Why are all our Cities copies of one another?

Have you ever found yourself walking around new cities and simply wondered to yourself: “Why does everything look the same?” All our cities are now copies of each other, jungles made of steel, concrete, and glass! Where has traditional architecture gone?

Modern vs Traditional Architecture

To answer this we can look at a type of construction called ‘vernacular architecture,’ which is where local and traditional resources are used in building. This means the structure that is built will have links to its geographical location, context and cultural surroundings. So in turn, the building will be symbolic of local cultural practices and traditions. (Ghisleni, 2020) For instance, in regions with much warmer climates such as ancient Mesopotamia, mud was a common construction material due to its availability and benefits. Mud walls have a high thermal mass meaning they absorb heat slowly and store it, preventing the interior of the house from becoming too hot during the day but then during the night, when it becomes cooler outside they can release the heat keeping the interior warm. (Insider, 2020) However in more temperate climates such as parts of Medieval Europe, wood such as oak would have been used instead, due to it being renewable, sustainable, cheap and light to carry along large distances. Not to mention oak wood is incredibly strong! (Small Shops in Dinan, France, n.d.)

Djenne Mosque in Mali

With this in mind, you now might be asking yourself how vernacular buildings are important to us in the 21st century?  Well, they provide us with information on our ancestors and their traditional practices such as construction and other skills and customs. We can learn a lot about the character, identity and ways of life of the people from how the interiors are laid out, what materials are used in each room, and how they’re decorated. On top of this, this is also an extremely sustainable form of construction due to the local sourcing of the materials instead of relying on imports. (Traditional or Vernacular Buildings | Department for Communities, 2021)

So why is vernacular architecture not as common anymore? Well, the Industrial Revolution, began in the mid-18th century. Introduced and popularized new materials such as steel, concrete and glass across the world. (Jones, 2022) In addition, there was a large increase in population growth in ways that history has never been seen before. In 1800 the population reached 1 billion for the first time in history and about 200 years later reached 8 billion! (Ritchie et al., 2023) Meaning larger constructions have been in demand, to house more people quickly. As a result, more international styles such as brutalism have emerged in the 20th century, as we need more vigorous materials to support larger and larger structures. (“New Brutalism | Architectural Style,” 2019)

Limestone quarries and cement factories are often sources of air pollution.

With all that being said, I will end my first blog with a question for you. Do you traditional architecture will ever emerge again? It is hard to say for sure.

Unfortunately, urban spaces are still dominated by concrete architecture so I don’t see this changing in the near future.

Bibliography:

Ghisleni, C. (2020, November 25). What is Vernacular Architecture? ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/951667/what-is-vernacular-architecture

Insider, T. A. (2020, May 5). Mud: An Eco-Friendly Construction Materials. The Arch Insider. https://thearchinsider.com/mud-an-eco-friendly-construction-materials/

The Great Mosque, Djenné. (n.d.). Naturalhomes.org. http://www.naturalhomes.org/great-mosque-djenne.htm

Small shops in Dinan, France. (n.d.). Naturalhomes.org. Retrieved May 3, 2024, from http://naturalhomes.org/timeline/dinan.htm

Benefits of wood - Holmen Wood Products. (n.d.). Www.holmen.com. https://www.holmen.com/en/woodproducts/benefits-of-wood/

Traditional or Vernacular buildings | Department for Communities. (2021, August 10). Communities. https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/traditional-or-vernacular-buildings

Jones, R. (2022, March). A (Very) Brief History of the Construction Industry. Trimble.com; A (Very) Brief History of the Construction Industry. https://constructible.trimble.com/construction-industry/a-very-brief-history-of-the-construction-industry

Ritchie, H., Rodés-Guirao, L., Mathieu, E., Gerber, M., Ortiz-Ospina, E., Hasell, J., & Roser, M. (2023). Population Growth. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/population-growth

New Brutalism | architectural style. (2019). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/New-Brutalism

Rudofsky, B. (1964). Architecture Without Architects.

Image Credits:

Rocha, J. (2019, June 10). Traditional Architecture versus Modern Architecture. S3DA DESIGN Structural & MEP Design; S3DA Design. https://s3da-design.com/traditional-architecture-versus-modern-architecture/

‌Aburawa, A. (2010, September 8). Ancient mud buildings in the Muslim world are spectacular and sustainable - Green Prophet. https://www.greenprophet.com/2010/09/muslim-mud-architecture/

Watts, J. (2019, February 25). Concrete: the most destructive material on Earth. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/25/concrete-the-most-destructive-material-on-earth

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