35 Vol 86,October 2005 Traditional Architecture and Planning Techniques in Himachal Pradesh (Ms) M Jain, Non-member I Singh, Non-member Dr S C Sharma, Non-member This paper highlights the evolution of traditional architecture and settlement pattern in the hill region of Himachal Pradesh. The paper discusses the art and architecture which grew out of the man and natural interaction. It discusses the various Architectural Styles of temples evolved over a period of time, their construction techniques and materials used by the people of Himachal Pradesh. The design and planning consideration in the hills which require extra sensitivity and care because of the delicate nature of terrain and eco-system are described. The paper suggests that the traditional architecture which is the outcome of man's interaction with nature should not be disturbed. The planning techniques which have been scientifically proved successful due to difficult terrain and the scientific use of locally available material should be encouraged. Keywords: Traditional architecture; Settlement pattern; Eco system; Man-nature interaction; Planning techniques INTRODUCTION The state of Himachal Pradesh has a treasure of traditional architecture. This traditional architecture has stood the test of time. This art and architecture have mostly grown out of age-old cultural heritage and numerous religious beliefs. It commands deep interest and respect as it represents and reveals the many faceted realities of the people living there. The ancient art and architecture of Himachal Pradesh have survived in the form of metal sculpture, wood carvings, stone carvings, paintings, traditional residential settlements and temple architecture.The most elementary form of hill architecture is represented by the old temples, which are scattered everywhere all along the mountain slopes and in the valleys. They are of indigenous styles and peculiar to the hills. Preparation of layout plans in hill area for the construction of different types of buildings, such as housing clusters, commercial complexes, institutional buildings is much more complicated as compared to the preparation of such plans in the plains. Layout planning is complicated due to constraints of hilly terrain for construction of buildings and roads beyond certain degree of slope. It is further complicated due to the following: Difficulty of getting suitable orientation on the hill slopes. Problems of soil erosion and land slides. Restrictions by the forest department.( ban on cutting of the trees). 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. TRADITIONAL SETTLEMENTS The construction of the house or the habitable places usually starts near the resources like agricultural land, water etc. Prior to the commencement of construction, due consideration is given to the terrain and the climate (Figure 1). The traditional house is in the form of a hut, and a hamlet develops when there are more than one hut and a small temple, dedicated to the local deity is gradually added. Thus from a singular structure of a hut, a small settlement is developed. The vernacular architecture of hamlets in Himachal Pradesh also varies from region to region, depending upon the climatic factors and the availability of local materials. It has been noticed that in the regions, comprising the Kullu valley, Satluj valley and the Ravi valley, a great commonality of styles exists (Figure 2). In the Satluj valley region, the typical house consists of stone and timber walls, constructed in what is known as Kath-Kona style, an indigenous style of construction, in which the walls are made with alternate courses of dry stone masonry and timber without any cementing mortar. Figure 1 Traditional settlements (Ms) M Jain and I Singh are with the Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh; and Dr S C Sharma is with Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology, Bathinda, Himachal Pradesh. This paper was received on May 9, 2005. Written discussion on the paper will be received till January, 31, 2006.
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35Vol 86,October 2005
Traditional Architecture and Planning Techniques in Himachal Pradesh
(Ms) M Jain, Non-member
I Singh, Non-member
Dr S C Sharma, Non-member
This paper highlights the evolution of traditional architecture and settlement pattern in the hill region of Himachal Pradesh. The paper
discusses the art and architecture which grew out of the man and natural interaction. It discusses the various Architectural Styles of temples
evolved over a period of time, their construction techniques and materials used by the people of Himachal Pradesh. The design and planning
consideration in the hills which require extra sensitivity and care because of the delicate nature of terrain and eco-system are described. The
paper suggests that the traditional architecture which is the outcome of man's interaction with nature should not be disturbed. The planning
techniques which have been scientifically proved successful due to difficult terrain and the scientific use of locally available material should be
available usable spaces, sources of water supply, natural drains
and paths.
n 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.
n 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.
n 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.
n Due to the cold climate, the southern slopes are preferred.
The orientation of the houses is to maximize the penetration
of the sun rays.
n 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.
n Site susceptible to high winds, storms, floods and landslides
should be avoided.
n 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.
n 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.
n In the steep hilly zones, the stepped terraces will be much
beneficial environmentally and economically, as they result in
the least hill cutting and disturbance to the hill stability.
n Minimum clearance of 1.0 m to 1.5 m should be given
between the hill face and the building wall to avoid dampness
and also for proper light and ventilation.
n Top hill surfaces near the buildings should be properly treated
to make it impervious as far as possible, possibly by thick
vegetation or stone pitching.
