The document describes Sanskriti Kendra, a cultural center in New Delhi established in 1993. It was planned by architect Upal Ghosh with landscape architect Professor Mohammad Shaheer. The center spreads over 3 hectares and accommodates various art and cultural activities. While the buildings have a semi-rustic appearance, modern construction techniques such as RCC, bricks and tiles were used with some vernacular elements like mud plastered walls and timber doors.

1. Guided by:
Ar. S. Banerjee
Ar. Ehteshamuddin Khan
Ar. Mahfooz Akhtar
Submitted by:
Sakshi Aggarwal
Prashant Shishodia
Vaibhav Mudgal
(B.arch II Year)

2.  The Kendra accommodates a varied range of activities
connected with art and culture both in traditional and the
contemporary sense.
 The buildings are semi rustic in appearance, with ample
space between them for strolling or catching a breath of
fresh air.

3.  Ar. Upal Ghosh: planned sanskriti
kendra with his team
 Ar. Prof. Mohammad Shaheer: landscape
architect.
 Established: 1993
 Area: It is spread over 3 hectares
on the foothills of Aravali range.
 Curator: O. P. Jain
AR. UPAL GHOSH
AR. PROF. MOHAMMAD
SHAHEER

4.  Anandagram, Mehrauli Gurgaon Road, New Delhi
SOURCE: GOOGLE MAPS SOURCE:
WIKIMAPIA

5. KEY PLAN

6. BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF SANKRITI KENDRA
N

7. BANYAN COURTYARD
BAITHAK
CHAR BAGH
TERRA COTTA TERRACE

8. MUSEUM OF EVERYDAY ART
TEXTILE MUSEUM
KUND GAON

9. ARTIST STUDIO
BARAKHAMBA
MANCH/AMPHITHEATRE
NATURE’S WALK

10.  Vernacular architecture is a type of architecture based on
local needs and construction materials, which reflects the
traditions of a particular region.
MUD HUT
IN RAJASTHAN
HOUSES IN
KERALA
SOURCE:SLIDESHARE

11.  Localized needs
 Local construction material
 Local traditions
 Hence, varies from area to area.

12.  Climate
• Season wise: The material should remain hot in winter and cold
in summer.
• Rainfall: Slanting roof and construct dwelling on stilts in areas
with high level of rainfall.
• Winds: Orientation of buildings such that they have minimal area
to the direction of prevailing winds.
 Culture
• Kitchen away and treated as temple and should not wear slipper
while entering kitchen.
• A place away from house for guests.
• People have a common temple or temple in every house.
 Materials
• Availability of materials effects the architecture of a particular area.

13.  Kachcha: short-lived structure made with mud, grass,
bamboo thatch or sticks.
 Materials are cheap & less labor is required.

14.  Pukka: made from materials resistant to wear, such as
forms of stone or brick, clay tiles, metal or other durable
materials.
 Materials are costly and more labor is required.

15.  Semi-pukka: 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.

17.  Frequent and Seismic Tremors.
 Problems of soil erosion and land slides.
 Suitable orientation on the hill slopes.
 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.
 Non-availability and transportation problems of
construction materials.

18.  Deodar Wood
• Easily available, one of the strongest
Indian conifers.
• Imparts stability to tall structures.
• This wood is insect and termite resistant
and even when untreated, can withstand
long periods of weather corrosion.
• Used in making posts, beams, window
and door frames, shutters, roofs etc.
• Soft wood, easy to work in absence of
high tech tools.
• Its properties were understood early and
its texture and scent have been prized for
ages.

19.  Mud & Stone
• Easy availability.
• Good insulators.
• Good binding properties.
• 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.

20.  To counter the seismic forces, the traditional structures usually stand
on a solid plinth, made up of dry dressed stone masonry. The dry
construction allows for vibration and hence faster dissipation of the
energy.
 In higher levels layers of wood
are constructed with rubble in
between. It is non rigid and allows the
building to flex with seismic waves and
quickly dissipate destructive energy
of earthquake.

