Decoding Spatial Narratives: The Role of Vernacular Architecture in Community Identity
Journal: Architecture Engineering and Science DOI: 10.32629/aes.v7i1.5027
Abstract
Vernacular architecture plays a crucial role in shaping spatial narratives that define community identity, cultural heritage, and social interactions. Traditional settlements reflect local environmental adaptations, socio-religious values, and historical continuity, yet they are increasingly under threat from urbanization, commercialization, and policy-driven development. This paper examines how vernacular spatial narratives are constructed, sustained, and transformed in contemporary urban contexts, focusing on Huizhou, China, and Behramkale, Türkiye as case studies. Using a qualitative research approach, including ethnographic observations, semi-structured interviews, spatial mapping, and archival research, the study analyses key architectural features, material choices, and spatial configurations that contribute to place-making and identity formation. The findings reveal that courtyards, narrow alleys, decorative motifs, and communal spaces serve as critical markers of cultural identity, reinforcing collective memory and social cohesion. However, rapid modernization, tourism-driven gentrification, and unsustainable urban policies are disrupting these narratives, leading to spatial fragmentation and identity loss. The paper concludes that adaptive reuse strategies, community-led conservation efforts, and policy reforms are essential for integrating vernacular spatial principles into contemporary urban planning while preserving cultural authenticity and historical continuity.
Keywords
vernacular architecture, spatial narratives, community identity, urban transformation, heritage conservation.
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[3]Fang, X., Li, L., Gao, Y., Liu, N. and Cheng, L. (2024). Expressing the spatial concepts of interior spaces in residential buildings of Huizhou, China: Narrative methods of wood-carving imagery. Buildings, 14(5), 1414. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051414
[4]Glassie, H. (2000). Vernacular Architecture. Indiana University Press.
[5]Ishrat A., Chomal N. S., Mahalik A. and Kamal Arif M. (2023) Climate and Seismic Responsive Vernacular Architecture of the Old Settlement of Srinagar, India, International Society for the Study of Vernacular Settlements (e-ISVS), 10(7), https://doi.org/10.7.7
[6]Joseph, A. and Jha, S. (2023). Lands that make us: Decoding maps, landscapes, and identities in Aaniya Asrani’s Portraits of Exile. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 14(6), 875-889. https://doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2023.2218906
[7]Kamal Arif M. and Nasir O. (2021), Vernacular Architecture as a Design Paradigm for Sustainability and Identity: The Case of Ladakh, India, American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 9(6), 219-231, https://doi.org/10.12691/ajcea-9-6-2
[8]Laotan-Brown, T. (2025). Unveiling the immaterial: The premier building restoration project at the Hope Waddell Institution. Edinburgh Architecture Research, 39. https://doi.org/10.2218/ear.2025.9586
[9]Lefebvre, H. (1991). The Production of Space. Blackwell Publishing.
[10]Muktiono, A. (2024). Revealing city identity through a semiotic approach: Analysis of city elements. Journal of Data Science, 2(01), 1-13. https://ejournal.seaninstitute.or.id/index.php/visualization/article/view/3919
[11]Norberg-Schulz, C. (1980). Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture. Rizzoli.
[12]Oliver, P. (2006). Built to Meet Needs: Cultural Issues in Vernacular Architecture. Architectural Press.
[13]Rapoport, A. (1969). House Form and Culture. Prentice-Hall.
[14]Rong, W., Bahauddin, A. and Xiao, M. (2025). Floating hutongs life to diminishing Confucian courtyard narratives in Jinan, China. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 24(1), 453-471. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2023.2292086
[15]Song, G. and Gu, C. (2025). Deciphering translation practices in Macao's casino wonderland of Cotai. International Journal of Multilingualism, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2025.2456063
[16]Tiwari, S. and Vij, M. (2024). Adaptation of Neo-Vernacular Architecture in the Contemporary Temples in India: Insights from Selected Case Studies. Google Scholar. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=enandas_sdt=0%2C5andq=Adaption+of+Neo-Vernacular+Architecture+in+the+Contemporary+Temples+in+India%3A+Insights+from+Selected+Case+StudiesandbtnG=
[17]Tuan, Y. F. (1977). Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. University of Minnesota Press.
[18]Vale, L. and Campanella, T. (2005). The Resilient City: How Modern Cities Recover from Disaster. Oxford University Press.
[19]Verma T., Kamal Arif M., Brar S. Tejwant, (2022), An Appraisal of Vernacular Architecture of Bikaner: Climatic Responsiveness and Thermal Comfort of Havelis, International Society for the Study of Vernacular Settlements (eISVS), 9(2)
[20]https://isvshome.com/pdf/ISVS_9-2/ISVS9.2.4M._Arif_Kamal
[21]Zou, Y., Xiao, H. and Yang, Y. (2022). Constructing identity in space and place: Semiotic and discourse analyses of museum tourism. Tourism Management, 93, 104608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104608
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