ABSTRACT
For centuries, communities have adapted to their environments—climate, topography, and water resources—through culturally rooted practices. In Fındıklı, vernacular settlements from 250 to 300 years ago reveal local builders’ knowledge and climate-responsive strategies across landscape, settlement, and building scales. This chapter examines these practices in relation to mid-19th-century climatic conditions, using archival research, literature, and interviews. It identifies key climate-adaptive features in Fındıklı’s vernacular heritage and explores how communities managed and sustained these landscapes. Comparative cases from Leh-Ladakh, Miyama Village, and the Dogon Villages offer additional insight into resilient design strategies in similarly harsh climates, highlighting shared principles across diverse contexts.
