Regionalism in architecture - the vernacular & Creole dwellings in

Reunion

Ms Laurence Buzenot, Docteure en géographie, Professeure d'histoire et

géographie, Reunion
Dr UdayDokras,Phd-Stockholm SUÈDE
Architecte Srishti Dokras, Seattle, USA

Regionalism in architecture is about the context and customs of making

buildings in a particular region. Relying on specific inputs from the climate,
geology, geography, and topography of the region they occupy, these buildings
have to be very utilitarian,

Regionalism
Why are buildings different all over the world? Well, one reason has to do with
the availability of building materials, the weather, and cultural influences as
well as human taste and circumstances.
Sustainable architecture and Regionalism go hand in hand.Such buildings,
mainly dwellings, rely on specific knowledge of the climate, geology, geography,
and topography of the region. Different societies used what they had available
and invented ingenious ways to build their dwellings. Such habitat has to keep
them warm in the cold, cool in the heat, and dry in the rain. Regionalism in
architecture often has a cultural aspect built in, and you can see political
structures, family dynamics and societal organization reflected in some
buildings. For example, in Malaysia, houses grow somewhat organically as the
family members are added, whereas in tribal parts of Africa, new structures are
built in the community as the family dynamic changes.

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 Vernacular Architecture
To understand regional architecture, it's helpful to know about vernacular
architecture, which refers to building made by local tradesmen. Often called
architecture without architects, this type of building develops over time and
changes to become more efficient and more performative in its context.
Vernacular architecture is inherently green and follows many sustainable
design principles, such as using local building materials and designing passive
systems for heating and cooling a building. Each region has developed its own
vernacular architecture specific to the climate, available materials, and culture
of the space.

Characteristics
Regional architecture closely follows the developments of vernacular
architecture, but it incorporates modern building materials and technologies.
The main characteristics effecting design are climate and available building
materials.
Climate plays a very important role in architectural and building forms. The
comparison of climatic data and the requirements for thermal comfort provides
the basis for the selection of building form and building elements appropriate
for the climate so as to create necessary internal comfort. There are
different climate factors that must be considered in civil
operations, building constructions and building designs. The most
significant climate factors are as follows: weather temperature, soil
temperature, angle and intensity of sunlight, relative humidity, direction and
wind speed, rainfall and sunlight.
Apart from that- What are the factors that affect design?

 Factors affecting product design. There are several factors that

affect the design of a product.
 Customer requirements. The end users or customers are the ones that would
leverage the product. ...
 Facilities for the operators. ...
 Functionality. ...

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 Cost Ratio. ...
 Quality of product. ...
 Capability of process. ...
 Material requirements.

Building Orientation Based On Climatology

The placement of any object on earth’s surface is like placing a ball on a slope.
Now where to direct this slope or where the ball should end its movement and
hit on target, is what we call proper orientation according to the function or
surroundings.

In this way, orientating the buildings along with the micro climate is what
helps to make a building sustainable enough and not a burden on the
environment around.

Orienting buildings is an important criteria but another aspect to keep the

interiors also climate friendly is the orientation of the voids that are the
fenestrations and openings on the structure.

The larger building face should face NORTH – SOUTH. Orientation along the
west is never preferred in case of hot and dry climatic regions.

Orientation Of The Solids (Built) And Voids (Fenestration):

The building should respond well with the surroundings and in order to
achieve this it is planned and oriented on site so that it resists various climatic
changes around. The main four climatic zones of India are:

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 1. Hot and Dry
2. Warm and Humid
3. Moderate
4. Cold
1. Hot And Dry Climate Zone
Exterior Orientation
The main criteria here is to minimize the exposure of the built form with the
direct sun in summers. The form of the structure needs to be compact enough
to minimize the surface area it shares with the exterior climate. The shading
should be adequate enough in case of summers and in winters the shade
should be transformable enough to let the sun in.

Interior Orientation

 In case of residential buildings or bungalows the bedrooms are located on the

east side whereas the living room is located on the north or south side.
 The materials used should be bad at absorbing heat like sun – dried earth
bricks and the walls should be made thick enough to resist heat.
 Walls of daytime living areas should be made of heat-storing materials. East
and west walls should preferably be shaded. Double walls with insulation in
between are a suitable solution. Use of cavity walls is recommended for
bungalows and load bearing structures.
 A larger number of windows should be provided in the north façade of the
building as compared to the east, west and south as it receives lesser radiation
from the sun throughout the year. Openings are necessary for natural lighting
and ventilation. Windows should be shaded. This can be achieved either by
shading devices, roof overhangs or by deciduous trees. The size of the windows

