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Cob
MATERIALS USED IN Cob is an ancient technique of building monolithic walls using "cobs" of moist earth
VERNACULAR BUILDINGS and straw. It is being rediscovered as a multifaceted building material applicable to a
number of conditions. The process of building with cob entails mixing local earth
Adobe with sand and/or clay (depending on the composition of the base earth) and straw or
Adobes are sun-dried mud bricks stacked other fibrous materials to create a stiff mud which is formed into small loaves (cobs).
with a mud mortar to create thick-walled These cobs are then mashed together to form a monolithic wall on top of a stone or
concrete foundation.
structures
Adobe bricks are made with a completely is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, some kind of fibrous
saturated mixture of clay and sand (and or organic material (straw) and earth. Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity,
sometimes straw or manure), poured or and inexpensive. It can be used to create artistic, sculptural forms and has been
pressed into forms, which are then revived in recent years by the natural building and sustainability movements.
removed. After the bricks have dried for
several days, they are turned on edge for
further drying, and then stacked for
transport or for use on site.

Compressed Earth Blocks Earthen Floors

Compressed earth blocks are similar to adobes, with the main differences being The technique involves pouring or tamping one or several layers of an earth mixture
they are not fully saturated with water, are denser than adobes, and are usually over a substrate of gravel, pumice or sand . Hardening agents such as lime or glue
significantly more uniform. These blocks are created using a variety of may be added.
machines.

The soil, raw or stabilized, for a compressed earth block is slightly moistened,
poured into a steel press (with or without stabiliser) and then compressed either
with a manual or motorized press

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VERNACULAR ASPECTS
• Primarily rural but few towns existed • The towns were mostly the villages -
• A wonderful town planning system expanded by the virtue of their
dimension and increased population
• Security in towns was ensured by the
means of strong walls and hills.
• Divided into wards connected by
narrow streets and lanes.
• The temples, wells, gardens and
palaces were important parts of these
towns.
• The main road of the town was lined
with shops selling cloth, jewellery,
fruits, food items, etc.
• Narrow lanes and compact buildings – more shade
• Height of buildings is large compared to the street width
• Mostly blank walls and small openings to protect from dusty winds
• Orientation – along east-west
• Havelis are located here

Haveli- Merchants Domain

•The haveli or residence defined the private space of the people and formed the bulk
of properties in a town.

• Havelis have a common architectural pattern which serves the purpose of utility,
durability, safety and beauty.

•In its simplest form a haveli comprises of a central courtyard with a high building
mass all around.

•Most of the havelis have an outer and an inner chowk (court).

•Havelis can have more than two courtyards also.

•Large number of jharokas and chajjas on the façade

•Deeply carved pattern on the façade

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• The main entrance or toran dwar on a

raised plinth defined by a huge gateway
with two gokhas (arched space with
pillars) provided access to the haveli.

• The outer poli (transtional space) leads to

the outer chowk having a baithak on
either side used as a reception and sitting
room.

• The inner poli leads to the inner chowk

having several sets of rooms known as sal
attached to a semi covered space known
as tibari.
• Rasoi or kitchen and a parinda or water
room are arranged around the chowk.
• There was a separate room where images
of family deities were kept for daily
worship.
• The centre of the courtyard had a small square which was kept kachcha for draining the water
and at times had the Tulasi Chaura (sacred basil).
• Nisherni or stairs provided access to the upper floors. The upper storey consisted of bigger
rooms which were sometimes beautifully painted.
• Small storage spaces called Duchhati were included in the rooms. Chhat or terrace had
structures for storing bedding for sleeping on the terrace.
• A separate nohra or space for facilities like keeping domestic animals and rooms for servants
or guests was also part of the haveli.

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•The built form of the haveli continuously evolved. Depending upon affluence and size
of the family the number of chowks or courts in the havelis varied.

•There exist havelis with one, two, three and four courts. However one and two chowk
havelis are most common.

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Intricately Carved Doors

• Wood carving is a highly developed art form in Shekhawati which is famous for its intricately
carved wooden doors and windows.
• Door frames and shutters are carved with geometrical and floral patterns and plated with brass.
• Designs of doors vary across towns.
• The main doors of forts and of some of the havelis are massive with
a small wicket gate and strengthened with metal plates, nails and
spikes for security.
• The door leading to the inner court of a haveli is usually the most
beautiful.

