Canada vernacular architecture

CANADIANVERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AJU NIVAS AMALU JOSE ROSHAN

LOCATIONdivided into 10 provinces and 2 territorieswest -Pacific Oceaneast-Atlantic Ocean North-Arctic Circle, south -United States.

CANADA IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN-MOST REGION OF NORTH AMERICA

CLIMATE December/January/February:Winter temperaturesMarch:Moderate temperaturesApril:Milder days but the evenings are cool.May:Warm days but cool at nightJune:WarmJuly/August:These are the warmest months of the year September:Warm days and cool eveningsOctober:CoolNovember:Cool to frosty.

GEOGRAPHY north -Arctic tundra of thecentral area- great prairies Westward -Rocky Mountains, and in southeast -Great Lakes, the St Lawrence River and Niagara Falls

FACTORS MOULDED ARCHITECTURE highly diverse geographyextreme cold during winterProximity to northern hemisphereavailability of woodheavy rain in coastal areahunting

CANADIAN ARCHITECTUREFirst Nations ( pre historic period)Arrival of the Europeans (14-19 th centaury)Victorian architecture( mid 19-first world war )Canadian styles (first to second world war)Modern period (after first world war) International style (1970s)Late and postmodernism (1980s)

FIRST NATIONSNative tribal settlements in canada30,000b.C -1400a.DEastern canadaREGIONTRIBES

HOUSE FORMS

CLIMATEMATERIALS USEDNORTH EAST CANADA WAMPANOAG OJIBWAWIGWAMSMODERATELY COLDWOODANIMAL HIDEBARKS OF TREEEAST CANADA ABENAKILENAPEWIGWAMS AND LONG HOUSESMODERATE, RAINYWOOD AND BARK OF TREENORTH CANADAESKIMOIGLOOEXTERMELY COLDSNOWCENTRAL PLATEAUCANADIAN PRAIRIESPIT HOUSEWINTER EXTREME COLDWOOD, BARK OF TREES, LOGS, MUDPACIFIC NORTHWEST COASTHAIDABIGHOUSESCOSTAL CIMATECEDAR PLANKS

WIGWAMSSettlements were small and short since they depended on hunting mainly

MaterialsWooden framework: pine birch treeCovering of animal hideCold climatePeople are semi nomadic- lightweight materials easy to carry

Building a WigwamA frame was set up, either spruce or pine branches arranged in a circular floor pattern.The frame was covered with a layer of birch bark (protection against the rain and snow).The overlapping bark provided good protection against the rain.Another layer of poles were often stacked against the outside walls of the wigwam to keep the wind from blowing off the bark.A piece of leather hide was used as a door.Inside there was a rock fire pit in the middle (edged with sand) that provided heat for the family.The ground inside was covered with fir branches, which acted as insulation and kept the family warm.It was the women took the wigwams apart, carried them from place to place, and set them up again.

HOUSE COVERING MADE OF ANIMAL HIDE They were huntersRetained heatEasy to construct and demolish

Height of house :Less than 2 mEntrance was tiny: about 1 mTo protect themselves in wildConstruction was temporary Constructed by womenIGLOOIgloos were built by Inuit in the Canadian central arcticUsed mainly as temporary shelter on hunting tripsLarger semi-permanent igloos were also built that could house several familiesDesign of igloos varies between Inuit cultures

a dome-shaped dwelling made of snow SHAPE OF DOME parabolic rather than hemisphere compression tension forces variation is lessmaintains constant indoor temperature

13CONSTRUCTION OF AN IGLOOSnow must be packedCut wedge shaped snow blocks using snow sawLay blocks in helical pattern, cutting block thinner as you go upDig a trough leading into igloo and cover with snow blocksTerrace interior to so that inhabitants are elevatedCut ventilation holes

Shape of dome is used sinceblocks support each other

ENTRANCESmall entrances prevent exchange of heatprevent any snow from blowing inProtection from wild: snow leopardIt is made of two vertical placed blocks pointing outwardsTiny when viewed from exteriorSnow dug insideLIVING AND RESTING AREA

Elevated interiorsRetain heat insideWARM AIRCOOLER AIR

15LONGHOUSESA longhouse is used mostly in the colder months rounded on top-but longerInside -platforms on either side used as seats of bedsfire pits run down the center of the longhouseOpenings in the roof let smoke out Corn and herbs were hung high in the roof and there was room to store other goods beside the doorway.

