SUSTAINABLE

ARCHITECTURE
Elaborating on some vernacular hill
buildings as per different climatic zones of
India.
Climatic Zones of India are as follows:-

1) Hot and Dry

2) Hot and Humid
3) Composite
4) Cold
5) Moderate
Wall Construction techniques used in
different Hill Regions
Different Wall Construction techniques used
in different Hill Regions
Different Wall Construction techniques used
in different Hill Regions
Different Wall Construction techniques used
in different Hill Regions
Vernacular Hill Buildings
 According to Bureau of Indian standards, the country
is divided into major climatic zones.
 Hot and Dry:- Mean monthly temperature>30deg and
relative humidity <55%.
 Warm and Humid:- Mean monthly temperature >25-
30deg and relative humidity<55-75%.
 Cold and Dry:- Mean monthly temperature<25 deg
and relative humidity –all values.
 Composite:- This applies, when six months or more do
not fall within any of the above categories.
Vernacular Architecture

 Theterm ‘vernacular architecture’ in general

refers to the informal building of structures
through traditional building methods by local
builders without using the services of a
professional architect.
Characteristics of Vernacular
architecture
 Dwellings and structures that are built as a product of
traditional customs and practices.
 These are often built by the users themselves.
 These buildings represent a far less degree of
specialization.
 These structures are made by empirical builders
without the intervention of professional architects.
 They have emerged out of hard necessities, hard
work and hard lives.
 These buildings employ construction methodology
that natives employ to build shelters.
Overview of Design Principles
 Courtyard or Patio
 White coloured walls (especially in summers)
 Arrangement of the houses –closely packed to each other
 Use of vegetation (reduces the temperature, filters the dust
in and around the house, elevates the humidity level, may
reduce or increase the wind speed)
 Double roof or white single roof
 Thick Walls
 Big basin to collect rainwater
 Louvered windows
 Pergolas
 Water Body
Vernacular Hill Buildings in Cold Climatic
Zone Of India (Eg: Himachal Pradesh)
 Problems to counter;
 Difficulty of getting suitable orientation on the hill slopes.
 Problems of soil erosion and land slides.
 Restrictions by the forest department.( ban on cutting of
the trees).
 Existence of tall shady trees and dense forest area, which
obstruct the winter sun required for the buildings.
 Limitations on the height of the building due to earthquake
risk.
 High cost involved in the site development due to the
cutting and the filling process.
 Non-availability and transportation problems of
construction materials
Architecture of Himachal Pradesh Can
Be Broadly Classified into:-

1) Architecture of Houses
2) Pattern of Small Settlements
3) Temple Architecture
4) Palaces
5) Granaries
Planning of Vernacular Buildings in
Himachal
 Consists of two rooms.
 One on top of another and is built with mud , stone
, timber.
 Usually the ground floor is used for keeping cattle
and storing grains and fodder.
 The upper floor is used as the main living area.
Structure
 Load bearing
 Bhattar Wall (Filling of Stone or Brick)
 Kath Kuni or Kona( kath means wood and Kona
means corner)
 Taq construction
 Are made without using cement mortar
Foundation
 Stone Foundation
 In past,
reinforcements of
Timber Beam was
also used.
 Now reinforcement
of Rcc Beam is used
with cement mortar.
Walls
 Beams (bhatar) in the walls act as “seismic
bands”.
 All walls are connected to each other through
stone masonry and timber beams.
Roof
 Sloping Roof with
wood construction.
 Protects dead low
by making the snow
fall and not cluster
over it.
 Roof frame binds all
the walls together.
 It projects less load
to the base of the
bhattar.
 Openings Flooring
 Openings were small (Max
3’ wide)  Wooden structure

 Height was kept at a max was used for1st floor.

