Environmental Sustainability in the Conservation of Vernacular Architecture. The Case of Rural and Urban Traditional Settlements in Cyprus

Vernacular dwellings, throughout the years, have been continually reused, adapted to the local conditions and survived as cultural testimonies providing a direct link with the past. The satisfaction of human needs with simple means, the use of traditional local materials and available resources, as well as the incorporation of environmental design principles, give them a sustainable identity. With a view to enrich the methodological approaches in the conservation of vernacular dwellings with aspects of sustainability, the present study considers the vernacular architecture of Cyprus, as an appropriate case study. The research findings presented herein derive from two extended multidisciplinary research programmes. The qualitative and quantitative investigation carried out has revealed that, although vernacular dwellings incorporate many sustainable design principles, there is often a need to be further enhanced to meet the contemporary sustainability requirements and construction standards. Even though the enhancement of the sustainable character of vernacular dwellings is not incompatible with the preservation of their authentic character, there is some conflict of interest in terms of the different priorities set during these processes. Thus, a balance between the energy and environmental retrofitting and the preservation of the tangible and intangible values of vernacular dwellings must be achieved.