Vernacular Architecture Forum - New England Chapter 

2027 Annual Meeting

Call for Papers and Richard Greenwood Award Submissions

Portsmouth Historical Society

10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH

Saturday, April 10, 2027

The New England Chapter of the VAF welcomes submissions for our 2027 Annual Meeting. Each spring, the Chapter’s annual meeting delves into New England’s rich and diverse vernacular architecture and landscapes in pursuit of a deeper understanding and appreciation of the everyday spaces and places that characterize the region. 

With a focus on community learning and mutual exchange, we invite topics that examine vernacular buildings and landscapes from the seacoast to the mountains, from mill towns to agricultural areas, and from small towns to cities. We encourage proposals across a broad spectrum of research and fieldwork, welcoming not only thesis-driven papers but also works-in-progress, field reports, and exploratory studies from students, scholars, researchers, and practitioners. This inclusive approach allows for a dynamic exchange of ideas and insights, promoting innovative perspectives and methodologies in the study of New England’s built and natural heritage.

Submission Guidelines:

• Title and Contact Information: Include a title for the presentation and the author’s contact information (name, address, email address, and telephone number[s]).

• Presentation Description: Explain the nature of your presentation in a maximum of 400 words, including up to two images. Please indicate if your presentation is thesis-driven, a work-in-progress, a field report, or another form of presentation/exploratory study, and if you are proposing a 10- or 20-minute presentation.

• Curriculum Vitae: Provide a one-page CV or resume.

Submission Deadline:

Please send your proposals to vafnewengland@gmail.com by January 11, 2027 with the subject line “2027 Annual Meeting Paper Submission.” All submissions will be acknowledged upon receipt, with presenters notified by January 25, 2027.

We look forward to your contributions and to advancing the understanding of New England’s unique architectural and landscape heritage.

Richard Greenwood Award Submission Guidelines

The New England Chapter of the Vernacular Architecture Forum (VAF-NE) established the Richard Greenwood Award in honor of the late Rick Greenwood, a VAF-NE past president and active member of the Chapter from its inception. Created to honor and support early-career scholars, the Richard Greenwood Award recognizes outstanding original scholarship produced by a student or early-career professional in New England, with particular attention to studies that take seriously the physical and spatial aspects of buildings and landscapes and that use material evidence from archival research or fieldwork. Studies that enhance our understanding of the vernacular landscape by focusing on underserved or overlooked populations and narratives are of particular interest.

VAF-NE is committed to supporting the professional development of the Richard Greenwood Award winner and to bringing regional and national attention to their work. To that end, the Chapter includes a special Richard Greenwood Award Session at ​its Annual Meeting, during which the awardee will present a 20- to 30-minute version of their research and have ample time for follow-up questions and discussion. In addition, the Chapter will provide the winner with an advocate-mentor, a ​senior scholar who will advise the winner as they prepare their presentation and, during the Richard Greenwood Award Session, engage the winner in conversation about their past research and their next steps. The advocate-mentor will also write a brief profile of the winner to be published in the Vernacular Architecture Newsletter, a publication of the national Vernacular Architecture Forum. Finally, the Chapter will provide the winner with a cash prize of $300 and a year’s membership to the national organization. 

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Richard Greenwood Award, applicants must be: 

• EITHER a current student (undergraduate or graduate) enrolled in an institution of higher education in one of the ​New England states (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine)

• OR an ​early-career professional (within the first five years of terminal degree) employed or residing in one of the New England states.

• AND ALSO willing and available to attend the VAF-NE Annual Meeting in person and to give a 20- to 30-minute presentation based on their research.

Award Submissions

The Chapter welcomes nominations from faculty members as well as self-nominations from students and early-career professionals. 

Eligible applicants must submit the following materials to the VAF-NE Paper Selection Committee at vafnewengland@gmail.com. 

• A cover letter confirming that, if they win the Richard Greenwood Award, they are willing and available to attend in person the VAF-NE annual meeting and to give a ​20- to 30-minute presentation of their work. The cover letter should also indicate if the applicant would like the paper considered for the VAF-NE Annual Meeting program, if they do not win the Richard Greenwood Award. (Please note that all presenters receive a complimentary registration, including tours, if any.)

• A written text, 15 to 30 pages in length. The written text can be a term paper, an independent study project, or part of a thesis or dissertation. It must articulate a clear argument and offer compelling supporting evidence. It should also take seriously the physical and spatial aspects of buildings and landscapes, using material evidence from archival research or fieldwork. Projects completed in the 2025-26 academic year, or earlier, are welcome.

• Accompanying images that readers will need to assess the written work.

• Current CV or resume. 

Submissions for the Richard Greenwood Award are due no later than December 5, 2026.

The winner will be notified by January 25, 2027.