a renaissance of vernacular eco-architecture

A RENAISSANCE OF VERNACULAR ECO-ARCHITECTURE

SELF-BUILT HOUSING IN BIR, INDIA

Julie Rogers Varland, Committee ChairRyan Madson, Committee MemberScott Jackson, Committee Member

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Building Artsin Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the

Degree of Master of Architectureat

The Savannah College of Art and Design

Ankita Jayesh Gandhi

Savannah

© August 2019

“Here, for years, for centuries, the peasant had wisely and

quietly exploited the obvious building material, while we, with

our modern school-learned ideas, never dreamed of using

such a ludicrous substance as mud for so serous a creation

as a house. But why not? Certainly, the peasant’s

houses might by cramped, dark, and inconvenient, but this is

no fault of the mud brick. There was nothing that could not be

put right by good design and a broom.”

Fathy ( 1973 : 4)

D E D I C A T I O N

This thesis is dedicated to the beautiful

families of Bir that welcomed me in their

dwellings and their lives.

Having spent time volunteering at the

Dharmalaya institute, I had the fortune of

meeting people that I can call my family.

Pushpa Didi, Rajendra and Raju, I hope that

someday you will be able to build your own

house, a house that you grow, nurture and

love, a house that represents you, a house

that you deserve.

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T

I would like to thank my family and friends for

the love and support. I would especially like

to thank my wonderful parents and the best

brother anybody could ever have, for their

undying faith in me and their constant love

and support.

An extra special thanks to my committee

members, Julie Rogers-Varland, Ryan Madson

and Scott Jackson for your knowledge and

support and for always believing in me.

A special note to Professor Varland :

You have inspired me every single day that I

had the privilege of being your student. Your

faith in me made me want to excel and be a

better person.

I cannot thank you enough for your

contribution to my life and the opportunities

that you’ve presented me with. I promise to

always cherish your lessons, and hopefully

one day be as inspirational to others as you

were to me.

A B O U T

Along side my experience with the professional

aspect of architecture, I sought to learn deeply about

materials with a more hands-on approach. I participated

in two workshops in Auroville in Pondicherry, India, from

renowned institutes like ‘Auroville Earth Institute’ and

Auroville Bamboo Centre’ which gave me a more

comprehensive understanding of materials like Bamboo

and Earth. Working with these materials first-hand,

designing and executing compositions with efficiency and

their eco-friendly nature, made me want to explore the

field of construction with natural materials. This led me to

volunteer at Dharmalaya - an institute for compassionate

living, in Himachal Pradesh, India. Helping build structures

with natural materials acquired locally without disrupting

the surroundings was an extremely rewarding experience.

The compassion emanated by the people echoed through

its valleys and humbled me in more than one way and

deepened my interest in sustainable building and living. I

was transfixed by the idyllic homes in the mountains and

was amazed to learn that most of these houses were built

by unskilled locals. This makes me think about everything

that I have to offer along with the dream to strengthen

these skills to help create a healthier environment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES 1

THESIS ABSTRACT 8

THE ISSUE & THESIS STATEMENT 11

HISTORY & CHALLENGES History behind the issue 14Challenge posed by the issue 15Impacts of issue on society 17

EXPLORATORY LITERATURE What are natural buildings? 20Decline of natural buildings and the vanishing vernacular 21Human impulse to build vs the industrialized evolution 23IDENTITY, CLASSICISM, SPACE AND CULTURE 25

EMPIRICAL LITERATURE Natural Buildings and sustainability 30Natural materials : Specifications, limitations 31Developing nations and the use of building codes 33Divide between architects and natural builders 35Architect’s professional liability : Not everybody can afford and architect 37Is there still a place for natural buildings in the modern world? 39Can homeowners build their own home? 41

LITERATURE REFLECTION Building materials : Local, sustainable, innovation 44Industrializing natural resources : growing building materials 45Affordability revisited 47

CASE STUDIES Innovative traditional systems : Hunnarshala foundation 53Dhajji dewari : Earthquake resistant construction, jammu and kashmir 57

SITE ANALYSIS STUDIES Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India 64Site analysis | Site location 65Site analysis | Earthquake zones 66Site analysis | Contextual mapping 67

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Design development | Vernacular form analysis 77Features of a vernacular dwelling 79Schematic program 80

MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION 1Material resources in Bir 82Construction techniques | Vernacular technique analysis 83Materials | Short listed 85Building Modules 86Wall design | Building block variation 87Wall detail | Foundation to wall to floor connection 89

SYSTEMS Heating | Rocket mass heating system 93Ventilation 95Lighting | Light studies 96

TECHNICAL MANUALTechnical manual | Conception 99Technical manual | TOC 103Technical manual | Development 106

FINAL BOARDS 115

EXHIBITION 131

CONCLUSION 141

BIBLIOGRAPHY 143

| 1 |

| LIST OF FIGURES |

Fig 1.1 | Author : Vernacular home in Kheerganga, Himachal Pradesh, India 9

Fig 1.2 | Author : Vernacular homes in Kheerganga, Himachal Pradesh, India 11

Fig 1.3 | Author : Vernacular homes in Kheerganga, Himachal Pradesh, India 13

Fig 1.4 | Author : Local boy in Kheerganga, Himachal Pradesh, India 19


Fig 1.6 | Author : Construction of a strawbale shelter, Strawbale Studio, Michigan 40

Fig 1.7 | Author : Construction of a strawbale shelter, Strawbale Studio, Michigan 40

Fig 1.8 | Author : Sustainable life skill : Mushroom Inoculation, Strawbale Studio, Michigan 42

Fig 1.9 | Author : Strawbale Studio, Michigan 42


Fig 2.2 | Author : Construction of an adobe structure, Bir, Himchal Pradesh, India 46

Fig 2.3 | Author : Making mud adobes, Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India 46

Fig 2.4 | Author : Earth home, Auroville, India 48

Fig 2.5 | Author : Structure made of CSEB, Auroville, India 48

Fig 2.6 | Author : Thesis Diagram 49

Fig 2.7 | http://www.hunnarshala.org 51

Fig 2.8 | https://issuu.com/hunnarshala/docs/hunnarshala_a_d 53

Fig 2.9 | https://issuu.com/hunnarshala/docs/hunnarshala_a_d 54


| 2 |

| LIST OF FIGURES |


Fig 3.2 | http://www.spaenvis.nic.in 56

Fig 3.3 | https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273322286_Traditional_Earthquake_Resistant_Systems_of_Kashmir 58

Fig 3.4 | https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273322286_Traditional_Earthquake_Resistant_Systems_of_Kashmir 58

Fig 3.5 | https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273322286_Traditional_Earthquake_ Resistant_Systems_of_Kashmir 60

Fig 3.6 | https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273322286_Traditional_Earthquake_ Resistant_Systems_of_Kashmir 60

Fig 3.7 | Author : Thesis diagram II 62

Fig 3.8 | Author : View from site, Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India 63

Fig 3.9 | Author : Site location and surroundings 65

Fig 4.0 | Author : Earthquake hazard map | Himachal Pradesh, India 66

Fig 4.1 | Author : Land use map | Bir-Billing area 67

Fig 4.2 | Author : Connections and nature zones | Bir-Billing 67

Fig 4.3 | Author : Site Plan | Dhanari, Bir, India 68

Fig 4.4 | Author : Model showing nearby developed areas and density 69

Fig 4.5 | Author : Model showing distances to nearby business, religious places 70

Fig 4.6 |Author : Diagrams showing temperature, rainfall, hazards 71

Fig 4.7 | Author : Site analysis and kuhl irrigation 72

Fig 4.8 | Author : Diagram showing site planning strategy 73

| 3 |

| LIST OF FIGURES |

Fig 4.9 | Author : Typical village settlement in Bir, India 75

Fig 5.0 | Author : Diagram showing vernacular form analysis 77

Fig 5.1 | Author : Proposed plot expansion 77

Fig 5.2 |Author : Site analysis and kuhl irrigation 78

Fig 5.3 | Author : Diagram showing features of the vernacular dwelling 79

Fig 5.4 |Author : Diagram showing the spatial planning and daily lives of the villager 80

Fig 5.5 | Author : Natural rock formation in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India 81

Fig 5.6 | Author : Diagram showing material resources in Bir, India 82

Fig 5.7 |Author : Diagram showing the kath kuni construction system 83

Fig 5.8 |Author : Diagram showing wooden joinery in the vernacular form of housing 83

Fig 5.9 | Author : Section of the vernacular form of housing 84

Fig 6.0 | Author : Diagram showing the kath kuni construction system 84

Fig 6.1 | Author : Diagram showing short listed materials for proposed dwelling 85

Fig 6.2 | Author : Diagram showing the proposed wall composition 86

Fig 6.3 | Author : Model showing proposed typical wall section 87

Fig 6.4 | Author: Model showing proposed typical wall section 87

Fig 6.5 | Author : Model showing variation in proposed wall for modifications 88

Fig 6.6 | Author : Diagram showing proposed wall system 89

Fig 6.7 | Author : Sketch showing proposed construction system 90

Fig 6.8 | Author : Sketch showing dwelling expansion patterns 90

| 8 |

THESIS ABSTRACT

A RENAISSANCE OF VERNACULAR ECO-ARCHITECTURE

ANKITA GANDHI

August 2019

The time that I spent at the Dharmalaya Institute helped me be a part of a routine where people lived a

self-sustaining lifestyle. This included growing their own food and building their own homes with everything that

was available on site. The time spent there was extremely rewarding and made me want to take the path to

introducing this form of a lifestyle into my life. That being said, apart from a small group of people that still follow

this in the region, the others have unfortunately chosen a path that was not as sustainable. With the advent of

industrialization and the villagers being more exposed to the western world, the vernacular methodology of

construction and lifestyle has been lost. Concrete, glass and other non-indegenous materials have been on a

steady increase, hampering the land, culture and the lives of the people. The vernacular housing of this area is

now being looked at as an inferior form of dwelling. Himachal Pradesh being an extremely earth quake prone

zone, does not support the non-indegenous forms of materiality and construction and one might see a lot of

damaged structures over a period of time. The vernacular techniques on the other hand, have aseismic

properties and can withstand earthquakes with minor damages. This thesis is about an extensive research and

the re-introduction of the vernacular methods of construction and materiality to help the people of Bir build their

own homes that can coexist in today’s world. This proposal will allow the villagers to build their own homes with

materials that are found on site, making it economically viable and aesthetically pleasing.

Keywords : Vernacular architecture, sustainable design, natural resources, local resources, indigenous

materials, local craftsmanship, sustainable lifestyle, animal husbandry, natural building.

|

Fig 1.1 |Vernacular home in Kheerganga, Himachal Pradesh, India

0 0

I N T R O D U C T I O N

| 10 |

Natural and alternative building construction is indissolubly linked to the good health of the environment. Natural

building practices and materials have become obsolete despite being practiced for centuries and being an

obvious solution to the environmental crises. There remain several barriers of using natural building products

and materials in the mainstream construction industry. In this paper, influential environmentalists,

preservationists and architects explain varying theories and factors that may be affecting the practice of natural

building. The biggest factor causing this effect is the influence of the western building model and technology on

developing nations. Other major factors include the aesthetics and irregularity of natural material being

unappealing which leads to the perception that these materials are low-tech and have poor performance.

Nonetheless, esteemed designers and social historians point out to the human impulse to shape their dwellings

to address their ever changing needs. Each human being also has their unique vision of a home and that vision

shouldn’t be tarnished by the industrial influences. Taking this into account, it is also important to address the

changing cultural and social needs of today. There is an obvious social stigma against these kind of buildings

and are deemed “primitive” dwellings. Architects and writers form an analysis where they think the impact of the

western building model nature had only little to do with the function of architecture and it mostly extended to

social identity and classicism. This poses a critical question about the practicality of building the homes of the

future with these ancient solutions.

Following this, award-winning journalist, civic activist and architects discuss the profession of architecture and

an architect’s qualifications and obligations as an esteemed professional to design to protect the environment

and for the people in need. They also present the reasons there is a gap between the practice of architecture and

natural buildings leading to why there might be a divide between architects and natural builders. This perception,

however, is changing. There is a growing body of research that is quantifying the performance of natural building

materials and showing that they can compete with conventional building materials. This could help address the

ever growing housing issue and help provide potential solutions to mitigate that. To address this crisis, the paper

discusses a sustainable self-built updated housing model that is affordable, adaptable and socially responsible.

These self-built modules are meant to induce a high quality of living and create successful communities by

engaging and empowering them with having control over their own sustainable building materials.

| 11 |

THE ISSUE

Deteriorating conditions of the environment as a result of the adoption of the industrialized building industry

which has resulted in the decline of natural building practices and the use of sustainable materials. Additionally,

developing nations, that are facing an affordable housing crises, are affected severely by the western housing

model. Being unprepared to manage the aftermath of western building construction, these nations experience

the most grave environmental degeneration and resource depletion. Further, owing to this westernization, these

nations are losing their character, identity and social nature of housing and community.

