VERSUS

versus HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW

Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture

edited by
Mariana Correia
Letizia Dipasquale
Saverio Mecca

FIRENZE
UNIVERSITY
PRESS
This scientific publication resulted from an intensive and significant teamwork research, based on the common main
aim of establishing key principles, regarding vernacular knowledge and its contribution for sustainable development.

Lessons learned from vernacular heritage are systematised through principles that define a wide number of strategies to
consider and to integrate for sustainable contemporary architecture. This was possible through the initial establishment
of operational definitions, regarding vernacular architecture and sustainable architecture. It was also critical to define a
profound reflection concerning the state of the art of environmental, socio-cultural and socio-economic sustainability,
as well as resilient vernacular heritage, and the definition of parameters for vernacular sustainability during the 20th
Century.

This publication presents the design of the VerSus research method and operative approach, which were decisive for the
systematisation of strategies and solutions identified in urban, local, architectural, technical and constructive terms.
Each area of study was represented by specific case studies from Europe and around the world, addressing vernacular
environments and contemporary contexts.

VERSUS, HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW: Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture is the final outcome of
VerSus, an European project developed in the framework of the Culture 2007-2013 programme, funded by the European
Commission from 2012 to 2014.

s
 VERSUS:
HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW
Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture

edited by
Mariana Correia, Letizia Dipasquale, Saverio Mecca

authors
Maddalena Achenza, Mónica Alcindor, Chiara Belingardi, Marco Cadinu, Leonardo G. F. Cannas, Gilberto D. Carlos,
Alexis Castro, Mariana Correia, Inês Costa Carrapiço, Valentina Cristini, Stefania Di Benedetto, Letizia Dipasquale, Pierre Frey,
Lidia García, Soledad García, Ilaria Giovagnorio, Filipa Gomes, Hubert Guillaud, Guillermo Guimaraens, Gisle Jakhelln,
Natalia Jorquera Silva, Borut Juvanec, Pınar Kısa Ovalı, Ana Lima, Célia Macedo, Silvia Marchegiani, Ippolita Mecca,
Saverio Mecca, Jacob Merten, Camilla Mileto, Sébastien Moriset, Virginia Navalón, Juan Fco. Noguera, Dalia Omar Sidik,
Bilge Özel, Adelina Picone, José Ramón Ruiz, Sandra Rocha e Sousa, Henrique Rodrigues, Nuria Sánchez Muñoz,
Enrique Sevillano Gutiérrez, Juan María Songel, Goreti Sousa, Fernando Vegas, David Viana, Laura Zanini
 versus
Vernacular Heritage
Sustainable Architecture

European Research Project

 With the support of the
versus Culture Programme
Vernacular Heritage
of the European Union
Sustainable Architecture

European Research Project

Project Leader This publication is the result of the project ‘VerSus – Lessons from Vernacular Heritage to
Sustainable Architecture’ – Agreement n° 2012-2792, developed in the framework of
Culture 2007-2013 Programme of the European Union.
Escola Superior Gallaecia
PORTUGAL The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute
endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission
cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information
contained therein.

Partnership Editors: Mariana Correia, Letizia Dipasquale, Saverio Mecca

Scientific Committee: Mariana Correia, Saverio Mecca, Hubert Guillaud, Fernando Vegas,
Camilla Mileto, Maddalena Achenza
CRAterre-Ecole Nationale Supérieure
d’Architecture de Grenoble
This collective work gathers five European universities and integrates contributions from
FRANCE
all the project partners. In addition to the Editors, the main contributors are:

Project Leader
DIDA Dipartimento di Architettura ESG / Escola Superior Gallaecia, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal
Università degli Studi di Firenze Project Leader and Director: Mariana Correia
ITALY Coordinator: Gilberto Duarte Carlos
Collaborators: Mónica Alcindor, Rui Correia, Teresa Correia, Filipa Gomes, Ana Lima, Jacob Merten,
Marco Mourão, Sandra Rocha e Sousa, Goreti Sousa, David Viana, José Vicente
DICAAR Dipartimento di Ingegneria
civile, Ambientale e Architettura, Project Partners
Università degli Studi di Cagliari CRAterre-Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Grenoble, France
ITALY Director: Hubert Guillaud
Coordinator: Sébastien Moriset
Collaborators: Thierry Joffroy, Nuria Sánchez Muñoz, Enrique Sevillano Gutiérrez, Zakari Bano
Universitat Politècnica de València
SPAIN Università degli Studi di Firenze, DIDA Dipartimento di Architettura, Italy
Director: Saverio Mecca
Coordinator: Letizia Dipasquale
Collaborators: Berenice Aguilar, Flaviano M. Lorusso, Dalia Omar Sidik, Bilge Özel, Adelina Picone
With the collaboration of Università degli Studi di Cagliari, DDICAAR Dipartimento di Ingegneria civile, Ambientale e
Architettura, Italy
Culture Lab, Brussels, Director: Antonello Sanna, Maddalena Achenza
BELGIUM Coordinator: Ilaria Giovagnorio, Leonardo Cannas
Collaborators: Marco Cadinu, Laura Zanini, Gianmarco Chiri, Borut Juvanec, Domen Zupančič
Universitat Politècnica de València, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Spain
Directors: Fernando Vegas, Camilla Mileto
Coordinator: Valentina Cristini, Lidia García Soriano
Under the Aegis of Collaborators: Juan Francisco Noguera Giménez, Guillermo Guimaraens Igual,
José Ramón Ruiz Checa

