#vernacular — Public Fediverse posts

here's a random paperpost, from 25 April 2025:

The Brick Index
https://www.paperposts.me/the-brick-index

#books #typography #photographic #UK #vernacular #paperpost #British

heres a random paperpost, from 25 April 2025:

The Brick Index
https://www.paperposts.me/the-brick-index

#books #typography #photographic #UK #vernacular #paperpost #British

14 English words students learn differently if their teacher is American vs. British

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/14-american-vs-british-words-ex1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=14-american-vs-british-words-ex1

some #shadowtype
#typography #vernacular

Horsecart painting, a folk art rooted in the Ottoman ornamentation tradition that once shaped regional visual culture, has largely been disappeared. In this article (in Turkish), I documented the life and work of Enver Ertaban, one of the last commercial painters in the city of Bursa, in an attempt to preserve the memory of this lost visual tradition.

🔗 https://doi.org/10.32547/ataunigsed.658285

#folkart #horsecartpaintings #vernacular #bursa

RE: https://typo.social/@jackusine/116063044048452337

Très heureux d’avoir pu filer un coup de main à la finalisation de ce superbe projet ♥

En plus du système de filtres combinant 15 techniques, 14 catégories, 29 séries, 42 départements et 13 styles, la recherche et le bouton Mélanger ◼ sont à votre disposition pour explorer les 1705 photos (!) récoltées entre 2004 et 2019 par @jackusine

#SignPainting #SignWriting #Lettering #GhostSigns #Typography #Vernacular #MadeWithKirby

In Southern California the phrase "coffee shop" used to mean "diner", but now it means a place that you can lounge around in with espresso drinks. See e.g. the pictured sign: Jack's started up in 1933. Does anyone have any idea when this changed? I feel like it was sometime in the 90s but don't really know.

I'm also curious how widespread this usage was (or is, if it's still used anywhere). Just Southern California? All of California? Elsewhere?

#LosAngeles #SouthernCalifornia #California #CoffeeShop #Diner #Localism #Dialects #Vernacular

Came across this on my old blog. It's from a small book put out by the Herb Lubalin Study Center, in 1993 - Lift and Separate, graphic design and the "vernacular"
Sorry, I will need to dig out the book to credit the writer. But I too remember this feeling

#graphicdesign #vernacular #letraset
http://www.paperposts.me/lift-and-separate-a-graphic-design-journal/

House in #Ierissos, Greece, with #architecture elements from the traditional, #vernacular style of #Macedonia:
A protruding volume supported by inclined timber beams; two levels, with stone walls in the lower part and lighter materials above; wood shutters; windows decorated with wooden frame.
Many such buildings can be seen in the old town of #Arnaia.
However, Ierissos is a newer village, and the depicted house is recent, imitating the traditional style. #WindowFriday #FensterFreitag

New at https://bl.ag online, ‘Joe Farrugia: Keeping Malta’s ‘Tberfil’ Artform on the Road’, where we meet the last painter practising this vernacular style of Maltese vehicle decoration.

https://bl.ag/joe-farrugia-keeping-maltas-tberfil-artform-on-the-road/

#SignPainting #SignPainters #Vehicles #Malta #Vernacular #Artform #DecorativeArts

Door of the Rübacherhof, a farm in #Marlengo, Italy. #doorsday #vernacular #architecture #facade

another #british #english #vernacular quirk i just reckoned:

y’all in the UK say HAPPY christmas instead of MERRY christmas. am just wondering now, what do Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand go with when there’s no USians around?

why HAPPY christmas? why do y’all don’t do MERRY christmases?

yes, am being a nosy ESOL dingbat 🤓

cinema electronic poster screen is going dotty
#typography #vernacular #foundtype

#Cob, a #vernacular earth #construction process in the context of modern #sustainable building

Erwan Hamard, et al.

"The will of reducing environmental and social impact of building industry has led to a renewed interest in #EarthConstruction. Most of earth construction literature dealt with #RammedEarth or #Adobe techniques, but very little with cob. Yet, cob participates in the diversity of #vernacular earth construction processes that value local materials and is an alternative to rammed earth and adobe in specific geographical conditions.

