VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

• It is the architecture of a place and people. It is

contextual and unconscious kind of architecture. It is
more a process than a product. The time frame is not a
criteria in vernacular architecture. It involves adaptation
to lifestyle changes along with cultural concepts.
• The study of vernacular architecture has evolved over
the last 50 years. This study has not seen confined to
architects and architecture historians alone. On the other
hand several other scholars of other disciplines are also
interested in vernacular architecture – Anthropologists,
Sociologist, Geographers, Students of folk arts and
Applied sciences, Architectural historians. The
architectural historians have for along time been
concerned in the documentation of classical buildings. It
is only now that the common man and his dwelling has
started to gain importance.
• In the context of the world, it was only in the 1960’s
that the modern movement was creating an
environment which was sterile. The modern
movement was calling ornamentation as a crime –
minimalism. However in 1960, Bernard Rudofsky
came about with an exhibition of his study titled
“Architecture without Architects”. Another important
person was Amos Rapoport – “House, Form and
Culture”. It was in 1960’s that people realized that
vernacular environments were more live able.

INDIAN ARCHITECTURE IN THE LAST 4 DECADES

50’s and 60’s – Modern movement and internationalism.

Early 70’s – traditional and vernacular architecture studies.

2 Significant developments in the last decade

• Scope of historic conservation has widened.
• Search for meaning in architecture : to locate Indian ness.
VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE:

Definition:
The architecture of a particular place, a particular people
and a particular community.
• (i). Create a place to live
• (ii). Interact with environment.

Vernacular architecture has two generative forces

• Culture
• Context

CULTURE:
Refers to a way of life, traditions, fork lore, superstitions,
habits,etc.,
CONTEXT:

Physical constraints and potentials of a particular place

(environment).

In spite of various political disturbances vernacular or

regional architecture has survived due to its capability to adapt
itself to changes. Vernacular architecture is a constant
negotiation between different polarities, MAN ↔ NATURE, man
has to negotiate between what is sacred and what is profane.
Between the
INDIVIDUAL ↔ COLLECTIVE and between PRIVATE PRIVATE ↔ ↔ PUBLIC.
PUBLIC.
• Another style called High Style Vernacular which is
between classical and vernacular. Eg. Chettinad houses,
Haveli’s of Rajasthan palaces.
• Many construction techniques of such buildings are
borrowed from classical style.
• In the vernacular, cultural constraints and attitudes
towards privacy pushed architecture inwards where as
climatic factors brought people into the open. Eg. Thinnai,
is an open arena, courtyard is a result of climatic factor ↔
provides the women with indoor private space.
The result is a variety of spatial situations in and around
buildings for ‘outdoor activity’ subject to climatic
conditions: Courtyards, balconies, platforms and terraces.
Eg. Balconies in Rajasthan, Kashmir.
While enclosed spaces (Rooms) remained mundane,
courtyards, thresholds received greater attention. Temple
building started only in the 9th century, thus people had a lot
of time to create interesting environments for them to live in.
The facade was well decorated whereas the internal spaces
remained austere and plain.
• A greater sense of belonging or ‘place’ have generated
elements of social and symbolic values with a definite
background a purpose. (Even a structural member is
shown in its natural form. If any embellishment then there
is a strong reason behind it).
• House is a spiritual entity – representation of the
cosmic or divine mode.
• Ornamentation only embellished and does not conceal structure.

• No specific function for a room. Most spaces are multifunctional.

Only fixed spaces are the kitchen and the pooja. Thus the question of
orientation or positioning rooms does not arise in vernacular architecture.
(Except for kitchen counter and pooja facing east).

• Physical as well as cultural forces are the determinants of form.

• According to Amos Rappoport.

• “Physical forces are only modifiers of form and the choice of

shelter really depends on socio cultural factors”. For eg. In
desert climate (hot dry) sand and sand dunes are the terrain
(physical force). But the manifestation of architaecture is not the
same in all desert regions. Thus though the desert climates are
similar, the manifestation of architecture depends on cultural
and social factors.

• Physical and socio cultural forces have shaped a habitat.

