A selective review of the literature demonstrates the difficulty in defining ‘vernacular architecture’. Recent studies have presented an overly narrow, single-sided, or even unacceptable image of the topic in comparison with many earlier definitions and discussions. However, those earlier analyses also had various shortfalls. The interdependence of vernacular architecture, economic interests, and emerging awareness of buildings’ interaction with the environment demand a rethinking of vernacular architecture, which the present study understands as signifying housing offered for most of the world’s population.

中文翻译：

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乡土建筑：表示和传输各种内容的术语

对文献的选择性回顾表明了定义“本土建筑”的困难。与许多较早的定义和讨论相比，最近的研究显示该主题的图像过于狭窄，单面甚至是无法接受。但是，那些较早的分析也有许多不足之处。乡土建筑的相互依存，经济利益以及对建筑物与环境相互作用的新认识要求对乡土建筑进行重新思考，本研究将其理解为标志着为世界上大多数人口提供的住房。