Chaire Unesco Architecture de With the collaboration of

terre, cultures constructives et Culture Lab, Brussels, Belgium
développement durable Director and coordinator: Alexis Castro

English proofreading: Luis Gatt

International Committee of
Vernacular Architecture Acknowledgments: Pierre Frey, Juana Font, Gisle Jakhelln, Natalia Jorquera, Borut Juvanec,
ICOMOS-CIAV Jose Manuel Lopez Osorio, Silvia Onnis, Manuel Rey, Marcel Vellinga; Stéphane Sadoux
and Ann Auzet for their support translating from French to English.

International Scientific Committee VerSus logo design: Teresa Correia, CI-ESG, Escola Superior Gallaecia
on Earthen Architectural Heritage
ICOMOS-ISCEAH VerSus website: www.esg.pt/versus
 VERSUS:
HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW
Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture
edited by Mariana Correia, Letizia Dipasquale, Saverio Mecca

Firenze University Press 2014

VERSUS: HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW : vernacular Knowledge for
Sustainable Architecture / edited by Mariana Correia, Letizia Dipasquale,
Saverio Mecca. – Firenze : Firenze University Press, 2014.

http://digital.casalini.it/9788866557425

ISBN 978-88-6655-741-8 (print)

ISBN 978-88-6655-742-5 (online)

graphic design
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e Immagine
dida labs
Dipartimento di Architettura
Università degli Studi di Firenze

Cover: Spanish Pavilion for Expo Shanghai 2010,

Miralles Tagliabue EMBT Architects (photo: F. Vegas, C. Mileto).

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 •
Corbelled Domes dwelling near Aleppo, Syria,

Content (photo: S. Mecca)

Understanding our built vernacular heritage 10 STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS FROM VERNACULAR
Gisle Jakhelln ARCHITECTURE TO SUSTAINABILITY
New vernacular architecture vs sustainable development? 12 Urban and local strategies and solutions
Pierre Frey
Settlements morphology 90
The idea for VerSus project 14 Gilberto D. Carlos, Mariana Correia, David Viana, Jacob Merten
Mariana Correia
V1 | Village of Anta Henrique Rodrigues, Goreti Sousa 96
V2 | Montaria Gilberto D. Carlos 97
Lessons learned and VerSus outcomes 16
V3 | Gavieira Filipa Gomes 98
Mariana Correia, Gilberto D. Carlos, Saverio Mecca,
C1 | Ecolonia Gilberto D. Carlos, Filipa Gomes 99
Letizia Dipasquale, Hubert Guillaud, Fernando Vegas,
Camilla Mileto, Maddalena Achenza, Alexis Castro
Productive settlements 100
VERNACULAR HERITAGE CONTRIBUTION Letizia Dipasquale, Saverio Mecca, Bilge Özel
TO SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE V1 | The medina of Marrakesh Bilge Özel 111
V2 | The Sardinian courtyard house Maddalena Achenza 112
Research method and operative approach 22 C1 | Urban gardens in Rome Chiara Belingardi 113
Gilberto D. Carlos, Mariana Correia, Letizia Dipasquale,
Hubert Guillaud, Saverio Mecca, Camilla Mileto, Fernando Vegas,
Maddalena Achenza, David Viana, Leonardo Cannas Underground cities 114
Fernando Vegas, Camilla Mileto, Valentina Cristini,
Defining vernacular architecture 32 José Ramón Ruiz Checa
Hubert Guillaud V1 | The Sassi of Matera Ippolita Mecca 124
V2 | Underground city of Derinkuyu Bilge Özel 125
Defining sustainable architecture 34 V3 | Troglodyte housing at Montsoreau 126
Fernando Vegas, Camilla Mileto, Guillermo Guimaraens, Virginia Navalón Nuria Sánchez, Enrique Sevillano
C1 | Underground house-studio Fernando Vegas, Camilla Mileto 127
Environmental sustainability in vernacular architecture 40
Ilaria Giovagnorio, Maddalena Achenza Collective and shared spaces 128
Gilberto D. Carlos, David Viana, Laura Zanini, Marco Cadinu.
Socio-cultural sustainability in vernacular architecture 48 V1 | Granaries and threshing-floors 135
Hubert Guillaud Filipa Gomes, Sandra Rocha, Mariana Correia
V2 | Loro-Bá Gilberto D. Carlos, Sandra Rocha 136
Socio-economic sustainability in vernacular architecture 56 C1 | Magoanine David Viana, Sandra Rocha 137
Mariana Correia, Borut Juvanec, Camilla Mileto, Fernando Vegas,
Filipa Gomes, Monica Alcindor, Ana Lima Landscape, water and natural resources management 138
Hubert Guillaud
Resilience of vernacular architecture 64
V1 | Water management in L'isle-Sur-La-Sorgue 145
Letizia Dipasquale, Pınar Kısa Ovalı, Saverio Mecca, Bilge Özel
Nuria Sánchez, Enrique Sevillano
V2 | The water mine systems of Riudoms Silvia Marchegiani 146
Parameters of vernacular sustainability throughout 74
C1 | Nansen Park Bilge Özel 147
the 20th Century architecture
Fernando Vegas, Camilla Mileto, Guillermo Guimaraens Virginia Navalón
 •
C2.1
Socio-cultural resilience; lakou layout in
post-disaster tent encampments, Haiti

