Importance of Vernacular Architecture

L e c t u r e 2 :     v e r n a c u l a r   b u i l t   e n v i r o n m e n t  

C h a l l e n g e s   a n d   t h r e a t s   t o   v e r n a c u l a r   a r c h i t e c t u r e   T h e   v a l u e   o f   v e r n a c u l a r   b u i l t   e n v i r o n m e n t  

Challenges and threats to vernacular built environment Due to the homogenization of culture, and of global socioeconomic transformation, vernacular structures all around the world are very vulnerable nowadays, facing serious problems of obsolescence, internal equilibrium and integration

ICOMOS International Council On Monuments And Sites

(1)  Unprecedented growth and change – i.e. more population concentrating in cities

"Vernacular building is the traditional and natural way by which communities house themselves. It is a c o n t i n u i n g p ro c e s s including necessary c h a n g e s a n d continuous adaptation as a response to social and environmental constraints."

(2)  Pressure from competing high value activities – i.e. land prices (3)  Impact of major infrastructure programs - that means building more superhighways, connecting newly developed and urban centers

(4)  Environmental pressures – i.e. uncontrolled carbon emission and polluted industrial waste. (5)  Carrying capacity – i.e. excessive use of rivers and deforestation for human habitats. (6)  Human cause - such as war, theft, neglect, illegal trade, public works, and ignorance. (7)  Natural cause - earthquake, typhoon, flood, tidal wave, humidity, and insects.

A lot of preservation and conservation activity has been concerned with big buildings, important buildings, religious buildings, civic buildings and not so much the vernacular. In a sense, it's understandable because traditionally the vernacular doesn't last as long as the big buildings. Houses go up, houses come down. Houses are built of less permanent materials Now, of course when we talk about big buildings you're basically referring to monuments, churches, town halls. Buildings which we don't classify as vernacular buildings. Very often, these monuments are in the public realm and it's more difficult to destroy buildings that are in the public realm. Whereas vernacular buildings are more or less in the private ownership. And as the economy changes, real estate property prices go up in cities, and therefore these are the first to go.

Why do we need to care about the vernacular architecture in the place you live in?

Determinants of built vernacular architecture

(1) CULTURE

(2) Climate

(3) Materials & technology

As per the ICOMOS Charter for Built Vernacular Heritage (1999), the built vernacular heritage is important; it is the fundamental expression of the culture of a community, of its relationship with its territory and, at the same time, the expression of the world’s cultural diversity.

More importantly, the static preser vation of vernacular architecture is in understanding the building traditions, their knowledge systems and skills that have continuously evolved to adapt themselves to the changing environment and yet have remained distinctive to a specific place. (Oliver 2003)



These are wooden structures for community gatherings, used in the early morning for people to come and chant prayers. They are also used during the day for women and children for the men to sit and talk. They’re basically places that belong to the community and for the use of the community.

Why did the community decided to restore this structure, rather than put the money into improving the water supply? Or put the money into improving education for their children or things like that?

"our community is important enough and maintaining our community and making places for our community is very, very important. And we thought that this should come first before those little things."

Vernacular architecture’s cultural significance and value

Value of a place These values are embodied in tangible or intangible attributes, which are often referred to as the character defining elements of a place. §  Tangible attributes can be something about the physical fabric or physical context of a place. §  The intangible, for example, can be special association for a certain group of people. Together, these character defining elements embody the cultural significance or value of a heritage place.

The story of a place usually tells us what is important about the place, and therefore, why the place is considered culturally significant.



Vernacular architecture’s cultural significance and value

(1) Historical value: What the site has to tell us about the course of human history, or the history of a group or culture. The site may conserve important physical fabric or other evidence of the past. It may be associated with important events, people and developments.

(2)Aesthetic and artistic value: The intellectual or emotional impact of a place. This may be the emotional association or the mood or feeling of a site. It may be a demonstration of a particular design, style, artistic development, or high level of craftsmanship.

(3)Scientific and research value: The capacity of a place to provide significant knowledge of value to humanity.

(4)Social and identity value: The degree, the way in which a place is now, or was in the past, a focus of spiritual, political, national, or other cultural activity to a majority or minority group.

In our discussion about the cultural values of vernacular architecture, we're referring to a shared societal value, or common value that is cherished by all the people within the community or the city or the state, or even the nation.