Fig 1.2 |Vernacular homes in Kheerganga, Himachal Pradesh, India

| 12 |

THESIS STATEMENT

The proposal puts forth the idea of sustainable self-built houses and managing one’s own building materials

being an “option” in a world where buying houses is commonly observed. To bring into practice, the rare

combination of owner-builder-designer-master craftsman, all to a human and livable scale. Acknowledging the

role that individualism plays in a house design and how it needs to address the ever-changing needs of a human

being. Additionally, sustainability can be achieved by revolutionizing the perception and use of building

materials. While using local, sustainable harvested materials, and purchasing only the essential manufactured

building materials enhances the sustainability of the structure, a fresh perspective on building materials is

proposed biological products could become a major resource for the construction industry. This entails that

people could potentially grow and their own building materials to address their ever changing housing needs

thereby, “Growing their own homes”.

| 14 |

Natural building practices and materials have become obsolete despite being practiced for centuries and being

an obvious solution to the environmental crises. That being said, the influence of the western world and

technology aren’t the only reasons for the decline of natural buildings. It is also due to the negligence of codes

and regulations in natural building practices that has lead them to become unpopular.

Every human being also has their unique vision of a home and that vision shouldn’t be tarnished by the industrial

influences. This investigation highlights why there has been a decline in the construction of natural buildings

and in the usage of vernacular building techniques and the rise of industrialization and its widespread adoption.

Natural and alternative building construction are indissolubly linked to the good health of the environment.

That being said, there is a general notion that these sustainable solutions are inferior and are branded as unsafe,

unstable and less efficient. There is an obvious social stigma against these kind of buildings and are deemed

“primitive” dwellings, which is why it is also important to address the changing cultural and social needs of today.

Along with this mind-set, the lack of knowledge about the regulations and codes required to support this

methodology, has resulted in the decline of natural buildings. This poses a critical question about the practicality

of building the homes of the future with these ancient solutions.

HISTORY BEHIND THE ISSUE

A

| 15 |

B

CHALLENGE POSED BY THE ISSUE

1. Environmental Imperative

The construction industry has a significant impact on local environments and nature. Lynne Elizabeth in the book

Alternative Construction, states the air and water impacts of the construction industry. Elizabeth points out to

the American building construction being responsible for a huge percentage of the greenhouse gas emissions

affecting climate change and are responsible for 38% of all CO2 emissions. Adding to that, buildings not only use

a substantial amount of water, which may lead to depletion of the world’s water resources, but also contribute

to a large amount of wasted and toxic water. Buildings use an estimated 13.6 percent of all potable water in the

world and cause pollution of water via numerous sources such as diesel, fossil fuels, paints, solvents, etc.

That said, it isn’t just the methods, materials and the construction process that contributes to the deteriorating

environmental conditions but it also how the building is meant to operate.

According to the US Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings account for an average of 41% of the world’s

energy use. The developing nations that are trying to keep up with the western construction culture, often have

less stringent requirements for the disposal of the highly toxic constructions waste, resulting in a severe local

environment deteriorating that follows when a building is built.

| 16 |

2. Losing individuality and culture

The forces that shape primitive dwellings, give them clearly identifiable characteristics. These forces haven’t

been architects or designers historically. Having said that, some of the dominant characteristics of a primitive

or vernacular settlement lose force with the greater institutionalization and standardization of modern life. The

current view of time displays linearity in the concept of progress as opposed to a more cyclic approach of the

primitive man. This has resulted in a loss of hierarchies within societies and all houses seem to have equal

prominence. This has also resulted in the dehumanization of modern settlements and the cosmological

orientation and the relationship with the land and site. This has therefore, weakened the link between form,

culture, individuality and behavior.

| 17 |

C

IMPACTS OF ISSUE ON SOCIETY

1. The effects of the west on the east

The world was exploding with technology in the 1960s and people were no longer satisfied with just the basic

necessities. This glittering lifestyle eluded the east into desiring to lead similar lifestyles. Author,

environmentalist, preservationist Bob Berkebile, who was also the founding chairman of the American Institute

of Architects’ National Committee on the Environment, states in the book Alternative Construction, that the

people in developing countries are trying to “Imitate” the American lifestyle, even though these kind of sprawled

settlements lack the communal element that indigenous communities enjoy. What is worse is that this industrial

model that they desire consumes our resources about 20 times more than the houses in the rest of the world.

Further, there have been several unintended consequences of the western industrial building model. With the

developing nations being responsible for a large percentage of the material resources related to the building in-

dustry, thus responsible for a fairly large and rather disproportionate share of the world’s resources. The impact

of the western buildings is astonishing where what happens in the most developed countries strongly influence

the developing nations. In the developed nations, labor is replaced by the available resources while it is just the

opposite in developing nations, where there is an abundance of low-cost labor and resources and technology

tend to be unaffordable. These nations that are culturally rich and have highly evolved manual craft and skills,

are now trending toward the industrialized building model thus hampering social and environmental well-being.

The indigenous methods are condemned that they are ‘primitive’ and are used only by poverty-stricken societies.

This has heavily impacted the continued use of traditional construction.

| 18 |

b. Social hierarchy and status symbol

If provision of a dwelling to provide shelter is a passive function, then its active function is to create a life best

suited for its inhabitants; In other words, the social unit of a space. While designing a settlement, the specific

characteristics of a certain culture and the socially acceptable ways need to be considered since they affect the

form of the settlement. Keeping that in mind, the imitation of the way of life of the west that is seen emerging in

the east not only takes away their cultural depiction in the settlements but also makes them idolize the western

model and treat it as a status symbol. Even when the possibilities of the physical form of a dwelling may be

numerous, the actual choices may be restricted due to sociocultural forces.

|

E X P L O R A T O R YL I T E R A T U R E

0 2

Fig 1.4 |Local boy in Kheerganga, Himachal Pradesh, India

| 20 |

Author of the book “Earth Architecture”, William Morgan, explains the term natural building also known as Earth

Architecture, as a study devoted to the architectural uses of earth in shaping the environment of humankind.

This is an umbrella term that describes any building that is accomplished using natural materials as opposed

to man-made or industrialized materials. The main objective of this kind of construction is to build with simple

techniques that does not disrupt or pollute the surroundings and prohibits the extraction of resources of the

Mother Earth.

Morgan points out that although creating individual earth buildings is a familiar practice in many parts of the

world today, the practice of reshaping the earth to create new human environments is little known.

WHAT ARE NATURAL BUILDINGS?

A

| 21 |

BDECLINE OF NATURAL BUILDINGS AND

THE VANISHING VERNACULAR

With the world exploding with technology, the western world was no longer satisfied with small local stores or

electric fans. People in America were reinventing their lives with the help of tools that could provide them with

constant comfort and luxuries like having homes that were always warm and transportation that could get

them to places faster and farther than they had ever dreamed of. These comforts were the hallmark of life in

America and the rest of the world watched with the feeling of longing for the same kind of lifestyle.

Environmentalist Bob Berkebile, in the book Alternative Construction, expresses that while the earth’s population

is ever-growing, every other living system is in a state of decline. Even though the knowledge of this serious reality

is spreading, conflicts over the resources continue to escalate and the belief that technology could potentially fix

all problems still persists. Berkebile states that “We have been unable to discriminate between technologies that

meet our needs sustainably and those that reduce the earth’s carrying capacity”

Inhabitants of the developing nations often try to imitate the American way of life even though the communities

in America lack the spirit and sense of place of indigenous communities enjoy. What is even worse is that they

seem to be oblivious that this model consumes the world’s resources at 20 times the rate of the average. It is

an unfortunate situation that America promotes this lifestyle so pompously and trying to sell the idea of this

lifestyle and entice the rest of the world into desiring it, while completely ignoring the environmental impact

and the outcomes of the same. With the success of the adoption of this lifestyle will there be a collapse of the

global commons.

| 22 |

The positive aspect of this lies in the growing unrest amongst certain people in the USA. They feel the discomfort

in the excessive nature of this lifestyle. A lot of people understand that the lifestyle doesn’t translate as

advertised in real life. There is a growing awareness that by embracing technology as the ultimate solution,

humans have separated themselves from nature. In the book, Berkebile quotes environmental activist Wendell

Berry who states that “It is not only possible, but altogether probable, that by diminishing nature we diminish

ourselves... We seek some kind of peace, even an alliance between the domestic and the wild”

We, architects understand the impact of the profession on our world and hence, we are looking for solutions that

celebrate this alliance with nature and try to integrate natural systems with sophisticated technologies to create

sustainable environments.

Besides the codes and regulations and safety, the traditional natural building may also be an uncommon

practice because of its aesthetics. Czech American writer, architect, collector, teacher, designer, and social

historian Bernard Rudofsky, the author of the book “The Prodigious Builders” states that the main difference

between formal and vernacular is not the lavishness versus artlessness, but it is a set of peculiarities like

symmetry and order. According to him “Symmetry is implicit in every noble building; it is the birthright of

pedigreed architecture”. The attributes of power and faith have been expressed by mirror images, ever since

architecture has come of age. That being said, one doesn’t always see vernacular structures expressing these

visual disciplines. Their form is mostly organic and this asymmetry often translates as being unsophisticated.

| 23 |

CHUMAN IMPULSE TO BUILD VS THE

INDUSTRIALIZED EVOLUTION

As author and art critic David Bourdon states in his book ‘Designing the Earth’ that human beings didn’t only

survive but also chose to redesign a lot of earth’s original surface, seldom with any regret. He said that during the

Stone Age, many homemakers developed their housekeeping skills in their natural caves. In case they weren’t

content with their floor plan, all they had to do was hack away the additional earth and they had the freedom

to expand their living spaces or adjust them according to their comfort. As human beings, we have constantly

changing needs and wants and unique desires and tastes for the spaces that we live in. Bourdon states a really

interesting example of human instincts to build when he talks about how wondrous it is that historically, people

on different ends of the world that are usually unknown to each other, demonstrated similar inventiveness in

reconfiguring their landscapes. He questions how it was so apparent to farmers to terrace their hillsides or for

the religious to build rock-cut temples and churches.

Humanity’s place in nature and the natural world’s place in human society, a space where mutuality, respect,

enriching relation can and should exist at all levels and emerge as the norm rather than exception.

| 24 |

There seems to be a general conception that industrialization must mean the design of a product for large serial

production along with the design of the components that are standardized. A lot of literature on industrialized

buildings entails that modular coordination and standardization are twin principles that have their rationale in a

mass-production process. The common mindset is that the ultimate goal will be achieved by the unity of style.

This way of thinking was bolstered by scholar P.H.Scholfield in the book “The Theory of Proportion in

Architecture”, who stated that, “A building where all its parts are of different shapes, fabricates a chaotic visual

image”. According to him, using more repetitive and standardized shapes created the highest degree of order.

Scholfield states that the choice available to designers was providing numerical sizes for these standardized

elements, which was the only way that variety could be achieved through mass production.

While a certain degree of standardization of components may be essential to facilitate an undemanding

building process, it can most certainly be achieved without ‘modular’ standardization. If architects choose to

adhere to these universal standards, it may not be possible to make any drastic change to elements that fall

outside of these standards. It may potentially lead the building industry to be stuck within this misconstrued

idea of technology.

On the other end of the spectrum, are natural builders. They produce a scale of building components that are

limited in quantities and are unique. Their process typically involves manually operated, simple machines, each

performing a limited number of operations. These alternatives to industrialized building techniques are proving

insufficient to meet the requirement of the building industry’s rapidly changing needs.

| 25 |

D

IDENTITY, CLASSICISM, SPACE AND CULTURE

In his book Architecture and Identity, architectural writer, theorist, teacher and author Chris Abel discusses the

analogies that have been drawn between the symbolic function of architecture and emergence of social

identities and classism. The importance of having a personal connection with architecture, mostly in the area of

dwelling, in order to give a proper expression to the personalities and the social status of its inhabitants.

Mathematical psychologist and architect Amos Rapoport argues that a ‘self-built’ house not only plays an

important role in addressing the need for low-cost shelters for the poor but gives equal opportunities for those

expressions of personal and social identity which come from having control over one’s own dwelling. It is the style

of architecture that tends to be formulated as the result of cultural and social forces.

