In 1964, Bernard Rudofsky curated the exhibition Architecture Without Architects at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, thereby drawing the attention of the postwar Western public to traditional architectures, rescuing them from the ignominy to which they had been consigned by the 'national' ideologies of Europe in the 1930s. In the early 1980s, Ivan Illich published a number of radical critiques of modernity in which he drew attention to 'vernacular' values, proposing a trenchant but hospitable definition of this term. It derives from Roman law, in which everything produced within the household for consumption within the household and not for sale or exchange is vernacular. In order to locate this proposition within the field of architectural criticism, this book borrows with ironic intent part of the title of Robert Venturi's celebrated work, Learning from Las Vegas (1977), which launched the fashion for post-modernism in architecture. Taking advantage of a collection of maquettes of vernacular architecture (the only one of its kind in the world), whose special attributes he highlights and whose value he underlines, the author selects contemporary realisations by architects from Africa, Asia, America and Europe that seem to him to constitute a 'new vernacular architecture'. The emphasis here is on materials available on the fringes of the market, on the safeguarding and development of traditional know-how, on the social role of the architect and on the teaching of architecture.

The architectural community has had a strong and continuing interest in traditional and vernacular architecture. Lessons from Vernacular Architecture takes lessons directly from traditional and vernacular architecture and offers them to the reader as guidance and inspiration for new buildings. The appropriate technical and social solutions provided by vernacular and traditional architecture are analysed in detail. International case studies focus on environmental design aspects of traditional architecture in a broad range of climatic conditions and building types.

Local communities have adapted for centuries to challenging surroundings, resulting from unforeseen natural hazards. Vernacular architecture often reveals very intelligent responses attuned to the environment. Therefore, the question that emerged was: how did local populations prepare their dwellings to face frequent earthquakes? It was to respond to this gap in knowledge, that the SEISMIC-V research project was instigated, and this interdisciplinary international publication was prepared. The research revealed the existence of a local seismic culture, in terms of reactive or preventive seismic resistant measures, able to survive, if properly maintained, in areas with frequent earthquakes. The fundamental contribution and aims of the publication were to enhance: -The disciplinary interest in vernacular architecture; -Its contribution to risk mitigation in responding to natural hazards; -To encourage academic and scientific research collaboration among different disciplines; -To contribute to the improvement of vernacular dwellings, which half of the world’s population still inhabits nowadays. Fifty international researchers and experts presented case studies from Latin America, the Mediterranean, Eastern and Central Asia and the Himalayas region, with reference to 20 countries, i.e. Algeria, Bolivia, Bhutan, Chile, China, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey and a closer detailed analysis of Portugal. This publication brings together 43 contributions, with new perspectives on seismic retrofitting techniques and relevant data, addressing vernacular architecture; an amazing source of knowledge, and to this day, home to 4 billion people.

A novel approach to STEAM learning that engages students from historically marginalized communities in culturally relevant and inclusive maker education. The growing maker movement in education has become an integral part of both STEM and STEAM learning, tapping into the natural DIY inclinations of creative people as well as the educational power of inventing or making things. And yet African American, Latino/a American, and Indigenous people are underrepresented in maker culture and education. In this book, Nettrice Gaskins proposes a novel approach to STEAM learning that engages students from historically marginalized communities in culturally relevant and inclusive maker education. Techno-vernacular creativity (TVC) connects technical literacy, equity, and culture, encompassing creative innovations produced by ethnic groups that are often overlooked. TVC uses three main modes of activity: reappropriation, remixing, and improvisation. Gaskins looks at each of the three modes in turn, guiding readers from research into practice. Drawing on real-world examples, she shows how TVC creates dynamic learning environments where underrepresented ethnic students feel that they belong. Students who remix computationally, for instance, have larger toolkits of computational skills with which to connect cultural practices to STEAM subjects; reappropriation offers a way to navigate cultural repertoires; improvisation is firmly rooted in cultural and creative practices. Finally, Gaskins explores an equity-oriented approach that makes a distinction between conventional or dominant pedagogical approaches and culturally relevant or responsive making methods and practices. She describes TVC habits of mind and suggests methods of instructions and projects.

« Invitation to Vernacular Architecture: A Guide to the Study of Ordinary Buildings and Landscapes is a manual for exploring and interpreting vernacular architecture, the common buildings of particular regions and time periods. Thomas Carter and Elizabeth Collins Cromley provide a comprehensive introduction to the field. » « Rich with illustrations and written in a clear and jargon-free style, Invitation to Vernacular Architecture is an ideal text for courses in architecture, material culture studies, historic preservation, American studies, and history, and a useful guide for anyone interested in the built environment. »--

Local communities have adapted for centuries to challenging surroundings, resulting from unforeseen natural hazards. Vernacular architecture often reveals very intelligent responses attuned to the environment. Therefore, the question that emerged was: how did local populations prepare their dwellings to face frequent earthquakes? It was to respond to this gap in knowledge, that the SEISMIC-V research project was instigated, and this interdisciplinary international publication was prepared. The research revealed the existence of a local seismic culture, in terms of reactive or preventive seismic resistant measures, able to survive, if properly maintained, in areas with frequent earthquakes. The fundamental contribution and aims of the publication were to enhance: -The disciplinary interest in vernacular architecture; -Its contribution to risk mitigation in responding to natural hazards; -To encourage academic and scientific research collaboration among different disciplines; -To contribute to the improvement of vernacular dwellings, which half of the world’s population still inhabits nowadays. Fifty international researchers and experts presented case studies from Latin America, the Mediterranean, Eastern and Central Asia and the Himalayas region, with reference to 20 countries, i.e. Algeria, Bolivia, Bhutan, Chile, China, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey and a closer detailed analysis of Portugal. This publication brings together 43 contributions, with new perspectives on seismic retrofitting techniques and relevant data, addressing vernacular architecture; an amazing source of knowledge, and to this day, home to 4 billion people.

The study of vernacular architecture explores the characteristics of domestic buildings in particular regions or localities, and the many social and cultural factors that have contributed to their evolution. In this book, vernacular architecture specialist Paul Oliver brings together a wealth of information that spans over two decades, and the whole globe. Some previously unpublished papers, as well as those only available in hard to find conference proceedings, are brought together in one volume to form a fascinating reference for students and professional architects, as well as all those involved with planning housing schemes in their home countries and overseas.