Vernacular Architecture

• This type of climate prevails
around 15 deg from equator
in Northern Hemisphere
and 30 deg from equator in
southern hemisphere.
• In India this type of climate
can be experienced in
Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Maharashtra and some
parts of Madhya Pradesh
and Karnataka also.

• IN THISTYPEOFCLIMATETEMPERA
TUREISUSUALL
YVERYHOT
.
• ITCANVERYEASIL
YGOUPTO50DEGANDEVENMOREINSUMMERS.
• THEDIFFRENCEBETWEENDA
YANDNIGHTTEMPERA
TUREISVERYHIGH(15
TO20DEG)
• HUMIDITYISVERYLOW.
• ITGENERALL
YV
ARIESBETWEEN10 TO50 PERCENT
AGE.
• ASTHEAIRISTOT
ALL
YHOT& DRYIN THISTYPEOFCLIMATE PRECIPITA
TION
ISVERYLOW.
• ITMAYV
ARYBETWEEN50 TO150 mm PERYEAR.

• SOLAR RADIATIONSAREDIRECTANDSTRONGDURINGDA
YTIMESANDTHESEOFTENESCAPESINTOOPENCLEARSKY
DURINGNIGHT
.
• HIGHSPEEDDUSTYWINDSAREVERYCOMMONFORTHISTYPEOFCLIMATE.
• WINDSPEEDMAYV
ARYBETWEEN20 TO30 KILOMETERPERHOUR.
• SOILISVERYLOOSEAND SANDY
• LOWHUMIDITYANDLESSRAINFALLRESUL
TSIN POORVEGETA
TION.
• ONL
YTHICKLEA
VESANDTHORNYPLANTSCANEASIL
YSURVIVEHERE.

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➢ENVIRONMENT:
• Traditional settlements are by definition sustainable in relation to
their environmental context and availableresources.
• Elements of sustainable design are integral to vernacular architecture
that have evolved over time using local materials and technology
emerging from ambient natural and cultural environment creating
optimum relationships between people and their place.
• The local environment and the construction materials it can provide,
govern many aspects of vernacular architecture. Areas rich in trees
will develop a wooden vernacular, while areas without much wood
may usemud or stone.
• In hot climate it is common to use bamboo, as it is both plentiful and
versatile. Vernacular, almost by definition, is sustainable, and will not
exhaust the local resources. If it is not sustainable, it is not suitable for
its local context, and cannot bevernacular.
• Due to restrictions in transportation means, vernacular architecture
depended on local materials and skills; this led to conserve resources
and created uniqueness and identity to each region’s architecture.

•Adjacent buildings, pavements, roads heat up
quickly and causeaglare onto the building during
the day and at night, they radiate the heat stored
during the day.
• Oneway to avoid this is to place wallsprotecting
external spaces,to keep out dust andwinds.
• Also, landscaping like trees, plants and water in
enclosed spaceswill cool the air byevaporation.
•But the best solution is courtyards. In these apool
of night air is retained, asthis is heavier than
surrounding warm air.
• Asmall courtyard is excellent asa thermal
regulator.

• Topography, to enhance the efficiency of passive
means
• Orientation, to reduce the sun exposure insummer.
• Air movement, to provide ample ventilationin
summer and protect from winds inwinter.
• Form, to design compact settlements formutual
protection
• Hazards,to avoid dangeroussites
• North-South orientation best suits for this typeof
climate asit protects from morning and evening
solar radiations.
• Local site conditions and its surroundings playmajor
role in decidingorientation.

• Main walls and windows should face the wind directionin
order toallow maximum cross-ventilation of the rooms.
• T
oreduce the effect of hot dusty winds, theleeward side of
the house isbetter.
• Bedrooms-on the eastside.
• Living rooms-on the north or southside.
• Sun-dried earth bricks one of the poorest conductors ofheat.
• Traditionally constructed with thick walls and roofs and withvery small openings

•Walls of daytime living areas should be made of heatstoring
materials.
• Eastand west walls should preferably be shaded.
• Double walls with insulation in between are asuitable solution.
• Openings and windows are necessaryfor 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.
•Thesizeof the windows on the west and east sidesshouldbe
minimized in order to reduce heat gainsinto the house in the
early morning and late afternoon.

•Theflat roof is agood reflector and re-radiates heat
efficiently, especially if it consists of asolid, whitepainted
material.
• High solid parapet walls along the edge of the roof canonthe
one hand provide daytime shadeandprivacy.
Theprinciple involved is to catch an unobstructed breeze at ahigh level
and channel it to areas in the bottom parts of the building.
• Cooling canbe achieved by the evaporation of
water.

• Thecourtyard is provided with water and plants, it acts
asacooling source.
• Internal courtyards provides crossventilation & natural
cooling.
• Most openings are to the internal courtyardrather
than exterior surface.
•Outlets at higher levels serve to vent hot air.
Ventilators are preferred at higher levels asthey
help in throwing out the hotair.

