Cultural Aspects as a Foundation for Sustainable Architecture: Lessons from Vernacular Practices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26905/lw.v18i1.15345Keywords:
Cultural aspects, Local knowledge, Sustainable architecture, Vernacular architectureAbstract
Buildings contribute significantly to global energy consumption and carbon emissions, requiring urgent
strategies to reduce environmental impacts. International initiatives, such as Local Agenda 21,
emphasize sustainable development at the local level as a key approach to addressing global
environmental challenges. However, implementing standardized frameworks often ignores local
cultural, social and environmental contexts, limiting their effectiveness. This research explores critical
aspects of sustainable architecture that must be considered when seeking to reflect the genius loci of a
place. Through a systematic literature review, case study analysis, comparative evaluation, and synthesis
of findings, this research identifies critical gaps in mainstream sustainability approaches, which often
neglect cultural dimensions in favour of environmental, social, and economic factors. The findings show
that traditional knowledge and vernacular design principles offer valuable insights for sustainable
architecture by maintaining ecological balance, social cohesion, and material efficiency. Lessons from
vernacular architecture include communal living, spiritual connection with nature, climate-responsive
design, sustainable material cycles, knowledge transfer, and minimal environmental impact. These
principles contribute to resource efficiency, biodiversity conservation, energy reduction, and resilience
to environmental change. Rather than simply mimicking the physical form of vernacular architecture,
contemporary sustainability efforts should explore the underlying principles that govern material use,
spatial organization, and environmental adaptation. By bridging local wisdom with global sustainability
goals, architects can create culturally rooted designs that are environmentally adaptive and resilient to
modern challenges. This research underscores the importance of inclusive and local approaches to
sustainability, positioning vernacular architecture as a relevant inspiration model for future architectural
practice.
Downloads
References
Abdel-Azim, G. G., and Osman, K. A.-A. (2018): The importance of cultural dimensions in the design process of the vernacular societies, Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 9(4), 2755–2765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2017.09.005
Al-shimmary, Dr. H., and Al-Saidi, A. (2018): The Interaction with the Context as a Main Driver in Evaluating the Architectural Projects, Journal of Engineering and Architecture, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.15640/jea.v5n2a7
Alyani, S. A. S., and Herlily, H. (2019): The Sense of Place in Community Participation Through Tactical Urbanism in Bundaran HI, Jakarta, CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development, 2(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.32783/csid-jid.v2i1.30
Antar, Y. (2018): Pesan dari Waerebo: Kelahiran Kembali Arsitektur Nusantara, Yayasan Uma Nusantara. Jakarta.
Atmodiwirjo, P., Johanes, M., Saginatari, D. P., and Yatmo, Y. A. (2018): Ecological aspects of the traditional brick making process in pedurungan kidul, central java, E3S Web of Conferences, 67, 04034. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20186704034
Beddu, S. (2023): Workshop IPLBI 11-Arsitektur Vernakular Kajang.
Campolo, D. (2014): The cultural landscape of the “Grecanic Area” and the recovery of the genius loci of its historical centres, Advanced Engineering Forum, retrieved from internet: https://www.scientific.net/AEF.11.464.
Chowdhooree, I., and Das, K. K. (2022): Indigenous knowledge of mud architecture: experiences of surviving against multiple natural hazards, International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 13(4), 451–469. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJDRBE-12-2020-0128
Cucco, P., Maselli, G., Nesticò, A., and Ribera, F. (2023): An evaluation model for adaptive reuse of cultural heritage in accordance with 2030 SDGs and European Quality Principles, Journal of Cultural Heritage, 59, 202–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2022.12.002
Duxbury, N., and Jeannotte, M. S. (2012): Including culture in sustainability: an assessment of Canada’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plans, International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, 4(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/19463138.2012.670116
Duxbury, N., and M. Sharon Jeannotte (2013): The Role of Cultural Resources in Community Sustainability: Linking Concepts to Practice and Planning, The International Journal of Sustainability Policy and Practice, 8(4).
El-Husseiny, M.-A., and El-Setouhy, H. (2022): Reviving Low-Tech Modes of Construction as a Method for Sustainability, Sustainability, 14(21), 13762. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113762
Ergöz Karahan, E., Göçer, Ö., Boyacıoğlu, D., and Shrestha, P. (2023): Measuring “sustainable development” in vernacular settlements: a case study Behramkale, Türkiye, Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-06-2022-0100
Gibbs, D. C., Longhurst, J., and Braithwaite, C. (1998): “Struggling with sustainability”: weak and strong interpretations of sustainable development within local authority policy, Environment and Planning A, 30(8), 1351–1365. https://doi.org/10.1068/a301351
Grazuleviciute-Vileniske, I., Viliunas, G., and Daugelaite, A. (2021): The role of aesthetics in building sustainability assessment, Spatium, (45), 79–89. https://doi.org/10.2298/SPAT2145079G
Guy, S., and Moore, S. A. (2004): Sustainable architectures: cultures and natures in Europe and North America, Routledge.
