ABSTRACT
As the previous chapter has illustrated, Open Building has developed in part out of reinterpretation of vernacular building traditions. OB’s rationalized processes and strategies for delimiting boundaries of control extend traditions that are probably as old as the built environment itself. Similarly, constructing and enclosing structure against the elements prior to fitting-out the interior, and separating infill from base structure, makes practical sense, particularly in harsh climates. Because most vernacular building types experience a wide range of uses in their life span, builders learned long ago to make the infill level distinct, changeable, less enduring, wherever doing so did not compromise structural performance or the basic social understanding embodied in the building type.
