hill architecture

ARCHITECTURE IN HILLY REGIONS VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

CONCLUSION •

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Climate responsive buildings can improve human comfort and in doing so improve the human condition, in all parts of the world. Scientific knowledge provides us with the tools and methodologies needed for passive low energy-climate responsive buildings, and intelligent design dictates the strategies needed to implement such knowledge on the ground. Climate responsive design substantially reduces the economic and environmental costs of buildings to individual, regions and Learning from traditional wisdom of previous generations through the lessons of traditional buildings can be a very powerful tool for improving the buildings of the future. This traditional architecture has stood till today. It commands deep interest and respect as it represents and reveals the many faceted realities of the people living in different climatic zones of Himachal Pradesh.

In the end it is concluded that the traditional and vernacular buildings are ecological sensitive, climate responsive designs. Any change in these designs should aim for human comfort and aesthetical needs and these sustainable designs help to save culture at the lowest possible ecological cost. The traditional construction method and process provides thermally comfortable shelter to the occupants by giving due considerations to local climatic conditions. Traditional construction techniques in hills are dictated by the climatic constraints and the availability of the materials. The most common building materials used is wood, stone and mud bricks. And now the places which got connected by motorable roads, certain new techniques have been evolved by using local materials for the construction of the buildings suiting to local climatic conditions. Any new development should respect the site and adhere to the local needs.

INTRODUCTION TO THE STATE: HIMACHAL PRADESH is a state in Northern India. It is spread over 21,495 sq mi (55,670 km2),[7] and is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east.

GEOGRAPHY

Himachal is situated in the western Himalayas. Covering an area of 55,673 kilometres (34,594 mi),[7] it is a mountainous state with elevation ranging from about 350 metres (1,148 ft) to 7,000 metres (22,966 ft) above the sea level. The drainage system of Himachal is composed both of rivers and glaciers. Himalayan rivers criss-cross the entire mountain chain. Himachal Pradesh provides water to both the Indus and Ganges basins. The drainage systems of the region are the Chandra Bhaga or the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. These rivers are perennial and are fed by snow and rainfall. They are protected by an extensive cover of natural vegetation

CLIMATE

Broadly, Himachal experiences three seasons: 1.Summer 2.Winter 3.rainy season Summer lasts from mid April till the end of June and most parts become very hot (except in alpine zone which experiences a mild summer) with the average temperature ranging from 28 °C (82 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F). Winter lasts from late November till mid March. Snowfall is common in alpine tracts (generally above 2,200 metres (7,218 ft) i.e. in the Higher and Trans-Himalayan region).

FLORA AND FAUNA Himachal has great variety of flora and fauna which differs with elevation

•Lowest elevation - tropical and subtropical dry and moist forests •Haryana and U.P border – thorn shrubs and deciduous forests •Rising into the hills – western Himalayan broadleaf forests and subtropical pine forests . This forests contain various deciduous and evergreen oaks , spruce , deodar blue pine and chir pines . •Uppermost elevations – alpine shrubs , alders , birches etc ... Many flowers like tulips , marigolds , lilies , carnations , roses are also abundantly found

PEOPLE AND LIFE STYLE •

Himachal pradesh is a multi religion, multicultural as well as multilingual state.A majority of the population Hindu, but Muslims ,Sikhs and Christians are also there , Buddhists migrants of Tibet which are in lahaul –spiti and dharmshala region of state , which brings impact of Buddhist architecture.

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The typical house is constructed of clay bricks and the roofs are of slate. in some areas the slate roof is also replaced by timber.

Map showing the earthquake vulnerability of himachal pradesh.

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF THE REGION Architecture in HP is highly evolved and functional. It is a cliché example of Vernacular Architecture. (Grown out of the land, fulfilled local needs, uses local materials, drew on local culture) Over the centuries, building methods had successfully discharged domestic, temporal and religious requirements. The most elementary form of hill architecture is still found in the old temples. These temples are widely scattered everywhere all along the mountain slopes and in the valleys. Layout plans and construction of buildings is much more complicated in hills is much more complicated than in plains.

