F A T H O M
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I N N O V A T E
INDIGENOUS ARCHITECTURE OF KACHCHH, GUJARAT -Mahak Jain
“In India, there are no incentives for building sustainable homes, in particular, faces several challenges while trying to be eco-friendly. The public, especially in the rural and semi-urban areas, believe that it is extremely expensive, largely because of lack of awareness and administrative support.” – Monnanda Appaiah
Man-made interventions have had a tremendous impact upon the environment and the ecosystem, causing a major resource crisis across the planet. Sustainable use of natural resources in an overall structure of any said typology plays an important role in a country like India, which has a long history of sustainable and holistic living. Multiple eco-friendly building materials have emerged in the market reducing the environmental and social priorities that shape different regions which are eventually factored into green buildings. Therefore, there is a need to acknowledge and implement defensible construction practices that have a positive impact on the environment and preserve the culture of the place. Monotonous buildings constructed without understanding their socioeconomic background, suppresses the building patterns and creative techniques developed by the communities. Indigenous architecture, based on specific environmental and climatic conditions of a place, embodies the sustainable approach responding to the environment and the cultural continuity of a place. alternative to the conventional approaches. 36
Different types of masonry used across Kachchh are driven primarily by cost and availability. Traditional housing typology unique to Kachchh region is Bhunga. These circular houses were essentially made from organic renewable resources such as mud, grass, cow dung cane etc. The plinth and the foundation collectively consist of consolidated earth with stone and bamboo posts. The walls consist of mud, split grass, earth, cane and the roof, is thatched, made of wheat or maize straws. With new construction techniques used over conventional ones, brick and random rubble masonry in mud mortar became very common. These new built structures had very little resemblance to its origin.
“Sustainability in its true form can be revived by altering and mending the shortcomings regional indigenous architectural forms.”
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1/ DECEMBER 2019
