Rural tradition as a resource for sustainable project: fisrt hypothesis of historiographic investigation

The goal is to demonstrate that the interest for traditional building cultures was always present in the Twentieth century, despite the ideological and practical claim of Modern’s materials and construction techniques (concrete, steel and glass). In fact, this interest wasn’t mentioned either in the design practice, both in the construction of modern historiography from the Pioneers of the Modern Movement by Nikolaus Pevsner (1936). The recent histories of architecture by Kenneth Frampton and William Curtis, however, underline the importance of tradition and its influence in the assimilation of modernism, especially in countries far away from European culture. Particularly in developing areas, where the spread of the principles of the Modern came after the Second World War, following the introduction - by the same Masters, Le Corbusier in primis - the characteristic features of local cultures in their works. Now it becomes a social and technical incentives for sustainable design, especially in developing countries, particularly in Africa. So it can be concluded that this awareness, anticipated by Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, This interest is now shared by many architects, including Kéré, Carin Smuts, Peter Rich, Fabrizio Carola, Fare Studio. In fact, they combine civil commitment with the belief that “Culture is the product of a people’s history”