Resilience of vernacular architecture (photo: United Nations Development Program).

Letizia Dipasquale, Saverio Mecca, Bilge Özel DIDA University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Pınar Kısa Ovalı Trakya University, Institute of Science and Technology, Edirne, Turkey

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can 65
best manage change”. Charles Darwin (The Origin of Species, 1859)

In recent years the evidence of human-initiated climate change has proaches to human ecology and taxonomy to studies on develop-
already began to transform human habitats. The most pronounced ing countries. The resilience of an ecosystem has firstly defined by
changes occur in cities under the negative outcomes of rapid urbani- Hollings (1973) as “the capacity of an ecosystem to tolerate distur-
sation, consumption of natural resources and demographic changes. bance without collapsing into a qualitatively different state that is
Mitigating the impacts of changing environmental conditions is one controlled by a different set of processes” (Van et al., 2012, p. 310).
of the major urban challenges of today’s cities. In this context resil- Hollings also underlined the fact that a resilient ecosystem can with-
ience has been introduced in the field of urban planning and archi- stand shocks and rebuild itself when necessary. The Resilience Alli-
tecture as an integral concept for increasing the ability of adaptation ance (2002) further define the characteristics of resilience in natural
of human settlements in the face of changes. environment, which can also be used as a measuring system of the
The notion of ‘resilience’ in urban science, describes the capacity of resilience of an ecosystem. These characteristics refer mainly to the
human habitats to absorb shocks and perturbations without under- amount of change that the system can endure under crisis, the lev-
going major alterations in its functional, physical, social and eco- el of self-organization capacity of the system and the ability of a sys-
nomic systems. A crucial feature of a resilient urban system is having tem to adapt itself to the new conditions and learn from the experi-
the ability to survive the potential risks and threats as well as tak- enced disturbances.
ing advantage of the positive outcomes that the disturbances bring. In 2007, Ward described resilience stating: “change is constant and
Vernacular architecture, which is in continuous evolution, consti- unpredictable in a complex and dynamic world” (Ward, 2007). After-
tutes a substantial research field with its immense adapting capaci- wards, two definitions which specifically relate to urban resilience
ty to the changing external circumstances. The understanding of re- have been formulated: the first one belongs to Walker (2004) who
silience sees the environment in constant transformation; therefore defines resilience in these words: “resilience is a capacity of a sys-
resilient architecture presupposes a dynamic architecture, which is tem to absorb disturbance and reorganize itself while undergoing
primarily characterised by flexibility and adaptability. In this case, change, so as to still remain essentially the same function, struc-
vernacular architecture, which includes in its origins a series of re- ture, identity and feedbacks”. A second, similar definition, in terms
sponses to the changing dynamic factors such as micro-climate, lo- of urban resilience, was given by the ‘Resilience Alliance’ (2002)
cal materials and local living cultures, can meet the requirements of who defined it as “the ability to absorb disturbances to be changed
resilience. and then to re-organise and still have the same identity (retain the
same basic structure and ways of functioning)”1. This definition fur-
What is resilience? ther emphasizes the ability of a resilient system to learn from distur-
The word resilience was first used as a term in psychology in the bances and crisis.
1950s to describe the tolerance abilities of children. The term was al- In the framework of ‘sustainability’, which deals with the scarci-
so used within a conglomerate of qualities that allow people to re- ty of natural resources and economic crisis, ‘resilience’ emerges as
main psychologically balanced and mentally healthy in the presence a ‘complementary’ key approach in urban planning and architec-
of negative life circumstances and crises (Petzold et al., 2002).
Subsequently the term ‘resilience’ has gained significance in dif- 1
The notion of resilience is defined here by the ‘Resilience Alliance’ as a series
ferent disciplines and scientific contexts (Burkner, 2010): from ap- of key concepts, available at www.resalliance.org/index.php/key_concepts.