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 on the west and east sides should be minimum in order to reduce heat gains
into the house in the early morning and late afternoon.
 Cooling can be achieved by the evaporation of water, which is by using passive
cooling. The courtyard is designed with proper placement of water and plants,
so that it acts as a cooling source. Internal courtyards provides cross
ventilation thus enhancing natural cooling. Thus, openings should be provided
to internal courtyard rather than external walls if possible.
 Colors used should be heat reflective and flat roofs are recommended to be
painted with reflective colors like white and thatched roofs or roofs exposing
lesser surface area to the sun should be used to reduce the heat gain from top.
Minimum number of openings should be provided on the roofs.
Vegetation Orientation
 In hot and dry climate, heat gain is to be minimized. Trees can be used to cut
off hot breezes
 Planting deciduous trees is very useful in hot and dry
 On site trees also play a major role in orienting and reducing the heat gain of
the structure making it thermally comfortable.

 Interior Orientation

2. Warm And Humid Climatic Zones

Exterior Orientation
 The structures planned in such climatic regions need to be oriented away from
each other giving them a clear scope for cross ventilation without any
obstructions.
 Settlements should be placed preferably on southern or northern slopes,
generally facing away from the equator. The warm-humid climate zones are
majorly located near the equatorial zones of the globe.
 The east – west slopes receive more radiation as compared to north – south
slopes, thus the planning and orientation need to be in such a way they don’t
absorb more of warm radiations from east – west slopes and increase the heat
gain.
 Maximum ventilation by providing large openings and clear air flow without
obstructions in the interiors should be provided.

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 Maximum shading should also be provided resisting the direct as well as
diffused solar radiations.
 The roofs used to shelter need to be double layered ventilated.
 It should be made sure that the cross ventilation throughout the house is
maintained so as to maintain the internal thermal comfort of the structure.

 Heat trapping at corners should be avoided by use of this cross ventilation

method as trapped air will have moisture to wear out the interiors.
 There need to be provision of windows which open maximum like louvers and if
the structure tends to rise there should be provision of green terraces.

Vegetation Orientation
 In warm and humid climate, vegetation can be employed to maximize air flow
by proper planning.
 Tall trees should be provided such that they provide shade as well as do not
hinder the air flow.
 Green cover should be extended on roofs and walls increasing the cooling effect
inside along with reducing the glare and providing filtered air in the interiors.

3. Moderate Climate Zones Or Regions

 A building reacts with the environment through its external façades such as
walls, windows, projections, and roofs, referred to as the building envelope. The
envelope acts as a thermal shell that actually decides the temperature intake
from the exterior.
 In moderate climate, the temperature difference is not that drastic and climate
is average that is it does not reach peak levels or extreme conditions. Thus, the
design can be flexible enough to suite the climatic conditions and well thought
on how to reduce het gain and maintain thermal comfort at a major level.
4. Cold Climatic Zones Or Regions

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 In these regions it is preferred to plan and orient houses on the top of the slope
and not at the bottom to avoid the katabatic flow of air.
 It should be made sure that there is proper cut off ventilation provided to
restrict the cold breezes.
 Vegetation can be provided like evergreen type of foliage but they will also block
the sun radiation which is required in cold regions.
To sum this section:
Thus, orientation according to climatology proves a major point of concern
while planning for buildings and especially small scale projects like bungalows
and apartments. They help to maintain the thermal stability of the structure in
both ways that is interior as well as exterior and reduce the amount of carbon
footprint that is the burden of the structure in the environment.
This article is reproduced from Kushal Mehta https://happho.com/building-orientation-based-
climatology-india/

Now let us look at the vernacular architecture of the country of one of us

who is from the exotic island of Reunion. Ms. Dr Laurence Buzenot
Réunion (French: La Réunion) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is
an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately
550 km (340 mi) east of the island of Madagascar and 175 km (109 mi)
southwest of the island of Mauritius. As of January 2021, it had a population
of 858,450. Like the other four overseas departments, Réunion also holds the
status of a region of France, and is an integral part of the French Republic.
Réunion is an outermost region of the European Union and is part of
the eurozone. Réunion and the fellow French overseas department
of Mayotte are the only eurozone regions located in the Southern Hemisphere.
As in the rest of France, the official language of Réunion is French. In addition,
a majority of the region's population speaks Réunion Creole. The island has
been inhabited since the 16th century, when people from France and
Madagascar settled there. Slavery was abolished on 20 December 1848 (a date
celebrated yearly on the island), when the French Second Republic abolished
slavery in the French colonies. However, indentured workers continued to be
brought to Réunion from South India, among other places. The island became
an overseas department of France in 1946

