Vernacular architecture

Vernacular architecture is architecture that is built for utility and not fashion. It is typically constructed without the help of a formal architect. The exact definition of vernacular architecture can vary, but it is generally considered to be traditional architecture constructed with materials available in the area where the structures are built. Vernacular architecture may refer to ancient building methods, but it is not necessarily just for old buildings or those made with old methods. Buildings included in vernacular architecture are built for function rather than form. Vernacular architecture evolved within a particular area and is dependent on local factors, such as climate and natural resources. The vernacular architecture of a particular area is generally handed down through generations. Unlike formal architecture, which is based on mathematics, physics, and art, vernacular architecture is based on function and practicality. Vernacular architecture encompasses many different forms and has also been referred to as Indigenous, traditional, rural, local, and peasant architecture.

Background

The study of vernacular architecture is related to the study of the material culture. Material culture refers to the environments and the objects that humans make that collectively influence a specific culture. Clothing, tools, and buildings are important parts of the material culture. Nonmaterial culture includes beliefs, languages, and traditions that influence and help make up a culture. Material culture also considers the relationships and patterns of usage humans have with objects. The relationships humans have with objects can change just as the objects themselves can change. Vernacular design is part of material culture. Objects and buildings with vernacular design were made to fit a certain role and were not made for beauty or ornament. Instead, they were made, often with local materials, to serve a specific purpose. Vernacular architecture includes buildings and structures that were built for utility.

In linguistics, the term vernacular refers to language that is specific to a particular region or area. In the same way, different types of architecture are specific to certain places. For example, the blackhouses of Scotland, the teepees of the North American Midwest, and the haveli of India are all types of vernacular architecture that developed in specific places. In some places, types of vernacular architecture have been maintained, with people continuing to build in the same style with the same materials that they have used for many years. In other places, vernacular architecture has been replaced by stylized, formal architecture.

Overview

Vernacular architecture has numerous definitions. One common element in these definitions is that all focus on architectural design that was influenced by the features of the region where it was built. Vernacular architecture meets the needs of the environment in which it is built. This type of architecture is usually made from materials obtained in the general location where the building is constructed. Another attribute of vernacular architecture is that it is built for utility and not for beauty. For example, the teepees built by Indigenous Americans were constructed so that they could be easily moved. They used sticks and animal hides because those materials were readily available in their environment. The Indigenous Americans who built teepees did not choose the design because it was aesthetically pleasing. Instead, they chose it because it was easy to build and move and could be made with materials that were accessible.

To be categorized as vernacular, architecture typically must not be designed by professional architects. For tens of thousands of years, humans have been building structures, usually as a form of shelter. For most of history, these structures were made by people without any formal knowledge of architecture. Most of these buildings were constructed without any formal plan. Rather, they were built based on the needs and traditions of the local culture. For example, some modern barns built in the United States and Europe are still based on designs that have been used by farmers for centuries. The designs are simple and use lumber from nearby trees. These structures are not overly ornamental, but they serve a practical purpose.

Some professionals feel it is easier to define vernacular architecture by what it is not. Vernacular architecture is not planned architecture. In planned architecture, architects include elements in the buildings and structures put there only for aesthetic reasons. These elements serve no function other than an ornamental one. The elements in vernacular architecture only serve a functional purpose.

Studying vernacular architecture can help researchers understand a culture and other details about a region, such as information about its climate. Many of the unique elements in a specific type of vernacular architecture arose because the people who built the structures made them to function in a particular climate or environment. For example, many people who live in hot, arid environments adapted their architecture to make the buildings cooler. In the Middle East, one feature of vernacular architecture is the mashrabiya, a wooden screen that keeps the sun out of homes and allows a breeze to blow through the buildings. Another example of building for the environment is painting the interiors of Scandinavian buildings white. People painted the interiors white because they wanted the inside of their homes to counter the dark winters in the area. Studying vernacular architecture can also tell researchers about the cultures that built the structures. The Brazilian longhouses called malocas were built for many years by Indigenous tribes in Brazil. The longhouses were made from materials in the local environment, and they were large enough to fit many different families. These large homes indicate the closeness of the members of the Indigenous groups.

Although vernacular architecture is often traditional and its style is developed over time, it is not exclusively reminiscent of architecture from the past. People in some parts of the modern world continue to employ vernacular architecture in many places. For example, in many Eastern European countries, the common block-like concrete structures that serve as apartment complexes are considered an example of vernacular architecture. Vernacular architecture is useful as it often costs less than more formally designed buildings. The styles also change over time, with factors such as migration, trade, and environmental shifts influencing its direction.

One of the most profound periods of change in vernacular architecture occurred in the twentieth century. In the years after World War II (1939–1945), the population of the United States grew, beginning a shift away from city life and into the suburbs. With it came a societal focus on mass production, automation, and mechanization. Suburban homes were designed in a “cookie-cutter” fashion; businesses such as fast-food restaurants also followed a simplified and uniform design plan. Furthermore, the implementation of building codes to ensure safety and sometimes uniformity in the United States made vernacular architecture less common. At the same time, buildings that could be classified as vernacular architecture were being torn down to make room for new structures. The concept of preserving examples of vernacular architecture was not common until the late 1900s, by which time many examples had already been torn down. One of the most prominent twentieth-century scholars who studied vernacular architecture was Paul Oliver. Oliver published books on the subject as early as the 1960s with titles such as Shelter and Society (1969), English Cottages and Small Farmhouses: A Study of Vernacular Shelter (1975), and Dwellings: The House Across the World (1987). He also helped compile two important resource books on the topic, Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World (1997) and Atlas of Vernacular Architecture of the World (2007).

In the twenty-first century, a number of organizations around the world attempt to save examples of vernacular architecture, specifically styles of vernacular architecture that people no longer build. These organizations attempt to preserve buildings and document information about traditional building methods. Despite the focus on vernacular architecture, not all researchers believe studying the style as its own discipline is important. These researchers believe that different types of architecture are influenced by culture and environment, so they should all be studied in the same way. Other researchers support studying vernacular architecture, but they believe that the style has already been the subject of an overabundance of studies. They also question the value of such studies, since many have been done by people living outside the culture from which the architecture comes. Some of these researchers hold that people should focus on the study of the vernacular architecture from their own cultures to avoid bias.

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