Horlings, L. G. (2015): Values in place; A value-oriented approach toward sustainable place-shaping, Regional Studies, Regional Science, 2(1), 257–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2015.1014062
Hu, M., Suh, J., and Pedro, C. (2023): An Integrated Framework for Preservation of Hawaii Indigenous Culture: Learning from Vernacular Knowledge, Buildings, 13(5), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051190
Ibrahim, V., and Eltanbouly, M. (2024): Architecture and Sustainability: Case Studies from Cairo’s Downtown and Nubia-Aswan Towards Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 0–0. https://doi.org/10.21608/jesaun.2024.251635.1291
Jahan, M. (2023): The fourth pillar of sustainability, International Journal of Sustainable Society, 15(4), 407–443. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSSOC.2023.135011
Jeannotte, M. S., and Duxbury, N. (2015): Advancing Knowledge through Grassroots Experiments: Connecting Culture and Sustainability, The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 45(2), 84–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632921.2015.1039739
Karaman, A. (2001): Defining the regional identity: conceptual parameter of urban morphology, Journal of Research in Architecture & Planning, 1, 70–88.
Khalil, I., and Üzümcüoğlu, D. (2025): Advancing Sustainability and Heritage Preservation Through a Novel Framework for the Adaptive Reuse of Mediterranean Earthen Houses, Sustainability, 17(14), 6447. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146447
Khatibi, M., Khaidzir, K. A. M., and Syed Mahdzar, S. S. (2023): Measuring the sustainability of neighborhoods: A systematic literature review, IScience, 26(2), 105951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.105951
Kim, J. Y. E. (2023): The Multi-Faceted Practice of Architectural Sustainability Found in the Regional Architecture of Vorarlberg, Austria, Sustainability, 15(3), 2430. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032430
Kirkegaard, M. (2020): Informative, Inclusive and Transparent Planning Methods for Sustainable Heritage Management, International Journal of Social and Business …, adk.elsevierpure.com, retrieved from internet: https://adk.elsevierpure.com/files/63985804/Informative_Inclusive_and_Transparent_Planning_Methods_for_Sustainable_Heritage_Management.pdf.
Kopec, D. (2018): Environmental Psychology for Design:-with STUDIO, Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Kuru Yücel, R. (2023): “Context” knowledge in architecture: A systematic literature review, MEGARON / Yıldız Technical University, Faculty of Architecture E-Journal, 18(2), 366–386. https://doi.org/10.14744/megaron.2023.81594
Lake, R. C., and Jeraman, P. (2023): Structuralism perspective to interpret the patterns and meanings found in vernacular architecture, Local Wisdom : Jurnal Ilmiah Kajian Kearifan Lokal, 15(2), 120–136. https://doi.org/10.26905/lw.v15i2.10156
Lazar, N., and Chithra, K. (2022): Role of culture in sustainable development and sustainable built environment: a review, 5991–6031 in Environment, Development and Sustainability, Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01691-8
Livi-Bacci, M. (2017): A concise history of world population, John Wiley & Sons.
Massey, D. B., and Jess, P. (1995): A Place in the World?: Places, Cultures and Globalization, Oxford University Press USA.
Memmott, P., and Keys, C. (2015): Redefining architecture to accommodate cultural difference: designing for cultural sustainability, Architectural Science Review, 58(4), 278–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2015.1032210
Metalkova-Markova, M. (2016): Micro-Design Intervention as a Method for Social Acupuncture to Stimulate Environmental Design Consciousness in Bulgaria, South East European Journal of Architecture and Design, 2016, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3889/seejad.2016.10016
Mistry, J., and Berardi, A. (2021): Bridging Indigenous and scientific knowledge, PhD Thesis, The Open University, 2, 1-266.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., and Group, and the P. (2009): Reprint—Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement, Physical Therapy, 89(9), 873–880. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/89.9.873
Neonbasu, G., Lake, R. C., Jeraman, P., Morakinyo, K. O., and Ilesanmi, O. S. (2024): Architecture in Anthropological Perspective: Structural Reflection on Local Architectural Dynamics, Local Wisdom : Jurnal Ilmiah Kajian Kearifan Lokal, 16(1), 18–28. https://doi.org/10.26905/lw.v16i1.10868
Nigra, M., and Dimitrijevic, B. (2018): Is radical innovation in architecture crucial to sustainability? Lessons from three Scottish contemporary buildings, Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 14(4), 272–291. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452007.2018.1465392
Norberg-Schulz, C. (1979): Genius Loci., ELECTA ED.