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An 1816 ten-centime coin from Réunion, from when it was still called Isle de Bourbon

Not much is known of Réunion's history prior to the arrival of

the Portuguese in the early 16th century. Arab traders were familiar with it by
the name Dina Morgabin, "Western Island". The island is possibly featured on a
map from 1153 AD by Al Sharif el-Edrisi] The island might also have been
visited by Swahili or Austronesian (Ancient Indonesian–Malaysian) sailors on
their journey to the west from the Malay Archipelago to Madagascar. See our
paper on : The Borobudur ships- did they carry Slaves ?
The first European discovery of the area was made around 1507 by Portuguese
explorer Diogo Fernandes Pereira, but the specifics are unclear. The
uninhabited island might have been first sighted by the expedition led by Dom
Pedro Mascarenhas, who gave his name to the island group around Réunion,
the Mascarenes.[11] Réunion itself was dubbed Santa Apolónia after a favourite
saint,[10] which suggests that the date of the Portuguese discovery could have
been 9 February, her saint day. Diogo Lopes de Sequeira is said to have landed
on the islands of Réunion and Rodrigues in 1509.
By the early 1600s, nominal Portuguese rule had left Santa Apolónia virtually
untouched. The island was then occupied by France and administered
from Port Louis, Mauritius. Although the first French claims date from 1638,
when François Cauche and Salomon Goubert visited in June 1638,[ the island
was officially claimed by Jacques Pronis of France in 1642, when he deported a
dozen French mutineers to the island from Madagascar. The convicts were
returned to France several years later, and in 1649, the island was named Île
Bourbon after the French royal House of Bourbon. Colonisation started in
1665, when the French East India Company sent the first settlers.
Geography of Réunion

Hindu
Festival of old days

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Morphology:
The island is 63 km (39 mi) long; 45 km (28 mi) wide; and covers
2,512 km2 (970 sq mi). It is above a hotspot in the Earth's crust. The Piton de
la Fournaise, a shield volcano on the eastern end of Réunion Island, rises more
than 2,631 m (8,632 ft) above sea level and is sometimes called a sister to
Hawaiian volcanoes because of the similarity of climate and volcanic nature. It
has erupted more than 100 times since 1640, and is under constant
monitoring, most recently erupting on 2 April 2020. During another eruption in
April 2007, the lava flow was estimated at 3,000,000 m3 (3,900,000 cu yd) per
day.The hotspot that fuels Piton de la Fournaise also created the islands
of Mauritius and Rodrigues.

The Piton des Neiges volcano, the highest point on the island at 3,070 m
(10,070 ft) above sea level, is northwest of the Piton de la Fournaise. Collapsed
calderas and canyons are south west of the mountain. While the Piton de la
Fournaise is one of Earth's most active volcanoes, the Piton des Neiges is
dormant. Its name is French for "peak of snows", but snowfall on the summit of
the mountain is rare. The slopes of both volcanoes are heavily forested.
Cultivated land and cities like the capital city of Saint-Denis are concentrated
on the surrounding coastal lowlands. Offshore, part of the west coast is
characterised by a coral reef system. Réunion also has three calderas:
the Cirque de Salazie, the Cirque de Cilaos and the Cirque de Mafate. The last
is accessible only on foot or by helicopter.

Architecture

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Château Lauratet. To the RIGHT The High Court

“Reunionese architecture has experienced several major architectural

periods associated with its history and its economy and, as such, constitutes a
diverse cultural heritage. Following the initial colonisation,
the plantations (first coffee and then sugar cane) birthed vast estates where
the residences of the masters, the buildings of the sugar factory, and the
sleeping accommodation of the slaves joined together to form small, self-
sufficient towns. Evidence of this can be found, for example, in the Villèle
Museum, located in the mansion of one of Reunion’s iconic families, the Panon-
Desbassayns in the uplands of Saint-Paul: this is a memorial site dedicated to
slavery (in particular you can see the rifle of François Mussard, the infamous
bounty hunter of fleeing slaves).” https://en.reunion.fr/discover/reunion-
island-heritage/rural-and-urban-reunion-and-its-architecture/

From https://habiter-la-reunion.re/architecture-creole-reunionnaise/

It is difficult to summarise the Reunionese heritage into a formula: like the

population, it is diverse, reflecting the sometimes painful history of the island,
but also man’s ability to adapt to an extremely contrasting territory. “From the
seashore to the peak of the mountains” – this was the declaration of the
colonists taking possession of a land in the name of the King, and at barely
2512 km², Reunion Island is home to coastal towns and tiny hamlets nestled in
the cirque mountain formations, the estates of slave-owning growers and the
sheet metal huts of the farm labourers, the neo-classical buildings of the
administration, remarkable gardens and places of worship of the main world
religions.

