Vernacular Architecture

Vernacular architecture is the traditional, indigenous, or native architecture of any

particular place or region, which is frequently created over time by trial and error rather than being

built by professional architects. It is generally functional, reflecting the users' demands, resources,

and cultural values. Vernacular architecture is frequently distinguished by its strong engagement

to the natural environment and the use of locally accessible materials and construction techniques.

It can encompass a wide range of constructions, such as homes, barns, sheds, temples, and other

buildings that are customized to the local climate, scenery, and lifestyle (Urban Design lab

Educations Pvt. Ltd., 2023).

Interest in vernacular-built heritage emerged in nineteenth-century England as a critical

response to the industrialization process. Supported by John Ruskin's teachings, the Arts and Crafts

movement discovered in the vernacular a way to return to craftsmanship utilizing respect for

material nature and the preservation of old practices. Traditional structures became a vital resource

for understanding human societies and their cultural activities when academic disciplines like

anthropology and ethnography developed. Bernard Rudofsky was the first to introduce the term

'vernacular' in an architectural context as a synonym for 'anonymous' or 'spontaneous' following

the 1964 exhibition 'Architecture without Architects' at the New York Modern Art Museum.

During the same period, Amos Rapoport investigated the shape of homes for various vernacular

groups to discover the driving causes, suggesting that social and cultural variables had a greater

impact on the formation of the form than physical and environmental ones (Fuentes, 2023).

Characteristics of Vernacular Architecture

Characteristics of vernacular architecture include the following: (1) Vernacular

architecture is created by local artisans and builders, not professional architects, (2) These artisans

use local materials. These resources are inherently adaptive to the environment they inhabit, (3)

These artisans use local materials. These resources are inherently adaptive to the environment they

inhabit, (4) Vernacular structures do not have a single architectural style, but rather a variety of
styles, (5) Builders design vernacular structures in response to a unique need or purpose, (6)

Vernacular architecture may have cultural importance and act as a representation of identity and

history, and (7) Vernacular architecture has a lower environmental effect since builders utilize

local materials that do not have to be transported long distances (Brown, 2023).

Factors Influencing Vernacular Architecture

Considering factors involved in vernacular architecture is a vital role in designing. Many

different factors influence how individuals build their homes and city buildings. Climate is one of

the most vital factors influencing architectural development in a given place. For instance, if it is

hot outside, buildings will include openings to let in breezes and keep the interior cool. Buildings

in cold climates restrict access to the exterior to prevent warm air from escaping. Certain

geographic regions have various building materials that local artisans employ. Adobe-style huts

and dwellings will be built in areas where clay is available. Similarly, in areas with abundant

supply of timber, travertine, and marble. The amount of technological development in a place

influences the type and size of architecture. After the invention of concrete, the Romans built the

massive structures that remain standing today. The practices and varieties of religion in a place

influence the type and location of structures. Craftsmen in India built temples near bodies of water

so that people could wash before entering. Each country's culture evolves in its own unique way,

influencing the kind of structures that are built. Because of the environment, sliding lattice doors

were used extensively in Japanese home design. Nonetheless, they became crucial to the Japanese

tea ceremony, which involves the delicate opening of these paper-thin doors. The amount of access

a group has to the outside world influences their specific building strategies. When geography

shields people from the outside world, they employ local architectural practices. However, when

organizations can trade ideas and products with one another, their approaches shift. The type of

environmental terrain influences building design. Mountain topography generates a distinct type

of indigenous architecture than desert terrain. Moving groups of people build structures that can

move with them, such as the tipis of Native Americans or the yurts of the Kazakhs in Central Asia.

Farming groups develop permanent structures (Brown, 2023).

Vernacular architecture will vary based on the region and purpose of the building.

Vernacular structures in rural areas reflect more traditional and rustic ways of living. These include

barns, sheds, cabins, and farmhouses. These are rustic structures because they cannot obtain

materials other than those found in a limited local setting. Craftsmen design coastal vernacular

architecture to endure the harsh weather on the coast, such as storms and flooding. Coastal

vernacular architecture features lighthouses, fishing villages, and docks. Builders design desert

architecture to resist the heat, dust, and wind of desert environments. Desert constructions include

adobe dwellings, yurts, tent houses, and earth-beamed houses. Craftsmen develop traditional

mountain structures in remote areas where materials may be restricted. Furthermore, builders must

construct these structures to resist a hostile climate. Vernacular mountain architecture includes

chalets, barns, and cabins(Brown, 2023).

