VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages

Abstract

When we refer to architectural heritage, we usually think of the tangible elements of the past that encompass the cultural identity of a place, often without referring to the natural landscapes and environmental systems that surround and largely affect them. Exploring this relationship and mutual interdependence between architecture and landscape, can lead to a more holistic understanding and deeper appreciation of our surroundings and their cultural identity. This project maps a series of Greek islandic landscapes, examining the inextricable relationship between built environment, cultural context, and natural systems. Traditionally, the islandic way of living has been fundamentally intertwined with the natural landscape, primarily through agriculture and farming, following the principles of what we now call sustainability. The vernacular structures that populate the islandic “Greekscapes” were built in simple, discreet, and direct ways. They were integrated into the surrounding landscape and microclimate, responding to the natural environment, using locally available materials, such as stone. The built environment was an extension of the landscape and vice versa, without a rigid separation between the interior and exterior, while the settlements developed in organic ways, following the topography, and becoming an integral part of it. This seemingly effortless sustainable approach, arising more from necessity rather than targeted intention, has led to ingenious architectural solutions that are still relevant and admirable to this day. The paper examines and highlights some of these solutions and their driving forces, creating a dialogue between past and present.