The State of Himachal Pradesh has a treasure of traditional architecture. This traditional architecture has stood the test of time. This art and architecture has mostly grown out of ageold cultural heritage and numerous religious beliefs.

MAJOR CHALLENGES • • • • • • •

Frequent and Seismic Tremors. Problems of soil erosion and land slides. Suitable orientation on the hill slopes. Existence of tall shoddy trees and dense forest area, which obstruct the winter sun required for the buildings. Limitations on the height of the building due to earthquake risk. High cost involved in the site development due to the cutting and the filling process. Non-availability and transportation problems of construction materials

MATERIAL USED Basic materials used for construction were: 1. Wood 2. Mud and stone

WOOD:

MUD AND STONE

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

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Easy availability. Good insulation. Good binding properties. Either mud is filled into the wooden forms and rammed into the place slowly building up the wall or sun dried mud blocks are used in the construction of the wall. • Hard Stone: Obtained from local quarries and used in building foundation and walls. • Slate Tiles: Metamorphic rock. Used in roofs of buildings. Has high quartz content, frost resistant, absorbs heat and provides moisture barrier.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES •

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In certain regions the construction system constitutes the erection of a timber frame work of uprights, beams and braces with dressed stone blocks as an in-fill material without any cementing material. Over the walls, a frame of the timber rafters and purlins is laid out for the pitched roof. The roofing on top is with slates as the material. The walls of the interior are usually finished with the mud plaster. Another material used is mud, on account of its easy availability, good insulation and the good binding properties. In some parts of the western Himalayan region comprising Upper Kinnaur,Lahaul- Spiti and Ladakh, the architectural style is different. Stone remains in use but its usage is restricted to the plinth. The locally available mud is used for the super structure.

TWO TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES ARE USED HERE  Rammed earth technique  Adobe construction. • In the former style, the mud is filled into the wooden forms and rammed into the place slowly building up the wall. • In the later style, sun dried mud blocks are used in the construction of the wall. The roof is kept flat and comprises a closely packed layer of sun twigs supported on wooden beams and joists and resting on the wooden columns. • Stability of the structures is a much desired quality, required for the hill regions. Lying in the seismic zone 4 and partly in the high intensity seismic zone 5, faced with extreme climatic conditions and steep hilly terrains, the available indigenous technology is an appropriate response. • To counter the seismic forces, the traditional structures usually stand on a high solid plinth, made up of dry dressed stone masonry. • The huge mass serves as a dampener pad to the earthquake forces and the dry construction allows for vibration and hence faster dissipation of the energy.

A TYPICAL VERNACULAR HOUSE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

TYPICAL HIMACHAL HOUSE • • • • • • • • •

The long walls of the house are parallel to the mountains and the gaushala door faces the valley. The house has a high plinth so that the cows may remain cool during summers warm during winters. In the lower part of the gaushala walls, only stone is used at base level. In the upper part of the wall the kath khuni method of layering wood and stone begins. The entrance to the living quarters is parallel to the gaushala door and is approached by a wooden staircase at the side of the house leading to the enclosed first floor balcony. The first floor has rooms for fixed storage and unique feature of mini granary integrated in the centre of the structure. It is hidden from outside view. The second floor is used for cooking, cleaning, living and entertainment of guests. To one side of the entertainment room is the kitchen and the other side is the living room. There are a variety of open and closed wall units in all these area. The walls of the kitchen are plastered with mud plaster. The vent in the kitchen connects to the roof or half attic. The rooms on the third floor are made of beautifully carved local wood. The balconies have a corner built in wooden bench and extended cubical spaces such as washrooms. The stone used in the walls are chiseled and well dressed. The walls are constructed with stacking wooden framed on each other. While on the second floor, the stacking of wooden frame is seen with an infill of rubble.

