Abstract

This thesis provides a detailed lens into Dutch wooden joints and structures, combining architectural and anthropological perspectives. It fills in the gap of current research on vernacular architecture – they are too general to delve into the scope of architectural details. It further develops the study of the architecture’s origin, metaphor and functionality preceding the modern era and reflects upon contemporary architectural practice. Specifically, the thesis discovers the evidence of the origin of wooden houses as knots in Noord-Holland, finds out what the knots and knotting offer to locals, and subsequently triggers an introspection on today’s architectural discourse. It mainly focuses on the 17th-century Noord-Holland’s wooden joints and structures, particularly in Waterland, Zaanstreek, and West Friesland, where the flourishing Dutch vernacular material culture is located.

The thesis approaches the question through a series of investigations and analyses, including archival research and literature review, image-based case studies on architectural forms and building methods, anthropological speculation on their metaphor and two comparative studies between the vernacular and modern wood material applications and cultural implications.

A connection between the theory and the cases is revealed through the research. The results show that the wooden joints and structures were transformed from primitive knots for the strong consistency in form and the analogy in the making. The knot-like details and the way of joining things together as knotting resemble and encapsulate the surroundings, namely the entangled forms of man, society, and nature, representing the people’s perceptions back then. The vernacular joints and structures offer locals an elastic structure that adapts to harsh geographic conditions. These findings were further developed into an autonomous narrative about building as knots – it not only provides aesthetic and cultural values as a reification of the vernacular world but also functions well in terms of adaptability and resilience. It may help dissolve today’s dichotomy between the vernacular and the modern, providing insight for contemporary wooden architecture design. Future research is suggested to go into detailed architectural analysis, anthropological studies in a broader context, and, more importantly, combine those two disciplines more widely in case studies and consider the specific socio-cultural contexts with an open mind for imagination. Another future research recommendation is a more thorough comparative study between vernacular and modern details.

Keywords

vernacular architecture; vernacular anthropology; Dutch vernacular culture; material culture; wooden joint; wooden structure; Knot; Knotting; Tim Ingold; Gottfried Semper; 17th century; North Holland; Waterland; Zaanstreek; West Friesland