Nur, K. W. (2020): ALLEY ACTIVATION: GENIUS LOCI TO CONSTRUCT A RESILIENT CITY, JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM, 44(1), 63–68. https://doi.org/10.3846/jau.2020.11015
Pardo, J. M. F. (2023): Challenges and Current Research Trends for Vernacular Architecture in a Global World: A Literature Review, Buildings, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010162
Pesch, U., Spekkink, W., and Quist, J. (2019): Local sustainability initiatives: innovation and civic engagement in societal experiments, European Planning Studies, 27(2), 300–317. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2018.1464549
Peters, T. (2015): Sustaining the Local: An Alternative Approach to Sustainable Design, Architectural Design, 85(2), 136–141. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1889
Prabowo, B. N., and Salaj, A. T. (2023): Urban heritage and the four pillars of sustainability: Urban-scale facility management in the World Heritage sites, IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1196(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1196/1/012105
Pradono, B. (2018): The Transformation of Contemporary Architecture: A Reinterpretation and Understanding of Local Geniuses, SMART: Seminar on Architecture Research and …, retrieved from internet: https://smartfad.ukdw.ac.id/index.php/smart/article/view/22.
Pragyan Dash, S., and Shetty, D. (2020): Cultural Identity in Sustainable Architecture, International Research Journal on Advanced Science Hub, 2(7), 155–158. https://doi.org/10.47392/irjash.2020.81
Rapoport, A. (1987): On the cultural responsiveness of architecture, Journal of Architectural Education, 41(1), 10–15.
Salman, M. (2019): Sustainability and Vernacular Architecture: Rethinking What Identity Is, 1–16 in Urban and Architectural Heritage Conservation within Sustainability, IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82025
Salura, P., and Holid, A. (2007): Menelusuri Arsitektur Masyarakat Sunda, Cipta Sastra Salura.
Setiawan, L. D., Salura, P., and Fauzy, B. (2020): The relationship between traditional activities and the mass-space pattern in Bali Aga Customary Village society – Tenganan Pegringsingan, ARTEKS : Jurnal Teknik Arsitektur, 5(3), 373–390. https://doi.org/10.30822/arteks.v5i3.536
Sharp, L. (1999): Local policy for the global environment: In search of a new perspective, Environmental Politics, 8(4), 137–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644019908414497
Soini, K., and Birkeland, I. (2014): Exploring the scientific discourse on cultural sustainability, Geoforum, 51, 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2013.12.001
Soini, K., and Dessein, J. (2016): Culture-Sustainability Relation: Towards a Conceptual Framework, Sustainability, 8(2), 167. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8020167
Sukawati, N. K. S. A. (2020): Tenun Gringsing Teknik Produksi, Motif Dan Makna Simbolik, Jurnal Ilmiah Vastuwidya, 3(1), 60–81.
The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) (1996): The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING, Agenda, 241.
Van Eck, N. J., Waltman, L., Dekker, R., and Van Den Berg, J. (2010): A comparison of two techniques for bibliometric mapping: Multidimensional scaling and VOS, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 61(12), 2405–2416.
Vecco, M. (2020): Genius loci as a meta-concept, Journal of Cultural Heritage, 41, 225–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2019.07.001
Vikmane, E., and Laķe, A. (2021): Critical Review of Sustainability Priorities in the Heritage Sector: Evidence from Latvia’s Most Visited Museums, European Integration Studies, 1(15), 95–110. https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.1.15.28886
Wali, A., Alvira, D., Tallman, P. S., Ravikumar, A., and Macedo, M. O. (2017): A new approach to conservation: using community empowerment for sustainable well-being, Ecology and Society, 22(4), art6. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09598-220406
Wang, M. (2020): The role of local knowledge for rural revitalization in China: Social-ecological lessons learned through disasters, architecture, and education, Bioregional Planning and Design: Volume II: Issues and Practices for a Bioregional Regeneration, 259–278.
Winchip, S. M. (2011): Sustainable design for interior environments second edition, A&C Black.
Windapo, A. O. (2014): Examination of green building drivers in the South African construction industry: Economics versus ecology, Sustainability (Switzerland), 6(9), 6088–6106. https://doi.org/10.3390/su6096088
Wu, S. R., Fan, P., and Chen, J. (2016): Incorporating Culture Into Sustainable Development: A Cultural Sustainability Index Framework for Green Buildings, Sustainable Development, 24(1), 64–76. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1608
Yahya, N., and Hassanpour, B. (2022): A Methodical Framework for Sustainable Architectural Design: Housing Practice in the Middle East, Land, 11(7), 1019. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071019
Yatmo, Y. A., and Atmodiwirjo, P. (2021): Investigating locality: Socio-cultural and technological perspectives, ARTEKS : Jurnal Teknik Arsitektur, 6(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.30822/arteks.v6i1.1009
Zaleckis, K., Vitkuviene, J., and ... (2024): Application of Urban Theories in Developing Participatory Planning Tools, … and Urban Planning. https://doi.org/10.2478/aup-2024-0005
Zhang, P., Ghosh, D., and Park, S. (2023): Spatial measures and methods in sustainable urban morphology: A systematic review, Landscape and Urban Planning, 237(September 2022), 104776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2023.104776
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Local Wisdom Jurnal Ilmiah Kajian Kearifan Lokal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