"#Conservation of cob heritage also requires a better knowledge of this vernacular construction process. This bibliographical analysis gathered extensive data on cob process and summarized the different cob process variations, attempting to take into account their diversity. This analysis allowed us to provide novel data on cob process, and more specifically, a clear definition of cob with regard to other earth construction processes, a first summarized description of cob process that clearly distinguished its variations, a list of fibres traditionally employed, values and, if possible, average and standard deviation for fibre length, fibre content, manufacture water content, drying times, lift heights and wall thicknesses, a summary of the strategies to manage shrinkage cracks, a criterion on the quality of implementation and/or earth for cob, based on slenderness ration of lifts and a discussion on the evolution of cob process with regard to societal evolutions."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132316302165

#SolarPunkSunday #SustainableMaterials #AncientTechnologies #Adaptation #SustainableConstruction #CobBuilding #BuildingMaintenance #HistoricPreservation #Restoration #NewBuildingTechniques #History #Science

#Cob, a #vernacular earth #construction process in the context of modern #sustainable building

Erwan Hamard, et al.

"The will of reducing environmental and social impact of building industry has led to a renewed interest in #EarthConstruction. Most of earth construction literature dealt with #RammedEarth or #Adobe techniques, but very little with cob. Yet, cob participates in the diversity of #vernacular earth construction processes that value local materials and is an alternative to rammed earth and adobe in specific geographical conditions.

"#Conservation of cob heritage also requires a better knowledge of this vernacular construction process. This bibliographical analysis gathered extensive data on cob process and summarized the different cob process variations, attempting to take into account their diversity. This analysis allowed us to provide novel data on cob process, and more specifically, a clear definition of cob with regard to other earth construction processes, a first summarized description of cob process that clearly distinguished its variations, a list of fibres traditionally employed, values and, if possible, average and standard deviation for fibre length, fibre content, manufacture water content, drying times, lift heights and wall thicknesses, a summary of the strategies to manage shrinkage cracks, a criterion on the quality of implementation and/or earth for cob, based on slenderness ration of lifts and a discussion on the evolution of cob process with regard to societal evolutions."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132316302165

#SolarPunkSunday #SustainableMaterials #AncientTechnologies #Adaptation #SustainableConstruction #CobBuilding #BuildingMaintenance #HistoricPreservation #Restoration #NewBuildingTechniques #History #Science

#Cob, a #vernacular earth #construction process in the context of modern #sustainable building

Erwan Hamard, et al.

"The will of reducing environmental and social impact of building industry has led to a renewed interest in #EarthConstruction. Most of earth construction literature dealt with #RammedEarth or #Adobe techniques, but very little with cob. Yet, cob participates in the diversity of #vernacular earth construction processes that value local materials and is an alternative to rammed earth and adobe in specific geographical conditions.

"#Conservation of cob heritage also requires a better knowledge of this vernacular construction process. This bibliographical analysis gathered extensive data on cob process and summarized the different cob process variations, attempting to take into account their diversity. This analysis allowed us to provide novel data on cob process, and more specifically, a clear definition of cob with regard to other earth construction processes, a first summarized description of cob process that clearly distinguished its variations, a list of fibres traditionally employed, values and, if possible, average and standard deviation for fibre length, fibre content, manufacture water content, drying times, lift heights and wall thicknesses, a summary of the strategies to manage shrinkage cracks, a criterion on the quality of implementation and/or earth for cob, based on slenderness ration of lifts and a discussion on the evolution of cob process with regard to societal evolutions."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132316302165

#SolarPunkSunday #SustainableMaterials #AncientTechnologies #Adaptation #SustainableConstruction #CobBuilding #BuildingMaintenance #HistoricPreservation #Restoration #NewBuildingTechniques #History #Science

#Cob, a #vernacular earth #construction process in the context of modern #sustainable building

Erwan Hamard, et al.

"The will of reducing environmental and social impact of building industry has led to a renewed interest in #EarthConstruction. Most of earth construction literature dealt with #RammedEarth or #Adobe techniques, but very little with cob. Yet, cob participates in the diversity of #vernacular earth construction processes that value local materials and is an alternative to rammed earth and adobe in specific geographical conditions.