The different forms taken by dwellings can range from all possible explanations that center around the theme of

people with very different attitudes and ideals responding to varied physical environments. Author Amos

Rapoport in his book “House Form And Culture”, states that a house is an institution and not just a structure, that

is created for a complex set of purposes. Since building a house is a cultural phenomenon, its form and

organization are heavily influence by the cultural sphere is belongs to. Even for the primitive man, housing was

way more than a shelter. Shelter being the passive function of the house, the creation of an environment best

suited to the way of life and social aspects was its purpose. Rapoport further states that the specific

characteristics of a culture, like the accepted way of doing things, the things that are socially unacceptable and

the unstated ideals, all need to be considered while building a housing or settlement form.

| 26 |

That being said, above all, what finally decides the form of a house may not be a certain climate or materials

available or the constraints and capabilities of the technology available, but it is the “vision of an ideal life” that

people have that molds their spaces. This may be the reason why solutions for an ideal home vary from person to

person that reflects their beliefs, social relations, livelihood and not just their biological needs and requirements.

On the other hand, the forms of primitive and vernacular houses are more the aims of the community for an ideal

environment affected by their climatic conditions, materials available and choice of site and has very little to do

with their desires.

This idea of social control on the way a home or community is shaped in traditional cultures, may no longer

apply to the more institutionalized and industrialized systems of today. In these circumstances, the link between

culture and the form and looks of the dwelling has weakened considerably. However, the spaces and their use

still reflect the culture through their organization and the way of life.

| 27 |

E

HUMAN IMPULSE TO BUILD AND GROW

All human beings want is to see themselves reflected and expressed through different mediums. On a day to

day basis, this can be seen as expressions in forms of paintings, dance, art, choice of cars, clothing, and most

widely, through their dwellings. According to author Richard Burnham of the book “Housing Ourselves”, houses

have been a good medium for self-expression for several years and have historic evidence. He states that in this

culture, each person expresses himself by individualizing his dwelling, whatever the type of settlement may be.

With the addition of objects and elements to one’s domicile, an individual configures his space to make his spirit

known to himself and others. Representative elements like patriotic flags, religious shrines, choice of

automobile, all express the nature of a person; his soul, economic success, etc.

In today’s age of lack of affordable housing, our culture of self-exhibitionism has taken a backseat and everybody

seems to be living in houses that are clones of each other, thereby lacking individuality and personal

character. That said, there needs to be a more realistic outlet for personalization. Burnham suggests that one

way of expressing individuation could be that it can be the creative element in the concept of self-built housing,

which could prove to be a more substantial way to express ourselves.

Burnham states that the idea that housing design is in the hands and tastes of the owner-builder, is central to

today’s contemporary approach to affordable housing. With a culture that has valued self-expressionism for a

long time now, it has only been confined to private houses because only a few have self-built. The rest of the

houses ended up looking like each other without much of a choice. The question is whether we, the new

millennium can dig deep into who we are and understand the importance of expression through dwelling and can

find a more affordable and viable solution to the housing problem.

| 28 |

In order to have a home that can expand overtime, as and when funds are available or to accommodate

changing needs, the plan must be generalized and not be overly rigid. Author Richard Burnham asserts that,

“If we wish to express ourselves in building, we must have an avenue that encourages experimentation and

personal freedom”. The house designed, would reflect the owner-builder’s self and desires. Burnham states

that, a house that uses local materials, one that responds to personal desires, acknowledges regional influences

and respects the land and its resources, addresses the characteristics that are missing in a lot of contemporary

houses. That being said, these contemporary houses lack character because of the viability, convenience and

economics of standardization.

Burnham states that structural regularity in construction is indeed economical and easier for amateurs to build

as opposed to complex structures. It is undeniable that uniformity is useful in a lot of cases. However, we as

individuals can deviate from many standardized things. When it comes to a building a house, we might want

regularity and standardization for cost saving purposes, but at the same time be able to have a certain level of

variation as and when required and important to us. A non-standardized, custom designed house doesn’t

necessarily mean that it reaches a high level of uniqueness that makes it too expensive and difficult to build.

Structural regularity can be thought of as a central system of economic construction that can include a few

irregular elements to meet the special needs of the inhabitants and that address the uniqueness of the land.

|

E M P I R I C A LL I T E R A T U R E

03


| 30 |

More often than not, natural buildings and vernacular forms are regarded as an obstacle on the road to progress,

which is often replaced by house forms and lifestyles that fit the western notion of basic housing needs, even

though these houses do not represent their culture or values or address the climatic conditions. This attitude

towards natural buildings maybe shortsighted since, today’s age faces numerous environmental challenges and

the ever growing population adds to that in significant proportions. One of the most important concerns for the

environment would be the onerous challenge of housing billions of people that inhabit the world, in culturally

and environmentally sustainable ways. The positive contribution that natural buildings make to the ever-growing

issue of global housing shouldn’t be ignored. The other challenge that goes hand in hand with the housing

issue is the recent widespread use of non-indigenous materials to support the process of building fast and easy

dwellings.

NATURAL BUILDINGS AND SUSTAINABILITY

A

| 31 |

BNATURAL MATERIALS:

SPECIFICATIONS, LIMITATIONS

Natural building materials and methods are traditionally considered primitive therefore inferior to the

more industrialized materials and bolsters the notion that these processed materials are safer, more durable

and perform more efficiently. This can be argued on several grounds. With regards to the obvious environmental

concerns, the production of the industrialized building products, consumes a significant amount of energy and

has hence, created a notable demand for raw materials to supplement that process. The problems associated

with extraction of these raw materials include environmental degradation and a loss of diverse ecosystems. Not

only are we experience the depletion of our vital resources but also pollution of sorts of a high magnitude that

includes smog, acid rain and a high contribution to global warming. This environment in turn affects the health

of the people due to inferior air quality.

In the book ‘Alternate Construction’ Author Cassandra Adams claims that environmental impacts are not all

equal and some are more critical than others hence, they should be prioritized accordingly. She has categorized

them into four categories; 1. Impacts that have a more widespread influence than others. 2. Impacts that last for

a longer duration than certain impacts 3. Impacts that are more harmful to human health than some. 4. Some

impacts are permanently damaging while others are somewhat reversible.

This goes to prove that when there is a direct relationship between an impact of a high magnitude and a certain

practice, it should be avoided or mitigated. The discontinuation of a practice of this nature with help improve the

environmental situation.

Natural builders often face criticism for not adhering to the codes and norms of buildings design. Due to the

| 32 |

environmental impact of “industrialized” buildings, there’s an interest and desire to use more natural building

methods and materials, not only in rural areas but also in industrialized regions. The group of people that exhibit

this interest are usually natural builders or people that want to build with natural materials and techniques to

reduce the cost of construction. These people usually evoke resistance from the regulatory industrialized

community that has very little experience with these non- standardized building systems. David Eisenberg, in the

book Alternative Construction states that even though these natural building systems have been used around the

world for centuries, they are being judged for being inferior to their industrial counterparts and are considered

“primitive” and “obsolete” in most of the developed world. He bolsters his statement by adding that the

developed countries have thus ignored the consideration of these non-industrialized materials while developing

the building codes. The reason the building codes are so restrictive is because the building code organizations

and officials take responsibility and strive to protect the users of the building from any harm that could be caused

by the built environment. That being said, the important thing to address is that codes are written and revised

by people. The growing unrest within certain natural building communities have resulted in the development of

codes for certain types of natural buildings.

In conclusion, it is important to understand that both, natural builders and the code officials share similar goals

and intentions. The basic difference would be that the code community needs to understand, acknowledge and

incorporate the system of sustainability measures taken by the natural building community. While they both

largely cater to the needs and protection of the people, their definitions and ideas of safety may be different.

Which is why the establishment of a corporative atmosphere between the two communities is vital for the

acceptance and integration of the alternative building systems in an industrialized environment.

| 33 |

CDEVELOPING NATIONS

AND THE USE OF BUILDING CODES

As discussed above, we understand that a lot of dominant characteristics of vernacular architecture get lost in

translation over a period of time as the modern life paves way for industrialization and specialization. The

linearity of the progress of mankind has replaced the more primitive concepts of design and materiality. Amos

Rapoport suggests that this modernity may have resulted in the modern man stressing on the concepts of

“change and novelty.” The hierarchy observed in primitive settlements is obviously lost as the modern dwellings

have equal prominence in communities. These dwellings represent man’s progress, success and social standing

and the house form acts as a domain of fashion. This problem arises from the frivolous “freedom of choice”. The

factors that are crucial to the creation of a meaningful dwelling which were employed by the primitive man are

lost due to the problem of excessive choice driven by the sociocultural factors. The sense of community has also

been diminishing over the years. The modern model of a house is a freestanding dwelling on a defined plot of

land. What is being tried to achieve is the symbol of an ideal life, which entails that one’s home is a representa-

tion of his success and is one’s own castle and needs to be private and isolated to foster the sense of

independence. A modern dwelling that may be derived from more primitive forms or using the same materials

that were used historically and representing those values may be contradicting the values of the modern man,

which are success, prosperity and independence.

| 34 |

Natural buildings are perceived as unstable, unsafe and inefficient. This is largely due to a lot of them being

examples of non-code compliant buildings. That being said, there has been a largely growing interest in natural

and alternative building methods and this interest has generated in a change in the regulatory system to gain

code approval for these methods. Having said that, it is important to acknowledge that building codes were

created by man and they go back thousands of years. It is historically proven that people who design and build for

others are held accountable for their work. The problem is that the desire to use nature materials for

construction of the buildings today stimulates resistance from the community that has very little experience with

non-industrialized systems.

The biggest influence on the building codes is largely the building industry itself and with the right type of

support, the code changes can be made through development, adoption and enforcement. Though, the greatest

challenge lies is gaining regulatory and institutional acceptance for natural alternatives in industrial context that

a building is viewed in today.

| 35 |

DDIVIDE BETWEEN ARCHITECTS

AND NATURAL BUILDERS

In the book “Design Like You Give A Damn”, award-winning journalist, data scientist and civic activist Kate Stohr

points out that for decades architects have been called upon to provide solutions for shelters for people in need

or during crises times. However, as architects and designers adopted the idealism of the industrialized age that

was increasingly technology driven, the ideas they produced often deemed to be unrealistic and failed to

resonate with the people that struggled with day-to-day realities of food and water shortage and sanitation

issues. Thus, there was a divide between the worlds of basic housing and development and the worlds of

architecture and design. Such a disconnect, according to Stohr, would eventually lead to a “crises of faith”. This

statement brings up questions like what role would design really play in providing basic shelter or how could

architects address the needs of the people that struggle with housing? The real debate here is whether design

should be considered a luxury or a necessity. This is an issue faced by not only architects, but also natural

builders where the primary struggle would be to achieve a balance between the logistics of providing a basic

shelter with the human instinct and longing to create an atmosphere that they can call home.

| 36 |

The primary divide between architects and natural builders was driven by the introduction of building codes that

resulted in a significant change in the practice of architecture at the beginning of the twentieth century. The focus

of the architects had shifted to utopian concepts driven by modernism that often did not resonate with the people

in need. According to Stohr, this was the time when the “social reformers” turned their attention to the housing

conditions of the people in need.

That being said, there are architects that have been reformers that cater to the needs of people that couldn’t

afford specialized housing. The biggest example was German architect Walter Gropius, who was an early pioneer

of prefabrication. He considered the architect to be a public servant and an educator and one that encourages

socially conscious design. Gropius, along with architect and designer Marcel Breuer, are credited to design the

first slab apartment block. This building type, that became a prototype for many future affordable housing

projects, was formulated to overcome crammed tenement housing, which has risen due to the rampant land

speculation. Both Gropius and Le Corbusier, who was the pioneer of modern architecture, believed that mass

manufactured dwelling would be the face of modern housing. Meanwhile, in America, the industrialization of

architecture took a very different route and while it uses the same principles of mass manufactured components,

the tasteful functional homes have now transformed into quick, cheap, yet affordable dwellings.

| 37 |

EARCHITECT’S PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY:

NOT EVERYBODY CAN AFFORD AN ARCHITECT

In the book “The future of Housing”, American lawyer, author, urbanist, and housing expert Charles Abrams

bolsters the profession of architecture by stating that, “of all the participants in the business of home building,

the architect is the only one qualified to guide the house and its environment towards a civilized form.” Abrams

further adds that with years of rigorous training and with the possession of practical experience, it is the duty of

an architect to intellectually aware to prevent abuses, develop innovative methods and add originality to each of

this designs that unique to people and places. In conclusion of his statement, he believes that despite these at-

tributes, the architect today fails to handle these responsibilities since the improvement of low-cost homes was

not lead by them. The architects were buried under their stylish egos in the chase of wealthy and affluent clients.

Thus, the requirements of an elementary shelter had taken a backseat in this pursuit.

