MODULE 2:
APPROACHES AND CONCEPTS TO STUDY VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
Although the term “vernacular architecture” originated in the nineteenth century and was a subset of
twentieth-century historical studies, its origins date back to the seventeenth century.
In the late seventeenth century in the United Kingdom, part of the educated group had structured a
new cultural standard known as “polite”; they considered the rest of society a subject for study-
“POPULACE”
From 1650 to 1725 they made direct observations on the customs of the populace which were not
carefully studied until the nineteenth century.
Therefore, the creation of two social classes; the elites, and the populace, were the source of the first
studies in the culture and life of another part of the society that later became vernacular.
Over the last two to three centuries a variety of interpretations of vernacular architecture have
emerged; architects, ethnologists, historians, geographers, social anthropologists, sociologists,
psychologists, and others each have their approaches to the study of the artificial environment.
The diversity of vernacular architectural studies can be classified into:
1. Vernacular architecture as the object of aesthetics – AESTHETIC APPROACH
2. Vernacular architecture as a biological phenomenon/ Formalism/typology (types and
evolution) – ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH
3. Vernacular architecture as a material-physical substance- site and climate, (physical
explanations) - ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH
4. Vernacular architecture as a cultural-sociological reality: defence, economy, household
structure, religious practices and collective spatial images. - SOCIO-CULTURAL APPROACH
5. Vernacular architecture as an anthropological phenomenon – ANTHROPOLOGICAL
APPROACH
1. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AS THE OBJECT OF AESTHETICS
Although the early roots of vernacular studies were related to the social sphere, studies of vernacular
architecture initially had a formalist approach to aesthetics.
Architecture without Architects – Bernard Rudofsky: His book was full pictures of buildings taken from
different cultures and non-industrial societies rather than using analysis methods to understand the
meaning of these buildings or the reasons for their construction and built.
Although this book deals with other layers of architecture in often underdeveloped and non-Western
societies, the idea still provided in the selection of images shows that the nostalgic desire through
Western elitist aesthetics has been the basis of the project. So the result was achieved through the
trained eyes that had placed themselves outside, in front of the subject.
Two distinct approaches to architecture can be termed as aesthetic:
ETHNOGRAPHIC – the efforts are to understand the aesthetic dimensions in the culture of the builders
and uses of traditional architecture.
RESPONSIVE – the effort is to select neglected buildings and to bring them in to the circle of
consideration. The goal is to widen the architectural appreciation of the spectator. The result is the use
of alien architectural concerns to stabilize the observer’s tradition.
THE IDEA OF AESTHETIC
1. Affective aspect of communication
2. Enlivens feeling, exciting the pleasure of the senses.
3. Architectural communications – divided in to utilitarian and aesthetic components.
• Utilitarian – bodily work, provide shelter, cultural work
• Aesthetically – its appearance and occupation contain aesthetic potential, historical or
religious
FACTORS DETERMINING AESTHETIC APPROACH
1. Colour
2. Scale
3. Proportion
4. Rhythm
5. Harmony
6. Ornamentation
2. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AS A BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENON (TYPES AND EVOLUTION)
According to Mercer (1997, 9), formalism is the basis of any examination of man-made objects because
they are ordered by their formal classification. What is referred to as the biological viewpoint is the
subject of “species” and “typological developments”.
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, many architectural theorists tried to classify
several kinds of architectural objects. Such efforts also highlighted the difference between species and
models.
Species: a class of things of the same kind and with the same name : kind.
There are numerous different individual styles in primary constructions, so they are not species. In
other words, the species in the vernacular buildings are specific to a particular time and region, but
the model refers to specific monuments. Hence, Vernacular architecture can be considered as
Typological developments.
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries many architectural theorists advocated a formal
typological classification of architectural space. Considering architectural typologies both as a function
of the history of architectural space and of the design process employed by architects.
Type should not be equated with a model, a model is explicit and specific, whereas a type is suggestive
and general. An architectural type is deduced from historical experience, yet it has no definite form; it
acts as a sign or image for some of the stock of existing buildings.
This interpretation is contrary to the majority of architectural history and theory which has repeatedly
considered buildings as models rather than as examples of types.
These types are seen as pure and wholesome and are contrasted with imported architectures which
are bought off as unsuited to local needs, conditions, identity
The focus of research based on these assumptions is to discover locally derived pure forms without
impurities of distant influences
3. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AS A MATERIAL-PHYSICAL SUBSTANCE
(PHYSICAL EXPLANATIONS)
In this view, vernacular architecture is considered a kind of physical expression in the sense that the
design and development of vernacular buildings could be analysed based on one or more of its physical
factors, such as availability of materials and topography and surrounding.
Vernacular architecture’s aesthetic success was presumed to be the result of superbly rational
response to locally available materials, climate and requirements to use.
