Abstract

This paper is aimed to set tradition and technology opposite each other, to discover where they can conquer or overlap and how this may be applied to environmental problems. With the emergence of the twentieth century modernism and the perception that traditional building by architects in the past has ranged from picturesque and paradisiacal to a contending awareness of the virtues of the primitive approaches that have a long history which gained new life and relevance. By the formative years of modernist era, the recognition of vernacular architecture inspired several architects to employ materials and resources used in local traditional building, producing a localized modernism in construction methods, in functions, forms, types and in spaces. This in turn has produced a global vernacular which may assimilate the local historical forms, concepts and traditions. The paper will analyse vernacular aesthetics and influences on modern technologies, it will also compare some of the influences of the vernacular practices for architects on modern technology, as well as listing the characteristics of the vernacular architecture in order to rationalise the recognition and study of tradition on the criteria of the site, climate, form, function, materials and skills adopted in local modernity introducing it in global vernaculars or adopted in local modernity as global vernaculars. The text is based on several case studies in different Egyptian regions to explore several influences of the local vernaculars and traditions and their impact on new technologies. The aim is to document the several impacts of vernaculars on technologies to investigate an attempt for portraying global technologies with local vernaculars that can prove success for reviving vernaculars.