International Vernacular Architecture Structures

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

wall was created by local craftspeople using local resources to meet a specific requirement. The

structure incorporates local architectural skills developed in China and serves as an important

cultural representation(Brown, 2023).

ANCESTRAL PUEBLOAN DWELLINGS

The Pueblo people established towns and communities throughout the Southwest United States.

They built these constructions with adobe mud, sandstone, and other local materials. Puebloan

architecture includes apartment complexes carved into cliff walls, grand houses, pit houses sunk

into the ground, and jacal(Brown, 2023).

HAVELIS
A haveli is a manor house, mansion, or townhouse in India. These dwellings were popular under

the Mughal Empire. Craftsmen construct them with indigenous materials such as sandstone,

marble, wood, plaster, and granite. They also employ traditional decoration techniques, such as

frescos depicting traditional Hindu motifs, local animals, and images from British colonization.

The builders created these structures to provide ventilation to all portions of the residence,

responding to the warm climate(Brown, 2023).

Vernacular Architecture in the Philippines

Though there is significant discussion about what constitutes Philippine vernacular

architecture, the bahay kubo and bahay na bato are widely recognized as typical of traditional

Philippine houses. While Steve Mouzon's Classical/Vernacular Spectrum, as presented in his

analysis of Bahamian architecture, A Living Tradition (2007), may classify the bahay kubo as

"vernacular" and the bahay na bato as "median," yet both house types are considered Philippine

vernacular. The bahay kubo (literally, "cube house," as derived from the Spanish "cubo") is an

indigenous dwelling widespread in the Philippine lowlands; this style can also be found across
Southeast Asia. As the name implies, the bahay kubo is square or rectangular in shape. It is often

a lightweight and flexible construction composed of wood and bamboo and built on stilts. The

space beneath the hut ("silong") is typically left open to the weather, with the living area located

on the higher level. Roofs used to be thatched with nipa palm or cogon grass before being replaced

by modern materials like galvanized iron.

The bahay na bato ("house of stone"), its Spanish colonial descendent, was a more

permanent version of the bahay kubo built with more durable materials and techniques. While

there are significant modifications (for example, the bahay na bato's silong is masonry-enclosed,

transforming it into a zaguan), the bahay kubo's fundamental DNA remains identifiable, including

the simple plan, raised house, and light upper floor structure. The bahay kubo and bahay na bato

are built using traditional post and lintel construction/platform framing. As previously stated, the

pre-Hispanic bahay kubo uses abundant and readily available building materials (e.g., timber,

bamboo, palm fronds, and grass), resulting in a light structure suitable for the tropics. The simple

design and use of local materials support the dwelling's easy reconstruction and/or repair after

earthquakes, typhoons, or floods. These traditional Philippine homes are typically simply

rectangles or squares in plain/simple boxes in shape. In the most traditional bahay kubos, which

typically range from 320 to 550 square feet, the raised habitation area is a single, spacious space
that can be utilized as a living room, dining room, or bedroom. The celda is typically the only

enclosed room in an otherwise open layout; it is supplied and used primarily for the most intimate

tasks (e.g., washing, changing clothes) and to secure valuables. In larger homes, the spaces within

the residence are organized as a sequence of layers that flow into one another — defined volumes

but not complete enclosures — with variable partitions and boundaries. The bahay kubo is raised

on posts to avoid moist dirt or worse, floods, as well as to keep insects and animals out of the

house. Domestic animals, utensils, and implements are stored in the silong. The raised floor also

allows air to rise between the floor slats, which cools the living space. The raised livable portion

is preserved in the bahay na bato, while the ground floor zaguan is used for storage, carriage

parking, and/or small-scale business purposes. The bahay na bato may also have a courtyard/patio,

which provides an additional private space for the family while also allowing more light and

ventilation into the house. The typical size of the bahay kubo is comparable to the Katrina Cottages.

With the ongoing push for smaller, more efficient homes, open layouts with multifunctional

sections can assist create the appearance of room even in the smallest of homes. Many jurisdictions

currently require a substantial minimum residential lot size; however, if Lean, smaller dwellings

are to be affordable, this minimum lot size must be significantly reduced. In addition, the concept

of a central space or room around which a house can be built and then expanded finds similarities

in the kernel house or growhouse. DPZ's Nightwing-Daywing Dwelling Assembly system is an

example of this Lean technique.

non-load bearing, preventing serious damage in the event of an earthquake. Furthermore, the upper

level frequently extends beyond the line of supporting posts. The upper exterior walls are non-load

bearing and lightweight constructed, allowing for tall and broad wall apertures for optimum

daylight and cross-ventilation. Indeed, the typical Philippine house's windows occupy a large part

of the wall surface area, often exceeding 50%.

