TRADITIONAL CASES OF HOUSING and SOME INTERPRETATIONS

MBS SPA 2015

CLIMATE OF INDIAIndia is divided into 5 major climatic zones:

• Hot and dry climate

• warm and humid climate

• Composite climate

• Moderate climate

• Cold and dry climate

HOT DRY CLIMATE

HOT DRY CLIMATE• Characterized by very hot, dry air and dry ground.• Day time air temperature ranges from 27-49 degree Celsius, night

time temperature may fall to 22 degrees.• Humidity is moderate to low.• Water level is usually low.• Low rainfall, as low as 500mm/year.• There is little or no cloud cover which permits direct radiation to heat

the ground during day and ground to lose heat during night.• Summers are subjected to hot, dusty winds.• This region is usually flat, sandy, rocky ground with spares

vegetation of cacti thorny bushes.• Parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh fall under it.

PHYSIOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES

• Problem is of protection: reduce the radiation from the sun, ground and the nearby buildings.

• Breeze can be used after it has been cooled and filtered.• The building objective is to minimize heat gain during day and heat

loss during the night. • Lack of humidity/Evaporation is the climatic relief. • Low humidity leads to high rate of evaporation and this can be an

advantage: Desert coolers.

FORM AND PLANNING• Buildings and the external living spaces are to be protected from the

hostile conditions: Solar radiation, hot dusty winds, etc.• Enclosed, compact and inward looking building is the most

suitable.• Larger dimensions of the building should face North and South.• Non-habitable rooms like toilets, store room, etc. can be used as

thermal barriers: can be placed on East and West.• Roof, walls and outdoor spaces must be shaded: Roof

projections (chajja), shading devices, trees, walls of surrounding buildings are common examples.

• Mutual shading: by aligning buildings close to each other.• Fenestrations (doors and windows) should be small.• Simple ceiling with ventilated roof is advisable.

• Close group of buildings• Narrow, irregular roads and streets• Arcades and colonnades• Small enclosed courtyards.• Light colour surfaces.

JAISALMER CITY

JAISALMER CITY

JAISALMER CITY

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

KANO, NIGERIA

MUD HOUSE, EGYPT

SOME TRADTIONAL CASES• Examples can be the mud houses in Kano, Nigeria or even in Egypt.• Roof and heavy walls made of earth, brick or stone.• The heavy walls provide good thermal and noise insulation.• Roof and courtyards are used at night for sleeping.• Windows and doors are small to restrict heat and dust. • One major example is the haveli of Rajasthan.

ELEMENTS OF HAVELI• Introvert plan: Inward looking rooms• Jaali: Filters the dusty wind and diffuses sunlight, restricting its heat.• Chajja: A shading device• Courtyard• Chattri: A shaded spot.

EXTERNAL LIVING SPACE• In such conditions, many activities take place outside. Such as

household activities, cooking, drying, etc.• Internal courtyards shaded by adjacent walls are very effective.• They can contain a pool of night air during day as cooler air is

heavier than the surrounding warm air.• Dimensions of the courtyard are vital for cooling purposes.• Trees, plants and water bodies can further ameliorate the situation.• High walls can cut off the sun, shading the inner areas and the

courtyard

Bhunga

Bhunga in dhani

PEARL ACADEMY OF FASHION, JAIPUR

PEARL ACADEMY OF FASHION, JAIPUR

PEARL ACADEMY OF FASHION, JAIPUR

PEARL ACADEMY OF FASHION, JAIPUR

WARM-HUMID CLIMATE

WARM-HUMID CLIMATE Day time temperature: 27‐32C, night‐time: 21‐27C The warm and humid zone covers the coastal region. The high  humidity encourages abundant vegetation. Precipitation is high at 1250‐1800mm/year. The relative humidity is high about 75% average, but can be 55‐100%. Solar radiation is strong and direct. Winds are generally of low speed but of constant direction.  Parts of coastal states, North‐East fall under this climate.

PHYSIOLOGIAL OBJECTIVES The air temperature is continually near the skin temperature, so one can 

feel the heat. Some means must be devised to dissipate heat from the body. Due to high humidity, the air can get saturated and prevent cooling by 

evaporation (sweating).  So air movement must be encouraged by allowing outdoor breeze to pass 

through building. As day and night temperatures are similar, wall insulation is unnecessary.So heavy walls are not required. Due to high solar radiation, heat gain from radiation must be prevented.

FORM AND PLANNING Breeze is the climatic relief.  Shading and free passage of air.  The aim is to dissipate heat from body to environment by overcoming the 

similarity of air and body temperatures. Air movement is vital, the building must be oriented to catch the wind. Cross ventilation should be encouraged: a single row of rooms along a 

corridor, open verandah or galleries come to mind. Shading devices should have high coverage to block most of the sky and 

should be low enough to block out the sun. Building on stilts is advisable to catch the wind.

EXTERNAL SPACES In such areas, indoors can be hot and sweaty but outdoors can be 

comfortable. Trees can be relied for shading but they should not restrict the passage of 

breeze. The buildings are lighter and farther apart than one finds in hot dry areas 

because: To allow free passage of air through and among buildings Privacy Allow outdoor activities.

COMPOSITE CLIMATE

COMPOSITE CLIMATE It has varied climatic conditions, neither consistently hot and dry nor 

warm and humid. Characteristics change from season to season. Winter is colder than the either two mentioned. Central India like Allahabad, Kanpur, even New Delhi.

PHYSOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES:• Depending on the season, it can be the objectives of hot‐dry and warm‐

humid.• To encourage heat dissipation during the summer.• Heat retention is necessary during cold season.

FORM AND PLANNING• Moderately compact internal planning is suitable.• Courtyard type buildings,• Grouping of buildings should take advantage of breeze when required.• A moderately dense, low rise development is suitable.• Houses can have separate day and night rooms to be used during the 

hottest months.EXTERNAL SPACES:• Large projections and wide verandahs can be used for outdoor living 

areas. • Brise soleil, louvres and other shading devices are welcome.