RIMT COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF PUNJAB

SUBMITTED TO:-AR.NAVNEET KAUR

SUBMITTED BY:-AYUSHI JAIN

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF PUNJAB

• The word vernacular derived from ‘vernaculus’ means ‘native’.• Hence vernacular architecture – native science of building. • The term "vernacular architecture" in general refers to the informal building of

structures through traditional building methods by local builders without using the services of a professional architect. It is the most widespread form of building.

• PUNJAB  "punj meaning five and ab meaning water, thus the land of five rivers”.

AREAS OF PUNJABThe area of Punjab can be divided into:

Majha is a historical region of the Indian Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur andTarn Taran. It lies between rivers Ravi, Beas and the Sutlej. This region is called the heartland of Punjab and is celebrated as being the 'Cradle of Sikhism'.

Doaba is the region of Indian Punjab between the rivers Beas and Sutlej. The name "Doaba" literally translates to "land between two rivers" ("Do" two, "Ab" river; Punjabi). It is one of the most fertile regions of the world and was the centre of the Green Revolution in India. To this day, it remains one of the largest per capita producers of wheat in the world. The cities in Doaba are Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar(Nawashahr), Kapurthala and Mukerian.

Malwa is a region of Punjab south to river Sutlej. The Malwa area makes up majority of the Punjab region consisting 11 districts. Cities: Ludhiana, Rupnagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Mansa,  Ferozepur, Fazilka, Rajpura, Moga andAjitgarh are located in the Malwa region. Malwa is also famous for cotton farming.

MATERIALS OF PUNJAB‡ HISTORY OF PUNJAB LINKS WITH ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS AS:- The 

Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of the Punjab region with cities such as Harappa (modern-day Punjab, Pakistan). The Vedic Civilization spread along the length of the Sarasvati River to cover most of Northern India including Punjab. This civilization shaped subsequent cultures in the Indian subcontinent.

‡ INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION gifted mankind many assets like sewage system, town planning ,bathing area , ware houses , dock yards , and the most important use of BAKED BRICKS it can be seen in all excavated sites of indus valley civilization.

‡ Hence , the backed clay bricks flourished through the years and named as NANAK SHAHI BRICKS .

There are a no. of others locally available materials that can be used in rural area.

They can be used with different construction techniques, which does not require much skilled labour. Some of them are:

Cow Dung Thatch Straw Mud Timber Bamboo

NANAK SHAHI BRICKS Nanak Shahi brick was most commonly used for its intrinsic advantages. They

were the decorated bricks used in Mughal era. The building blocks from the demolished historic buildings was the Nanakshahi brick a slim brick of 6x4 x(1.25) Traditional small bricks that were burnt with timber and cow dung are far superior in strength and more resilient than the conventional bricks. This brick was used judiciously as column cladding, as joints between the block and column, in the three centered arches and even in the windows apart from being used in the roof in different patterns.

Nanak Shahi bricks were kind of brick tiles of moderate dimensions used for reinforcing lime concretes in the structural walls and other components which were generally very thick. The brick-tile made mouldings, cornices, plasters, etc., easy to work into a variety of shapes. More often than not, the structures, especially the Sikh temples (gurudwaras) were a combination of the two systems, viz, trabeated or post-and-lintal, and acerated or based on arches. The surfaces were treated with lime or gypsum plaster which was moulded into cornices, pilasters, and other structural as well as non-structural embellishments.

NANAK SHAHI BRICKS Brick, lime mortar as well as lime or gypsum plaster, and lime concrete were the

most favoured building materials, although stone: such as red stone and white marble, were also used in a number of shrines. The Nanak Shahi Bricks found use more as cladding or decorative material than for meeting structural needs for well over two hundred years.

Nanak Shahi (from the times of Nanak) brick was most commonly used for its intrinsic advantages. It was a kind of brick tile of moderate dimensions used for reinforcing lime concretes in the structural walls and other components, which were generally very thick.