SINGLE CUBOID VARIANTS

DOUBLE CUBOID VARIANTS

TRIPLE CUBOID VARIANTS

Design considerations in hills require extra sensitivity and care because of the delicate nature of terrain and ecosystem. Unlike plains, here a new dimension or a height variation to the ground poses additional problem to the entire exercise. Physical Planning • The planning on the hills is very restrictive as compared to the plains. The major factors that govern the planning are topography, climatic conditions, orientation, traffic movement, available usable spaces, sources of water supply, natural drains and paths. • Gentle slopes are required so that the cost of site development is lessened. The roads for traffic movement are of gradual gradient. Less excavation is required to be done to maintain the ecological balance. • Slope of the ground should not be more than 30º as far as possible even in rocky reaches to avoid instability problems, especially during severe earthquakes. • Suitable clearance around buildings is necessary. Foundation of any part of building should not rest on filled up ground. On hills there should be clearance of about 40º in case of soil, soil mixed boulder, fractured rock zone, soft rock zone having outward dip, so that any slip, if occurs may not hit the building. • Due to the cold climate, the southern slopes are preferred. • The orientation of the houses is to maximize the penetration of the sun rays. • The stress is also laid on the preservation of the green cover. The site should be developed in such a way that felling of trees is avoided as far as possible. • Site susceptible to high winds, storms, floods and landslides should be avoided. • Since the inner side of the cut slope may have higher bearing capacity, building should be so oriented and planned so as to enhance that higher load comes on inner side. Where the site seems to undergo unequal settlement, the site should be so planned and designed that the higher load comes on harder part of foundation and soil. • Terrace in all around the building should have proper slope for efficient drainage. During the site development, terrace may be cut at 1:30 to 1:50 slope and may be trimmed at suitable slope after the completion of the building work.

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Architecture of houses , pattern of small settlements Temple architecture Palaces Granaries

BASIC ARCHITECTURAL STYLES • Satluj Valley Architecture (Kath Khuni Style)- (Rampur,

Rohru,Sarahan, Kinnaur) • Ravi Valley Architecture (Thathara Style)- (Chamba, Bharmour, Pangi) • Kullu Architecture - (Kullu valley) • Dhajji Dewari - (Shimla and nearby villages,hamirpur , kangra) • Spiti Valley Architecture (Mud)- (Lahaul, Spiti, Upper Kinnaur)

SATLUJ VALLEY ARCHITECTURE INTRODUCTION :•The vernacular architecture of the sutlej valley. •Constructed out of local deodar wood and slate stone. •Slate absorbs heat and is impermeable to moisture. •Deodar is able to withstand exposure to moisture and adjust to climatic and seismic changes. •It is an example of seismic design in earthquake prone mountainous region of himachal pradesh.

AREAS UNDER INFLUENCE: 1.Rampur 2.Rohru 3.Sarahan 4.Kinnaur CONSTRUCTION STYLE: Kath khuni style of construction

KATH-KHUNI CONSTRUCTION INTRODUCTION: •

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Kath khuni is a indigenous wood and stone construction technique employed by all types of vernacular built forms which can be seen in Sutlej valley of himachal . Both practical and aesthetically pleasing Uses local materials in a systematic process of layering. Walls are made of deodar (a mountainous cedar wood) and limestone with rubble acting as insulation . plinth is entirely constructed of stone . Slate shingles which rest on these wooden framework complete and cap the building as the roof tiles . They are fixed to wooden framework using metal nails . These shingles protect the structure from rain , snow . One peculiar feature is projecting carved stone in one or more corners . studies say that it can be either for a structural purpose or might have some cultural significance too . In the well built structure, the wood is very carefully arranged, the beams with thickness around 30 cms in depth extending over the whole length of wall – abeam on the outside and another beam on the inside, the space in-between is filled with stones.

