The document discusses vernacular architecture, providing several key points in 3 or more sentences: Vernacular architecture is architecture designed without architects based purely on a society's building needs, crafted by individuals using local materials and trial and error over time. It is perfectly adapted to its environment and users as the builders are also the occupants. We can learn from vernacular architecture's seemingly simple but effective low-tech methods to prevent modern architects from sacrificing function, comfort or sustainability for aesthetics or ego. The document then provides an example, summarizing the key design features of a traditional house in Himachal Pradesh, India, including its compact layout, sloped roof, large openings, and use of local materials.

1. What is vernacular
architecture??...
The purest definition of vernacular architecture is simple…it is
architecture without architects. It is the pure response to a
particular person’s or society’s building needs. It fulfils these needs
because it is crafted by the individual and society it is in. In addition
the building methods are tested through trial-and-error by the
society of which they are built until their building methods near
perfection (over time) and are tailored to the climatic, aesthetic,
functional, and sociological needs of their given society. Because
the person constructing the structure tends to be the person who will
be using it, the architecture will be perfectly tailored to that
individual’s particular wants and needs.

2. One of the most important things that we can learn by looking at
vernacular architecture is the seemingly simple (almost low-tech)
methods of which we can create a building that is perfectly
adapted to the building’s users and the building’s locale.
At face value these methods seem trivial yet are in fact quite complex
and extremely effective because they have been tested over time and
have evolved to fit a society’s needs.
We can learn from this and it can help prevent some of the devastating
things architects do, namely sacrificing a building’s
function, comfort, or ecological friendliness in the pursuit of some
aesthetic quality or even worse, an architect’s egotistical pursuits.
Its a belief in general, that architects have good intentions but fall
short because many of the basic principles that are taken into account
in all forms of vernacular architecture are often neglected by modern
day architects.

3. Vernacular architecture is perfect because it is derived through the
application of local materials and building techniques to create
buildings that function as what they are meant to function as.
Because the building’s design and construction is intimately inner
twined with the person who will be using the structure, the final
product functions exactly as intended. These building maximize the
local knowledge of how buildings can be effectively designed as
well as how to effectively use local materials and resources.

4. Local materials used in
vernacular architecture.

5. Climate
The humid subtropical climate is noted for its warm summer
months, and relatively mild winters. Summer temperatures average
between 21o (69.8oF) to 26o C (78.8oF) and no winter month has an
average temperature below 0oC (32oF). Many days the temperature
can hit 32oC (90oF) or higher.
The high humidity experienced in the humid subtropical climate makes
warm days feel oppressive. The daily temperature range tends to be
very small as the evening does not cool down much during the
summer.

6. • Characteristics
• High humidity; summers like humid tropics.
• Frost with polar air masses in winter.
• 25 to 100 in of precipitation, decreasing inland.
• Monsoon influence in Asia.
Main article: Geography of Himachal Pradesh
• Climate
• Temperature [citation needed]
• • Avg. Winter 7 °C (45 °F)
• • Avg. Summer 28 °C (82 °F)
• Precipitation 1,469 mm (57.8 in)
• Himachal is situated in the western Himalayas. Covering an area of 55,673 kilometres
(34,594 mi), Himachal Pradesh is a mountainous state with elevation ranging from about 350
metres (1,148 ft) to 7,000 metres (22,966 ft) above the sea level. The Chandra Bhaga or the
Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. These rivers are perennial and are
fed by snow and rainfall. They are protected by an extensive cover of natural vegetation.

7. • There is great variation in the climatic conditions of Himachal due
to extreme variation in elevation.
• Rainfall: The climate varies from hot and sub-humid tropical in the
southern tracts to cold, alpine and glacial in the northern and
eastern mountain ranges. The state has areas like Dharamsala that
receive very heavy rainfall, as well as those like Lahaul and Spiti that
are cold and almost rainless.
• Summer: Broadly Himachal experience three seasons; hot weather
season, cold weather season and rainy season. Summer lasts from
mid April till the end of June and most parts become very hot
(except in alpine zone which experience mild summer) with the
average temperature ranging from 28 °C (82 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F).
• Winter: lasts from late November till mid March. Snowfall is
common in alpine tracts (generally above 2,200 metres (7,218 ft)
i.e. in the Higher and Trans-Himalayan region).

8. • Vernacular Architecture of Himachal Pradesh, India
• Traditional House in Solan (Himachal Pradesh, India)
• [The south east side elevation]
•
• Traditional dwelling which have evolved over the ages
have been influenced by these factors:
• Climatic response to the environment.
• Cultural pattern of the inhabitants.
• Adaptability of the house according to the social lifestyle.
• Locally available construction material.
.

9. • LOCATION
• Site plan showing the scarcity of houses
• The house is located in village Basal, Solan in Himachal Pradesh.
• Built on a gentle hill slope which is sparsely populated, it has a small water
channel running besides it.
• dwelling was built in 1923 and occupied by an agrarian family whose main
preoccupation was to stores grains efficiently.
• Built around 80 years back, the house belongs to an agrarian family.
• Situated along a gentle slope, the density of houses is less and lot of
greenery.
• Hills give this house it scenic beauty.
• The house has been built taking into account the furious winters when it
snows and the summers, which make the house really warm.

10. GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITION
Diagram showing precipitation level in Solan
• Solan lies at an altitude of 1750 m above the sea level in middle himalayas.
• Although in cold and cloudy climate the place experiences a fair number of sunny
days.
• It experiences a fairly long winter with a severe cold spell of about two months
with short wet periods.
• The summers are pleasant with maximum temperature 29c.

11. • LAYOUT PLAN
• The house has been built such that the cow-shed and kitchen form a separate
unit, away from the living quarters.
• The living quarters basically include bedrooms and stores for storage of grains.
•
the house includes
compact planning so it
can b seen that there
is a
opening infront of opening
i.e. they have used
cross ventilation as an
element

12. • ELEVATIONS
• Elevation bb’
• The sloping roof as seen in the traditional dwelling is a common feature in all the
houses in the area as is compact planning of the house.
Since the climate is very pleasant In addition to the sloping roofs and
They have added open spaces open spaces the house is provided
throughout the house egs. Balconies. with large arcaded openings.

13. • SECTIONS
• The house which constitutes many stores has been built for storage of grains
which formed the back bone of the agrarian family.
• Boxes of various sizes can be found.

14. • THE ATTIC
• An interesting part of the house is the attic which is used to store corn which
forms the staple diet of the people.
• The two windows on the sides ventilate and dry the corn at the same time
protecting from the rain.
• Although the main function of the attic is to insulate the house, it serves as an
excellent storage space.
• There are two objectives of adding an
attic on the floor- a floor above keeps the below floors cool. The second
objective is that it helps to store grains . The attic is provided with a jaali ventilator
so that it keeps the room ventilated.

15. • All the building construction material used is locally available like the stone and
sand of which the walls are made, the timber is also readily available.
• The staircase used to reach the first floor of the house is made of timber, with
stone slabs also introduced.
• BUILT FORM
• The house as seen from south side. (Paper Model)
• The built form of the house constitutes about 60% of the plot area.
• The house in its totality forms a compact unit.
• As a general rule the houses do not have a boundary wall.

16. The cow shed and north side elevation of the house
• The timber truss which covers the first floor roof is effective in insulating the house
as well.

17. Thank you
• Amruta Vaidya
• Tejashree Dange
• Khyati Vasani