2. Candidate number:08220
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H&T 1. 1 AR10040 Vernacular Architecture: Final Project
Since existence, the human species, have developed dwellings and shelters to protect
themselves from the climate, predators and the environment. Such structures created for the
purpose of safety and shelter brought the term vernacular architecture to light.
Vernacular architecture is driven by the local
people, built encompassing traditional
construction methods and using naturally
sourced resources and materials, typically;
earth, fired brick and stone. Paul Oliver (2007,
p. xiii) states that vernacular architecture is
“built to meet specific needs, accommodating
the values, economies and ways of living of the
cultures that produce them.”
Due to the depletion of natural resources and climate change, sustainable development is a big
focus in current government policies as well as in architecture. Sustainable development is
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future
generations to meet their own needs” as defined in the Brundtland report (1987). With relation
to architecture, it would mean designing
buildings that have minimal damage to the
environment, low energy consumption and
mobilises resources/materials efficiently.
Andrew Scott (1982), emphasises this idea and
suggests that sustainable architecture is “making
buildings… more intelligent in the way they
balance their energy flows, more respectful of
nature and the resources it has to offer.”
It can be said that a vernacular structure is sustainable due to the way it uses available resources
and considers the needs of future generations, however an example of sustainable architecture
typically cannot be classed as vernacular. Both Sustainable and vernacular architecture focuses
heavily on the; environment, economy and society, but what really differentiates the two
concepts is that vernacular also considers a fourth dimension; the cultural influence of the local
population. Vernacular structures are more natural, reflecting the location and uses traditional
methods, usually without the involvement of a professional builder/architect. Furthermore,
vernacular focuses on energy efficiency in a basic manner by bringing together detailed
information about the place and environment from previous generations of local builders and
individuals involved. In contrast, sustainable buildings will see an involvement of architects
and professional help to ensure energy efficiency is maximised using modern construction
techniques and materials.
Figure 1 Ethiopia Guraghe tukuls construction
(Santarelli, n.d.)
Figure 2 Aurora House, Eco-Home
(Dawn Homes, 2009)
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Nevertheless, both vernacular and sustainable architecture do their best to meet the needs of
the people and respond to limiting factors whilst dynamically adapting to changes through time
and technology.
To assess whether contemporary sustainable architecture is capable of incorporating vernacular
values into a modern design, I will be comparing and contrasting two buildings in Nepal. One
is a vernacular Sherpa house and the other a sustainable building called the Himalesque, both
constructed primarily of stone.
Nepal, as seen in figure 3 is situated south of China and the Himalayan range and north of
India. The country’s climate varies with the altitude and the landscape which has an effect on
the architecture found there, therefore I have chosen buildings facing similar weather
conditions. Both buildings are located near the mountain ranges, at much higher altitudes and
face arctic like climates.
The Sherpas are an ethnic group of Nepalese people that
inhabit the valleys around the base of Mount Everest and
the Himalayas. Traditionally, Sherpas specialise in
agriculture and trade but are also highly skilled
mountaineers and routinely serve as guides to Himalayan
Mountain explorers.
Permanent settlements are found at heights of 3,000-
3,500m (Oliver, 1997, p. 1037) such as Namche Bazaar
shown in figure 4. During the winters, when the climate is
especially harsh, inhabitants descend down to temporary
houses at lower altitudes and return only when spring starts.
Vernacular Sherpa houses have an elongated and wide shape, constructed of stone with an
interior wooden frame and consists of two storeys. All of the local community help with
building houses, using simple tools and construction methods.
Figure 3 Geography of Nepal
(Wikipedia, 2006)
Figure 4 Namche Bazaar
(Hicks, 2007)
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Stone is the main medium
used in the construction of
Sherpa houses as it is readily
available in areas where they
live. There is a wide variety
of stones used in the
building, for example in the
walls are small, undressed
blocks, whereas for roofing
and paving, slabs are used
which are quarried from
stratified rock.
The stonework is either dry, or held together by basic mortar composed of soft, clayey earth.
This construction method is not the sturdiest, however it is compensated by thick walls up to
1m giving it a high self-weight and making the walls robust.
Walls are plastered with clayey earth filling in the cracks between the stones and is also a great
weatherproofing material against the heavy rainfall during the monsoon season. Vernacular
Sherpa houses also respond to the strong winds present at high altitudes by having roofing
made of stones cut into slabs allowing it to resist the winds by sheer force of weight alone
(Sestini & Somigli, 1978, p. 65).