How to Build a LonghouseStep 1First stakes are places in the ground. Then storage pits are dug in the ground.They leave a space for an entrance in the Longhouse. The Longhouse was 60 feet long and 25 feet wide.

Step 2Saplings were attached to the stakes. They were bent over and weaved together. They were covered with bark.Step 3Sleeping platforms are added. Storage shelves, fire pits, and hooks are added. The storage pits are filled with food and covered with bark.

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Skins from animals or tree bark were used to make compartments for each family.Some compartments were used for storage.Main occupation of men huntingHence skin of animal used in interiorsAnimal skin help retain warmth during wintersArched roof used because load is distributed uniformly and hence less structural members are usedPIT HOUSE

CANADIAN PRAIRES made pit houses during winterBuilt below ground with an entrance and ladder at the top.However, some pit houses had entrances in the side of the roof.Several families lived in each pit house. Most pit houses were 8-10 metres in diameter, but a Chief's pit house could be twice as large.BUILT UNDER GROUND AND LIVE AS A COMMUNITY hiding from wild animalsTo escape freezing coldCONSTRUCTIONThe first step in constructing a pit house was to dig a 1-2 metre deep pit into the ground using a wooden digging stick or an elk scapula shovel.The walls and frame of the pit house were built with logs and sealed (for insulation) with dirt and grasses.The domed roof frame was also made out of wooden poles, and then covered with layers of timber, bark and earth.The entrance into a pit house was usually via a ladder through a hole in the roof.

BIGHOUSESDue to the fact that the people of the Northwest Coast had access to food year-round, they were able to live sedentary lives in permanent settlements.Lived in 'Big houses' constructed out of cedar planks.50-150 feet long and 20-60 feet widehoused several families.Since it rained a lot along the coast, the trees grew very thick and tall. The huge red cedars were especially important to the people because they could make large houses with themwere built with low roofs, because they were easier to heat in the winter

CONSTRUCTIONcut the trees with stone axes, and floated them to their villages.First, a frame was built out of cedar logs.Then, cedar planks were attached to the logs. It was important to overlap the planks to keep the rain out.They used wooden pegs as nails to hold the wood together.They made their houses as huge rectangles, with many posts to hold up the roof and covered them with cedar planks.There were no windows in the longhouses. There was only a hole in the roof to let smoke from the fires out, and a single front door to keep the heat in.The longhouses were built with low roofs, because they were easier to heat in the winterArrival of the Europeans

The first Europeans to inhabit what would become Canada were the French settlers of New France and Acadia, were most concerned with defence.The house of the New France farmer remains a symbol of French-Canadian nationalism.Rectangular structures of one storey, tall and steep roof, sometimes almost twice as tall as the house below to prevent the accumulation of snow. The houses were usually built of wood.

Victorian architecturemid-nineteenth century up to the First World War.Canadian architects started to travel, study, and work in these other areas, and it was also increasingly common to hire foreign architects.There were attempts to revive ideas of the past. The first such style to come to prominence was the Gothic Revival style, which first came to Canada in the 1830s. This became the dominant architectural style for churches

Canadian stylesIn the period after the First World War, Canadian nationalism led to attempts to proclaim a unique Canadian architectureChteau Style also known as Railway GothicIt was a mix of Victorian Gothic Revival with castles of the Loire Valley in France.

MODERN ARCHITECTUREToronto closely followed Chicago and New York as the home of skyscrapers employing new steel framed construction and elevators.

POST MODERN The style emphasized the reflection of the functional components of the interior in the exterior, along with geometric and sculptural uses of concrete on the interior and exterior of the building.

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