Examples of Vernacular Architecture and its

similarity with Sustainable Architecture

UNIT-2
LECTURE – 07.01.22

Presented by :Ar. Priya Arora

Associate Prof.
PU- SPA
➢ Vernacular Architecture in evolved from Tangible and Intangible resources.
➢ Like society and culture

➢ Vernacular Architecture is Unique to each place , It cannot be imported.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUSTAINABLE
ARCHITECTURE
Thai Houses – located in the coastal area

Houses made from rapidly renewable materials like

Bamboo & Weeds which grow very fast.
➢ Steep sloping roof due to high rainfall
➢ Built on bamboo stilts to allow for water to flow through it during high tide and low tide i.e. early
morning & late evening
➢ Cool breeze blows through the stilts during the day
➢ Skin of the house made of bamboo with large opening to allow for cross ventilation .
• Optimises the use of Material & also optimizes the use of Site

• Shape of the roof in the Lord’s house remain the same giving it the unique identity
whether it’s for the common man or the Lord/King

• Roof profile is the same which serves the physiological requirement of running
off the rain water

• The size of the house is not extraordinarily large well within the equitable
resources limit , yet to maintain the hierarchy.

• The house looks different and better which was the need of the society

• Therefore Vernacular Architecture of Thailand has responded to the

environmental need, the economical needs and also the social needs of the
people.

• All the houses are along the water ways , stilts serve as the make shift place for
transporting people.
• Hence the design serves the social purpose
➢ Stone & wood is commonly available from the mountains nearby
➢ Climate is largely cold
➢ Houses are made up of stone
➢ Part of frames, beams, beams in the roof are made up of wood.
➢ All the buildings are oriented to face the sun facing side of the hill and have
large windows .of glass ( to allow sun to penetrate inside)
➢ Responds to the climate / environment
➢ Windows have wooden shutters to be drawn to keep the cod out
➢ Shape of the house may vary due to topography but it has a unique identity
due to the wooden beams in the eves .
➢ Made out of stone as mid is not available
➢ Bhoongas are Kuchh houses , but many of the Bhoonga’s have survived
for centuries by the virtue of their design and the optimised amount of
resource that it consumes.
Hot and Dry Climate

• Requirement of hot dry climate is to reduce the surface area to volume ratio
which is best achieved in a circular shape.

Amount of Openings
• Bhoonga’s have very small openings which is response to the physiological
conditions. Since it is in desert so extremely high solar radiation , very high
temperatures so need to minimise the air ventilation during the day.
• No need of large windows as it will only add to the glare
• Small windows are to permit sufficient amount of daylight.

Material Used
• Mud often mixed with cowdung
• Every year subsequently the top layer is recoated (plastered )by mixing mud and
cow dung . It not only provides durability but also protects it from rain.
• Therefore the plaster is renewed every year.
• Roof is extended beyond the mud wall to protect it from rain. (Whatever little
rains this region get)
Unique Identity

Bhoonga’s are decorated from inside as well as outside with ornamentation like
mirrors and patters .

Bhoonga’s are found in Rajasthan and Kutch but they can be distinguished simply
by looking at the designs which are painted on these walls
• Study shows that the Bhoonga’s survived the Bhuj earthquake
• Bhoonga’s are surrounded by boundary walls made out of mud or thatch which prevents the sand to
come into the community. The sand would settle at the boundary of the village
• They also used locally available weeds in the center of the walls
• Very rarely brick or stone was used and Only foundations are made up of stone
➢ Slope to slide off snow and rain
➢ Thin linear land as flat land is not availabke
➢ Most of the houses are very linear , slightly expanded on top

Has two skins :-

➢ Inner skin – made up of stone (very thick)
➢ Outer skin – made up of wood allows for sun to penetrate in. There are a lot of openings in this
• The heat of the sun is taken inside the peripheral area and is also transmitted inside
• Kitchen is placed in the centre, heat released from cooking is contained within the building

• Materials used- stone an wood , can be replenished , available in abundance.

• Ground floor is used to keep cattle and to store hay.

• People stay on the upper floors with kitchen in the centre

• Since locally available resources are being used so it is responding to the economy as
well.

