HISTORY OF NEPALESE ARCHITECTURE
AR 154
LECTURE 17
VERNACULAR ARCHITECTRE
2081/04/15
Moon Singh Dongol
Assoc. Professor/ Architect/ Planner
VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
Vernacular Architecture
Folk Architecture
Traditional Architecture
Definition on the basis of
Building types
Forms
Tradition
Uses
Context etc.
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VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
Vernacular >> from Latin Word VERNACULUS
Oxford Dictionary
Vernacular — noun.
language or dialect of a particular country.
language of a particular class or group.
homely speech.
Vernacular —adj.
(of language) native; not foreign or formal. [Latin
vernaculus native
VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
It has been developed to meet
specific needs within each cultural
milieu thus accommodates values,
economies and way of living of the
culture that produce them
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VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
Governing Factors:
Climate
Material
Culture
Technology
Economy
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DEFINITION
Defining Vernacular architecture is very difficult
as it embrace an immense range of building types,
forms, traditions, uses and context
But in society, not all buildings are designed and
built by the professionals or expert
Those buildings which is not build by expert also
have some distinct characteristics as per local
material, climate, technology etc.
Evolved from very primitive state
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DEFINITION
Frank Lloyd Wright
Folk building growing in response to
actual needs, fitted into environment
by people who knew no better than to
fit them to it with native feeling.
7 Vernacular Architecture
DEFINITION
Le Corbusier
Vernacular Architecture >> as having
attained perfection on serving human needs
and harmonizing with the environment
8 Vernacular Architecture
WORKING DEFINITION
Vernacular architecture comprises the dwellings
and all the other buildings of the people. Related to
their environmental contexts and available
resources, they are customarily owner-or-
community built, utilizing traditional technologies.
All forms of vernacular architecture are built to
meet specific needs, accommodating the values,
economies and ways of the cultures that produce
them.
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HOUSE FORMS
• Among different ethnic groups, several distribution features in
house form can be seen.
• In Terai, the original one with mud ribbed wall construction with
thatch roof
• Depending upon the authenticity, the intermediate house-rooms
were divided.
• In Case of Tharu, no divisions of rooms, only sacks used to make
the partitions.
• Cooking and sleeping area separated.
• To very low kind of house large overhanging to protect the wall.
HOUSE FORMS
• Walls done with reeds or grass window for light.
• Climate variation, sort of overhanging roof developed.
• Vegetables, creepers on the roof to do further reduce the heat.
• Agricultural community having very small house.
• Generally, stort grass cut, ribbed and muds plaster on both sides,
opening as per need.
• No large openings can find.
• Area tend to be water locked the ground floor open and stilted.
HOUSE FORMS
• In Hills>>residence also based on thatch roof and material stone
not mud and ribbed one>>May be two storeyed.
• The frontage normally open and back is like a cut out on the hill.
• Outside the house is small verandah, normally in south.
• South facing house with Pindi in ground floor is open space.
• Frontage has lean to roof>>Bed rooms in 1st floor.
• Slate tile used for roofing in areas where thatch is not available.
• In any where no good quality slate found, stone also used for
roofing but it is not very heavy structure.
GURUNG ARCHITECTURE
Hilly region covers 68% of total land area
Formed by Mahabaharata Range
Main ethnic group of hilly region >> Gurung,
Brahmin,Chhetri
mostly found in Gandaki Zone >> Tanahun, lamjung,
Gorkha, Kaski, Syanjya
Bhunjung village consist of largest Gurung
settlement situated in Lamjung district
Follow >> Hinduism and Buddhism
SETTLEMENT PATTERN OF
GURUNG VILLAGE
Compact settlement, situated in piecd of flat land
Narrow street with stone paved streets >> Shindi
With 1m to 1.5 m high stone walls called parkhal on
both sides of the streets
Each village has a Gompa ( Gumba) at the tip portion
of village along with a Chorten near by and has a
Mane within the compact settlement village premises
Villages located in hills >> surrounded by religious
forest at top and river at bottom part
SETTLEMENT PATTERN OF
GURUNG VILLAGE
Religious forest used to bury dead bodies and
used to collect firewood, timber and other
materials for construction of buildings and grass
for their cattle
GUMBA
Duplex structure >> first floor storage>> ground
floor has verandah in front
Inside a building has highly decorative image of
buddha
SETTLEMENT PATTERN OF
GURUNG VILLAGE
CHORTEN
Between Gompa and village
Symbolic representation
Dome >> symbol for water
rest on square base >> symbol for world
above the dome series of steps which lead toward
enlightenment ( symbol of fire, freedom from suffering )
end up in half circle ( symbol for wind) and are crowned
by the Sun and the Moon
SETTLEMENT PATTERN OF
GURUNG VILLAGE
MANE
Replica of temple
Filled with stone inside
Constructed for religious offer to get rid of sufferings
in the name of god
Located in the village centers or in spiritual places
Center or at crossing of streets
Some may be constructed like gate structure
They put the Dorsing ( a flag with tantra or mantra) on
a special occasion or when promises are fulfilled
HOUSE FORM
Generally >> circular , rectangular or oval in shape
Circular house >> Gol Ghar>> found in pokhara
and Tanahun District
Rectangular and oval houses found in Gorkha
district and along the Marsyangdi river
houses >> 2 floors
GF >> Used for firewood storage and animal
shelter
HOUSE FORM
Entry from first floor overlooks like gompa located
at the top of the hill
Entry from ground floor is for stone baskets, sickels,
and other household utensils
Every house has a movable or fixed grinders >>
dhiki or jato
Few ghatta is popular for grinding if more quantity
is needed
First floor has verandah>> kitchen in central portion
( fireplace)
HOUSE FORM
Around the fireplace >> sleeping as well as
living room
In one corner >> storage for local made alcohal
with wooden partition
Platform for vessel containing water >> called
gaurato nearby entrance
Rest of house >> wooden storage shelves
Shingles for flooring >> except fireplace
They have slope roof but no attic space
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MATERIAL AND
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
STONE AND WOOD
stone >> flooring, street, wall, boundary
wood >> roof as rafter, doors and windows
and pillars
occassionally , nigalo or bamboo used in wall
brick and mud tiles also used
wall width >>70cm
not plastered from outside or inside>> rarely plastered
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION
TECHNOLOGY
Outside >> red and white mud ( Kamero) gives better
appearance
Isolated or adjoining both type of house are found
Each village pathway designed with good rainwater
drain at the sides of stone paved walkway
THARUS OF TERAI
Tharu live in >> jungles of southern terai in Bardia,
Kailali, Kanchanpur, Morang, Saptari and Jhapa districts
as well as in inner terai of >> Chitwan, Dang, Deukhuri,
Surkhet, Udaipur etc
Tharu population >> 1.2 million
Most follow >> hinduism
Have their own statue of traditional god >> sacrifice
animal blood to god
Agriculture >> main occupation
THARU VILLAGE
Tharu villages >> situated 1 to 2 km. from each
other >>connected by network of mud paths.
