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Vernacular Architecture as a Cultural Milieu: Interpreting Asia’s Built Heritage | HKUx on edX

1,199 views · Published 11 April 2018 · 2:11 · Indexed 1 November 2026

Channel: edX · 2018 · People & Blogs

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About This Course:

This course is about architecture. But it’s not about grand structures such as monuments or royal palaces. Rather, it is about the built environment that the ordinary people live in. Instead of the architectural techniques, we use stories to understand the processes through which people make their building decisions. 

We use Asia as the backdrop for the discussion of these topics, not only because of Asia’s rich heritage and diversity but also due to the unique complexity that the people in the region have been faced with, as they go through rapid economic, social and cultural changes. 

In this examination of the connection between vernacular buildings and people’s cultural identity, we will be talking to many experts in the field, and we’ll see many real-world examples. At the end of this course, you will gain a unique perspective about the everyday environment that you live in, one perhaps that you’ve never had before, and you will begin to understand and appreciate the value of the ordinary built environment around you. 

Whether you are an avid architect or you simply just care about the built environment you live in, this course is for you.

What You Will Learn:
Throughout the course, we will examine a wide range of topics, such as:

What is vernacular architecture

How climate and the availability of building materials influence building decisions

Vernacular architecture in rural and urban settings
cultural sustainability and the conservation of the vernacular built environment.

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