• The simplest of forms based on pure geometric forms have

been made beautiful by a desire to adorn and embellish.
• Vernacular Architecture – classification

Domestic
Agricultural
Industrial

• DOMESTIC:
Residential – living, dining, cooking, sleeping spaces.

• AGRICULTURAL:
Poultry sheds, cattle sheds, barns etc.

• INDUSTRIAL:
Local kilns, pottery spaces, weavers spaces. Usually the
industry is a part of the residence and occupies the prime
area. Eg. The weavers wove occupies the main space in
the house, another eg. is the smithy’s.
DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE:

• Aesthetic – Related to ideas of quality and value.

• Anthropological – Revealing the relationship of dwellings to family, social
structure.
• Archaeological – Reveals indications of architectural precedents through
reconstruction.
• Behavioral – Patterns in relation to buildings and their personal and
community (urban and rural) settings.
• Architectural – Uncovers technological organizational principles and brings
techniques of analysis to vernacular buildings.
• Conservationist – Protection and preservation
• Developmental – Evaluating the potential of a traditional building. (eg.
Adaptive reuse of jewish settlement in kochi)
• Ecological – Focuses on habitat as part of total environmental systems.
• Folkloristic – Regards buildings as comparable with folk artifacts and with the
craft skills, customs and beliefs.
• Historical – Examines the various influencing force using documentary
records.
• Museological – Related to history.
• Recording and documentation – methods and standardized technique.
• Spatial – organization and articulation of spaces and volumes.
• Structuralist - theory to disclose the deep structures of function and
meaning.
• Generative transformation – method to define rule systems underlying
evolution and change.
AESTHETIC:
• Two district approaches can be termed aesthetic:
Ethnographic
Responsive

• ETHNOGRAPHIC :

• To understand the aesthetic dimension in the culture of the

builders and users of traditional architecture. Mostly builder
himself issues.

• RESPONSIVE:

• To widen architectural appreciation of the spectator. (bring

other areas like less economic houses under study – Chettinad).

“Aesthetic is the affective aspect of communication” affects is , it

arouses our senses bring out spiritual quality. Architectural
communication can be divided into

• Utilitarian components
• Aesthetic components
• UTILITARIAN COMPONENTS:
• When buildings incorporate historically religious or
social references to become instruments of identity.

• AESTHETICAL COMPONENTS:
• Act of builders, its appearance and occupation contain
aesthetic potential.
• The aesthetic is normally identified with decoration. The
will to aesthetic expression which is most conspicuous in
decoration appears more subtly in other domains such as
architectural creation.
 VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

Comparative study highlights aesthetic and

culture its tendency to
• Decoration or plainness
• Symmetry or asymmetry
• Continuity or discontinuity in form
• Reveal or conceal the natural sources of
building material
ANTHROPOLOGICAL:
• In the 1960’s when functionalism which was the leading
paradigm in anthropological fieldwork was more interested
in principles of social organization than artifacts. Shells
enclosing a function Amos Rapoport investigated the
influence of physical and social forces such as
climatological or ecological conditions, available materials,
technical knowledge and the role of the local form of
economy.

His conclusions:
• Such factors are constraining rather than determining
they facilitate and make possible or impossible certain
solutions but never decide form.