Modernist architects approach vernacular architecture focused only on those aspects of which
supported ideological positions.
They concluded vernacular architecture as –
• Severely utilitarian in its use of materials and technology
• Functional in its adaptation to climate, accommodation of activities and utilization of site
• Beautiful in its sculptural expressions of mass and volume as a result of manipulating the plan
and section to accommodate user’s needs.
• F.L. wright describes vernacular architecture as folk buildings growing in response to actual
needs, fitted into environment by people who knew no better than to fit them to it with native
feeling
• Modern architects looked for and found simplicity of form in vernacular architecture.
This interpretation of vernacular architecture tends to simplify and reduce the subject to a few
elements and cannot contain other concepts.
Considering the typology of vernacular architecture based on materials used in the roof structure,
walls, and the like, although it may provide a better description of the building, it cannot explain the
reasons for its formation and fail to explain why materials preferred over other specimens.
4. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AS CULTURAL-SOCIOLOGICAL REALITY
Vernacular architecture regarded as a piece of sociological evidence in some researches.
In this view, architecture is a cultural idea that has the materiality needed to shape and transform
memory into a schema. Schema is nothing but what can be seen by others.
From this perspective, paying attention to cultural interests means considering the former mentality
and the way the ancients look at the world. That had become depicted in the ultimate form of
settlements because it is more than just the result of economic life; it is the pervasive social and
cultural environment which affect making any decision and form of housing
Investigating the structure of the vernacular building also includes data more than technical notes. For
example, they show the skills, craftsmanship, training methods, specialization, mobility, and
organization of employees and their links to other professions as well as to workers (Dyer 1997, 1).
The layout, the interior decorations, and the way the house expanded in line with the growth of the
household, all belonged to a social system that somehow embodied the design criteria in the
vernacular buildings. Besides, gender studies have also been honoured in vernacular architecture.
Compelling studies have likewise focused on the role of women in the design and development of
vernacular buildings.
5. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AS AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PHENOMENON
Based on German Romanticism,
the Heimat concept supports the idea that history does not evolve based on mere sequences of
specific events but that history includes the stable anthropological interactions that exist between
housing, settlements, and landscapes.
Vernacular shelters are surviving and valuable witnesses to the historical memory of any place that fits
into the values, economics, and lifestyles of the cultures that produce them. Buildings as cultural
artefacts reveal the relationship of dwellings to family, social structure and more.
Vernacular architecture is a document that, along with other written records such as agreements and
covenants, can be considered as a source for tracing changes in building-residence-landlords
relationships.
Anthropology is the branch of science which deals with the study of culture or a society. The scientific
study of the origin, the behaviour, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans.
Parameters of Anthropological Approach
• Family system
• Life style
• Customs and attitudes
• Economic activity
• Caste
• Homological space
• Rituals and ceremonies
• Symbolism
• Role of men and women
• Society and community
• Religion and mythology
Note that no approach is complete or comprehensive on its own, it approach is justified in the time
period it was introduced and the users. A complete study would be a combination of different
approaches based on the nature of the community/ structure being studied.
REFERENCES:
1. Asadpour. A (2020). Defining The Concepts & Approaches In Vernacular Architecture Studies.
Volume 7, Nomor 2, 2020, hlm 241-255 p-ISSN: 2302 – 6073, e-ISSN: 2579 - 4809 Journal Home
Page: [Link] DOI: [Link] .
2. Roderick J. Lawrence (1983) The Interpretation of Vernacular Architecture, Vernacular
Architecture, 14:1, 19-28, DOI: 10.1179/vea.1983.14.1.19
SURVEY AND STUDY OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE:
The Building Documentation is a process of recording, categorizing and dissemination of information,
through graphical tools. The building mapping process is largely segregated into four major
components, namely:
• Primary Research and Data Collection: Before commencing on the actual field work, the
documentation team gathers basic information on existing records related to the building to
be documented. In well documented places, distinctive physical characteristics of design,
construction or form of building resource can also be identified. The existing documents may
be in the form of drawings, photographs, literary accounts of its descriptions and documents
related to its history, ownership etc. These records are generally searched and procured from
archives, local municipalities, research institutions, architectural colleges, museums, libraries
or private collections. Based on the background research, the next stage of field work is
planned, determining the most appropriate level and the scope for the required purpose.
