ver·nak·yoo·ler | adjective / noun | Architecture & Design
A style of building or design rooted in local materials, cultural tradition and community practice rather than formal training or academic convention. Vernacular architecture is the built environment of everyday people, like shotgun houses, Creole cottages and dogtrot homes, shaped by climate, culture and necessity. It is some of the most honest and distinctly Black design in America.
Origin: From the Latin vernaculus, meaning domestic, native, indigenous, derived from verna, a word for a slave born in the household. First used in English in the early 17th century to describe native language and later applied to architecture and design in the 19th century.
Related Terms: Gullah Geechee · Indigenous Design · Craft
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