Lec-2 Influences Vernacular architecture

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE. . . . . . .

Farheen Bano

Vernacular Architecture


INFLUENCES. . . . . . .

CLIMATE

• One of the most significant influences on vernacular

architecture is the macro climate of the area in which the

building is constructed.

• Buildings in cold climates invariably have high thermal

mass or significant amounts of insulation. They are

usually sealed in order to prevent heat loss, and

openings such as windows tend to be small or non-

existent.

• Buildings in warm climates, by contrast, tend to be

constructed of lighter materials and to allow significant

cross-ventilation through openings in the fabric of the

building. Buildings for a continental climate must be able

to cope with significant variations in temperature, and

may even be altered by their occupants according to the

seasons.




CLIMATE

• Mediterranean vernacular, and that of much of the

Middle East, often includes a courtyard with a

fountain or pond; air cooled by water mist and

evaporation is drawn through the building by the

natural ventilation set up by the building form.

• Similarly, Northern African vernacular often has very

high thermal mass and small windows to keep the

occupants cool, and in many cases also includes

chimneys, not for fires but to draw air through the

internal spaces.

• Such specializations are not designed, but learnt by

trial and error over generations of building

construction, often existing long before the scientific

theories which explain how & why they work.




CLIMATE

• Buildings take different forms depending on

precipitation levels in the region – leading to

dwellings on stilts in many regions with

frequent flooding or rainy monsoon seasons.

• Flat roofs are rare in areas with high levels

of precipitation.

• Similarly, areas with high winds will lead to

specialized buildings able to cope with them,

and buildings will be oriented to present

minimal area to the direction of prevailing

winds.

• Climatic influences on vernacular

architecture are substantial and can be

extremely complex.




CULTURE

• The way of life of building occupants, and the way they use their shelters, is of

great influence on building forms. The size of family units, who shares which

spaces, how food is prepared and eaten, how people interact and many other

cultural considerations will affect the layout and size of dwellings.

• Culture also has a great influence on the appearance of vernacular buildings, as

occupants often decorate buildings in accordance with local customs and

beliefs.• There are many cultures around the world which

include some aspect of nomadic life, and they

have all developed vernacular solutions for the

need for shelter. These all include appropriate

responses to climate and customs of their

inhabitants, including practicalities of simple

construction, and if necessary, transport.




Permanent Dwelling

• Materials used will become heavier, more solid and more durable.

• They may also become more complicated and more expensive, as the capital

and labour required to construct them is a one-time cost.

• Permanent dwellings often offer a greater degree of protection and shelter from

the elements. In some cases however, where dwellings are subjected to severe

weather conditions such as frequent flooding or high winds, buildings may be

deliberately "designed" to fail and be replaced, rather than requiring the

uneconomical or even impossible structures needed to withstand them.

• The collapse of a relatively flimsy, lightweight structure is also less likely to

cause serious injury than a heavy structure.

• Over time, dwellings' architecture may come to reflect a very specific

geographical locale




ENVIRONMENT AND MATERIALS

• The local environment and the construction materials it can

provide, govern many aspects of vernacular architecture.

Areas rich in trees will develop a wooden vernacular, while

areas without much wood may use mud or stone.

• In early California redwood water towers supporting

redwood tanks and enclosed by redwood siding (tank

houses) were part of a self-contained wind-powered

domestic water system.

• In the Far East it is common to use bamboo, as it is both

plentiful and versatile. Vernacular, almost by definition, is

sustainable, and will not exhaust the local resources. If it

is not sustainable, it is not suitable for its local

context, and cannot be vernacular.



HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE. . . . . . .

• An appreciation of vernacular architecture is increasingly seen as vital in the

immediate response to disasters and the following construction of transitional

shelter if it is needed.

• The value of housing displaced people in shelters which are in some way familiar

is seen to provide reassurance and comfort following often very traumatic times.

As the needs change from saving lives to providing medium to long term shelter

the construction of locally appropriate and accepted housing can be very

important.



CHARACTERISTICS. . . . . . .

• Dwellings and structures that are built as a product of traditional customs and

practices,

• Often built by the users themselves, representing a far less degree of

specialization

• The structures made by empirical builders without the intervention of professional

architects.

