Vernacular architecture comprises indigenous building, which develops on the basis of independent traditions rather than emerging from an architect's planning. The term vernacular architecture, therefore, should be understood to mean building cultures which are not defined by an elite class of specialised individuals, but by a wider social group. Since the publication "Architecture without architects" by Bernhard Rudofsky (1964) at the latest, the subject of vernacular architecture has also met with interest in architectural circles and today it represents an essential component of the discursive investigation into architecture.
The seminar "Vernacular Architecture" will be held with yearly changing thematic priorities.
The issue in the winter semester 2016 includes traditional rural building types in Austria. The focus of the research is on the relationships between climatic conditions, social traditions, economic conditions, the availability of material resources and the technical possibilities in the course of historical development.
