Let's start with a very fundamental question: What exactly is Vernacular Architecture?

1. STUDIES ON
Significance of Vernacular Architecture in terms of
Tradition, Modernity & Cultural Sustainability
S E R I E S - I
P r e s e n t e r :
Saurav Koirala

2. INTRODUCTION
Significance of Vernacular Architecture in terms of
Tradition, Modernity & Cultural Sustainability

3. S E R I E S - I
1. Definition of Vernacular
2. People, Culture and the Vernacular
3. Climate and the Vernacular
4. Materials, Construction and the Vernacular
5. The Vernacular Landscapes

4. S E R I E S - I I
1. Rural Vernacular
2. Urban Vernacular
3. Informal Settlements and the Vernacular
4. Conservation of the Built Vernacular
5. The future of Vernacular Architecture in Nepal

5. E X P E C T E D O U T C O M E S :
• Deepen appreciation of the values and meanings of vernacular
architecture in local environment
• Establish perspectives on the more complex issues in vernacular
architecture such as self-conscious or un-self-conscious, way of
building, informality in settlement and cultural sustainability
• Generate ideas of how to protect, preserve and further explore our
local vernacular-built environment.

6. LETS HAVE DISCUSSION !

7. 1.1 DEFINING VERNACULAR...

8. Paul Oliver
ICOMOS
Many Scholar
Dictionaries
Latin Word,
Vernaculus (Native)

9. ➢ Paul Oliver, Enc yc lopedia of Vernac ular
A rc hitec t ure o f Wo rld

11. It's the local dialect in built form,. It's
a local character that is identifiable
with that particular community,
particular area.
how I would like to define the vernacular,
and it includes, in fact, many of the
buildings of the world.
the building that's most likely to be
built in a particular place, at a
particular time.
Ordinary People

12. b u i l d i n g o f o r d i n a r y p e o p l e

13. Traditional and Indigenous - Vernacular or not?
Traditional - a process of transmission
of knowledge from one generation to
another in the form of tradition.
Indigenous - locally available building
material, construction technologies

14. common things: recognizable building
forms and appearance; the way
buildings are put together with
community effort and common
materials; construction systems and
crafts.

15. Re c o g n i z a b l e b u i l d i n g
fo r m a n d a p p e a ra n c e

16. t h e w ay b u i l d i n g p u t t o g e t h e r

17. t h e w ay b u i l d i n g p u t t o g e t h e r

18. t h e w ay b u i l d i n g p u t t o g e t h e r

19. Vernacular environments should
include buildings and landscapes,
urban or rural, which are made by
ordinary people, based on a shared
knowledge that are commonly
understood and shared among the
people of the same cultural or ethnic
root.

20. 1.2 VERNACULAR EXAMPLES...

21. Building along the street...

22. K i r t i p u r

24. D h a n k u t a

25. Building itself...

26. t h e p i t c h e d ro o f

27. t i m b e r d e t a i l s

28. P i c t u r e s q u e w i n d o w s

29. So when we look at the vernacular building, we're not looking at
simply a building itself, but we're looking at the community.

30. w e ' r e l o o k i n g a t c o m m u n i t y

31. Building and its relation...

32. r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h
p e o p l e

33. I don't think we can only look at old building...

34. o r d i n a r i l y b u i l t w i t h a d a p t a t i o n

35. 1.3 THREATS TO VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF NEPAL...

36. Survival of Vernacular Architecture is threatened by
forces of economic, cultural and architectural
homogenization...

37. the struggle between tradition and modernity

38. o l d b u i l d i n g

39. n e w b u i l d i n g i n n e w t e r i t o r y

40. d e c o ra t i v e d e t a i l s

41. d e c o ra t i v e d e t a i l s

42. d e c o ra t i v e d e t a i l s

43. d e c o ra t i v e d e t a i l s

44. d e c o ra t i v e d e t a i l s

45. d e c o ra t i v e d e t a i l s

46. c o n s t r u c t i o n d e t a i l

47. c o n s t r u c t i o n d e t a i l

48. homogenization of culture and
of global socio-economic transformation

49. facing serious problem of obsolescence

50. - unprecedented growth and changes
(more population concentrating in cities)
- pressure from competing high value activities
(land prices)
- impact of major infrastructure programs
(building more super highways)
- environmental pressure
(uncontrolled carbon emission and polluted industrial area)
- human causes
(war, theft, neglect, illegal trade, ignorance)
- natural causes
(earthquake, typhoon, flood, tidal wave, humidity and insects)

51. 1.4 WAYS TO APPRECIATE OUR OWN ENVIRONMENT...

53. Aesthetic, Anthropological, Archaeological, Architectural,
Behavioral, Conservationist, Developmental, Ecological,
Ethnological, Geographical, Historical
Pa u l O l i v e r l i s t e d 2 0 d i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s t o d o t h a t :

55. Shelter, Peasant or Rural, Traditional Architecture,
Indigenous, Primitive, Pre-industrial etc...
B e r n a r d R u d o l f s k y s u g g e s t e d n u m b e r o f l e n s e s :

56. 19th century architect began to qualified as professionals,
had to get licenses, had to go to schools to get their
qualifications.

57. Before 19th century, the legal connotation of Architect
didn't exist, but the position of the master builder and
architect in fact exist.

60. Ultimately we need to decide for ourself, what
make sense to us, in our own appreciation of
vernacular architecture.

61. CONCLUDING...

62. Why vernacular architecture is an important part of our
world?

63. THANK YOU...!