M. Correia, L. Dipasquale, S. Mecca (edited by), VERSUS: Heritage for Tomorrow.

Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture, ISBN (online) 978-88-6655-742-5,
ISBN (print) 978-88-6655-741-8, CC BY-SA 4.0, 2014 Firenze University Press
 VERSUS HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture

•
Fig. 1 Resilience through local construction systems. Traditional timber
framed houses of Nias Island, Sumatra, Indonesia (photo: Ouicoude).

to respond to forthcoming changes. The features of a sustainable

66 habitat substantially coincide with the requirements of a resilient
system in environmental, socio-cultural and socio-economic terms.
Therefore the two concepts, ‘sustainability’ and ‘resilience’, are in-
separable and vital for the survival of human settlements in chang-
ing environments. Responding to the requirements of both sustain-
ability and resilience will strengthen our cities in the face of forth-
coming climatic, environmental, socio-cultural and socio-economic
changes.

Role of indigenous cultures in the context of resilience

The close relationship between vernacular architecture and resil-
ience was first noticed in the definition by Paul Oliver (1997): “ver-
nacular dwellings and buildings are related to their environmental
context and available resources, they are customarily owner or com-
munity built, utilizing traditional technologies. All forms of vernac-
ular architecture are built to meet specific needs, accommodating
ture. The relation between ‘sustainability’ and ‘resilience’ has been the values, economies and ways of living of the cultures that pro-
discussed in the Resilient Communities and Cities Partnership Pro- duce them”. Oliver’s description points out the existence of numer-
gram (ICLEI) in 2004: “How can a city be truly ‘sustainable’ if it lacks ous parameters in the constitution of a local building culture, above
the capacity to reduce vulnerability to crisis and to respond creative- all the role of the ‘micro-climate’ and various environmental condi-
ly to change? This essential capacity can be described as ‘local resil- tions. Therefore, indigenous knowledge and vernacular culture be-
ience’. Therefore, a new agenda must be introduced in the sustain- come very specific and localized and can represent the specific re-
able cities movement. A sustainable city must be a resilient city. a sponses given in the pre-industrialization age by human beings to
sustainable community must be a resilient community” (Otto-Zim- environmental, socio-cultural and economic challenges by process-
mermann,2012, p.3). According to this consideration, a sustainable ing available natural resources for their survival.
city must also have the ability to respond to environmental shocks Indigenous knowledge refers to the methods and experiences se-
and reduce its ‘vulnerabilities’ beyond simply optimizing its ener- lected and established by local communities from a progressive un-
gy requirements. In comparison with the concept of ‘sustainabili- derstanding of the local resources, constraints, values and risks over
ty’, ‘resilience’ is a more dynamic notion as it refers to ‘transforma- the years. The most relevant character of indigenous knowledge,
tion’, ‘flexibility’ and ‘adaptation’ of the systems through changing which distinguishes it from other categories of culture, is that of be-
circumstances while ‘sustainability’ is mostly concerned with sus- ing diffused informally and developed/transmitted collectively over
taining the ‘stability’ without requiring re-adaptation. However re- generations: accumulated practices have not been experimented in
silience seems to have an opposite sense in this respect to sustain- a systematic and scientific way over the years, since they are most-
ability, and although they both focus on maintaining the system’s ly a series of social and shared values that are transmitted from one
equilibrium, they do it in different ways. generation to the next. Looking for sustainable design paths for fu-
A human habitat can be truly sustainable only if it can manage to es- ture architecture and human settlements, we can rely on past find-
tablish a balance between the changing conditions while maintain- ings for developing resilient planning strategies, analysing, select-
ing its indigenous characteristics by rebuilding new systems in order ing, testing and verifying the intangible heritage of vernacular archi-
 Vernacular Heritage contribution to Sustainable Architecture • Resilience and Intangible Heritage of Vernacular Architecture

•
Fig. 2
Initially, mizuya was built as a storage room to protect household assets.
When a severe flood disaster occurred in 1896, the mizuya's plinth
height was only 2 m. After the flood destroyed mizuya, the householders
reconstructed it by raising the plinth level 1.3 m higher than the previous
level. Gifu, Japan (photo: NIED-KU, 2007 after Shaw et al. 2008).

