Climatic effect in the formation of vernacular houses in the Eastern Black Sea region

Climate is one of the many factors such as socio-cultural structure, economy, materials, and technology that influence architectural forms. The resolutions that exist as a result of the effect of climate on architecture differ according to regions, cultures, time and technology. The climate in the Eastern Black Sea region, which lies in the north of Turkey, plays an active role in the formation and diversity of the vernacular houses in the region. Climatic factors such as rain, wind, humidity and sunlight in the region, which has a warm-humid climate and which gets excessive rain, have different effects on the spaces, elements and annexes of the vernacular houses. This study explains climatic approaches that are evident in the architecture of the vernacular houses in the Eastern Black Sea region. The aim of this study is to give information about the vernacular architecture in the Eastern Black Sea region and to investigate the relationship between the architectural products and the climate that plays a very important role in the formation of this architecture. Thus, the effects of climatic factors, such as rain, wind, humidity and sunlight, on vernacular houses are explained in the topics as plan, external walls, roof and exterior of buildings. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.