• Build forms are closely interrelated with behavioral

patterns and cultural values:
• One cultural influence on the form of building can
originate in symbolic conceptions. Parallels are brought
about between the decorations of building facade and the
decoration of a human figure. (eyes to the windows; chajjas
to the ears)
• Eg. Notions of the right order of relationships within
the social and cosmic universe can an active role in the
building o a house.
• ARCHAEOLOGICAL:
• The primary goals of archaeological investigations are
• Discovery of architectural fists
• Serration of changing architectural styles for purpose of
dating.
• Excavation and recording of ruined structures in sufficient
detail to allow accurate reconstruction.
• ARCHITECTURAL:
• It was in the 1960’s that architects took interest in the
vernacular or regional architecture. These architects were
inspired by the environment they grew up in (they were
sensory). The codification of building typologies also
inspired them. Publications and other documentation also
inspired them.
• Type of architecture derived from vernacular sources can
be classified into three manifestations :-
• Architecture as an iconic, picturesque evocation of symbolic
identity.
• Architecture is determined by climate, material and function.
• Architecture as embodiment of experiential, emotional,
spiritual and sensory qualities opposed to modernism.
ICONIC EVOCATION OF SYMBOLIC IDENTITY:
• Focus to discover locally derived pure forms. (no adulteration or
borrowing from other styles).
• Goal was to recreate or restore those unadulterated forms. (This
reproduction may be a revivalist style – Neo vernacular style). In neo-
vernacular, they looked towards modern materials, construction
technique as a substitute but only when vernacular materials not
available. Forms were recreated or restored but process of restoration
was varied.
Methods:
• Through rigorous categorization of a few aspects of a building. (eg.
Plan of building; element of details)
• Achieved through traditional materials and building methods to lend
authenticity.
Thus through various forms they mimic the original vernacular
thereby creating a picturesque scene.
The creation of local identity through the architectural evocation of
the vernacular has at times served a variety of social goals.
19th century - Europe (local for people ↔ to establish the identity of
certain groups)
1940’s – Hasan fathy in the Egyptian village of new gowns. He
worked along with the craftsmen (traditional) and the users to create
the building. He used vernacular techniques and materials considering
their economical standards. He recreated an alternative aesthetic to the
Arab style.
CLIMATE MATERIAL AND FUNCTIONAL DETERMINISM:

• This came about because of modernist architects who wanted

to free themselves rom historic several and find a different
expression to architecture. Vernacular architecture provided
them with timeless architecture qualities which were alternatives
to historic revival.
• Modern theories emphasize the rational aspects of design –
believing architecture design should reflect rational responses to
building methods and materials to climatic and topographic site
conditions and to human activities. These were the tmeless
architecture qualities which modernists architects professed and
used it to suit their needs.

Modern architects conceived vernacular architecture as

• Severely utilitarian in use of materials and technologies.

• Functional in adaptation to climate, accommodation of activities
and utilization of site.
• Beautiful in its sculptural expression of mass and volume as a
result of manipulating the plan and section to accommodate
users need.
 Only features of vernacular architecture that fit the filter of
modernist ideology served as stylistic inspiration for the design
work of modern architects.

• Aldof loes
• F.L. Wright
• Le-corbusier
• Walter Gropius
• Alwar Aalto
• Louis Khan

LE-CORBUSIER
• (expressed certain characters such as grain silos in concrete).
• Ronchamp chapel, the way in which the exploited the light
through planes and forms similar to vernacular.
• In Marseilles block (unite de habitoto) he uses the mezzanine or
mezonet which is one of the main features in French vernacular.
• In chandigarh he used huge overhangs, fins, etc. in adaptation
to climate.
• F.L. WRIGHT
• Prairie house derived from Japanese vernacular.

• ALDOF LOES:
• Lesson to be learnt from architecture of peasants was not
necessarily in the forms but way the form was related to
function.
↓
(direct response to function)

• Corbusier and Gropius considered vernacular architecture as

having attained perfection in serving human needs and
harmonizing with the environment.
• Though Gropius is known for his modernist structural
frames, in his own house he us a lot of wood which was a
vernacular material.
• Alto and Louis khan explored the surface qualities and
textural qualities of materials and composed wall surfaces
which echo the textural contrasts found in vernacular
architecture. Their architecture swing between the modernist,
rationalist design techniques and the sensual qualities of the
vernacular.
• EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, SENSORY EMBODIMENT:

• Modernist architecture in 1950’s and 60’s created an

architecture environment of blandness.
• In 1964 – photographic exhibition in New York by Bernard
Rudofsky to show the sense of well being and in vernacular
architecture rather than picturesque. This was turning point.
Exhibition titled architecture without architects.
• Exhibition which went beyond pictures ness of vernacular
– presented qualities of regional vernacular that conveyed a
sense of well being.
These qualities included
• Human scale; great views; visual richness; features
which heighten social interaction.
• Architects looking at vernacular architecture for its
experimental qualities focused on:
• “Complexity of hybrid forms that occur in spite of
constraints of climate or materials – forms that produce
sensory delight and are spiritually uplifting.
• Goal of the experimental approach was to enhance quality
of habitation – without mimicking proto-types – interpretation
of the poetic sensibility of architect.