Vernacular Architecture

[glenn kangiser]

From an out of print book by Kevin Kelly, Asia Grace- an ancient civilisation.



Tons of pictures here with commentary and reader input.  Use the next button to view commentary or slideshow for pix only.

Asia Grace


Many times vernacular architecture -structures made by the people of an area without the help of architects or engineers can help us to understand what works well in a given area or even ideas to try in other areas.  Look through a book such as Home Work or Built By Hand and you will have a hard time stopping your mind from running away --- must be what happened to me -- it hasn't comeback yet. :-/

Home Work is in the book section

[Amanda_931]

WOW!

[Jens]

I haven't wuite made it through all of the slideshow, but this is my favorite so far.  Can I build it mommy?  Can I?

[glenn kangiser]

I liked that one too.  It's really neat that Kevin Kelly put the entire book on line with comments.  That's the kind of guy he is.  The book itself has no words - which is fine as long as you can look up what it is and where it is on line - a thirty year project.  I'm always curious about what's going on.

[Amanda_931]

Hmmm.  Wonder how that cottage was built.  

I thought at first glance that it was whitewashed formed cob with exceptionally straight walls and right angle corners, but I don't see the depth in the doorway that there should have been for that.  

It is cute.  If you build it I'll come help.

[Jens]

Well Amanda, if we end up in Tenn, Virg, or that area (as idealized at this point), and are in a spot with no permits required, you might just have to remember that you typed that!

[Amanda_931]

Northern Alabama or Mississippi could be added to that list.

[glenn kangiser]

Here is a cool old horse feeder barn at an old Gold town near where I am working.



Here is another building in the same town - built of rocks glued together with unstabilized adobe then plastered over with some type of cemented stucco.  There are a few large cracks near the corner.



Here is a closer view.  The town dates to around 1850.

[Amanda_931]

The cracks don't look that much worse than every concrete block building I've seen  gets after 20 years or so.

But that may say more about concrete block.

And that area of California is probably in a higher seismic risk area than Middle Tennessee.

But, neat buildings.

[glenn kangiser]

Zone 3 I think-- The rocks in this building appear to be at least some green andesite - My mountain is composed of it and it seems to run along the Gold Hiway area.  It is very inconsistant in size therefore a bit hard to build with however I'm starting to get the hang of it after studying the link on rock wall building Bart posted some time ago.

[glenn-k]

Here is an online photo of the Mission in Satevo, Mexico.



Kathy and I went there several years ago when we went to Batopilas, Chihuahua, Mexico.  It is hundreds of years old with several brick domes and a tower. Americans had come and excavated the floor looking for gold rumored to be buried under the floor with old buried priests.  We had landed our plane on a 1300 foot dirt strip on the side of a mountain about 3 miles from Batopilas -retaining wall and road at one end -a hill and canyon at the other end.  We spiraled down to the strip in Copper Canyon from around 8000 feet elevation just above the Sierra Madres.  The strip was located at about 2000 feet elevation.  The bottom of the Canyon of course tightened up over the river so the last loop I had to make to match runway height was rather tight with the mountain looming in the front windshield before turn to final approach. In a few minutes two policemen with machine guns showed up to see if we were drug runners.  There was a small tin shack riddled with bullet holes near the runway.  We spoke enough Spanish to tell them we were on vacation and wanted to visit the town.  The officer told us he would take us to the judge who was the only person in town who spoke English.

We met the Judge - and in fact most of the people in town.  So much for slipping in unnoticed.  The Judge said he was the Judge but he also ran a restaurant at the end of town.  He mentioned that he was a better cook than he was a Judge.  He wasn't a real great cook but was a pretty nice guy.  We asked about transportation to Satevo to look at the mission.  He said that there was none in town but that he had a car and would be glad to take us for a small fee in the morning.  They even have to haul their own gas into this town- about a 4 hour drive one way over twisting switchbacks at La Bufa--- one mistake driving down and you become part of history.  $15 got us a ride to the mission and lots of good stories  after he spent the morning polishing his Dodge.  Someone had thrown a very large rock or something and shattered the windshield before we got our ride - maybe they didn't agree with a verdict?

[Sassy]

Ran across some extraordinary pictures of the City of Petra in Jordan - it's hard to imagine that people could build like this without the modern equipment we have now!  I especially like the stairway - built to last for centuries!





This is the passageway to the city...