The architectural construction of Reunion Island revolves around two distinct

periods, Colonization which began in 1665, then Departmentization from 1946.
The architectural heritage of Reunion towns, of colonial essence, is
nevertheless extremely rich and varied, like the population of the island from
various origins: Asia, Madagascar, Africa, Europe, while having developed

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specificities linked to its insularity and difficult climatic conditions (heat,
humidity, wind, cyclones).

Originally, the “straw huts” were the first dwellings on the island, made up of
local materials (bamboo calumet, vacoa, palms, latanier, vetiver, etc.), then
quickly the first real Creole huts with a wooden frame. saw the light of day,
built in particular by the first settlers of the culture of coffee and spices. The
straw hut remained one of the most common forms of Reunion Island housing
until departmentalization. Only a few specimens remain today in certain
isolated islets of Mafate or Cilaos.

From the middle of the 18th century, constructions modeled on the French
model were born, like the Adam de Villiers house in Saint-Pierre, and the
European influence more generally spread in Reunionese architecture, all by
integrating multiple heritages inspired by neoclassical, colonial or Indian
styles.

If the European inspiration (rectangular plan, symmetrical interior distribution

with a large central room flanked by two rooms on either side, high roof with
strongly inclined four sides) neoclassical (rhombus, moldings ...) marked the
architecture of the Creole case, other influences contribute to the specificity of
Reunionese architecture.

Traditional American Colonial homes are fairly similar to the homes

colonists lived in back in England, they’re rectangular, typically two stories,
and fairly symmetrical. They have steep, side-gabled roofs, which means the
triangular portion of the roof is only visible from the sides; looking at the front
door, you only see shingles. Traditionally built with wood and sometimes stone
(AKA the materials available), these homes were only one room deep and two or
three rooms wide, with either one massive, central fireplace or fireplaces at
both ends of the house. They have a centered front door and the same number
of small, multi-paned windows on either side of and above the door. American
Colonial architecture is the emergence as a common house style in the
American colonies during colonial rule (1600s to mid-1700s). Throughout the
United States, there are examples of Spanish, French, Dutch, and British
Colonial architecture, since we had settlers from all of those countries inhabit
parts of what is now the U.S. for varying amounts of time.

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French Creole architecture is also one of the USA’s three major colonial
architectural traditions. It takes its place alongside British Colonial, as
exemplified by the saltbox houses of New England and a later generation of
Georgian houses, and Spanish Colonial, as seen in the missions of California
and the Southwest.

French colonial style is also known as Creole architecture, Cajun cottages,

plantation architecture, or raised houses. Dating back to the 1600s, French
colonial homes were originally designed by French colonists and are most
common in the Southeast in the likes of Illinois and Louisiana, as well as in
Quebec. French colonial homes are known for their symmetry and very steeply
pitched roofs with wide overhangs. They usually have stucco exteriors,
expansive wrap-around porches (galéries) on lower and upper levels with
ornate wrought iron railings and details, lots of windows, and high
ceilings. Exterior stairs and hallways were used to ventilate the home while
raised basements were built in order to prevent flooding during hurricane and
rainy.season.

La Varangue : Imported from the time of the Compagnie des Indes and of
Pondicherry influence, the Varangue is the typical veranda of the Réunion
hut. Initially an element of protection against the sun, it gradually becomes a
real living room in front of the house and has its specific furniture, mainly
composed of Creole rest chairs (caned backs). Like some homes in large sugar
estates or beautiful huts in towns, the house can have several verandas (front,
back, sides and upstairs).

Shingles : The traditional Creole hut is often covered with shingles, wooden
slats staggered on the wall so as to overlap like tiles, they allow raindrops to
slide and are excellent protection against the wind. Hand cut so as not to break
the wood fibers (Tamarins), a shingle wall can last between 100 and 150 years

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(machine cut, shingles only last a few decades). Today there are only two
shingle cutters left in Reunion.

Lambrequins : The last evolution in the embellishment of

traditional residences from the 1860s, the lambrequins adorn the
awning. Originally made of wood, they are now often made of sheet metal, and
are intended to replace gutters, their points serving to guide the raindrops
downwards. It is usually planted under small bushes in order to absorb water
and not splash the walls. They represent in the collective imagination alone the
Creole architectural style, and are the symbol of a certain art of living.

