Vernacular Architecture

Vernacular Architecture
AR12-37
ERNAD COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
August 15
AR. SHYAM SEKHAR MENON
1.
Lecture 1
2.
Lecture 2
August 15
Evaluation
2 Sessional exams 30 marks
2 Assignments 15 marks
Attendance 5 marks
Total Internals 50 Marks
Assignment 1 A4 report Handwritten with sketches Not less than 3 pages- 30th August 2015
Study any one specific style of vernacular architecture other than Kerala.
Assignment 2 PPT Groups of 5/6 -30th September 2015
Live case study of one vernacular structure in Kerala.
August 15
Vernacular Architecture
Vernacular architecture is a category of architecture based on local needs,
construction materials and reflecting local traditions.
It tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural, technological,
economic, and historical context in which it exists. While often difficult to
reconcile with regulatory and popular demands of the five factors mentioned,
this kind of architecture still plays a role in architecture and design, especially in
local branches.
August 15
TODA HUTS - Nilgiris

August 15
Log cabins - USA

August 15
August 15
Vernacular vs Polite architecture

Vernacular architecture can be contrasted against polite architecture which is
characterized by stylistic elements of design intentionally incorporated for
aesthetic purposes which go beyond a building's functional requirements
August 15
Vernacular architecture vs Architect

Architecture designed by professional architects is usually not considered to be
vernacular. Indeed, it can be argued that the very process of consciously
designing a building makes it not vernacular.
August 15
Hassan Fathy
Many modern architects have studied vernacular buildings and claimed to draw
inspiration from them, including aspects of the vernacular in their designs. In
1946, the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy was appointed to design the town of
New Gourna near Luxor. Having studied traditional Nubian settlements and
technologies, he incorporated the traditional mud brick vaults of the Nubian
settlements in his designs.
August 15
10
Other modern architects

Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa is considered the pioneer of regional
modernism in South Asia. Along with him, modern proponents of the use of the
vernacular in architectural design include Charles Correa, a well known Indian
architect; Balkrishna Doshi, another Indian, who established the Vastu-Shilpa
Foundation in Ahmedabad to research the vernacular architecture of the region;
who has used rural Indian architecture as an inspiration for innovations in
environmental and socio-economically sustainable design and planning.
August 15
11
August 15
12
Influences on vernacular architecture

Vernacular architecture is influenced by a great range of different aspects of
human behaviour and environment, leading to differing building forms for
almost every different context; even neighbouring villages may have subtly
different approaches to the construction and use of their dwellings, even if they
at first appear the same. Despite these variations, every building is subject to
the same laws of physics, and hence will demonstrate significant similarities in
structural forms.
August 15
13
Climate
One of the most significant influences on vernacular architecture is the macro
climate of the area in which the building is constructed. Buildings in cold
climates invariably have high thermal mass or significant amounts of insulation.
They are usually sealed in order to prevent heat loss, and openings such as
windows tend to be small or non-existent. Buildings in warm climates, by
contrast, tend to be constructed of lighter materials and to allow significant
cross-ventilation through openings in the fabric of the building.
August 15
14
Climate
Buildings for a continental climate must be able to cope with significant
variations in temperature, and may even be altered by their occupants according
to the seasons.
Buildings take different forms depending on precipitation levels in the region
leading to dwellings on stilts in many regions with frequent flooding or rainy
monsoon seasons. Flat roofs are rare in areas with high levels of precipitation.
Similarly, areas with high winds will lead to specialised buildings able to cope
with them, and buildings will be oriented to present minimal area to the
direction of prevailing winds.
August 15
15
Climate
Climatic influences on vernacular architecture are substantial and can be
extremely complex. Mediterranean vernacular, and that of much of the Middle
East, often includes a courtyard with a fountain or pond; air cooled by water
mist and evaporation is drawn through the building by the natural ventilation set
up by the building form. Similarly, Northern African vernacular often has very
high thermal mass and small windows to keep the occupants cool, and in many
cases also includes chimneys, not for fires but to draw air through the internal
spaces. Such specializations are not designed, but learn by trial and error over
generations of building construction, often existing long before the scientific
theories which explain why they work.
August 15
16
Culture
The way of life of building occupants, and the way they use their shelters, is of
great influence on building forms. The size of family units, who shares which
spaces, how food is prepared and eaten, how people interact and many other
cultural considerations will affect the layout and size of dwellings.
For example, the family units of several East African ethnic communities live in
family compounds, surrounded by marked boundaries, in which separate singleroomed dwellings are built to house different members of the family. By
contrast, in Western Europe, such separation is accomplished inside one
dwelling, by dividing the building into separate rooms.
Culture also has a great influence on the appearance of vernacular buildings, as

occupants often decorate buildings in accordance with local customs and beliefs.
August 15
17
Nomadic dwellings
There are many cultures around the world which include some aspect of
nomadic life, and they have all developed vernacular solutions for the need for
shelter. These all include appropriate responses to climate and customs of their
inhabitants, including practicalities of simple construction such as huts, and if
necessary, transport such as tents.
August 15
18
Permanent Dwellings
When people settle somewhere permanently, the architecture of their dwellings
will change to reflect that. Materials used will become heavier, more solid and
more durable. They may also become more complicated and more expensive, as
the capital and labour required to construct them is a one-time cost. Permanent
dwellings often offer a greater degree of protection and shelter from the
elements. In some cases however, where dwellings are subjected to severe
weather conditions such as frequent flooding or high winds, buildings may be
deliberately "designed" to fail and be replaced, rather than requiring the
uneconomical or even impossible structures needed to withstand them. The
collapse of a relatively flimsy, lightweight structure is also less likely to cause
serious injury than a heavy structure.
August 15
19
Environment and materials

The local environment and the construction materials it can provide, govern
many aspects of vernacular architecture. Areas rich in trees will develop a
wooden vernacular, while areas without much wood may use mud or stone. In
early California redwood water towers supporting redwood tanks and enclosed
by redwood siding (tank houses) were part of a self-contained wind-powered
domestic water system. In the Far East it is common to use bamboo, as it is both
plentiful and versatile. Vernacular, almost by definition, is sustainable, and will
not exhaust the local resources. If it is not sustainable, it is not suitable for its
local context, and cannot be vernacular.
August 15
20
Technology
The knowledge and technology available was also a major factor in the design
and construction of building elements.
August 15
21
Vernacular Architecture of Kerala

Residential - Prayogaavastu
Religious - Prasadavastu
August 15
22
Vernacular Architecture of Kerala

Factors influencing architecture:
1.
Geographic
2.
Climate
3.
Social
4.
Economic
5.
Political
6.
Religious
August 15
23
Characteristics of Residences
1.
Geometric shapes
2.
Sloping roofs
3.
Thick walls
4.
Cross ventilation
5.
Extensive use of mud, laterite and wood.
6.
Heavy wooden doors
August 15
24
August 15
25
August 15
26
August 15
27
August 15
28
August 15
29
August 15
30
August 15
31
August 15
32
August 15
33

Vernacular Architecture

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Vernacular Architecture

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Vernacular Architecture

AR. SHYAM SEKHAR MENON

AR. SHYAM SEKHAR MENON

AR. SHYAM SEKHAR MENON

AR. SHYAM SEKHAR MENON

TODA HUTS - Nilgiris

AR. SHYAM SEKHAR MENON

Log cabins - USA

AR. SHYAM SEKHAR MENON

AR. SHYAM SEKHAR MENON

Vernacular vs Polite architecture

AR. SHYAM SEKHAR MENON