THE VERNACULAR AND DESIGN

Vernacular architectur (I.E. construction by unknown builders) has always been a subject of fascination and study for architects and designers. Le Corbusier, after repeauted trips to India, built several government buikdings and single-family hommes using clear references to traditional Indian architecture. Adolf Loos led some followers to a lake in the Alps, where he stressed that the order of the structures seemed to be the work of God rather than man. Frank Lloyd Wright, whith Bruno Taut and Walter Gropius, among others, established a pilgrimage route to Japan, the inspiration for the design of many of his single-family homes and pieces of furniture. Textile architecture, as an essential part of the vernacular, does not escape this analytical study by architects and designers. It has become a highly complex subject since the dawn of the modernist movement, thanks to technological advances and the development of new materials.

The relationship between specimens of cernacular architecture and design projects is based on the developer's careful study of these structures. One of the most evident features of tents or, for that matter, any example of vernacular architecture, is the close relationship between their function and the socioeconomic context of the area in which they are found. Whether buildings are temporary or designed for long-term occupancy, their structure, construction, materials, and furnishigs are linked to the resources available nearby. The clearest example is the igloo, a temporary home in the skimo culture, located above the Arctic Circle, and an excellent example of sustainable construction.


An abandoned igloo on the arctic tundra of Salluit, in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada.


A panoramic view of a Bedouin tent in the hills east Bethany, Israel.



A glance at the various manifestations of textil architectur with the use of tents offers us a different and timeless perspective on architecture and interior design. Since they are forever being set up and dismantled, tents, and nomadic architecture in general, need a flexible structure and must be easy to transport. They generally take simple geometri shapes based on circular or square forms. Just about any member of the community can handle them, and they are passed down from generation to generation. Consequently, tents (and all nomadic architectur) have no beginning and no end, but undergo constant change as result of their re-use over time.


A temporary settlement of Kazakh tents (yurts) in the Tian Shan mountains, on the border of China and Kazakhstan.



A structure in the northeastern Congo made from tree branches bent into curved shapes and anchored with bark.