Other elements such as the " Guétali " (raised kiosk and mini outdoor lounge
which overlooks the street and allows passers-by to be seen without being seen
and to chat), or the " Baro " (large gate often in wrought iron). which allows
the house to be isolated from the rest of the street), are other specificities of the
traditional Creole hut.

The Creole garden : Like the flora of the island and as opposed to the very
structured “French” gardens, the Creole garden is characterized by dense and
lush vegetation, mixing in a joyful disorder many varieties of plants. , flowers
and fruit trees.

Historical an d religious monuments, large estates and urban

villas

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Reunion does not lack memories of its agricultural, commercial and industrial
past or even some memories of its quarrel against the English. State, wealthy
farmers or traders have built over time remarkable buildings all over the island
of Reunion.

Historical monuments : Reunion has 192 registered monuments, 18 listed

monuments and 6 monuments under mixed protection. 101 historic
monuments are private property and 83 public historic monuments. There are
thus some beautiful administrative palaces like the Hôtel de la Prefecture in
Saint-Denis, a former café store of the Compagnie des Indes which has been
extensively embellished and today constitutes one of the most beautiful
prefectures in France. Other town halls dating from this period or built more
recently are also beautiful architectural achievements.

List of historic monuments in Réunion

The battle against the English (1810) and the Great War are the only two
conflicts to have left traces in Reunion, the first commemorated by obelisks at
La Redoute (near the Delivrance church in Saint-Denis), the second in all the
municipalities with their commemorative monuments and certain
cemeteries. There are also some beautiful vestiges of the era of the railway
(bridges, stations) in Reunion which testify to the remarkable Reunionese
know-how in the 19th century, these structures resistant for almost 150 years
to cyclones.

The diversity of communities and cults in Réunion logically provides a wide

variety of religious buildings: cathedrals, churches, Tamil temples, mosques ...
The oldest religious building in Réunion is the Chapelle du Rosaire in Saint-
Louis (1734 ), the most remarkable is the cathedral of Saint-Denis, without
forgetting that of Saint-Anne de la Délivrance and the chapel of the Immaculate
Conception in Saint-Denis.

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Urban villas and large estates : Those who made their fortune in coffee,
sugar or imports have had sumptuous residences built, whether large Creole
huts as large as castles hidden in the middle of the grounds of the estate far
from prying eyes , or urban villas with "dolled up" facades along the most
beautiful streets of Saint-Denis in particular.
The list of remarkable Creole villas is thus very long. And beyond, there are
also many splendid more modest Creole huts, nestled in lush gardens,
especially in the East and South of the island or in the heights (Hell-Bourg,
Entre-Deux, Cilaos etc).

There is much scholarly dispute as to the origins of the French Creole building
tradition. Some have noted distinct similarities to buildings in France while
others emphasize the evolution the tradition underwent in the New World,
principally the Caribbean. Regardless of its origin, it is a distinctive building
tradition characteristic of French America. French Creole architecture, of
course, began in the French colonial period (1699-1762). However, the tradition
continued in popularity well into the 1800s. By the 1830s and 40s, one sees
houses that combine French Creole features (see below) and Anglo-American
traditions such as symmetry and a central hall plan.

Destrehan Plantation in USA is an excellent

example of the French Creole architectural style

In the USA, French Creole architecture takes its place alongside British Colonial,
as exemplified by the saltbox houses of New England and a later generation of
Georgian houses, and Spanish Colonial, as seen in the missions of California and the
Southwest. The French Creole building tradition appeared in New France, i.e., in the
United States, the Mississippi Valley. Because the region was sparsely settled at the
time, very little French Creole architecture was built outside Louisiana. And today
Louisiana is home to the overwhelming majority of surviving examples.

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 The typical rural French Creole house can be
described as follows. Its most important
features include: 1) generous galleries, 2) a
broad spreading roofline, 3) gallery roofs
supported by light wooden colonnettes, 4)
placement of the principal rooms well above
grade (sometimes a full story), 5) a form of
construction utilizing a heavy timber frame
Parlange Plantation, another combined with an infill made of brick
good example of the French (briquette entre poteaux) or a mixture of mud,
Creole9American) style moss and animal hair called bousillage, 6)
multiple French doors, and 7) French
Courtesy of the Louisiana
wraparound mantels. The previously
Division of Historic Preservation mentioned timber frame incorporated French
joinery i.e., angle braces that are extremely
steep, running all the way from sill to plate, in contrast to English joinery
where the angle brace is almost a 45 degree angle.