• They have emerged out of hard necessities, hard work and hard lives.

• Construction methodology that natives employ to build shelters using locally

prevalent resources and conditions.



PURPOSE AND SCOPE. . . . . . .

• Though the vernacular building may not be a perfect environmental solution, and

though its use of detail may be inconsistent, it shows the vernacular designer to be

a subtle engineer in the organization of human relations based on an established

social order.

• Loss of vernacular tradition is usually associated with the creation of barriers to

direct social interaction, compartmentalization of functions within a building, and the

imposition of an external mask of symmetricality.

• The study of vernacular traditions allows the architect to be more self·aware, and to

be critical of his own culture's arbitrary conventions.

• It also makes him a preservationist and a social activist.

• For the architect who understands vernacular traditions, patient field research can

help heal the dislocations of modern society and reconstitute some of the shared

basis for design that marked vernacular traditions.



BUILDING PROCESSES, TECHNOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURE PRODUCTION. . . . . . .

• Is result of series of experiment over the years

• It involves the transmission of knowledge

• Process of building involves

• Choice of site depending upon the economic criteria .e.g. agriculture , animal

husbandary , cultural criteria etc

• Choice of materials depending upon availability, popular use and climatic

suitability

• Dimensioning in vernacular construction usually correlate with human body. eg

units of measurements in paces, foot sizes spans fingers and thumbs

• The dimensions are usually proportional

• A typical construction process involves excavation for trench in case of load

bearing construction



BUILDING PROCESSES, TECHNOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURE PRODUCTION. . . . . . .

• Use of damp proofing methods if any

• Formworks of timber are used which are different shapes and sizes at different

places

• Building frame work is usually load bearing wall or timber framed in case of post

and beam Construction Wooden frames are the popular roofing structure Infilling,

which is a very integral part of building construction has diversified forms at

different places depending upon the material uses etc.



TECHNIQUES IN VERNACULAR BUILDINGS. . . . . . .

• All the vernacular architecture have techniques which are learned and applied as

the most suitable one for the particular setting

• Techniques in vernacular architecture are refined over the time and are seldom

backed by scientific research.

• Understanding this technique means craftsman should be able comprehend the

entire construction process as well as should have the capacity to deal with

adaptation, flexibility etc

• These craftsmen should also be able to deal with differences in dimensions,

consistency of materials , forces of nature and other problems which arise during

building production

• Although vernacular architecture construction everyone is expected to acquire skill

of construction there are always those people who have advanced spatial

perception frequently accompanied with advance skills

• Skills of brick bonding ,Skills of carpentry and wood carving , Skills of stone

carving , stone dressing and trimming




Conservation techniques:

• Along with other techniques dealing with wear and tear is also part of the local

building technology

Maintenance technique

• Building deteriorates with age with impacts of weather. Average age of the

building depends on the type of structure , materials use and the construction

technique . in some cultures buildings technology is simple and materials

perishable which makes the life very short.

• Thatch roofing

o Grass or palm in external walls

o Mud plaster in the external walls etc.



TECHNIQUES IN VERNACULAR BUILDINGS. . . . . . . Roofs

• Primary objective of vernacular architecture is to provide shelter and the

essence of shelter is to provide enclosed space achieved by covering

• Usually vernacular architecture are modest and adequate for the housing need but

sometimes it’s achievements are remarkable

• Flat roofs are simplest with timber beams resting on the two walls at the end. They

are usually seen on the regions where precipitation is very low

• Conical roofs are constructed in areas exposed to rains. Conical roofs may be

constructed to radial poles raised on a cylindrical wall structure.

• Most popular form of vernacular roof is the pitched roof sloping on two side and with

gables at each end..




Roofs

• In these types of roofs ridge will take some load

while rafters will take the most. Such roofs are able

to carry burden of cladding such as thatch , tile or

stone necessitating the use of purlin

• Pitched roofs are found where wood is plentiful

• Pitched roofs sometimes have large overhangs to

protect the wall from rain and sun

• Hipped roofs are popular in courtyards and with

rectangular building plans. Hipped roof allows all the

walls of the building to be built to the same height

before the construction of roof framework without

the necessity of shaping a gable and wall.

