Paper short abstract:

Questions that have long been central to the practice of architectural conservation are particularly pertinent in the context of vernacular architectural traditions. The contribution will discuss these questions from an anthropological perspective.

Paper long abstract:

In recent decades, studies of architecture (including those traditions commonly called vernacular or traditional) have moved from an object-focused approach to a process-oriented one. At the same time, an understanding that the process that is architecture goes beyond processes of production (that is, those of design and making, which have received most attention thus far) and also includes processes of consumption (such as, dwelling, appropriation, deterioration and demolition) has also emerged. The ways in which these processes of production and consumption emerge, materialise and interrelate is of course different in different cultural and temporal contexts, resulting in a rich and dynamic tapestry of what may be called building cultures. It is clear that the practices that make up architectural conservation are part of the latter process of consumption, even if they often focus on those aspects that make up the process of production (materials, technologies, forms and so on). It is also clear that these practices have emerged out of a specific historical and cultural, European tradition. A processual perspective on architecture raises questions around issues that have long been central to the practices of architectural conservation in this specific European tradition, such as how to deal with processes of change or the concept of authenticity. These questions are particularly pertinent in the context of traditions that fall outside of the European architectural canon. The contribution will discuss some of the issues they raise from an anthropological perspective.