  \(^\circ \) C. These characteristics highlight the high thermal value inherent in the ch’ampa due to its unique composition.