Constructive Identity and Transformations of Vernacular Housing in San Pablo del Monte, Tlaxcala: Between Tradition and Modernity

Abstract

Vernacular housing in San Pablo del Monte, Tlaxcala, represents a fundamental reference point of constructive identity and collective memory, as it integrates knowledge transmitted across generations along with practices of adaptation to the natural and sociocultural environment. More than an isolated piece of architectural heritage, it constitutes a living system of meanings, techniques, and community relations that have historically shaped local ways of dwelling. However, in recent decades, urban expansion, the availability of industrialized materials, sociocultural changes, and the absence of protective policies have led to accelerated transformations in the materials, construction techniques, and spatial configuration of these houses, altering their authenticity and symbolic continuity.This study analyzes these transformations through a qualitative approach, using a case study centered on five traditional houses in the municipality. Direct observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentary review were employed, allowing the identification of the substitution of constructive systems, the abandonment of ancestral techniques, the reconfiguration of domestic spaces, and the erosion of community values associated with vernacular housing. The results show that the constructive identity of traditional housing is undergoing a transition between tradition and modernity, marked by cultural, economic, and material tensions. The study highlights the need to establish methodological guidelines for documenting construction techniques at risk, as well as participatory strategies that promote the integral conservation of vernacular heritage, recognizing its cultural, social, and territorial dimensions.