"Hybridity" in the culture of building : developing a hypothesis for discourse and action in developing countries

An increasing number of architects in the developing world, like the author of this thesis, have started to realize the notion of viewing the built environment as a holistic framework. Building culture, as a framework is composed of knowledge, rules, procedures, and habits that describe the building process. Within this conceptual framework, analyzing the conditions of contemporary building practices in developing countries raises a series of questions; what are the impacts of global culture in the built environment?; How could vernacular building cultures serve as useful models that could inform contemporary building practices? How could vernacular and global building cultures become mediated; and so on. This thesis attempts to answer some of these questions by developing a hypothesis that suggests 'hybridization' of vernacular and global building cultures as an alternative building practice. The analysis of vernacular and global building cultures reveals that they interestingly share some common ground. Four distinct notions resurfaced from time to time at various points in both the discourses and are vital in connecting the two discourses. The conclusions are viewed upon as synthetic elements for discourse and action. The final product of the thesis is a discursive framework for the 'hybridization' or 'cultural appropriation' of building culture in developing countries.Architectur