Vernacular Architecture Forum
Encyclopedia
The Vernacular Architecture Forum (VAF) is a scholarly organization founded in 1980 to support the study and preservation of all aspects of vernacular architecture and landscapes
. The organization has brought together scholars and practitioners from a wide variety of disciplines--geography
, folklore
, architecture
, landscape architecture
, historic preservation
and others. The Vernacular Architecture Forum publishes a quarterly newsletter, Vernacular Architecture Newsletter, holds an annual meeting, conducts tours, and publishes an annual journal, now named Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum. In 2007, VAF had more than 800 members.
The annual journal of VAF was initiated in 1982 as a series of books titled Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture that contained selected papers from the VAF annual meetings. In 2007, the publication was retitled Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum reflecting its current formatting as a scholarly journal publishing a wide range of vernacular research.
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
. The organization has brought together scholars and practitioners from a wide variety of disciplines--geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, landscape architecture
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
, historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
and others. The Vernacular Architecture Forum publishes a quarterly newsletter, Vernacular Architecture Newsletter, holds an annual meeting, conducts tours, and publishes an annual journal, now named Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum. In 2007, VAF had more than 800 members.
The annual journal of VAF was initiated in 1982 as a series of books titled Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture that contained selected papers from the VAF annual meetings. In 2007, the publication was retitled Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum reflecting its current formatting as a scholarly journal publishing a wide range of vernacular research.