ABU DHABI – The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is organising the CIAV 2012 International Conference on Vernacular Architecture between November 19 and 21, in Al Qattara Arts Centre in the city of Al Ain.

The conference, which takes place each year in a designated country, is one of the most prominent venues where experts in the field of vernacular buildings come together from around the world to exchange views and expertise.

This year, the conference will be held for the first time in an Arab country, with TCA-Abu Dhabi hosting it in the UAE.

The theme of this year’s edition – “Sense of Place in a Heritage of Vernacular Buildings amid a Fast-Changing Environment” – will be discussed by a host of eminent experts and specialised organisations as they present a variety of research papers on the subject.

On the sidelines of the conference, the annual meeting of the International Committee of Vernacular Architecture will be held. The Committee is an affiliate of ICOMOS, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, which specialises in issues related to vernacular architecture, the concepts behind it and the best ways to safeguard it. ICOMOS also keeps abreast of the latest scientific and methodological innovations in the field.

Meanwhile, the international camp for the documentation of vernacular architecture – “Camp Vernadoc 2012 Al Ain” – is still ongoing. Organised by TCA-Abu Dhabi between Nov. 4 and 17, 2012 in one of Al Ain’s historical buildings, Camp Vernadoc has seen the participation of 20 student architects and professionals from various parts of the world.

The Camp, which is part of a series that first started in Finland more than 10 years ago, focuses on vernacular architecture by using basic documentation tools and architectural drawings.

The participants will document vernacular buildings in Al Ain by replicating them in these architectural drawings, which will then be put on display as part of a special exhibition in TCA-Abu Dhabi’s Al Qattara Arts Center.

Among the participants in the Camp, 10 are UAE nationals representing government institutions and local universities, and 10 others represent various countries.

The city of Al Ain, also known as the oasis city, boasts a wealth of historical, mud-brick buildings that earned it the prestigious UNESCO recognition as a World Heritage Site.

TCA-Abu Dhabi is in charge of conducting research and elaborating policy to ensure the execution of projects aimed at protecting historical sites and buildings according to the highest international standards.

TCA-Abu Dhabi supervises a number of important safeguarding projects and has completed more than 140 missions in more than 25 historical sites in Al Ain. These successful missions have guaranteed the safety and stability of these sites.