The Following is and essay I wrote recently, it's nothing too extravagant, just deals with certain concepts I will touch on within my thesis:
Buildings and shelters have been being built since the time of hunters and gatherers. Were these hunters and gatherers without architecture? Architecture is defined as ‘the art, profession, or science of designing and constructing buildings.’ Certainly this would include the construction of the shelters built by primitive man, though some may question these shelters in terms of the ‘profession’ of their creation. Professions only came about after the specialization of labor and the emergence of stratified society. To look more closely into the difference of professionals versus non-professionals, perhaps we should look at ancient distinctions between the builder and architect. The word tekton means builder, worker, craftsman or carpenter, and the word architekton means chief, director or master builder. The distinction between these two was understood very early on by differing civilizations, however, according to Mete Turan, “It seems that the separation does not refer to the construction activity per se as much as it refers to the quality of work. Therefore, the built environment that is the product of so-called ‘non-professionals’ cannot be dismissed as non-architecture.” (Turan 1990, 7)
In the book, Architecture Without Architects, Rudofsky quotes an architect:
““Give a mason bricks and mortar,” writes Jamshid Kooros, an M.I.T.-educated Persian architect, “and tell him to cover a space and let in light, and the results are astounding. The mason, within his limitations, finds unending possibilities, there is variety, and harmony; while the modern architect with all the materials and structural systems available to him produces monotony and dissonance, and that in great abundance.”” (Rudofsky 1964, 151)
The mason is able to create something that we cannot dismiss as ‘without architecture’, however we can say then, that it is ‘without architects’. It is important, I believe, to understand this concept when understanding Vernacular.
In speech, the word vernacular refers to the language or dialect of one’s native country. In architecture the word vernacular refers to a traditional and native language of building. Vernacular is the unconscious work of craftsmen based on knowledge accumulated over generations.
“True, vernacular architecture is a practical activity pursuing environmental adequacy rather than knowledge; it is a way of acting within the conditions of existence, fulfilling certain environmental needs for a particular group of people. It is an action taken primarily from necessity, not necessarily from want.” (Turan 1990, 15)
According to Mete Turan, vernacular architecture is both a product and a process. Vernacular architecture is ‘place specific,’ ‘unselfconscious,’ ‘without architects,’ and ‘uses an accepted model with variations.’ These single characteristic definitions refer to the process, how it comes to be. The ‘product’ characteristics describe what the built environment is, its nature, qualities and attributes as well as its aesthetic.
Interest in vernacular architecture is on the rise. In our world of globalization and international architecture, we continually see modern, or post-modern, buildings being erected, many in no way relate to their surroundings. The same building erected in Florida is erected in Nevada, Ontario, or the Yukon. The same buildings erected in North America are erected in Europe or Asia. Style, speed, simplicity of construction, whatever the motivation, these buildings lack the sensitivity to culture and environment that indigenous buildings had.
Pseudo-vernacular is a pastiche architecture without integrity, it in fact mimics and exaggerates the appearance of handcrafted traditional buildings. It can lead to ignorant, uninformed and a somewhat dishonest built environments. New vernacular, or neo-vernacular as it is sometimes called, is the language of architecture that respects the site, context, memory, route, etc. It subjects the language of vernacular form to an architectural theory. When we speak of vernacular architecture in terms of a modern building, regionalism or contextualism, we are speaking of this ‘new vernacular architecture.’ It is architecture that has been formed by architects, however respects and understands the products and process of vernacular architecture.
A modern example of a new vernacular architecture is the manifestation of Joseph Esherick & Associtates along with Moore Lyndon Turnbull Whitaker architectural offices: the ‘Sea Ranch’. The Sea Ranch is a 5000-acre development located on the California coast, approximately 225 kilometers north of San Francisco Bay. A long and narrow property, that runs along the oceans edge, it spans 25 kilometers and includes numerous protected beaches, rocky cliffs, and a large coastal meadow stretching the entire length of the site. Parallel lines of cypress hedgerows are planted at right angles to the ocean to form windbreaks; they also work to subdivide this costal grassland into formal landscape spaces. The costal plateau is enclosed on the east side by a major highway, as well as a forested cypress ridge many hundreds of feet above the meadow, offering beautiful views up and down the coastline.
The site was previously forested, and in the 1880’s and 1890’s San Francisco’s development created a demand for timber and thus the forests were logged, with steam schooners for transport. As this was occurring, there became a thriving village called Black Point, with log loading chutes, houses, barns, and even a small hotel. Upon completion of the logging, ranchers superseded the loggers’ habitations. The debris was cleared and burned, and the windbreaks were planted to make way for livestock. Black Point was eventually abandoned in the 1950’s and the pastoral landscape became picturesque.
