VERNACULAR

ARCHITECTURE:-
COLD AND SUNNY
 CONTENTS

 Introduction to vernacular architecture

 Six climatic zones of India

 Introduction to Leh Ladakh

 Characteristic features of Leh Ladakh

 Case study-1

 Case study-2
 INTRODUCTION-
VERNACULAR
ARCHITECTURE
 An architectural style that is designed
based on local needs , availability of
construction materials and reflecting
local traditions.
 It relied on the design skills and
tradition of local builders.
 It is also influenced by different
aspects of human behaviour and
environment leading to different
states or city.
 SIX CLIMATIC ZONES OF INDIA
 Warm and Humid
 Hot and Dry

 Moderate

 Cold and sunny

 Cold and cloudy

 Composite
 COLD AND SUNNY CLIMATE
 Mountainous region.
 Little vegetation.

 Mean monthly temperature:-25 C.

 Relative humidity:-55 C.

 Intense solar energy.

 Average temperature in summer-17 to 24 at day and 4-11

at night.
 Average temperature in winter – 7-8 at day and 14-0 at
night.
 Precipitation-200 mm per year.

 Clear sky.
LOCATION OF COLD AND SUNNY
ZONE
 REGIONS THAT
EXPERIENCES COLD AND
SUNNY CLIMATE
 Jammu and Kashmir
 Uttrakhand

 Arunachal Pradesh

 Nagaland

 Assam
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
(LEH LADAKH)
LOCATION
SUNPATH DIAGRAM
ORIENTATION AND AESTHETICS.
 Region in state of Jammu Kashmir .
 Its culture and history are related to Tibet.

 Renowned for its mountain beauty and

culture.
 Historically it includes Baltistan valley ,
Indus valley , Nagri region , Rudok
region.
 Half of Ladakhis are Shikha Muslims and
the rest are Tibetan Buddhists.
 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
 The weather here remains chilly and cold most time of
the year.
 Climate is little extreme the summers can get little harsh
with direct sunlight falling at high altitude.
 Winters are very cold with temperature dropping below
the freezing point.
 It faces cold desert climate especially from October to
March.
TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS
 Summers :-

During day: 17-24 C

During night:- 4-11 C
 Winters :-

During day:- 7-9 C

During night:-14-0 C
HUMIDITY:-
Around 52%
WIND:-
10 km/hr
PRECIPITATION:-
Around 10%
SOLAR RADIATION:-
5530 whr/sq m/day at 35 south facing.
CLOUD COVER:-
57%
 LIFESTYLE
 The people are simple and preferred to remain close to
the nature.
 Buddhism with other part of religion of Hindu , Muslim
and Christian.
 Women are free to work not only at home but they are
free to interact with men outside their homes.
 The Buddhist and Muslims comprise the majority in the
north and east and to the south.
 Christianity is in smaller minority.
 CULTURE
 Famous for its rich culture heritage and honesty.
 Land of monks and monasteries.

 People of all the community live here.

 Free from any prejudice.

 The Buddhist influence on Ladakh culture started as

early as the seventh century.
 TRADITION
 Monastic and other religious festival are celebrated by
convivial gatherings.
 In summer Archery and Polo are played out.

 Staple food are Sku and Thupa.

 PHYSICAL MANISFESTATION
 Use of trees as wind warriors.
 Roof insulation and wall insulation and double glazing.

 Thicker wall.

 Darker colors.

 Wall insulation for preventing heat loss.

 Trombe wall is used which has external layer of glass.