• Vault roofing is also popular in the middle eastern

countries where it is hot and dry




Floors

• Floors are either used for human or animal activity .

• Could be on the ground or raised above the ground level

• Usually for the ground floor treatment the upper layer of soil is

removed and filled with more stable materials and then compacted

• Often in rural area floors are plastered with animal dung and clay

• In some rainy areas asphalt bitumen are laid below the floor finish to act

as water proofing material

• Treatment of floors relates to the aesthetic aspects, thermal

requirements , durability , ease of cleaning etc

Floor finishing

• Compacted earth

• Mud topped by thin layer of plaster which is smooth . plaster

could be cow dung mixed with water and sometimes clay




Structure and supports

• Most of the vernacular buildings around the globe have clear distinction

between roof spanning systems and supporting structures.

• Difference in form is further elaborated with usually distinctive use of materials

such as thatched timber framed roof and stone walls as support.

• Essential difference between roof structure and the supports for the roof

depends on the distribution of gravitational forces to the supporting system.

• Vertical loads are transferred from the roof to the walls to the ground.

• Not all the enclosing structures acts as the supports in fact need supports. Eg:

curtain walls made of thatches and leaves which need support of the timber

posts

• Usually the vernacular buildings are not more than two stories in height and a

large proportion are single storeyed only with few rooms.




Ventilation & lighting

• In hot and humid climate vernacular architecture have devised forms in their

buildings to facilitate ventilation

• Courtyard house in the hot and humid region act as the lung of the house and

is the main source of air exchange froom inside the built space to the outer free

space.

• In muslim architecture use of exquisitely carved screens or lattice windows

provide privacy , at the same time permits currents of air to circulate through

the room

• Similarly use of jail which could be of stone or wood or brick is also very

popular in the hotter areas of india . when a water body is placed adjacent to a

jail water will evaporate by drawing heat from the surrounding air and

perforations in a jail acts as miniature wind tunnels drawing a large volume of

air through small openings at a high speed and thus accelerate the process of

evaporative cooling




ventilation & lighting

• In south India ventilation through the ridge vent is very popular and effective

• Series of small openings are used for the provision of ventilation and lighting in

the vernacular architecture.

• Wind towers or wind catchers are other type of interesting features for

ventilation

• Openings are the source of lighting

• Before the invention of glass, different materials such as mica , wooden

planks,etc were used

• Usually in the middle eastern muslim countires houses grouped around a

courtyard have openings only towards this courtyard. While the external walls

were black and access is through small single door.




ventilation & lighting

• In colder and temperate climates window openings function as the main source

of light and level of illumination achieved internally is dependent upon a

combination of free window opening size , surface, reflectivity and depth of the

room.

• Shutters were the oldest means to regulate the brightness in the building and

they were usually made of wood.



FORM AND PATTERN. . . . . . .

• The form of these agraharams could be understood as a derivative of a grid pattern,

with the temple forming the main focus. The row of houses (tube houses) is either

single or 2 storied with the traditional pitched roof striking a significant profile

against the sky – the imageability context.

• Linear in organisation, the culmination point being the temple as the early

settlements were by the priests who were Vedic scholars who attached themselves

to the religious activities.



FORM AND PATTERN. . . . . . .

• The temple tank

forms an

interactive

community space

with the Peepal

forming another

focal element.



SPATIAL ORGANISATION. . . . . . .

1. The house of the Brahmins perfectly fits the laws of linear organisation with a clear

demarcation of spaces as public, semi-public and private areas.

2. The porch (thinnai) forms the semi public space – a transition from the public arena

(theruvu – street) to the realms of the habitable space – the house.

3. The arai, is the store and the pathayam (granary) or the grain store is a take – off

from the Kerala style. Primarily being an agricultural community where the Brahmins

were land owners the spatial organisation of the house reflects the occupation and

the religious relevance .The house was organized around a courtyard with rooms

around – typical offshoot from the illams and tharavads of Kerala.