➢SUSTAINABILITY:
1. Energy
• Energyis used in buildings at two levels: Operational, energy annually used for heating, cooling, ventilationand
servicing the building and capital energy or energy embodied in thematerials and Building processes.
• Mud and thatch both have very low energies. Further, the operational energy used for heating the building in
winter and cooling it in summer is sizably lessin caseof mud huts. Material selection must be Influenced by
embodied energy, and also by anumber of other issue affecting sustainability andrenewability.
• TheThick mud walled house utilizes the
high thermal capacity of the walls. It is
known facts that mud house are cooler
in summer and relatively more
comfortable in winter. Thethick mud
wall and small openings allow the inside
of the house to remain cooler duringthe
day time in summer and comparatively
warmer during the evening in winter.
Thisis because the daytime heat is
stored in its mud walls possessinghigh
thermal capacity.
• Houseshave small openings which keep
out the hot winds. Thatch, which has
good insulating properties, addsto the
climate responsiveness of the house.

2. Materials
• Materials used to create dwelling have to be suchthat
they are locally available and capable of being recycled
or renewed, assustainable building norms. Construction
materials used in housesare cob for walls, and thatch
and wood for roofs.
• 18-20 different varieties of locally available reed and
grassesare used, namely, khip, shaniyo, Ikal and akado
are mostly used for construction of the thatchedroof.
• Thewalls, which usecob and hence embodied energy is
very less.Thehouse are constructed with locally
available technology and labour. Mud and Thatch are
inexpensive materials with very little resourcecost.
3. Waste:
• The manner in which waste are disposed is crucial to
the sustainability of abuilding.
• The mud used in the Bhungas can always go back to the
soil or be reused for constructing other mud house. The
thatch used for the roof used asoffer for cattle later.

➢MA
TERIALSANDRESOURCES:
• Vernacular architecture is acategory of architecture basedon localized available materials, and reflecting local
traditions.
• Local materials tend to have more passiveenergy measures leading to an overall reduced carbonemission.
➢CA
TEGORIES:
• Thisarchitecture canbe broadly divided into three categories:
1. Kachcha Structures
2. Pukka Structures
3. Semi-Pukka Structures

➢PUKKAHOUSES:
• ApUkka is a structure made from materials resistant to wear, such as forms of stone or brick, clay tiles, metal or
other durable materials, sometimes using mortar to bind, that does not need to be constantly maintained or
replaced.
➢KACHCHAHOUSES:
• A kachcha is a building made of natural materials such as mud plaster, bamboo, thatch and wood and is
therefore a short-lived structure. Since it is not made for endurance it requires constant maintenance and
replacement. The advantage of a kachcha is that construction materials are cheap and easily available and
relatively little labor isrequired.
➢SEMI-PUKKAHOUSES:
• A combination of the kachcha and pukka style, the semi-pukka, has evolved as villagers have acquired the
resources to add elements constructed of the durable materials characteristic of a pukka. Majority of traditional
vernacular architecture falls under semi-pukka

➢MATERIALAVAILABILITY:
• Building material depends on location.
• Onthe flat lands, adobes are usually made of mud or sunbaked bricks, then plastered inside and out,
sometimes with mud mixed with hay or even cow dung and whitewashed withlime.
• Where bamboo is available it is widely used for all parts of the home as it is flexible and resilient. Also widely
used is thatch from plants such as elephant grass, paddy, and coconut. In the south, clay tiles are used for
pukka roofing while various plant material suchascoconut palm is common for theKamchatka.
• Common building materials used in Hot & Dry Climate:-
1. Mud
2. Bamboo
3. Thatch
4. Timber (wood)
5. Cob
• Bamboo modular construction will provide future building expansion asoccupant’s family grows.Modular
elements consist of roof truss, panel and rammed car tierfoundation.
• Aspart of environment positive strategy, unused car tires are reused asrammed tyres foundation while
advertisement tarpaulin canserve asdamp proof course in foundation.
• Earthen plaster which ranged from red late-rite to clay can provide insulation to the house during both hot
summer (March-May) and cool-dry season(December-February) while extending structure lifespan (bamboo
and tyre) from weatheringeffects.
• Asthatched roof is chosen asroofing material, the inevitable constant maintenance would mean constant
economic opportunities for planters and builders, thus supporting local economic,sustainability.

