Contemporary Southern Vernacular

Creating Sustainable Houses for Hot, Humid Climates

Tap into the wisdom of Southern vernacular traditions and cutting-edge building science to create sustainable, resilient, and healthy homes in the hot, humid American South.

An Architectural Digest Best Design Book of Fall 2025

This comprehensive guide taps into the wisdom of Southern vernacular traditions and cutting-edge building science to create sustainable, resilient, and healthy homes in the hot, humid American South.

Foreword by Robert Ivy, FAIA (Fellow of the American Institute of Architects)—former executive vice president/CEO of the AIA and former editor of Architectural Record magazine

More and more people are flocking to the warm, sunny states of the American South, but the hot, humid climate presents a unique set of challenges to those building or renovating a home. Fortunately, veteran architects Jane and Michael Frederick are sharing the knowledge they’ve accumulated through nearly four decades of designing homes in the Coastal South, offering accessible guidance to anyone looking to create their dream home.

This guide will allow readers to:

• Explore how the unique characteristics of Southern vernacular houses were incorporated into seven different building forms—Single House, Creole Cottage, I-House, Shotgun, Beaufort Freedman’s Cottage, T-House, and the Dogtrot—and how these forms inform contemporary design;

• Discover how the precepts of Southern vernacular architecture—refined over generations to respond to the local climate, materials, and context—offer time-tested direction for guarding against mold and rot, minimizing hurricane damage, reducing energy consumption, and overcoming other challenges of creating residential buildings in the South;

• Identify how using the vernacular concepts gives a project a head start on sustainability;

• Learn from nine sustainable, resilient residential case studies, complete with photographs and design sketches; and

• Become equipped to have thoughtful, knowledgeable discussions with designers, architects, and builders on detailing a sustainable, resilient house.

Believing that well-designed homes create happier, healthier lives, the Fredericks show how great home design not only honors the needs of the homeowners but also connects them to the land and its history. They provide the clear advice and guidelines needed for creating resilient, sustainable Southern homes that will last a lifetime (and beyond).

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