4. The sunken portions were classified as the thalvaram and conversely the raised

areas in the house were broadly categorized as the melvaram. The upper storeys

were the machi (on top).



SPATIAL ORGANISATION. . . . . . .

1. The rooms (aria) were attached to the hall which

was then followed by the kitchen (adukalai)

which finally culminated in another open space

(mittam) .

2. The affluent had the second stage

(rendaamkettu) which included a semi covered

area for the cattle and the rear yard (kollai) with

the toilets.

3. The concept of bathrooms was unheard of as

the village ponds (kulam), streams (ozhukku)

and the rivers (puzha) facilitated the purpose.

The well was located in the open space near the

kitchen or at the rear end (Kerala Iyers Trust)



IDENTITY. . . . . . .

1. Elements and spaces that rendered

Imageability, character and style to these

agraharams needs to be explored in the current

scenario as they are no longer evident.

2. The public wells – a key community interactive

utility have been totally left have been rendered

non-functional.

3. The Vedic schools (Vedhapaatashala) have lost

its ethnic charm and the settlements are caught

in the quagmire of change.



LOCALLY AVAILABLE MATERIALS. . . . . . .

The first factor influencing the development of vernacular construction practices is

related to the availability of local building materials. In many areas, the locally

available resources have governed the use of the following constituent materials for

walls:

1.Earthen construction, stone and Masonry construction

2.Αdobe (mud blocks or whole walls)

3.Μasonry (stone, clay, or concrete blocks)

4.Τimber construction

A Toda tribal hut Traditional home, Manali House with verandah in Ettayapuram



EARTHEN CONSTRUCTION. . . . . . .

1. Good choice of building shape (preferably a

circular floor plan). In order to achieve desirable

seismic performance, it is crucial that the floor

plan be absolutely regular. If possible, it should

be symmetrical in both orthogonal directions.

2. use of timber to reinforce earthen walls. Timber

reinforcement can be added to increase ductility

and secure the connections. Timber

reinforcement must be adequately protected

against humidity and insects (such as termites in

Africa and India) in order to ensure long-term

structural integrity.

3. Use of a lightweight roof to reduce the mass on

top of the walls; a secure roof-to wall connection

is essential for satisfactory earthquake

performance.



STONE AND BRICK MASONRY CONSTRUCTION. . . . . . .

1. The simplest technique is based on the use of

sun-baked blocks, generally classified as

adobe, described in the previous section.

2. The use of burnt clay bricks is widespread

where wood or coal fuel is available. Clay brick

is a traditional building material used for

centuries in many parts of the world.

3. Stone is the locally available material in some

regions. Unshaped stone blocks collected

4. in the field have also been used for housing

construction for centuries, mainly in the form of

uncourse (random) stone-rubble construction.

5. In some cases, the stones have been shaped,

usually by hand tools. Such construction is

called “dressed-stone masonry.”



TIMBER CONSTRUCTION. . . . . . .

1. Examples of traditional wooden houses are found

throughout Japan and the Russian Federation .

2. The advantages of timber housing construction Stem

from the use of timber, a lightweight and ductile building

material.

3. A critical issue in timber construction is related to the

connections (floor-beam, column–Beam or panel-beam)

and their ability to transfer the forces from one building

member to another and then down to the foundation.

4. It should be noted that the wood is quite vulnerable to

the effects of humidity and insects. Moreover, the use of

timber construction is limited by the local availability of

suitable wood materials.

RONDAVEL IN CAMEROON



CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE. . . . . . .

1. Adobe Brick (mud bricks)

2. Rat trap Bond

3. Cavity Wall

4. Filler Slab

The Adobe Brick (Mud Brick)

Adobe bricks (mud bricks) are made of earth with a

fairly high clay content and straw. If produced

manually the earth mix is cast in open moulds

onto the ground and then left to dry out. Adobe

bricks are only sun-dried, not kiln-fired. When

used for construction they are laid up into a wall

using an earth mortar. Before drying out, the finished

walls are smoothed down. Often a clay render is

applied as a surface coating.




• Advantages of Adobe bricks fireproof,

durable yet biodegradable, non-toxic building

material which provide sufficient thermal

mass to buildings to ensure excellent thermal

performance.