It is question of whether an architect should be just limited to design or should he play a more meaningful role

in providing shelter for those who can’t afford it and need it the most, almost taking over the job of an activist

or a reformer. If so, how could that be implemented in today’s world of plutocracy? The challenges faced by ar-

chitecture, as a profession is whether an architect can withstand being stunned by the power of technology and

economic affluence so that the importance of the people and place is not lost.

| 38 |

Architecture as a profession, ensures that architects follow the code of ethics and maintain professional conduct.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) are dedicated to the highest standard of professionalism, integrity and

competence. One of the obligations of an architect as listed, is to respect and help conserve the natural and

cultural heritage of communities and help improve the quality of the environment and the life within it. Along with

this, an architect has to fulfill his obligations toward the environment. It is the duty of an architect to be

environmentally responsible and advocate sustainable building and site design.

The house is an institution, not just a structure, created for a complex set of purposes. It is a space that facilitates

the way of life as well as the component for building community. Hence, it isn’t purely a physical thing. But a lot

of people in the world live in substandard housing and are in a desperate need of affordable housing. Author

Richard Burnham confronts a principal factor why so many people cannot purchase a house. He boils it down to

a simple yet glaring truth; they simply do not have the money.

That being said, this criterion of insufficient income isn’t the whole reason. According to Burnham, a lot of people

in the world will never enter an arena where their paychecks will be adequate to purchase a house. One may live

in remote areas where work is unavailable or from areas where they might not have access to adequate

educational facilities. Also, some people voluntarily seek to live on a low income than the government would have

people earn. For these people, “buying” a house or hiring an architect is almost impossible and it isn’t their fault.

Therefore, another option may be the lost practice of “self-building”.

| 39 |

FIS THERE STILL A PLACE FOR

NATURAL BUILDINGS IN THE MODERN WORLD?

American anthropologist Marshall Sahlins, in his book “What Is Anthropological Enlightenment?” gives an

example of the Siberian Yupik on St. Laurence Island who, despite undergoing an increased incorporation into

the world of capitalist systems and the introduction of the modern means of production, still maintain their

hunter-gather culture and retain their traditions. This goes to show that, rather than succumbing to the pressures

of modernized development, the Yupik have adapted their culture by incorporating certain modern elements that

are mainly technological, but are still distinctly Yupik. Sahlins pre-eminently summarizes this example stating

that the Yupik have, in fact “indigenized modernity” by creating their own cultural niche in the global scheme of

things.

In conclusion, what needs to be employed is an approach that focuses on the dynamic nature of vernacular

traditions that will change and adapt to the ever-changing cultural and environmental factors. It should address

a solution that views tradition as a creative adaptation of the past to the needs of the present, allowing the

accommodation of the needs of the emerging traditions in architecture, design and lifestyle. The vernacular

thinking and methodology can be viewed as a source of architectural knowledge and can be critically examined

in a way, which this understanding of techniques and materials can be integrated in new forms paired with the

latest technologies, thus creating an environmentally sustainable solution.

| 40 |

Fig 1.6 |Construction of a strawbale shelter, Strawbale Studio, Michigan

Fig 1.7 |Construction of a strawbale shelter, Strawbale Studio, Michigan

| 41 |

GCAN HOMEOWNERS BUILD THEIR

OWN HOME?

Homeowners have been known to build their own homes for generations. To further add to this, most of them

have achieved this without the help of architects, builders and outsider funding. In the book “The Future Of Hous-

ing”, Author Charles Abrams gives an example that even slums are just another form of owner-built housing.

He argues that instead of fueling money into the government-built projects, the government funding be used to

support and empower families in need to ‘upgrade and build’ their own homes. This era of ideas gave rise to the

“self-help movement”.

An example of an architect that has tried to bridge the gap between providing basic shelter and an architect’s

involvement is architect Balkrishna Doshi. Abrams gives the example of the project in 1983 where architect

B.V.Doshi laid the foundations for what would become a vibrant, mixed income community in the city of Indore,

India. This would be achieved by combining the best of the sites-and-service and self-housing models with a more

enhanced sense of design. The demonstration homes that the architect designed included a basic service core

and surrounding that were balconies, patios and other harmonizing details. This kind of module was designed

to encourage new owners to expand their dwellings progressively as time and money permits, according to their

tastes. In the book “Housing Ourselves”, author Richard Burnham simplifies the statement above by stating

that these types of houses could be self-built and could be built by owner-occupants over a period of time. One

doesn’t have to have the money for the whole house before starting construction. All one would be required to

have is a small amount of money for the smallest part of the house within which one can live until they have the

funds to add on.

| 42 |

Fig 1.8 |Sustainable life skill : Mushroom Inoculation, Strawbale Studio, Michigan

Fig 1.9 |Strawbale Studio, Michigan

|

L I T E R A T U R ER E F L E C T I O N

0 4


| 44 |

There’s been a revolution in the use of “natural building materials” in the last 30 years. Virtually every revolution

in architecture has been preceded by a revolution in materials. Builders are choosing materials for sustainability,

for less drainage on the earth’s resources. For local availability. The factors that determine the material use for

housing today are factors like their accessibility, the regions that they come from, and how much they have been

modified and processed. Whether they are suited for affordable construction depends on their costs and their

impact on the environmental systems and whether they are used in the right context. That said, not all materials

that are acquired from a local supplier are from the region itself and are hence not sustainable. Richard Burnham

in the book “Housing Ourselves” gives an example of timber as a material and its usage. According to him, there

is a very slim chance that the timber that one buys from a local supplier is from the immediate environment.

These materials, for most of the times, travel long distances because of the supply and demand. In the end, all

homeowners and architects or builders are looking for is an economically viable material, which is why most of

them do not care where the material comes from. All they are concerned about is finding a material that

minimizes the cost and produces an effect of aesthetic sensibilities.

Contrary to that, local materials are key to affordable housing since they encompass several principles along

with their economic viability. They display the unique characteristics of the region and are sustainable. Local

materials, when minimally finished, cost significantly lesser than their equivalents that can be acquired at supply

stores, which do the same job. Unfortunately, not all the materials that are used for construction are available

locally. Sometimes materials do not occur naturally in a region. Forcibly using materials from the area to be

“local” and “sustainable” can sometimes prove to be risky. Burnham gives an example of a basic building

necessity; insulation. He states that insulation can be reasonably achieved by using locally available sustainable

materials like fall leaves, sawdust and shavings, but they are extremely combustible and can prove to be fatal.

BUILDING MATERIALS : LOCAL, SUSTAINABLE, INNOVATION

A

| 45 |

B

INDUSTRIALIZING NATURAL RESOURCES : GROWING BUILDING MATERIALS

The 21st century faces a major change in how we source and produce building materials. We now experience a

shift toward breeding, farming, cultivating or “growing” our resources. A conversion needs to be made from

using non-regenerative mineral resources to regenerative agrarian resources. So far, agrarian resources are most

commonly associated with the food industry. Award winning architect and professor of sustainable construction,

Dirk E Hebel, in the book “Cultivated Building Materials”, explores the idea of biological products becoming a

major resource for the construction industry. The author proposes the idea of growing these nurtured materials

in a conventional soil-based agricultural framework or have breeding farms especially dedicated to growing these

materials that can make the use of microorganisms that were once considered useless. With the progress of the

different phases of industrialization, it can now experience a radical paradigm shift by reintroducing biological

aspects in an otherwise mechanized world. That being said, the raw and organic nature of these materials may

not be aesthetically appealing to all. An example of this the “correction” of the biological imperfections in wood,

that is undergoing standardization to meet international standards. Hebel, bolsters this argument by stating that

besides showing interest in material properties, the efforts to mass produce these natural building materials and

to make them more mainstream needs to be achieved by the “normalization” of these materials to ensure their

controllability and acceptance.

| 46 |

Fig 2.2 |Construction of an adobe structure, Bir, Himchal Pradesh, India

Fig 2.3 |Making mud adobes, Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India

| 47 |

C

AFFORDABILITY REVISITED

People today have opted for a “luxurious” lifestyle and choose to live in a certain place, not because they think

of land as a living entity, but for reasons like the neighborhood being a good or bad choice. Our knowledge about

building materials has undergone a major shift; from using materials in their natural habitat from centuries to

having very little awareness of what is natural versus synthetic.

To address the current housing issue, author Richard Burnham makes a statement saying that, “The future

of self-built housing rests with those who will build their own shelters”. If someone is in need of a house, they

should simply build it rather than thinking that the mass-produced housing is the only way to procure a home for

themselves. Burnham further adds that he thinks the best way to move forward effectively if a person doesn’t

have a piece of land, tools or the finances, is to formulate a design hypothetical piece of land and understand

the realities and economics of a self-built house to set the groundwork for people aspiring to build their own

dwellings.

Since affordability plays a vital part in self-built houses, there are several factors that can be employed to

enhance it. Labor required to construct a building accounts for half the cost of constructing a conventional

house. With houses being built by their owners, the affordability increases considerably since the cost of labor

is zero. Additionally, the levels of sustainability are increased greatly by using building materials that are

self-planted, self-harvested and by reusing rejected building materials.

| 48 |

Fig 2.4 |Earth home, Auroville, India

Fig 2.5 |Structure made of CSEB, Auroville, India

| 49 |

ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO BUILDINGANKITA GANDHIGRADUATE SEMINAR IN ARCHITECTUREARCH - 745 - 02

EVOLUTION OF HUMAN DWELLINGS

PRIMITIVE

UNSAFE/UNSTABLE

SOCIALLYBACKWARD

LACKSINDIVIDUALITY

NOTENVIRONMENTALLYFRIENDLY

SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE

AESTHETICALLYAPPEALING

SAFE & STABLE


TECHNOLOGICALLYADVANCE

UNAFFORDABLE

CULTURALRETENTION

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

INCHARGE OF ONE’S DWELLING

REGENERATION

PROGRESS

TECHNOLOGY

ARCHITECTURAL KNOWLEDGE

PERMACULTURE

GROW YOUR OWN MATERIALS

GROW YOUR OWN HOME

205020001950190018501800STONE AGE

THESIS DIAGRAM

Fig 2.6 |Structure made of CSEB, Auroville, India

| 50 |

ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO BUILDINGANKITA GANDHIGRADUATE SEMINAR IN ARCHITECTUREARCH - 745 - 02

EVOLUTION OF HUMAN DWELLINGS

PRIMITIVE

UNSAFE/UNSTABLE

SOCIALLYBACKWARD

LACKSINDIVIDUALITY


SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE

AESTHETICALLYAPPEALING

SAFE & STABLE


TECHNOLOGICALLYADVANCE

UNAFFORDABLE

CULTURALRETENTION

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

INCHARGE OF ONE’S DWELLING

REGENERATION

PROGRESS

TECHNOLOGY

ARCHITECTURAL KNOWLEDGE

PERMACULTURE

GROW YOUR OWN MATERIALS

GROW YOUR OWN HOME

205020001950190018501800STONE AGE

| 51 |

C A S ES T U D I E S

Fig 2.7 |Artisan work in Bhuj, India

0 5

| 52 |

1. INNOVATIVE TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS : HUNNARSHALA FOUNDATION, BHUJ, GUJA-RAT

2. DHAJJI DEWARI : EARTHQUAKE RESIS-TANT CONSTRUCTION, JAMMU AND KASH-MIR

THE CASE STUDIES DISCUSS AND DEMON-STRATE THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

A. RE-INHABITATION IN EARTHQUAKE PRONE AREASB. LOCALS BUILDING BEING INCHARGE OF THEIR OWN DWELLINGSC. USING VERNACULAR CONSTRUCTION METHODS AND LOCAL MATEIRALS

CASE STUDIES

| 53 |

AINNOVATIVE TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS:

HUNNARSHALA FOUNDATIONBHUJ, GUJARAT

The Hunnarshala practice was born with the earthquake in Kutch in 2001. The foundation successfully got the

Gujarat government and their seismic advisors to recognise that Bhunga, a traditional circular home of the

pastorals of Banni had better earthquake engineering design than all the concrete buildings in Bhuj that were

all destroyed by the impact of the earthquake.

The Bhunga (Bhonga) was introduced by the ancestors of Meghwals, post the earthquake of 1819. The

engineers realized and explained that the circular form of the Bhunga could withstand the lateral thrusts of

an earthquake. In the 2001 earthquake, very few bhungas experienced significant damage in the epicentral

region.

The damage that did occur, was mainly due to poor quality of construction materials and improper mainte-

nance of the structure. There were also fewer injuries to the occupants due to the elements that did collapse.

Fig 2.8 |Bhunga form, Bhuj, India.

| 54 |

Fig 2.9 |Hunnarshala Campus, Kutch, Gujarat

Fig 3.0 |Bhunga : Tradition Kutch building form, Gujarat, India

| 55 |

Architects from various regions that have been affected by earthquakes have all agreed and recognized

traditional knowledge systems as a way to create structurally sound buildings that are earthquake resistant. The

Hunnarshala practice, started by architect Kiran Vaghela, along with several other architects, were able to help

the locals by making technical guidelines using traditional principles for the new construction. Artisans were

also trained and served as supervisors to oversee the reconstruction with these traditional methods.

