Beyond Vernacular: Translating Heritage Knowledge into a Place-Based Model for Climate-Responsive Housing

Contemporary housing is increasingly shaped by standardized models that weaken local identity and overlook the ecological knowledge embedded in vernacular settlements. While vernacular architecture is widely recognized as a source of inspiration for sustainable design, considerably less attention has been devoted to translating this knowledge into transferable design frameworks applicable to contemporary housing. This paper investigates how research on the architectural and landscape heritage of a small town can be transformed into a place-based model of residential design through the integration of Research by Design (RbD), Project-Based Learning (PBL), and Transhistorical Pedagogy (THP). The empirical basis is the interdisciplinary 10+1 Hrubieszów Climate Houses and Gardens project developed at the Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology within the research programme Local Development of Hrubieszów—From Participation to Implementation (2021–2024). A comparative multi-criteria analysis of eleven housing proposals demonstrates that the resulting design model is structured around three interrelated principles: the creative reinterpretation of vernacular traditions through the strategy of “good continuation”; the redefinition of the homestead—rather than the individual building—as the primary unit of design; and the integration of contemporary climate-responsive strategies with local ecological knowledge. Together, these principles constitute a transferable framework for designing culturally rooted, regenerative and climate-resilient residential environments applicable to small-town contexts beyond Hrubieszów.