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Vernacular Houses in Chittorgarh

Patti

Courtyard Drainage
system

Elements

Brackets Jali

Jharokha
Main elements

Courtyard
The courtyard is built on the
principles of Vastu Shastra, which
state that all spaces emerge from
single point, that is the centre of the
house. All other activities revolve
around this centre, which has some
divine power and energy associated
with it radiating through the entire
house.
Climatic response
In hot climate when cooling is a
necessity, buildings with internal
courtyards were considered the most
appropriate. It acted as a perfect
shading technique, while also allowing
light inside. The high wall around it,
kept the interiors cool.
JHAROKHA
it is a projecting window from the
wall, in an upper
storey, overlooking a
street, market, courtyard any other
open space decorated with
intricate lattice work and carvings
Climatic response-
They brings filtered light into the in
door space. Being a dusty and harsh
climate within the area, it brings
channeled cool air through its
openings and jalis. Direct wind
flow inside the building is
not desirable. These openings are
shaded with projections covered all
around with perforations allows
cooling of air. It also helps to shade
the building facade

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BRACKETS JALI

A perforated jali is given

for ventilation and acts
as a passage for cool
air.

A structural or decorative member , that projects from a wall to support

and to give strength.

PATTI DRAINAGE SYSTEM

A long stone patti is given outside every house on a raised plinth, which
is used as a sitting space for people. It also demarcates entrance.
A drainage line is given below stone patti outside every house, which is
connected to internal seaware lines.

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CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS INTRODUCTION

•Jaipur (Rajasthan Capital), also popularly known as the

- Stones Pink City, historically sometimes rendered as Jeypore.
- Bricks •Built of pink stucco in imitation of sandstone, the city is
remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the
- Mud width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into
six quarters separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m)
wide.
•City was founded on 17 November 1727.
•Concept behind its evolution is “VASTUPURUSHA
MANDALA”
•In Indian symbolism ,a square represents a celestial
world and with the designing of gods in appropriate
location.
•City is designed in a grid iron pattern resulting from the
orthogonal clustering of square sectors.

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: HAVELI OF JAIPUR

CLIMATE:
•The climate of the district is dry and healthy and is subject to extremities of cold and
heat during winter and summer respectively, due to proximity to the Thar Desert
•The minimum and maximum temperatures recorded in the district varies from 3 to 50
degrees Celsius. Normal annual rainfall is 556 mm.
ORIENTATION OF CITY:
•The orientation occurs at a15’deviation to the cardinal points.
•It has several advantages:
•Low angle ,morning and evening sun is avoided angle is such that early morning sun
during the winters is allowed to stream in while in summer the evening sun is avoided.
•The angle is in accordance with the wind direction necessary for keeping the streets
cool..
•Major Planning is in east west direction.
•Natural topography is taken as a advantage for drainage. Presence of ridge is beneficial.
•Ridge helps in drainage of a whole city.
•Space between the built form as well as open spaces within a building create a sieve like
structure within the overall structural urban fabric.
CLIMATIC ANALYSIS:
DWELLING PLAN:
•Plan organization is basically introverted centered about a court.
•Walls are thick with high thermal resistance.
•Minimum of openings are provided in the external walls to prevent entering of hot summer
winds.
•Houses cooled through passive circulation of air rather than through direct ventilation.
•In variably small windows are protected by an overhang called chajjas. On east west streets
even small chajjas can protect most of the external wall surfaces from solar radiation.
•Roofs which receive considerable solar radiation, are heavily insulated by layers of
surkhi,embedded with stone chips which cover the stone roofing planks.
•Courts are provided in all the houses for passive cooling .
•Courts help to cool layers of air at night and this trapped air is prevented from heating during
the day by limiting the courts plan dimensions in relation to their height.
•In larger houses a series of smaller courts are provided ,instead of just one large court.
•At urban level while individual dwellings may not be very well cross ventilated but the urban
mass becomes porous.

