Includes bibliographical references (pages 575-581) and index

Foreword / Tomasz Chruszczow -- Introduction / Sandra Piesik -- The Influence of Climate on Building Design and Materials / Catherine Souch -- A Geological Classification of Earth Materials in Vernacular Construction / Graham Lott -- Plants in the Built Environment / William Miliken -- An Anthropologocal Introduction to Vernacular Architecture André Singer -- The Value of the Vernacular / Jim Coleman Henry Fletcher -- Tropical -- Dry -- Temperature -- Continental -- Polar -- Appendix 1: Contemporary Vernacular -- Appendix 2: Natural Disasters -- Appendix 3: Materials Science

Vernacular architecture is architecture without architects; designed based on local needs, these buildings make use of natural resources and demonstrate diverse architectural forms, design elements unique to their culture, and ingenious construction techniques. From bamboo garden pavilions in China to homes made from reeds in southern Iraq, and mud dwellings in Mali to pine huts in Siberia, Habitat showcases the diverse and indigenous materials that can be used to build innovative, sustainable structures