1.

INTRODUCTION

Earth has been in existence for approximately 4.54 billions of years, whereas humans have
been comparatively for a far lesser period – approximately 2 million years. Yet in this
extremely short span of time, human beings have left no stone unturned to change the face of
the Earth. It is an unarguable fact that half the world environmental crisis is because of the
giant leaps that technology has taken and the role of globalization. In earlier times, nature and
man lived in harmony until the 1950s. Rapid industrialization began in 20th century and until
then it was not so noticeable. But gradually the scale increased and industries like extracting
and processing of raw materials like mining, steam power, etc. developed in an escalated rate
and now out of the world‟s total energy consumption 80% is obtained from fossil fuels which
are a composite of oil, coal and natural gas. Humans have also used up a lot of metals available.
These resources take hundreds of millions of years to form, so they are non-renewable, at least
for the current lot of human beings. It will need another start of life on Earth before anyone can
use new fossil fuel resources.

Figure1: Industrialization leading to Pollution

Building Industry is one sector which uses 40% of the global energy, 25% of global
water, and 40% of global resources and emits approximately 30% of the greenhouse gas
emissions (UNEP) This started with the evolution of new building materials the most important
one being R.C.C. which has an extremely high embodied energy as compared to any other
material. The traditional or vernacular architecture of a place is a reflection of the protective
measures for the structures that have been evolved over the years. These have the power to
sustain from various kinds of calamities. But the usages of these methods are nearing obsolete.
We, as architects and members of this industry, need to look for alternate methods to leave a

1|Page
less carbon imprint on the Earth. The momentum for revival of lost methods and practices have
started, we need to join in.

1.1 REGIONAL GLANCE

"ASSAM" is a north-eastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. The name "Assam" is
derived from the term "Asom" which, in Sanskrit, refers to unequal or unrivalled. The uneven
topography of the land, full of hills, plains and rivers might, therefore, have contributed to her
name. Except for a narrow corridor running through the foothills of the Himalayas that connects
the state with West Bengal, Assam is almost entirely isolated from India. Its longitude lies at
88.250E to 96.00E and latitude at 24.50N to 28.00N and temperature varies from 60C TO
380C. Assam's economy is based on agriculture and oil. Assam produces a significant part of
the total tea production of the world. Assam produces more than half of India's petroleum.

1.2 IMPORTANCE OF BHRAMAPUTRA VALLEY

The Brahmaputra or Assam valley is the most important

geomorphological unit of Assam. It is almost a flat featureless
alluvial lowland lying on either side of the Brahmaputra river,
extending from the base of Bhutan and Arunachal Himalaya in
the northeast to the Indo-Bangladesh border in the west. It is
Figure 2: Satellite view of
about 725 Kms long, 80Kms the region

wide(average) and area is 58315 sq. Kms. The valley is characterized by distinct alluvial
morphological units, predominance of rice fields, tea gardens, oil resources, very low
urbanization, lack of quick transportation system and high density of population 5. The present
Assam Valley or Brahmaputra Valley became the centre of political activities and civilization
of Assam right from the early period. In a sense, the history of the land is the history of the
civilization of Brahmaputra valley. The zone as well as the land as a whole was predominantly
rural with majority of the people living villages.

1.2 NEED OF THE STUDY

Materials are the stuff of economic life in our industrial world. They include the resource inputs
and the product outputs of industrial production. How we handle them is a major determinant
of true economic efficiency, real prosperity, social justice, our Personal health, and the health

2|Page
of the natural environment. Materials are, moreover, far more than resources or products. They
are gifts of nature, and substances of Gaia’s Body. How we relate to materials in their
production and their consumption is one of the best barometers of our fundamental relationship
to that which gives us life. Not Coincidentally, it reflects our relationship to ourselves, our
creativity, our work and possibilities for self-actualization and community development.

This dissertation is about the locally available building materials: about how we use
them now, how they might be used more appropriately. Our current use of materials is running
down natural systems, destroying community, debasing work, and suppressing all kinds of
possibilities for real development. To remedy this, we need to conserve materials, reduce their
unnecessary use, produce them more benignly, make them last longer, and recycle and reuse
them.

1.3 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY

This dissertation will discuss different sustainable materials and housing typologies of
Assam. The paper will try to find out problems and prospect of housing and to what extent
this vernacular technique can be blended with modern techniques is the key focus of the
study.

