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International Journal of Architecture (IJA)
Volume 6, Issue 1, January-June 2020, pp. 43–55, Article ID: IJA_06_01_004
Available online at
http://www.iaeme.com/IJA/issues.asp?JType=IJA&VType=6&IType=1
© IAEME Publication
INVESTIGATING THE RELEVANCE OF
VERNACULAR PARAMETERS IN
DEVELOPING A PASSIVE-RIGHT APPROACH
FOR DESIGN - IN THE CONTEXT OF HOUSING
IN BANGALORE
Anup Naik
BMS College of Architecture, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Snehal Oswal
Urban Frame, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
ABSTRACT
The construction industry consumes 40% of the total energy consumed globally.
Energy being a non-renewable resource needs to be used prudently. Using, passive
techniques to achieve optimum living conditions in a building and promoting local
methods of construction will help minimize the overall energy consumption. This
paper discusses how passive strategies derived from the regional, vernacular factors
lead to energy-efficient solutions for the rapidly growing housing sector in the city of
Bangalore. The transforming social communities, changing climate, and progressing
technologies imply a transmuting local context which in return mutates the vernacular
of a region from time to time. Also, as the city grows the outlook towards housing and
occupant’s requirements have changed with rapidly increasing aspirations and
varying socio-economic influence. This paper aims to document, study, and analyze
the changing manifestations of the vernacular factors over time and finally suggesting
passive-right guidelines for future housing developments in Bangalore.
Key words: Passive-Right, Vernacular, Housing, Bangalore, Energy-Efficient.
Cite this Article: Anup Naik and Snehal Oswal, Investigating the Relevance of
Vernacular Parameters in Developing a Passive-Right Approach for Design - In the
Context of Housing in Bangalore, Chennai. International Journal of Architecture
(IJA), 6(1), 2020, pp. 43–55.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJA/issues.asp?JType=IJA&VType=6&IType=1
1. INTRODUCTION
The passive right approach implicates, maintaining an ideal environment within a built space
using free, unlimited and, naturally available resources from the immediate surroundings like
the sun, wind, trees, geographical features, and the micro-climate (M.Taleb, 2014). With an
increasing awareness of sustainability, limited and non-renewable resources and,
Investigating the Relevance of Vernacular Parameters in Developing a Passive-Right Approach
for Design - In the Context of Housing in Bangalore
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environmental impacts of climate change, a need for passive solutions has come to light
recently – particularly in the last decade – across the globe. Most of the current approaches
towards sustainability today are active, where the ideal human living conditions are achieved
and further maintained by consuming electricity or using techniques that convert natural
resources like sun, wind, and water into electricity (e.g.: solar panels, turbines or windmills).
These technologies, though functioning on renewable energy sources, often involve a high
monetary investment and hence aren‟t readily accepted amongst the lower economic groups.
Passive-right strategies, on the other hand, focus on design solutions, like orientation, building
envelope, available features, material, and construction technologies (taking advantage of
natural resources in their available form), to attain human comfort (Kate Bode, 2007).
The passive solutions, originate from the surrounding context, hence changing from
region to region catering to the different climatic conditions, users‟ functional needs, and the
available skills and material. Human comfort is achieved by maintaining optimum indoor
thermal conditions, air quality, and humidity ratio. For example, the hot and dry regions of the
Arabic states or the desert regions of Indian sub-continent have narrower streets protecting the
users from the sun and harsh winds, these streets forming wind tunnels further ventilate the
indoor spaces and maintain the ambient temperature, or creating smaller openings further
reducing sun rays entering the space. Similar low energy consuming solutions for colder
regions are demonstrated successfully in Ireland and Switzerland. Spaces created with
insulated walls and roofs, and protected openings to reduce heat retention or loss based on the
day and night cycles create simple environment-oriented, regional solutions.
Passive strategies, as discussed above, generate from the local frame of reference – using
the surrounding for its benefits – to form architecture in synchronization with nature rather
than against it. The evidence of such architecture being successfully attempted and achieved
is seen in our past until the industrial revolution hit our buildings, settlements, and cities with
standardization. India being a land of cultural, climatic, and topographical diversity, has and
needs a variety of solutions for similar issues based on varying surroundings. Every region
has its unique method of tackling similar problems and requirements. These diverse solutions
were visibly well distinguished in the past – until globalization became the new language of
development in this rapidly urbanizing world – which took over the vernacular of a region
with monotony and stereotypical end products based on their typologies.
