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Energy Conservation vernacular architecture of Himachal Ar. Vandna Sharma and Ar. Aniket Sharma

Energy conservation and vernacular architecture of the hills of Himachal Pradesh are an inseparable compliment to each other.

18 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People January 2008

n this paper, the need for blending together of vernacular architecture of hills of Himachal Pradesh and solar passive technology for both increasing comfortable living conditions inside the built masses and conserving of energy reserves is highlightened. Simple vernacular practices in the form of local building forms, materials, construction techniques, when wisely amalgamated with soar passive techniques, leads to not only reduction of the energy costs

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and proves to be very economical but also has come up as very eco-friendly and effective technology. Settlements in the hills of Himachal Pradesh have merged and blended well with typical organic forms and character of the environment of the area. Coniferous forms of the hill dwellings that go well with the contours of the hills, give a view of vernacular architecture as inherent character of the hills of Himachal Pradesh. Valleys formed by tributaries,

growth of settlements in these valleys flourishing by percolating the great lessons of nature in the form of climatic, geological, topographical constraints, availability of natural materials, flora and fauna, accustomed to present soil conditions, geographical conditions and trying hard to survive amidst such harsh physical base, have with ages of time evolved from patterns of nature itself a unique technique for existence and this technique is called vernacular architecture. One important aspect of vernacular architecture of hills of Himachal Pradesh is regarding the conservation of energy. More research is being carried out in this field to harness even more benefits. One such field is the propagation of solar passive technology which when optimally utilized would harness immeasurable gains.

DHARAMSALA - KANGRA REGION OF DHARAMSALA Kangra region comprises of 14 subdivisions namely Deragopipur, Nagrota Surian, Pragpur, Rait, Indora, Kangra, Fatehpur, Nagrota Bagwan, Nurpur, Bhawarna, Sullah, Panchrukhi, Baijnath, and Lambagaon and is spread over an area of 29 km²and population density of 300 persons per hectare. It is located in western part of Himachal Pradesh state of North India. This area has a particular climatic feature in the form of the area receiving maximum rainfall after Cherapunji and it makes it one of the coldest places of Himachal Pradesh and like Shimla only; the summer capital of the state this winter capital of the state has also made progress in the field of application of conservation of energy and maintenance of comfortable temperatures even in the harshest minimum temperatures of 5°c -10° c in months of December-February. These techniques have been evolved from vernacular

architecture over the ages. Yet, the techniques need to be modified and some new parameters need to be included in it that have remained unknown to the people of the area either due to lack of knowledge about these ways or simple ignorance about their application. The paper gives an idea to solve this problem of hills of Himachal Pradesh with all the areas having similar or near similar climatic and geographic conditions.

TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES Five styles of construction on hills predominate the area. These are: fill, cut, cut and fill steps and erection on poles. Fill: The gradient is filled to make an even levelled land to serve as uniform grounded platform to act as base for construction purposes. But it has certain disadvantages as well like it disturbs vegetation and the material in filling is liable to erode easily thereby increasing the risk to stability of structure and uneven settlement of the structure. Cut: The gradient is cut suitably to make a levelled and uniform surfaced ground /platform for the future construction purposes. It involves cutting of vege-

tation as well. Therefore in case of fragile ecosystems and ecology, it makes the structure prone to the risks of landslides. Moreover the earth recovered from cutting the gradient has also to be disposed of properly. Cut and fill: It involves the advantages of both cutting and filling as well. It eliminates for the need of very deep cutting (up to 3 meters) and also very high level filling thereby providing stability to the structure. Moreover it doesn't interfere much with the vegetation cover.

Cut and Fill

Staggered or stepped

Filling the gradient

Cutting the gradient

Staggered or stepped: The construction is made on a platform made of steps in line with the gradient or the slope of the area. The lowest step however needs to be strongest to take the load of subsequent steps. This is also one of common practices to construct stable structures. Added advantages include the better usage of contours, least cutting -filling operations involved, least disturbing of vegetation and most importantly maximum benefit of sunlight. January 2008 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People 19

Buildings on poles: Here, the entire structure is raised on poles. In this case, less area on ground is covered and used and it does not interfere at all with vegetation and land covers. However it is preferable to use this technique only in the area where subsoil conditions are good and substrata does not involve slippery and porous stones since in that case settlement would take place, making the structure unstable. Moreover here no retaining or fence wall is required. It is therefore economic solution for construction on sloping gradients.