The Hunnarshala foundation brought together traditional building knowledge, skills and artisans themselves

from all over the world. The local women in Bhuj learnt the Indonesian thatch technique. The institute also takes

into consideration, the waste produced from cities and how it can be used in construction. They have developed

low-cost walls using construction debris. Waste from tile, aggregate and ceramic factories were used for various

types of wall systems.

They developed guidelines for construction in earth technologies for the lack thereof. Along with these

guidelines, they prepared a technical manual for the masons in Gujarati, which is their local language, to

educate them about safe construction practices. These guidelines enabled more than a 100 villages to rebuild

using earth technologies. This also enables to rebuild their homes in a way that didn’t compromise on safety as

well as their cultural expression.

| 56 |

Fig 3.1 |Construction of the modern Bhunga in Bhuj, Gujarat, India

Fig 3.2 |Local women in Bhuj working on building details, Gujarat, India

| 57 |

Dhajji dewari is a timber frame into which one layer of masonry is tightly packed to form a wall, resulting in a

continuous wall membrane of wood and masonry. The term is derived from a Persian word meaning

“patchwork quilt”. The frame of each wall consists not only of vertical studs, but also often of cross-members

that subdivide the masonry infill into smaller panels, impart strength and prevent the masonry from collapsing

out of the frame.

The earthquake resistance of a dhajji building is developed in the following ways:

1. The mortar, masonry infill panels quickly crack in-plane thereby absorbing seismic energy through friction

against the timber framing, and between the cracks and the fill material. Thus, distributing the earthquake

energy evenly.

BDHAJJI DEWARI

EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION, JAMMU AND KASHMIR

| 58 |

Fig 3.3 |Dhajji dewari facade, Kashmir, India

Fig 3.4 |Exploded axonometric of the construction of the Dhajji Dewari system

| 59 |

2. The timber frame and closely spaced bracing, which essentially remains elastic, prevents large cracks from

propagating through the infill walls. Thus, the possibility of out-of-plane collapse of masonry panels is reduced

considerably.

3. The masonry walls are kept relatively thin. This helps to reduce the mass of the building and therefore the

inertial forces that must be resisted during an earthquake.

In the Dhajji system, the floor joists are sandwiched between the horizontal timber plated that form part of each

storey of the frame, and the beams which support the joists at mid-span are integrated into the frames on the

side. There are often different variations on how the timbers are arranged. Some dhajji houses can be found

which have no diagonals. Instead, they rely on the brick infilling alone for lateral stability. Dhajji dewari is

essentially a timber frame construction rather than masonry bearing wall construction.

The dhajji dewari system has not only significant earthquake resistance, but is also cost effective, uses

indigenous available resources and skill, is swift in construction process and makes it a selective choice for

earthquake disaster re-inhabitation. It is also referred in the Indian Standard Codes as brick nogged timber

frame construction. It has been in practice for more than 200 years and similar forms of construction are found

in various parts of the world.

| 60 |

Fig 3.5 |Dhajji Dewari facade, Kashmir

Fig 3.6 |Framing system of a Dhajji dewari wall

| 61 |

| 62 |

Challenge posed by the ISSUE

The Environmental imperitive

Losing Individuality and culture

Effects of the west on the east

Social Hierarchy and status symbol

Decline of Natural Buildings

Natural Buildings

Inextricable connection to sustainability

Realities of the specifica-tion of natural materials

The present in Developing countries

Not everybody can afford and architect

Can home owners build their own homes?

Building Materials - Local & Sustainable

Industrializing Natural resources

Affordability Revisited

Industriallized evolution of buildings and

perception of people

Architecture as identity and classism

Space and culture House Design and Individualism

Rational and expandable layout - Incremental

building with modules

Lack of option of housing for people that can’t

afford it

Deteriorating conditions of the environment as a result of the adoption of the industrialized building industry which has resulted in the decline of natural building practices and the use of sustainable materials. Additionally, developing nations, that are facing an affordable housing crises, are affected severely by the western housing model. Being unprepared to manage the aftermath of western building construction, these nations experience the most grave environmental degeneration and resource depletion. Further, owing to this westernization, these nations are losing their character, identity and social nature of housing and community.

SELF-BUILT HOUSING IN BIR

BUILDING WITH STANDARDIZED NATURAL MATEIRALS

THE ISSUE

THESIS STATEMENT

The proposal puts forth the idea of sustainable self-built houses and managing one’s own building materials being an “option” in a world where buying houses is commonly observed. To bring into practice, the rare combination of owner-builder-designer-master craftsman, all to a human and livable scale. Acknowledging the role that individualism plays in a house design and how it needs to address the ever-changing needs of a human being. Additionally, sustainability can be achieved by revolutionizing the perception and use of building materials. While using local, sustainable harvested materials, and purchasing only the essential manufactured building materials enhances the sustainability of the structure, a fresh perspective on building materials is proposed biological products could become a major resource for the construction industry. This entails that people could potentially grow and their own building materials to address their ever changing housing needs thereby, “Growing their own homes”.

REVIEW I

Fig 3.7 |Thesis diagram II

| 63 |

S I T EA N A L Y S I SS T U D I E S

Fig 3.8 |View from site, Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India

0 6

| 64 |

Bir is a village located in the west of Joginder Nagar Valley in

the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. It is located

at in the Tehsil of Baijnath (subdivision), in the district of

Kangra. Geologically, it is situated in the Dhauladar range of

the foothills of the Indian Himalayas.

Bir-Billing area is the gateway to the tribal part of Himachal

Pradesh, which is known as Bada Bhangal. A sizable

community of Tibetan refugees live in the Tibetan colony

located in Bir. The colony was established in the early 1960’s

when H.H. Dalai Lama was exiled from Tibet and many of his

followers chose to live there.

BIR, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA

| 65 |

SITE ANALYSIS | SITE LOCATION

State Division Country Border

1 km

1.5 km

.75 km

.6 km

.5 km

. 4km

.3 km

.2 km

Water BodyMountainsSite

Fig 3.9 |Site location and surroundings

| 66 |

SITE ANALYSIS | EARTHQUAKE ZONES

State BoundaryCity Boundary

FaultHigh Intensity Earthquake Zone

Medium Intensity Earthquake ZoneLow Intensity Earthquake Zone

8.0 - 5.0 magnitude

Fig 4.0 |Earthquake hazard map | Himachal Pradesh, India

| 68 |

1 km

1.5 km

.75 km

.6 km

.5 km

. 4km

.3 km

.2 km

SITE ANALYSIS | CONTEXUAL MAPPING

Contours

Acess roads

Residential

Religious

1 km

1.5 km

.75 km

.6 km

.5 km

. 4km

.3 km

.2 km

Fig 4.3 |Site Plan | Dhanari, Bir, India

| 69 |

SITE ANALYSIS | CONTEXTUAL MAPPING

Fig 4.4 |Model showing nearby developed areas and density

| 70 |

SITE ANALYSIS | CONTEXUAL MAPPING

Fig 4.5 |Model showing distances to nearby business, religious places

| 71 |

These formations consist of schist, quartzite, slates, phyllites, limestones, granites, gneisses, sandstones, conglomerates and shales. These rocks are generally massive and consolidated, devoid of primary porosity and permeability’s. Secondary porosity and permeability has developed due to the tectonic activities along the fractured joints and fault zones. Weathered zone rarely form an aquifer because of less thickness of the weathered mantle.

EarthquakesLandslidesCloudburstWindstormForest �re

NAT

URAL

HAZ

ARDS

MANMADE HAZARDS NATURAL HAZARDS

Fig 4.6 |Diagrams showing temperature, rainfall, hazards

| 72 |

No construction zones

Forest area

Exisiting structures

Architectural infrastructure

Site area

SLOPE ANALYSIS

KUHL IRRIGATION SYSTEM

RiverKuhl CanalMoghasStepped Fields

SELF-BUILT HOUSING IN BIR

BUILDING WITH STANDARDIZED NATURAL MATEIRALS

Fig 4.7 |Site analysis and kuhl irrigation

| 73 |

SITE PLANNING : The site will be planned in phases around the tradtional irrigation system “Kuhl”. The Kuhl forming the central ele-ment around which the rest of the village will be planned, the rest of the elements like the agricultural fields, houses, primary, second-ary and tertiary road systems and the social spaces will all be planned in phases around it.

SCHEMATIC SITE PLANNING

A. IRRIGATION CANAL

F. GREY WATER SYSTEM CONNECTION

G. SECONDARY ROADWAYS

H. ADDING SOCIAL SPACES

B. LOCATING NEARBY FOREST RESERVES

E. HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE CANAL

C. SETTING UP AGRICULTURAL TERRACES

D. PAVING PRIMARY ROADS

Fig 4.8 |Diagram showing site planning strategy

| 74 |

|

D E S I G ND E V E L O P M E N T

0 7

Fig 4.9 |Typical village settlement in Bir, India

| 76 |

| 78 |

DESIGN DIRECTION

MATERIALS LOCALLY AVAILABLEPHASE I

BUILD YOUR OWN HOME GROW YOUR OWN BUILDING MATERIALS INCREMENTAL HOUSING

PHASE II PHASE III

Community

Social Housing

Shared Resources

Collective Agriculture

Family expansion

Finances permit

Shared Resources

Collective Agriculture

Cultivating Building Materials

EXTRACTING ANDCULTIVATING NATURAL RESOURCES

CONVERTING THEM TO BUILDING MATERIALS WITH TECHNOLOGY

MODULARIZING AND STANDARDIZING ELEMENTS

BUILDING USING CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

CREATING THE CORE SHELL

ADDING CUSTOMELEMENTS

DESIGN DIRECTION

Fig 5.2 |Site analysis and kuhl irrigation

| 79 |

FEATURES OF THE VERNACULAR DWELLING

SMALL DOOR AND WINDOW OPENINGS

FEATURES THAT DIDN’T WORK FEATURES THAT WORKED

LACK OF VIEWS

HEAT LOSS

SCARCENATURAL LIGHT

POOR INSULATION

LINE UP IN LINE WITHCONTOUR OF SITE

ORIENTED TOWARDS THE SOUTH FOR MAX SUNLIGHT

VERANDAH WRAPPED AROUND ROOMS ON TOP LEVEL TO PROTECT FROM THE COLD

GROUND FLOOR FORSTORAGE AND CATTLE

SPACE FOR WORK ADJACENT TO HOME

FEATURES OF A VERNACULAR DWELLING

Fig 5.3 |Diagram showing features of the vernacular dwelling

| 80 |

SCHEMATIC HOUSE PROGRAM“House form is not simply the result of physical forces or any single causal factor, but is the consequence of a whole range of socio-cultural factors”

- Amos Rapoport

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PAHADI MAN AND WOMAN

SECTION SHOWING A PAHADI MAN AND WOMAN DOING THEIR DAILY CHORES

HOUSE PROGRAM

SPACE FOR CATTLE

STORAGE

SPACE FOR WORK

VERANDAH

KITCHEN

LIVING ROOM

BED ROOM

BATHROOM

SCHEMATIC PROGRAM

Fig 5.4 |Diagram showing the spatial planning and daily lives of the villagers

|

M A T E R I A L S&

C O N S T R U C T I O N

08

Fig 5.5 |Natural rock formation in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India

| 82 |

Fissured formations consist of schist, quartzite, slates, phyllites, limestones, granites, gneisses, sandstones, conglomerates and shales. These rocks are gen-erally massive and consolidated, devoid of primary porosity and permeabili-ty’s. Secondary porosity and permeability has developed due to the tectonic activities along the fractured joints and fault zones.

