I have posted a number of times on my interest in critical regionalism: http://mgerwing.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/think-global-design-local-architecture/

One of the most interesting aspects of critical regionalism may be the use or references to vernacular architectures.  Although Frampton's essay indicates that the vernacular architecture employed may not be local, it is interesting to examine how the use of a disjunctive approach to a local vernacular might make for a project that at first seems like typical local production and only on a second glance reveals itself as something else.

Any approach similar to that would require the existence of a consistent morphology of vernacular building.  Does this exist in Colorado?

I think there are a few vernacular building types in Colorado:  the metal-clad mining building, the stone miner's building, the log cabin and the lumber-framed "mountain Victorian".  (Clearly I am only taking on non-native American building types, that other research is ongoing)

This is maybe a bit simplistic and possibly overly reductive, but at least for the Front Range hills, I think these four types are both significantly distinct and ubiquitous to propose this.

So, over the next couple of weeks, I am going to have a post on each of these types and more importantly, the material dialectic that is imposed, or makes inevitable, each of these types.

If you have any suggestions on additional types or specific buildings, please drop me a line or a comment and I will see if we can integrate that information with current survey.