Hoi  An,  ancient  town  in  Vietnam

The  rice  terraces  of  Philippines  Cordilleras

Shophouses  in  Malacca  and  George  Town

Urban  houses  in  the  historic  precinct  of  Macau

 Town  of  Luang  Prabang  in  Laos.

Conservation Approach To Vernacular Heritage

The challenge we have now with vernacular architecture is how do we make these ordinary built forms sustainable in a modern globalized world?

The concept of sustainability is widely accepted as follows: While we wish to meet the needs of the present generation, we don't want to compromise or jeopardize the ability of the future generation to meet their needs and aspirations. We must find ways to make vernacular architecture sustainable going beyond just documenting it on paper. It is easy to say let's save it for future generations, but how and at what cost? How do we make it meaningful for the future generations,so it can indeed meet their needs and aspirations?

To preserve is to keep safe from harm...to maintain... guard against decay...To preserve is to keep something ‘frozen-in-time’, and it is a sterile, negative process."

Conservation, on the other hand, is a creative, forward-looking activity.

Architectural conservation is a process by which the economic life of a building or group of buildings is extended. And the cultural significance of the place is retained.    

To conserve or to preserve? Historical monuments: Pre s e r v e h i s t o r i c a l value Vernacular architecture: Conser ve culture significance and value "Vernacular building is the traditional and natural way by which communities house themselves. It is a c o n t i n u i n g p ro c e s s including necessary c h a n g e s a n d continuous adaptation as a response to social and environmental constraints."

Conservation Approach To Vernacular Heritage

The biggest challenge in conserving vernacular heritage is the adoption of modern standards of human comfort. On the one hand, it is most desirable to retain the residents and a place together, and not just to retain the empty shell as a historic relic for tourism purposes. But on the other hand, with the provision of modern conveniences, such as plumbing, drainage, electricity, and air conditioning, it is difficult and unreasonable to ask the residents to remain living in an outdated mode. This is the major dilemma we face today with built heritage, but especially so in vernacular heritage.

Thus, architectural conservation is not merely identifying what is to conserve, but more importantly, how we should conserve it and make it applicable for the future.

According to Australian Burra Charter, it says, ”Change may be necessary to retain the cultural significance, but it is undesirable where it reduces cultural significance. Change is inevitable, but the emphasis should be placed on how we can manage those change and facilitate for the future needs without diminishing or destroying the cultural significance of a place.

According to John Earl, he says: "Conservation is the art of controlling change.” It's not about preventing change, it is about controlling and managing those changes. Retaining the cultural significance of a place is of fundamental importance and ensuring the place can continue its original function or continue to be used in a way what it compliments its heritage value. If we have a good understanding of what the cultural significance of a place is and what character-defining elements contribute to the cultural values of a place, we have a better chance of conserving it appropriately. We can try to keep the relevant physical character-defining elements in their original place, or reuse them appropriately such that the place doesn't lose its identity and character.

Conservation Approach To Vernacular Heritage

It is indeed not an easy task conserving vernacular heritage, often because of the ordinariness of the vernacular built forms, people are not aware of these values and these places are neglected or ignored. With this in mind, it is imperative that we better understand our environment and where applicable, conservation guidelines and methodology should be provided to help local communities appreciate and to maintain their vernacular heritage.

Apart from these values that help build up the cultural significance of a place, the vernacular place also ought to be truthful and authentic. This means that no later alteration should be faked as real or original. That is no replicas of a new structure or a new building material can take the place of the original building or material.

The vernacular place should be protected within a larger physical context such that it is not isolated from its surrounding cultural landscape. So the protection of a built cultural heritage, must be considered in congruity with the integrity of the site. It is therefore not just because the place is old, beautiful, large in size or associated with historical persons, that it warrants protection, but the aggregate cultural significance of that place, is of primary importance. How the story is told, and the way in which the inhabitants can identify with a place gives meaning to the place.



fake authenticity of Vegas to the authentic fakery of Santa Fe.

Further  readings:   1.  Oliver,   Paul.   Built   to   meet   needs   :   c u l t u r a l   i s s u e s   i n   v e r n a c u l a r   architecture.   2.  Rapoport,   Amos.   House   Form   and   Culture.     Websites:   1.   "InternaEonal   Council   on   Monuments   and  Sites"  hHp://www.icomos.org/en/.    

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