Contents
CHAPTER 1: MONSOON IN KERALA
1.1 Monsoon
1.2 Kerala
1.3 Climate of Kerala
1.4 Monsoon in Kerala
1.5 Influences of monsoon
1.5.1 Monsoon and Economy
1.5.2 Monsoon in Art and Literature
1.5.3 Monsoon and Lifestyle
CHAPTER 2: INFLUENCE OF MONSOON ON THE ORIGIN, GROWTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR OF SETTLEMENTS
2.1 Society and Culture
2.2 Morphology of Settlements
2.2.1 In the highlands
2.2.2 In midlands
2.2.3 In low lands
2.2.4 In coastal areas
2.2.5 In plains
CHAPTER 3: INFLUENCE OF MONSOON ON THE SPATIAL ORGANIZATION AND ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES IN DWELLINGS
3.1 Architectural elements responding to Rain
3.2 Dwellings of Kerala
3.2.1 Palace complex
3.2.2 Individual homestead/cluster
3.2.3 Individual residence-1
3.2.4 Individual residence-2
3.2.5 Individual residence-3
CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION
4.1 Summary of the study
4.2 A look into the present context
4.3 Parallel studies and conclusions
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
CHAPTER 2Tribal Settlement in Waynad
Waynad is a plateau located on the windward side of Western Ghats; with jungle clad slopes as well as farm plains, and rivers down the slopes. The climate is cooler compared to the other parts of the state. It is said that when Aryan invasion occurred, the original inhabitants of India were pushed down south and when they reached Kerala, the aboriginal tribes of the state were driven further into the hilly forests. The highlands are still occupied mainly by the tribes, inhabiting the remote areas, as loose settlements among the evergreen forest lands. They remain isolated from the rest of the people and culture and live an independent life, confining themselves to their own tribe and settlements. Since it is located on the windward side of the Western Ghats, it stops the south west monsoon winds and thus receives extensive rain. Within the highland area, there are regions of heavy rainfall as well as moderate and few of scanty rainfall according to their locations on the slopes.
Fig.9 The tribal settlement in waynad, with houses built using the local materials- bamboo, thatch and mud.The settlements consist of houses loosely arranged among the farmlands and forests. A few houses can be seen together clustered, but not in any order. They don’t follow any orientation criteria, unlike the rest of the state which strictly follow the orientation principles of vastushastra. No focal points or social places of congregation mark these settlements, but they share all the natural resources in the near proximity for their living. The houses are small with minimum requirements. There are no designated front yards or backyards, but they make use of the spaces left between two houses for outside activities. The major building materials are mud and bamboo which are locally available.
CHAPTER 2Temple Town of Thripoonithura
The ancient port town later developed into a temple town with Poornatrayeesha temple as the focal point and palatial buildings in the temple precincts. It was considered auspicious to live in proximity to the temple. Initial developments happened along the temple periphery and then extended outwards, of which many of them had colonial influences in their construction style and spatial layout. With the roads and streets laid in access to the temple and other buildings around, the ceremonial road leading to the temple remains the central spine of the town. Temple tank was attached to the temple complex which served the local inhabitants as the abundant source of water. Not only temple, but many individual palaces and residences too had their own individual tanks. With the initial buildings in pure traditional Kerala architecture, the later ones with Dutch and British influence, and the contemporary buildings, there exists a mix of styles within the temple precincts.Individual houses with their private water bodies did not have to depend on the common water sources or temple tanks which were more of social in nature. These water tanks were placed within the site based on the vastu principles. The earlier homestead culture of placing the building within the yard and the narrow entry through padippura was replaced by road-side residences of colonial period. Due to the colonial influences, the side open verandahs with charupadi were replaced by glazed ribbon windows and wooden louvers. The interior courtyards and the water bodies vanished and the room heights increased though they used the same materials-laterite, timber, lime plaster, etc which were available locally. The climatic response was poor as compared to that of traditional structures. Sun shading and protection from rain became minimum since the deep and wide eaves disappeared. The use of glass and larger heights provided more light to the otherwise darker interiors of traditional buildings. The street character too changed where they were lined with buildings on both sides, as against the traditional streets/walkways with no building in near vicinity, but located far and inside the yards.