tecture. In this way the heritage of vernacular architecture can pro-

vide a rich field of research concerned with developing new strate- 67
gies of resilience, meant as the shock-absorbing capacity of systems
aiming towards sustainability in a world of changes and transforma-
tions (Berkes, 2004).
Vernacular architecture heritage is characterized by three specific
factors that are relevant for resilience:
• interaction with climate change and changing socio-cultural con-
ditions;
• interaction with a certain environment after a certain time frame;
• being a socially shared knowledge. Before disaster After disaster
Vernacular building culture has been established through centuries
by many civilizations across the world through a process of trial and built under the influence of ‘modernism’, collapsed, few of the ver-
error. Accordingly, vernacular architecture is in a continuous evolu- nacular buildings were damaged and ultimately caused less harm to
tion and shows different features and shapes which are based upon the inhabitants due to the relative lightness of the wooden struc-
local climatic conditions, materials and living cultures. tures. In the indigenous culture of Nias, appropriate construction
In a given society, the existence of a local culture implies a favour- systems have been developed over years that adapt to the specific
able development of awareness that arises from diffused cultures. environmental conditions.
Indigenous knowledge plays an important role in the way commu- Indigenous knowledge has been proven also in the field of flood mit-
nities deal with crises, disasters and profound changes. In this case igation in Japan, in the flood-prone Gifu region. This experience elu-
the concept of ‘resilience’ becomes important for developing an ap- cidates the fact that when the traditional knowledge is well inte-
proach to adaptation through a series of strategies by which the in- grated with the technological systems, it facilitates handling cat-
habitants use available resources to cope with adverse conditions astrophic events in a better way. In Gifu, a dynamic strategy has
that can occur due to the disasters. Resilience attributes to an eco- been developed by building additional elevated houses called miz-
system the ability to repair damages after a disaster, as well as to uya (fig. 2). Commonly the families build mizuya next to their main
absorb impacts and manage emergencies together with the capaci- houses where they keep household assets. In the case of flood, miz-
ty to adapt and innovate in socio-territorial organization. Strength- uya serves as a protection room from the rising water level. Inhabit-
ening the resilience enables communities to develop a great capacity ants of these houses are continuously adapting their mizuya to the
to mitigate the effects of natural hazards. changing flood level; when the water level tends to exceed the plinth
Traditional knowledge, which is achieved through experiences and level, mizuya can be reconstructed by raising its height to adapt it to
intergenerational transmission, strengthens social-ecological sys- future floods.
tems as a result of its ability to deal with complexity and uncertain- Vernacular building culture has a close relationship with environ-
ty (Berkes et al., 2000). Therefore it is natural to assume that indig- mental factors and is conscious of the fact that natural changes and
enous knowledge is a source of resilience as has been proven for ex- alterations are normal and nothing new; in many cases vernacular
ample in the case of Nias Island in 2004 when it was hit by a series of architecture of a specific site is the result of a selection of an archi-
earthquakes which caused the death of 900 people (fig. 1). tectural culture which is able to prevent changes (mostly climatic,
The local building culture of the Nias Island has demonstrated an but also social and cultural) and to mitigate their consequences and
outstanding capacity to withstand strong seismic shocks. While effects in order to adapt itself to the new established conditions.
80% of the ‘western style’ concrete buildings, which were mainly The building principles of vernacular architecture incorporate var-
 VERSUS HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture

•
Fig. 3 General view of Kayaköy village, province of Mugla, Turkey (photo: P. Kısa Ovalı).
Fig. 4 Section of the settlement morphology of Kayaköy village, province of Mugla,
Turkey (credits: P. Kısa Ovalı).
Fig. 5 Streets of Kayaköy village as a drainage system, province of Mugla, Turkey (photo:
P. Kısa Ovalı).

Environmental dimensions of resilience in vernacular architecture

68 Environmental resilience reflects the effectiveness and capacity of
an ecosystem to deal with changing environmental conditions by re-
ducing its physical vulnerabilities. The degree of a community’s vul-
nerability depends on its physical exposure to natural hazards and on
its capacity to absorb the negative effects of changes and re-organ-
ise itself.
In pre-industrial societies, climatic variability and the uncertain pres-
ence of water and other resources lead local communities to devel-
op adaptive practices in order to respond to variability and change,
making up in this way for the lack of modern technology, transports,
and global market economy. Therefore traditional knowledge played
a central role in responding to environmental crises: through pro-
cesses of trial and error, practices and institutions have been devel-
oped to cope with changes and unpredictable events (Gómez-Bag-
gethun et al., 2012).

The preconditions of environmental resilience are enhanced through

three stages of strategies related to pre-crisis and post-crisis.
• Strategies of prevention of environmental crises enable communi-
ties to interact with environmental changes of a specific site in or-
der to avoid or reduce risks and threats. These strategies consist
of several actions such as: land use management, assuring appro-
priate choice of site, considering the hydrography of the place and
the management of water resources, comprehension of meteor-
ological and biological systems, use of locally available materials,
and considering the specific characteristics of local risks;
• Strategies for building resistance to environmental crises are
based on the use of climate-adapted and durable materials, ap-
propriate architectural and structural conformation (in terms of
seismic resistance) and natural hazard management.
ious strategies to enhance resilience through three main actions: • Strategies of adaptation to post-crisis conditions are concerned
prevention, resistance and adaptation. While prevention and resist- with the flexibility of design, the sharing of building cultures and
ance are related to the management of risks and threats, adaptation the development of self-construction systems in order to facili-
concerns itself with the recovery capabilities of an ecosystem af- tate fast recovery after natural disasters.
ter shocks and disturbances which in our case are changing circum-
stances. Adaptive capacity relates to the preconditions that enable The most prevalent indicators of an adequate coexistence with en-
actions and adjustments in response to changes in order to establish vironmental conditions are: the settlement morphology, the spa-
a new state of equilibrium within current post-change conditions. tial layout of vernacular buildings and their relation with natu-
 Vernacular Heritage contribution to Sustainable Architecture • Resilience and Intangible Heritage of Vernacular Architecture