"#Conservation of cob heritage also requires a better knowledge of this vernacular construction process. This bibliographical analysis gathered extensive data on cob process and summarized the different cob process variations, attempting to take into account their diversity. This analysis allowed us to provide novel data on cob process, and more specifically, a clear definition of cob with regard to other earth construction processes, a first summarized description of cob process that clearly distinguished its variations, a list of fibres traditionally employed, values and, if possible, average and standard deviation for fibre length, fibre content, manufacture water content, drying times, lift heights and wall thicknesses, a summary of the strategies to manage shrinkage cracks, a criterion on the quality of implementation and/or earth for cob, based on slenderness ration of lifts and a discussion on the evolution of cob process with regard to societal evolutions."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132316302165

#SolarPunkSunday #SustainableMaterials #AncientTechnologies #Adaptation #SustainableConstruction #CobBuilding #BuildingMaintenance #HistoricPreservation #Restoration #NewBuildingTechniques #History #Science

#Cob, a #vernacular earth #construction process in the context of modern #sustainable building

Erwan Hamard, et al.

"The will of reducing environmental and social impact of building industry has led to a renewed interest in #EarthConstruction. Most of earth construction literature dealt with #RammedEarth or #Adobe techniques, but very little with cob. Yet, cob participates in the diversity of #vernacular earth construction processes that value local materials and is an alternative to rammed earth and adobe in specific geographical conditions.

"#Conservation of cob heritage also requires a better knowledge of this vernacular construction process. This bibliographical analysis gathered extensive data on cob process and summarized the different cob process variations, attempting to take into account their diversity. This analysis allowed us to provide novel data on cob process, and more specifically, a clear definition of cob with regard to other earth construction processes, a first summarized description of cob process that clearly distinguished its variations, a list of fibres traditionally employed, values and, if possible, average and standard deviation for fibre length, fibre content, manufacture water content, drying times, lift heights and wall thicknesses, a summary of the strategies to manage shrinkage cracks, a criterion on the quality of implementation and/or earth for cob, based on slenderness ration of lifts and a discussion on the evolution of cob process with regard to societal evolutions."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132316302165

#SolarPunkSunday #SustainableMaterials #AncientTechnologies #Adaptation #SustainableConstruction #CobBuilding #BuildingMaintenance #HistoricPreservation #Restoration #NewBuildingTechniques #History #Science

[Academic Paywall] Can Smart #Technology and #TraditionalWisdom Craft Truly #Sustainable Built Environments?

Building and Environment
Volume 267, Part B, 1 January 2025, Christina Priavolou

"The built environment significantly impacts global resource consumption and energy usage, accounting for 40 % of annual utilisation. Within this substantial ecological footprint lies the potential for transformation towards sustainability. By channeling insights from traditional practices and synthesising them with academic research, this article presents an innovative approach aiming to create built environments that are both technologically smart and deeply rooted in local wisdom.

Built environment developments often result in structures that stand as isolated entities, disconnected from their surroundings. Instead of endorsing standalone structures, this article advocates for collective actions that respect local elements. At its core, it seeks to leverage the rich insights from traditional knowledge and combine them with academic scholarship, acknowledging the contribution of traditional wisdom in addressing local needs and identities. The primary focus is on exploring how structures within the built environment can be crafted to provide both smart and context-appropriate responses to the imperative of sustainability.

The advent of Industry 4.0 technologies like Building Information Modeling and laser scanning has revolutionised the construction industry by optimising material use, energy consumption and aligning construction processes with sustainable design principles. In response to the impending Industry 4.0 revolution and the advent of such digital technologies, it becomes increasingly evident that addressing environmental concerns requires more than just smart solutions . In that respect, it is acknowledged that the built environment is a complex interplay of aesthetics, technology, environmental considerations, and societal intricacies, necessitating a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to tackle such challenges comprehensively.