The ancient port town later developed into a temple town with Poornatrayeesha temple as the focal point and palatial buildings in the temple precincts. It was considered auspicious to live in proximity to the temple. Initial developments happened along the temple periphery and then extended outwards, of which many of them had colonial influences in their construction style and spatial layout. With the roads and streets laid in access to the temple and other buildings around, the ceremonial road leading to the temple remains the central spine of the town. Temple tank was attached to the temple complex which served the local inhabitants as the abundant source of water. Not only temple, but many individual palaces and residences too had their own individual tanks. With the initial buildings in pure traditional Kerala architecture, the later ones with Dutch and British influence, and the contemporary buildings, there exists a mix of styles within the temple precincts.Individual houses with their private water bodies did not have to depend on the common water sources or temple tanks which were more of social in nature. These water tanks were placed within the site based on the vastu principles. The earlier homestead culture of placing the building within the yard and the narrow entry through padippura was replaced by road-side residences of colonial period. Due to the colonial influences, the side open verandahs with charupadi were replaced by glazed ribbon windows and wooden louvers. The interior courtyards and the water bodies vanished and the room heights increased though they used the same materials-laterite, timber, lime plaster, etc which were available locally. The climatic response was poor as compared to that of traditional structures. Sun shading and protection from rain became minimum since the deep and wide eaves disappeared. The use of glass and larger heights provided more light to the otherwise darker interiors of traditional buildings. The street character too changed where they were lined with buildings on both sides, as against the traditional streets/walkways with no building in near vicinity, but located far and inside the yards.
CHAPTER 2Agraharam of Palakkad
The mass migration of Tamil Brahmins to Kerala 6 to 7 centuries ago led to the establishment of Agraharams- a group of houses which is repeated more or less in the similar fashion, forming a typical settlement. Palakkad is home to nearly 96 agraharams in the district and nearly 18 within the town. The Agraharam, though Tamil in its culture and character, has adaptations from Kerala too. The temple is the central focus with the dwellings lined on both sides of the road leading to it. The tube houses are either single or 2 storied with traditional pitched roofs and a very few with terraces. The wide streets (therveedhi) facilitate the chariot festival (ratholsavam, ratha=chariot, utsavam=festival). The temple tank, along with the Peepal tree (sthalavriksham) forms another focal element and interactive community space. The Brahmins being agricultural land owners and highly associated with temple activities, have their social life closely connected to the temple and farm lands. The linear organization of settlement has linear dwellings perpendicular to the street, which have shared walls with the adjacent ones. In each dwelling, they follow a hierarchy of spaces in terms of privacy- public, semi-public and private areas. The public realm of street touches the semi-open thinnai, an immediate transition between outside and inside, which leads to the inside private spaces. Most of the dwellings have an open courtyard, yet not a central element as in traditional Kerala houses. The small opening to the sky provides light and the rainwater brought in is drained outside or recharged to the open well. Open wells are a part of every house, near the kitchen or at the rear end. The original dwellings did not have bathrooms attached with them, as they depended on temple tanks and the nearby rivers/streams. But it is seen that, with later of extension to the houses, bathrooms have been added in most of them. The dwellings have pitched roofs with Mangalore tiles which appear continuous with the series of houses. Though they follow the sloping timber roofing system as in traditional Kerala style, they differ in their construction patterns and layouts. The pitched roofs shed off the rainwater, but the eaves are not deep enough as in the Kerala houses. Recent additions of corrugated sheets to the existing roof edges are also seen to maximize the protection.
