Saint Gobain Scholarship 2017

iMPROVEMENT
Looking with better eyes toward rural
architecture

ROMAN PRADHAN
 ABSTRACT

The growth of rural tourism has encouraged many developing economies and
development agencies to adopt tourism as a means to the progress of rural
regions. Rural tourism has many economic, environmental, and socio-cultural
benefits. The proposed architectural project is based on the idea of enhancing
the vernacular architecture of Sikkim by means of improved construction
technologies in the rural architecture where the natural building materials have
a strong role in construction.

Understanding the Capability of state in the tourism sector especially in rural

tourism sector the project focuses on the promotion of cultures and traditional
values through architecture, and also trying to overcome various issues faced by
the rural people and communities. The idea of the project revolves around the
expansion of relation of people with the culture and history then architecture as
a tool for development of the village, tourism, and people.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

AIM
OBJECTIVES
NEED OF THE PROJECT
SCOPE
LIMITATION

BACKGROUND OF SIKKIM
LIVELIHOOOD IN SIKKIM

UNDERSTANDING THE LOCAL ARCHITECTURE

LEPCHA COMMUNITY
BHUTIA COMMUNITY
NEPALI COMMUNITY

DESIGN PROPOSAL

DESIGN
DETAIL SHEET OF DESIGN
DESIGN DATA
USING THE SCHOLARSHIP MONEY
INTRODUCTION

Aim:

Enhancing vernacular architecture in rural areas of Sikkim.

Objectives:

* Improving the architecture and material use in rural areas of Sikkim.

*Implementing earthquake resistance design for structures.

*Understanding the advanced and improved way of using naturally available

building materials.

*Designing with the advanced technologies of architecture for vernacular

construction.

Need of the project;

*Loss of architectural heritage and culture.

*Lack of knowledge in construction and architectural terms

*Sikkim falling in Seismic Zone IV

*Waste of naturally available materials.

Scope:

*The project has the capability to develop infrastructure for tourism purpose
where visitors can spend their time exploring the countryside lifestyle,
understanding and witnessing the culture and tradition of Sikkim.

*Revival of Loss and depletion of traditional architectural style.

*Use of Vernacular materials making life sustainable.

*Boosting the Livelihood of rural people.

Limitations:

*Understanding the local especially rural people will be troublesome at some

point.

*Workmanship in the execution of the project.

Background of Sikkim

Sikkim is a small but beautiful state situated in the eastern Himalayas spread
below the mountain Kangchendzonga (8,586 m). It covers only 7069 square
kilometers of an area with a total population of 607,688 (census 2011).Sikkim is
known for its incredible diversity in the animals and the botanical world,
nourished by the unique and dramatic geographical features. Sikkim is rich in
own organic products like tea, pickles, etc., and terraced rice paddies.

Sikkim is a mountainous state hard to find a flat piece of land and with extreme
weathered cold deserts of high altitudes. And state is known as “A land of
hidden treasure” and is a paradise for nature lovers, conservationists, botanists,
zoologists and environmentalists to explore.

Livelihood in Sikkim

Sikkim has a mix and match of diverse communities, cultures, religions, and
customs. In Sikkim, the leading communities are the Lepchas, Bhutia's and
Nepalese. However, the business and municipal areas are overshadowed by
the Plainsmen, who have settled there

since a long time. The developmental activities like construction of roads,

bridges, buildings, etc. have informally invited migrant laborers from the plains
and Nepal and other adjacent states of India.

Lepchas-The Lepcha tribes are said to be the authentic Sikkim inhabitants.

The Bhutias: The Bhutias are people of Tibetan origin. After the 15th century,
these people slowly started to migrate to Sikkim.

The Nepalese: Nepalese migrated to Sikkim in huge numbers and rapidly after
Lepchas and Bhutias.
Understanding the Local Architectural Systems:

The roof understructure rests on

timber beam along wall line
followed by the thatch roof of
split bamboo and a grass called
Siru

The wooden beams interlock horizontally

and vertically making a frame for wattle and
daub.

Subsequently the flooring is out of available

wood.

Small width of balcony is used for Storage

space.

Traditionally:

Flooring Planks:KINGGCHO

Flat boulders are fixed on the Earth

Foundation with reference to column grid.