As the definition goes, vernacular architecture is a category of architecture that is based on
local needs, construction material available, and local traditions. It evolves with time to reflect
the environmental, technological, cultural, and historical context in which it exists (Anon.,
2020). Considering the importance of environmental, technological, and local context, it
forms an ideal reservoir for passive-right strategies of construction.
The energy consumption in the building sector is increasing noticeably. By 2040, the
energy used for the residential segment will reach 14% of the total energy consumed
worldwide, with an average 1.4% rise per year from 2012 to 2040 – thus exacerbating the
energy use by 48% in the considered period (Halder, 2020). India a developing country has a
high demand for shelter with an acute shortage of housing units, specifically amongst the
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Housing being a sector with the highest requirement
of development in the construction industry, reduced energy consumption and promotion of
solutions with minimal dissipation of natural resources is the need of the hour. According to a
survey conducted in Bangalore in 2017, nearly 25% of the population resided in slums
(approx. 3.1 million people) due to a shortage of residential development and increased
demand for manpower in the urban area. Out of the total population residing in slums, 1/3rd
fall below the poverty line. The number of slums has grown from 159 in 1971 to 2000 in 2015
(Ravi, 2018).
Anup Naik and Snehal Oswal
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This paper explores vernacular architecture to find and establish constructive methods,
derived from the surrounding environment, to achieve passive solutions for low energy
consuming, cost-effective dwellings in India, focusing on the city of Bangalore.
Aim of the Paper
The focus of this paper, is to investigate and discuss affordable energy-efficiency and passive
design techniques used in the housing sector of Bangalore, across its timeline, pivoting on the
intersection of passive strategies and vernacular practices.
Objective
Understanding and evaluation of housing typologies for their response to vernacular
parameters, towards creating comfortable usable spaces in Bangalore.
Analyzing the documented techniques for energy efficiency, through the lens of
passive- right approach.
Proposing a set of guidelines for future residential developments.
Limitations of the Research
The passive-right approach considered in this paper is focused and limited to reducing
energy consumption, out of many other aspects that fall under this premise.
Though vernacular is based on many corporeal and incorporeal factors; this paper
considers only the tangible factors to achieve the set conclusion of the paper –
guidelines to preserve energy in residential buildings of Bangalore.
2. EVOLUTION OF HOUSING IN BANGALORE
Construction is a huge industry consuming energy and emitting CO2 and other greenhouse
gases, promoting global warming and climate change. The residential sector being the largest
section of all in the construction industry as well as a basic social necessity is a topic that
needs immediate attention (Nand Kishore Gupta, 2013). Developing economies like India,
with a considerable population under the poverty line and facing issues like urban migration
and sprawl, have a huge demand for housing units at an affordable construction cost.
According to the data offered by Bangalore Mahanagarpalika, 40% of the city‟s land is used
for residential development (Anon., n.d.). The green solutions proposed currently are
expensive to be adopted by the economically weaker sections, thus leading to high energy-
consuming and insensitive growth of residential buildings.
Housing or shelter, when fragmented to its simplest form, has been a necessity since the
human race has existed. The built form and technologies have evolved ever since based on the
occupant‟s requirements and surrounding context – until recently, when western influences,
globalization, and materialized aspirations have created a whole new language of housing in
present times.
The city of Bangalore has evolved from being a forted city, laid in the 16th
century, to its
current situation of being the land of opportunity, attracting a huge number of migrants from
various parts of India and abroad (Aravamudan, 2019). Shelter being a basic need for any
society to thrive has existed since the beginning, changing its forms and types based on the
population, its requirements, and culture. The city has witnessed varying communities right
from Vijayanagara Empire to the Maratha dynasty, then the Mughals and British and finally
now a mixed, cosmopolitan crowd from across the country and globe.
As a result of being ruled by many dynasties and governed by contrasting cultural beliefs -
the visual impressions of housing blocks in Bangalore have changed - whereas the housing
typologies have more or less been similar, evolving majorly due to changing population
density and availability of land. As this paper is considering factors which can be physically
Investigating the Relevance of Vernacular Parameters in Developing a Passive-Right Approach
for Design - In the Context of Housing in Bangalore
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measured and transferred into concluding guidelines, the evolution of houses is broadly
classified based on its typologies rather than its aesthetic features as follows:
Houses from the Pete area (old Bangalore), the settlements of the local communities.
