Interpreting vernacular architecture through contemporary timber structures: The case of the Novo Seosko Zborište pavilion in Pokrevenik
Abstract
Vernacular architecture embodies knowledge accumulated through generations of building practice, reflecting the relationship between local communities, available materials, environmental conditions, and cultural landscapes. In the villages of the Stara Planina region in southeastern Serbia, timber-based construction systems played a significant role in shaping architectural forms, settlement patterns, and local identity. Although developed in a different technological context, many of the principles embedded in vernacular architecture remain relevant to contemporary architectural practice. This paper explores the potential of vernacular construction principles to inform contemporary architectural practice through the use of timber structures. The research combines a review of relevant literature, field-based research into the vernacular architecture of the Stara Planina region, and a case study of the Novo Seosko Zborište pavilion in the village of Pokrevenik. The principles underlying the existing vernacular architecture of the Stara Planina region are examined, with particular emphasis on the use of local materials, adaptation to topography and climate, modularity, and integration with the landscape. The case study pavilion critically re-examines these principles through a lightweight, prefabricated, and low-impact construction system that reinterprets the constructive logic of traditional bondruk structures. Its design was developed within a participatory design-build process involving students, faculty members, carpenters, and local residents. The findings indicate that vernacular architecture provides a valuable framework for sustainable design in rural cultural landscapes and that contemporary timber construction can successfully reinterpret traditional principles while responding to present-day functional and community needs. The study highlights the potential of combining vernacular knowledge with contemporary construction technologies as a strategy for creating context-sensitive and environmentally responsible architectural interventions.
Reference
Mila Mitrović; Boris Rančev; Danijela Milovanović-Rodić. (2026). Interpreting vernacular architecture through contemporary timber structures: The case of the Novo Seosko Zborište pavilion in Pokrevenik. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference Green Building 2026 - zbornik radova. https://doi.org/10.5937/greenb26047m
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