Abstract:
Natural heritage of the heart of Europe -
landscapes and rich wildlife of Carpathian
Mountains - finds itself in the background of
numerous monuments of vernacular
architecture. These include churches,
dwellings and farm buildings - many of them
in ruin, others abandoned, some having
changed their function. Regardless to the
state in which they are, the treasures of
indigenous architecture are cherished by ones
who explore the Carpathians - their history,
culture and environment. As the mountains
became "wild frontiers" of the growing in
prosperity Central European nations, a
specific approach to this region has emerged.
Large parts of Carpathians are reverse of
developing cities and commercializing tourist
destinations - they became a "sanctuary" for
nature watchers, trekkers, artists and others,
who search for an unchanging world. In this
situation, mountain lodges often reuse either
the techniques of vernacular architecture or
the entire buildings.The Carpathians stretch
throughout the territories of Czech Republic,
Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania
and Serbia. This paper studies the
reemergence of vernacular design and
technology within mountain lodges on the
case of Poland and Ukraine. The analysis is
carried out to find methods, how new
functions are naturally fit in vernacular forms,
sustaining the landscape. An examination of
Carpathian traditional architecture is followed
by an overview of the development of
mountain lodges and their reference to the
local styles. The objective to provide a basic
outline of a design approach based on reusing
vernacular knowledge, tradition and
construction technology