Stand-alone bungalows seen in the colonial period.
Contemporary Row Houses and,
Present-day High-Rise structures.
In the post-independence era of India, when industrially deprived cities were swiftly
reviving from the British rule, mass production of housing units across the country inspired
by western norms overlooked the importance of the natural setting and surrounding context.
As a result of which the latter developments, including contemporary row-houses and high-
rise residential buildings, fail to showcase the manifestation of vernacular parameters;
Sustainability then has either been absent or achieved majorly through active techniques. The
objective of this paper is to draw out passive strategies from vernacular designs, hence further
analyzing the former housing typologies from the old Bangalore and colonial period.
3. VERNACULAR PARAMETERS
Vernacular, meaning the one which is local and originates out of users need. Vernacular
Architecture is “the local or regional dialect, the common speech of the building. As such it
comprises a range of building traditions as wide as that of the linguistic traditions” (Oliver,
1997). According to Lawrence, the vernacular architecture of the region is designed by
humans and a continuously maturing relationship between social factors, economic
conditions, material availability, and ecological presence. Thus, revealing the combination of
culture, tradition, climatic condition, social life, and the technology found in the region
(Roderick J. Lawrence, 2006).
Though the vernacular architecture of a region as discussed above is defined by both, its
visual as well as abstract factors, the author considers only those reciprocating the climatic
conditions and corresponding tangible parameters - as this research intends to suggest passive
guidelines for energy-efficient design solutions achieving comfortable living conditions for
residents in Bangalore. To derive climate-responsive passive attributes, this section discusses
parameters responding to the microclimate, topographical conditions, material and its
construction technologies, natural features available, and daily lifestyle or social activities
helping maintain the indoor thermal conditions.
3.1. Location and Climatic Zone
India is divided into different climatic zones based on the microclimate of a region.
Bangalore, a city in the southern part of India, falls under temperate climatic zone (moderate
climate), which is said to have the most ideal conditions for living, with temperatures ranging
from 15 to 35 degree Celsius. It has distinguished wet and dry months receiving rains from
both southwest and northeast winds.
Bangalore is known for its non-humid, pleasant, and cooling breeze making natural
ventilation an evident and vital spatial characteristic of the structures in the city.
Though Bangalore has an optimal balance of hot and cold temperatures and dry and wet
periods, lately, over the past few decades the city has experienced extreme climates with
increasing temperatures due to globalization and climate change.
Anup Naik and Snehal Oswal
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Figure 1 Climatic Zones in India
Source: National Building Code of India, 2005.
3.2. Geographical Features
Bangalore is majorly a flat land with no major rivers flowing through its terrain.
Kempegowda had established many lakes, ponds, and reservoirs for the use of citizens which
with development are lost or filled - to create new land for development - except a few which
contribute to the city‟s water requirements. Bangalore known as „garden city‟, known for its
thick foliage consisting of deciduous trees, is losing the character to rapid deforestation to
create room for the urban infrastructure supporting the fast-growing population.
Land reclamation by filling existing water bodies and heavy deforestation of local
vegetation top the list of reasons contributing to major issues of the city like severe water
shortage, increasing urban temperatures, loss of local flora and fauna, and depleting quality of
air. To combat these unfavorable conditions a considerable amount of energy is consumed,
pressurizing the limited resources in return – forming a vicious circle of creating a new
problem to solve the previous one.
3.3. Local Construction Materials
Material selection and its method of construction play a very crucial role in lowering the
energy consumption of a space. Material has a three-fold impact on a building‟s energy-
efficiency and cost-effectiveness; First, in the construction stage, the energy and cost
consumed in the manufacturing of a material, its transport to the building site, and techniques
required to assemble them. Secondly, in the later stage, post-construction, the material used
determines the energy consumed to attain a comfortable indoor environment as well as
maintenance of the material itself over the life span of the building. Lastly, after the material
is discarded and needs to be disposed of.