TROMBE WALL
 ARCHITECTURAL LAYOUT
 Mostly the building are two storeyed.
 Large houses has courtyard while small do not have.
 The ground floor is mostly used for keeping livestock, storage
purposes.
 Upper storey is used for living purpose consisting of prayer room,
store, toilet and a large room combining function of drawing,
kitchen and bedroom.
 The main living room has a large window facing the sun.
 MATERIALS
 Timber is available locally which offer climatic comfort in wide
daily range of Ladakh.
 Quartzite stone is used in partial construction of forts and palaces
especially for lower storey to give additional strength and provide
protection from water.
 Sun dried earth blocks- primary unit of masonry construction.
 The timber lintels and plaster bands are the distinguishable features
of the Ladakhi architecture.
 TECHNIQUES
 Roofs are flat spans by using trunk of
local trees as beam placed about 50-60
cm apart.
 Floors of lower storey on the ground
are made of mud white and upper
storey in timber.
 Lintels , doors and windows are
corbelled features with ornamentation.
 Mainly the roof insulation and wall
insulation is used.
 CASE STUDY-
DRUK WHITE LOTUS SCHOOL
LEH LADAKH
LOCATION
 INTRODUCTION
 To reinforce the sense of community, architects clustered
its buildings.
 In this way classrooms, a dining hall, kitchen, clinic,
dormitories for residential students and homes for teachers
also serve as buffers against the climate extremes.
 Planners also wanted a school that could operate year
round in a region known for its extreme climates.
 Ladakh climate is physically inaccessible for months on
end.
 Such an environment required unique solutions to
problems of fresh food, clean water, fuel and building
materials.
 The walls of the Druk school are therefore not made of
concrete, but of granite with a mud core, a traditional
material that ensures adequate insulation and offers
natural appeal in the mountain setting.
 Using the latest in green technology and building design,
students will grow food in a system of indoor cottage
garden energy will produced by solar power, which also
will pump fresh ground water that later will be recycled.
PLAN
 PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING
 Ladakh is hot in summer and very cold in
winter, but even in winter there is often
intense sunlight.
 Due to the optimal 30 degree south-east
orientation combined with fully glazed
solar façades that gather the sun’s energy
and store heat in high thermal mass walls.
 The tromb walls are used which are coated
externally with dark, heat absorbing
material and are faced with a double layer
of glass.
 Hence, heat is stored in wall and conducted
inwards to dormitories at night time.
 Tromb wall that absorb the sun’s energy during the
daytime to warm the dormitories at night.
 South facing residences with anti-seismic cross bracing
and tromb wall.
 Photovoltaic panels to generate electricity from sunlight.
 ELECTRICITY GENERATION
 Firstly the school was previously forced to use diesel
generators to produce power to run lights.
 However the generator was polluting a fragile
environment and school then determined to become self
sufficient by using solar energy.
 SEISMIC DESIGN AND SAFETY
 The earthquake of 2005 in adjacent Pakistan was a wake
up call concerning such risks in ladakh.
 Therefore for construction of this school timber frames
to resist seismic load and ensure life safety in the event
of an earthquake.
 The timber frames are independent of the walls and steel
and cross bracing provide earthquake stability.
 CASE STUDY-
KAMAKHYA TEMPLE
ASSAM
LOCATION
 INTRODUCTION
 Situated at the top of Nilachala hill in Guwahati city of
Assam.
 The temple is considered as an important place for sakti and
tantric worship.
 The temple is not only famous for its religious background
but the temple is recognizable for the sculptural activities
also.
 Originally the concept of Kamakhya derieved from tribal
mother Goddess.
 The nature of the sculpture reveals that the sculptural parts
are not carved in a single period in which the images carry
the characteristic features of different times because the
temple was reconstructed many times.
PLAN
 DESCRIPTIVE FEATURES
 The temple consist of four chambers that are
Garbhagriha, Calanta, Pancharatna, and the
Nrityamandapa.
 The shikhara is circled by a number of minaret inspired
Angashikharas of Bengal type charchala.
 The lower portion is of stone, the shikhara in the shape
of polygonal beehive like dome is made of brick which
is characteristic of temples in kamrup.
 The inner sanctum the Garbhgriha is below ground level
and consists of no image but a rock fissure.
 The shikhara made of bricks ringed by a cluster of
Angashikhara of Bengal charchala.
 ARCHITECTURAL ASPECTS
 The current structure has been built during the Ahom
times.
 The temple was destroyed during the middle of second
millennium and revised temple structure was constructed
in 1565.
 The current structure has a bee hived like shikhara with
delightful sculptures.
 The temple consist of three major chambers.

 The walls of chamber contain sculpted images of

Narayana related inscriptions and other gods.
 SCULPTURAL IMPORTANCE
 The temple also plays an important role in the sculptural art
of Assam.
 Number of legends and myths are associated with the
kamakhya temple.
 The sculptural compositions of this temple reflects their
characteristic style of different periods.
 Thus it can be concluded that the temple art is the reflection
of broad aspects such as myth, believes, mythology.
 All these are clearly reflected through the sculptural motifs
found in the symbolic representation.
 Each sculptured figure is able to provide different aesthetic
sentiments called Navarasa to the viewers.
SCULPTURES
 CONCLUSION
 Increase of solar heat gain
-by direct gain through thermal storage walls exposed
to sun.
-glazed windows on east, west and south sides.
 Decrease of heat loss

-by high thermal insulation of roof and walls.

-by high compound wall providing shelter from wind.
o Balance of temperature fluctuation

-by massive wall construction.

 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 HARRIS.CLARE AND AHMED,MONISHA,LADAKH
CULTURE .
 ALBANESE ,MARILLA , NORTHEN INDIA published
by barne and noble 2001.
THANK YOU