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Vernacular Architecture
HISTORY & CULTURESbeginner
Definition
Architecture designed and built by communities using locally available materials and traditional methods, without the involvement of professional architects. Vernacular buildings are shaped by climate, culture, and available resources — they represent accumulated wisdom about building in a place.
Example
The trulli of Alberobello in southern Italy — dry-stone conical-roofed dwellings built without mortar — are a UNESCO-listed vernacular tradition dating to at least the 16th century.