Carpathian mountain lodges: reusing the technology and design of vernacular buildings

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