Vernacular Architecture and Housing Evolution
Vernacular Architecture and Cultural Significance
Domesticity: It implies permanence and control of the environment. Different uses of the plants are considered, where the envelope is a significant element.
- Marmato: The stone is worked to create rooms, taking advantage of the rock mass to mitigate solar radiation.
- Waitabu (Fiji): There is no differentiation through walls. Instead, rugs of different colors create distinct moods. The dwelling provides symbolic conditions, with the entrance facing the sunrise. This tent is constructed with vegetal elements.
- Navajo Indians: Wooden pieces overlap to create a dome. Programmatic relationships are similar to those in India, featuring a single space oriented along the sun’s path. This space is divided by gender, with distributions within the enclosure based on the stars. The structure uses logs and vegetation cover, with separate doors for men and women. All space is ordered based on sacred beliefs, including the belief that the sun rises and dies, going underground to another dimension dominated by an anaconda.
- Bandiagara, Dogon Village: Spaces are divided into several precincts.
- Madagascar Housing: The main space is a hallway, marked by a pillar. Uses for this property are distributed based on the image of a young Buddha.
- Toraja Houses: Ventilation is ensured by boat-shaped roofs, which are inverted. The structure has greater height towards the ends to allow high-speed air circulation. Built with bamboo, it has a simple structure based on pieces forming an inverted arch.
Traditional Housing and Modern Adaptations
- Domes in Turkey: These are attached to traditional houses, showing a shared space with some continuity.
- Southern U.S.: Blinds are used between the sidewalk and the house to enhance ventilation.
- Catal Huyuk, Anatolia: Access is through the roof. The heat enters without windows and is retained, keeping the houses warm at night. Houses are paired to create more heat.
- Mesopotamia: Courtyards are created to ventilate the houses and serve as venues.
- Egypt: Outdoor spaces within the house are created as meeting places.
Evolution of Domestic Spaces
- House of the Faun: The domus is highly complex. It is accessed via the hallway, where visitors are retained. The scriptorium holds the family’s historical papers and the spirits that protect the house.
- Gothic Houses: These houses increase in height as the population grows. The first level, most connected to the street, houses family workshops. The second level is a unique domestic space where the table and bed often serve dual roles. There are still gaps between family members.
- Raphael Sanzio’s Design: The front has three levels. The first level features cushioned, rough-laid bricks, unlike the second and third floors. The piano nobile, or the last level, is where views are enjoyed and parties are held. The second level is for family overnight stays. The yard remains an element connecting the three courtyards.
Rural and Urban Dwellings
The village house differs from the townhouse, typically serving as a secondary residence for relaxation.
- Andrea Palladio: Classical columns and pediments are placed on the facades of the houses.
- Villa Emo: The lord’s house features a grand staircase, with wings for stables and servants.
- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello: Built in the U.S., emulating similar design principles.
- England, 1870: Mono-functional independent units connected by corridors emerge.
The symbolic dimension is often absent in modern architecture. Corridors were invented by the British in the eighteenth century.