Built right into the rock...



here is a link to history, archeology etc...  Petra

[jraabe]

What a powerful place.

Here's another link (but not to great photos - Sassy's already given us those).

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Anthropology/Petra/

And speaking of "wonders of the world", here's an interesting site:

http://wonderclub.com/AllWorldWonders.html

[glenn kangiser]

"Architects???-----We don't need no steenking architects."  What movie was that from anyway----- :-/

How about some modern day vernacular architecture.

Kathy and I went to a party at her brothers place and he has just created a truly unique little building that could also be used as a small house design.  He first built his own pool then designed and built his own pool house.  He still has roofing and details to go but it was well past the presentable stage for the party.  Note that he is not a commercial builder or contractor - his regular job is Almond farming for their family farm.  He's just a guy who "gets it" and can do anything he wants to do.



How about that third gable in the center.



Knowing Doug, I assume he made all of his own connection plates.  Very well designed.  



A very nice post and beam structure built strong enough to hold up a tractor.

[CREATIVE1]

Here's a great octagonal house from the Civil War Period, or--house interrupted.  Workmen just dropped their tools and the house is still unfinished, making for a very unusual experience.  A must see if you're near Natchez

http://www.geniecorner.com/HTML/Longwood.html

[Sassy]

Very interesting house!  That "window" or door? is beautiful!  That must have been a difficult planning & architectural design!  We were down there a few years ago - went to Oak Alley, rode on the Natchez riverboat but didn't get over to see that mansion - wish we'd seen it - looks beautiful.  

My brother built onto his old country home - a 1st & 2nd story, built a garage & workshop, bumped out the kitchen wall for a breakfast nook a few years ago, put in all new kitchen cabinets, tile, then in the past year & 1/2 extended the dining room out - put new crown & floor molding, carpeting, windows, repainted or stained everything. remodeled the bathrooms, built the pool & the just finished pool house (with bathroom & shower), did all the cement work, plumbing, electrical etc... he used to help my dad with building projects.  My dad added on a 2500 sq ft 2 story addition to his old country house - had collected all the building materials from auctions & such.  My brother & he did most of the work - back 20 yrs ago - it cost him around $25,000 for the 2500 sq ft!  Both my dad & brother are self taught... my other brother acted as his subcontractor for the house he built & did a lot of the construction.  So, where there is a will, there is a way!

[CREATIVE1]

It was a real eye-opener for me when we built our last house ourselves for cash.  Instead of admiration and awe, everyone around us seemed to think it was just too much trouble!!  Also did it for $20.00 per square foot 20 years ago, and it is NOT a basic house--2 story with cedar ceilings and trim, 20 foot ceilings in the living room, on big cement piers  8 - 12 feet off the ground.  And the cost per square foot didn't include about 600 square feet of raised and partially covered deck. TOO MUCH TROUBLE!!!  (times when you realize you don't run with the crowd)

[CREATIVE1]

http://www.coralcastle.com/pictures.asp

Built in Florida from Coral Rock by a 100 pound man.  

[Amanda_931]

If a hundred pound man can install a 9-ton gate that opens beautifully, I guess there's no excuse for me.

I weigh more than that!

[Sassy]

Very interesting!  He lived around the time of Tesla who also researched electro magnetic energy - Glenn even made a Tesla coil - caused interference with everyone's radios & TV's in the surrounding area!  The HAARP project in Alaska & Woodpecker (Russia) have likely used some of Tesla's research & theories (they were confiscated by our gov't right after he died.)  Tesla was from the Austro-Hungary area, but spent most of his adult life in the USA.  Ed Leedskalnin was from Latvia.  Both seemed to be way ahead of their times & from the same general area give or take several hundred miles... fascinating...

[jonsey/downunder]

I know I'm going to get a whack for this but I can't resist.  

The gate or the man.

[glenn kangiser]

Outstanding, Jonesy.

[jonsey/downunder]

I'm sure she deliberately left that gate wide open for us mate. I think she knew one of us would gallop right on through.

[PEG688]

I know I'm going to get a whack for this but I can't resist.  

The gate or the man.

Oh brother   I had to read Amanda's post a few  , yes 3 times,  to figure that one out

Good thing you live in OZ Jonsey, you might be safe when Amanda see's it  

[jonsey/downunder]

I don't know about that PEG, I think if she gets up a good head of steam, I won't even be safe down here.