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Developmental vernacular architecture
A peasant never talks about art, he makes it.
Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor
John Linam, my classmate at Virginia Tech 1990-1995, explored the concept of developmental vernacular architecture in his Master’s Thesis. It is also a subject on which we have corresponded for years and seems to be gaining increased relevance.
In Linam’s words:
Vernacular architecture is that which we attribute to the �unknown� craftsmen of societies and places which have a certain identifiable presence.
Developmental vernacular refers to the idea that indigenous architectures may be modified and advanced to increase standards of living while retaining a sense of place. The work of Hassan Fathy in the New Gourna Village, Egypt is an example of this type; where local architects worked with local peasant workers and traditional construction techniques to define a new community vernacular.
It seems a bit strange to use this term, as if it were something distinct from the whole of vernacular architecture. It could rightly be said the true nature of all vernacular architecture is to always be in a state of development. It is the building type which typically best acknowledges the notion of the permanence of change. Forms differ over locations, yet converge over time. In this sense we might see our worst examples of urban sprawl as the best examples of the modern vernacular. A scary thought.
Yet, the term is really meant to describe an approach to sustainable design in ‘poor’ communities. Using local techniques and materials in conjunction with an ‘advanced’ construction method or ‘innovative’ design, is thought to be a reasonable solution for responsible development in the rapidly developing third world. Maybe, with this concept also comes the desire of foreign designers involved in such work to appear ‘sympathetic’ and the fear of appearing ethnocentric and oppressive. Still, the intention is good. The balance between improving a standard of living while maintaining a cultural character is certainly a worthwhile pursuit.
And if that is the case, I believe the idea has potential power for use in more than just the ‘disadvantaged’ communities of the world; great potential in fact. This of course depends on one’s inclination towards phenomenological theories and values the importance of ‘sense of place.’ As difficult as it may be to define, I feel, it is one of the most critical aspects, if not the most critical, of our built environment. Certainly the built environment has its troubles in terms of pollution, loss of natural habitat, and population densities, but I contend that underlying all of these problems is that relative loss of that sense of place, or at least a loss of the respect for such a sense. In other words, once a place is stripped (literally or just in the mind) of its culturally assigned character, doesn’t it then become easier to justify the practices that lead to the more easily recognizable problems.
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