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Vernacular Architecture

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 Chapter Five
Indigenous, Vernacular Architecture
Janetius, S.T. (2020). Architectural Psychology: Space, Psyche, Enigma & Symbol, Mishil & Js Publishers, Thrissur,
ISBN: 9781974307715. PP. 53 - 59.

Imagine a building or a house that stands out as a piece of architecture, not popular kitsch. To label such a
building as a piece of architecture, predominantly, some specific standards are mandatory. The structure should
be in perceivable proportions, have distinct delicate decorations; well-designed windows, decorative doors,
specially styled stockades, conspicuously exposed roof ceiling, engineered in an enchanting environment etc...
and above all, an eye-catching design. Such buildings seize the attention of everyone. Similar structures tell the
tale, not only of the people who intended to construct or the one who designed and erected but also of the
people, culture and society of a specific time in history.
In the annals of human history, the evolution of dwelling was directly linked to lifestyle; it is a portrait of the
community. Any specific structural style they employed intended to ease everyday stress and struggles.
Although the ancient societies faced a lot of difficulties such as starvation, pandemic, catastrophes, the living
spaces were made with a unique intent and direction that tell the tale in history. The ultimate goal of utilizing
the available materials in the given circumstances was to retain their physical and mental health. Thus, the
constructions certainly had concealed schema to sustain harmony by conformity with nature for collective
wellbeing. It is a presumed psychological program for healthy living.
Architecture requires a clear, convincing and unconventional (different from the traditional space-based)
psychological paradigm. It is the need of the day because society has moved to an urban lifestyle; the related ill
effects encircle everyday life. This trend sets a new direction in the urbanised building of habitats that are well
suited to the modern lifestyle. This lifestyle and the associated application of technology drive society apart from
nature. The contemporary change in lifestyle and parallel architecture affects human wellbeing too. As the
relationship between family members (sacrificing or desiring to leave the rural joint family to urban nuclear
living) leads towards lack of happiness and poor satisfaction in life as compared to the pre-industrial era, the
human psyche craves for a one with nature lifestyle. This yearning to move towards nature is fundamental to
humans. As regards the architecture, when more and more buildings come up in urban style (not in tune with
nature and natural setting), it fails to meet the many psychological, and social needs. Therefore, architecture is
bound to respond to these human needs. When constructions ignore physical needs, people quickly alter to
accomplish because they are easily identifiable. However, when architecture fails to satisfy the psychological or
inner needs, people do not recognise it that easily yet seem disturbed and confused in their daily life for
unknown reasons. When people fail to realise, verbalise the missing individual inner needs or the cause of their
disturbed life (probably it is the construction), they become gullible. They become easy victims to superstitions
and pseudoscientific pundits; running after fake religious gurus or magical Vastu masters. If architects can apply
psychological principles to clarify these concerns in their constructions, architecture unfolds new portals of
possibilities to shape the lives of people positively and deliver wellbeing.
In olden days, houses were built according to the needs of the user, satisfying external as well as internal
requirements. Thus indigenous architecture remains very meaningful. Modern architects need to focus more on
the indigenous architecture, vernacular methods and materials and the ancient forms to make it a part of their
prospectus. It is because old time-tested techniques were in harmony with nature and appealing to humans.
Enhancing creativity by integrating ideas from ancient indigenous architecture, architects can create smart
structures that can be a combination of both technology and nature. It can bring people closer to internal as well
as external happiness. Knowledge of psychology is essential in identifying the internal aspects of happiness. If
applied in designing and construction it can reduce stress, build relationships above all bring pleasure and
prosperity to people.
Indigenous architecture: When people think about indigenous architecture, the symbol that flashes the brain
would be a circular mud house with a grass roof, often in a wooded tribal setting. Why do the ancient tribal
shelters build dwellings round in shape? Some facts need clarity on tribal architecture. Indigenous architecture is
not tribal architecture per se. First of all, not all tribal structure is round in shape; not all tribal houses are made
of mud and grass roofs. Tribal communities also build longhouses and square houses, build on platforms and
plinths. Although there is no uniformity in tribal architecture, there are many commonalities. While discussing
the round shape, the Navajo American Hogan, Mongolian Yurt, North American Teepee, African Tukul,
Eskimos Igloo are all round-shaped dwellings. Before exploring the economical advantages of having a
roundhouse, let us look at nature. Life originates from an egg; the earth, planets and stars are all spherical and,
the round shape is inbuilt in nature. The primitive cultures used round shapes as a part of sustainability. Circular
houses are good for ventilation, air circulation and thus they are energy efficient. They are less vulnerable to
strong winds; require 10 per cent less wall than a square structure and need 15 per cent less wall construction
than a rectangle to enclose the same floor area. Tribal architecture or tribal technology resulted from practical
knowledge based on years of trial and error methods, fine-tuned to its fullest usefulness. For example, the tribal
communities in the Northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent build wooden stilt huts that suit the climatic
condition of the place.
The indigenous architecture, just like tribal houses, evolved from the time-tested practical local wisdom. The
cultural heritage of the people that evolved from the geographical location, climatic conditions and locally
available materials make them sustainable. In some hot climatic conditions, the building structure is elevated to
a specific height to facilitate wind circulation in the lower part of the house. In the Queensland area of Australia
where hot weather prevails many days in a year, people build such indigenous houses. Such a similar aerial
