Vernacular Architecture
and Built Environment
Prepared by: Arch. Ameena Wahiba Alhariri
8/12/2022
What Is Vernacular Architecture?
• Vernacular architecture is a modest style of building that is specific to a
region and period.
• It relies on the use of local materials and knowledge to construct
buildings.
• It's usually done without the supervision of a professional architect.
• The term 'vernacular' became part of building discourse in the 19th
century.
How to distinguish Vernacular Architecture?
• Builders use inexpensive materials: Materials were generally affordable
and locally sourced.
• The design was intended to focus on function over beauty.
• The design is reflective of the climate: For instance, builders might
consider what direction the home is facing when positioning windows.
Specific materials might be used to help with the summer or winter
season, etc.
• Homes often embody local technology, social conditions, and culture.
Example of vernacular architecture in Bahrain
“صور أرشيفية لبيوت مصنوعة من
سعف النخيل تستخدم في فصل الصيف
بمنطقة عراد -عام 1963م | وكالة أنباء
البحرين ”.صور أرشيفية لبيوت مصنوعة
من سعف النخيل تستخدم في فصل
الصيف بمنطقة عراد -عام 1963م |
وكالة أنباء البحرين,
www.bna.bh/.aspx?cms=iQRp
heuphYtJ6pyXUGiNqttcVpCyI%
2BZg. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.
Barasti
This dwelling
was a repetitious
unit, consisting
of a boundary
defining a tract
of land for each
family.
https://www.facebook.com/TheOldBahrain/photos/a.1468079883374882/1832294246953442/?type=3
Each Barasti formed an
isolated spatial unit.
The dwelling was a
skeleton of palm tree
fronds and athel tree
branches.
Four or five branches
were tied together to
form the supporting
columns and the
horizontal beams or wall
supports.
• The wall structure and roofs were dressed with palm tree leaves
producing a protective layer.
• Barasti considered one of the typical traditional dwellings that
reflected the interaction between Man and his local environment.
• The use of primitive dwellings was not very common in cities as it
was not related to the socio-economic status of the tribes or
indigenous peoples.
The Barasti dwelling
continued to be used in
a limited form in some
small islands inhabited
by fishermen and known
as Halat.
It was used in limited
areas within the omrani
fabric of the cities of
Muharraq and Manama,
and in small rural
clusters.
https://www.photos-videos.net/huts/arish-or-barasti-huts-in-bahrain/
The city house
• This differed greatly in its form and morphology from the primitive
pattern of the Barasti, since it is composed of a coherent mass.
• The courtyard was the center of the movement for the surrounding
enclosed spaces.
• The functional spaces can be defined as follows:
oReception quarters (Majlis)
oPrivate domain (Haram)
oService quarters
A diagram showing the anatomy of the spatial composition, the unique
architectural language and the visual features of Muharraq houses, the case
of Sh. Salman House (Source: Yarwood, 1988)
Shaikh Isa bin Ali al-Khalifa house, built in 1830 and recently restored as
a national monument. The house is built around four courtyards and
includes beautifully incised stucco panels in the upper rooms.
Rooms in traditional houses would usually serve many purposes; as
places to work, eat, rest or sleep, as the needs of the family and the
season dictated.
Privacy
Opening to the courtyard
Entrance with the wall opposite the door.
https://www.shutterstock.com/search/shaikh-isa-bin-ali-house
During the 20th
century,
accelerated
development,
urbanization and
globalization have
impacted heavily
upon the
vernacular and
traditional built
environments.
Mega projects, the
information revolution,
improved transportation,
modern construction
technologies, and changing
values and attitudes have
been seen as major forces of
such change.
The functions
are located
around three
separate
courtyards and
accessed by
three different
entrances
ensuring privacy
for the family.
High liwan
opened to
the north
to be used
during the
summer.
• The concept emphasizes respecting cultural values in responding to
climate conditions.
• In response to climate, different means are employed:
• Different heights to give more shades on the horizontal roofs
• Thick walls allowing to incorporation built in cupboards when
necessary
Built environmental
Opening inside
the west high wall
of the staircase to
channel fresh air
to the living
rooms on the first
and ground floor.
Vertical and horizontal
elements to provide shade
on the elevations
Conclusion and learning outcomes
• The house should satisfy
human activity needs as
well as should clearly
express the society’s
values, and cultural
identity.
• The design should be
reflective of the climate.
References
• Waly.T.(1992) The courtyard pattern in the architecture of the house Bahrain.
• El Masri. S,(1997) 1st Architectural Competition Contemporary Bahraini House.