TECHNIQUE: •

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The base of the structural wall is two parallel layers of stones installed flat. Depending on the size of the stone the gap in middle is filled with an infill of random rubble. The larger stones are stacked up on the outer edge and the corners of the wall to provide stability. the wall is constructed by layering both wood and stone . the materials are stacked horizontally, in alternating rows, parallel to the ground. As the construction proceeds vertically, the height of the stone layer decrease and ultimately it is only the wood frame stacked on another wood frame that completes the structural wall. Slate tiles rest on the wooden framework and cap the building.

SLATE TILES RESTING ON WOODEN FRAMEWORK

WOODEN FRAMEWORK

ALTERNATE LAYERING OF STONE AND WOOD

STONE AT THE BASE

FOUNDATION: • •

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Locally Available Stone Is Used For Foundation. Trench Is Dug About 900mm In Depth And 900mm In Width. This Trench Is Then Filled With Large Slabs(dry Stones) With Approximate Width Of 900mm. The Similar Courses Go Up To 100 To 200mm Above Ground Level Forming The Plinth Of The House. In some cases where the ground is hard enough no trenches were dug for foundation just a layer of stones up to a height of 300mm is laid for plinth.

WALL SYSTEM: WALL SYSTEM: All The Walls Are Load Bearing And Of Thickness 600mm. Construction Material: Walls Are Made Up Of Stones And Wood Of Deodar ,Rai And Perman Tree Without Any Mortar. These Walls Are Then Plastered With Mixture Of Mud, Cow-dung And Kail Wood Powder Or Wheat Husk. Above The Raised Plinth Of Stones Wooden Beam Of 200mm Thickness Is Laid Spanning Over The Entire Length Of Wall. Over This Beam A Framework Of Wooden Logs Are Created Which Are Later Hand Filled By Stones.

WOODEN SKELETON EXTERNALLY N INTERNALLY BEFORE STONE INFILL

WOODEN SKELETON EXTERNALLY N INTERNALLY AFTER STONE INFILL

FLOOR TYPOLOGY:

Wooden flooring is done in these structures.

ROOFING SYSTEM: •

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The Roof Slope Was In Between Gentle Gradient 22.50 To Steep Gradient Of 450 .Some Of The Structure Having Roofing Of Tibetan Style, Slight Curve Was Found In The Slope Of Roof. Salte is used as covering material due to local availability. Pent And Gable Roof Style

SECTIONAL VIEW: Kathkuni house comprises of four primary components: • a stone plinth, which creates the base of the house, • wood-and-stone structural walls forming the core of • the house with floors as an insert, • cantilevered wooden balconies acting as the second • skin to the house, • an overhanging slate tile roof fixed to the wooden framework, which caps the entire structure.

WOOD CARVING: Woodcarving As Ornamentation Of The Kath-khuni Built Forms, Is One Of The Oldest Crafts Of Himachal Pradesh. Ornamentation Of Large Wood And Stone Built Forms Is An Artistic Testament To The Sustainable Natural Resources Of The Great Deodar Cedar Tree And The People’s Ability To Create Visual Narratives. Woodcarving Is A Form Of Folk Art That Enables The Local People To Express Their Culture – Whether The Motifs Are Abstraction Based On Nature, Spiritual Awareness, Or The Replication Patterns Found In Local Flora And Fauna.

CLIMATE RESPONSIVE FEATURES •The interior surfaces finished with wooden planks or mud – Help in insulation. •Small openings of doors and windows prevent heat loss. • Balconies act as buffer spaces between main structure and harsh climate – Help in maintaining interior temperature. •The heat from the animals’ bodies in the ground floor keeps the living spaces warm. •Trap doors and vents in roof promote air circulation. •The curvilinear gable or pent-and-gable roof allows snow to settle on the roof acting as the insulation during harsh winters. •These details keep interiors cool in summer and warm in winter. •Wood and stone walls not only resist the racking forces of an earthquake, but are also configured to resist sliding or overturning.

