2. The term Vernacular is derived from the Latin word vernaculus, meaning
"domestic, native, indigenous”.
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of
construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address
local needs.
Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental,
cultural and historical context in which it exists.
It is an indigenous architecture with specific time or place (not imported or
copied from elsewhere). It is most often used applied in residential
buildings.
4. WHY IS A DHAJJI WALL STRONG?
• In a usual house, an earthquake first makes:
ONE BIG crack,
Then TWO BIG cracks,
Then the walls fall out.
Small panels distribute the energy evenly.
• In a Dhajji house, there are:
many SMALL cracks,
and only small parts fall out.
BUT THE WALLS REMAIN!
A Dhajji house is a patchwork of timber and stone
5. • The small panels distribute the earthquake energy evenly.
• The friction between all the small elements and their in-fills breaks down the energy.
• There may be a lot of small cracks which are not dangerous.
• But large destructive cracks become very rare.
STONE FOUNDATIONS DASA (PLINTH BEAM)
•Anchoring the Dasa to the foundation.
•Protecting the Dasa against water and insects.
7. WALLFINISH
Mud Plaster - Cow dung Plaster - Whitewash
• No cement mortar.
• Keeps Atmosphere warm.
• Does not get much affected from earthquake.
SLOPING ROOF
Roof Tile – CGI Sheets
• Roof is slopping to fall down
snow.
• Structures are wooden with
excellent joinery to bear excessive
snowfall and load.
8. OPENINGS
• Less openings
• Maximum 3’0” opening span.
• Mainly in south and south- west directions.
Some old houses have a special type of window which
comes out of the wall. This is called ‘dab’. It has
beautiful wood pattern.
10. TREES –wind barrier
Roof & wall insulation
Heavy walls (mud) and a well insulated roof (timber and mud) dampen the
variations of indoor temperature.
Thick Walls
• One makes Floors and roofs are made
of mud treaded on wooden boards.
• Roofs are basically flat, being
unnecessary to waterproof, since it
scarcely ever rains.
The walls for the first floor are made up of, piling up stone and sun-dried brick, and then places
wooden beams and floor joists across the walls to support the second floor walls above them, and
repeatedly adds more wooden beams across them.
11. PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION
-Orientation and shape of the building.
-Use of trees as wind barriers.
-Roof insulation, wall insulation and double glazing.
-Thicker walls.
-Air locks / lobbies.
-Weather stripping.
-Darker colors.
-Walls and glass surfaces.
Use of glass and trombe wall – heat is stored in the building mass during the day
and warm during the night.
Double glazed glass
Trombe wall
12. WALLS
• Sun dried mud bricks.
• Rammed earth Panel.
• Not perpendicular from ground.
•Retain temperature.
•Less affected by earthquake.
WALL FINISH
Mud Plastered -Lime washed
• Creates Germ free atmosphere
• Retain temperature
13. ROOF
Flat – Wooden – Mud finish
• Flat due to less precipitation.
• Insulation from cold.
• To dry vegetables and Fruits
for cold season.
OPENINGS
• Highly decorated.
• Small in size.
• Painted in bright colors.
• Mostly in south and south-
east directions.
14. HOUSES OF FARKETHANG, NURLA, LADAKH
• The houses of Farkethang stand
at the verge between the
irrigated land and the desert
landscape. The long channels
ferry the water from a narrow
branch of the Indus River to the
village where it is distributed by
finely tuned small channels. The
small village appears as a green
oasis in the barren landscape.
The irrigation of the summer
snowmelt from the high
mountains is essential to the
agriculture in Ladakh.
Aerial view on Farkethang village
15. • The internal vertical arrangement of space within the Ladakhi residence represents the
Tibetan cosmology. The stables on the ground floor represent the animal realm; the
human realm is represented by the family’s living rooms that are located at the first
elevated level. The shrine room is located on the roof that represents the realm of the
gods. The central and most important room is the kitchen where most of the family’s
daily activities take place. It is a multifunctional room serving as kitchen, common
living room, guest room and bedroom.
Isometric view of lintel (shing tsak) assembly,
Farkethang Gongma
16. VERNACULARARCHITECTURE OF JAISALMER
Traditional Houses
People of Jaisalmer live in fort . Now many of houses has been converted into shops.
They use the golden stone for construction.
Don't use any mortar , they make bond by using scissors in between the golden stones.
The golden stone is a soft stone hence, very nice carvings could be done over it.
17. PATWON KI HAVELI
The Patwon Ji ki Haveli is an interesting piece of Architecture and is the most important
among the havelis in Jaisalmer.
It was the first haveli erected in Jaisalmer in 1805 by Guman Chand Patwa and it is not a
single haveli but a cluster of 5 small havelis.
It is believed that Patwa was a rich man and was a renowned trader of his time. He could
afford and thus ordered the construction of separate stories for each of his 5 sons.
18. Carved door
Balconies, window pillars
PATWON KI HAVELI
It was well designed haveli, incorporates
following rooms:
Drawing room, common courtyard, separate
bedroom for male and female with dressing
room attached, music room, game zone,
dining room, kitchen, utility area.
Entrance:
Rich carved doors,
windows, pillars and
balconies on the
entrance. They store
food for camel in
basement.
19. COURTYARDS:
A wide range of household activities could extend into courtyards. These spaces became the
living areas ofall domestic architecture.
This room without a roof is often bounded by verandahs along its periphery. Other rooms
open into these verandahs creating a spatial organisation based on a hierarchical sequence
of spaces ranging from open to enclosed.
The rooms get their light and ventilation from this courtyard and have very few openings onto
the exterior. This spatial sequence encourages the intermittent flow of activities responding to
various private needs. Also, the tropical climate of India demands air movement as well as
shaded spaces for comfort.
Variations in the generic form of the courtyard come from changes in materials,
articulation of the enclosing elements, scale, proportion and complexity of plan.
Clay Sand Bajra WasteCourtyards
20. ENTRANCES:
The complexity of transition as an architectural element varies from community to
community. A single door is total and only link between the inside and the outside. In
yet another form, an entrance may be the prelude through which one is introduced to
the interior right from the first step.
PROTECTION FROM DUST STORM :
In cases where normal low level dust swirls within the settlement the interiors of
buildings are protected by almost blank walls with very small openings.
All major streets are oriented almost to the east – west direction at right angles to the
direction of dust storms.
24. Women decorating the wall: They usually decorate the small windows and shelves
etc. They decorate with the lime stone of red and white
Kitchen
Hang utensils on wooden ends
Small size
decorate
window