In the Quest for -Lost- Meaning: The Vernacular Architecture Discourse in the Age of Environmental Awakening, 1939-1972

This thesis examines the development of the theoretical concept of vernacular architecture after the outbreak of World War II. The immediate postwar period was strongly influenced by the International Style as the main architectural paradigm. At the same time, it witnessed a surge of scholarly interest in the architecture of non-architects, today commonly known as vernacular architecture. While vernacular influences existed in prewar architecture, they were often framed within an abstract myth of the discipline's origins. In contrast, the devastating outcomes of the war expanded postwar interpretations of the vernacular and linked them to the emerging discourse on the notion of the environment. This discourse, forming part of an environmental awakening, addressed growing concerns about rapid industrialisation, including pollution, rapid urbanisation, the disappearance of historic cities, and uncontrolled urban sprawl. The central hypothesis of this research is that the study of vernacular architecture expresses not only the emerging environmental concerns of architecture but also a deeper need to reassess the mission and the role of the architect. To examine this claim, the dissertation investigates this transformation through a thorough analysis of architectural literature published between 1939 and the early 1970s. By revisiting the broader architectural discourse of this period, the research defines what is termed the vernacular architecture discourse. More than 100 English-language titles retrieved from archives serve as working examples. These publications are studied not only as carriers of architectural knowledge but also as designed objects that shape the discourse. The method examines all forms of representation of vernacular architecture in interpretive books, combining textual analysis with the study of visual material. The dissertation has two primary objectives. First, it critically reconstructs the environmental interpretations of vernacular architecture through an interdisciplinary methodology integrating architectural history and representation, digital humanities, and phenomenological philosophy. By examining the validity of the central hypothesis, the thesis reassesses the discourse's capacity to act as a cultural alternative within contemporary theories of architectural sustainability. Second, the thesis produces an operational appendix in the form of an Atlas of Books, which analogically organises the working examples using digital means. Intended for scholarly use, the Atlas summarises archival findings and traces the evolution of architectural publications across the studied years.