– by Ar. Akshay Kumar Garg
Today, everyone is going gaga over Climate change, Sustainable architecture, Green Buildings, etc.
Thanks to God, today it is only our Architecture fraternity who have realized the importance of Sustainable Green Buildings for the future generations, and of course the government. We realized that there is no other planet like EARTH, which is conducive for life. We realized that what will we pass on to our future generations to come if we do not care about our natural resources and ecosystem, which takes years or rather centuries to grow and bloom for life to exist.
With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, we started impacting the surrounding climate. Initially, in the early decades post-independence, we still adopted the rule of climate and ecosystem. But in the late nineties and the initial decade of the new millennium, most of the architects were following the foreign concept of plush-looking glass buildings with cladding of aluminium composite panels. Everyone thought that maintaining such buildings would be easier, without realising that India’s climatic zone is Tropical. It will demand more air-conditioning, thus impacting the electrical consumption and the groundwater resources. They sold this idea blindly to the Real estate builders who wholeheartedly accepted the idea to convert the Indian cities into new look-alike European or western world Cities. Without realising that India’s climatic zone is Tropical, unlike the western world with a marine climate characterised by mild, wet winters and cool, moist summers. And if blindly followed, its impact on climate and nature will be adverse.
What is sustainable Green-building concepts? Simply put, designing, executing, and maintaining the building structures in an eco-friendly and resource-efficient manner. By increasing efficiency and encouraging a healthy indoor environment, it seeks to reduce the unfavourable effects of buildings on the surrounding environment, natural resources, and human health.
Then, what is Vernacular Architecture? Using materials that are native to the area and traditional construction techniques, and referring to architectural styles that are unique to a specific area or culture or both. The architecture, which frequently incorporates skills passed down through generations and reflects the local environment and social traditions. An architecture style which is designed and constructed by local artisans.
So, Vernacular Architecture’s basic principles are that while designing, prioritize sustainability, climate responsiveness, cultural representation, and adaptability.
So, if we critically see the old Indian Architecture in different climatic regions of India cities or towns, we find that they were purely using materials that are native to the area and the traditional construction techniques developed by then local artisans which they imbibed from their forefathers through generations and which reflects the local environment and social traditions.
Natural ventilation, shading, and evaporative cooling were the mainstays of the traditional Indian home cooling, which frequently included architectural elements like courtyards, Jaali, and thick walls to produce cooler microclimates. Water features and step wells contributed to evaporative cooling as well. This is like the design principles of Sustainable Architecture.
In India, the principles of Vaastu were very much prominent, which stresses the orientation of building as per the cardinal direction, sun movement, wind directions, etc., RIGHT?
In modern Architecture design and Sustainable Green Building concepts, we stress the orientation of the building as per the cardinal direction, i.e., closing the entire South-West region to avoid harsh sun, and keeping the East, North and North-East open as much as possible. Allowing wind flow with maximum openings towards the East, North and North-East and minimal openings towards the West, South and South-West region and of course with shading elements to cut the harsh heat of the sun.
So, in India, we were already following the concept of Sustainable Architecture largely through Vaastu concepts and Vernacular design principles. With the modernisation of Architecture, we relied totally on modern principles given by the West and started losing sight of what our forefathers taught us about the Vaastu principles and the vernacular system of designing & construction.
Now, then, what is the difference between Sustainable Architecture & Vernacular Architecture?
I feel that both design and construction systems are the same, with only one difference and i.e., the system of measuring the performance of built mass or buildings.
The Sustainable Green Building insists upon measuring the energy efficiencies of the structure which are being built today through a performance rating criterion.
What does our Architecture fraternity think? Is my understanding true?