•
Fig. 6 Interior views of the courtyards in Tissergat and in
Chefchaouen, Morocco (photo: L. Dipasquale).
Fig. 7 Patio with its reduced dimensions work as a filter during
sand storms. The Ksar of Tissergat, Draa Valley, Morocco
(photo: B. Aguilar).
Fig 8-9 Internal view of a patio in Tissergat, Draa Valley,
Morocco (photos: L. Dipasquale).

ral resources. As it is seen in the case of Kayaköy, a former Anato-

lian-Greek settlement situated in the South-west of Turkey, a virtu- 69
ous land use strategy has been developed. Kayaköy and other five
neighbour settlements are founded on the slopes that surround the
unique cultivable lowland of the region, which is situated 62 meters
below (fig. 3). The choice of settling on the slopes and leaving the
plain area for farming activities demonstrates the presence of envi-
ronmental knowledge that is accumulated over the years (Kısa Ovalı,
2009). Placing the settlement on the high levels helps also to pro-
tect it from floods. In Kayaköy, all streets are planned in such a way
that they could act as a drainage system by working as water canals
in order to discharge excessive rain water down to the lowland (Kısa
Ovalı, 2009) (fig. 4-5).
In terms of adaptation to the changing external temperature of dai-
ly and seasonal cycles, specific strategies have been developed re-
lated to the specific features of the site such as water collecting
systems, natural ventilation, passive heating and cooling systems.
In this context, a winning morphological model, adopted in all the
Mediterranean area, which provides resilience against changing ex-
treme climate conditions, is the ‘courtyard house’ (fig. 6-7): the cen-
tral courtyard acts in the night as a natural cooling and ventilation
system thanks to the air convention property that is based upon the
principle of rising of warm air which is replaced by cool air. In addi-
tion to the chimney effect of the courtyard, the thermal inertia of
the walls of the courtyard house contributes considerably to keep-
ing the interior spaces cool. Whereas in the evening time the air of
the patio, which has been heated directly by the sun and indirectly by
the walls, rises up while nocturnal cool air gradually replaces it (Agu-
ilar et al., 2013). According to this case it is clear that the adaptation
is achieved through the courtyard, which has a shifting function ac-
cording to the daily changing climatic conditions in order to provide
indoor comfort in a totally passive and ecological way. The formal
features of the courtyard show diversities according to the specific
climatic conditions and living cultures; in desert areas, the courtyard
presents very reduced dimensions in order to function as a filter dur-
ing sand storms (fig. 8-9), while in warm and cold climate areas the
courtyard has an extensive shape to capture more sunlight. As seen
in both cases, the courtyard with its locally adapted design provides
resilience against changing extreme conditions.
 VERSUS HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture

•
Fig. 10 Organization scheme of traditional dwellings according to ‘Lakou’ culture
(credits: J. Miller).
Fig. 11 Proximity of cultivation terraces to the dwellings. The vineyards in Corniglia,
region of Liguria, Italy (photo: B. Özel).
Fig. 12 Close relationship between the living and production areas. Traditional dwellings
in Greve in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy (photo: B. Özel).

gen. gen.
2 2
Socio-cultural resilience is acquired through three stages of strate-
70 gies that regard pre-crisis and post-crisis phases.
generation
1 • Socio-cultural strategies for crisis prevention, which aim to avoid
risks and reduce social vulnerabilities by using local living cultures
and traditions, consist of understanding the value of the place and
its dynamics and disseminating local knowledge regarding prac-
tices and actions to cope with disruptions.
• Socio-cultural resistance is achieved through various strategies
such as: community preparation for emergency, knowledge of
alerting systems, strengthening the network of relationships and
trust, facilitating the participation of local communities in deci-
sion-making and constructive processes, transmitting cultural
values and history, ascribing value to the development of collec-
tive welfare, building common infrastructures and shared spaces,
as well as integrating new technologies to indigenous cultures.
• Socio-cultural adaptation to post-crisis conditions is concerned
with strategies based on sharing activities such as: swapping
know-how on change management, maintaining the psycholog-
ical health of communities, activating mutual reciprocal actions
and sharing of wealth, food, labour and knowledge, sharing ear-
ly warning systems, planning and activating mobility of people or
goods according to climatic changes, and incorporating strategies
for fast post-disaster recovery including temporary structures.
There are many practices for the oral transmission of knowledge re-
garding change adaptation: tales, songs and proverbs were used to
store the collective memory of communities (Gómez-Baggethun,
2012). The transmission of living cultures from generation to gener-
ation and an increase in the acknowledgement of basic needs such
as agriculture, or construction cultures (the so-called ‘know-how‘)
makes communities capable of recovering their living systems in
Socio-cultural dimensions of resilience in vernacular communities case of perturbations.
The socio-cultural dimensions of vernacular heritage include intan- The identity inherent in the cultural heritage also helps survivors to
gible values such as beliefs, social behaviours, knowledge, building recover from the negative psychological impacts of disasters. The
cultures and social cohesion that give the communities their iden- evidence of the power of socio-cultural values on post disaster re-
tities. Consequently socio-cultural identities play a crucial role in covery has been seen in Haiti after the devastating earthquake in
terms of reducing vulnerabilities and strengthening the resilience of 2010. The lakou, which historically means a large extended family,
the communities: indigenous culture is important since it includes headed by the oldest male and grouped spatially in a cluster of hous-
the knowledge of management of the territory in an appropriate es, represents the space where a family grows and socializes by cre-
way, which is indispensable to prevent natural disasters. ating nucleus of urban texture (fig. 10). More than a pattern of set-
 Vernacular Heritage contribution to Sustainable Architecture • Resilience and Intangible Heritage of Vernacular Architecture

