ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People July 200726

We are developing veryfast and with thesed e v e l o p m e n t n e w

trends, new techniques and newdemands are coming up. One of themajor issues that are coming upwith this development is theincrease in population which inturn is the root cause of increase indemands of things like food, shel-

ter, employment etc. In order tofulfill these requirements we aredepleting our natural resources at avery fast pace. So, as a result themost important issue in front of allof us is “Resource Management.”We have to be very conscious whileusing our available resources, sothat we can fulfill our needs with-out compromising the ability of ourfuture generations to meet theirown needs. Most of our resourcesare consumed by the buildingindustry so it is very important forus to create awareness to peopleinvolved in this industry so that wecan optimize the use of theserecourses. There is a need of creat-ing awareness towards sustainable

DharamshalaAmanjeet Kaur and Neetu KapoorSUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is a complex

concept of a multi -

disciplinary character.

Its realisation requires

an integrated design

approach involving

several stakeholders.

DharamshalaLocal Building TraditionLocal Building Tradition

Amanjeet Kaur and Neetu Kapoor

July 2007 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People 27

development. In this paper, wehave discussed about the need ofsustainable development and howwe can minimize natural resourceconsumption. The focus of ourpaper will be sustainable architec-ture in which the basic goal is“attractive, comfortable, affordableshelter that does no harm to theearth in its manufacture or its use.”This goal is more attainable thanwe might think, and won’t takelong, because the average conven-tional building isn’t built to lastand will soon need to be replaced.Effective livable and sustainablebui ld ing des ign works wel lwith an integration of historic principles and new technologiesand methods.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOP-

MENT

The sustainable development isinfluencing the physical structureand also the workings of thecompanies and organizations thatpopulate the built environment.many new concepts are emergingrelated to sustainability and globalenvironmental changes. As a result,Complementary terms such asgreen buildings, building assess-ment and application of principlesof sustainability to the built envi-ronment are coming up. As asubset of sustainable development,sustainable construction, addressesthe role of the built environment incontributing the overarching visionof sustainability. Sustainableconstruction addresses the ecologi-cal, social and economic issues of abuilding in the context of itscommunity. As our population isincreasing at a fast pace and theresources are also depleting, sothere is an urgent need to utilize

our resources at their best. Keepingall these factors in mind a newconcept of resource consciousdesign have come.

RESOURCE – CONSCIOUS

DESIGN

The issue of resource consciousdesign is central to sustainableconstruction, which ultimatelyaims to minimize natural resourceconsumption and the resultingimpact on ecological systems.

The seven principles of sustain-able construction:• Reduce resource consumption• Reuse resources• Use recyclable recourses• Protect nature• Eliminate toxics• Apply life-cycle costing• Focus on quality

The World Commission onEnvironment and Developmentintroduced the term ‘SustainableDevelopment’ and defined it as“The development that meets theneeds of the present generationwithout compromising the abilityof future generations to meet theirown needs”

“Think globally - act locally. Look around - find others that

are doing something you resonatewith - join them.”

A CASE STUDY:

DHARAMSHALA

The mountain state of HimachalPradesh is incredibly beautifulwith its lush secret valleys, fiercerocky ravines, flowering meadowsand the mysterious snow-cladHimalayan peaks that rise majesti-ca l ly in the morning mis t .Dharamshala is among the mostbeautiful places in himachal whichis famous for its beautiful valleys

and snow clad valleys. It is popu-larly known as Scotland of Indiastanding on the spur of theDhauladhar range admist magnifi-cent deodar and pine forests.Dharamshala is also the districtheadquarter of Kangra district.Once a British hill resort, thissleepy little hill town revived withthe influx of Tibetan refugees afterChinese occupation in 1959. TheDalai Lama set up his temporaryresidence at McLeodganj. Manywestern visitors have come toDharamshala in search of spiritualguidance and an audience with theDalai Lama. In McLeodganj, theTibetans run most of the hotels and restaurants as well as handi-crafts shops.

The lower town of Dharamshalais crowded with shops, local hous-es and government offices and the Museum of Kangra Art.McLeodganj has a distinctly differ-ent character, with its brightlypainted buildings.

LOCATION AND CLIMATE

Lying between tropical andtemperate regions; it has a richdiversity of bio- spheres, plant lifeand weather. Heavy rains fallduring the summer and wintermonsoons. Winter temperaturesseldom fall below 2 degrees Celsiusand summer temperatures seldomexceed 32 degrees Celsius. Thetown is roughly divided into twosections - the lower town with itstraditional settlement and marketareas and the upper town ofMcLeodganj, famous for its celebri-ty resident, The Dalai Lama. Theheights of the two sections varyfrom 1,250 meters to about 1,770meters with a steep winding 10 kmroad linking the two sections.

LOCAL ARCHITECTURE OF

DHARAMSHALA

The overall planning of the town isbased on caste system i.e. the uppercaste occupy the prime location inthe city, and the people of lowercaste stay at the outskirts of thetown. The houses are plannedaround a central courtyard inwhich people of the same kinstay around.

Structure: The interior walls arethick and are made of stone or sundried mud bricks in mud mortar.The upper floor is supported byheavy wooden pillars and beams.Such type of structure helps toprovide good thermal insulationand keep the interiors warm. Thehouses are double storied withthick walls of local stone or sun-dried bricks in mud mortar. Ceilingof the ground floor are low andground floor rooms are used forstorage of grains and fodder for thecattle. The upper storey roomswere used for living.

Flooring: Flooring inside thehouses is done with mud and incourtyards; local stone is used. Theinternal streets are also paved bylocal stone flooring forming differ-ent patterns.