and public areas are placed at the top while in up hill planning; the pubic areas and parking etc. are placed at the bottom or down level and private spaces are placed at the top. 3. Generally activity of the building (or the built mass) decides for the type of view to be preferred and hence orientation is governed. For eg. In case of valley private areas are avoided view on the side of roads while less private areas are preferred on side of roads 4. Access: in case of access, if the entire built mass is to be placed on the same level for all entrances to be from same level, (for varied reasons)then building has to designed at the same level using any of the above mentioned construction practices.

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH Building on poles

Building in steps

General considerations in orientation of built masses on hills: 1. In order to exploit maximum and better views, sunlight and wind effects, built mass shall be oriented along the profile of the slope. 2. Buildings are planned in steps in two different ways: 1). by placing main building at back and smaller at front to avail maximum benefit of the climatic considerations like light, winds views etc. and 2). By downhill or uphill planning and orientation of the building. In downhill, the private areas are designed at bottom or down level 20 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People January 2008

Land of traditionally built mud houses, Himachal Pradesh is the area that has stored and embodied traditional styles of nature in all aspects of life, be it making of structures or methods of livelihood. Houses are traditionally of mud mortar and sun -dried masonry, given fine coatings of bhusa or husk mixed with either cow dung or mud. Sometimes the houses are also made of stone masonry as limestone is available in abundance here. Reinforced with heavy wooden beams, the walls are sufficiently weather and earthquake, temperature resistant be it a case of single storey of even double storey structure. Generally traditional

Sloping roof houses

houses (mainly in villages nowadays) are double storied, elegantly plastered with mud plasters. The floors are also well plastered with a mixture of mud-cow dung-bhusa or husk. This makes the floors heat insulating that helps in maintenance of comfortable temperatures inside the areas even in extreme colds and hot months. Heavy wooden beams are also sometimes intricately carved in case of areas of special importance; like living room, etc. (Plate 9)

Plate 9: Intricately carved wooden beams

Carved wooden brackets

Traditional houses made of mud masonry & slates

Wooden columns and beams

Walls are finished by cladding with wooden panel fo r i n s u l a t i o n reasons. Staircases in traditional houses are generally Wooden Paneling on Heavy Wooden Wooden staircase, of small width of Walls beams paneling, beams & columns flights (generally of 3') and that is also made up of completely wood with treads plastered in mud or cow dung and husk. Roof top is made up of wooden rafters and battens supporting framework of slates with slope perfectly maintained. Sometimes it is double sloped or somewhere it is single. Wooden interior & ceiling Design of a typical house comprises of two to three rooms (general size 10'x12') with generally one or two or maximum of three small sized openings that are meticulously placed so that no direct impact on living space is felt. One small sized kitchen in the house with sometimes attached chimney, one bathing space and one small sized detached toilet that is often at some distance outside the house are essential part of a traditional house in hills of Himachal Pradesh. Sometimes if the owner has cattle, a separate double stored or even single storied house is made in near vicinity of the residential complex. In the lower storey, cattle is kept while in upper storey, Wooden brackets & covering over stone cattle feed, or husk, etc. is kept. masonry Large sun spaces in front as verandahs form an integral part of the houses

either be it of stone masonry or typical mud. Stone masonry houses are also very much prevalent in the area owing to the easy availability of limestone.

Stone Masonry without plaster or exterior treatment

These are sometimes plastered from inside with mud or with lime plaster provided either with wooden reinforcement or steel reinforcement to strengthen the structure but in most of the case exterior walls are left exposed without any treatment to stone masonry (either random rubble or ashlar masonry).