of 6’
 The beams would go
through the window in
case of a bigger window.
Materials and its significance
 Mud- easily available, good insulation and very
good binding properties.
 Wood- the forests of Deodar and mixed forests
were easily available. Wood is used to impart
stability to tall structures.
 Stone- remains in use till today but its usage is
restricted to the plinth to give strength.
Kath Kuni Architecture
 Typical construction begins with preparation of the
ground; the trench is dug relative to the height of the
structure, which is then filled with loose stone blocks
which rise up to make the plinth.
 The raised podium provides the stability to the house
or tower and also protects the building from snow
and ground water.
 It is followed by construction of double-skin wall made
with alternate courses of dry stone masonry and
wood without any cementing mortar.
 It involves laying two wooden beams longitudinally
parallel to each other with a gap in-between.
Kath Kuni Architecture
 Loose in-fill material is packed as filler and the
external and the internal skins of the walls are
held together by cross braces or dovetail
called maanvi.
 This layered construction of wood-and-stone is
more distinctly visible at the wall corner and
forms the quintessential feature of kath-
kuni houses.
 As the walls rise higher, stone courses decrease
and the wood sections gradually increase.
 The heavier stone bases carry the lighter wooden
structure at upper levels. The surface is usually
plastered for internal walls with mud.
Kath Kuni Architecture
Kath Kuni Architecture
 Next a cantilever balcony is built, either on one or
on all sides resting on the wooden beams fixed in
the wood and stone walls.
 A wooden roof tops off the structure and is
covered with locally available slate tiles.
 The supporting wooden posts also support the
roof structure, in many cases are richly carved.
 The last phase of construction is the roof which is
made to rest on wooden beams followed by
purlin and rafters.
 The geometry of the roof is usually pent and
gable but several variations are observed.
Kath Kuni Architecture
 The construction from foundation to roof uses no
mortar in the courses of stone; the sheer weight
of dry masonry and the roof in slate stones holds
the structure down in place.
 The construction from foundation to roof uses no
mortar in the courses of stone; the sheer weight
of dry masonry and the roof in slate stones holds
the structure down in place.
 Nail-less framework without rivets and not rigid
construction allows the building to flex with the
seismic waves and effectively dissipate the
energy of earthquakes.
Hot and Dry Climate (Points to keep in mind)
 Orientation and placement,to minimize sun
exposure in summer.
 Form – compact to reduce surface areas of heat
gain
 Shade for maximum sun protection in summer.
 Allow adequate heat gain in winter by movable
shading devices.
 Ventilation for regulation of air movement.
 Sun orientation- the larger building dimension
should face north and south
 West orientation should be avoided.
Hot and Dry Climate (Points to keep in mind)
 Wind Orientation- Main walls and windows should face the
wind direction in order to allow maximum cross-ventilation.
 To reduce the effect of hot dusty winds, the leeward side of
the house is better.
 Room Arrangement- Bedrooms should be placed on east
side.
 Living rooms should be placed on the north or south side.
Hot and Dry Climate (Points to keep in mind)
 Building Material – Sun-dried
earth bricks is preferred since
it is one of the poorest
conductors of heat.
 Traditionally, houses are
constructed with thick walls
and roofs and with very small
openings.
 Walls- 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.
Hot and Dry Climate (Points to keep in mind)
 Openings and Windows-
Openings and windows are
necessary for natural lighting
and ventilation.
 More windows should be
provided in the north facade of
the building as compared to
the east, west and south as it
receives lesser radiation
throughout the year.
 Windows should be shaded
either by shading devices, roof
overhangs or by deciduous
trees.
 The size of the windows on the
west and east sides should be
minimized in order to reduce
heat gains into the house in the
early morning and late
afternoon.
 Hot and Dry Climate (Points to keep in mind)
Roofs- The flat roof is a good reflector and re-radiates heat
efficiently, especially if it consists of a solid, white painted
material.
High solid parapet walls along the edge of the roof can on one
hand provide daytime shade and privacy.
Natural Ventilation- The principle involved is to catch an