21.  Slope of the ground should not be more than 30º as far
as possible even in rocky reaches to avoid instability
problems.

22.  Plan
• 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.
• Plinth area is 5m x (13.8+0.45)m
• Inner walls thickness is 4 inch
and outer wall thickness
is 9 inch.

23.  Walls
• Made of alternate courses of
dry stone masonry and wood
without any cementing mortar.
• This Kath-khuni style of layering
and inter locking timber and
stone provides strength,
stability and flexibility
(Earthquake resistant).
• These heavy walls allow
a very good thermal insulation
by providing high time period of
more than 8 hours. This makes
the interior of the house
cooler in summer and
warm in winter for maximum
part of the year.

24.  Above the plinth walls are strong with alternating stone layer, as the
wall rises up it is only the wood frame that is stacked above another
wood frame. This distributes mass optimally.
 Interiors of wall are finished with mud plaster and lined with wood on
account of its good insulation and binding properties.
 Resist sliding or overturning during land movement.
 Dry masonry construction allow stones to undulate within a flexible
wooden frame work to allow energy of earthquake to disperse.

25.  Flooring
• In the ground level mud & cow-dung were used for flooring above
the plinth made of random rubble masonry. The upper floors are
made of timber planks and timber-joists.
 Roofing
• Pitched roof with locally available timber. Slate used for roof
covering. Below the roof a ceiling is constructed with timber. This
attic is used as a storage space.
• The light-weight roof construction and the air between the roofing
and attic-floor provided a very good thermal insulation against the
passage of heat.
• Low pitched roof provides a good solution to drain off the rain-
water from the dwellings.

27.  Balconies: provide a good sun-space.
 Sunny courtyard to perform various activities during day
time.
 Kitchen made of mud, placed at center which helps in
keeping the indoor warm.

28.  Typical components of kath-khuni building:
• Shows a typical house with gaushala(cowshed) at
bottom & living area on the top capped off by pent &
gable roof.
• Temple features similar elements but different
proportions.

30.  Stone plinth is filled up to a meter from the ground level.
 The trench is relative to height of structure.
• For a two-storey house, depth is 0.6-1 meter.
• In case of tower temple, its as deep as 3 meters.

31.  The walls are constructed with alternate courses of dry
masonry & wood without any cement mortar.
 Wall courses:
• Two wooden wall beams are laid longitudinally parallel to each
other with a gap in between.
• The space b/w two members is filled with rubble stone & edge is
secured with kadil(wooden nail).

32. WALL JUNCTION SHOWING THE
KATH-KHUNI ARCHITECTURE
WALLS IN KATH-KHUNI

34.  Windows are provided in walls with solid plank shutters
on 4 sides & are usually very small.
 The same window has floral carvings on outer face with
small opening.

35. WALL STORAGE UNITS

36.  Ground floor is raised above the stone plinth & finished
with adobe(clay). It functions as an insulating at the same
time remains warmer than stone finished surface.

37.  Roof is constructed out of wooden beams followed by
purlins & rafters, topped with slates or wooden shingles.
 Slate stones also weighs down the structure against
strong winds.
WOODEN SHINGLES

40.  Sanskriti Kendra: The materials used in sanskriti kendra are R.C.C.,
Bricks, Mangalore tiles, Cow dung, Mud, Husk, Clay, Steel, Timber,
Bamboo thatch etc.
 Roof at different units are made up of different material – steel frame,
Mangalore tiles & bamboo.
 Mud, Clay, Cow Dung are used in flooring & plastering on walls.
 Timber is used in doors.

41.  Techniques used in Sanskriti Kendra are modern and the
vernacular architecture is only depicted as follows:
• Walls: Walls are made up of bricks plastered to give mud texture.

42. Doors : They are made of timber. And thresholds are
provided.

43.  Roof: Roofs are made by steel angles & sections topped
by network of bamboos & covered with Mangalore tiles.