Where columns are of full grown tree trunk

[Hardwood]

Traditionally:

Flat Boulders – KAADEN LONG

Column – KAADEN DAMPHU

Beam - DOONG

Lepcha tribe traditional architectural typology as seen in rural Sikkim

 The roof understructure is built in ground
and the tin sheets are assembled on the
top.

The art of using Stone plates as a roof

Covering has lost to the use of tin sheets.

The upper floor is always regarded as a

sacred space and given lot of importance
and purity.

The wood floor planks rests on the wooden

beam bracing underneath resting on lower
floor wall line exposing a feet out.
Traditionally:
Floor – SA , Wall – RTSIG PA

Stone foundation up to 750mm along the

wall of super structure.
Land filling is done by using stone chips
and earth.

Stone wall 450mm makes the load bearing

wall. With grand openings.
Traditionally:
Foundation – RMANG GZHI
Store – TSHONG KHANG

Bhutia tribe traditional architectural typology as seen in rural Sikkim

 Roof understructure is of Bamboo and
the base layer is of waste twigs and
timber.
The thatching is done by rice husk

Flooring is done by timber beams

along the both axis.
Followed by timber planks on top

Walls are generally a cob wall and it

tapers as it gains height.
The entrance is through a gathering
space at ground.
Traditionally:
Courtyard – AANGAN, Door - DOKA

Foundation is done as for load bearing

structure and filled with earth and
stone.
The plinth is prepared by using the red
clayey mud mixing with cow dung.

Nepali tribe traditional architectural typology as seen in rural Sikkim

 DESIGN AND STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENT WITH VERNACULAR MATERIALS

Using local materials which are easily available in Rural areas of Sikkim a Ground
+ 2 structure is designed.

Local materials: Stone, Bamboo, Wood and Rice Husk

Concrete used for Foundation and Lintel and Sill Bands.

Bamboo Treatment for Architectural use

-How to do the treatment

For Structural use – [here the treatment will be done for Roof understructures]

Step 1:

Prepare bamboo, make fresh cut on bamboo with the hardwood back saw at
about 10cm away from node.

Step 2:

For a fully grown bamboo

prepare a mixture of

following chemicals in

respective ratio.

Step 3: Step 4:
For all the wall panels used in
design the mixture will change
to
Stone and it’s use

Laying of Stone Foundation.

Step 1: Excavation and Filling.

Step 2: Laying of Stone and Mortaring with mess as a reinforcement.

Step 3: Leveling and reinforcing the corner for making the structure seismic
resistance.

-The mess around the foundation joins with the corner reinforcement.
Thatch and Thatching

Step 1: Preparing each unit of rice husk and tying them in units.

- Till it looks something like this.

Step 2:

Each unit to be stacked making it two layers of thatch

And tied to the purlins simultaneously which is known as lacing technique.

Step 3: To improve the stability and sustain wind the tope bamboo is braced at
the top.
Construction Details.

Flooring

Achieving the better flooring systems using the Concrete beam as a junction,

Using Steel Joineries

Steel has become the most important material in construction field due to its
strength and amazing capabilities.

So I would like to use steel to enhance the strength of the vernacular material
like bamboo and wood.
How would I like to change and improve the rural architecture of Sikkim by
designing this kind of structures?

-First aim of my architecture would be creating awareness amongst the people

about the natural materials and their capability.

The respective design I have presented to saint gobain family would not directly
impact on the rural architecture of Sikkim but I hope it will certainly tell people
about what can we do by using the materials that are born together with us.

The Places like Bali, Japan, China etc have born masterpieces to world by using
the technology but Vernacular materials.

So I would like to serve my work by looking with better eyes towards rural
architecture and vernacular materials.
Using the Scholarship money

To buy Hand Operated Interlocking Brick Machine from Terrablock Machinery

Pvt Ltd.

Quotation:

Single mould hand machine with Stainless Steel mould from Terrablock
company.

Rs-65,000 + 18%GST

Total Machine Price – 76,700

[Exclusion of Transportation]

Transportation cost estimated to Rs 5000

I need following List of equipment’s for the manufacturing of Interlocking Bricks:

1. Siever /Mess - 10000

2. Wheel Barrow – 6000

And other various Chores to start manufacturing the interlocking / CSEB .

Rs – 1500.

Total amount – 1,13,700 .

Thanking you

Roman Pradhan

9920021393

r.pradhan086@gmail.com