People should come to know the pattern of vernacular architecture in the region with regards
to the climatic zone and its geographic location. All necessary materials which are used in the
region are described along with the housing styles along with their case studies

1.4 METHODOLOGY

A study that revolves around the identification of locally sustainable materials, therefore
needs a systematic approach that demands appropriate research methodology tools that can
help draw conclusions.

The approach starts with the literature survey and study followed by developing tools
that can help me in my research methodology.

The literature survey includes an initial reading from library sources like books, journals and
the internet

3|Page
 Comprehensive study of architectural research papers and looking into the regions history
and understanding certain methodologies applied in material sustainability.

Reconciliation of data and formulating the conclusion.

As my research question focuses on the sustainable material use, the research will also be
looking at certain case studies, viz., the various local housing techniques where, the material
use and the architectural elements will be discussed, thus drawing conclusions through a
qualitative approach.

2. SUSTAINABLE IDENTITY

More and more of us are convinced that we would have to do something else on the field of
architecture to provide our environment. But what and how should we build? According to our
current attitude, the task of an architect is to display demands of society in space but they should
not specify such demands. As architects, due to our multifarious skills, we can have an
overview on the creation and maintenance of a built environment as a whole. In the designing
part of architectural process, when we should get to know different fields of life. We need to
look into everything related to our project, to create a suitable, functionally relevant space. Nice
to notice the relationship between a well- designed building and its surroundings, whether old
or new building is to be considered.

"A building is not just a place to be. It is a way to be," and another quote “Each building must
respond to Nature, and every building must have its own Nature.” -Frank Lloyd Wright

4|Page
Sustainable architecture means a new attitude, it uses research results about the environment,
the biology and human ecology and it tries to use these results in the construction technology.
Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and
feeling of comfort, either directly or indirectly, is in our natural environment, humans and
nature can exist in productive harmony, that permits fulfilling the social, economic and other
requirements of present and future generations. Along these points, sustainability and the
sustainable development itself have three important pillars( economy, environment, society)
which together form a unit and create the essential of sustainability

"The building structures of sustainable architecture are made according to theoretical

exigences of sustainability and support the construction-ecological and construction
biological-operation during its whole life cycle. "
This is a definition of the sustainable materials and structures according to Lányi Erzsébet.
Along with this philosophy outlined, that building structures can be fitted to the built
framework of sustainable philosophy if:
 they are made of in-situ, local materials
 renewable, recyclable, non-toxic materials

5|Page
  they require "closed" production technologies built upon circular processes, and
gentle
 implementation and maintenance techniques also involving human resources
they can economize with energy use and air moisture content
 they are able to increase and utilize environmental resources

2.1 VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

The Vernacular Architecture in the simplest term is, “architecture without architects”. It is the
pure response to a particular person’s or society’s building needs. The building methods are
tested through trial-and-error by the society of which they are built until their building methods
near perfection (over time) and are tailored to the climatic, aesthetic, functional, and
sociological needs of their given society. The person constructing the structure tends to be the
person who will be using it, hence the architecture will be perfectly tailored to that individual’s
particular wants and needs. Vernacular architecture is an architectural style whose designs are
based on local needs, availability of construction materials and reflect the local traditions.
Vernacular architecture did not use formally schooled architects, but relied on the design skills
and tradition of local builders.

Figure 3: Pupil Tree Academy, Bellary

'Paradise Unexplored', that is what the North East India named as. With a rich treasure of
tradition, it is a delight for tourists and pride for the inhabitants. The North East India has its
own vernacular architecture that has developed throughout the ages and has been an integral
part of its cultural background. Built by the inhabitants themselves with locally available

6|Page
materials, the traditional buildings are time tested, sustainable and sensitive to the micro
climatic conditions and natural calamities, including earthquakes that the North East region is
prone to. The traditional buildings have been replaced by fast growing concrete jungles, which
are not sustainable nor sensitive towards the natural calamities and microclimatic conditions.
The Governments of these states need to be sensitive in drafting the local byelaws and planning
guidelines, which promote or allow incentives for usages of traditional architectural forms and
concepts so that this problem can be tackled meticulously (GMDA, 2006). The first step
towards this journey should be a study of the housing typologies of North East and the basic
underlying design principles, so that they can be effectively translated into modern designs.

