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Pathfinder: Indigenous Architecture
Indigenous architecture addresses the subject of designing and
building structures within the context of native cultures and covers a
broad range of building types, forms, and uses. This pathfinder is
designed to assist school librarians and teachers of grades K-12 find
information on indigenous architecture worldwide, especially native
architecture in North America.
What is indigenous architecture?
- The introduction to the Encyclopedia of Vernacular
Architecture of the World has an excellent discussion of
vernacular architecture, which includes indigenous architecture.
- Lawrence Wodehouse also provides a good description of
indigenous architecture in his introduction to Indigenous
Architecture Worldwide: A Guide to Information Sources .
Where is indigenous architecture found? What cultures
does this include?
- In Dwellings: The Vernacular House World Wide,
Paul Oliver describes indigenous houses within a cultural context.
- Traditions in Architecture: Africa, America, Asia, and
Oceania provides a broad historical survey of both monumental and
vernacular architecture in cultures outside the Western tradition.
- Volumes two and three of the Encyclopedia of
Vernacular Architecture of the World include entries for
individual cultures throughout the world.
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Is there current research on this topic? Where can I
find it?
- Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, found
online and updated weekly, provides access to articles in over 2,500
international periodicals in architecture and related fields. Search by
“vernacular architecture” and the culture or country in the subject
field for good results.
I would like to see some pictures of indigenous
structures.
- Historical images of native architecture in North America
can be found in Sites & Structures: The Architectural
Photographs of Edward S. Curtis .
- Drawn From African Dwellings includes both recent
photographs and highly detailed, architectural illustrations of houses,
communities, and common spaces in West Africa.
What types of materials are used? How are buildings
constructed?
- Volume One of the Encyclopedia of Vernacular
Architecture of the World includes two relevant sections with
international coverage: “Materials and Resources” and “Production.”
- The six books in Bonnie Shemie’s Native Dwellings
Series for children provide excellent descriptions of the
materials and construction methods used in different types of
traditional native homes throughout North America.
I’m specifically interested in native architecture in
North America. Where can I learn about that?
- Native American Architecture by Peter Nabokov and
Robert Easton provides an extensive look at traditional native
architecture in North America.
- Carol Krinsky discusses American Indian architecture since
the mid-1960s in Contemporary Native American Architecture:
Cultural Regeneration and Creativity.
I need some information on native architecture for
children to read.
- With colorful illustrations, the Native Dwellings
Series by Bonnie Shemie covers the native architecture of six
broad North American geographic areas.
- Homes of the Native Americans provides an overview
of native architecture in North, Central, and South America, with an
emphasis on North America.
- In The Pueblo, the authors describe pueblo
dwellings of the Southwest and other native structures, such as kivas.
Where can I find additional resources on indigenous
architecture specific to individual cultures?
- The Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the
World has an index of “Cultures and Habitats, Nations and
Locations” that includes all cultures with entries in the encyclopedia.
Each entry also has references to additional works.
- The subject index of Indigenous Architecture Worldwide,
an annotated bibliography, is searchable by specific cultures.
- The Encyclopedia Smithsonian’s “Native American
Architecture Bibliography” online includes a list of sixteen books on
native architecture in North America.
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If you need further
assistance, please ask a librarian!
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