71

Fig. 13 Traditional hórreo in Galicia, Spain (photo: B. Juvanec). Fig. 14 Typical nort-west Asturian hórreo, Spain Fig. 15 The ‘serender’, typical granaries in the Black Sea
(photo: R. Piñeiro). Region of Turkey (photo: R. Jackson).

tlement, the clustering symbolizes the family’s unity and solidari- ficient’ ecosystem has the capacity to maintain itself by independ-
ty against the challenges of maintaining the property (Miller, 2012). ent effort without external support in case of crisis. In terms of ur-
The lakou culture also develops a social structure through recipro- banism, ‘self-sufficiency’ refers to the productive dimension of the
cal food sharing and helping each other in difficult times and dur- cities which have the capacity of producing sufficient food, energy,
ing work. It is really interesting that the Haitians created a lakou lay- building materials and services (Özel et al. 2014). The ‘proximity’ of
out in post-disaster tent encampments, which were supposed to be productive areas to the dwellings, as well as shared cultivation and
temporary settlements. According to the observation of research- construction cultures, promotes the ‘self-sufficiency’ of vernacu-
ers, most people do not want to leave their temporary settlements lar settlements. Even when the land presents difficult morpholog-
and have established a sense of community in their current envi- ical conditions, the ‘proximity’ of cultivated fields is ensured in cre-
ronment (Miller, 2012). As mentioned previously, the notion of ‘re- ative ways, as can be seen in the Cinqueterre (Italy). The localities in
silience’ means not only surviving crises and perturbations but also this region are situated on top of hills, at a high of about 100 meters,
re-establishing equilibrium through adaptation to the post-disaster and they are all surrounded by vineyards on terraces. The agricultur-
conditions. Therefore in the terms of resilience, the culture of lakou al activities are managed thanks to the typical Ligurian terrace sys-
works and helps to maintain the psychological health and vibrancy of tem (fig. 11).
the community. The preconditions for socio-economic resilience regard three stages
of strategies related to pre-crisis and post-crisis periods.
Socio-economic dimensions of resilience in vernacular settlements • Strategies for the prevention of socio-economic crises, which aim
The economy of vernacular settlements is closely linked to the en- to avoid and reduce economic crisis and scarcity threats, consist
vironment, or else to the locally available physical and human re- of: using local and accessible resources, optimising the use of ma-
sources. Being based on natural conditions, the traditional produc- terials and promoting indigenous workmanship, selecting produc-
tivity is closely influenced by the climatic and biological character- tions adapted to the local conditions, reinforcing local production
istics. Therefore the loss of a global economy makes the traditional of food, and including spaces for productive activities at housing
productive activities strongly dependent on local changes. The link- scale.
age of economic and social welfare in local dimensions requires, for a • Strategies for building socio-economic resistance to crises based
good coexistence, a deep knowledge of seasonal cycles, natural dis- on sharing goods, integrating production, recognising the value of
asters and social crisis management. Regarding building production, local products, transmitting production knowledge, enhancing lo-
the participation of local communities in decision-making and in the cal economy empowerment, promoting collective use of spaces,
productive process can reduce costs. and transportation efforts.
‘Self-sufficiency’ is the most essential precondition for a communi- • Strategies for developing socio-economic adaptation to the
ty to be socio-economically resilient. A ‘self-sustaining’ or ‘self-suf- post-crisis economic conditions focuses on the storing and pooling
 VERSUS HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture

•
Fig. 16 Ice house in Monte Arcibessi, province of Ragusa,
Sicily, Italy. (photo: S. Cultrera)
•
Tab. 1 Resilience approaches from vernacular heritage.
(L. Dipasquale, S. Mecca, B. Özel)

cases, indigenous people improved local cultures both by taking ad-

72 vantage of natural benefits and by protecting their socio-economic
situation in the face of crises.