• So it is responding to the environmental needs and the social needs

Interesting fact
Type of wood used

• For ornamentation hard wood is used – as its good for carving

• For structural support even harder wood is used

• For connecting the joints , wooden beams very hard wood is used and comparitively softer wood is
used for ornamentation

• Wood for ornamentation is used in very limited amount

KULLU
• Kullu is lower in altitude as compared to Shimla.

• It has a more flat topography as compared to Shimla so more flat land is available for
construction.

• Roof becomes less steap as it does not receive as much of snow as Shimla. However the
materials are the same uses stone and timber.

• Design response is the same- extension on upper floors, thick stone inner walls, large
windows facing the sun side , kitchen in the centre.

• Suttle differences in terms of planning , sizes of spaces have set in

➢ Dharamshala is a valley
➢ Cold climate yet flat land is available
➢ Design Response : Ground Floor structures as more flat land available
➢ House ecomes bigger, no multiple storeys
➢ Roof is still sloping but slope has reduced. It snows in Dharamshala
➢ Hot in summers and cold in winters , hence courtyard planning to receieve the sun in winters
➢ Intricate carvings makes it unique to that place.

➢ Availability of material is same but design response is different as it responds to the

climate of the place
Design is the response to the climate where it is set but the raw material remains the same

Material used – weeds ( Unique- using thatch to make the entire hut)
Other materials available mud , wood stone
Design differ due to amount of rainfall that area receives
Set in deserts, hardly any
availability of rain
Desert has sandy soil and mud
is available from the
termitaries
Hut is built in subsequent parts and it becomes thin at the top. The thickness is gradually decreasing.

Material- mud procured from the termitaries, glue like substance in the termitary is also mixed in the mud
which provides a water proof layer.
Therefore these huts are not damaged by the rains
Just like Bhoonga’s the community coats another layer on the yop every year.

They share the resources

They share the land
The community has a boundary wall
Huts are arranged along the periphery, central area is used for cooking, storing of grains
Resource consumption is optimised
Materials available – stone and mud but no timber

Unique identity through arches and ornamentation in lime

around the windows.
Arches used as there is no wood to span the windows
therefore stone arch is constructed here which gives it a
unique character

The height of the house has inceased due to use of stone and
mud as mortar.

But the identity of the house remains the same , it does not
change with the size of the house
Found in Europe and England

Used the ain trunk of the tree to make the Cruck frame
walls made of stone , or even wood
To contain the heat inside the building , the windows are small
• Receives lot of rain
• The walls made of weed screens , all perforated walls allows air flow through them
• Coated with mud
• Painted in warli art , every hut would be different but maintains the same socio cultural identity
➢ Trees are not commonly available

➢ Bamboo and weed is available in abundance

➢ Weed is used to cover the hut as a thatch

➢ The Response is similar in usage of material but the design is not identical as compared
with Toda Hut.

➢ Exactly the same material but unique design giving an identity to the Zulu hut of South
Africa
Material – Mud and Thatch and no timber
Receives snow but very little rain
Extreamly low temperature

Design- thick walls of mud , wooden beams on the roof , flat roof to receive lot of Sun
Windows on the sun facing side . Rest side has small windows
Thatch only on boundary of the roof to give it strength.
Roof used to dry thatch used as fuel for cooking and fodder for animals
Impact of Buddhism on the houses of Leh and Ladakh

The colours , the beams , the ornamentation

Georeme , Turkey- Material used Stone
Mardin, Turkey- Material used – Stone ( Different identity coming from
the same country, three different design responses
Trullo House – Stone
Japan – Bamboo
Nepal – Clay and Stone , Thatch for roofs
CONCLUSION

Traditional Architecture & Vernacular Architecture respond to the environment, people ,society,
culture

Minimum amount of resources so also economically sustainable as well.

People have mastered the art and science of designing these buildings ,
Growing interest in search of identity.

We can create green buildings but as we impart identity to it , the building becomes sustainable.

Lot of research going on in this direction and connecting it with sustainable architecture

❑ Context specific
❑ For the place
❑ Needs of people , the culture of the people . It has to change with context and people hence the
responses have to be different for making it sustainable.