• low sound transmission levels through walls

and a general feeling of solidity and security.

• it allows the individual units or bricks to shrink

before they are placed in the wall.

• The risk of extensive shrinkage and cracking,

which would otherwise occur in soils of high clay

content in a large monolithic wall, is prevented.

Due to the production process and the nature of

clay,




• Adobe bricks have good water resistance. Nevertheless it is very important to

provide adequate weather protection of the earth walls, especially in exposed

situations.

• This is normally done with the provision of adequate eaves.

• The small Adobe units provide great flexibility in the design and construction of

earth buildings. Adobe bricks can be easily cut for fitting and can be provided

with holes for reinforcing and services.

• Many people find the pattern and texture of Adobe walls very attractive.




RAT TRAP BOND

• It is bond,which probably used in vernacular contruction




Cavity Wall

•Cavity wall consists of two walls with a 5cm to 8cm,cavity between them.

•The outer wall also known as outer leaf, consists of a 10 cm( half brick) thick wall and

the inner wall is sufficiently thick and strong to carry the imposed load safely

•the minimum thickness of the inner wall is restricted to 10cm(half brick).

•The provision of a continous cavity in the wall efficiency prevents the transmission of

dampness to the inner wall

Advantages

-They are economical

-They have good sound insulation property




Filler slab


EARLY DWELLINGS…..

• Man has been on earth for hundred of thousands , perhaps million of years. But the

oldest building we know is of 12000 years ago.

• The popular image of primitive people is that they lived in caves and relied on hunting

for food.

• This was often true but they must have built shelters and even more permanent

dwellings from which the first settlement grew.

• In colder land , early hunters build shelters with wooden frames and animal skin

covering. Where wood were scarce the used large mammoth bones as support in

their huts.

• Building a house had great advantage over living in a cave. There was no escape if

confronted by a wild animal and rocks often fell from the roof crushing the inhabitants.



• Main frame: made up of large reeds tied

into bundles and fixed firm to the ground.

They were then bent over to join at their tips

using strips of reed twisted into the rope.

• Covering : the finished arches were joined with

horizontal strips of wood .these supported the

wall material made from sections of reed

matting

• Materials. The huts were made entirely from

reeds picked from marshes.

• They were gathered in bundles and tied

together using rope made from twisted reed

rope




CATAL HUYUK…

• Around 10,000 bc some people in the middle east began settle and cultivate crops ,

the first step towards civilization in what historians calls the neotithic revolution.

• Cataly huyuk is largest and best preserved Neolithic site located in present day

Turkey.

• It was crowded collection of mud walled flat roofed houses. There were no streets

because the houses were built next to each other. Each one was built on the

foundations of previous house giving the town a curious stepped look

• Çatalhöyük was composed entirely of domestic buildings, with no obvious public

buildings.

• While some of the larger ones have rather ornate murals, these rooms' purpose

remains unclear.


CATAL HUYUK…

• The population of the eastern mound has been estimated at up to 10,000 people

• Most were accessed by holes in the ceiling, with doors reached by ladders and

stairs. The rooftops were effectively streets. The ceiling openings also served

as the only source of ventilation, allowing smoke from the houses' open hearths and

ovens to escape.

• Houses had plaster interiors characterized by squared-off timber ladders or steep

stairs. These were usually on the south wall of the room, as were cooking hearths

and ovens.

• Each main room served for cooking and daily activities. The main rooms contained

raised platforms that may have been used for a range of domestic activities.

• All interior walls and platforms were plastered to a smooth finish.

• Ancillary rooms were used as storage, and were accessed through low openings from

main rooms.


CATAL HUYUK…


APPROACHES & CONCEPTS………..

1. theism & religious manifestation

2. symbolism & architectural manifestation

3. rites , rituals & cultural manifestation

4. proportion , scale , geometry & order

5. responsiveness to climatic & natural setting


THEISM AND RELIGIOUS MANIFESTATION……….

• Greek word theos meaning “god”

• Theism in the broadest sense, is the belief that at least one deity exists.

• In specific sense , it conceives of god as personal present and active in the

governance and organization of the world and universe.