Insulation achieved with heavy wooden paneling inside

Harmony of stone masonry with wooden structural members

Sloping roof of Slates

Sun spaces or porticos in front

In stone masonry also, the roof is generally made up of wooden rafters topped with slates or sometimes with steel truss or other light weight material at the top like asbestos sheets, G.I sheets or even mud tiles. January 2008 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People 21

tive Bank, Shimla, Solar passive building of State Bank of Patiala, Shimla, propagation and advocating the use of such methods and construction of such structure would definitely be a boost towards energy conservation aspects for the cold regions of Himachal Pradesh. Hexagonal or rectangular shapes of sun spaces in front Use of North light truss for lighting purposes

Yet another form has been recently developed by Didi-Contarctors; an organization active in preservation of traditional vernacular architecture of the hills of the area which is not only cost effective, but also is easy to maintain, work with and most importantly resistant to all harsh climatic conditions, earthquake etc natural hazards and leads to least damage in case of unfavorable and unforeseen circumstance and that is bamboo architecture

Provision of chimney over sloping roof

Shapes for stone masonry structure vary from complete rectangular forms to hexagonal rooms at either ends or well mixture of varied shapes. At some places sometimes North light truss is used or roof light is used for ample lighting.

Treatment of glass with doorframe to admit light 22 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People January 2008

INTRODUCTION TO SOLAR PASSIVE TECHNOLOGY While in active solar system and energy conservation methods, special external accessories are used and attached to the structure to enhance the heat gain, passive systems involves design, construction and orientation of the structure itself in such a way that the structure itself becomes the absorbent and retainer of the solar energy thereby eliminating the need to use the external methods and accessories of heat gain. If used at all the supplementary accessories like curtains, carpeting etc, is so cheap that hardly accounts towards extra energy consumption and energy losses. Therefore the passive solar technology methods have proved to be very energy conserving and cost effective over the methods of active solar technology. Nowadays, over these parameters and calculated gains from such successful experiments in Shimla like buildings of HIMURJA, H.P. Co-opera-

DETAILING OF SOLAR PASSIVE TECHNOLOGY Here, natural methods of heat flow, convection, radiation and conduction are studied and applied to capture heat during daytime and its release during night time. These therefore provide for excess amount of free energy. A structure can be injected with solar passive technology in several ways. These are: ● Design considerations ● Construction considerations ● Materials considerations DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 1. Structure design ■ Proper planning can make structure save and conserve a lot of solar energy in daytime. ■ Shapes like, square, rectangular, L &T and variant of these can be used advantageously. However, sometimes, owing to topographic

Linear forms with expansion joints preferred

Massing in hills

constraints and earthquake considerations of a region (Dharamsala), preferably rectangular and square shapes are proposed to be most effective. ■ Largest area of roof and walls is exposed to sun in case of rectangular shape. ■ Buffer spaces can be used to reduce temperature fall of the main areas/living areas. In this case some rooms /areas can be made as antispaces to arrest the heat loss. ■ Porticos in the front can be provided in front that enhance heat gain. ■ Attics in the roof can be used advantageously to collect and retain heat in the built mass under the sloping roof. 2. Orientation ■ For maximum absorption of solar radiation; the built mass shall be oriented along east-west axis and faced between south to 30° east of south. ■ Since north facing wall is least gainer of solar radiations, it shall be protected against heat losses by either painting it with dark colours to absorb maximum amount of solar radiations and be having high thermal mass to slow down temperature cycling. ■ Windows shall be small and well insulated ■ Heavy masonry work like stone masonry etc. shall be preferred ■ East and west facing exterior walls shall be maximum exposed to solar radiations ■ Windows shall be given to greater extent in east and west facing walls. ■ South facing walls since are most absorbent of radiations, shall be maximum exposed with open-

ings/windows to greatest extent 3. Landscaping ■ Proper landscaping can also add to solar energy gains in winters while providing a shield against the same in summers. ■ In case of north facing walls, evergreen plants Orientation shall be east-west axis and faced between s h a l l b e u s e d t o south to 30° east of south cold winds ■ In case of east and west facing walls deciduous plants shall be used for shade in summers and heat gain in winters CONSTRUCTION CONSIDERATIONS Solar windows: windows are efficient way of increasing heat gain. Double glazing: in it, the air cavity between the two glasses acts as an insulation resulting the overall insulation. Solar wall: a solar wall consists of thermal storage wall constructed between the solar glazing and living space. South facing glass functions heat trapping material. The solar wall also reduces the temperature fluctuations in the room during daytime and allows the heat to be delivered into the rooms in the evening till late hours. Sunspaces: the green house atria, sun porches and garages are known as attached sun spaces. Thus extra heat available from these sunspaces can be used to augment the heating of rest of the buildings. Attached sunspaces not only supply solar heat but also reduce heat loss from building