structure is also seen in places that are prone to occasional floods caused by high rainfalls. Some ancient
communities to protect from animals and insects adopt a similar style. Many indigenous communities, when
they erect sophisticated ancestries, use wooden walls to retain the heat inside the house. Some Naga tribes have
their construction in a unique way that has a taller front portion and shorter backside, presumably, to have light
in the front side of the house where guests and visitors come and go, and the private areas of the family remain
poorly lit. Among the Toda people in Tamil Nadu, South India, the house architecture is a semi barrel arch-like
shape that does not have windows and just a 3 feet entrance door through which people need to bend their
bodies to enter. This adaptation is made, primarily to safeguard from the harsh cold climate of the place. There
are some commonalities in the traditional indigenous architecture:
1) Constructed in a remarkably short period.
2) Local materials are lavishly used.
3) Ready for occasional maintenance because the grass roofing does not last long.
4) Indigenous architecture does not need an architect to design and build. All the construction in the
community is similar in style and shape based on the tradition passed on from generations. They have
occasional small modifications when they arrive at new practical solutions.
5) As seen in tribal architecture, indigenous architecture is vernacular in nature that evolved. The style and
materials used are all characteristics of the local environment, climate and culture. They are environment
friendly, and the outcome of centuries of traditional usage.
Today, due to modernisation and urbanisation people use steel, cement, glass as quality goods, and ignore the
traditional time tested indigenous materials and methods. Anthropologists, sociologists, and cultural
psychologists argue that a large amount of cultural architectural knowledge could be lost when communities
move from their traditional indigenous architecture to modern methods.
Vernacular architecture: Vernacular designs are popular today due to its practicality and affordability.
Vernacular designs are the architecture based on a particular place, accepted as a preferred style due to its
affinity to local traditions. Architects when regurgitating local cultural elements, style and employ available local
materials abundantly, it becomes vernacular architecture. This architecture originated on the socio-geographical
and cultural needs of the people using locally available construction materials that are adopted and modified
over time. This architecture gives importance to sustainability and known for environment friendly. It follows
the path of modern-day green architectural concepts concerning energy efficiency, using locally available natural
materials.
Architects see many of these elements in antiquated buildings, acquire a lot of knowledge and adopt several
things from these sources to regurgitate it in their new projects. Therefore, vernacular architecture as it is
understood today is a traditional design in modern attire. In the world of modern designs, vernacular designs
have their charm. It is appealing to everyone, everywhere and soothing not only to the eyes but also to the inner
self. People who reside in such architectural structures enjoy an enormous amount of satisfaction. Vernacular
architecture is pleasing to the senses because they outwardly echo the traditional socio-cultural aura and
internally pleasing the psyche. If a person for raison d'être prefers a specific vernacular style, psychologists can
easily infer the inner dynamics of the psyche of the person. One of the significant characteristics of a vernacular
design or architecture is that it mixes nicely with the environment and geographical location, suites well to the
climatic conditions. Added to that, vernacular architecture also gives priority to the lifestyle of the people;
people who are going to live there; it proprieties whether the house is intended for children or grownups,
working-class or retired, for a regular living or occasional stay. Thus, vernacular architecture not only focuses on
the external design but also the utility of the people concerned.
While discussing vernacular architecture, it is worth mentioning Laurie Becker, a notable architect. It is
surprising to know that Becker who popularized vernacular architecture in India is not an architect born and
brought up in India, rather, a British-born architect who became an Indian citizen later in his life. Laurence
Wilfred Baker is an internationally renowned Indian architect, who revolutionized cost-effective and energy-
efficient architecture in India. His alternative approach to architecture and constructing homes affordably is
noteworthy. The uniqueness of his architectural style is a fine mixture of conventional concepts and local
resources to suit modern needs so that people can afford to live in convenience aesthetically. This cost-effective
construction style earned him the title poor man’s architect.
Becker’s visit to India and his contribution to the vernacular architecture were accidental. Baker was born in
England in 1917. He studied architecture at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design and graduated in 1937.
During the Second World War, he served in the local Friends Ambulance Unit. He was sent to China with a
surgical team, as an anaesthetist, to assist the casualties during the war between China and Japan. In 1943 he
returned to England. His return journey to England was interrupted and had to stay in Bombay for three months
that gave him some idea about the Indian subcontinent, mainly the independence struggle that was vibrant at
that time.
What made him opt for India in the later period is not clear; he came to India in 1945, as an architect for the
World Leprosy Mission at Faizabad1, Uttar Pradesh. Becker stayed with a South Indian doctor and his family.
Over time, he fell in love with the doctor’s sister Elizabeth Jacob who was working as a doctor in Hyderabad
with the same leprosy mission, and they got married in 1948. The couple settled in Pithoragarh is a western
Himalayan town, currently in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Settling in the Himalayas, his architectural
aptitude was kindled and he realised that the British education on architecture at Birmingham was inadequate
for him to deal with the Indian geographical conditions. So he slowly explored the local traditional construction
methods and developed his unique style. The indigenous North Indian cost-effective laterite, cow dung, and
mud used for walls and floor attracted his attention and he found it significantly meaningful. Later, when he
moved to South India, he was mesmerised by the traditional Kerala style and that initiated in him to develop his
unique style of construction in India. As people appreciated his unique style, they labelled it Laurie Baker
Architecture.

