**3. Vernacular architecture: localism and cross-cultural effects**

Vernacular architecture can be defined as unpretentious, simple, indigenous, traditional structures made of local materials and following well-tried forms and types [10].

In his book "Architecture without Architects," Bernard Rudofsky, the writer, architect, collector, educator, designer, and social historian commented, "There is much to learn from architecture before it became an expert's art" [11]. To

comprehend people's experience with ambient natural and built environments, we need to recognize the cultural meanings of architecture in the society day-to-day life practices and experiences [12].

 For me, vernacular architecture is the built environment (city, architecture, and interior spaces) created based on the society needs. It is built in accordance with the natural environment (geography, topography, site, climate, local building materials, labor experience, and building techniques) fulfilling people's physical, economic, social, and cultural norms. Vernacular architecture is a sign of identity; it is the "mirror" of nations that reflects place, time, and culture. Architecture is built by people to people; it has developed through time and modified itself through trial and error to fulfill society's needs in harmony with the ambient environment.

Due to restrictions in transportation means, vernacular architecture depended on local materials and skills; this led to conserve resources and created uniqueness and identity to each region's architecture [13]. Each material embedded its physical and aesthetical characteristics that dictated the architectural technology that fits to this material.

Every society that created architecture has evolved its own forms that adhered to people as its language, clothing, customs, and traditional stories. Until the collapse of cultural frontiers in the twentieth century, there are distinctive local shapes and details in architecture as a natural product of materials, technology, environment, and people's culture [14].

Brick, for instance, as one of the most ancient and popular materials used in hot arid regions such as the Arab World, required certain technologies based on its shape, size, and durability. Most brick units' dimensions are set to fit human being's hand; this was convenient when building walls and piers while the thickness of these vertical elements varied based on its constructional location, height, and structural loads. To solve the roofing problem, builders had to create new forms in accordance with brick's physical characteristics; arch was the brilliant solution. From arch motion, shapes that are more convenient were created; when arch moves horizontally, the vault is created and when arch rotated around itself, we had the dome. These creative shapes worked very well with the ambient environment and climate esthetically and functionally.

By time, theses shapes (arch and dome in particular) gained symbolic meaning beyond functionality and esthetics; they became part of the "cultural memory." As Harry Francis Mallgrave, architect, scholar, and editor declared: "One's memory image of an architectural style is admittedly built on the stylistics images of one's culture and these images gradually obtain a progressive clarity or strengthening, which elicits greater delight as a particular style advances" [15].

 Esthetically, brick unique beauty worked well with the long sunny days in hot arid regions. Creative decoration with brick such as ornaments, calligraphy, access and recess, niches, corbels, and muqarnas exposed the effective visual beauty. Sun and clear sky revealed esthetics of brick ornamentation through the contrast of shade and shadow. Even though, some of these forms were created for structural and functional purposed, the aesthetical and creative aspect was not neglected (**Figure 2**).

Regionalism in architecture reflects local features related to place, culture, climate, and technology in a certain era; the result a timeless architecture [16]. If imported materials and high technology are not used smartly, then architecture, as a place definer, will lose relation to its region and ambient environment [4].

Kavous Ardalan in viewing the relation between globalization and culture states: "… analysis of globalization and culture necessarily requires a fundamental understanding of the worldviews underlying the views expressed with respect to the nature and role of globalization and culture" [17].

*Sustainability and Vernacular Architecture: Rethinking What Identity Is DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82025* 

**Figure 2.**  *Aesthetical effect of shade and shadow in vernacular architecture (Source: Salman, Maha).* 

Arab countries have started to reexamine their own traditions in search of their "own" unique values and principles. This process had an impact on the production of contemporary architecture and eventually triggered an intense discussion about how "localism" should be created other than copying fragments from the past.

Most of modern cities lack identity due to imported global styles and techniques that do not cope with ambient environment and do not reflect the uniqueness of each city/country and its people and society. Jason McLennan notes "A simple look at most of our communities being built today shows that we have indeed lost our respect for place" [4].

Since the mid-twentieth century, architecture in the Arab World that can reflect local identity by reviewing the potential of the region has started; it became a new approach for regionalism in architecture. This was one trend to regain identity in architecture as many buildings have been achieved; however, most of these buildings did not capture the essence and dynamic context of local identity. Generally, regionalism in architecture was summarized with certain forms and architectural features or materials with a nostalgic view to heritage without deep exploration to the core of vernacular architecture and local identity.
