Questioning the Rural Architectural Typology and Its Transmission Due to Reuse: The Cases of Guest Houses in Bağlıköy/Ampelikou

Rural architecture is the built reflection of the lifestyle, economy, and culture of a rural society and it is also shaped by the environmental characteristics of the region in which it evolved. Therefore, it is considered to be cultural heritage and should be valued, protected, and handed down to future generations. However, abandonment has become the destiny of rural settlements in general and vernacular houses in particular, as a result of lifestyle changes and technological developments. There are opportunities for abandoned vernacular houses to be reused for other functions. The reuse of vernacular houses provides various benefits to the owners and community such as a positive contribution to the economy of the household and/or the economy of the rural settlement. Moreover, reuse contributes to the preservation of the rural architectural typology and rural architectural heritage, and enables the transmission of this rural heritage to future generations. Bağlıköy/Ampelikou in Cyprus is a rural settlement that experienced abandonment and is therefore comprised of many uninhabited vernacular buildings. This rural settlement attempted to become an eco-village in the last decade and consequently underwent some changes. The introduction of the guest house concept to the village and the opening of two guest houses through the reuse of vernacular houses are two of these changes. Although at the first glance these changes can be evaluated as a positive endeavour, further exploration is still needed to understand their impact on the typology of rural architecture in the village. To sum up, this study explores two guest houses in Bağlıköy/Ampelikou which have been converted from houses, in order to interrogate the impact of reuse on the vernacular architectural typology. First, the original typology of these two houses is explained, and then alterations to and adaptations of the houses are identified. The study is expected to draw lessons for possible future efforts to reuse vernacular houses.