unobstructed breeze at a high level and channel it to areas in
the bottom parts of the building.
Hot and Dry Climate (Points to keep in mind)
 Passive cooling- Cooling
can be achieved by the
evaporation of water.
 Stack effect- Outlets at
higher levels serve to vent
hot air. Ventilators are
preferred at higher levels
as they help in throwing out
the hot air.
Hot and Dry Climate (Points to keep in mind)
Courtyard- The courtyard is provided with water and plants, it
acts as a cooling source.
Internal courtyards provides cross ventilation & natural cooling.
Most openings are to the internal courtyard rather than exterior
surface.
Vernacular Hill Buildings in Hot and Dry
Climatic Zone Of India (Eg: Mount Abu)
 Mount Abu is a popular hill station in the Aravalli
Range in Sirohi district of Rajasthan state in
western India, near the border with Gujarat.
 The mountain forms a distinct rocky plateau
22 km long by 9 km wide.
 it offers a relatively cool climate and views over
the arid plains below.
 Close by are the centuries-old Dilwara Temples,
ornately carved from white marble and of great
spiritual importance.
Flora:-
 The slopes and base of the mountain are clothed with
fairly dense forests of various trees common to the
plains and neighbouring Aravalli range, interspersed
with great stretches of bamboo forest.
 Fauna:-
 Mount Abu has a varied fauna, some of which are
highly rare, threatened and endangered. Among
large animals Panther, Sloth bear, Sambhar are
found. There is a large variety of birds found here and
is a paradise for bird watchers.
 Prime Sites:-
 Gaumukh Temple, Dilwara Jain Temple, Nakki Lake
etc.
Delwara Temples (Mount Abu)
 The names Delwara is derived from the adjoining
village, situated at a height of 4000 feet on hill.
 Gujarat and Rajasthan were the traditional
centres of the merchants and the Princes and
also became great architectural centres.
 The Delwara temple are a composite cluster of 5
temples, each having its own unique identity and
built at a different time.
 These are constructed entirely out of white
marble.
 Exuberant carvings and ornamental work is done.
Delwara Temples
Delwara Temples
 The Jain temples of the Delwara compound on
Mount Abu, in the north-western Indian state of
Rajasthan, are famous for their intricately sculpted
marble interiors.
 Today the Delwara temple compound on Mount
Abu, in southern Rajasthan, is home to four Jain
temples, known locally as vasahis. The Luna Vasahi
was the second to be constructed.
 After the construction of this group of temples, Mt.
Abu became a very significant pilgrimage site for
Jainas.
Delwara Temples
 The Delwara temples consist of four temples of
similar size and one small temple .
 Although each temple has symmetrical plan,
there is no axis that runs through this group of
temples as a whole.
 Space surrounding the temples seems just a
residuary, and does not form a public square.
 This lack of totality could be partly because each
temple was added one after another with an
interval of about a century.
Plan of Delwara Temples
Delwara Temples
 Most of the temples are single storied.
 Does not show any beauty in external appearance.
 Two temples are especially stunning. One is Vimala
Vasahi , which is dedicated to Adinatha, the
first Tirthankara or Jina.
 The other is Luna Vasahi, dedicated to Neminatha,
the 22nd one.
 The interior space of both temples is made of white
marble.
 Everywhere except the floors, from walls to ceilings as
well as columns and beams, are covered with
extremely delicate engravings. This white and pure
space is breathtakingly gorgeous.
Delwara Temples
 Above all a Domical ceiling of "Ranga mandapa"
(open-type hall) is carved concentrically with
utmost intricacy. The central part of it is sagging
like a chandelier made of stalactite.
 The intertwined interior and exterior space lit up
by reflecting sunlight that comes from courtyards.
 The beautiful lush green hills surrounding the
temple gives a pleasant feeling.
 All this was done at a time when no transport or
roads were available at a height of !200+ metres
in Mount Abu.
Shri Adinath Temple or Vimal Vasahi
Temple
Shri Adinath Temple or Vimal Vasahi
Temple
 This temple is the oldest of all and dedicated to
Shri Adinathji, the first Jain Tirthankar.
 This temple has an open courtyard surrounded by
corridors, all beautifully decorated with marble
carved stones.
 Cells inside this temple contain tiny images of Jain
Saints artistically carved on marble stone minutely.
 The internal dome is aesthetically decorated with
designs of flowers and petals, the huge hall of the
temple pillars decorated with the carving work of
female figures playing musical instruments.