Generally closed on all sides with tall bamboo
hedges>>extensively used for various purposes.
The houses lie on the either side of the village
lane, oriented north-south and running across the
entire length of the settlement.
THARU VILLAGE
As they fix the north direction with respect to the
location of the hill, the direction may be different
from exact north-south direction.
The number of houses varies from 15 to 30 and
the construction pattern is identical i.e. long and
low (single storeyed) houses with an adjoining
kitchen garden.
But, now two storeyed Mahal type houses are also
found in some villages.
THARU VILLAGE
Village comprises just a single row of houses on either
side of road, but some villages consist of several rows
of houses too.
Width of the village remains more or less the same
where as the length varies according to the number of
houses.
Each village has a chief called Mahaton, chosen by the
community and whose main function is to maintain law
and order.
THARU VILLAGE
His position is important both from social and
religious point of view and his services are
required at the time of construction of the
house.
The Mahaton also does the job of going round the
village to collect representatives from each
household whenever there is a common problem
to be discussed.
THARU HOUSE
Traditional Tharu House
Traditional Tharu houses are identical in design and
the pattern of construction is also same though the
building size can vary according to the number of
inhabitants or following the scheme i.e. Panchbala
or Satbala plan.
The houses are constructed parallel to the village
road, towards north-south direction and thus they are
facing either east or west.
THARU HOUSE
The house is single storeyed rectangular in plan
with two side slope roof.
The width of the house depends upon the numbers
of Bala (post) used i.e. Panchbala (5 post), Satbala
(7 post), Naubala (9 post) and the length varies
according to the number of Kotha (Bay), normally
4,6,8 bays.
Front view of Tharu house facing towards court at
Hanaria village
THARU HOUSE
The plan of the house form can be divided into
mainly 3 sections, which have different functions.
[Link] (Cattle shed):
The Southern section of the house is called Ghari,
which is used as cattle shed.
It has separate door from the front face of the
house.
In the new construction, the cattle shed is
separately built from the main dwelling house.
THARU HOUSE
2. Bahari (Entrance hall):
Bahari covers a single bay of the building, which
serves as the entrance hall and is situated between the
cattle shed and dwelling area.
It has two doors, absolutely opposite to each other
open into the exterior.
One is entrance door faces the road and opens to the
courtyard and another leads to the back of the
building.
THARU HOUSE
Except in the case of some richer and larger families
with a longer house almost all Tharu house have only
these two doors.
This section is mainly used for family gathering and
also used as work place for preparing baskets, mats,
nets, straw cushions, ropes, Chhatri etc.
This space is also used for husking, grinding and
various other household works.
The Ghari and Bahari are separated from semi-open
wooden partition.
THARU HOUSE
The upper part of the Bahari, below the roof,
looks like an exhibition of Tharu art and artifacts.
Various types of baskets, straw cushions, nets,
traps, mats, Chhatri, Machyas, agricultural tools,
packets of herbs and medicines, seeds, bunches of
garlic and leaf cups are stored there, either tied or
hanging from ropes below the beams of the roof.
basket, ropes, and leaf cups hanging below the roof
THARU HOUSE
[Link] area:
The dwelling area is separated from the Bahari
either by a half partition wall or by Dehries (Grain
silos).
There is a double leaf door at the center of northern
part of Bahari to access it.
It has central corridor (north-south) with rooms on
two sides.
THARU HOUSE
The rooms are accessible from the corridor and all
the partitions are does not exceed 6'0"-7'0"
leaving a lot of space beneath the roof.
This allows good ventilation and keeps the place
cool during the hottest periods.
The rooms receive only little light by means of
small windows or holes made in the facade walls.
Central passage inside the Tharu house
THARU HOUSE
Kitchen at north-west and Deurahar (Deity room)
at north-east of all Tharu
In kitchen and divinity room>>no windows and
only small holes let some light pass into these two
dark rooms.
Kitchen has generally 2 or 3 horseshoe type of
Chulha at the center facing south>>western wall of
the kitchen there is a pit- hole for draining out
wastewater after the washing of small utensils.
CONSTRUCTION OF THARU HOUSE
The materials used >> procured from the natural
environment like wood, bamboo, grass, soil, rice
husk, cow dung etc.
The wooden beams and posts are used to construct
the framework of the building, where as the bamboo
lathes are used for framework of walls and roofing.
Thatch (kind of grass) is used for roof covering.
The clayey soil mixed with rice husk and cow dung
is used for plastering on walls & floors and is also
used to prepare household equipments like Dehri,
Chulha etc.