The mass migration of Tamil Brahmins to Kerala 6 to 7 centuries ago led to the establishment of Agraharams- a group of houses which is repeated more or less in the similar fashion, forming a typical settlement. Palakkad is home to nearly 96 agraharams in the district and nearly 18 within the town. The Agraharam, though Tamil in its culture and character, has adaptations from Kerala too. The temple is the central focus with the dwellings lined on both sides of the road leading to it. The tube houses are either single or 2 storied with traditional pitched roofs and a very few with terraces. The wide streets (therveedhi) facilitate the chariot festival (ratholsavam, ratha=chariot, utsavam=festival). The temple tank, along with the Peepal tree (sthalavriksham) forms another focal element and interactive community space. The Brahmins being agricultural land owners and highly associated with temple activities, have their social life closely connected to the temple and farm lands. The linear organization of settlement has linear dwellings perpendicular to the street, which have shared walls with the adjacent ones. In each dwelling, they follow a hierarchy of spaces in terms of privacy- public, semi-public and private areas. The public realm of street touches the semi-open thinnai, an immediate transition between outside and inside, which leads to the inside private spaces. Most of the dwellings have an open courtyard, yet not a central element as in traditional Kerala houses. The small opening to the sky provides light and the rainwater brought in is drained outside or recharged to the open well. Open wells are a part of every house, near the kitchen or at the rear end. The original dwellings did not have bathrooms attached with them, as they depended on temple tanks and the nearby rivers/streams. But it is seen that, with later of extension to the houses, bathrooms have been added in most of them. The dwellings have pitched roofs with Mangalore tiles which appear continuous with the series of houses. Though they follow the sloping timber roofing system as in traditional Kerala style, they differ in their construction patterns and layouts. The pitched roofs shed off the rainwater, but the eaves are not deep enough as in the Kerala houses. Recent additions of corrugated sheets to the existing roof edges are also seen to maximize the protection.
CHAPTER 2Village of waterways- Kuttanad in Alappuzha
Alappuzha is the only district which is fully under low lands and midlands. Kuttanad is the 75 km stretch of low lands in the district, starting from the coast, accommodating the backwaters, low lying farmlands and the settlements within. Waterways form the backbone of its layout and planning, and are natural in form, varying in width from 5 to 100 meters. Compared to the water towns of China and Venice, the settlements here are not entirely waterfront. Here the water penetrates through, and is an active part of the village interiors with wide to narrow backwater branches through the fields and grooves. People made good use of these waterways, organizing them into systems for the transportation of goods and materials. The settlement prospered as a result of these activities and gradually, teashops and houses were built along the banks. These activities not only provided services to the village residents but also became the focus of village life. The dwellings are strongly connected to the water, yet following Kerala’s segregated dwelling system. People, who live here cohabit with water, walk along and cross canals every day and travel in boats of many sizes. They have no centrality or axes, no ceremonial or defense patterns but boundaries marked by water channels which allow continuous communication. The streets are closely linked to waterways, since they have to facilitate the loading and unloading of commodities and transshipment between road and water traffic. The development of these settlements occurred in natural ways. The formations were usually decided by the structure of waterways- sometimes along the banks, sometimes at the corners or around the intersection of waterways. Narrow bridges of single or double coconut trunks served as connectors of circulation in the interiors.
Alappuzha is the only district which is fully under low lands and midlands. Kuttanad is the 75 km stretch of low lands in the district, starting from the coast, accommodating the backwaters, low lying farmlands and the settlements within. Waterways form the backbone of its layout and planning, and are natural in form, varying in width from 5 to 100 meters. Compared to the water towns of China and Venice, the settlements here are not entirely waterfront. Here the water penetrates through, and is an active part of the village interiors with wide to narrow backwater branches through the fields and grooves. People made good use of these waterways, organizing them into systems for the transportation of goods and materials. The settlement prospered as a result of these activities and gradually, teashops and houses were built along the banks. These activities not only provided services to the village residents but also became the focus of village life. The dwellings are strongly connected to the water, yet following Kerala’s segregated dwelling system. People, who live here cohabit with water, walk along and cross canals every day and travel in boats of many sizes. They have no centrality or axes, no ceremonial or defense patterns but boundaries marked by water channels which allow continuous communication. The streets are closely linked to waterways, since they have to facilitate the loading and unloading of commodities and transshipment between road and water traffic. The development of these settlements occurred in natural ways. The formations were usually decided by the structure of waterways- sometimes along the banks, sometimes at the corners or around the intersection of waterways. Narrow bridges of single or double coconut trunks served as connectors of circulation in the interiors.