Drawing from historical architectural records and built environment planning doctrines, which emphasise the importance of creating meaningful, sustainable spaces in harmony with local contexts, this approach aims to bridge the gap between globalised patterns and traditional wisdom. The #vernacular field, coined by Illich, encapsulates the essence of local wisdom, needs, and identities. The growing interest in vernacular architecture underscores its significant environmental value and ability to foster diversity linked to local climate, landscape, materials, and way of life. Moreover, previous studies have shown that integrating traditional construction techniques can offer unique solutions to contemporary sustainability challenges. For instance, Hamard et al. demonstrated how natural building materials such as cob and straw, when combined with passive design strategies, can reduce building energy consumption by up to 50 % depending on climate conditions and design features. Similarly, Nguyen et al. highlighted the adaptability of vernacular architecture in response to local climate conditions, demonstrating its potential to improve energy efficiency by reducing heating and cooling loads by 30–60 %. Ozorhon and Ozorhon [10] have also stressed the importance of actively engaging local communities in preserving cultural heritage, which fosters community ownership and resilience, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and socially cohesive outcomes.

Ιn response to pressing global environmental challenges and events, such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, this article seeks to trigger discussions for timely and holistic solutions to built environment challenges, reflecting local contexts while aligning with global sustainability goals. It seeks to enrich our understanding of how the integration of modern technology with traditional knowledge can lead to more sustainable, resilient, and community-focused built environments. This study delves into three key themes: holistic planning with traditional insights, the role of technology and multidisciplinary approaches, and the need for resilient and community-centric solutions.

Through two exploratory case studies in Greece, the article illustrates how applying these themes can create sustainable and contextually appropriate built environments while discussing the concept of convivial construction and its implications for fostering inclusive and sustainable built environments."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132324010473

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalTechnology #SolarPunk #sustainability #Vernacular #ClimateChangeAdaptation #BuildingForClimateChange #LookToThePast #BuildForTheFuture

Architects as Mediators: Three Cases of Dialogue Between Communities, Governments, and Businesses in the Global South

Rural House in Puebla / Comunal Tal…
#NewsBeep #News #Artsanddesign #ADTopics #ArchDailyTopic2025ArchitectureWithoutLimits #Architecture #Arts #ArtsAndDesign #Co-Design #community #ComunalTallerdeArquitectura #Design #Entertainment #GlobalSouth #India #mexico #Pakistan #SEALAB #UK #UnitedKingdom #Vernacular #VernacularArchitecture #YasmeenLari
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/186513/

Just love this modest building close to the sea near #Ierissos, Greece. Ultimately, it is a simple block, like so many contemporary buildings. But the addition of an outer layer of balconies/verandas protects it from overheating and, with the addition of the arches and concrete balustrades, gives it an aesthetic quality. There are no expensive elements here, and yet the result is beautiful and adapted to the local conditions. #vernacular #architecture #facade

1/2 In the area around #Ierissos, Greece, a common feature of many houses is the presence of numerous #grilles and enclosures made of steel bars, often painted in bright colors. They often feature interesting designs, though they often do not match between various parts of the building. I really like them, and I’m pleased to report that even newer buildings often continue incorporating distinctive designs. #vernacular #architecture #ornaments

Blue door and blue gate in #Ierissos, Greece. #doorsday #vernacular #architecture #blue

Traditional building in #NeaRoda, rural Greece, likely from the 1920s–1930s. The damaged plaster reveals that walls were constructed using low-cost timber and mortar. One side—the north facade—is covered in metal sheets to protect it from harsh weather. The picture captures the sides facing public roads, while the rear features a private garden with a balcony. This is nearby the #Ierissos buildings I shared recently, which used similar #construction techniques. #vernacular #architecture

You may think that you've heard this ditty somewhere before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcDu9LY2-oU
#music #vernacular #dialect #HumanLeague #Sheffield

🏗️ Tear it down they said... but he kept on building

(looks like China has an answer to the Watts Towers!)