• Atheism is rejection of belief that there is even one deity .



Types:


SHRINES• Latin: scrinium “chest or case for books or papers”, Old

French: escrin "box or case”

• Holy or sacred place which is dedicated to a specific deity,

ancestor , hero , martyr , saint , daemon or similar figure of

awe and respect at which they are respected.

• Shrines often contains idols , relics or other such objects

associated with the figure. Shrines are found in many of

world‟s religions as well as in non religious settings such as

war memorials.

• A shrine may become focus of cult image. Shrine can be

found in various settings such as churches , temples and

cemeteries or in the home , although portable shrines are

also found in some cultures.



Forms of shrines

• Temples, mosque, monastery, stupa, etc

Types of shrines

• Temple shrine

• Household shrine

• Yard shrine


SYMBOLISM & ARCHITECTURAL MANIFESTATION…..

• Recognition of symbolism in different

vernacular traditional architecture was realized

much later.

• Symbolism is usually defined as something that

represents something else. Any object ,

animal , color number etc. an act as symbol.

• Association between a symbol and what it

means is accepted by consensus in order to

make communication possible. Some symbols

may be graphic while other may be ritualized

• Symbols acts as the culturally accepted

correspondence medium which has meaning

and has expression.


SYMBOLISM & ARCHITECTURAL MANIFESTATION…..

• Other spatial and symbolic correspondences

include the curve (feminine) and the straight line

(masculine)

• Symbolism of space takes on power with

element of reflection. This reflection is

manifested in the contemplative and the study of

relationship by which a transition is made from

simple space to a place of reference.

• The sense of place takes on a wholeness with

the inclusion of elements representative of

important aspects of external environment.

Domes vault and high ceilings engender a sense

of space approximating the high dome or roof.


RITES , RITUALS & CULTURAL MANIFESTATION…

• With every traditional society certain rites and rituals are connected with the building

construction.

– Purification of the site

– Laying the foundation

– Setting the entrance door

– Purification of the house.

Sacred space

• Role of sacred space in vernacular architecture combines the perception of space and

that which is deemed sacred.

• Certain spaces are considered sacred in vernacular architecture due to

– cultural significance

– religious significance



• In vernacular architecture, firstly the land where building is built is sacred and purified

by the priest

• After the structure is built there are certain parts of the house which are more sacred

than others.

• In many traditional societies this sacred function is performed by a priest or head of

the village often by the head of a household or clan.

• This becomes crucial as prosperity of household will draw energy form this space.

• The structure so erected whether a temple, dwelling or for other purposes , possess

the elements of temple , the womb and the protective fortress functionally and

conceptually in most vernacular architecture.



Thresholds

• Thresholds in terms of main entrance is very important space to maintain the sanctity

of a house

• Thresholds mark the transition point in space.

• It provides the sacred function of separating what once was whole into the inner/outer

and sacred/profane.

• Multidimensional and multipurpose in vernacular architecture as it provides useful

distinctions partitioning and protecting symbolically functionally and energetically.

• Threshold marks not only the transition points in space but often points to states of

being , existence or awareness, serving as a reminder of key events.

• Essentially process related as much as being a passageway addressing the issues of

liminality – boundaries.

• The size and prominence of arch or gate became reflective of its divine attributes and

evocative of the power associated with the realm being entered


PROPORTION , SCALE & ORDER…..

• Frequently used in vernacular buildings as a human scale.

• Scale and proportion are not the same though related

• Scale is relative but proportion is mathematical relationships between dimensions.

• Which can usually be expressed in terms of ratio.

• “Proportion is a correspondence among the measures of the members of an entire

work, and of the whole to a certain part selected as standard. From this result the

principles of symmetry. Without symmetry and proportion there can be no principles

in the design of any temple; that is, if there is no precise relation between its

members as in the case of those of a well-shaped man” –vitrivius

• In architecture the whole is not just a building but the set and setting of the site. The

things that make a building and its site "well shaped" include the orientation of the site

and the buildings on it to the features of the grounds on which it is situated. Light,

shade, wind, elevation, choice of materials, all should relate to a standard and say

what is it that makes it what it is, and what is it that makes it not something else.


