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Thanks so much to those who enrolled in our courses during the Holiday Sale. You ensure we can continue to help homeowners. Thanks, too, for sending your notes, questions, and challenges. I sincerely want to hear from you and help in any way I can.

I recently share a personal story about our challenge in keeping costs down in the design of our custom home. Today the focus is architecture and specifically, an idea that explains how geographic location influences your home's look and feel.

What Makes a House Fit Its Location

Imagine a home in the southwest that has warm tones and appears to be made of earthen materials. Or a cabin in the Pacific Northwest with large timber beams and cedar shingles. These homes fit naturally into their environment because they reflect local building traditions that arose over generations.

Adobe-style homes in the southwest are inspired by the building practices of Indigenous Pueblo people.

The rockwork and large timbers of Pacific Northwest cabins are inspired by the early settlers who logged the forests.

These are examples of vernacular architecture, which reflect the needs, materials, know-how, and traditions of a specific location. Rather than being a thoughtful design choice, vernacular architecture arose out of necessity. Early builders used whatever materials were nearby. They built for the climate and used practices of their peers. This created a very localized design that has, over time, inspired contemporary architecture.

Today, many locations have building codes, design committees, and historical societies that seek to protect and promote a location's unique style that often has roots in vernacular architecture.

Working with Your Architect

Architects are often focused on your location and may be excited about designing your home to fit. You may hear the term "built environment", which is a reference to the styles of nearby homes and buildings.

If fitting-in is a priority for you, look closely at the homes in your area and what elements they have in common. Think about the role vernacular architecture played over time. Take photos and notes. You may find that your favorite homes, or homes that seem to fit well into the environment, have elements in common, like:

• Porch or deck railing designs
• Column styles
• Soffit materials
• Window and door trim
• Siding or cladding style
• Fascia height
• Chimney design
• Roof overhang

Becoming more familiar with these details will help your architect understand what you find interesting or beautiful. Once you start looking closely, you may find inspiration for your home, including:

• Roof pitches or roof lines
• Window style
• Color and color combinations
• Porches or verandas
• Entries, stoops, and front doors
• Landscaping

Keep in Mind

Vernacular architecture has a mixed reputation among architects. In some contexts, it's considered inferior because it reflects design borne of necessity rather than a professional or academic perspective. Indeed, vernacular architecture came from building without architects or professional designers.

Today, taking inspiration from vernacular architecture is a choice. If you want your home to fit into the location and match the built environment, it's an important idea to consider.

Making Cities Attractive

The ideas I've covered above can also be applied to entire cities. The video below is an interesting look at what makes cities attractive. Recommended:

Did you find this helpful? Do you have ideas for future issues? Reply to this message or email me anytime at lee@buildlivable.com.

Lee LeFever, Build Livable​

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