Editing Vernacular architecture (section)

===Environment, construction elements and materials===
The local environment and the construction materials it can provide, govern many aspects of vernacular architecture. Areas rich in trees will develop a wooden vernacular, while areas without much wood may use mud or stone. In early California [[Cupressaceae|redwood]] water towers supporting redwood tanks and enclosed by redwood siding ([[tankhouse]]s) were part of a self-contained wind-powered domestic water system. In the Far East it is common to use bamboo, as it is both plentiful and versatile. Vernacular, almost by definition, is sustainable, and will not exhaust the local resources. If it is not sustainable, it is not suitable for its local context, and cannot be vernacular.

Construction elements and materials frequently found in vernacular buildings include:
* [[Adobe]] – a type of mud brick, often covered with white-wash, commonly used in Spain and Spanish colonies
* [[Cob (material)|Cob]] – a type of plaster made from subsoil with the addition of fibrous material to give added strength
* [[Mashrabiya]] (also known as shanashol in Iraq) – a type of oriel window with timber lattice-work, designed to allow ventilation, commonly found in Iraq and Egypt in upper-class homes
* [[Mudbrick|Mud brick]]s – loam or sand mixed with water and vegetable matter such as straw
* [[Rammed earth]] often used in foundations
* [[Saddleback roof]]
* [[Thatching|Thatch]] – dry vegetation used as roofing material
* [[Windcatcher]] – a type of chimney used to provide natural ventilation without the use of air conditioning, commonly found in Iran, Iraq and other parts of the Middle-East
* [[Wychert]] – a blend of white earth and clay