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AND MATERIALITY IN BIR

EXISTING BUILDING TYPOLOGIES TRADITIONAL BUILDING TYPOLOGIES MATERIALS LOCALLY AVAILABLE

SANDSTONE

ADOBE STRUCTURE

CONCRETE STRUCTURES

TRADITIONAL WOOD AND STONE CONSTRUCTION



GRANITE WOOD

EARTH

SCHIST

QUARZITE

SLATE

MATERAL RESOURCES IN BIR

Fig 5.6 |Diagram showing material resources in Bir, India

| 85 |

MATERIALITY

CATEGORY 1ON SITE MATERIALS

Earth

G | Floor extention board

A | Overlap adobe

B | Reinforceable Insulation adobe

C | Wood overlap block

D | Connection block

E | Overlap connector block

F | Reinforcable corner block

H | Reinforcement / Hinge pins

Foundation

Slate / Natural rocks

Cedar Wood

Bamboo

Corn

Agricultural by-products

CATEGORY 2 NATURALLY GROWN

MATERIAL RESOURCES

CATEGORY 3CULTIVATED BUILDING

MATERIALS

MATERIALS | SHORTLISTED

Fig 6.1 |Diagram showing shortlisted materials for proposed dwelling

| 86 |

BUILDING MODULES

BUILDING MODULES

Removing and adding blocks to create

desired sizes of openings

Adding floor boards to create verandahs

Bamboo used as rein-forcement for expansion

and as hinge pins for openings

AF

G

H

BE

CD

WALL AXONOMETRIC BASED OF THREE PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY

Fig 6.2 |Diagram showing the proposed wall composition

| 88 |

WALL DESIGN | BUILDING BLOCK VARIATION

Fig 6.5 |Model showing variation in proposed wall for modifications

| 89 |

WALL DETAIL | FOUNDATION TO WALL TO FLOOR CONNECTION

Fig 6.6 |Diagram showing proposed wall system

| 90 |

Fig 6.8 |Sketch showing dwelling expansion patterns

Fig 6.7 |Sketch showing proposed construction system

| 91 |

S Y S T E M S

0 9

| 92 |

| 93 |

ROCKET MASS HEATER AND ROCKET STOVE

A rocket mass heater is a space heating system developed from the rocket stove, a type of efficient wood-burning

stove, and the masonry heater. Its fundamental characteristics are an insulated combustion chamber where

fuel (generally wood) is burned with high efficiency at extremely high temperatures, and a large thermal mass in

contact with the exhaust gases which absorbs most of the generated heat before the gases are released to the

atmosphere

The rocket mass heater in the housing unit also serves as a rocket stove. The heat from the heating chamber

rises through steel pipes and is channeled into an earthen mass which serves as a stove top for cooking. the

rest of the heat rises and is distributed to the rest of the house through vents and heated masses facilitated by

steel pipes.

An internal vertical insulated chimney, the combustion chamber, ensures an efficient high-temperature burn and

creates enough draft to push exhaust gases through the rest of the system

HEATING | ROCKET MASS HEATING SYSTEM

| 94 |

Fig 6.9 |Diagrams showing the rocket mass heating system

| 95 |

VENTILATION

The ventilation of the structure is a crucial element of the design. Traditional vernacular settlements have

extremely small door and window openings due to the cold winter winds.

This design facilitates cross ventilation by providing adequate openings. The ground floor is protected

by the verandah on the upper storey and the verandah itself is protected by a wooden jali that wraps around

the entire upper storey thereby protecting the inhabitants from strong winds. The nature of the jali is such that

it allows the passage of wind at a controlled level. It also protects from other external factors like birds and

other animals.

Fig 7.0 |Diagrams showing ventilation in the proposed dwelling space

| 96 |

LIGHTING | LIGHT STUDIES

THE IMPORTANCE OF LIGHT AND VIEWS IN PAHADI SETTLEMENTS

The Pahadi homes in Bir lack both natural lighting and views due to extremely small openings to shield

themselves from the hard winter and the winds. The Jali screen prove to be instrumental in providing both

controlled natural lighting and views to the holy mountains. At a spatial level the jaIi allows one to connect with

the outside while maintaining a certain of privacy.

Design of the jali can help bring in indirect light. The villagers have the option to play with the design of apertures

to bring in diffused light - depending upon the direction in which the jali is desired. At a spatial level the jaIi

allows one to connect with the Outside while maintaining a certain of privacy. Design of the jali can help bringing

in indirect light.

Fig 7.1 |Light study models

| 97 |

T E C H N I C A LM A N U A L

1 0

Fig 7.2 |Diagram showing wall components

MATERIALITY


Earth


A | Overlap adobe







Foundation


Cedar Wood

Bamboo

Corn



MATERIAL RESOURCES


MATERIALS

| 98 |

MATERIALITY


Earth


A | Overlap adobe







Foundation


Cedar Wood

Bamboo

Corn



MATERIAL RESOURCES


MATERIALS

| 99 |

TECHNICAL MANUAL | CONCEPTION

Table of contents

Fig 7.3 |Technical manual table of contents

| 100 |

Fig 7.4 |Technical manual table of contents

| 101 |

TECHNICAL MANUAL | CONCEPTION

Fig 7.5 |Sample manual format

| 102 |

Fig 7.6 |Sample manual format

| 103 |

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TECHNICAL MANUAL | TOC

| 104 |

01 02

03 04

05 06

SITE SELECTION

KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY SITE SAFETY

MAKING BUILDING BLOCKS SUSTENANCE!

KNOW YOUR NATURAL RESOURCES

07FOUNDATION

Materials on SiteAgricultural Products

Cultivated natural materials

What to wearPrecautions

Tools you will need

Culture and LifestyleThe Vernacular dwellingForming a barter system

Plot SelectionLand Preparation

Space for future expansion

ExcavationMaterials used

Material PreparationTips for stability

Himachali Dham(Traditional lentil and rice recipe)

AdobeWood blocks

Bamboo Corncrete

Wood foam

HarvestingProcessingRefinement

Uses

Fig 7.7 |Revised manual table of contents

| 105 |

08

09 10

11 12

FLOOR SYSTEMS

WALL SYSTEMS

HEATING SYSTEM ORNAMENTATION

ROOF FRAMING

13 14HOUSE LAYOUT OPEN SOURCE FORUM

Laying out Exterior WallsLaying out Interior Walls

Wall variationsExpansion systems

Roofing Prep WorkBamboo Trusses

SkylightsWater Collection

Bamboo Primary Grid SystemBamboo Secondary Grid

Wood Flooring Boards

The JaliOrnamental PanelsStaircase, Ramps

Partitions

Rocket Mass HeatingRocket Stove

Proposed House FormLayout VariationsMulti-Core Homes

ExperimentationWhat WorkedWhat Didn’tComments

Fig 7.8 |Revised manual table of contents

| 106 |

RECIPE WOOD FOAM

1. Resource cultivation2. Tree logs3. Wood chips4. Water5. Fibrilation process6. Foaming agent7. Thermal treatment8. Cultivated building element9. Biological decomposition10. Biological nutrients

1

2

3 4

6

7

9

10

5

8

RECIPE WOOD FOAM


RECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPE THE MIX

TECHNICAL MANUAL | DEVELOPMENT

Fig 7.9 |Technical manual | Material processing

| 107 |

1

2

34

6

7

9

10

5

8

RECIPE ADOBE

1. Earth2. Sand3. Straw4. Water5. Adobe mix6. Hydrafoam processor7. Interlock adobe8. Interlock adobe variation9. Reinforce-adobe10. Biological nutrients

RECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE [ Adobe is not software ] THE MIX


| 108 |

RECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBE

TEST THE MIX!

[ Adobe is not software ]

Shovel dirt onto the screen

[ Add water to taste ]

BORA - Wheat bag

Ready to use in “x” days

Elementary

Screened dirt ready for mix!

THE MIXRECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBE [ Adobe is not software ] THE MIX


| 109 |

RECIPE ADOBERECIPE

It is very important to have a thoroughly homogenous mixture. Mix dry, mix wet and remix before you use the earth mix!

ADOBE

Add enough water to moisten the soil mix

TEST : First step

A handful of the mix, when pressed forms a ball that doesn’t wet the palm

Drop the ball from a few feet above ground level

Too Dry Just right Too wet

TESTING THE MIX

!Fig 8.2 |Technical manual | Material processing

| 110 |

Shovel dirt onto the screen Screened dirt ready for mix!

Let it sun dry for about 3 - 4 weeks

HANDMADE ADOBE

Wet the mold before you chuck the mix in. The mix has to be just the right consistency. Too wet and it will slouch. Too dry and it will refuse to come out of the mold!

RECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBE


| 111 |

Adobe Mix : Clay, Concrete, sand,fibers and water

Adding water to get the right consistency

Adobe Mold

Adobe Mold Fresh out of the mold adobes Partially dry adobes

HANDMADE ADOBEEXPERIMENT

This experiment included the use of additional materials like concrete and fibers to accelerate the drying process.!

CONSTRUCTION ADOBE

Fig 8.4 |Adobe Experiment

| 112 |

Adobe Mold

OVER LAP ADOBE

INSULATION REINFORCE ADOBE

ADOBES JOINED VERTICALLY WITH CLAR MORTAR

ADOBES CONNECTED HORIZONTALLY WITH LAP

JOINTS

ADOBES CONNECTED ON FLAT HORIZONTAL SIDE

WITH MORTAR

MAKING A WALLCONSTRUCTION ADOBE

Fig 8.5 |Technical manual | Proposed adobe wall course

| 113 |

TYPICAL ADOBE COURSE

WINDOW VARIATION WALL

Bamboo Reinforcement

A typical adobe course would comprise of the reinforce adobe to be sandwiched in between rows of the overlap adobe. These can typically be stacked for a one-storey structure without any additional support.To go higher, bamboo reinforcements need to be passed through the reinforce adobes.

More wall variations can be achieved by removing adobes to create niches or to create a brick jali pattern!

MAKING A WALLCONSTRUCTION ADOBE

For a window in an adobe wall, simple skip the bricks in place of the opening. To finish the opening, you can either finish the jagged edges with clay mortar.Additionally, a wooden frame can be added to support a window

Fig 8.6 |Technical manual | Proposed adobe wall course

| 114 |

OPENSOURCE

WHAT WORKED?

WHAT DIDN’T?

ADOBEADOBEADOBE [ Adobe is not software ] THE MIX

Fig 8.7 |Technical manual | Open source page

| 115 |

F I N A LB O A R D S

1 1

| 116 |

| 117 |

Fig 8.8 |Final boards | Site study

A Renaissance of Vernacular Eco-Architecture Self-Built housing in Bir, India

Ankita Gandhi

ARCH 799: Graduate Architecture Studio

Thesis II, Spring 2019

Prof. Julie Rogers Varland

Deteriorating conditions of the environment as a result of the adoption of the industrialized building industry which has resulted in the decline of natural building practices and the use of sustainable materials. Additionally, developing nations, that are facing an affordable housing crises, are affected severely by the western housing model. Being unprepared to manage the aftermath of western building construction, these nations experience the most grave environ-

mental degeneration and resource depletion. Further, owing to this westernization, these nations are losing their character, identity and social nature of housing and community.

The proposal puts forth the idea of sustainable self-built houses and managing one’s own building ma-terials being an “option” in a world where buying houses is commonly observed. To bring into practice,

the rare combination of owner-builder-designer-master craftsman, all to a human and livable scale. Acknowledging the role that individualism plays in a house design and how it needs to address the

ever-changing needs of a human being. Additionally, sustainability can be achieved by revolutionizing the perception and use of building materials. While using local, sustainable harvested materials, and

purchasing only the essential manufactured building materials enhances the sustainability of the struc-ture, a fresh perspective on building materials is proposed biological products could become a major resource for the construction industry. This entails that people could potentially grow and their own

building materials to address their ever changing housing needs thereby, “Growing their own homes”

Material Resources

WOOD

STONE

EARTH

BAMBOO

SLATE

GRANITE

STONE

CULTIVATE

HARVEST

PROCESS

ORNAMENTATION

AGRICULTURISTS

FARMERS

WOOD WORKERS

SCULPTORS

Local skills and assets

BARTER SYSTEM

SUSTAINABLEEARTHQUAKE PROOFINDIVIDUALTIYTRIPLE BOTTOM ECONOMICS

COMMUNITYBUILDING

AESTHITICALLY PLEASING

ANCIENT TECHNIQUES OF CONTRUCTION IN BIR

Challenge posed by the issue

How the issue impacts the society

Exploratory Studies

Empirical Research

The environmental Imperitive Losing Individuality and culture Lack of housing option for people that cannot afford to buy houses

What makes these techniques successful?

Kath - KuniStone carving Dhajji Dewari Wooden carving

Allows movement during seismic

activities

Resilient, Insulative Low seismic impact due to constructuion in

sections

Aesthetically Appealing

WesternInfluence

Social Status:Vernacular = Primitive

Lack of skill Lack of awareness of local resources

UnfinessedWeak UnsustainableVulnerable

strategy for sustainable communitydriven development.

HOW TO LINK MICRO-ASSETS TO THE MACRO-ENVIRONMENT?

Why aren’t these techniques common practice anymore?

Current form of housing in Bir

How could one address this issue?

ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The Issue

Bir is a village located in the west of Joginder Nagar Valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh innorthern India. Bir is a noted centre for ecotourism, spiritual studies, and meditation.

Bir is also home to a Tibetan refugee settlement with several Buddhist monasteries and a large stupa.