Vernacular suggests using material naturally available within a radius of 50kms of the
construction site and can be easily reused. This, along with saving energy during transport and
Investigating the Relevance of Vernacular Parameters in Developing a Passive-Right Approach
for Design - In the Context of Housing in Bangalore
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disposal, also promotes local skills, labor, and economy along with imparting a distinct
character to the region which is unique to the locality. Clay soil and quarries of lime granite
and laterite stones are easily found in and around the city of Bangalore, thus most of the
construction - pre-independence - exhibit an architecture dominated with stone or clay brick
walls, lime plaster, and thatch or clay tiles on sloping roofs.
Material availability changes with time and so does the local material of a region. For
example, granite and limestone mined from a local quarry earlier have exhausted and are no
longer environmentally sustainable options. As vernacular parameters rely on the surrounding
context, they change with changing time, making it timeless and future-ready. This paper
suggests deriving and replicating the qualities of the material used then. For example, clay
readily being available even today forms an apt material for construction. Multiple composite
products like adobe bricks, perforated bricks, and insulated clay tiles have been built over the
knowledge from the past.
3.4. Social Requirements
A typical housing typology is tailor-made, after several trials and errors over a period, for a
community residing in it. The development of spaces in a housing unit and the bigger cluster
is a manifestation of a groups living habits, lifestyle, occupational requirements, and cultural
beliefs. The spatial organization stands on the cross-section of climatic conditions and the use
and purpose of the space, to make it comfortable for the occupant.
According to the Battelle Environmental Evaluation System (BEES), used to calculate
biological, physical, and socio-economic factors of a city, Bangalore‟s air quality and socio-
economic parameters lie way below the average index. The socio-economic aspect of a region
refers to the quality of life, traffic conditions, and availability of urban infrastructure (Anon.,
n.d.). This evaluation showed a dire need for reorganizing the social fabric of the city in 2003,
which over the period has deteriorated because of uncurbed economical polarisation in the
city.
The factors discussed here are very evidently sighted in the structures until late modern
and contemporary history or immediate post-independence period (Anon., n.d.). Urbanization
hit the city of Bangalore with growing migration and infrastructure demands, leading to the
rapid standardization of the building products. This along with a massive boom of technology
and economy in the silicon city resulted in a strong influence from western countries -
yielding in resolving the urban issues in isolation which otherwise should have reflected the
reality on the ground. The housing typologies analyzed in this paper, interpreting the
vernacular factors, are considered as follows:
3.4.1. Typical houses from Kempegowda’s Bangalore (Pete area or old Bangalore)
When Kempegowda started developing the city of Bangalore, he divided the region into
smaller parts and called them as pete’s. As a result of globalization, these regions are
threatened by the upcoming developments in the city. Halsuru, Devanhalli, and Gavipuram
are a few areas from Kempegowda‟s era - struggling for their identity in the current urban
fabric – and analyzed in this paper for their vernacular features. All these areas have been
established around a temple, with the temple‟s Vaastu (physical existence / architectural
planning) dominating the surrounding settlements. Though orientation and placement of the
housing units co-exist with the temple complex, the basic footprint of the house being
typically a linear rectangular block with longer shared walls and single or multiple courtyards
at intervals for daylight and ventilation.
Anup Naik and Snehal Oswal
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Figure 2 Plan and Elevation for a Typical Housing Unit in Devanahalli
Source: Priya Joseph, 2017, Typical Plans and Elevations of House in Devanhalli, International
Journal of Emerging Technologies,30.04.2020.
Figure 3 Typical Courtyard Choultry in Gavipuram.
Source: International Institute of Art, Culture and Democracy.
Courtyards formed within the houses cater to several aspects of a comfortable liveable
space including diffused sunlight, natural ventilation based on the scientific principle of warm
and cool air, segregation of private and semi-private spaces, transitional or spillover areas
Investigating the Relevance of Vernacular Parameters in Developing a Passive-Right Approach
for Design - In the Context of Housing in Bangalore
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between two activities, and a multipurpose space adding life to the man-made skeleton. The
inner division of a unit is generic without specific assignment of activity to a room thus giving
users the flexibility of using the space as per their comfort and requirement.
Materials selected with sensitivity towards high temperatures along with external shading
devices, decorated facades, and buffer spaces like veranda‟s, or jaggali as called in Bangalore,
help maintain thermal conditions inside.
3.4.2. A Typical Colonial Bungalow
The 19th
century saw a widespread influence of the western colonial style of housing units and
gothic influence on Indian carpentry. Mostly symmetrical, stand-alone plan aligned along
North-South axis, with central rooms for public and then semi-private and private activities
planned in adjoining grids on either side. The houses generally are divided into three or five
vertical grids depending on the space available and the economic status of the resident.
