Which city is featured in the photo above? Which country is it in? Unless you’re already familiar with this specific skyline, odds are you can’t tell which city this is, even though it’s one of the largest cities of a major European nation.
This is because across the world, modern urban centers look increasingly homogenous — but this wasn’t always the case. Just 200 years ago, you could have easily told whether a house was British, French, American, or Mexican. They all had unique shape, materials, and character, and they felt like they were from somewhere.
The city above, however, could easily be mistaken for being part of London, Chicago, or even modern Milan. It’s actually a shot of Frankfurt — but nothing about it indicates its Teutonic origins.
But what if buildings were instead rooted in local traditions, and shaped by the needs, culture, and climate of a particular region?
That’s exactly the philosophy behind “vernacular architecture”…...