Bir is located at in the Tehsil (administrative subdivision) of Baijnath, in the District of Kangra in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated approximately 50 km (31 mi) southeast of

Dharamshala at a distance of two to three hours by road. It is 14 km south of Billing, which lies on the way to the Thamsar Pass leading to Bara Bhangal. Geologically, Bir is situated in the Joginder Nagar Valley, Dhauladhar Range of the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. Bir,

along with the whole Kangra Valley is extremely earthquake prone.

Dharmalaya is an Indian charitable organisation devoted to education and empowerment for compassionate living, with a practical focus on sustainable village development, contempla-

tive service-learning, immersive ecotourism, and the preservation and adaptation of traditional

wisdom.

MissionDharmalaya’s mission is to unite the best of traditional wisdom with creative innovation to

produce compelling possibilities for sustainable and compassionate living in the Himalayas and beyond.

VisionThey envision local and global communities that apply humanity’s gifts of intelligence, creativ-ity, and caring to synthesize the very best of both tradition and modernity, particularly as man-

ifest in ecological sustainability, applied compassion, and shared prosperity

Dharmalaya Institute offers volunteer and service-learning opportunities through activities including natural building (eco-friendly earthen architecture), organic farming and landscap-

ing, and other fields related to sustainable and compassionate living. A few years ago, I got the opportunity to volunteer at Dharmalaya and help the locals build

their own houses. This experience proved to be a platform of knowledge exchange where the volunteers got to work with the locals and learn indigenous construction techniques from

them and in turn got to help them refine these techniques based on modern day construction principles.

The Site

Dharmalaya

Volunteering Opportunity

Thesis Statement

Proposed form of dwelling

Design StrategiesResearch


Why natural Buildings?

Decline of natural buildings

The vanishing vernacular

Industrialized evolution of buildings and perception of people


House Design and Individualism

Rational and expandable home layout

Building materials - Local, sustainable, harvested materials

Industrializing natural resources - Growing building materials

Revisiting affordability

Natural buildings and their inextricable connection to sustainability

Natural materials and the reality of their specification

Restrictions of using non-industrial methods in an industrial environment

A look at the present in developing countries

Architects – qualifications, responsibilities and professional conduct

Not everybody can afford an architect

Can home owners build their own home?

Social hierarchy and status symbol

Site Planning

Natural rivers

Khul Irrigation canals

ArchitecturalInfrastructure

Single Unit Homes

Community Homes

Forest Area

Volunteering at Dharmalaya

Construction at the Dharmalaya institute

Pahadi women engaged in daily chores

Wood working practices in Bir

Argicultural Area

Social Spaces

“Here, for years, for centuries, the peasant had wisely and quietly exploited the obvious building material, while we, with our modern school-learned ideas, never

dreamed of using such a ludicrous substance as mud for so serous a creation as a house. But why not? Certainly, the peasant’s houses might by cramped, dark, and inconvenient, but this is no fault of the mud brick. There was nothing that could not be put right by good design and a

broom.”- Fathy ( 1973 : 4)

| 118 |

A Renaissance of Vernacular Eco-Architecture Self-Built housing in Bir, India

Ankita Gandhi




Deteriorating conditions of the environment as a result of the adoption of the industrialized building industry which has resulted in the decline of natural building practices and the use of sustainable materials. Additionally, developing nations, that are facing an affordable housing crises, are affected severely by the western housing model. Being unprepared to manage the aftermath of western building construction, these nations experience the most grave environ-

mental degeneration and resource depletion. Further, owing to this westernization, these nations are losing their character, identity and social nature of housing and community.

The proposal puts forth the idea of sustainable self-built houses and managing one’s own building ma-terials being an “option” in a world where buying houses is commonly observed. To bring into practice,

the rare combination of owner-builder-designer-master craftsman, all to a human and livable scale. Acknowledging the role that individualism plays in a house design and how it needs to address the

ever-changing needs of a human being. Additionally, sustainability can be achieved by revolutionizing the perception and use of building materials. While using local, sustainable harvested materials, and

purchasing only the essential manufactured building materials enhances the sustainability of the struc-ture, a fresh perspective on building materials is proposed biological products could become a major resource for the construction industry. This entails that people could potentially grow and their own

building materials to address their ever changing housing needs thereby, “Growing their own homes”

Material Resources

WOOD

STONE

EARTH

BAMBOO

SLATE

GRANITE

STONE

CULTIVATE

HARVEST

PROCESS

ORNAMENTATION

AGRICULTURISTS

FARMERS

WOOD WORKERS

SCULPTORS

Local skills and assets

BARTER SYSTEM

SUSTAINABLEEARTHQUAKE PROOFINDIVIDUALTIYTRIPLE BOTTOM ECONOMICS

COMMUNITYBUILDING

AESTHITICALLY PLEASING

ANCIENT TECHNIQUES OF CONTRUCTION IN BIR

Challenge posed by the issue

How the issue impacts the society

Exploratory Studies

Empirical Research

The environmental Imperitive Losing Individuality and culture Lack of housing option for people that cannot afford to buy houses

What makes these techniques successful?

Kath - KuniStone carving Dhajji Dewari Wooden carving

Allows movement during seismic

activities

Resilient, Insulative Low seismic impact due to constructuion in

sections

Aesthetically Appealing

WesternInfluence

Social Status:Vernacular = Primitive

Lack of skill Lack of awareness of local resources

UnfinessedWeak UnsustainableVulnerable

strategy for sustainable communitydriven development.

HOW TO LINK MICRO-ASSETS TO THE MACRO-ENVIRONMENT?

Why aren’t these techniques common practice anymore?

Current form of housing in Bir

How could one address this issue?

ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The Issue

Bir is a village located in the west of Joginder Nagar Valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh innorthern India. Bir is a noted centre for ecotourism, spiritual studies, and meditation.

Bir is also home to a Tibetan refugee settlement with several Buddhist monasteries and a large stupa.

Bir is located at in the Tehsil (administrative subdivision) of Baijnath, in the District of Kangra in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated approximately 50 km (31 mi) southeast of

Dharamshala at a distance of two to three hours by road. It is 14 km south of Billing, which lies on the way to the Thamsar Pass leading to Bara Bhangal. Geologically, Bir is situated in the Joginder Nagar Valley, Dhauladhar Range of the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. Bir,

along with the whole Kangra Valley is extremely earthquake prone.

Dharmalaya is an Indian charitable organisation devoted to education and empowerment for compassionate living, with a practical focus on sustainable village development, contempla-

tive service-learning, immersive ecotourism, and the preservation and adaptation of traditional

wisdom.

MissionDharmalaya’s mission is to unite the best of traditional wisdom with creative innovation to

produce compelling possibilities for sustainable and compassionate living in the Himalayas and beyond.

VisionThey envision local and global communities that apply humanity’s gifts of intelligence, creativ-ity, and caring to synthesize the very best of both tradition and modernity, particularly as man-

ifest in ecological sustainability, applied compassion, and shared prosperity

Dharmalaya Institute offers volunteer and service-learning opportunities through activities including natural building (eco-friendly earthen architecture), organic farming and landscap-

ing, and other fields related to sustainable and compassionate living. A few years ago, I got the opportunity to volunteer at Dharmalaya and help the locals build

their own houses. This experience proved to be a platform of knowledge exchange where the volunteers got to work with the locals and learn indigenous construction techniques from

them and in turn got to help them refine these techniques based on modern day construction principles.

The Site

Dharmalaya

Volunteering Opportunity

Thesis Statement

Proposed form of dwelling

Design StrategiesResearch


Why natural Buildings?

Decline of natural buildings

The vanishing vernacular

Industrialized evolution of buildings and perception of people


House Design and Individualism

Rational and expandable home layout

Building materials - Local, sustainable, harvested materials

Industrializing natural resources - Growing building materials

Revisiting affordability

Natural buildings and their inextricable connection to sustainability

Natural materials and the reality of their specification

Restrictions of using non-industrial methods in an industrial environment

A look at the present in developing countries

Architects – qualifications, responsibilities and professional conduct

Not everybody can afford an architect

Can home owners build their own home?

Social hierarchy and status symbol

Site Planning

Natural rivers

Khul Irrigation canals

ArchitecturalInfrastructure

Single Unit Homes

Community Homes

Forest Area

Volunteering at Dharmalaya

Construction at the Dharmalaya institute

Pahadi women engaged in daily chores

Wood working practices in Bir

Argicultural Area

Social Spaces

“Here, for years, for centuries, the peasant had wisely and quietly exploited the obvious building material, while we, with our modern school-learned ideas, never

dreamed of using such a ludicrous substance as mud for so serous a creation as a house. But why not? Certainly, the peasant’s houses might by cramped, dark, and inconvenient, but this is no fault of the mud brick. There was nothing that could not be put right by good design and a

broom.”- Fathy ( 1973 : 4)

| 119 |

Fig 8.9 |Final boards | Systems and structure

Bamboo Roof Detail

Bamboo Joinery

Adobe Modules

Wood Block Modules

Overlap

Bamboo Beam

Bamboo Roof Framing

Bamboo Roof Framing

Expansion

Reinforced

Expansion

Expansion

Footing

Footing

Bamboo pile

Bamboo pile

Stone Plinth

Stone Plinth

Reinforced

Filler

Foundation to Plinth

Foundation Detail

Systems and StructureConstruction Strategy

Flexible construction system to allow movement in case of an earthquake. Modular system to allow expansion and modifications. Floor system: Bamboo cross beams resting on the walls. 1 inch dia bamboo rafters rest on beam structure. This struc-ture supports wooden floor boards

Potential Issues

1. Walls not being levelled and this results in an uneven level finish of the entrire building2. Not being able to go higher than two storeys3. Air gaps4. lack of insulation5. Racking of structure.

Proposed Solutions

1. To level out the foundation surface evenly with the use of adobes and mortar so that all the walls are levelled. 2. Thick walls ensure stability and insulation3. Bamboo reinforcement that connects on each level and to the flooring right down to the foundation level allows the walls to go higher than two storeys.

Rocket mass heater and rocket stove

A rocket mass heater is a space heating system developed from the rocket stove, a type of efficient wood-burning stove, and the masonry heater. Its fundamental characteristics are an insulated combustion chamber where fuel (generally wood) is burned with high efficiency at extremely high temperatures, and a large thermal mass in contact with the exhaust gases which absorbs most of the generated heat before the gases are released to the atmosphere

The rocket mass heater in the housing unit also serves as a rocket stove. The heat from the heating chamber rises through steel pipes and is channeled into an earthen mass which serves as a stove top for cooking. the rest of the heat rises and is distributed to the rest of the house through vents and heated masses facilitated by steel pipes.

An internal vertical insulated chimney, the combustion chamber, ensures an efficient high-temperature burn and creates enough draft to push exhaust gases through the rest of the system

The house form

The house plan has been oriented and planned based on a Mandala since most of the villagers are predominantly hindu and some buddhists. The mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol representing the universe. In common use, a mandala is used as a diagram, chart or a geometric pattern that rep-resents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically .The basic form of a mandala is a square with one focal centre point. This cosmic grid systematically structures the housing unit. Hindu homes, are especially planned based on vastu shastra, which is similar to fengshui. Vastu Shastra gives the directive princi-ples regarding construction of buildings so as not to displease the Vastu Purusha who is a mythical cosmic super human created by the hindu gods. The pro-portions of this superhuman fit the mandala in a way where it dictates the planning of each room of the house.

Heat map on ground floor

Axonometric showing heat distribution

Heat map on first floor

Rocket mass heater

Section through heating chamber

Rocket stove

Ground floor plan First floor plan

Grey water flows into kuhl canal

Legend

1. Space for cattle

2. Storage

3. Animal wash

4. Heating chamber

5. Living room

6. Bathroom

7. Kitchen and dining

8. Verandah

1

23

4

5

67

8

Ankita Gandhi




| 120 |

Bamboo Roof Detail

Bamboo Joinery

Adobe Modules

Wood Block Modules

Overlap

Bamboo Beam

Bamboo Roof Framing

Bamboo Roof Framing

Expansion

Reinforced

Expansion

Expansion

Footing

Footing

Bamboo pile

Bamboo pile

Stone Plinth

Stone Plinth

Reinforced

Filler

Foundation to Plinth

Foundation Detail

Systems and StructureConstruction Strategy

Flexible construction system to allow movement in case of an earthquake. Modular system to allow expansion and modifications. Floor system: Bamboo cross beams resting on the walls. 1 inch dia bamboo rafters rest on beam structure. This struc-ture supports wooden floor boards

Potential Issues

1. Walls not being levelled and this results in an uneven level finish of the entrire building2. Not being able to go higher than two storeys3. Air gaps4. lack of insulation5. Racking of structure.

Proposed Solutions

1. To level out the foundation surface evenly with the use of adobes and mortar so that all the walls are levelled. 2. Thick walls ensure stability and insulation3. Bamboo reinforcement that connects on each level and to the flooring right down to the foundation level allows the walls to go higher than two storeys.