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Haveli: HAVELI FORM :

•Along the cobbled stone pathways of Jaipur, arise the havelis, the mansions of the Jain •Space is arranged about the central axis.
merchants who were as powerful in the court of the time, as they were adept in business. •The entrances and the courtyards are about
this central axis.
•Their homes are poetry of sandstone, carved and pierced incredibly into different patterns, and •The degree of privacy of the spaces within a
though they are opulent and effusive, the result is in perfect harmony, and never offending the dwelling increases with its depth from the
eye. entry.
•There are covered spaces around the central
•It is at an unhurried pace that the havelis (houses of rich merchants) should be seen and courts.
admired. These havelis are the pride of rajasthan architecture, a part of the national heritage. •The circulation meanders to achieve privacy.
•Transition elements like verandah,otta
,entrance gates etc are highly pronounced.
• The courts form nodes for vertical and
Plan and typical section of a haveli
horizontal circulation.
•The services are provided on the periphery of the house.
•Degree of privacy increases on upper floors, there is a presence of private intermediate
terraces.
•Demarcation of public and private zones on upper level is by physical barriers.

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: HAVELI OF JAIPUR VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: HAVELI OF JAIPUR

•Buildings are of unequal heights with wind

pavilions and high parapet walls, creating an
uneven skyline and shading each other, thus
reducing sol-air temperature
•. An uneven building
form also increases the radiative heat loss
from building to sky (sky acting as a heat
sink)
•OBSERVATIONS:
•Courtyards shaded during summer afternoons.
•Need for shade in summer need for sun in
winters.
•Proportion of courts ensure that during day
direct radiation on horizontal surface is
minimized by shadows
•Upper level terraces sunlit in winter.
• The heights of the buildings are
1 to 2 times street width of main street and 4
times the street width for N-S streets.
•Houses attached to each other to maximize use
of common walls not exposed to elements.
FACADE:
• In plain dry climate of Rajasthan an effort has been taken
to achieve something which is otherwise missing.
•Ground floor has almost negligible fenestration on the
external facades.
•Opening cover 11%(average) of the external wall areas.
•Openings are increased in no. on upper floors. OUTER
•Primary roads undulating skyline observed horizontal lines FACADE
emphasized by chajjas and projections.
•Strong rhythm of shops openings occur in odd number
which implies a central axis
•Pavilions on terrace make larger voids in facades.
•Pink color adds uniformity.
•Facades –inner courtyard
Related to external factors of climate and internal
factor of culture and life.
More open than those on outside features are generally the
same-jharokhas.
•Decorations on surface is almost similar but less elaborate.
Plan and typical section of a
haveli INNER FACADE

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USE OF TRADITIONAL ELEMENTS:
Traditional elements of designs such as
jharokhas,alcoves,niches etc being used which go very
well with the design and hence enhance the whole effect.
JHAROKHAS:
•They had very small openings (windows) leaving large
blank surface tackled by creating projections.
•Often they did not open out but formed small alcoves
which were used from inside.
•Small openings were later added to the projections
which helped taking a look out side a screen also
protected privacy of ladies.
•This element become a jharokhas it has no relation to
climate of region.
•Elements of a façade have fenestration, entry threshold
platform ,jharokhas balconies chajjas projection etc.
ALCOVES:
•Alcoves is one of the traditional feature of haveli.
• constructed with in a wall. To keep things.
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MATERIALS:
•Material used is locally available stone and lime plaster is used.
•For window dressing stone jalis are used. For example stone jalis are used in
jharokhas.
•In some houses plastering material is mud mixed with cow dung.
•Since it has been renewed every year the area always gives a fresh look and even
motifs and surface decoration may change.
•There is a embedding of mirrors in the wall at time of construction is a novel idea
and well appreciated.
•Furnishings are in simple cotton fabrics of vibrant colors look visually appealing.
•Stone railings are used in terraces.
•Carvings of brocade and gold is done
On the walls of buildings.
•Doors are made of locally available
Wood which are highly carved.
alcoves •Bronze and copper is used for the
Decoration of these building elements.
•This shows the richness of the people
residing there.
HAVELI OF JAIPUR VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: HAVELI OF JAIPUR
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