| What is "Vernacular" Architecture? |
| Basically, an example of vernacular architecture is a design executed without employing the services of a professional architect... ...but it could also be a project built by a self-taught architect or designer. --o-- The idea of "vernacular" architecture probably first gained the attention of the architectural academic community in the early 1960's with the publication of Bernard Rudofsky's book. "Architecture without Architects." Mr. Rudofsky's attempt to enlighten architects to the warmth and charm inherent to design solutions derived by people with little or no architectural training was one of the earliest, and most effective criticisms of the perceived sterility of the Modernist Movement. There can be little doubt that much of what the Idealists in the Modernist Move- ment were fighting for was the eradication of "slums" and sub-standard housing cond- itions, but few probably anticipated the human reception of some of the grander schemes of Modernist solutions. Many Architects are now reappraising the heavy-handed ap- proach of large-scale projects, and trying ever harder to make their projects more demo- cratic and user-freindly. You can read more about this approach to architecture in the book "A Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander. |