Tacit Sustainability in the Countryside: Cultural and Ecological Layers of Lithuanian Heritage Homestead

This research is an in-depth qualitative case study of a historic homestead in the town of Čekiškė, located in Lithuania, through the lens of sustainability aesthetics and cultural ecology. The research addresses a gap in the literature where aesthetic expressions of sustainability are predominantly examined in urban settings, while rural hybrid environments, intertwining urban and traditional features, remain underexplored. The homestead, with architectural and landscape features dating back to the early 20th century, was studied across four temporal stages: the interwar period (1922–1946), the early Soviet period (1946–1976), late Soviet to post-independence (1976–2021), and the period of a proposed vision for its sustainable development (2025 and beyond). The theoretical framework developed and applied in this research combines four complementary approaches: (1) the cultural ecology model by J. Steward, (2) environmental ethics trends (egocentrism, homocentrism, biocentrism, ecocentrism), (3) the principles of biophilic design, and (4) the ecological aesthetics framework by M. DeKay. Data collection included continuous qualitative in-depth on-site observations, analysis of the relevant literature sources, archival documents and photographs, and the recording of information in photographs and drawings. The findings reveal nuanced and evolving aesthetic expressions of sustainability tied to cultural practices, land use, ownership attitudes, and environmental perception. While earlier periods of development of the analyzed homestead reflected utilitarian and homocentric relations with the environment, later stages showed increased detachment from ecological sensitivity, resulting in the degradation of both material and intangible heritage; future perspectives of the homestead being transformed into a private museum, actualizing heritage through sustainability aesthetics, were also presented. The study highlights the role of tacit knowledge and lived experience in shaping hybrid sustainable aesthetics and provides insights for design and landscape planning in rural and small town heritage contexts. The research reveals that sustainability aesthetics in rural hybrid spaces is shaped by a confluence of environmental adaptation, socio-cultural transitions, and embedded values. It argues for a more context-sensitive and historically aware approach to sustainability discourse, particularly in heritage conservation and rural development.