Figure 4 Plan and Section of a Typical Colonial Bungalow in Bangalore.
Source: http://www.archiestudio.in/when_there
were_only_pencil_pen_and_typewriter/old_bungalows _of_bangalore_in_1978
The outermost layer or grid particularly enclose services, storage rooms, and verandas,
forming a protective envelope, insulating inner spaces from the heat radiations, thus helping
maintain the internal thermal conditions. Also, multiple offsets, at different angles of the
façade, vary the intensity of sunrays incident on the external surface area, thus reducing the
heat gain of the structure. Thick, clay brick, or stone walls further form another layer of
insulation.
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This typology conventionally is single-storeyed with varying heights of the roof for every
grid based on the requirement of ventilation grills, as seen in the section above (Figure 4).
These ventilation grills along with several doors in every room form the air circulation path
for internal ventilation. The hierarchy in roof heights, with outermost being lowest and
innermost being highest, not only offers an interesting character to these units but a vital
strategy for ventilation and diffused sunlight for the innermost dark rooms. Furthermore, the
very few windows were added with an elaborate, 18” deep triangular shading device, famous
as monkey tops then, screening the harshest perpendicular sunrays (Pillai, 2004).
These building concepts, architectural features, and material selection helped maintain an
indoor temperature, 2-3 degrees lower than that outside.
4. ANALYZING THE CITY OF BANGALORE
The considered housing typologies are analyzed against the listed vernacular factors derived
from the immediate surrounding context discussed in the chapter above. As industrialization
grew manifolds, standardization hit the construction fraternity with homogeneous skylines,
building facades, and materials. Due to which concrete and its products dominate the market
to date, overshadowing the local materials, skills, labor, and their innovation. Understanding
the locale for Bangalore in Table 1 will further help explore and evolve the regional skills and
formulate a set of guidelines for inclusive development for all.
Table 1 Interpreting listed Vernacular Factors from housing units constructed in the pre-
industrialisation period.
Vernacular Factors Early Settlements Colonial Bungalows
Microclimate - Moderate
Solar Influence
Insulation from radiations through material
selection and reduced openings.
Diffused natural light achieved through
openings like courtyards.
Insulation through materials, building
technologies, shaded openings, and large open
spaces around the house helping diffuse the
daylight.
Sharply sloped roofs change the angle of
incident sun rays, thus reducing its heating
intensity.
Ventilation
Courtyards placed in a way ensuring air
movement in all rooms.
Natural elements like wells and trees help cool
down the air and aid in its circulation.
Movement of air majorly through doors,
avoiding the glare of windows. Rooms
designed with multiple doors connecting to
adjacent spaces.
The stepped roof creates ventilator windows
helping in air movement.
Additional ventilation catered by courtyards if
space available.
Site Selection
Orientation
Linear elongated blocks, with shorter side
opening on to the adjacent street, with a
veranda, welcoming social interaction as well
as imparting a character to the street.
Ideal case: longer sides parallel to east and
west.
Other cases: longer sides acting as shared
walls.
Oriented along the North-South axis, with
longer sides parallel to East and West.
Form derived from the shape of the plot.
Mostly symmetrical structures with offsetting
façade and open gardens on all four sides.
Topographic Features
No major river crosses through the city of
Bangalore resulting in wells in the courtyards,
ponds, and lakes in the town forming the
topographical features.
The water supply now was through a
developed network from man-made lakes and
ponds as well as natural water bodies.
Structural Context
Houses in temple complexes ae generally
simple with minimalistic façade features and
lower in height than the temple, thus marking
the hierarchy of the structures.
Units along main streets enhance the user
experience by creating interactive spaces like
Mostly individual houses in structural
isolation, thus not impacted much by the
surrounding context nor did they affect the
surrounding built environment in return.
Gardens on all sides or minimum on the sides
opening to main streets formed a natural
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verandas for the community, and a transition
of space from public to private for residents.
barrier for residents.
These bungalows were highly inspired by the
European and western construction styles with
a dominance of gothic carpentry.
Natural Features
Green Network
Bangalore known for its deciduous, dense
foliage trees, add life to elements like
courtyards, backyards, and streets.