Maximum exposure to east facing walls

Proper landscaping contributes towards solar gains

Judicious and wise use of deciduous and evergreen plantation helps in solar gains

January 2008 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People 23

by acting as buffers between the buildings and outside. Solar trombe wall: trombe wall is a modification of solar wall in which openings are kept at top and bottom. The heat flow into the room is available for 2-3 hours after sunset till the wall surface gets cooled. Air cavity: air cavity within walls or an attic space in the roof ceiling combination reduces the solar heat gain factor. Heat is transmitted through the air cavity by convection and radiation. Skylights: Skylights for winter solar gain and illumination: skylights and roof windows bring solar heat and light into the house especially on the northern portion unexposed to the sun, in winters. The skylight assembly and the supporting frame must be insulated. Roof insulation: sloping roofs are mostly preferred in hills and to make it more efficient in terms of trapping solar energy, attic spaces shall be provided that would act as buffer zone. Air cavity in the form of attic spaces in roof-ceiling combination reduces the heat loss when false ceiling insulation is adopted. Roof covering and drainage: proper drainage of water and efficient roof covering are most important considerations as leaking roof cannot provide effectively heat insulation. Over the steel truss, G.I sheets and slates shall be used. Better water/weather proofing : These measures at the openings would help to reduce infiltration. Rubber strippings at the junctions of shutters and frames and below doors would help in sealing of all cracks. Keeping windows closed and immediately replacing broken panes help to considerably reduce infiltration. Windows: size of windows /openings shall be small from 1.2 to 1.5 m/ to minimize hest loss due to openings. 24 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space & People January 2008

MATERIALS CONSIDERATIONS ■ For walls facing north, preferably cavity wall construction is considered ideal but wooden paneling can be used advantageously however walls facing south shall be not be insulated against heat loss. ■ For floors either carpeting or wooden floors are an ideal solution. ■ In case of doors and windows, proper insulation can be done using rubber gaskets as and where required since proper insulation can reduce heat loss more than 50%. ■ Since timber and plastic have lower conductivity than steel therefore they shall be given preference for doors and windows. ■ In case of roof, covering shall be such that adds to heat gains both by absorption and also by retaining heat trapped and best for this are slates (readily available in hills) or light weight roofing tiles like GI sheets, asbestos sheets, Corrugated sheets etc. ■ However roof shall be provided for drainage of storm water as well by adequate provision of purlins and gutters otherwise it will lead to water retention and ultimately leading to dampness and great heat loss. ■ Better weather proofing: better rubber stripping at the junctions of shutters and frames and below doors would seal the gaps that otherwise lead to heat loss ■ In case of areas of extreme concern in terms of comfortable temperature zones, heavy curtains can also be used to scale off the reduction of heat.

CONCLUSION With the changing needs and requirements, our environment is getting depleted of natural resources at an alarming rate. Today therefore, is the

need to not only think about our living styles that consumes, rather wastes, the invaluable energy reserves but also to take a closer look at our old rich heritage like vernacular architecture that not only blends well with the contextual in fills of the area but also conserves our resources for the future generations to come. With great emphasis on energy conservation, today many innovations are being done in the field with commendable work being done especially in case of solar passive technology propagation but until and unless common masses understand and inculcate the very concept of soar gains in the form of very small and easy steps in day to day life, much progress cannot be done.

REFERENCES 1. Sharma Vandna, 2005, Unpublished work, B.Arch Thesis, Mini Secretariat in Dharamsala. 2. Sharma Vandna, 2007, Unpublished work, M.U.R.P Dissertation, Planning for a new hill town in Kangra region. 3. Sharma Aniket, 2007, Unpublished work, M.U.R.P Dissertation, Industrial Development Planning for Himachal Pradesh. 4. http://hpkangra.gov.in/welcome.asp ■

Ar. Vandna Sharma, Faculty D e p t t . o f A r c h i t e c t u r e, N I T Hamirpur, Gold - medalist, B.ArchHons., Masters of Urban and Rural Planning, IIT Roorkee and Ar. Aniket Sharma, B.Arch-Hons., Masters of Urban and Rural Planning, IIT Roorkee, former Faculty, Deptt. of Architecture, NIT Hamirpur & presently Assistant Project Manager, Jones Lang LaSalle, Hyderabad. Photographs: Courtesy the Authors.

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