thesis: monsoon in kerala: an enquiry into the architectural responses
Introduction
Rain is a part of the hydrological cycle in which moisture from the Earth's surface evaporates, turns into clouds, then condenses into bubbles and again in due course returns to the Earth in the form of droplets of water to repeat the whole cycle.1 But it has lot more to it when it reaches the ground and people starts interacting with it in many ways. Rain, not just have physical uses. It refreshes all five senses- you see the rain, smell the fresh shower, (The source of this effect is petrichor, oil produced by plants, then absorbed by rocks and soil and later released into the air during a rainfall)1, listen to the downpour and thunders, touch the drops, and taste the water. Rainfall is the source of the water in rivers, backwaters, wells and tanks. Here I consider the water that is already present on the ground and is already an integral part of the soil as well as the water that is actually in the process of falling down from the sky as rain.
In India, the State of Kerala is considered as the “Gateway of summer monsoon” since it is the first state to receive the south west monsoon and the last to receive the retreating monsoon. As a popular advertisement says, “The only thing that covers Kerala better than us is the monsoon”, rain has a strong influence all over Kerala and its people.
Urban designer Jacek Krenz1 wonders how rain can be celebrated and rainwater be incorporated into architecture as
- a cleansing element,
- a climate control and ecological balance element,
- a visually refreshing element,
- a spiritual element, and
- a nourishing element of refreshment.
But here in Kerala, without intentionally incorporating it, is a part of architecture and they do celebrate the rain in their own ways. How and why such an architecture evolved, which controls, conserves and enjoys rain? What went behind in the making of spaces, elements and techniques which respond to the downpour in specific ways? Was that the sole reason for such developments or there was something more?
With the changes in society, globalization and urbanization, culture changed and so as architecture. With changes in environment, rainfall distribution has varied, quantity has reduced and measures have been adopted to collect and conserve the falling rain. Water repellant paints are used to keep the surfaces neat. Open to sky spaces are made to let the rain be viewed. But other than these direct responses, strong connections between the contemporary architecture and rain are missing.
Rain is a part of the hydrological cycle in which moisture from the Earth's surface evaporates, turns into clouds, then condenses into bubbles and again in due course returns to the Earth in the form of droplets of water to repeat the whole cycle.1 But it has lot more to it when it reaches the ground and people starts interacting with it in many ways. Rain, not just have physical uses. It refreshes all five senses- you see the rain, smell the fresh shower, (The source of this effect is petrichor, oil produced by plants, then absorbed by rocks and soil and later released into the air during a rainfall)1, listen to the downpour and thunders, touch the drops, and taste the water. Rainfall is the source of the water in rivers, backwaters, wells and tanks. Here I consider the water that is already present on the ground and is already an integral part of the soil as well as the water that is actually in the process of falling down from the sky as rain.
In India, the State of Kerala is considered as the “Gateway of summer monsoon” since it is the first state to receive the south west monsoon and the last to receive the retreating monsoon. As a popular advertisement says, “The only thing that covers Kerala better than us is the monsoon”, rain has a strong influence all over Kerala and its people.
Urban designer Jacek Krenz1 wonders how rain can be celebrated and rainwater be incorporated into architecture as
- a cleansing element,
- a climate control and ecological balance element,
- a visually refreshing element,
- a spiritual element, and
- a nourishing element of refreshment.
But here in Kerala, without intentionally incorporating it, is a part of architecture and they do celebrate the rain in their own ways. How and why such an architecture evolved, which controls, conserves and enjoys rain? What went behind in the making of spaces, elements and techniques which respond to the downpour in specific ways? Was that the sole reason for such developments or there was something more?
With the changes in society, globalization and urbanization, culture changed and so as architecture. With changes in environment, rainfall distribution has varied, quantity has reduced and measures have been adopted to collect and conserve the falling rain. Water repellant paints are used to keep the surfaces neat. Open to sky spaces are made to let the rain be viewed. But other than these direct responses, strong connections between the contemporary architecture and rain are missing.
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