Resilience lessons from vernacular heritage for contemporary

architecture
Strategies for resilience are intrinsic to traditional cultures. Moreo-
ver, they are highly reliable since they have had a long evolution over
the years. Indigenous people have developed an immense knowl-
edge, as well as useful disaster prevention strategies over genera-
tions thanks to the accumulated experiences of survivals during nu-
merous crises; the experiences and lessons learned from previous
disturbances have a crucial role in shaping resilient dwellings and
of resources, sharing infrastructures and facilities, planning mo- habitats.
bility according to human and physical resources availability, en- Today the traditional knowledge system is difficult to identify,
hancing technical simplicity in building process, and optimizing since it is usually embedded in local cultures, rituals and symbols
construction efforts. (Gomez-Baggethin, 2012), or else it is orally transmitted from gen-
The food production and tending of livestock are part of daily activi- eration to generation. Codifying this traditional knowledge that has
ties, therefore vernacular houses are built in such a way that the pro- not been registered in written form (material and immaterial herit-
duction facilities can be included in the living areas (fig. 12). Vernac- age) could become a strategy to safeguard the heritage at risk, for
ular dwellings are equipped with storages, domestic workshops, ov- example by identifying new solution for contemporary resilient ar-
ens and wells in order to carry out a series of productive activities in chitectures. A comprehensive inventory and multidisciplinary anal-
order to make the food accessible in all seasons. These spaces, espe- ysis of local resilient solutions could generate local practice codes,
cially the storages, have a major importance for achieving ‘food se- such as standards and quality controls, to be used for preventing,
curity’ as they are built to keep wheat and other essential substanc- conserving and designing buildings (Dipasquale et al, 2011).
es for ‘food production’ during the difficult periods of the year with Practices of prevention and adaptation that come from vernacu-
extreme climate conditions. The ‘granaries’ have particular architec- lar architecture should be integrated with technological informa-
tural features, since they need to provide an appropriate structure in tion and technical skills, in order to validate these practices as well as
order to avoid humidity and the presence of rodents. The hórreo, the to educate the communities about potential hazard and risks. Par-
typical granary of the North-west of the Iberian Peninsula, is built in ticipation of the community in decision-making regarding the site,
wood or stone, raised from the ground by pillars (fig. 13-14). The same building design, and construction details is decisive to consolidate
is true in the Black Sea region of Turkey; the granaries, called seren- their knowledge and sense of belonging and fellowship.
der, are a fundamental part of traditional houses (fig. 15). The seren- Local communities can reduce their vulnerability in the face of natu-
der shows the same morphological features as the hórreo since it is ral hazards and improve their resilience through locally managed and
built on wooden pillars, raised from the ground for the same reasons. also small-scale mitigation activities; however, vulnerabilities can al-
Storages show different features according to the needs. While ‘gra- so be reduced through education, raising awareness, and fostering
naries’ are built raised on pillars, ‘ice-houses’, which act like a natural the conscious capacity of building and planning. These non-structur-
fridge to preserve food during the hot months, are built underground al methods are often as important over the long term as structural
in order to offer more thermal insulation (fig. 16). As it is seen in both mitigation, in a sustainable way of living.
 Vernacular Heritage contribution to Sustainable Architecture • Resilience and Intangible Heritage of Vernacular Architecture

73

PRE-CRISIS PHASE CRISIS PHASE POST-CRISIS PHASE

PREVENTION + MITIGATION RESPONSE + RESISTANCE RECOVERY + ADAPTATION

APPROACHES APPROACHES APPROACHES

• Land use management • Use of climate-adapted and durable • Flexible design

ENVIRONMENTAL
• Assuring appropriate choice of site materials • Sharing of building cultures
• Considering the hydrography of the place • Appropriate architectural and structural • Development of self-construction
• Comprehension of meteorological and conformation systems in order to facilitate fast recovery
biological systems • Natural hazard management
• Use of locally available materials
• Considering the specific characteristics of
local risks

• Recognising local living cultures and • Knowledge of alerting systems • Swapping know-how on change

SOCIO-CULTURAL
traditions • Strengthening the network of management
• Understanding the value of the place and relationships and trust • Maintaining the psychological health of
its dynamics • Transmitting cultural values and history communities
• Disseminating local knowledge regarding • Ascribing value to the development of • Activating mutual reciprocal actions and
practices and actions to cope with collective welfare sharing of food, labour and knowledge
disruptions • Building common infrastructures and • Incorporating strategies for fast post-
shared spaces disaster recovery including temporary
structures

• Using local and accessible resources • Sharing goods • Storing and pooling of resources
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
• Optimising the use of materials and • Integrated production • Sharing infrastructures and facilities
promoting indigenous workmanship • Recognising the value of local products • Planning mobility according to human and
• Selecting productions adapted to the local • Enhancing local economy empowerment physical resources availability
conditions • Promoting collective use of spaces • Enhancing technical simplicity and self-
• Reinforcing local production of food building activities in building process
• including spaces for productive activities • Optimizing construction efforts
at domestic scale
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