Access to sustainable heritage in India
By Pakhee Kumar, on 18 April 2012
Pakhee is a student of MSc Sustainable Heritage at UCL and is from India.
Vernacular architecture of central India. These houses are rapidly being replaced by cement-concrete constructions. An array skills will be lost along with the vernacular architecture.
Sustainable heritage in my opinion is heritage which is accessible, both physically and economically, to all sections of society.
Are there any planning controls to maintain the vernacular architecture? I saw the same in Afghanistan a few years ago, local buildings like in your image being replaced by often garish cement-concrete-brick buildings.
Unfortunately, no! Conservation practices in India, currently, are very monument-centric. There are many architects who are inspired by these vernacular houses for their works, but no program is in place to protect them.
Terrific post however , I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Kudos!
If you want to read more on vernacular architecture of India, please read my blog:
http://pakhee.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/vernacular-architecture-of-chattishgarh-region-india/
If you want to read more on accessibility, please read my blog:
http://pakhee.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/what-is-the-justified-price/
Please give your opinion. I am interested in understanding people’s views on the topic.
These home are empirical building of India.And the material used for them is totally depend on the location of it, like in hill region they use the stone and rock, and in Village are they use dry grass etc.They have there own pros and con because according to the season they provide adaptive environment.Are they planning to control it?
Indeed, they rely on the local materials and design considering the climate of the region.
I am not sure what you mean by control here. Do you refer to preservation?
Apart from the losses on vanishing the values you mentioned, I think easy and cheap ways to control some of the seasons like summer and winter through these heritages will also be lost. Mud houses are known to do that in good way. The expense part is also another concern as mud is freely available and even straw can be cheaply available to build the architecture. Will be beneficial if scientifically they can be strengthened to withstand rain and other regular attacks of nature than completely replace them with alternatives.
Your link, you shared is really more informative and most interesting part of your blog is Design and Construction section, i like it.The rural people of India really don’t need of an Architect to design thier home and even make good design shown in the picture.
One question i would like to ask people living in cities and even to me also,Wht don’t we show capability like rural people?
Thanks for raising this question. It is indeed a question that everyone must ask to themselves.
I would like the readers to watch this TedTalk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJCTAXb_BWs
This is an epic story highlighting ‘how we forget our traditions’ in order to adopt new practises.
Increadible Post.
@Jordan – Nice and daring question u asked and when i asked it to myself, i got reply from inner sound that we don’t have time to do it.But the reality is for others important works, we adjust our time so Why not for it ? ,after all it is also an important work.
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The only complication this type of architecture offers is the restricted ventilation, that can be tough if cooking is done in the same chambers but in most cases they have chimneys for the exhaust, they can also be widespread had there been some scientific support of education to this. The buildings can collapse in rain and earthquakes and their most disastrous complication is their modes of environment control and structural support, the doors and windows are small and in hurry people can’t escape easily.