PROPORTION , SCALE & ORDER…..


Decoration on vernacular architecture……..

• Usually the vernacular buildings are simple and do not have any decorations.

• Reasons for the considerable disparity in the extent and complexity of decoration on

buildings are various. One of the reason may be the difference in the use of material.

• Some materials are suitable to be decorated upon while some are not.

• Decoration is also dependent upon the type of society . e.g. nomadic and

transhumant people are less likely to decorate their dwellings.

• Economic status also differentiates the use of decorative elements in vernacular

architecture i.e . if poor less decoration if richer better decoration.

• Usually the decoration is applied to specific parts of the building depending upon

visibility of that part, its importance on the buildings or the importance of the function

that it defines


Decoration on vernacular architecture……..

A traditional window of a Bohra house in gujrat

BHUNGA HOUSES of Bhuj

Sindh, Pakistan


MOTIFS..

• Motifs are two or three dimensional visual form which are identifiable

• Motifs could be signs and symbols.

• Uses of signs are to provoke a certain response once it is used.

• Frequently motifs are made on the structural elements which are decorated

• In buildings with clay plastered walls, motifs are usually made on the wall surface.

• Motifs have been extensively used on linear surfaces such as lintels, cornices ,

beams etc,

• which also provide opportunity for certain sequential narrations. Stellar motifs –

constellations and different types of star shapes eg five pointed , six pointed etc.

• Swastika motif- symbol of movement and revolution. It depicts four seasons and four

direction of wind. Swastika which comes from Sanskrit meaning good fortune.


MOTIFS…

Part of the Nubian Museum in Egypt represent the Nile Valley


FINIALS….

• The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed

decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive

ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure.

• Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods or

applied to chairs and furniture. These are frequently seen on top of bed posts or

clocks.

• Decorative finials are also commonly used to fasten lampshades, and as an

ornamental element at the end of the handles of souvenir spoons.

• Architectural finials were once believed to act as a deterrent to witches on

broomsticks attempting to land on one's roof.

• During the various dynasties in China, a finial was wore on the top of the hat's

civil or military officials during formal court ceremonies.


FINIALS….

Africa and Europe


FENG SHUI……..

• Set of principles governing the site survey ,

selection for both human habitation and burials

• Its practioners analyses the site to assess

orientation, topography , landscape features

and view

• Particularly , important landscape features are

local water source which is interms of location

and direction of flow and position of nearby hills

and mountains

• Feng shui literally means “ winds and water”


VAASTU PURUSH MANDALA…..

• Most indispensable tool for design in the traditional Indian science of building.

• It is grid of squares ranging from the simplest form of one square to a grid of 1024

squares

• Superimposed over the grid ( the mandala) is a symbolic squatted figure of the

cosmic man (purush) With his head on the north eastern square of the grid.

• He is pressed down in place by divinities that reside in each square.

• arranged according to their hierarchy around the central square which is ruled by

brahma , the supreme creator. Two of grids namely “ manduka” (64squares) and “

paramsayika” (81 squares) in particular used for design of the house.

• The mandala is then superimposed on the site choosen which is preferably a square.

• The planned site which is designed using mandala possessing a multilayered ,

symbolic and a functional significance





• The divinities of mandala have a bearing on the functions of the dwelling. For

example, the central square is ruled by brahma , the supreme creator. This is the

most important divinity in the hierarchy. So no structure is to be built on this and no

beam or column should rest on this square . It should not be damaged by digging pit

or sitting a body of water in it. A sacred basil plant is worshipped daily in this open to

sky courtyard.

• The square of agni (fire) is in the southeast corner of the square. The functional

representative of the fire elements that is kitchen finds its place here.

• Simple grid of squares emerges into a design solution incorporating climatic,

geographic, cultural, religious and social constraints through its controlled approach

of design evolution; it shapes a building that is composed of balanced proportion of

built and open spaces.

• The vaastupurush mandala satisfies the functional needs along with promoting a

lifestyle that is truly traditional Indian.



Documents

Lec-2 Influences Vernacular architecture