These elements further create spaces for social
interactions and gatherings.
Available garden space houses local trees and
maintains the character of a garden city.
These form an element of privacy more than
that of social gatherings.
Blue Network
In the absence of natural water bodies, wells
and man-made ponds support the water
requirements of residents, thus forming an
important segment of these houses.
A network of water supply was established
thus reducing the number of smaller ponds and
wells in every house.
Material
Availability
Red Clay: Mud and thatch walls, mud-brick
walls, and clay roof tiles.
Stone Quarries: Granite stone walls without
mortar, lime mortar and lime plaster, laterite
stone foundations and walls.
Deciduous trees: Wooden beams, lintels and
sills, wooden carved columns, wooden rafters,
and ridges supporting the roof.
Refined products of red clay, granite, and
wood are seen.
A civilized version of burnt clay bricks and
upgraded clay roof tiles.
Clean cut granite stone walls covered with
lime and sand plaster and white-washed
facades.
Intricately carved façade elements.
Addition of cast iron features in balustrades
and shading devices, columns, and railings.
Nature of Material
Red clay and Stone walls having low heat
retention values, insulate the rooms within,
keeping them cooler than the outside
temperature.
Lime with its high heat reflective properties,
when used as plaster forms an additional layer
of insulation.
Water-resistant properties of lime also make it
a product for waterproofing for flat roofs along
with mud bricks and terracotta tiles (madras
roofing).
Red clay, lime, granite, known for low heat
retention are used.
Whitewashed facades reflect sunlight even
more thus further reducing the heat gained.
Stepped madras roofs mostly flat with a slight
angle for drainage and central roof with a steep
slope, covered with Mangalore tiles.
Local skills
Improvisation of the material as well as the
products of red clay.
Adobe bricks and random rubble stone
masonry, stone and wood carving, madras
roofing, red oxide flooring with distinct
patterns.
Local carpenters adopted and learned the
gothic style with growing colonial influence.
Improved skills in making red clay items and
masonry skills.
Construction Methods
The locals usually plan the flow of a project in
response to the climate.
Bricks are made in summers.
Footings are packed just before the rainy
season to naturally compact the dug soil.
Labor who also are farmers is arranged based
on harvest periods.
A western idea achieved using local material,
skills, and knowledge.
Knowledge from construction strategies
followed to build early settlements in
Bangalore.
User’s Needs
Daily Lifestyle
Disconnected kitchens avoiding heating of
other living spaces.
Verandas forming semi-private covered space
for social interaction.
Multipurpose spaces catering to different
activities.
Clear division of spaces into public, semi-
private, and private as shown in figure 4.
Kitchens partly detached through a veranda.
These spaces are also divided based on the
time of day they are utilized, thus maintaining
the thermal comfort for that period.
Public spaces are still designed to serve
multiple activities based on the requirement.
Social and Cultural Beliefs
Splitting living rooms for guests and family
members maintaining privacy.
Toilets detached from the main house.
The gardens are features picked up from the
western definition of beautification and
privacy.
Toilets usually form a separate block or the
outermost layer of the housing unit.
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5. DERIVED PASSIVE-RIGHT TECHNIQUES
The passive right approach discussed in this paper constantly points towards achieving a stage
where we meet the needs of today without compromising the needs of future generations
(Vijai Shanker Singh, 2012). Most of the Indian cities, including Bangalore, have evolved
with constantly growing economic polarisation - making the rich richer and, the poor poorer.
Most of the population in Bangalore cannot afford a basic lifestyle with a comfortable living
environment. And the remaining population is excessively using up the resources of energy to
create an artificial environment, comfortable for living.
As per the analysis of housing typologies against vernacular factors, in the previous
chapter, five basic components are derived, based on their recurring considerations while
designing a house, as follows:
Sun
Wind
Topography
Local Material
Distribution of space
These broader components representing the natural environment enhance a housing unit
and/or building through various design strategies, which further formulate a set of passive
attributes for designers and residents. The table below suggests passive guidelines which will
help achieve economically affordable and comfortable residences for citizens irrespective of
their economic status.
Table 2 Guidelines for the city of Bangalore.
Local
Components Passive Attributes Guidelines for Bangalore
Sun
Orientation
With the increased shortage of land, a particular orientation
cannot be followed and a minimum of two sides are shared.