The Vernacular style of Assam mainly consists of three important significances-

 Hip (or Gable) Roof

 Use of Bamboos as major building materials
 Higher Plinth level

Figure 4: Traditionl Assamese House

2.2 VULNERABILITY TO NATURAL HAZARDS

Assam contains three physiographic divisions (out of the six in India)- The Northern Himalayas
(Eastern Hills), The Northern Plains (Brahmaputra plain) and Deccan Plateau (Karbi Anglong).
Plains in the 20-120 metre elevation range occupy most of the upper and lower Assam valley ,
covering almost 72% of the state’s total area and constituting the most flood prone regions of
Assam. The chief criteria for these designs are the geographical constraints – namely plains,
hilly areas and flood affected areas – and consequently, the availability of building materials
for house construction. One important criterion which must be considered is the cultural
preferences of people in different parts of the state and, as a result, the variety of spatial designs

7|Page
of houses. This factor has traditionally not been taken into account by the proposed type designs
for PMAY-G houses.
The following three have been identified as the main criteria for design of PMAY-G
houses for Assam and the state has been divided in to five housing zones –
1. Vulnerability to natural hazards
2. Physiography and access to building materials
3. Cultural Compatibility

Figure 5: Map showing various zones

Zone A:

The classification Zones in Assam is based on Vulnerability to natural hazards:

• High vulnerability to floods- 50-75% flood hazard area and likelihood of flood inundation for
more than 24 hours almost every year. Marigaon, Nalbari and Darang are most vulnerable
• Medium vulnerability to cyclonic storms.
• Mostly low vulnerability to river bank erosion.
Resources Available
There is high concentration of brick kilns bricks
• Flyash bricks are also a viable alternative due to presence of thermal power plants.
• Bamboo is also used extensively for verandah roof posts, internal partition walls of mud
plastered bamboo splits and bamboo jaali in gable portions of walls.

8|Page
Foundations:
• Isolated footings of 6”x6” RCC column and
6”x8” plinth beam; half brick masonry in 1:4
cement mortar till plinth beam and in verandah
perimeter.
Plinth:
• The Plinth band is extended to also cover the
kitchen area, so as to provide a good foundation for Figure 6: Zone A Housing Model
incremental construction.
• A plinth beam has been introduced to connect the RCC posts – this is important because the
high incidence of construction in alluvial soils of medium to low bearing capacity.
Wall:
•Isolated footings of 6”x6” RCC column and 6”x8” plinth beam ; half brick masonry in 1:4
cement mortar till plinth beam and in verandah perimeter, Wall Finish : Exposed Brick.
Roof Structure:
• CGI sheet gable roof on wooden truss anchored in concrete with 1/3” J- bolt; Roof is
additionally anchored with bamboo on top tied to truss rafter in areas of high winds/cyclones.
Floor:
• Room - Cement concrete floor 2” thick on brick flat soling; Kitchen - cement stabilized
earthen floor.

Zone B:

The classification Zones in Assam is based on Vulnerability to natural hazards:

• High vulnerability to floods- 50-75% flood hazard area and likelihood of flood inundation
for more than 24 hours almost every year.
• Medium to high vulnerability to cyclonic storms.
• Medium to high vulnerability to riverbank erosion. Housing in the river island areas such as
Majuli are highly vulnerable to river bank erosion.
• High incidence of post flood silt deposition.
Resources Available
• There is high degree of skill in bamboo in house construction for structural frames, roof
trusses and floors.

9|Page
Foundations
• RCC columns of 8”x8” section below plinth and 6”x6” section above plinth; RCC plinth
beam of 6”x6” cross section.
Plinth
• RCC stubs have been introduced as foundation for
bamboo posts which are used to support verandah and
washing platform.
• A stilted RCC frame structure with plinth beam
connecting the columns has been provided as the core
space.
• The size of the stilted space is as per common practice
Figure 7: Zone B Housing Model
to comfortably accommodate a kitchen at the rear end.
• RCC brackets have been integrated into RCC posts to support the primary rafters for floor.
Wall
• Assam type wooden frame construction with infill of interwoven bamboo splits having
cement plaster on the outside and mud plaster on the inside; Burnt brick masonry in cement
mortar 1:5 or Flyash brick masonry in cement mortar 1:4 till sill level.
Floor
• Bamboo split floor on bamboo primary and secondary understructure; part of the floor is 2”
cement concrete with nominal 6mm reinforcement in both directions.
Floor Finish
• A part of the bamboo floor has been made solid with cement plaster to increase its
functionality.

ZONE C:
The classification Zones in Assam is based on Vulnerability to natural hazards:
• Low vulnerability to flooding and erosion
• Medium to high vulnerability to cyclonic wind storms
• High vulnerability to landslides
• This is a predominantly hilly zone which includes the Mikir, Rangma and North Cachar
hills.