SUSTAINABILITY

In the past, buildings had to besustainable. Human activity had toconfirm to the demands of the ecological balance, survival and prosperity depended onsustainability. Because builders inthe past had to comply toecological constraints, to rely onmaterials available locally, toconstruct in accordance with localconditions, in tune with the seasonsand with minimal harm to theregional ecology, therefore by

exploring the tradition that theyevolved. Wisdom lies not inconquering and exploiting nature,but in unders tanding andcooperating with nature, as wewere forced to in the past.

In the present context, peopleare attempting to build upon thisconcept of attentive respect for thelocal ecology and creating aware-ness among the masses, whichincludes its vernacular traditions,and to meet the challenges posedby contemporary living needs within the constraints imposed by localmaterials and skills. Local NGO’sare also working for the benefit oflocal people by promoting thisconcept and experimenting withnew techniques. They are usingthese very factors to supportsustainability like use of localbuilding materials for the construc-tion and renewable materials. Some Labour–intensive buildingconstruction methods generatedgive employment to local masonsand craftsmen.

MATERIALS USED FOR

CONSTRUCTION

As long as tradition carried mean-ings, and proved practical, it ispassed on and inspired skill fromgeneration to generation. Ourcountry has long sustained richenduring traditions; in turn thesetradi t ions have def ined andsustained India. The forces thatcause ecological and cultural dete-rioration are now overwhelmingand the underlying conditions thatallow these forces to prevail may betoo deep to overcome.

In most of the buildings,Landscape is planned to provideearth for mortar and brick making.Water is not a problem in this part

of valley, each of the sites hasirrigation rights and access to apiped water supply. Rock isabundandant there, so professionalstone cutters break these rockswhich are dressed into buildingblocks as required. Rock is used tobuild the foundations, fill theplinth and to take the walls up atleast to the sill level of the lowerstory windows. Slate, mined justabove the immediate area, is cutthin for roofs or thick for waterproof flooring. Flat rounded slatesshaped by the river are used fordry stone walls, pathways andlandscaping.

TECHNIQUES USED FOR

CONSTRUCTION

In most of the traditional as well asmodern buildings, attempt hasbeen made to increase the use anddurability of all easily renewablematerials , such as earth andbamboo, and to decrease the use ofecologically expensive materials,such as wood, or materials thatgenerate pollution in manufacture.

BEAMS

Bamboo reinforced beams havebeen used that encircled the wholeof the building. Bamboo has beenshown, to have tensile strength,despite its greater flexibility, equalto that of the iron reinforcing rods.I ron can be combined wi thbamboo; Iron rods have also beenused to hold bamboo firmly. Thesereinforced floors do cost about athird more than the ordinary tradi-tional story floor, but still save atleast a half the monetary expense ofa reinforced cement slab.

These floors offer ecological,aesthetic, acoustic and thermaladvantages. Dry, seasoned bamboo

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July 2007 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People 29

lengths, rolled into bitumen toprevent expansion from the moisturein the cement, and in gravel to give abonding, are laid into a woodentrough alongside iron rods. Electricjunction and plastic piping forconcealed electric wiring can also belaid into the beam. The trough issupported by the shuttering whilethe cement is being poured andcured. Bamboo rafter spaced a littleless than a foot apart, run across thebeam. Split opened out bamboo,called chachara, is laid over therafter. Chicken wire is then stretchedout on the floor and over the support-ing walls. The bamboo rafters areencircled with iron rings and heldrigid to rods lying across the rafters,parallel to the beams, at three to fourfoot intervals. a layer of cement aboutan inch and a half thick is laid overthe whole floor, with care beinggiven to insure that the cement hascoated all around the wire and thecross rods. The upper walls are takenup after this layer of the building iscured. After the roof is on, four to fiveinch thick earthen floors are laid.

ROOFING

Framework of whole bamboo isused to support the roof. Bitumensheeting on opened bamboochachara is then covered with afour to five inch slab of mud mortarto add protective insulation. As

this mud slab dries deep fissuresdevelop. Cement slurry pouredover stretched chicken wire, pene-trates into these fissures to helphold this cement skin in place onthe roof slope. The slate can befixed onto thinner batons with lessoverlap than on a conventionalslate roof. The overhangs thatprotect the mud walls can be ofcement or conventional slate.

Almost everyone in himachalwill agree to this that unfired sundried earth brick buildings are morecomfortable in all seasons, cooler insummer, warmer in winter, thanbaked brick and cement houses.And they are low cost in monetaryterms, with low ecological cost andmaximum comfort and elegance.

BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABLE

ARCHITECTURE

Effective livable and sustainablebuilding design works well withan integration of historic princi-ples and new technologies andmethods. These are some of thebenefits:• Conservation of natural and

building resources • Increased building durability • Increased user comfort and

satisfaction • Energy and material savings • Elimination of waste and pollution • Savings from recycling

CONCLUSION

Sustainability is a complex conceptof multidisciplinary character. Itsrealization requires an integrateddesign approach involving all keystakeholders in the process ofdesigning, planning and construct-ing buildings. The architect, land-scaper, owner, user, electrical,mechanical, plumbing engineer andenergy professionals need to workhand in hand to evolve a sustainabledesign that is designed to leave mini-mum environmental footprint and tofulfill all the modern day comfortrequirements of human beings.Hence sustainable design is a way bywhich architects can make theircontribution to sustainable develop-ment of this world.

REFERENCES

1. Towards sustainable architec-ture- Brian Edward

2. Sustainable architecture-lowtech houses – Arian Mostaedi

3. Sustainable construction- GreenBuilding Design and Delivery-Charles J. Kibert ■

Amanjeet Kaur and NeetuKapoor are Lecturers in theDepartment of Architecture, NIT,Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh.

Photographs: Courtesy the Author.