#buildings #housing #china #law #tourism #awesome #architecture #vernacular

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/19/world/asia/china-demolition-house.html

🆓 https://archive.ph/vhnp4

was looking at a vintage folding rule my partner has. it’s one of those beautifully crafted wooden, boxwood and brass tools. it’s by Hockley Abbey (John Rabone and Sons tools in Birmingham, UK). common thing as they were making 27,000 a week by 1945!
but it’s the #numerals that i’m taken by, look at the curls on the 2 and 3.
#typography #vintageTools #vernacular

Currently on BBC Sounds: Melvyn Bragg & guests – Michael Boardman & Rhiannon Purdie of the University of St Andrews,, & Steve Boardman of the University of Edinburgh – discuss ideas of chivalry & freedom in John Barbour's c.1375 epic, the earliest surviving poem in Older Scots

3/3

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002dpm8

#Scottish #literature #poetry #medieval #14thcentury #history #MiddleAges #Bannockburn #epic #vernacular #poem #Scots #Scotslanguage #chivalry

Back to the Future: The Bruce & Relevance to the 21st-Century Reader

“Scotland’s Iliad and Odyssey rolled into one”—Christine Robinson discusses how John Barbour’s #medieval epic poem is a liberating text for modern writers & speakers of Scots

2/3

📷Duncan Cumming: Barbour quotation, Makars’ Court, Edinburgh

#Scottish #literature #poetry #medieval #14thcentury #history #MiddleAges #Bannockburn #epic #vernacular #poem #Scots #Scotslanguage

“Love In My Pocket”: How Writing in Modern, Accessible Language Connects Contemporary Audiences with Timeless Ideas

Preface: I was listening to one of my favorite songs, “Love in my Pocket” by Rich Brian, this morning, when I conceived a shitpost idea about an imaginary essay on this very thing. I posted the shitpost (which I’ll include a screenshot of below). I knew I would probably get at least one person jokingly asking “where’s the essay, OP??”, in the comments. So I decided that even if no one asked, I would give them the goddamned essay whether they wanted it or not, because I am bored and miss writing essays. I also love this song. It will likely be genuinely academic in nature but conversational in tone, with direct links to citations rather than a formal bibliography because I’M TIRED. However, if this genuinely attracts attention, I will go back and make a formal bibliography. So, without further ado, here’s the essay.

“Love In My Pocket”: How Writing in Modern, Accessible Language Connects Contemporary Audiences with Timeless Ideas

For centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire at the hands of Odoacer in 476 AD, the only semblance of law, order, and knowledge in Europe came at the hands of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church kept Latin alive in their services and texts, and it became the language of the rich and educated. Much of the poor population never learned to read in their mother tongues, much less Latin, as before Johannes Gutenberg brought the printing press to Europe around 1440, books were painstakingly written and copied by hand in monasteries and were prohibitively time consuming and expensive to make. As a result, knowledge, and therefore power, was almost exclusively in the hands of the wealthy and powerful and entirely outside of the hands of the lower classes. This created a system of government known as feudalism, with the Pope, the head of the Church, as the most powerful force in the land, the kings subservient to him, various lords and knights subservient to the kings, clergy to enforce the Pope’s will, and an entire set of classes of people beneath all of them who couldn’t own land, who were the property of the lords, and were deliberately kept from knowledge so that they could be easier to control. Is any of this starting to sound familiar to you, dear readers? Does it perhaps resemble our modern system? Don’t worry, I’m getting to my point.

All of this started to change when a few things happened. First, there was a devastating pandemic that swept through Europe that became known as the Black Death. A particularly nasty strain of the bubonic plague that was transmitted initially by infected flea bites, it quickly hopped from fleas to rats that had stowed away on Asian ships that were on their way to besiege key European ports, to the infected corpses themselves that were then used as biological weapons against the besieged ports.

The Black Death then swept through Europe, killing millions and causing an enormous labor shortage. The surviving peasants quickly realized that they had an advantage over the surviving landowners, and banded together to form guilds to leverage their skills and collectively bargain for better wages, treatment, and power. This tactic worked, as the landowners really had no defense against the peasants at this point, as everyone they knew was dead, there was no one left to back them up, and they had to bargain with the guilds to get anything done. The guilds then started to get rich and powerful for the first time in European history, giving rise to what is now known as the middle class as they soon got wealthy enough to own land of their own without the previous requirement of a title. Welcome to the early Renaissance, people.

