The Primitive Hut Narrative and its Purpose

The primitive hut narrative is based upon the concept of the origin. In the search for the origin of architecture is the search for some sense of meaning or authority in the work. In times of crisis, architecture tends to return to the idea of the origin and the contemplation of the first building, also known as the primitive hut. The primitive hut is used as a fundamental point of reference in the speculation and contemplation on the essence and meaning of the building.

The purpose of the primitive hut, or the notion of the first building, is used as a sort of justification, the first principle out of which modern radical forms are founded. The subject is the result of a collective memory, kept alive through legends and rituals. 

The first habitation of man, it is generally held, were makeshift props against some rock face, which the first men devised to protect themselves against weather and various enemies. 

The appeal of the “primitive” differs from milieu to millieu, but there has been a constant interest in the primitive hut throughout history. It is a concept which has been displayed by all people at all times and has not been drastically altered from place to place or from time to time.  This hut has been communicated in a variety of ways. Some are content to portray this hut through drawings or engravings, but there is never an attempt to suggest where this original dwelling may be found and excavated.

"Primitive huts ." Notre Dame OpenCourseWare. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2012.

<http://ocw.nd.edu/architecture/nature-and-the-built-environment/lecture-6/primitive-huts/view>.

“Architecture is not unknown to animals: The worm’s hole the ant’s gallery, the bee’s hive...the gorilla’s hut., the house, the castle keep, the temple, and the palace all satisfy the same need, infinitely diversified. A common law may be induced from them, and that is the law of adaptation, Utility is the ground for architectural aesthetic” -André Lefèrre 

Ostwald, Michael, and John Moore. "AA - Adam's House in Cyberbia." Architecture Media . http://www.architecturemedia.com/aa/aaissue.php?issueid=199703&article=13&typeon=3 (accessed November 8, 2012).

Rykwert, Joseph. On Adam's house in Paradise; the idea of the primitive hut in architectural history.. New York: Museum of Modern Art; distributed by New York Graphic Society, Greenwich, Conn., 1972.