Rocket mass heater and rocket stove

A rocket mass heater is a space heating system developed from the rocket stove, a type of efficient wood-burning stove, and the masonry heater. Its fundamental characteristics are an insulated combustion chamber where fuel (generally wood) is burned with high efficiency at extremely high temperatures, and a large thermal mass in contact with the exhaust gases which absorbs most of the generated heat before the gases are released to the atmosphere

The rocket mass heater in the housing unit also serves as a rocket stove. The heat from the heating chamber rises through steel pipes and is channeled into an earthen mass which serves as a stove top for cooking. the rest of the heat rises and is distributed to the rest of the house through vents and heated masses facilitated by steel pipes.

An internal vertical insulated chimney, the combustion chamber, ensures an efficient high-temperature burn and creates enough draft to push exhaust gases through the rest of the system

The house form

The house plan has been oriented and planned based on a Mandala since most of the villagers are predominantly hindu and some buddhists. The mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol representing the universe. In common use, a mandala is used as a diagram, chart or a geometric pattern that rep-resents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically .The basic form of a mandala is a square with one focal centre point. This cosmic grid systematically structures the housing unit. Hindu homes, are especially planned based on vastu shastra, which is similar to fengshui. Vastu Shastra gives the directive princi-ples regarding construction of buildings so as not to displease the Vastu Purusha who is a mythical cosmic super human created by the hindu gods. The pro-portions of this superhuman fit the mandala in a way where it dictates the planning of each room of the house.

Heat map on ground floor

Axonometric showing heat distribution

Heat map on first floor

Rocket mass heater

Section through heating chamber

Rocket stove

Ground floor plan First floor plan

Grey water flows into kuhl canal

Legend

1. Space for cattle

2. Storage

3. Animal wash

4. Heating chamber

5. Living room

6. Bathroom

7. Kitchen and dining

8. Verandah

1

23

4

5

67

8

Ankita Gandhi




| 121 |

Fig 9.0 |Final boards | The vernacular form analysis

| 122 |

| 123 |

Ornamentation and Self-Expression

The Jali

Jali can be described as a perforated screen, usually with an ornamental pattern. Containing minute carved, delicate geometrical and floral designs, these perforated screens become an integral component of self-expression of the dwellings of the people of Bir.

The jali is proposed to be an effective element replacing modern day glass for a transparent view and yet improving on the glass by controlling glare and allowing breeze.

The jali helps the inhabitants with better aesthetic grace as well as with managing the environment within socio-cultural denominations of privacy and security.

The proposed low cost Jali module, also serves as a window, giving the inhabitant more control over the atmosphere they desire.

Carved Panels

The ornate nature of the vernacular houses in Bir, take after their temples. A wooden temple is a subtle reproduction of a deodar tree in form and spirit. If nature has bestowed deodar tree to conceptualize a temple, the people of Bir believe that man has contributed his artistic talent, ingenuity and skill to make it beautiful. Thus, a wooden temple identifies itself with the divine wood, not only materially and externally, butspiritually and internally.

The knowledge and skill of woodworking has hence been passed on from generation to generation, thus building a community full of skilled woodworkers. This gives theinhabitants of the dwelling the means to decorate their space with their idea of representation.

The Staircase Module

The staircase module can easily be made by assembling rounded wooden panels in an overlapping pattern and passing a dowel through the holes in these overlapping areas.

This modular and flexible typology creates a system that is multi-purpose, multi-functional, and resistant to seismic forces since it allows movement.

This module has been proposed primarily to act as a modular staircase where heights can be added or adjusted as required by the inhabitants. It can also serve as a ramp, furniture and partitions.

This staircase module gets attached to a wood plate that is mounted on the wall with bolts, allowing easy renovations in the future. The protruding dowels creates an opportunity for innovative solutions for handrails. The bamboo handrail proposed, allows for the dowel to pass through it and latches on to the ceiling, creating a safe perforated screen effect.

Ankita Gandhi



Prof. Julie Rogers VarlandFig 9.1 |Final boards | Ornamentation

| 124 |

SELF-BUILT HOUSING , Bir, Himachal pradesh, India

Fig 9.2 |Final boards | Quotes

| 125 |

1

2

34

6

7

9

10

5

8

RECIPE ADOBE


RECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBE [ Adobe is not software ] THE MIXRECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBE

RECIPE WOOD FOAM


1

2

3 4

6

7

9

10

5

8

RECIPE WOOD FOAM


RECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPE THE MIXRECIPERECIPE RECIPE BAMBOORECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPE

Material resources and processing

Earth Wood Bamboo

Single Level Expansion Multi Level Expansion Community blocks

Dwelling expansion patterns

Site Section

Site planning phases

Phase 1: Khul irrigation canal

Phase 4: Grey water system

Phase 2: Natural Resources

Phase 5: Road Network

Phase 3: Agriculture

Phase 6: Social Spaces

Phase 4: House location

Ankita Gandhi




Fig 9.3 |Final boards | Site section

| 126 |

1

2

34

6

7

9

10

5

8

RECIPE ADOBE


RECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBE [ Adobe is not software ] THE MIXRECIPE ADOBERECIPE ADOBE

RECIPE WOOD FOAM


1

2

3 4

6

7

9

10

5

8

RECIPE WOOD FOAM


RECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPE THE MIXRECIPERECIPE RECIPE BAMBOORECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPERECIPE

Material resources and processing

Earth Wood Bamboo

Single Level Expansion Multi Level Expansion Community blocks

Dwelling expansion patterns

Site Section

Site planning phases

Phase 1: Khul irrigation canal

Phase 4: Grey water system

Phase 2: Natural Resources

Phase 5: Road Network

Phase 3: Agriculture

Phase 6: Social Spaces

Phase 4: House location

Ankita Gandhi




| 127 |

“Small Pleasures of life”

- Peter and Alison Smithson

What are the small pleasures of life?

- To see the sunlight spread across the floor

- To stand inside your dwelling and look out without glare

- To look at mountains, vegeta-tion, trees, while sitting

- To be in a warm and cozy space in the cold months of winter

- To sit and eat a meal with your family

- To read a book or write by a window with creepers

People that live closely with their

animals

Nearly 90% of the population in Himachal Pradesh is spread in small villages. The rural population has traditionally depended upon agriculture and animal husbundary as prime economic activities . Thepatterns of the built forms and settlements reflect the centrality of these activities.

For the people of Bir, the animals are not just a source of income, but are members of the family. They work and dwell with them and are a part of several recreational activities and religious practices.

Asset Based Community

Development

The community of Bir comprises primarily of agriculturists, farmers, wood workers and sculptors. They follow a sustainable community driven development by identifying andmobilizing existing, but often unrecognized assets, and thereby responding to and creating local economic opportunity.

Aesthetics of craftsmanship

Fashioned out of a limited palette of materials, tools and construction techniques, the indigenous houses of Himachal reflect not just remarkable thematic unity of material practice but also exhibit a range of creative details from wood carving, joinery, surface articulation, door handles that are all an integral part of building construction. Each detail is justified functionally which shows the material sensibility and ingenuity in handling.

The Verandah

“The best part of the present house is the

veranda,” the U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes journaled in 1873. “But I would enlarge it. I want a veranda with a house

attached.”

The verandah makes up an integral part of the house that lets its inhabitants embrace indoor-outdoor living. The aspectss that the villagers of Bir dream of having as a part of their dwelling space is mainly natural light and large openings.

The Verandah facilitates that by providing abundant natural light and views to the Holy mountains through the pivoting Jali system.

The jali helps the inhabitants with better aesthetic grace as well as with managing the en-vironment within socio-cultural denominations of privacy and security.

The Simple Pleasures of Life

The western-central Himalaya’s native heritage of aseismic construction is being rapidly lost, due to theincreasing numbers of reinforced cement concrete structures. This decline is due to a variety of factors, including changing cultural values, demographic and economic transitions, and rural development programmes.

This change has resulted in a loss of traditional functional and ornamental features like the Jali and other elements of self expression.

The proposal puts forward an idea of a space that brings back the vernacular features combined with an aseismic building typology, thereby letting the villagers experience “ The simple pleasurs of life”

Fig 9.5 |Final boards | Verandah render

Fig 9.4 |Final boards | First floor render

| 128 |











animals




Development




The Verandah

“The best part of the present house is the

veranda,” the U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes journaled in 1873. “But I would enlarge it. I want a veranda with a house

attached.”

The verandah makes up an integral part of the house that lets its inhabitants embrace indoor-outdoor living. The aspectss that the villagers of Bir dream of having as a part of their dwelling space is mainly natural light and large openings.

The Verandah facilitates that by providing abundant natural light and views to the Holy mountains through the pivoting Jali system.

The jali helps the inhabitants with better aesthetic grace as well as with managing the en-vironment within socio-cultural denominations of privacy and security.

The Simple Pleasures of Life

The western-central Himalaya’s native heritage of aseismic construction is being rapidly lost, due to theincreasing numbers of reinforced cement concrete structures. This decline is due to a variety of factors, including changing cultural values, demographic and economic transitions, and rural development programmes.

This change has resulted in a loss of traditional functional and ornamental features like the Jali and other elements of self expression.

The proposal puts forward an idea of a space that brings back the vernacular features combined with an aseismic building typology, thereby letting the villagers experience “ The simple pleasurs of life”

Fig 9.7 |Final boards | Verandah render

Fig 9.6 |Final boards | Dining area render

| 129 |











animals




Development




Fig 9.8 |Final boards | Exterior render

| 130 |











animals




Development




| 131 |

E X H I B I T I O N

1 2

| 132 |

Fig 9.9 |Exhibition | Full exhibition

| 133 |

Fig 10.0 |Exhibition | Site panel, systems and structure panel and renders

| 138 |

Fig 10.9 |Exhibition | Vernacular form analysis, ornamentation, study models and renders

| 139 |

Fig 11.0 |Exhibition | Reception

| 140 |

Fig 11.1 |Exhibition | Reception

| 141 |

C O N C L U S I O N

1 3

| 142 |

Through this exploration and a series of

experiments, I have been able to experience

the art and joy of building manually using

resources that are readily available and are

hence extremely cost effective. It also instilled

a sense of pride and bolstered my knowledge

about the construction methodologies.

Along with the dream to strengthen the skills

from my volunteering and natural building

opportunities, I aspire to continue to learn

more about sustainable and regenerative

structures. This thesis has helped me realize

that with constant research and

determination, I will someday be able to help

people build their own homes. I know my future

is in design innovation, bringing solutions that

improve the local and global environments.

| 143 |

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

1 4


| 144 |

Abel, Chris (2017). Architecture and Identity:Response to cultural and technological change. New York : Routledge

Abrams, Charles (1948). THE FUTURE OF HOUSING. New York: Harper and Brothers

Architecture for Humanity, (2006). Design like you give a damn: architectural responses to humanitarian crisis, New York: Metropolis Books

Bourdon, David. (1995). designing the Earth: The human impulse to shape nature. New York; H.N. Abrams

Burnham, R. (1998). Housing ourselves: creating affordable, sustainable shelter. New York: McGraw-Hill

Cromley, Elizabeth Collins, Hudgins, Carter L (1995) Gender, Class, Shelter: Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture : Knoxville : University of Tennessee

Elizabeth, L. (2000-01-01). Alternative construction: Contemporary natural building methods. John Wiley & Sons

Hebel, D. E. (2017-06-12). Cultivated Building Materials: Industrialized Natural Resources for Architecture and Construction. Walter de Gruyter

https://www.slideshare.net/RashiSonsakia/bhunga-kutchppt

https://issuu.com/hunnarshala/docs/hunnarshala_a_d

http://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/wcee/article/14_09-02-0008.pdf

http://www.hunnarshala.org/

http://tcp.hp.gov.in/Application/uploadDocuments/devlopmentPlan/PlanD-oc020171227_123452.pdf

Kellert, S. R. (2007-12-14). Biophilic design: the theory, science, and practice of bringing buildings to life. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated

Morgan, William N. (2008). Earth Architecture: From ancient to modern. Gainesville; University Press of Florida

| 145 |

Rudofsky, B. (1977). The prodigious builders: notes toward a natural history of architecture with special regard to those species that are traditionally neglected or downright ignored. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Sahlins, M. (1999). What is Anthropological Enlightenment? Some Lessons of the Twentieth Century. Annual Review of Anthropology, 28, I-Xxiii. Retrieved from http://0-www.jstor.org.library.scad.edu/stable/223385

Vellinga, Marcel (2006). Vernacular architecture in the twenty-first century: theory, education and practice. Taylor & Francis.

| 146 |

a renaissance of vernacular eco-architecture

Documents

Transcript of a renaissance of vernacular eco-architecture