This thesis studies the building cultures of traditional societies and the ways in which the inhabitants share knowledge as a means to address their needs for meaning and belonging.In specific, it examines the cultural, geographic, historic, and physical aspects of Maloula, an Aramaic village in Syria, to understand the role of the "villager-builder" in making decisions related to the urban form and architecture of the village.It was found that some villager-builders question a number of new design influences and processes in which they themselves engaged. They are critical of the new ideas, technologies, and styles that, in time, came to be seen as significant departures that disconnected the village inhabitants from their shared past, even as these same elements became part of the village's new traditions.Fundamentally, this thesis recognizes the importance of knowledge at all levels; in other words, the problems and solutions found by the villager-builders were and are the common property of all.Research methodology included reading previous studies about Maloula and traveling to Maloula in the summer of 2005 during which time numerous interviews were conducted with local inhabitants, villager-builders, and officials and professional workers in the village. Due to the lack of archives and written documents, this study is based on oral studies, visits to official institutions in Damascus and Maloula, and documentation of the village and its architecture. / Department of Architecture