Nomenclature of Architecture

The vocabulary of architectural style—traditionally employed by architectural historians and preservationists—is visually accessible and easily learned yet emphasizes elite status hierarchies. “Unfortunately,” Hubka adds, “this professional vocabulary of stylistic terminology can seldom be stretched to apply to most common housing, and it is a major impediment to awarding names and meaningful classifications to houses without names” (11). The preservationist’s preference for unaltered buildings (the test of “historic integrity”) likewise favors elite houses built of permanent materials, structures that satisfy all of a family’s needs from the start and require fewer alterations over the years. By contrast, the limited resources of most vernacular and speculative builders cause them to build more modestly, often starting with a basic core that subsequent residents adapt and expand as family resources and needs change.