Urban examples shared most of these characteristics but often lacked

commodious galleries. Indeed, the quintessential Creole cottage in New Orleans
stands flush with the front property line and has no gallery. Also, urban areas
had what is known as a Creole townhouse, a multi-story, typically L-shaped
building standing flush with the sidewalk. The first floor served as mercantile
space and the upper floors as the family's living quarters. Some Creole
townhouses had a low mezzanine-type storage area known as an entresol
located between the first and second floor. A wide carriage passage connected
the street to a rear courtyard. Today surviving Creole townhouses can be seen
mainly in New Orleans' French Quarter.

Creole floorplans are distinctive in the following respects. They tend to be

asymmetrical and always lack interior hallways. Openings are placed solely for
the convenience of the interior, and without any regard for a pleasing
architectural effect on the exterior (i.e., producing an irregular schedule of
openings). Often the rear range of rooms consists of an open loggia with a small
room at each end known as a cabinet.

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 The rural French Creole building tradition is also
known for the use of pigeonniers to ornament the
plantation. Domestic pigeons had value not only as a
delicacy but as a source of fertilizer. However, as noted
by Louisiana plantation specialist Barbara Bacot, it was
less a taste for squab than for status that exalted the
pigeonnier. Bacot, in Louisiana Buildings, 1720-1940,
notes that in France only landowners had the right to
keep pigeons under the Old Regime, and some of the
landed gentry chose to frame their houses with pairs of
dovecotes. In Louisiana, pigeonniers used in the form
of monumental towers set near the main house
continued as a fashion well into the 19th century. By
contrast, on English plantations, where birds were
sometimes kept, the roost or dovecote would typically
Pigeonniers denoted wealth among the rural French
have been little more than nesting boxes set in the gable
Creole,as in France only landowners had the right to of the barn.
have pigeons under the Old Regime
Courtesy of the Louisiana Division of Historic
Preservation The above Essay written by the Louisiana Division of
Historic

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Made from stucco or brick, rather than wood, these homes are more fire-
resistant. This type of Creole home features thick walls, open courtyards,
arcades,and cast-iron balconies. Additionally, they show both Spanish and
French influence with their steeply-pitched roofs and dormers. Traditionally
built out of wood and topped with a corrugated iron roof, Creole houses often
have a ?varangue' - a veranda typical of the tropics which runs along the
façade. You can sit out on the veranda in a planter' chair, a replica of the
model commercialised by the Compagnie des Indes (East India Company) in the
19th century. Another architectural detail present on every Creolme hut: the
lambrequins - carved wood friezes which frame the windows and decorate the
edge of the roofs. To see some beautiful examples of Creole villas, you can visit
the old sugar domains or walk along rue de Paris in Saint Denis.

The Creole Townhouse

Rich Creole families had residences built in the island’s uplands: the Maison
Folio in Hell Bourg in the Cirque de Salazie which bears many examples to
this. These villas possess all of the attributes of a local Creole house, or case,
(lambrequins, vivid colours…) finished in an extremely sophisticated manner,
and is surrounded by a garden with its guétali (a small, open wooden
clubhouse where one could chat or, if located in the town, watch one’s
neighbours (“guet a li” can be translated as: “watch him”), its fountain and its
paths surfaced in old stone. To walk in the garden is a real sensory journey,
thanks to the aromatic and medicinal odiferous plants: geranium, vetiver,
patchouli, turmeric, lime, allspice… One of the outbuildings now houses a
small exhibit of objects typical of the period, along with regional crafts.it was
supposed to be both airy and up-class

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Structurally, the local Creole house is said to be symmetrical.In fact, in the
absence of an architect, workers would draw a line on the ground and build
two identical parts on each side, resulting in houses of
essentially rectangular shape. The veranda is an important element of
the house. It is an outdoor terrace built on the front of the house, as it allowed
to show its richness to the street. A Creole garden completes the house. It is
composed of local plants, found in the forest. There is usually a greenhouse
with orchids, anthuriums and different types of ferns.
The Villa Déramond-Barre is a Creole architectural model of great heritage
interest

Income from tourism is Reunion Island's primary economic resource, ahead

of sugar cane production and processing, which has allowed the development
of large Reunionese groups such as Quartier Français, Groupe Bourbon ex-
Sucreries Bourbon, a large international company now listed on the stock
exchange, but based outside the island and which has abandoned the sugar
sector for the off-shore maritime sector. With the reduction of subsidies, this
culture is threatened. Therefore, the development of fishing in the French
Southern and Antarctic Lands has been promoted.
The tertiary sector, particularly the commercial sector, is by far the most
developed, and import distribution has taken off in the mid-1980s through
affiliation and franchising agreements with metropolitan groups. The advent of
franchised distribution has transformed the commercial apparatus, which
historically was characterized by the geographic dispersion of small grocery-
type units; the few "Chinese stores" still in operation are limited to mid-range
towns and, as relics of a bygone era, have more of a tourist and educational
appeal, even if they retain a convenience store function.
Despite a certain economic dynamism, the island does not manage to absorb
its significant unemployment, which is explained in particular by a very strong
demographic growth. Many Réunioners are forced to emigrate to metropolitan
France for their studies or to find work.