• Primary Field Visit: Before initiating the actual field work, the research also does a primary
field trip to do the reconnaissance survey of the house to be documented. This primary f ield
visit forms part of the Building Mapping survey. The team collects various information
pertaining to the building; like name, location, its typology and construction techniques. The
primary field trip also involves collecting all the relevant images
• Field Work:
1. Field Drawings: Field drawings are a valuable primary resource, containing all the
detailed information on construction methodology, dimensions, and field notes made
at the time of documentation. The quality of the field work has a considerable impact
on the quality of the completed documentation. Therefore, field work must be
thought out in advance. During fieldwork, dimensions are generally obtained from two
sources: 1. On-field Measurements: These are produced by surveying and measuring
angles and distances manually or by electronic survey instruments. 2. Historic
Documents: These can serve as useful resource data for documentation.. One must
verify the accuracy of the information against the structure itself
2. Photography: Like drawings, photographs amplify and illuminate the recordings. In
many cases they are more efficient in capturing data than either drawing or written
description, but they also supplement and verify drawn or written records. The texture
of materials is difficult to depict by drawing or writing. A single photograph, taken from
the right vantage point, establishes the environmental setting for a building or
structure to be studied.
3. Discussions: They are a medium to explore and know about the history of the houses
and the families inhabiting them. They are also useful in understanding the details of
construction of buildings and all other interior elements and furniture. Discussions
provide insights about how each space works, and has there been any change in the
usage. It is also important to understand the local rituals and practices of a place, as
they are reflected through the building and its elements. A talk with the locals can
reveal the belief systems, myths, folklores and other aspects of the community. It also
becomes pertinent to find out about the living and eating habits, and how the spaces
and elements have been designed for individual activities and how they are used at
different times of the day.
• Data Cataloguing and Digitisation: Data cataloguing includes compilation of drawings and
photographs in a systematic manner. The process also includes cataloguing of interviews with
the residents, in print and electronic media. The recorded data from field visit are converted
into vector-based drawings: Two-dimensional, Three-dimensional and Exploded.
Preparation of Technical Drawings: A set of technical drawings include a site plan establishing
a link between the structure and its surrounding setting; plans about the arrangement and
massing of the structure, elevations showing the façades, room elevations and other vertical
elements; sections providing vertical progression of spaces and elements; and details about
construction techniques.
Research and Analysis: All the documented data is analysed and further used for
interpretation. This final step of analysis then gets disseminated
• Dissemination: In the form of field work reports, books, exhibitions, websites etc
The process of documentation has marked an important contribution in the field of 'learning'.
Recording age-old knowledge has helped not only in conserving time-tested techniques and traditions
but also in developing new ones that are contextually more appropriate. This is particularly applicable
in the fields of folk or vernacular traditions, including architecture.
The documentation of vernacular architecture is ever more critical before it gets lost with time;
nonetheless, to record the ethos of this architecture, it is essential that the documentation is carried
out methodically
As an architecture generated through indigenous knowledge, vernacular architecture cannot be
studied only as a product but needs to be understood as a process, too. The 'organic' forms of
vernacular dwellings do not make sense unless the dynamic processes of living in them and planning
as well as building them are talked about.
Example of Bhunga houses refer Reference 3
Thus, to record the ethos of this architecture, the built form needs to be documented in a manner that
the indigenous patterns and solutions can be comprehended. The collective wisdom that shapes this
architecture should be recorded on a simultaneous level with the architecture itself.
The documentation process along with the build form should also span over
• The space usage pattern,
• Specific cultural be haviour, associations,
• Economic pattern,
• Contextual settings
• Ecological relationships etc.
Two anthropological tools of observation [on site] and interaction [with the locals] are considered
vital for this along with the architectural tool of measured-drawing.
Observations: observed details such as activities with furniture, animals, humans, trees and other
things are drawn in the plan, it starts revealing much more information such as space usage pattern,
associated meanings, the scale of space etc. Similarly, when such details are drawn in a section, the
experiential quality of the space starts getting clearer. If such details, taking a step forward, are
recorded for more dwellings in the settlement, a comparative reading can be made on the typical
spatial planning and social-spatial relationships.
Interactions: The interaction with locals, likewise, can throw light on the perception of spaces, privacy
levels, gender-specific tendencies, changes made with time etc. Therefore, recording oral histories is
considered equally important in the case of vernacular documentation.
Nomenclature. The intangible features of vernacular such as social or symbolic associations are not
easy to map as the tangible ones. Some such intangible information can be communicated by noting
the local nomenclature for specific spaces in the drawing which represents their meaning and
associations.
The scale, in fact, is one of the most important factors in the documentation of vernacular architecture
as each scale presents a different set of information. While the documentation on a larger scale
demonstrates the basis for organizational principles, the small scale highlights the details of material
selection, joineries, craftsmanship, economic decisions and symbolism. Hence, to gain a holistic
understanding, it is important to document the built environment at all scales.
Drawing selectively is also another key method of documentation that can unlock different directions
of inquiry. For example, drawing specific architectural details provide a lens to examine architectural
solutions, whereas, drawing light and shadow patterns provide a different lens through which specific
spatial qualities are studied. Documenting in a particular way, accordingly, can convey a specific set of
information about that built environment leading to newer discoveries and diverse interpretations.