➢MUD:
• Mud construction system is less energy intensive and very effective in different climatic conditions. It was easily
available, cheap, and strong and required only simple technology. EXAMPLE: In Egypt the grain stores of
Ramasseum built in adobe in 1300BC still exist; the Great Wall of China has sections built in rammed earth over
2000 years ago.
• Various reasons for using mud asaconstruction material is described below:
1. Energy Consumption :In mud construction, minimum fossil fuel energy is consumed and is naturally abundant
throughout the world, where as in brick construction fossil energy is consumed for manufacturing process and
transportation.
2. Recycling:Recyclingof modern materials for building construction is expensive. Recycling of soil does notneed
fossil fuel and labor requirement is also less.Thecharacteristic of recycled soil for construction remains the
samewhereas in modern building material it acquires inferior character afterrecycling.
3. Abundance :The abundance availability of soil in large areas helps the economically weaker section of the
society to afford the mud construction. It is easily adaptable and the technology can be transferred easily.
MANIFESTA
TIONOFMUD :
• Adobe:
Adobe is anatural building material made from sand, clay, water and
some kind of fibrous or organic material (sticks, straw and or
manure),which the builders shapesinto bricks using frames and dry insun.

➢BAMBOO:
• Bamboo is an ancient building material that has been used in a variety of countries and building types. Due to
its structural properties and versatility bamboo was used in areas like the tropics which tend to have a humid
and hot climate.
• The native people of Asia, Africa Central and South America used bamboo for housing purposes. In China in the
Qing Dynasty (221 B.C. – 206 B.C.), there have already been recordings about palaces made using bamboo. In
areas like North China, Japan, and Korea, where the climate is cold and dry, bamboo was an important
constructive or decorative element for the interior asthe bamboo buildings were not practical in the winter.
➢EXAMPLES:
BHUNGHA:
• Thetraditional house of Rajasthan and
Kutch useslocally available
construction material like clay,
bamboo, straw, timber, etc. to create a
circular structure with acone shaped
roof along with materials like mud for
walls and thatch for the roof to ensures
minimum exposure to the hot and dry
desert. Thethick walls provide thermal
comfort while wooden frames provide
crossventilation .

➢THA
TCH:
• Thatching is the craft of building aroof with dry vegetation suchasstraw, water reed, rushes, heather, or palm
branches, layering the vegetation soasto shed water away from the innerroof.
• Since the bulk of the vegetation stays dry and is densely packed— trapping air—thatching also functions as
insulation. It is avery old roofing method and hasbeen used in both tropical and temperateclimates.
• Thatch is still employed by builders in developing countries, usually with low-cost local vegetation. By contrast,
in some developed countries it is the choice of some affluent people who desire a rustic look for their home,
would like amore ecologically friendly roof, or who have purchased an originally thatchedabode.
• Thatching materials range from plains grassesto waterproof leavesfound in equatorial regions. It is the most
common roofing material in the world, because thematerials are readily available.
• Thatch is lighter, less timber is required in the roof that supports it. Thatch is a versatile material when it comes
to covering irregular roofstructures.

➢TIMBER(WOOD):
• Natural : Timber is one of the few natural building material. This has a lot of advantages. Generally, timber is
not toxic, does not leak chemical vapour into the building and is safe to handle and touch. It also means that as
timber ages,it does sonaturally and doesn’t break down into environmentally damagingmaterials.
• Renewable :People have been building with timber for thousands of years. Timber is continually being grown in
our forests and plantations. As long as new trees are planted to replace those harvested, timber will continue
to beavailable.
• Low in production energy :It takes very little energy to convert the wood in trees to the timber used in building.
This means that the embodied energy in timber is very low, the lowest of almost all common building materials.
• Good insulator : In reducing the amount of energy used to heat and operate a building, insulation is very
important. Timber is a natural insulator and can reduce energy needs especially when it is used in windows,
doors and floors.

➢COB:MANIFESTATIONOFMUD:
• Cobis atechnique of building monolithic walls using “cobs” of moist earth andstraw.
• T
omakecob mixing of local earth with sandand/or clay (depending on the composition of the baseearth)and
straw or other fibrous materials is done to create astiff mud which is formed into small loaves (cobs).
• Theyare then mashed together to form a monolithic wall on top concrete foundation or stone.
• It is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity,and inexpensive.

BHONGA ARCHITECTURE
Bhongaconstructionhasexistedforseveralhundredyears. Thistypeofhouseisquitedurableandappropriate
for prevalentdesert conditions.
AcircularspaceenclosedbymudwallsismosttypicaldwellingconstructionintheKutchdistrictofGujratand
Rajasthan.

