Using digital tools to identify and analyze vernacular buildings in remote regions

Purpose The wattle-and-daub technique has been used in Brazil since its colonization (15th and 16th century) and is still present in rural areas. However, these buildings are undergoing a process of destruction and disappearance without ever having been mapped. Design/methodology/approach This research used the Google Street View (GSV) as a digital tool to analyze an area still not covered for other surveys. More than 2,000 buildings were visualized and marked. High-definition images facilitated the visualization of damages in the observed dwellings. Findings It was also possible to obtain the external characteristics of these constructions with precision and regular updates, allowing for detailed analysis of changes that have occurred over time. Four categories were proposed to classify according to the earthen construction technique. The dwellings were still analyzed under the habitability and maintenance aspects. Research limitations/implications The remote-type survey, elaborated using the GSV tool, presented particularities that must be addressed and discussed. These issues inherent to the survey do not invalidate the obtained data but should be noted as points of attention and virtual analysis. Although the region has communities (such as a demarcated indigenous territory recognized as quilombola community territories and settlements), it was not possible to analyze them through a digital survey. There aren’t any GSV images available in these regions. It was also impossible to conduct an on-site survey of these communities as they are traditional communities and because of the health risks associated with the pandemic related to SARS-Cov-2. Practical implications GSV images captured in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2019 were analyzed. Google conducted a new mapping between August and September 2022, but these data were not included in this research. However, some relevant and specific cases were verified and analyzed: buildings that existed in previous mappings and no longer in 2022 and those that remained until Google’s last mapping. Originality/value The application of GSV in the survey and analysis of vernacular architecture enabled the documentation of dwellings with precise and up-to-date information, allowing for monitoring and a deeper understanding of changes made over time. In addition, this documentation is crucial for developing strategies to value the wattle-and-daub construction technique as a cultural heritage to be preserved in Brazil.