Documenting more than one dwelling in the settlement, similarities and differences can be noticed
and a record of collective expression vs variation achieved through personalization can be created. It
helps identifying a generic DNA of a typology and elucidates two major principles: how the DNA
repeats to form a pattern of incremental growth, and how it incorporates changes and produces
variations of a typology.
The process of documentation, thus, should be conceived as more than a mere recording tool, and
should be developed as a research tool. On the other hand, while this research tool can help in
decoding the built responses to the social and natural environment, it can also help in reinterpreting
them for contemporary and future designs.
Methods of Documentation
Investigation and documentation are the key components for translating surviving architectural data
for interpretation
Analog recording techniques, specifically building measurement by hand provides a tactile encounter
with the historic built environment.
Since early 1990s archaeologists and architectural historians have begun to incorporate digital
visualization tools, such as laser scanners or hand-held scanners, in their documentation
methodologies. Digital documentation technology refers to a broad suite of hardware and software
that produces digital data in various forms, from point clouds to textured meshes. These tools provide
new means through which we can record and visualize architectural fabric.
3d Lidar scanning and photogrammetry are the most common methods used for documentation.
Digital documentation technology promises to transform the way we record the historic built
environment with objectively faster and more accurate data capture. But these technologies are also
limited in some contexts.
Pros:
• One does not actually need to touch the building fabric
• Digital technology can rapidly capture remote areas of historic structures, such as cornices,
parapets, and roof systems.
• Digital technology collects a massive amount of raw data relative to the selective recording of
analog techniques, providing the potential for greater accuracy in our representations.
• Data is easily shared with colleagues and interested publics for a more engaged, collaborative
exploration of the historic built environment.
Cons:
• The need to have unobstructed lines of sight between the data collector and the subject.
• Poor weather conditions also limit the outdoor operation of these technologies, and they are
also restricted by battery life
• Material composition and lighting conditions impact these technologies’ ability to record
historic fabric— dark and reflective surfaces often limit or prevent accurate data capture
• The costs of the hardware and software for these technologies are still relatively high
• Quantity of data and storage issues
Beyond recording larger and more accurate datasets, digital documentation provides three key
interpretive benefits.
• First, digital technology allows scholars the ability to record the complexity and nuance of
vernacular structures. In hand measurements, recorders decide (or translate) what they are
seeing and interpret the elements of recording. It is a selective process framed by the research
questions and documentation goals. but once capture is initiated digital documentation
captures everything within the line of sight of the capture position— it is a mass data collection
• The amount of data collected has the ability to inform and interpret deeper questions about
the construction and phasing of historic structures than would be possible using traditional
analog abstraction.
• Digital documentation allows scholars to more fully record larger amounts of historic building
fabric. One area of potential benefit is roof framing. While hand- recorded transverse and
longitudinal sections can record point- and length- derived building data, digitally recording a
roof system with laser scanning or photogrammetry provides nuanced and detailed
information about construction and variation among framing components.
• Digital technology also allows for new perspectives on the relationship among buildings in the
landscape. A scaled photogram metric image of the historic built environment also allows for
quantitative assessments of the landscape, with the ability to measure distances among
structures and landscape features, and also the ability to export photogrammetric models into
geographic information systems software for more sophisticated quantitative analysis.
• Digital documentation technology also provides new avenues to organize and present our
work to a diverse audience.
• Virtual reality applications for historic built environments
• Scanning or capturing a building using digital tools does not necessarily provide interpretive
data. Often only after digital information is translated to more traditional 2- D representations
is it useful for interpretive purposes. In this context, one advantage of digital over analog data
is that with the raw data any number of scholars can translate and generate renderings.
As described in the introduction, interpreting buildings involves an active engagement with
architectural fabric. the recorder is not actively engaged with the architectural fabric, what an onlooker
once described to me as a person who merely hits a button and waits for the results.
Thus, a careful and considered hybrid approach leveraging these digital tools is the optimal way to
make the most of our documentation methodologies. We cannot merely press buttons instead of
pulling tapes.
3. Manalee Nanavati (2021). Documenting Vernacular Architecture: An Anthropological
Approach to Architecture. Landscape Journal. Available online. Accessed from :
[Link]
[Link]
4. IDCRC (2014). Building documentation Booklet: volume I. Ahmedabad. Design Innovation and
Craft Resource Centre (DICRC), CEPT University. Available online. Accessed from :
[Link]
5. Fortenberry, B.R. (2019). Research Notes: Digital Documentation in Vernacular Architecture
Studies. Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum 26(2), Available
online. Accessed from:
[Link]
ar_Architecture_Studies