Social and Vernacular Architecture.

In both contemporary and modern architecture we find recurrent themes, as architecture never stops questioning different subjects. Contemporary architecture stands for the architecture produced now, whereas Modern architecture stands for the architecture of the early and mid 20^th century, a period with a start point in the industrial revolution, an event that act as a transition between traditional styles and modern architecture.

As modern times bring in new difficulties, one of contemporary architecture main concern is the reason to be of an architect, the capacity of reinventing the spaces. A concept present in both modern and contemporary architecture is social architecture along with the materials and way of construction that should be taken into account when building.

Social architecture with the users as a main concern is a theme rooted in the contemporary period. Theo Van Doesburg presents this same concern, architecture for the people, but with an architecture that starts from scratch and with no references with the early period. In contemporary architecture, the idea is to achieve this by using the materials provided by the area of construction, and its cultural references.

In modern architecture the subject of vernacular architecture is not only treated by Van Doesburg, but also by Mies Van der Rohe, who defends an architecture out of formalism where old ways of construction are no longer an option.  New materials are there to facilitate the construction of buildings. Mies vision is always changing and new, adapted to the new materials proposed by its time.

In our different lessons we had the possibility of reading different texts related to this two periods of architecture, and understanding the different points of view of different architects.

Finally let me add a flash by one of our classmates. 

Flash by Silvia Baulies.