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Kath kuni himachal pradesh .pdf
- 1. vernacular architecture NIKHIL TARAM-21122018 SHUBHAM KATENDRA-21122029 SEMESTER-II, NITRR ,DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE NATIONAL
- 2. KATH-KUNI : VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH Kath-Kuni is an indigenous construction technique prevalent in the isolated hills of northern India, especially in the region of Himachal Pradesh.
- 3. HIMACHAL PRADESH Himachal Pradesh is predominantly a mountainous State located in North -east India. The name was coined from Sanskrit Him means 'snow' and achal means 'land' or 'abode' literally means "The Abode of Snow". The State has highly dissected mountain ranges interspersed with deep gorges and valleys. The State have been divided into 3 Divisions, 69 Subdivisions. The 12 districts comprising 78 Development Blocks, 3226 Gram Panchayats and 20960 villages. population- The state has a population of 68, 64,602 persons with a literacy rate of 82.80%.
- 4. A typical house in Himachal Pradesh is built using kath-khuni construction technique and is usually two or three storey high. The lower floor is for the cattle and the upper floors are for residing, storing, and kitchen The temples may rise much higher from a single storey to a tower with seven storeys. Kath-khuni is a type of cator-and-cribbage building which employs locally available wood and stone as prime materials for construction. A five-story tower temple in Summerkot
- 5. The construction of houses is largely done by hand and by the residents themselves, sometimes with the help of other residents from the same or nearby village while special artisans are employed for construction of temples or religious structures. The mistris of Himachal are typically adept at working with wood and stone, and are a veritable storehouse of indigenous knowledge. Such knowledge may range from where to source the wood or stone, types of wood available and which ones are appropriate for either structural or carving purposes to how to cut thin sheets of singles form a block of stone using rudimentary tools and so on. Usually the entire construction is carried out manually with limited tools and the use of power-driven technology is minimal and was introduced only recently. It is the close interdependence between people, materials, making and environment that has created a lasting architectures specific to the needs, climate, place, and culture and that evokes a sensation that is special and spiritual, beyond the materiality. CONSTRUCTION
- 6. MATERIAL Easily available, one of the strongest Indian Imparts stability to tall structures. This wood is insect and termite resistant and Used in making posts, beams, window and Soft wood, easy to work in absence of high conifers. even when untreated, can withstand long periods of weather corrosion. door frames, shutters, roofs etc. tech tools. • Its properties were understood early and its texture and scent have been prized for ages. Deodar Wood -
- 7. Easy availability, Good insulation, Good binding properties. Either mud is filled into the wooden forms and rammed into the place slowly building up the wall or sun-dried mud blocks are used in the construction of the wall. Mud Hard Stone: Obtained from local quarries and used in building foundation and walls. Slate Tiles: Metamorphic rock. Used in roofs of buildings. Has high quartz content, frost resistant, absorbs heat and provides moisture barrier. Low maintenance, Invulnerable to rot and insects. Stone
- 8. 64% of land area is covered with forests in Himachal Pradesh. Because of the existence of these forests, the most predominant material of construction is wood. Primary rooted in a difficult landscape, the lifestyle and economy revolves around farming. There is a huge variation in the climatic conditions of Himachal Pradesh due to variation in altitude (450–6500 mts). The climate varies from hot and sub-humid tropical (450–900 metres) in the southern low tracts, warm and temperate (900–1800 mts), cool and temperate (1900–2400 mts) and cold glacial and alpine (2400–4800 mts) in the northern and eastern high elevated mountain ranges. CLIMATE
- 9. Typical village along stepped contours Temple is at the heart of most settlements and usually sited at the highest spot. The surrounding areas of the temple is mainly used during festivals and religious gatherings by the inhabitants of the particular village The traditional settlements appear to have the ‘color of the land’ and appear just right, almost ecologically planned. The landscape, materials, techniques of making, all contribute to a common formal language of settlements in Himachal Pradesh. SETTLEMENT PATTERNS Settlement patterns Typically located along the contoured sunny slopes amidst the backdrop of hills and snow-clad mountains and appear to organically grow out of the folds of the landscape.
- 10. orientation The four main sides of temples generally align with the four cardinal directions Entrance is typically from the east and accessible by going up a notched ladder. Once inside, the prayer is directed to the gods facing east. ORIENTATION OF THE BUILDING ON SOUTH SLOPE OF HILL MOUNTAIN AND FOR BETTER ACCESS SOLAR RADIATION SOUTH TO NORTH SLOPING ROOFS SOUTH TO NORTH SLOPING ROOFS FOR MAXIMUM WINTER SUN. It covers an area of 55,673 square kilometers with density of 123 person per sq. km. • The urban area covers only 10.03% of the total area while the rural settlement sprawls over 89.97%.
