Design and the Vernacular: Interpretations for Contemporary Architectural Practice and Theory

How have Indigenous building traditions shaped modern building practices?

What can the study of vernacular architecture contribute to debates about sustainable development?

How has vernacular architecture been used to argue for postcolonial modernisation – and what has been the effect on heritage and conservation?

Design and the Vernacular explores how the vernacular architecture of Australasia and Oceania intersects with modernity and globalization – challenging assumptions about vernacular architecture being anachronistic and static, and instead demonstrating how it can shape contemporary architecture, nation building and cultural identities.

Sixteen chapters by architects, designers, and theorists, including Indigenous writers, explore different facets of vernacular architecture amid the context of rapid political, economic, technological, social and environmental changes. The result offers valuable lessons and case studies for architects across the globe, and for anyone interested in how the vernacular can inform contemporary urban planning and architectural design.