Thus, maintaining shorter sides with the least solar exposure on
the North and South facades.
Transitional Spaces
Inserting transitional semiprivate spaces like verandas or
courtyards acts as a barrier for heat and direct sunlight.
Lights up the entire house with a gentle, naturally diffused light.
Building Envelope
Roof
Materials with low heat gaining quality for flat roofs.
Features like sloping roofs reflecting maximum sunlight and
minimizing the intensity of incident sunlight.
Walls
Façade treatment to be done to achieve a surface with multiple
angles thus reducing the surface area absorbing heat at a
particular time in a day.
E.g.: Coarse plaster or angled and offsetting façade.
Insulation using modern technologies of perforated bricks and
innovative infill materials.
Minimum use of Concrete and RCC as they have a high heat
absorption value.
Openings Very few openings on the outer walls forming windows, reducing
glare.
Shading Devices Use of appropriate shading (either horizontal or vertical)
components based on the solar analysis.
Wind Patterns Types of Openings
Natural ventilation to be explored through various openings apart
from windows.
E.g. openings in walls (windows, doors, and grills), and roofs
(courtyards and skylights).
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Position of Openings
Strategic placement of openings catalyzes the natural movement
of the wind.
Based on the analysis of wind movement, placing intake and out-
take openings at different heights and relatively opposite
positions will enhance the wind patterns within the house.
Topographic
Features
Green Features
Using the local deciduous species as barriers for heat, excessive
wind as well as maintaining privacy.
Enhances the thermal comfort and visual character of the housing
units.
Water Body
The water shortages in the city prompt towards adopting water
harvesting techniques of forming and maintaining manmade
lakes, ponds, and recharging ground levels.
Built Context
Natural elements to tackle issues or benefit from the surrounding
context.
E.g.: Mounds to avoid sound and form visual barriers from an
adjoining highway; or a stepped ghat/amphitheater near water
catchment areas forming seasonal water bodies that otherwise
form socially interactive spaces.
Material
Local Availability
Material available in a radius of 50kms from the construction site.
Regional standardization of materials for improved quality;
Innovating with red clay, sand, bamboo, terracotta, and red oxide
flooring (as readily available).
Traditional materials like granite, laterites, and lime have
exhausted and not used for ecological sustainability.
Nature of Material
Materials with low heat gain values and high reflective capacities.
Minimal involvement of synthetic and factory-made substances,
thus further reducing energy consumption.
Response to Heat
Products with progressive insulating properties.
Multi-layered solution for insulation from heat, for e.g. - using
perforated burnt clay bricks with sand plaster (or any insulating
material like thatch and sand) and brick cladding façade, based on
the intensity of incident sunlight.
Construction Method
Promoting local art, construction skills and, regional knowledge
passed orally, generating local employment, and reducing energy
consumption.
Spatial
Organization
Daily Lifestyle
Planning of a multipurpose space supporting various activities
carried out by the resident community.
Distribution of spaces based on the daily lifestyle of the residents,
understanding their activities at different times of the day.
Sun
Placing services or storage areas on the sides hit with the
maximum intensity of sun (south side).
The presence of transition (usually semi-open) spaces on harsh
sides also diffuse the intensity of solar ingression.
Wind Pattern
Planning spaces like the kitchen (heat-generating activity) with
appropriate ventilation to reduce heating in the other parts of the
house.
Social Hierarchy
The presence of a hierarchy in communities to be dissected for its
positive impact on the energy efficiency of the housing unit.
6. CONCLUSION
The case studies carried above, and inferences derived prompt towards a successful
transformation of vernacular strategies or factors into modern construction technologies.
Balancing the basic elements of Vaastu or development, namely sun, wind, topography,
material, and spatial organization lead to reduced energy consumption. Structures to be in
synchronization with the natural elements than opposing them and then finding solutions
through technologies to curtail their adverse impacts.
Anup Naik and Snehal Oswal
http://www.iaeme.com/IJA/index.asp 55 [email protected]
Structures in rhythm with nature around and local context have minimal energy
requirements thus these basic elements form the building attributes of passive-right design
solutions for energy-efficiency.
In search of solutions, the authors have created a device visibly measuring energy
consumption by individual houses, and as a result of which the building techniques can be
promoted not only amongst the developers but also amongst the investors and users (Tsuyoshi
Ueno, 2006).
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