CHUTTILLU

VERNACULAR
FROM
ARCHITECTURE
VISAKHAPATNAM 
COASTAL AREA HOUSE FROM ANDHRA PRADESH
WARM AND HUMID
CHUTTILLU
Coastal area house from Andhra Pradesh

• Chuttillu from Coastal Andhra Pradesh.

• This house cluster is found in Visakhapatnam , Andhra

Pradesh.

• In Andhra it is locally referred to as Chuttillu‖ which means a

round house (illu stands for house).

• In cyclone-prone areas, fishermen and agricultural farmers

build circular houses which nestle closely to form clusters.

• The shape and the positioning help the houses battle

against the raging winds.

• The roads leading into a hamlet were the usual narrow

mud paths, opening into large open spaces, around which
mud and thatch huts lay strewn.

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CHUTTILLU
• This house cluster was built by residents of the Haripuram village in
Yellamanchilli Mandal, Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh.
• In Andhra, this house form is locally referred to as chuttillu which
means a round house (illu stands for house). In a cyclone prone area,
fisherman and agricultural farmers build circular houses which nestle
closely to form clusters. The shape and the positioning help the
houses battle against the raging winds.
• The walls of the house are built in mud using the cob wall technique
i.e. earth is mixed with water thoroughly to form the right consistency.
Then, balls of mud are placed closely in a row and the wall is built up
from there. In one day, only 2 feet of wall may be erected. It is
allowed to dry, before the next 2 feet is built on the following day.
• Palmyra timber is used for rafters, palmyra thatch for the roof, and
lime wash for the walls. There is an inner flat mud and timber roof
above the inner room to provide extra protection from rain and fire. It
is important that the slope of the roof be a minimum 45 degrees. A
slope less than that causes water to fall through the palm thatch
leaves.
• The roof overhang protects the mud walls from the rain. Because of
the need for such an overhang, the roof almost touches the ground
around the house. The door is very low and made out of locally
available timber.
• The house consists of an inner circular
room which is enveloped by another circular
space that serves as the kitchen on one
side and a store or a sitting/sleeping area at
the other end.
• The grain for the family’s annual
consumption is stored in the inner room in
clay urns and all the main belongings of the
household.
• During winter, this room was also used for
sleeping.
• In the summer, the family slept outdoors or
Plan of the Hut/House on the spacious
verandah that was a part of every house.
• There is also a cooking area or vantasala
the concept of a verandah and just outside
the house.
The circular house was based on the
concept of a verandah and again verandah.

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VISAKHAPATNAM CLIMATE
–
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
SHOWING
ANNUAL TEMPERATURE AND
HUMIDITY RELATIVE TO THE
COMFORT ZONE AND DESIGN
STRATEGIES.
(COMFORT ZONE IS
BETWEEN 20 DEG C AND 25.5
DEG C WITH AN UPPER
BOUND FOR RELATIVE
HUMIDITY AT 80%)
Climate

•The climate is generally hot and humid.

The summer temperatures vary from 20C to 40C, while in winter it is between 13C and 32C.

•The Southwest monsoons play a major role in determining the climate of the state.

•The Northeast monsoons are responsible for about one-third of the total rainfall in Andhra Pradesh.
VISAKHAPATNAM CLIMATE – WEATHER DATA SUMMARY

8
What does the climate warrant?
Visakhapatnam is a tropical hot-humid climate with little to no variation annually. The humid air when combined with the harsh solar radiation causes
profuse sweating which makes even moderate physical activity very strenuous.

9
VISAKHAPATNAM CLIMATE – VISUALIZATION OF ANNUAL TEMPERATURE RANGE FROM WEATHER FILE
10
13
THE CLUSTER PLAN
• In a cyclone-prone area, fishermen and agricultural farmers build circular houses which nestle closely to form
clusters.
• The shape and the positioning help the houses battle against the raging winds.
• The house consists of an inner circular room which is enveloped by another circular space that serves as the
kitchen on one side and a store at the other end..
• There is also a cooking area or vantasala just outside the house.
• The walls were built by the cob wall technique that places balls of mud to make an 18” thick wall.
• Palmyra timber was used for rafter, palmyra thatch for the roof and lime wash for the wall finish.
• There was a flat mud roof and timber roof under the sloping thatched roof to protect the belongings in case of a
fire. 14
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

● Chuttilu style houses are built with mud or mud and wattle,
● The house is raised on a plinth decorated with finger marks in white
rice paste or vertical stripes of white and red ochre
● Thickly thatched roof projects and comes down very low on all sides to
protect interiors of the mud walls from the rains and because of it, it
was better not to have windows.
● Each house has a spacious verandah at the entrance
● The houses were built close to each other in a circular formation so
that the cyclonic winds that often hit the coast bounced off tangentially
away from the cluster.
● The walls are built by the cob wall technique that places balls of mud to
make an 18‖ thick wall.
Palmyra timber is used for rafter, palmyra thatch for the roof and lime wash
for the wall finish.
● There is a flat mud roof and timber roof under Cob Wall the sloping thatched
roof that protects the belongings in case of a fire.
Culture and people

The culture of traditional Andhra homes usually remains the same across the state. The
thresholds of the doors are decorated with green, red and yellow colors, having evolved
from the custom of applying turmeric to prevent the entry of insects during the harvest
season. The thresholds are given much importance and the decoration is done to
highlight them and make them prominent. Homes usually have narrow staircases, the
space under which is used for storing frequently-used items. There are cuddapah stone
benches between every adjacent gate of the house, and are used by family members to
sit and chat with friends and neighbors during evening time.
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18
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CONCLUSION
“Opting for local materials like mud, lime, and bamboo is one of the best
ways to build houses that can resist harsh climatic conditions. And the best
part is that these sustainable homes will have amazing air circulation and are
low budget,” 

Learning more about the ‘Chutillu’ houses made me realise the power of finding
solutions in nature and trusting tried and tested traditional methods of
construction. The knowledge that lies within local masons and artisans is
abundant. At such uncertain time when we are experiencing natural
calamities in quick succession, it’s essential to put that knowledge into use
and adopt sustainable measures even in the urban setting.

From 1975 onwards, Andhra Pradesh has faced more than 60 cyclones including
the 1977 cyclone which killed 10,000 people and damaged more than a
million houses. During these times, the unique structure of the Chutillu
houses has been able to withstand the strong winds saving the lives of many
fishermen on the coastal regions.
Withstanding Cyclones
THANK YOU
Saurabh Kumar Singh
Rachit Agrawal

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References
1. https://koti.blog/2012/09/27/visakhapatnam-and-architecture-1/
2. https://www.thebetterindia.com/229261/andhra-pradesh-cyclone-safe-chutillu-home-
construction-mud-sustainable-low-cost-traditional-india-ser106/
3. ^ "Andhra Pradesh Fact Sheet". mapsofindia.com.
4. ^ Austin Cynthia Talbot Assistant Professor of History and Asian Studies University
of Texas (23 August 2001). 
Precolonial India in Practice : Society, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra: Soci
ety, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra
. Oxford University Press. pp. 36–. ISBN 978-0-19-803123-9.
5. ^ "Andhra Pradesh – end of an era". Business Standard. Hyderabad. 30 July 2013.
Retrieved 8 April 2016.
6. ^ Jump up to:a b "Administrative and Geographic profile" (PDF). msmehyd.ap.nic.in.
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7. ^ https://www.britannica.com/place/Andhra-Pradesh/People
8. ^ "AP Government Portal – Official Andhra Pradesh State Govt. Portala Pradesh"
(PDF). www.ap.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 5
April 2017.