➢CHARACTERISTICS:
• TheBhongahasaconical roof supported by cylindrical
walls.
• Consist of single cylindricalroof.
• Masonry wall is made of adobe blocks and plaster is also
from mud covered by cow dung, lime etc.
• Roof is made of bamboo/wooden framework covered with
thatch.
• Inner diameter of house is between 3m to 10m.
• Hasonly three openings- one door and twosmall windows.
• Typically found in flatterrain.
• Donot share common walls with adjacent buildings asto
avoid crack
• Typical distance from neighbouring building is 3m.
➢ MATERIALS:
• Stone
• Wood, Bamboo
• Burnt brick masonary either
motar or in cementmotar
• Straw
in mud

• Circular spacesare main living zones,rectangular spacesare for
secondaryfunctions like cooking, cleaning and storing (they are
small and do not storng and not resist earthquake and cracksvery
well).
• Ahorizontal clay platform about 50cm high, is to avoidwater
inside the house

CONSTRUCTIONTECHNIQUE:
Construction Techniques generally used“COB
• The entire construction process, carried out by mason with a
very few unskilled labourers, can be completed within 30
days.
• The construction technique is such a way that improves
seismicresistanceof the inertia force generated in the roof.
• Due to its shape in plan, inertial forces developed in wall are
resisted through shell action providing excellent resistance to
lateral forces.
• Wall is extended below ground up to the required foundation
depth and separate foundation is not traditionally
constructed.
• A row of these cobs of mud are laid nearly side by side.
Preferably somewhat pressed together. Then another row of
cobsis laid ontop.
• When three or four courses have been laid, one above the
other, the sides are smoothened over so that the holes and
cracksdisappear.

Main Objective:
The common basic function is to protect the structure from weather
conditions.
1. THE TUBE HOUSE was designed by Charles Correa
(1930-2015). It was a winning entry in a competition
organized by the Gujarat Housing Board for low-cost
housing.
➢ Inspired by the wind-catcher houses (vernacular
technique) that can be found in Sind in Pakistan, Correa
developed a low-rise high-density arrangement of long
and narrow parallel units that, through their very shape,
set up a convection of natural ventilation.
➢ Correa’s take on designing a low cost housing unit in
1960 in Ahmedabad was to respond to the hot
temperatures of the city.

▪ With the tight dimensions of 18.2 metres long by
3.6 metres wide (60 ft x 12 ft), the unit minimizes
the use of doors and windows.
▪ The roof slopes rather dramatically to protect the
inner volume of the house from the harsh
sunlight.
▪ A small internal courtyard, reminiscent of
traditional Indian houses and a recurring element
in Correa’s work, is covered here by a pergola
grid to minimize the heat impact and ensure
security.
▪ The slits in the sloping roof, along with
adjustable louvers by the entrance, use the
simple principles of “Hot air rises” and apply it to
utilize the conventional flow of air currents to
naturally ventilate and cool the house.

➢ An open floor plan distributes
the functions on different levels
of the section of the house,
which enables privacy and
creates visual barriers without
the use of walls or doors.
➢ In conjunction
environmentally
with
responsive
design, the Tube House won
an award for low cost housing,
alerting the architectural world
that socially
environmentally
design was a
and
conscious
sustainable
option in the developing world.

➢ The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl’s School will servemore
than 400 girls, from kindergarten to class 10,from below
the poverty line residing in the mystic Thar Desert region
of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, INDIA. The school will be the
firstin a complex of three buildings known as the GYAAN
Center, which will also consist of The Medha - a
performance and art exhibition space with a library and
museum,and The Women’s Cooperative where local
artisans will teach mothers and other women weaving
and embroidery techniques from the region.
➢ Since the GYAAN Center is designed by a woman for
women, Kellogg looked at feminine symbols across
cultures when starting the design process --
specifically symbols of strength, landing on a
structure of three ovals to represent the power of
femininity and infinity, as wellas replicate the planes
of the sand-dunes in the region ofJaisalmer.

➢ The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl’s
School is made entirely out oflocal
hand-carved Jaisalmer sandstone
by local craftsmen. It was vital to
Kellogg to include the community
in a building made for the
community.
➢ Using local material to create
infrastructure helped reduce
carbon emissions, and Kellogg
chose to build a solar panel
canopy on the roof as a cooling
system where temperatures peak
close to 120 degrees. Both the
canopy and jaliskeep the heat out
and the elliptical shape of the
structure also helps bring aspects
of sustainability creating a cooling
panel ofairflow.

➢ The structure was part of the research project undertaken by
the Centre of Energy Studies, IITDelhi.
Designed by architect Vinod Gupta, the building was an attempt
to test as well as exhibit methods that would provide thermal
comfort in the hot and dry climateof
Rajasthan. The building houses 14 double room suitesas
accommodation for married students. The suitesare
split between the first and ground floor, which is partially sunk
into the ground to take advantage of the natural insulation of
earth.
➢ Stonemasonry, the local material was used for the walls
as it helps balance out temperature variations. Theroof was
treated with small inverted terracotta pots to
combat the summer heat gain. A wind tower that connected
both floors supplied cool air to the unitsand
helped aid ventilation by expelling hot air during the evenings
and night. The design makes use of favorable orientation,
massing, external finishes andelements
such as deep sunshades to create a structure thatnot
only conserves energy but also makes use of passive
methods to the best of its ability.

Vernacular Architecture

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