Development of Critical Areas
Physical development of a hill town is attributed to topography,
climate, accessibility, availability of developable land, hilly tracks
prohibiting large scale expansion of urban activities in ecologically
sensitive areas. Hill geomorphology does not allow concentrated
development of settlements. Hence the dispersal of settlement
has to be encouraged.
Figure 10 Construction types on hills
Retaining
wall
Equilibrium
Pile foundation
Trees
STABILIZATION Cutting
FillingStilts
Stacking
HILL CONSTRUCTION
Figure 12 View shed
The larger the cone blocked
by landform, the greater the
enclosure
Figure 11 Ridge lines
Military crest
gives views of the
valley. Buildings
located here blend
into the mass of
the hill as viewed
from great dis-
tances
40 IE(I) Journal--AR
Construction on Hills and Its Types
For hard soil : Cantilever
For moderate soil : Supporting members
To prevent landslide : Retaining wall
For aesthetics on gentle slopes : Terracing
Topography
An essential difference between Hills and Plains is the presence
of undulating topography altering the line of vision at every point
of ground. This makes the visual appearance of a building very
important from all distances. The changing terrain opens up
unlimited possibilities of viewing and utilizing land at various levels.
These offer views and the advantage of multilevel entry to the
building. However, the topography also restricts the freedom in
the development and planning. Symmetry or order of plan is not
experienced in hills due to varying topography. The undulating
topography opens up tremendous possibilities of panoramic vistas
of the landscape and the mountains.
Ridge Lines
Ridge lines are quite expansive and are visually open zones. They
offer long panoramic views and are themselves highly visible from
distant areas. They do not usually afford views into the valleys.
The Valley
Valleys afford reduced view sheds (Figure 12). The views from
the surrounding slopes are focused downwards into the valleys.
There is however a zone along the upper floors that is much less
visible from the distance and that affords views into the valleys.
This zone is known as military crest of the ridge. The zone offers
the unique opportunities as it affords nice valley views while
enabling buildings to visually blend into the land form if viewed
from distant locations. Ordinances that prohibit ridgeline
development to minimize visual impact often allows building along
the military crest. Spacing of ridges determine size of view sheds.
Building Layout on Contours
The building should be placed along the contours to increase the
stability of the structure and to cut down the cost on the site
development. The existing form of the terrain welcomes some
building forms while rejects some. In hills building break the
continuity of landscape and hence appear rigid, this can be
controlled by giving horizontal and vertical devices like stilts, etc
(Figure 13).
Terraces
Buildings with terraces allow sunlight penetration at all heights.
Visual aspect does not allow more than a few stories, which helps
in maintaining a human scale, proportions and integration.
Orientation
Orienting building along the north-south allows maximum
sunlight. The path of the sun, controls the height of building, as
the sun is needed for each dwelling unit.
ECOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURE
Ecology is the relationship of plants and animals to their natural
surroundings. It is sad to point out that during the course of
development, the contemporary architecture has played a negative
role to disrupt this relationship and destroy the delicate and fragile
balance of hill eco system. This has led to the problems of
landslides, forest fires etc. The sensitive approach towards
architecture and planning techniques can save the ecology.
CONCLUSION
In the hills, the elements of nature shape the spatial order and the
man has to adapt himself to these forces, so he makes the shelters
and the built environment in consonance with them and his cultural
needs. The traditional architecture of Himachal Pradesh is the
outcome of the prevailing topography, extremes of the climate
and other natural forces. Indigenous architectural solutions have
responded well to these natural forces. Moreover the vernacular
architecture merges well with the hills at the backdrop.
The traditional architecture forms the back bone of social and
cultural set up of the place. These architectural splendours serve
as the living heritage and add to tourist attractions. Most of these
structures are showing the sign of strain and abuse. The issues of
restoration and preservation are of paramount importance and
need to be addressed in relation to these buildings. It is essential
for this architecture to retain its integrity. So the traditional
architecture should not be disturbed, rather the contemporary
architecture should be integrated well with the traditional
architecture. The planning techniques, which have been
scientifically proved successful, for the difficult terrain of the
hills should be adopted keeping in mind the sustainability aspect.
As a future strategy, the people should be made aware of the
scientific usage of the locally available materials to minimize the
fragility of the region.
WN
SE
Figure 13 Building layout on contours
41Vol 86,October 2005
REFERENCES
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4. J L Dvivedi. ‘Monastries of the Spiti Valley, Architecture Time Space and
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