Elementary category of Vernacular Architecture and the Didactics of Basic Course for Architecture Students

During the period of the evolution, tools continued to be made, an natural extension to the hand. Through observation and experience, these tools allowed to build their houses using only three materials :earth, stone and wood.
The materials were found in the immediate environment. Rudimentary techniques, well-adapted to the local manner of doing things were used. The instinctive feelings allowed them to build without the help of plans, but with the human measurements such as the foot, the thumb, cubit…to build diverse geometrical forms which are the basis of architectural conceptions (wall, column, arch, vault and hemisphere). These complex structure were tensile or compressed long before temples and palaces existed. This is the first qualitative fact that existed. Because they had to protect from the natural environment such as the seasons, humidity, dryness, the power or absence of the wind, the form and the nature of the ground. This gave the second qualitative fact.
Each person inhabits his own culture and this is not easily changed. The study of the organisation of society and its hierarchy, the rights of its members make it possible to understand groupings, the places chosen for each function and the value of the community. As the consequence, expressive, plastic and symbolic values can be seen in vernacular construction. This is the third qualitative fact.
This can appear at first glance, contradictory, even provocative, to want to learn architecture through analysing construction which were not sing exactly by architects. However, it is there, the fact that for many years architecture was learned in this way through an extraordinary pedagogic contribution.