In the 1960’s opportunities to develop the land and create what we now know as the Sea Ranch were realized. Numerous studies were then preformed, such as vegetation, soil, drainage, wind, and microclimate studies, as well as topography and rational comprehension. Allowing for new residents to enjoy the quiet open character was discussed early on in the Master Plan of the Sea Ranch. Design problems were discussed at length, crystallized, and guidelines drawn up.
It was deemed desirable for the buildings to provide their own exterior as well as the interior shelter due to the climatic factors of the sun and wind coupled with exposed topography. The prevailing northwest winds moving over the cold ocean water created a cool climate with summer fogs. Overhangs were not desirable, sun was welcomed, shade was shunned and ‘wind shadows’ were a newly defined criteria. More formal criteria were also drawn up; one such example was that of ‘site criteria’, in which units must identify with the site. This was achieved by carefully planning views, building arrangements, as well as orientations.
Along with these intentions, “[MLTW’s] analysis sought to identify and locate existing micro landscapes which in turn could be characterized by their micro-landmarks such as a rocky outcrop or grassy swale. It was [MLTW’s] intent that buildings reinforce and clarify the identity of each landscape element and through such territorial partnership create a validity for their own location.” (Turnbull 1970)
The buildings were of heavy timber construction, left rough sawn as it came from the sawmills, this was considered ‘psychologically appropriate’ for the raw and untamed qualities of the site. Local materials, such as redwood, were used throughout, and as the materials aged it took on indigenous and timeless characteristics against the backdrop of the immediate environment.
The buildings of the Sea Ranch respected and responded to the specific site. Early studies, done by Esherick, investigated ‘traditional’ single housing units that had shed roofs sloped to pitch wind. These were found to be pleasing, however did not allow for the density necessary. And so, an evolved form of these is what we see today. The development responded very well to the climate and environment, which is where the emphasis was. The nature of the culture of the inhabitants was interpreted on a general basis; as those whose working lives required urban and suburban locations. As the development grew and developed, units were constructed in response to particular owner’s requirements. The development therefore also respected the process involved in new vernacular architecture, it is a first step, and is understood that the landscape and culture will continue to grow and change.
Another such architect, that seemed to be involved in the new vernacular of a differing region, was Frank Lloyd Wright, more specifically, with his ‘Prairie Style’ architecture. Wright was a man who had a deep love for the vast grasslands that, at that time, surrounded the Chicago area. He believed that in order to be a good architect, you had to be a good poet, and as a poet he saw the grasslands as a metaphor for his vision of the American Spirit – courageous, independent and practical. This appreciation was reflected in the buildings he created; as his work developed, the buildings that he designed for his landscape became increasingly reflective of their natural, and cultural settings.
Wright made a point to design very specifically for each client, though he was also creating a language of building for the American spirit. Having lived and worked in one of the earlier renditions of his ‘prairie home’ allowed him to gain knowledge and insight into his design. As each new depiction of the ‘prairie style’ was created, we see refinement. Prairie Style was an evolution. According to Wright, it was inspired by nature, shaped by human needs and unified by a system of thoughtfully developed design criteria.
The intent towards a new vernacular architecture, whether conscious or unconscious, is evident in Wright’s work, however his response to the climatic region is more poetic and in this way perhaps hindering to the evolution of process and product. For example, Wright describes that he responded to the strong contrast between the flat prairie terrain and the midwestern sky by creating cantilevers mimicking the sharp horizon of the plains. Sometimes this even meant a flat roof. Since it is an aesthetic that he was after, and he believes he found an appropriate aesthetic, it will continue with very little change. However, if it were a response to the climate, for example winds and surface exposure, it would adapt and evolve to become the most effective form for the American Midwest.
Within the realms of my thesis, the region that interests me lies within Midwestern Canada. It is an area known for its independent thought and practicality. Settlers and inhabitants produced buildings, systems, and ways of life that were the spawn of necessity. Looking at these buildings and ways of life throughout the history of the area will tell a story of evolution. Sussing out this evolution will then speak to where it was headed before the international style blanketed the arts and crafts movement thereby creating a disconnect from the generational knowledge.
The area is vast and therefore, geological and climatic conditions will vary. Looking at a specific area is necessary due to the differing factors that are specific to each region. These will inevitably overlap, as climate will overlap landforms, and landforms will overlap vegetation, all are involved in the process and product of the vernacular architecture derived.
The new vernacular architecture that is derived from the region, or regions, selected must have integrity and honesty of process and product. It should be neither old, nor new, just simply true.
