Exercise 3.3 - Vernacular Architecture

1. Vernacular
Architecture
Examples
In the town of Harran in Southern
Turkey, houses shaped a little like
beehives were once a popular housing
structure, constructed out of adobe,
brick and stone found in the area. The
domed shape can be built quickly,
making it a very practical construction
for the nomadic population to set up that
is still resistant to heat and cold, unlike a
common tent for example.
On the island of Læsø in northern Denmark
there is a longstanding tradition for seaweed
roofs, made using eelgrass. A successful
salt industry on the island meant that most of
the trees were used to power kilns for salt
refinement, leaving residents with little to
construct their homes. As a result, they used
driftwood from shipwrecks and eelgrass from
the ocean that were able to withstand decay
for hundreds of years, thanks to the fact that
they were impregnated with saltwater.
(Zilliacus, A 2017)
The Ma’dan people, or Marsh Arabs
as they are sometimes known,
inhabit the marshlands at the
junction of the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers in Iraq. Around the marshes
grow a substantial amount of reeds
that the Ma’dan use to build with;
wrapping them in bundles to create
columns, arches and walls, a reed
house can be erected in just 3
days.(Zilliacus, A 2017)
Seaweed Roofs on
Lœso, Denmark
Ma’dan Reed
Houses, Iraq
Beehive Houses of
Harran, Turkey
Goahti, Arctic
Region
Sami people cover areas in northern Norway,
Sweden and Finland, as well as the Russian Kola
Peninsula. Many traditionally hunt and fish for their
livelihood, but they are best known for their semi-
nomadic reindeer herding, even though only around
10% of the current Sami population is involved in the
practice today. Goahti constructions have been a
central part of this lifestyle, used as a transportable
shelter for longer journeys.(Zilliacus, A 2017)
The Triple Decker
The triple-decker is a much-beloved wood
frame apartment building that is commonly
found in New England towns and cities. The
structures were originally used to house
large numbers of immigrants who worked in
factories during the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries.

2. The Black-and-white Revival was an
architectural movement from the middle of
the 19th century which re-used the
vernacular elements of the past, using
timber framing. The wooden framing is
painted black and the panels between the
frames are painted white. The style was
part of a wider Tudor Revival in 19th-
century architecture.(Chester 360, 2020)
Photograph taken 16 Jun 1887 © Reproduced by
permission of Historic England Archive ref: BL08068
I’m very fortunate to live in an area so rich and overflowing with culture and history. Chester extends back nearly two
millennia, covering all periods of British history. I had so many different choices of vernacular architecture. I chose a few
that are really interesting and pays homage to Chester’s history.
The Bear & Billet Inn (earlier the
Bridgegate Tavern). A beautiful Tudor
building located at 94 Lower Bridge
Street. Built in 1661 it is now used as
a public house. John Lennon's
grandmother was born in the Bear &
Billet in 1873.(Chester 360, 2020)
This is one of Chester's oldest
houses. There was once a
walkway (row) on the first floor
which was later bricked up to
create a front room. The Georgian
Sash windows on the first floor
were added later and are not
Tudor in style.(Chester 360, 2020)
Tudor buildings were
typically constructed using
English oak timbers then
painted with black tar for
protection from the weather.
The white paint you can see
is wattle and daub then
painted with lime wash.
Other Tudor characteristics
include: small leaded glass
windows (large panes of
glass could not be made
then), overhang upper floors
(called a jetty). (Chester 360, 2020)
The Blue Bell is the last remaining part of
the now vanished 12th Century Lorimers
Row, serving the traveller since 1494,
when the first license to serve ale was
granted. This is the oldest 'domestic
structure', and the only surviving example
of a genuine medieval inn, in Chester.(Blue
Bell, 2020)