RAVI VALLEY ARCHITECTURE INTRODUCTION :•Chamba is situated on the north western part of Himachal Pradesh. •The territory is wholly mountainous from altitudes ranging from about 2000 to 21,000 feet above sea level, the inhabited area reaching upto 10,000 feet. •A fascinating Hindu town with cultural and physical heritage. •So sheltered by snow-clad mountain barriers that its monuments escaped destruction at the hands of invaders, which is why it still remains one of the best preserved heartlands of the Himalayan arts.

AREAS UNDER INFLUENCE: 1. Chamba 2. Bharmour 3. Pangi CONSTRUCTION STYLE: Thathara style of construction

OBJECTS OF INTEREST: OLD TEMPLES •Bear a strong resemblance to Rajput temples (shikhara stylefrom which the design was probably taken). •Mostly dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu and goddesses. •Elaborate and ornate carvings on stone and wood.

CAST METAL WORK •Done from the Bronze age period. •Presence of minor copper mines in Chamba. •Alloy compound- brass commonly used for casting metal ware. Huge plates used for wall decoration. •Temple cupolas made in copper and brass- golden kalasa or vessel on top.

WOOD CARVING •Door panels, decoration under the eaves, and huge wooden statues. •Main doorway including the door posts richly carved with traditional motifs. One or two niches to hold lamps at night made near the front door. •Wooden cantilever construction- Protruding wooden verandas.

GADDERAN ARCHITECTURE INTRODUCTION :• Traditional Architecture in locally available materials - Dry stone masonry and random rubble construction - supported • •

and intersected by wooden beams and rafters have the ability to absorb a lot of shocks from earth quakes. The old aged wooden houses, raised multi storeyed on thathara walls. Use of wood in construction of thathara style walls is lesser than its consumption in kath-kuni walls common in rest of Himachal.

FOUNDATION Rarely goes beyond 30 cm in the ground. Large heavy stone slabs well packed together. On the foundation so raised, pillars (thatharas) erected on corners or in between forming a grid. THATHARAS Thick and roughly hewn wooden planks, (45 cm length x 40 cm width x 4 cm thickness) placed on the edge of two sides, with a gap of about 40 cm that defines the thickness of the walls. Over it, same arrangement is repeated, but thatharas are now placed across. The process is repeated until proposed height is obtained. The hollow space within the pillar is filled with hand packed stones.

GADDERAN ARCHITECTURE WALLS •The thatharas are connected with each other by horizontal planks, spaced one to one and a half metre apart vertically. The intervening space is filled with dry irregular stone pieces. •Later, exposed faces of walls are treated with mud-cow dung plaster. •At times, the gaps between the thatharas are covered with thick and roughly hewn wooden planks. Such wall is known as farque. •Sometimes, dhajji wall is also provided between the thatharas. To make dhajji wall, framework of wooden battens, braced with the wooden diagonals, is made between the thatharas. •The farque and dhajji walls are preferred for upper storeys only. Being light weight, they exert much less load on foundations.

FLOORING •The floor of the obra is made up of rough flat stones. The gaps between stones filled with mud and cow dung mixture. •Upper floors made by spanning joists and beams on the walls. The post is known as thumbi. Thick wooden planks are laid on these joists. Sometimes, thick layer of mud and cow dung mixture is applied over the wooden planks. ROOFING •They employ age old method of supporting roof rafters (nhas) on the wall plates (kanaran) on the sides and the ridge pole (baranda). Over them, thick slates of irregular sizes are nailed. The roof is projected considerably beyond the supports to protect the exterior of the building from direct effect of snow and rain.

The lowest floor called obra - necessarily used for cattle and storage of fuel and fodder. •Small holes called tohlu left on the side walls for ventilation. •The upper floors generally residential. •The first floor called obri, second floor- bhor and third floormandeh. •At times, third floor kept open on two sides to give it a verandah type appearance, and is called sal. •No window to the outside, but only a small entrance door called dwari on obra. Thus these multistorey houses look more like castles than dwellings. •Independent kitchen on each floor.

Sectional 3-D view of a gaddi house

KULLU ARCHITECTURE INTRODUCTION :•This style is similar to Kath Kunni style with slight variations.