Then, something else happened. Remember that Gutenberg guy? He was a goldsmith and he wanted to make books faster and easier to make. Improving on screw presses already available, he made a commercially viable movable type printing press around 1440. Boom. Books. Books galore. Now the people didn’t have to copy books by hand. They could simply print them and they were in business.

However, that wasn’t the only interesting thing happening. The common people weren’t just interested in breaking away from the lords. They were giving the Church the finger, as well. Remember, many people didn’t understand Latin, the language of the rich and educated. So they figured, “We’re not clergymen or princes. Why should we write in Latin?” When these mass produced books started coming into fashion, people started writing in their local language about what was going on about what was going on around them. This phenomenon is called “writing in the vernacular”.

Two very popular stories at the time that the common people connected with were about people hanging out in the Black Plague and written in the common people’s respective vernacular. One, written in the form of English spoken at the time, was the Canterbury Tales, written by the poet, diplomat, and civil servant Geoffrey Chaucer from 1387 to 1400. It technically predates the printing press by about 40 years, but it’s bawdy, it’s sad, it’s high drama for the ages. It connected the common people with themes that they could relate to in language they could understand and it entertained them during a very dark time.

Another, the Decameron, was written in Italian by Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio, for Italians. It’s another high drama vernacular story intended to completely make fun of the city-state of Florence in a wickedly black comedy style and tone. Yet again, the vernacular connected the people of the time with ideas they resonated with using accessible language with a healthy dose of dark humor and wit.

Similar things are happening today. We may not have a printing press, but we saw similar things happening during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns with people connecting on apps such as TikTok over people and topics that were accessible to them for perhaps the first time in their lives.

Much of academia and literature is written and taught to young people in a way that is inaccessible to them, and many educators don’t know, don’t care, or do not have the means to connect with their students, as the public school system in the United States is ill equipped to prepare students to be anything different than the modern equivalent of the peasants of the Middle Ages, and teachers are burnt out and exhausted.

Therefore, I would argue that modern music that uses language that is accessible to the young people of today is no different than the authors of the early Renaissance who wrote in their local vernacular, and they are following in that proud, rebellious tradition. An excellent example of an artist who connects with his audience using modern vernacular is the singer and social media star Rich Brian. He was discovered via various social media platforms, and his music took off. He blends shock, awe, comedy, relatable themes and lyrics, and catchy hooks to create a distinct sound that sounds like he’s having fun. He has made mistakes in creating a name for himself just like any human being, but has apologized and taken accountability for those mistakes. He’s also an immigrant and overall I love his music and his story.

Take his song “Love in My Pocket,” for example. When he sings, “I’ve got love up in my pocket, and I don’t know what to do with it,” he is making the concepts of unrequited love and grief accessible to a modern, common audience just as the early vernacular writers of the Renaissance did when they stopped writing in Latin and started writing in their native tongues.

In conclusion, the next time you’re tempted to scoff at modern popular music, ask yourself what themes the artist is trying to convey to their audience in the artist’s (and the audience’s) vernacular instead. Unrequited love? Grief? Wonder? Anger? Language changes, people, and writing in one’s own vernacular as well as the free spread of information is a proud, rebellious tradition that helps the common people break free from oppression and fear.

QED, or as they would say in the modern vernacular, mic drop.

Stay tuned for more magic, people. I love y’all immensely. ✨

Your now very brain fogged sorcerer (I chugged a Red Bull to make this essay happen), Lazarus.

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#Boccaccio #CanterburyTales #Catholicism #Chaucer #christofascisn #declineAndFallOfRome #education #essay #freedom #IMissWritingEssays #IMBored #JohannesGutenberg #MiddleAges #oppression #printingPress #publicSchools #serfdom #TikTok #vernacular #worldHistoryISMyRomanEmpireGoddamnit #writingInTheVernacular

Now up, @cnDuKeli of @tcdh and Rongqian Ma speaking at #DH2024 about #intertextuality of embedded #poetry in #Ming and #Qing #vernacular writing. Based on 360 embedded poems from 18 novels.