Wood is used to make the interior framework of the
house, the windows and door frames.
The timber is obtained from mainly pine and fir trees
from local forests and usually cut on site using
simple hand tools (F.Stevens, 1993, p. 195). It is
used due to its physical and mechanical properties
such as its resistance to bending and shearing stress,
thus allowing it to provide support for the floor and
roofing (Sestini & Somigli, 1978, p. 66).
In the two-storeyed Sherpa houses, the ground floor serves as byre and storage space for
firewood, hay and forage. The second floor is the living quarters which is built around a hearth,
where the domestic and social life of the family takes place (Every Culture, n.d.). Culturally,
the hearth is a key point of the house, used for cooking and heating. It is an area of comfort
especially during the monsoon season when the whole house becomes damp and the fire is the
only source of heat (Sestini & Somigli, 1978, pp. 24-25).
Figure 5 A Sherpa house
(Tom, 2010)
Figure 6 Framework of a Sherpa house
Copied from (Sestini & Somigli, 1978, p. 67)
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Located in Jomsom, Nepal, (a town at an
altitude of 2700m near the Himalayan
mountain range) is an architectural project
called the Himalesque, constructed in 2013
by Archium, a Korean studio. The building
serves as a radio station for local residents
and visitors. It was built with sustainability
in mind and utilised locally available
materials and labour.
Similarly like the Sherpa house, the
Himalesque is constructed with a thick
outer wall made of locally sourced stone.
Some of the rooms are lined with the
same large rocks that are used for the
external walls, and other walls are
constructed from tightly packed smaller
stones which you can see in figure 7 at
the back. With the climate in mind, an
outer wall was constructed of gneiss
stone that wraps around the main
building as seen on figure 8. The wall’s
purpose is to protect the workers and
visitors from the strong winds but at the
same time it merges and blends with the
surrounding rocky mountains (dezeen,
2014).
Figure 7 A room inside the Himalesque
(Myung-jin, 2013)
Figure 8 Roof Plan
(Archium, 2013)
Figure 9 View of the Himalesque
blended in with the surroundings
(Myung-jin, 2013)
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This Himalesque project has qualities that make it
vernacular like a Sherpa house, however this building
goes further than just a stone structure with a wooden
framework. The architects thought in depth about the
use of natural lighting and how to integrate foreign
materials such as glass and reinforced concrete in order
to make the building better adapted to the climate and
make it more sustainable.
The head architect, Kim In-Cheurl (2016) said
“traditional approach is not enough to solve the natural
light and ventilation” when I asked him how he
incorporated lighting into this building and what
construction methods he used to maintain a suitable
internal temperature. To overcome these problems, he
designed the building such that the thick walls are
divided and a gap is created. The outer wall is stone
which acts as an insulation from the wind and the inner
wall is large glazing to let in light and ventilation. This
is very different compared to the small windows in
Sherpa houses which let in hardly any natural light.
If we compare both buildings, firstly by looking at the materials used, stone is the primary
building element. In both Sherpa houses and in the Himalesque building, the stone is locally
sourced and used as a protective barrier against the strong winds. The use of local materials is
a sustainable route and reduces the embodied energy of the buildings. As previously mentioned,
the Himalesque project involved some modern materials such as
glass as this was the only way efficient ventilation and lighting
could be achieved.
Secondly, the cultural aspect has been incorporated into the design
of the Himalesque building. The architects employed local labour
and guided them through construction as seen in figure 11. This
partnership brought a sense of a community with the native
residents. This is very much how the construction of Sherpa houses
takes place, with the help of family, friends and the local
community.
Finally, taking the climate and location into consideration, the
Himalesque building uses the same method of blocking the winds
as Sherpa houses by having thick protective stone walls.
Furthermore, what the Himalesque building does so brilliantly is
blend in with the background location, demonstrating how
sustainable architecture can be in harmony with the environment
and not contrast it which is clear in figure 9.
In conclusion, looking at the Himalesque project and comparing it to a Sherpa house using
these criteria’s, it is valid to say that in this case, a contemporary sustainable piece of
architecture has incorporated vernacular values into its modern design.
Figure 10 A view of the divided wall
(Myung-jin, 2013)
Figure 11 Locals constructing the
outer wall
Kim in-cheurl (2013)
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References
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