Vernacular Architecture

Vernacular heritage, also referred to as traditional, anonymous, native or indigenous to a specific time and place, is the architecture of the people. It is related to the environmental context and available resources, it is customarily owner or community built, utilizing traditional technologies and local materials. According to Paul Oliver all forms of vernacular architecture are built to meet specific needs, accommodating the values, economies and ways of life of the cultures that produce them. Vernacular dwellings, throughout the years, have been continually reused, adapted to the local conditions and survived as cultural testimonies providing a direct link with the past. The satisfaction of human needs with simple means, the use of traditional local materials and available resources, as well as the incorporation of environmental design principles, give them a sustainable identity.