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In Réunion there are two distinct seasons, defined by the rainfall regime:

 a rainy season from January to March, during which most of the year's rain falls;
 a dry season from May to November. However, in the eastern part and in the
foothills of the volcano, rainfall can be significant even in the dry season;
April and December are transition months, sometimes very rainy but also very dry.
Therefore the buildings of the colonial type are suitable here

Derived from South Asian homes, bungalows are commonly found across the
country. A small front porch, well-balanced home structure, a low exposed
roof, and tapered columns are some of the most common characteristics of this
style. First built in the Northeast part of the US, today you can bungalow
homes for sale all over the country.

A bungalow is a small cottage-type home, usually built as a one-story dwelling

without stairs. Bungalows typically feature sloped roofs, open floor plans, large
front windows, and broad front porches. Depending on the
style, bungalows can feature more than one story.
A bungalow is a style of house or cottage that is typically either a single story
or has a second, half, or partial story, that is built into a sloped roof.
Bungalows are typically small in terms of size and square footage and often are
distinguished by the presence of dormer windows and verandas.
Bungalows are hugely popular. But there are fewer and fewer being built. So,
finding one that suits your needs can be a tough ask and even if you do
uncover your dream one-storey home, you might end up paying a premium for
it to fend off rival buyers.for more o Bunglows see our comprehensive articles:

1. Bunglows then and Now

2. Dokras Wada- Quintessential architecture of Maharashtra Part I

20
 3. WADA- Part II-Architecture of the Adil Shah Dynesty of Karnataka and the
Peshwas of Pune
4. DOKRAS WADA PART III-PANDITJI PROPERTY (Wada) in
DHANTOLI,NAGPUR,INDIA
5. Wada IV-BUTY PROPERTY IN DHANTOLI,NAGPUR,INDIA
and our book The Architecture of Maharashtra State India- Essays

Difference between cottage and bungalow: The difference

is that cottage is a small house; a cot; a hut while bungalow is a small house
or cottage usually having a single story.
Here are seven surprising advantages to bungalow living:
1. Great for Seniors. The one-storey layout of a bungalow makes it the
perfect living situation for seniors. ...
2. Accommodate Mobility Limitations. ...
3. Kid-Friendly Living. ...
4. Open-Plan Design. ...
5. Privacy. ...
6. Flexible for Additions. ...
7. High-Demand for Resell.

Lo Mavéli or Lö Mahavéli, the unofficial flag of Réunion from 2003 used officially by various local
authorities, like Saint-Denis and Saint-Philippe

In French, what we commonly call bungalows are light wooden cottages

(although the walls of some bungalows are plastic), as well as chalets, that
have the smell of holidays in Reunion island. Is it because they evoke the
shacks in which, as children, we wanted to pend the night? Bungalows usually
are one-storey houses, although they sometimes have a small mezzanine for
sleeping. Some are sometimes built on stilts, which adds to their romantic
ambiance.

Accommodation in Bungalows or in Chalets in Reunion island

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Accommodation in bungalows

The bungalows, contrary to what one might think, do not come from North
America, but from India. Hence it is quite logical to find them in Reunion, since
the island is so imbued with Indianness. The Hindi word "bangala" or
"bungalow" designates a small single-family thatched home that served as an
abode to the first English settlers came to trade on the coast of Bengal in the
seventeenth century. Even today, this term refers to a small one-story house
cleverly arranged in order to contain all parts necessary for everyday life. So
you can cook there, stay there and relax for a pleasant holiday in Reunion
island.

Bungalow, single-storied house with a sloping roof, usually small and often
surrounded by a veranda. The name derives from a Hindi word meaning “a
house in the Bengali style” and came into English during the era of the British
administration of India. In Great Britain the name became a derisive one
because of the spread of poorly built bungalow-type houses there. The style,
however, gained popularity in housing developments of American towns during
the 1920s. Its general design—with high ceilings, large doors and windows, and
shade-giving eaves or verandas—makes it especially well suited for hot
climates, and bungalows are still frequently built as summer cottages or as
homes in warm regions such as southern California.