AREAS UNDER INFLUENCE: 1. Kullu 2. Manali

CONSTRUCTION STYLE: Kath Khuni style of construction

DHAJJI DIWARI

AREAS INCLUDED: Areas of Western Himalayas like 1.Shimla 2.Hamirpur 3.Kangra 4.Kashmir •MATERIALS USED : Wood, Stone •TYPE OF LABOUR REQUIRED : Skilled labour

DHAJJI DIWARI

AREAS INCLUDED: Areas of Western Himalayas like 1.Shimla 2.Hamirpur 3.Kangra 4.Kashmir •MATERIALS USED : Wood, Stone •TYPE OF LABOUR REQUIRED : Skilled labour

DHAJJI HOUSE IS A PATCHWORK OF TIMBER AND STONE. When a frame is deformed, the stones of the infill have to move away. When the stones and the boards have to move, they rasp against each other. This friction dissipates energy. But Dhajji wall is only strong if: • All joints are well executed. • Timber is well protected from water. • The infill are done properly. In a ordinary house, an earthquake first makes: One big crack, then another big crack and finally the wall collapses. In a dhajji house many small cracks appear and only small parts fall out, but the wall does not collapse.

FINISHING DETAILS Mud plaster: •A good mud plaster mix is made of one third of clay, two thirds of sand and a fair amount of pine needles or straw. •Apply the plaster in several layers not exceeding 0.5 ‘’ each. If you make the layers too thick. they will crack. •For paint use white wash (lime). Don’t use synthetic paint, it doesn’t adhere properly on mud plaster. •Effective response to extreme cold strong winds or high earthquake zone. •Easy maintenance by common persons. •Economics in relation to peoples spending capacity.

SPITI VALLEY ARCHITECTURE INTRODUCTION :•Spiti is a cold desert where the monsoon rain never comes. It is characterized by stark beauty, narrow valleys and high mountains •It is a collection of rooms and a labyrinth of corridors that do not follow any defined plan, but seem to have grown over the years. •Gompa -acted both as a monastery and as a fort. • Houses rare paintings and religious & beautiful scriptures •4,116 meters above mean sea level and 12 km. from Kaza by road •oldest and the biggest monastery of Spity dominating Ki-Village •Inhabiting 300 lamas undergoing on religious training

AREAS UNDER INFLUENCE: 1. Lahaul 2. spiti 3. upper kinnaur) CONSTRUCTION STYLE: Mud construction

MUD ARCHITECTURE •

Wall typology: Wall system : Load bearing Construction materials : roughly dressed stones, sun baked mud bricks and clay • Construction methodology: Technique- 1 Rammed earth technique, wall thus formed is known as ‘Gyank’. Technique- 2 Sun dried adobe blocks of size 15x22x30 cm known as ‘peu’. • The rough surfaces of the wall are made smooth with finishing coat of mud plaster (a special variety of mud clay known as Markula).This clay has water resistant quality. • Seismic resistant/vulnerable features : In case of taller buildings, the base of the walls is given thicker than the top

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Roof typology: Flat roofs Roof System: Materials : Mud and Timber • Construction methodology : Rough logs are spanned across the room of the wall over which planks available is placed. Due to scarcity of wood, it is common to lay poplar or willow sticks and knitted twigs closed to each other as substitute for the planks over it rammed earth is spread to complete the roofing. • Floor system: Materials : Stone, Mud and Timber • Durability/maintenance: As the roofs are flat, it is essential part of their chores during the winter that they remove the snow regularly with wooden spades from the roof top.

TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE HIMACHAL PRADESH

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Himachal Pradesh, amid the Himalayan mountain range, is a land of the Gods, Hindu temples, of many types. from the rock hewn ancient forms brought from the plains of India, are found in this spectacular land of the Himalayas. The temple is where the past intersects with the present through belief, historical time. It is an explanatory workshop of the greatest craftspeople and artists as well as sincere efforts of the ordinary local people. The wooden temple here refers to the type of temple where wood is used as the primary material of construction for the structure. Stone is used only in temple’s foundations and roofs as slabs and slate stone shingles similar to the independent granaries.