#Ancient #Architecture Might Be Key to Creating Climate-Resilient Buildings

Vernacular architecture is a way to use a region's heritage and resources to build strong homes and cities.

by Angely Mercado

"The United States has braved a year of multiple billion dollar weather disasters over the past couple of years. In 2021 alone, there were record-breaking #heatwaves , a #winterstorm that shut down cities across #Texas, multiple #hurricanes, record-breaking #wildfires, #tornadoes and #hail storms. All of which damaged public and private property and harmed people across the country.

"Part of preparing for even more extreme weather to come as a result of the #ClimateCrisis, is investing in resilient #infrastructure–something the current administration has already proposed. While building infrastructure may sound like a feat fit for futuristic technology, around the world climate-proofing has been happening already for centuries in the form of vernacular architecture. This form of architecture is defined by the use of traditional materials native to that particular region.

"According to a report in Oxford Urbanists, there is a possibility of a resurgence of vernacular architecture. Otherwise known as traditional, cultural design methods unique to a particular region, vernacular architecture is an alternative to the 'international style' of Eurocentric homes that took off globally after the first world war. Throughout the 20th century, 'identical skyscrapers, airports, malls and gas stations became icons of modern cities,' the report points out. However, those structures are not always made with climate change in mind, and don’t rely on locally sourced materials or local #cultural knowledge. Those homes were not made for the entire world’s diverse array of weather events like hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes. Drawing on vernacular architecture could be a way of making our cities more resilient to an ever-changing climate.

"A well-known example of cultural and regional identity through vernacular architecture is #Pueblo architecture. The permanent, attached homes modeled after the cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Pueblo (#Anasazi) culture first appeared around the year 1150 AD continue to be used by Pueblo peoples today. A common revival of the style called Santa Fe style, a mix of Pueblo architecture and Spanish colonial architecture, can be found in southwestern states like #Arizona and #NewMexico. Pueblo inspired homes that used dried mud often constructed with locally sourced materials. The thick mud walls are great insulation for both extreme heat and are made to protect residents from especially hot days and from cool desert nights.

"Across similarly sweltering Southern US states, vernacular architecture in the form of shotgun houses feature high ceilings for heat to rise up to, doors that are aligned to improve circulation into the home without costly AC bills.

"In some of the most heat-impacted places on the planet, #vernacular architecture is already being used worldwide in response to climate issues. Architects and designers are not just turning to local materials, they’re turning to #historical design to work around energy needs. Traditional #Arabian techniques like #mashrabiya have been incorporated into iconic modern buildings in Abu Dhabi, a city in one of the most heat-threatened countries in the world. Architects in #Morocco, which is especially vulnerable to climate change, have incorporated vernacular design, like large north-facing windows and smaller south-facing windows to bring in natural light while maximizing air flow for natural cooling and ventilation in public buildings like schools.

"'We wanted to retrieve a sense of heritage, but in a modern way,' Moroccan architect Driss Kettani told CNN. 'We tried to use the same (energy-efficient) solutions found in the small earthen towns in the south of Morocco.'

"These techniques can be used anywhere, even areas of the world with less-obvious climate impacts. Chris Lawson, the managing director at UK-based design firm CK Architectural says that the firm has worked in the #Cotswolds area, which is filled with towns that can source their own building materials. Woods used in the homes can come from local #trees that are already adapted for the English weather, which makes them an ideal building material. Builders are able to excavate the local limestone they need to build homes, a climate-friendly alternative to materials that often have to be transported from elsewhere and weren’t built to withstand the local weather.

"'It was incredibly strong, easy to find, a solid insulator from the Great British weather, and environmentally friendly due to no transportation requirements too,' he explains. 'This can be done across the whole world too.'"

Source:
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/ancient-architecture-might-be-key-to-creating-climate-resilient-buildings?utm_source=pocket-newtab

#SolarPunkSunday #SolarPunk #AncientTechnologies #Vernacular #AncientArchitecture #BuildForClimateChange