The brick-tile made moldings, cornices, plasters, etc., is easy to work into a variety of shapes. More often than not, the structure was a combination of the two systems, viz, trabeated or post-and-lintal, and acerated or based on arches. The surfaces were treated with lime or gypsum plaster which was molded into cornices, pilasters, and other structural as well as non-structural embellishments

THESE bricks has variable uses from foundation to superstructure, ornamentation, arches , domes , even heavy structures and bridges too .. Yes bridges

Here’s the example of JOURE PUL , PUNJAB connecting three cities Malerkotla , Khanna and Nabha.

This bridge is solely made by nanakshahi bricks with thickness of 3’-0” and thickness.

This was built before independence . On a average about 50 -75 cars cross this bridge and 100 truckes on

regular basis. This is aesthetically very much pleasing.

NANAK SHAHI BRICKS

NANAK SHAHI BRICKS THERE ARE MANY BUILDINGS IN PUNJAB WHICH WERE MADE SOLELY BY THESE

BRICKS . FOR EXAMPLE:- NANAK SHAHI BRICK FORT (KUCCHA QILLA ), MALERKOTLA QILLA MUBARAK , MALERKOTLA KUTIYA (TEMPLE SHARING WALL WITH MOSQUE) , MALERKOTLA

NANAK SHAHI BRICKS EVEN NOW A DAYS WE ARE USING BURNT CLAY BRICKS AT MAX BUT THESE

BRICKS ARE ESILY PRONE TO DISEASE AND DECAY WHY?? IN EARLIER TIMES IT WAS SAID THAT A GOOD BRICK HAS LIFE SPAN OF 200

YEARS WHICH LOWERS TO 100 YEARS IN 20 CENTUARY BUT IN 21 CENTUARY BRICKS ARE PRONE TO EFFLORESCENCE,

BUT THE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS WHICH ARE MORE THAN 100 YEARS OLD . THEY DON’T HAVE ANY EFFLORENSCE AND CRACK WITH NO MAINTEANCE THEY WITHSTAND ACID RAIN , WIND AND WEATHERING AGENCIES….HOW ?

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WHY STILL LOOKS BETTER THAN NEW BRICK??

NANAK SHAHI BRICKS REASONS BEHIND THIS IS WELL KNOWN TO ALL BUT IGNORED JUST TO MEET

THE DEMAND OF BUILDING IN LESS TIME ONE JUST FORGOT THESE:- USE OF CEMENT AS BINDING MATERIAL LACK OF TIME LOW QUALITY OF LABOUR WORK LOW QUALITY BRICK MAKING PROCESS SALINITY OF TOP SOIL WHICH IS BEING USED FOR BRICKS LACK OF PROPER WATERING AND SETTING TIME FOR BRICKS

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WHY STILL LOOKS BETTER THAN NEW BRICK??

MUD AND RAMMED EARTHRAMMED EARTH:-• Two parallel planks are held firmly apart by metal rods and clips or bolts, or by-small

crosspieces of wood. Stiff mud is thrown in between these two planks and rammed down with either a wooden or metal ram rod.

• When one section is completed and hard, the two boards are moved along and the process is repeated until the whole plan is completed.

• The life of rammed earth walls is usually very long and they can carry heavy floors and roofs and be used for two and even three storey buildings

MUD:- A mud mortar is prepared by simply mixing soil with water until it is in a plastic

{workable) state. Once applied, a mud mortar sets quite rapidly on drying without the need for

elaborate curing procedures. Mud can be used as an additive, walls, floor and other finishes.

THATCH Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water

reed, etc. layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate

climates. Thatch is still employed in construction of low-cost structures, for walls, roofs

and additives.