GABLE ROOF

PENT ROOF

GABLE AND PENT ROOF

PENT- ROOF OR CHALET STYLE • The square or rectangular wood and stone temples with pent roof are the most ancient in Himachal Pradesh. • In size these structures differ considerably, while they all have only one common feature, that is the finely cut large and excellent stones, that constitute their base. • Most remarkable among these temples are Lakshana Devi temple at Brahmaur, Shakti devi at Chhatrari in Chamba. • The usual pattern is a square resting on a raised platform of stone. The building itself may be entirely of wood or of the wood and stone. It generally consists of a central cellar with an open verandah around it, and is covered with a pent roof of wood, which either slopes on two sides from the central ridge, or on four sides from the top

NAGARA STYLE • The Nagara temples in Himachal Pradesh broadly follow the overall form and design of the typical Indo-Aryan stone temples, found in Orissa and Khajurao areas. • Some minor modifications were made in the form of these temples of the plains to adapt them to the climatic conditions of the hill areas. • The series of monolithic temples of Massur in Kangra district are the earliest specimen of the Nagara design (Figure 4). • There are a number of seventh century Nagara type temples at Brahmaur, such as Manimahesh and Ganesha built by Meru Verman ( 680-700 A.D). • The famous Lakshmi Narayan temple of Chamba is a group of temples with Nagara style.

TEMPLE CASE STUDY

Shakti-Devi Temple ,Chhatrari Village , Chamba

GRANARIES VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

A granary is a storehouse for grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals. Two main types of granaries: Independent (freestanding) buildings Granaries within the houses The size and the scale of the granary is in direct correlation to the volume of the content to be stored. In Himachal Pradesh houses, the prime criteria in creating spaces is personal security and comfort for daily living. Granaries on the other hand are for food security and the storage of work from the past, for life in the future. Granaries, with their associated local small temples, are the The communal wood and stone granary is a cluster of three intersection between houses that guarantee the communities’ independent Kath-Khuni storage buildings and three small habitation and large temples that possess the communities’ sharedfolk temples in old Jubbal. beliefs. In socio-economic terms, the granary is the content and container of the community.

These are independent free standing wooden granaries with stone tile roof. VARIOUS TYPES OF INDEPENDENT GRANARIES

These wooden granaries with stone plinths and roofs in Sundagaon are a part of a cluster of family buildings.

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True to the conventional construction system of the villages, the granaries and small temples were constructed in KATHKHUNI method. The organization of the buildings in the cluster is roughly circular.The granaries are on the one side and temples on the other and open ground in the middle. The granary is composed of two cuboids stacked on each other with a pent-and-gable roof. The entry to the granary interior space is through first floor open balcony embracing all sides of the building. The door to the granary is accessed by the organically stacked stones making a stairway to the open balcony. This cantilevered balcony without a parapet, leveled at the average shoulder height of the villager, becomes an active interactive space between the people sitting on it and the ones in the open ground during the festival.

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The door in the center of first floor defines its interior storage organization. Leaving the open space open and unobstructed, the inbuilt storage boxes are articulated in inverted U shape around the periphery. This central space has four trap doors in wooden floor allowing access to the four storage units at the ground level. The granary also offers a space and environment that is conductive for the honey-bees to make beehive in niche near the entrance on the first level. The finally cut wood used for the container of the granary is of a high quality. Lap joints, housing joints and tongue and groove are all used as a part of wooden detailing to create an airtight container. Mud plaster is used in the interior spaces to further seal the joints and make them impenetrable.

Beginning at the ground floor plan, first floor plan and cross section of the granary, these illustrations shows the use of spaces with reference to a human. The things to be frequently used are stored at the first floor while the ones that have to be retained for a longer period are stored at the ground floor.