Learning

Vernacular architecture is a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary field of study. Relevant works are scattered among a dizzying variety of professional journals and across a broad swath of Library of Congress classifications and subjects. Here are some suggestions about where to start or where to go when you need more specialized sources:

VAF's own publications showcase scholarship in the field of vernacular architecture and are a significant resource for readings in the field, including our monthly newsletter Vernacular Architecture Newsletter or VAN, our journal Buildings & Landscapes, Conference Tour Guides published in conjunction with our annual conference, and occasional publications in the Special Series in Vernacular Architecture.

We have compiled a bibliography of recommended readings sorted by topic and geared towards providing a comprehensive introduction to the range of work in the vernacular architecture field. Many of the books and articles included in these Reading Lists have been used consistently in teaching or are cited frequently by vernacular architecture scholars.

The VAF Bibliography is an ongoing project to index new works relevant to the study of vernacular architecture as they appear. Since VAF’s founding, the bibliography has been published quarterly in VAN, drawing on contributions from members and our bibliography editors. An online searchable database of this material, hosted at the University of Mary Washington, offers a comprehensive gathering of works in the field.