THATCH IN WALLS These walls are not load bearing. First the frame is constructed with the wooden posts and then thatch is tied in sheet form

COW DUNG Cow dung is the waste of bovine animal species. Cow dung is also an optional ingredient in the manufacture of  mud brick 

depending on the availability of materials. It is used to line the floor and the walls of buildings owing to its insect repellent

properties In cold places, cow dung is used to line the walls of rustic houses as a

cheap thermal insulator. QUALITIES Renewable Local Durable Low or nontoxic Resource efficient manufacturing process

TIMBER AND BAMBOO It can be used for Door and Window frames and additives. BENEFITS OF TIMBER Lesser cost, if locally available Good strength Labor needed is easily available Recyclable source

TIMBER Timber was limited for ornamentation works, railings , doors and

windows ,ceiling as well but there is one of some examples in which timber is also used as supporting coloumn and that is

MOTI BAZAAR , MALERKOTLA Same area used in movie phantom released in year 2015 starrer saif ali khan and katrin kaif

GOLDEN TEMPLE

PLANNING - The main structure rises from the centre of the sacred pool, 150 metres square, approached by a causeway about 60 metres long.

An archway on the western side of the pool opens on to the causeway, bordered with balustrades of fretted marble, and, at close intervals, there are standard lamps, their great lanterns set upon marble columns.

The 52-metre square-based Hari Mandir, to which the causeway leads, stands on a 20-metre square platform. Its lower parts are of white marble, but the upper parts are covered with plates of gold.

On the second storey is a pavilion known as Shish Mahal or Mirror Room. The interior of the Shish Mahal is ornamented with small pieces of mirror .

GOLDEN TEMPLE

The typical art and architectural features of the Golden Temple can be summed up as

1.Multiplicity of chhatris which ornament the parapets, angles at every prominence or projection;

2. The invariable use of fluted domes covered with gilded copper;

3. Balconised windows thrown out on carved brackets or bay-windows with shallow elliptical cornices.

4. Enrichment of walls, arches and ceilings by various forms of mural art.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

ENTRANCE GATEWY

FLUTED DOMEONION DOMEPROJECTED BALCONIES

SMALL DOMECOPPER GILDED

CARVED COLUMNSROW OF ARCHESGOLD CARVED ENTRANCE

CONCLUSION There are about 300 different patterns on the

walls. Patta is a decorative border design used around

the Dehin and often depicted through creepers. The only mural depicting human figures is to be

seen on the wall behind the northern narrow stairway leading to the top of the shrine. This includes the work in embossed copper, gach, tukri, jaratkari and ivory inlay.

Most of the exterior upper portions of the walls of the Golden Temple are covered with beaten copper plates, heavily gilded.

Gach work inlaid with coloured glass was known as tukri work and is to be seen in the second storey of the Shish Mahal. Jaratkari work involved the inlaying of coloured cut-stones in marble and is to be found on the lower portion of the exterior walls of the temple.

In fact, the work is pietre dure and the inlay consists of semi-precious stones, such as lapis lazuli and onyx.

VARIOUS DESIGN FEATURES The primary element was a single interior living space, which may have been

sub- divided, multiplied, or otherwise modified. Second, an external space adjacent to or surrounded by the dwelling was

emphasized by use of elements such as low platforms or verandahs. An average hut measured approximately 5 to 6 meters long and 3 to 4 meters

wide. These huts were arranged in a linear pattern along the main street of a village,

usually amidst a group of bamboo trees. The houses were normally surrounded by a fence made of bamboo, shrubs, or

twigs that defined the boundary between the public street and the semi-public courtyard area in front and at the rear of the hut.

This open-to-sky courtyard acted a prime space for the house, especially during the day in winter and in the evenings in summer.

Most day to day activities occurred in this space. Often there was a well in this courtyard that served as the source for water for drinking, bathing, washing, and cooking.

People used this courtyard to dry clothes, crops, and eatables during the day time.

The house sat on a raised platform made of compacted earth.