A typical Becker’s architecture consists of bare-brick walls and sloping roofs with terracotta tiles. Bare-brick wall
buildings become the benchmark style of Becker’s architectural identification. Another factor Becker was
extremely meticulous was, not to disturb the natural state of the land on which the building is constructed. This
is to create harmony with the existing landscape and not to stand out against the natural environment. Moving
away from the conventional squares and straight lines, Becker often opted for irregular curves, pyramid-like
roofs with tilting end. He also developed a unique style of arranging bricks in an unconventional order than the

1The name Faizabad is removed from the Indian gazettes and records and changed to Ayodhya (2019). This rechristening of
Islam-toned names into Hindu names is a major political drive by some fundamental fascist groups that are emerging as a
distracting force in India to destroy its secular fabric and to rewrite the history to their political mileage.
 traditional style. This helped him to build walls with less number of bricks. Becker's method used concrete
sparingly, thus making it more environment friendly.
Another frequently practised peculiarity is the use of jaali walls. Jali or jaali (meaning net) is an architectural
decoration commonly used in Indo-Islamic architecture. This style was introduced by Becker to achieve two
goals; to bring natural airflow inside the house to cool the interior and to bring enough natural daylight. Becker
adopted this free airflow as a unique style in his constructions because of the tropical conditions of the place.
Although not very popular today due to security concerns, Jali style has a place to provide ornamental
decorations in buildings to give traditional aesthetic appeal.
The vernacular style introduced by Becker exhibits his multidimensional approach: it avoids energy-intensive
materials (cement for plastering), eludes lavishness and luxury (plastering and painting), attention-grabbing
external decorations. Considering the socio-economic situation of the people in Kerala, Becker's bare-brick wall
became a blessing for many people. Some of his trademark buildings designed in vernacular style by Becker are
seen in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, South India. Indian Coffee House, the Centre for
Development Studies, the Laurie Baker Centre for Habitat Studies, and the Chitralekha Film Studio are notable
examples of Becker's unparalleled architectural style.

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