The roots of the bungalow in India lie in the early attempts of British military
engineers in the eighteenth century to design a standardised and permanent
dwelling based on indigenous domestic structures for the East India Company
when the British were still traders in the subcontinent. In its later version, the
archetypal bungalow in the nineteenth century consisted of a low, one-storey,
spacious building, internally divided, having a symmetrical layout with a
veranda all around, situated in a large compound. This basic model was also
adopted with modifications almost everywhere British imperial rule existed at
that time.

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Broadly speaking, there were two bungalow categories: the urban and the
rural. The latter were inhabited by British residents of India such as managers
of various kinds of plantations or factories. They also included the dak
bungalows (government guest houses, usually in remote localities) and other
dwelling structures that were spread all over the districts of British India. In
urban areas, large pieces of land adjacent to the city were reserved by the
British for their cantonment and civil lines. At the beginning of the twentieth
century, the bungalow, set in a spacious lot, was the norm as the residential
house type for British military officers associated with the Indian Army,
colonial administrators and business people as well as a small group of wealthy
Indian elites. The early bungalows were austere, with simple volumes and a
stark whitewashed finish. This basic model developed into a more European
classical form in outward appearance as time passed. It was symmetrical in
form and largely so in spatial organisation.1

The bungalow style has its roots in the native architectural style of Bengal,
India. During the late 19th century and the waning days of the British Empire,
English officers had small houses built in the "Bangla" style. The houses were
one story with tile or thatched roofs and wide, covered verandas. These houses
were provided as rest houses for travelers, so the association was created early
on that these were small houses for a temporary retreat. In 1906, an article
appeared in Stickley's "The Craftsman" magazine suggesting "Possibilities of
the Bungalow as a Permanent Dwelling." Once they were accepted as full time,
year around residences, the simplicity of a summer home fused with the
idealistic philosophy of the Arts & Crafts Movement.
KEY TAKEAWAYS

 A bungalow is a style of house or cottage that is typically either a single

story or has a second, half or partial story, that is built into a sloped
roof.
 Bungalows are typically small in terms of size and square footage and
often are distinguished by the presence of dormer windows and
verandas.
 Bungalows are cost-efficient, easy to maintain and due to increased
square footage versus multi-story homes, relatively easy to modify.
 On the downside, Bungalows have smaller and fewer rooms than multi-
story houses, and are more vulnerable to break-ins, due to how low they
sit on the ground.

Bungalows Explained

Bungalows are most often one-story houses, although they often also include
an additional half story, usually with a sloped roof. There are various types
of bungalows, including raised bungalows that have basements partially above
ground to let in additional sunlight. There are also some bungalows that
23
branch away from the original definition by adding additional levels such as
lofts and half levels. Common features of the bungalow include a dormer
window and a veranda.

Furnished chalets

The word "chalet" is reminiscent of the traditional mountain buildings that are
found in the Swiss and Savoie regions. Again, the mountainous terrain of
Reunion island is a natural setting for these small wooden buildings, the
sloping roof of which will never be covered by snow however. Sometimes
equipped with a fireplace, they bode well for warm and friendly evenings with
family or friends aspiring to a well deserved rest after a day wandering the
trails.

Tourist Labels

Some rentals in Reunion island display a label that guarantees a higher or

lower level of service depending on the classified accommodations.

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Nevertheless, one should bear in mind that other accommodations, non-
classified and which do not display any label, also offer quality services.
The label "Meublé de Tourisme" is, for example, issued by the prefecture after a
declaration to the City Hall and an inspection by the prefectoral services. In
order to get this label, the accommodations must meet the minimum criteria of
comfort and interior finishing defined by ministerial decree; then follows a
ranking from one ("Simple comfort") to five stars ("Exceptional amenities and
environment").

The national label "CléVacances" is approved by the Ministry of Tourism and

also certifies the level of services of apartments, residences and houses, as well
as villas and character houses. The criteria imposed by the tourism
professionals from Reunion island who control the housing and assign keys
(one to five keys again) here relate to equipment, comfort, environment, but
also the reception.

Preserving Reunion's architectural heritage

Reunion's architectural heritage, which for a long time was not preserved, is a
fragile heritage. Structurally, this heritage, mainly built in wood, is particularly
vulnerable to xylophagous insects and the violence of cyclones. In addition,
demographic changes, housing needs and strong land pressures or economic
development unfortunately often lead to demolition. Reunion's architectural
heritage, like its natural heritage, is unique in the world, and it is imperative to
protect this wealth for future generations.

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