The high thermal mass helped keep the house cool in the evenings in summer which made it pleasant for people to rest in the evenings. The huts normally had minimal fenestration. Often the

only opening on the external walls was the main door. Some houses had windows, but

they were small and placed high to ventilate the indoors while, at the same time, acting as

a visual barrier for the private spaces. The small windows also served to keep the hot

summer sun and cold winter winds out.

VARIOUS DESIGN FEATURES

• The roof rested on nine wooden posts erected in three rows, with three posts per row. These posts were sunk into the raised platform and tied with wooden beams and purlins that supported the roof structure. The huts usually had a gabled thatch roof.

• Bamboo sticks formed the mullions to support the thatch.

• The thick thatch used as roofing material prevented rain from entering the house and at the same time provided insulation to the building.

VARIOUS DESIGN FEATURES

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PAINTING ON THE WALL OF A HUT

VIEW OF DECAYED THATCH ROOF IN A HUT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

SECTION OF HOUSE

SITE PLAN

PASSIVE FEATURES Summers:• Use evaporative cooling.• Protect against summer heat gain.• Keep the sun out in summers to reduce heat gain and glare.• Flatten day-to-night temperature swings to reduce cooling in summers.• Use vegetative cover to prevent reflected radiation and glare.• Expand use of outdoor spaces during the night.• Night time flush ventilation to cool thermal mass.

Winter:• Let the winter sun in to reduce heating needs.• Protect from cool winter winds to reduce heating.• Expand use of outdoor spaces during the day.

Spring:• Use natural ventilation to cool in spring.• In part, the specific climate of Jharkhand has given rise to particular vernacular

types.• These types will be explored in the next chapter.

Trees to shade the west wall

Light colored walls to reflect heat

Interlocking burnt clay tiles

Front verandah used for sitting in winter and to shade the lightcolored exterior walls.

VARIOUS DESIGN FEATURES

Door and window placed opposite to each other for cross ventilation.

Use of courtyard for drying clothes and food.

View of attic space and used as store

Roof with interlocking burnt clay tiles to block rain fromentering the house.

Thick mud walls to increase the

thermal capacity of the wall

The spaces too lack windows which reduces heat gain inside the house but keeps warmer

BRIEF CONCLUSION AS A WELL SAID QUOTE “VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IS FOR THE PEOPLE , BY

THE PEOPLE AND FROM THE PEOPLE” THAT IS IT IS “ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT ARCHITECTS”

THERE ALWAYS A CONFLICT BETWEEN VERNACULAR AND TRADITIONAL .. ALSO A TOTALLY WRONG NOTION THAT IS VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IS BACKWARD.

IT IS NOT , ACTUALLY IT IS FAR ADVANCE THAN ONE OF US.. AS IT WORKS ON ALL ASPECTS OF ARCHITECTURE FROM ECONOMICS TO ASTHETICS.. ALSO DEALING WITH CLIMATE ,AND DISASTERS.

IT IS AS PER THE HUMAN COMFORT AND WELL BEING . ITS FAR BETTER WE FELL IN A MUD HUT THAN IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE. ITS NOT THAT TECHNOLOGY IS WRONG BUT IMITATION WITHOUT ANY

JUDGEMENT IS .LIKE USE OF GLASS IN EXTERIOR FAÇADE. NOT ONLY THE MATERIAL ALSO THE DESIGN ASPECTS , BY USING THESE SIMPLE

CONSIDERATION IN PROJECT ONE CAN ACHIEVE ECONOMY , COMFORT.

SITE PLAN PASSIVE FEATURES:• Reduction of solar heat

gain: -by orientation of the

bedrooms towards north -By shading of east and

west walls by neighboring buildings.

- By shading the windows and walls with projecting stone slabs

PLAN ,SECTION, ELEVATION• REDUCTION OF HEAT TRANSFER

TO INTERIOR - by insulating roof.

• INCREASE OF HEAT LOSS - by ventilation and smoke outlet

through chimney.• Reduction of internal heat gain:

- By placing the kitchen outdoors in summer(and indoor in winter)

NORTH ELEVATION