- 11. Nearly 90% of the population in Himachal Pradesh is spread in thinly in small village. The rural population has traditionally depended upon agriculture and animal husbandry as prime economic activities. The patterns of built forms and settlements also reflect centrality of these activities . Artisanal activities - Relative isolation , combined with harsh climate, and being cut off in the hills, appear to have encouraged artisanal activities such as wood carving, weaving, embroidery, brass work etc. with a very refined aesthetic sense. SOCIAL-CULTURE BUILT FORM Locally sourced raw materials such as stone, wood and slate offer better performance in terms of local climatic conditions. The infill rubble traps air within the walls creating an insulation zone. This prevents heat loss during the cold winters, keeps the interiors spaces warm and allows them to remain cool during the hot summers.
- 12. Typical components of a kath-khuni building It shows a typical house, with guashala at the bottom, and living area on the top capped off by a pent-and-gable roof; temple feature similar elements but different proportions.
- 13. Stone plinth is filled upto a meterfrom the ground level and higher in case of tower temples. The depth of the trench is relative to the height Of the structure. For a two storey house, the depth is 0.6 to I meter and incase Of tower temple it may be as deep as 3 meters. 1. Foundation and plinth 2. Wall (Wood-and-stone walls) The walls are constructed with alternate courses of dry masonry and wood without any cementing mortar. CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE
- 14. Typical Kath-Kuni wall junction Detail showing the layering of wood and stone including a truncated pyramid shaped cornerstone to protect the WOOD Wall courses This type of wall construction involves laying two wooden wall beams longitudinally parallel to each other with a gap in-between. The space between the two members is filled With rubble stone and edge is secured With kadil (wooden nail)
- 15. 3.PROJECTING WOODEN BALCONIES A typical two storey house with a cantilevered balcony on the top floor. The wooden members supporting the balcony rest on the wall. Sometimes the balcony facade is open with a parapet or may be closed but with a series of openings to catch all the possible warmth Of the sun. All the vertical posts are connected through a horizontal member on top, on which sit the perpendicular members (connected With a lap joint) projecting from a wall
- 16. 4. Floor and stairs The ground floor is raised above the stone plinth and finished with adobe. It functions as an insulating layer and at the same time remains warmer than stone finished surface. Wall and Floor The floor beams are shear pinned with the wall logs.
- 17. The roof structure is constructed out of wooden beams followed by purlins and rafters, topped with slate or wooden shingles. 5.roof the slate stones also weighs down the structure against strong winds
- 18. • Ground floor: Cattle shed and storage area are provided. • First Floor: Living Area along with kitchen. • Low Height of the rooms (2.1 – 2.4 m), keeps interiors warmer from heat released by individuals, also low surface to volume ratio reducing heat loss from surfaces. • Plinth area is 5m x (13.8+0.45)m • Inner walls thickness is 4 inch and outer wall thickness is 9 inch. PLANING
- 19. With urbanization and newer construction materials available in the market, that deliver buildings much faster, the traditional techniques started losing its relevance over time. Also, with rising demand for natural materials, the rapid loss of forest covers resulted in the enforcement of Environment Forest Act that banned the use of any more wood from the forests. FUTURE CHALLENGES The construction practice in parts of HimachalPradesh today appears poised at a proverbial fork in theroad.The incessant onslaught of modernisationspurred by faster communication,
- 20. changing urban lifestyles, advent of roads and the influx of alien, cheaper materials and techniques may overrun traditional know-how and building systems. The urban sprawland-associated degradation visible in the plains is slowly but inexorably inching higher and farther into the Himalayan interiors. Further, the stringent laws on timber felling, quarrying rights, scarcity of materials, and increasing cost have also deterred builders from using local materials and resulted in greater acceptanceof newer building techniques that may appear cheaper and efficient in short term but are not sustainable nor appropriate in the long run. It is in such a context that there is an urgent need to analyse, understand and disseminate lessons embedded in the time-tested and proven indigenous building traditions such as the Kathkhuni construction systems of Himachal Pradesh.
- 21. Conclusion The indigenous buildings of Himachal Pradesh reflect a remarkable understanding about appropriate use of local materials, construction techniques and joinery details that stand strong against the climatic and seismic forces of nature. The intricate interlocking of joints without nails is the hallmark of indigenous construction ingenuity. The construction, society, values and building knowledge are continuously transforming, new materials are replacing the old. With this change, there is also an uncertain future for indigenous practices. This in a small way tries to capture the broad spectrum of details and construction that can help sustain the local building practice that is worth appreciating, documenting, and preserving for the future.