As high energy and maintenance costs become an increasing problem in home design and

construction, vernacular lighting and ventilation systems like those found in bahay na bato may

provide a more cost-effective option, reducing reliance on more expensive alternatives. LEED

guidelines favor high-tech tactics (e.g., the use of EnergyStar fixtures/devices and green HVAC

systems) and prefer absolute measurements of sustainable performance, while saying nothing

about, if not discouraging, passive approaches. Effective low-tech solutions, as stated above,

encourage, if not require, a higher level of tolerance. The roof is regarded as the most essential

aspect of Filipino architecture. Traditional Philippine homes have a high slope to easily shed rain

and mechanisms for gathering and storing rainwater. The high slope also serves to move hot

interior air upwards to the roof's peak and away from the living spaces. Deep overhangs shield the
huge windows from intense sunshine and rain, while vented soffits help dissipate hot air and

moderate the temperature inside the roof structure, and hence the living rooms below. Similar to

the placement of windows and other openings, the roof design solutions used in the bahay

kubo/bahay na bato are mostly practical answers to climatic conditions. Regardless of the cost of

a taller roof profile against a lower one, these Lean, vernacular solutions are less expensive than

costly high-tech appliances and systems.

Local Vernacular Architecture Structures

The regional diversity of vernacular architecture in the Philippines reflects the Filipino

people's flexibility, resourcefulness, and cultural uniqueness. Each form of Filipino architecture

demonstrates the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the local people, as well as their strong connection

to the environment. Preserving and appreciating these different architectural traditions honors the

past while also inspiring contemporary design methods, resulting in a harmonious balance of

history and innovation in Philippine architecture. Exploring the regional diversity of vernacular

architecture in the Philippines' mountain regions allows us to understand the country's architectural

heritage, which is both rich and complex.

Here are some examples of important locales in the Philippines with vernacular architectural

styles:

BATANES

Batanes, located in the Philippines' northernmost region, is famed for its stone dwellings known

as "vakul" or "ivatan." These traditional houses feature thick stone walls and cogon grass roofs,

and are built to survive violent typhoons and extreme weather conditions.
IFUGAO
 The known UNESCO World Heritage rice terraces may be found in rural parts of Ifugao,

a hilly province. Ifugao Filipinos are well-known for their stilt houses, known as "noja," which are

made of wood and thatch and have distinctive sloping roofs.

ZAMBOANGA CITY

Zamboanga City has traditional dwellings influenced by Spanish, Malay, and indigenous

architecture. The “badjao” dwellings, built on stilts over the water, are particularly unusual and

reflect the seafaring lifestyle of the Badjao people.

Philippine vernacular architecture reflects the country's vast cultural diversity and

historical past. It celebrates the archipelago's diverse indigenous architectural forms while also

reflecting the peaceful balance between humans and the environment. As the country progresses,

more people see the importance of preserving and adapting architectural traditions. By embracing

and blending the beauty and practicality of vernacular design into modern architecture, the

Philippines can secure a prosperous future while remaining true to its roots.
Reference List:

Antonio, S. (n.d.). Lean Interpretations from Philippine Vernacular Architecture | Lean

Urbanism. https://leanurbanism.org/lean-interpretations-from-philippine-vernacular-

architecture/

Beldad, K. (2023, July 28). Philippine Vernacular Architecture: Honoring heritage, embracing

diversity in design. Bria Homes. https://www.bria.com.ph/articles/philippine-vernacular-

architecture-honoring-heritage-embracing-diversity-in-design/

Brown, R. (2023, January 3). Vernacular Architecture: The Characteristics That Give it Shape.

Homedit. https://www.homedit.com/house-styles/vernacular-architecture/

Ching, F. D. K. (2011). A Visual Dictionary of Architecture (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Fuentes, J. M. (2023). Challenges and Current research Trends for Vernacular Architecture in a

Global World: A Literature review. Buildings, 13(1), 162.

https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010162

Urban Design lab Educations Pvt. Ltd. (2023, January 15). Vernacular architecture- Meaning,

examples and Significance. Urban Design lab. https://urbandesignlab.in/vernacular-

architecture-meaning-examples/