Water & Heat

Regulated through form.

Orientation

This section gathers objects that regulate water, heat, and cooking in Tunisia.
Their forms are shaped by climate, material behavior, and long domestic cycles.
They persist because they remain precise, stable, and sufficient.

Constraint Logic

Water and heat impose constant conditions on daily life.
Objects respond through form rather than adjustment.

Across households, the same principles repeat:

Heat is retained, redirected, or released through mass and thickness
Water is cooled through porosity and airflow
Storage favors stability over access
Cooking favors continuity over speed
Objects are expected to age, not escalate

These principles govern shape long before style.

Object Families (Grouped by Role)

Water Cooling & Storage

Unglazed clay water vessels regulate temperature through evaporation.
Porous walls allow slow seepage, cooling water under dry heat.
Bulbous bodies increase surface area, while narrow necks limit exposure.

(Often referred to locally as golla or gargoulette.)

Bulk Storage

Large earthenware jars store oil, grains, and staples over extended periods.
Thick walls stabilize temperature and protect contents from light and air.
Openings vary in size depending on use: narrow for oil, wider for dry goods.

Slow Cooking (Clay)

Covered clay vessels support long, low-intervention cooking.
Their walls absorb heat gradually and release moisture during cooking.
Sealed forms allow food to cook without constant attention.

Fast Cooking (Metal)

Metal cookware is used for tasks requiring speed and precision.
Thin walls conduct heat quickly and evenly.
Handles and hanging points support direct interaction with flame.

Heat Infrastructure

Domestic heat relies on simple, stable structures.
Open hearths support multiple vessel types.
Clay ovens retain radiant heat and release it slowly for baking.

(Including the tabouna found in many rural households.)

Heat is accumulated, not chased.

Materials in Use

Earth

for mass, porosity, and containment

Metal

for conductivity and control

Each material enters only where its behavior is required.

Continuity

Many of these object forms remain legible today.
They persist because the conditions they answer have not changed.

Where these principles remain in use

KITCHEN & TABLE

Objects shaped by heat retention, and continuity of use.

HOME

My Chakchouka

Water & Heat

Orientation

This section gathers objects that regulate water, heat, and cooking in Tunisia.
Their forms are shaped by climate, material behavior, and long domestic cycles.
They persist because they remain precise, stable, and sufficient.

Constraint Logic

Water and heat impose constant conditions on daily life.
Objects respond through form rather than adjustment.

Across households, the same principles repeat:

Heat is retained, redirected, or released through mass and thickness

Water is cooled through porosity and airflow

Storage favors stability over access

Cooking favors continuity over speed

Objects are expected to age, not escalate

These principles govern shape long before style.

Object Families (Grouped by Role)

Water Cooling & Storage

Unglazed clay water vessels regulate temperature through evaporation.
Porous walls allow slow seepage, cooling water under dry heat.
Bulbous bodies increase surface area, while narrow necks limit exposure.

(Often referred to locally as golla or gargoulette.)

Bulk Storage

Large earthenware jars store oil, grains, and staples over extended periods.
Thick walls stabilize temperature and protect contents from light and air.
Openings vary in size depending on use: narrow for oil, wider for dry goods.

Slow Cooking (Clay)

Covered clay vessels support long, low-intervention cooking.
Their walls absorb heat gradually and release moisture during cooking.
Sealed forms allow food to cook without constant attention.

Fast Cooking (Metal)

Metal cookware is used for tasks requiring speed and precision.
Thin walls conduct heat quickly and evenly.
Handles and hanging points support direct interaction with flame.

Heat Infrastructure

Domestic heat relies on simple, stable structures.
Open hearths support multiple vessel types.
Clay ovens retain radiant heat and release it slowly for baking.

(Including the tabouna found in many rural households.)

Heat is accumulated, not chased.

Materials in Use

Each material enters only where its behavior is required.

Continuity

Many of these object forms remain legible today.
They persist because the conditions they answer have not changed.

Where these principles remain in use

Objects shaped by heat retention, and continuity of use.

Storage and domestic forms governed by thermal stability.

STRUCTURE

LEGAL

CONTINUITY

My Chakchouka

Water & Heat

Orientation

This section gathers objects that regulate water, heat, and cooking in Tunisia. Their forms are shaped by climate, material behavior, and long domestic cycles. They persist because they remain precise, stable, and sufficient.

Constraint Logic

Water and heat impose constant conditions on daily life. Objects respond through form rather than adjustment.

Across households, the same principles repeat:

Heat is retained, redirected, or released through mass and thickness

Water is cooled through porosity and airflow

Storage favors stability over access

Cooking favors continuity over speed

Objects are expected to age, not escalate

These principles govern shape long before style.

Object Families (Grouped by Role)

Water Cooling & Storage

Unglazed clay water vessels regulate temperature through evaporation. Porous walls allow slow seepage, cooling water under dry heat. Bulbous bodies increase surface area, while narrow necks limit exposure.

(Often referred to locally as golla or gargoulette.)

Bulk Storage

Large earthenware jars store oil, grains, and staples over extended periods. Thick walls stabilize temperature and protect contents from light and air. Openings vary in size depending on use: narrow for oil, wider for dry goods.

Slow Cooking (Clay)

Covered clay vessels support long, low-intervention cooking. Their walls absorb heat gradually and release moisture during cooking. Sealed forms allow food to cook without constant attention.

Fast Cooking (Metal)

Metal cookware is used for tasks requiring speed and precision. Thin walls conduct heat quickly and evenly. Handles and hanging points support direct interaction with flame.

Heat Infrastructure

Domestic heat relies on simple, stable structures. Open hearths support multiple vessel types. Clay ovens retain radiant heat and release it slowly for baking.

(Including the tabouna found in many rural households.)

Heat is accumulated, not chased.

Materials in Use

Each material enters only where its behavior is required.

Continuity

Many of these object forms remain legible today. They persist because the conditions they answer have not changed.

Where these principles remain in use

Objects shaped by heat retention, and continuity of use.

Storage and domestic forms governed by thermal stability.

STRUCTURE

LEGAL

CONTINUITY

This section gathers objects that regulate water, heat, and cooking in Tunisia.
Their forms are shaped by climate, material behavior, and long domestic cycles.
They persist because they remain precise, stable, and sufficient.

Water and heat impose constant conditions on daily life.
Objects respond through form rather than adjustment.

Unglazed clay water vessels regulate temperature through evaporation.
Porous walls allow slow seepage, cooling water under dry heat.
Bulbous bodies increase surface area, while narrow necks limit exposure.

Large earthenware jars store oil, grains, and staples over extended periods.
Thick walls stabilize temperature and protect contents from light and air.
Openings vary in size depending on use: narrow for oil, wider for dry goods.

Covered clay vessels support long, low-intervention cooking.
Their walls absorb heat gradually and release moisture during cooking.
Sealed forms allow food to cook without constant attention.

Metal cookware is used for tasks requiring speed and precision.
Thin walls conduct heat quickly and evenly.
Handles and hanging points support direct interaction with flame.

Domestic heat relies on simple, stable structures.
Open hearths support multiple vessel types.
Clay ovens retain radiant heat and release it slowly for baking.

Many of these object forms remain legible today.
They persist because the conditions they answer have not changed.