10 | P a g e
Resources Available
• Access to bricks for house construction is difficult in the zone.
• There is abundance of forest resources of timber, bamboo and stone.
• Majority of the houses have traditionally been built with natural materials like
timber and bamboo.
• Wooden posts using secondary timber are most commonly used for structural
framing of houses. Interwoven bamboo mats are the most common wall material.
Foundations
• Isolated footings of RCC columns of 6”6” section
below plinth and plinth beam of
6”x6” section; half brick masonry with 10”x10”
brick stubs in 1:4 cement mortar till
plinth beam
Plinth Figure 8: Zone C Housing Model
• Plinth area extended for additional rooms for incremental construction
Wall
• Bamboo frame construction with bolted joints; infill of panels of interwoven bamboo mats.
• Burnt block masonry in cement mortar 1:5 or Flyash brick masonry or Hollow Concrete
Block masonry in cement mortar 1:5 is proposed till sill height.

ZONE D:
The classification Zones in Assam is based on Vulnerability to natural hazards:
• Majority of the zone has low to medium vulnerability to flooding. Most areas in the zone face
threat of severe floods once in about 10 years.
• High vulnerability to the northern part of the zone to flash floods in rivers flowing from
Bhutan.
• High vulnerability to cyclonic wind storms with windspeeds reaching above 50m/s in large
parts of the zone.
• High vulnerability to river bank erosionand loss of land to erosion – this happens in Char
areas present in many parts of the zone includes districts of Goalpara, Kamrup, Darrang,
Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Tinsukia

11 | P a g e
Resources Available
• Due to presence of thermal power plant in both Bongaigaon and Tinsukia, flyash is also
a feasible material.
Foundations
• Isolated footings of 6”x6” RCC column with a
6”x6” plinth beam; half brick masonry in 1:4
cement mortar till plinth beam and in verandah
perimeter.
Plinth
• A plinth beam for the core structure and an extended Figure 9: Zone D Housing Model

plinth band for the kitchen space has been provided.

• A plinth provision has been made for an additional room in the front veranda – this can be
constructed by the house owner incrementally.
Wall
• A core space constructed using a combination of half brick masonry and wooden frame
construction – this has high resistance to earthquake forces. Wall Finish • The external surface
of the wall has a cement-sand plaster to increase its weather resistance and durability.
Roof Structure
• CGI sheet gable roof on wooden truss, additionally anchored with bamboo on top tied to truss
rafter in areas of high winds/ cyclones.
Floor
• Room - Cement concrete floor 2” thick on brick flat soling; Kitchen - cement stabilized
earthen floor.

ZONE E:
The classification Zones in Assam is based on Vulnerability to natural hazards
• Low vulnerability to floods – about 25% of the zone area is vulnerable to floods with
a frequency of about 1 or 2 floods in 10 years.
• High vulnerability to cyclonic wind storms due to proximity to the Bay of Bengal.
• Parts of Cachar hills and Karimganj fall in this zone.
Resources Available
• Bricks are feasible option for major part of this zone.
• Negligible forest cover in this zone.

12 | P a g e
Foundations
• Isolated footings of RCC columns of 6”6” section
below plinth and plinth beam of 6”x6” section; half
brick masonry with 10”x10” brick stubs in 1:4
cement mortar till plinth beam.
Plinth
Figure 10: Zone E Housing Model
• Plinth area extended for additional rooms for
incremental construction. Treatment of bamboo is proposed for durable construction.
Wall
• Bamboo frame construction with bolted joints; infill of interwoven bamboo splits having
cement plaster on the outside and mud plaster on the inside; Burnt brick masonry in cement
mortar 1:5 or Flyash brick masonry or Hollow Concrete Block masonry in cement mortar 1:5
till sill level.
Roof
• CGI sheet gable roof on bamboo truss, additionally anchored with bamboo on top tied to
truss rafter in areas of high winds/ cyclones.
Floor
• Room - Cement concrete floor 2” thick on brick flat soling; Kitchen - cement stabilized
earthen floor.

3. VARIOUS MATERIAL USE IN REGIONAL CONTEXT

3.1 MUD

Mud is a versatile building material that has been used to make some extraordinary architectural
marvels. Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt and clay.

Mud has its inherent advantages: It is extremely malleable and offers better insulation than steel-
and-concrete structures, it decentralises the construction process because it utilises local material
and technology and thereby obviates the need for a contractor and it costs much less to maintain
mud buildings. It is strong in compression and so makes good walls. It can also be made
strong in shear and tension through additives and reinforcement.

Although it has certain limitations too. It is eroded easily by water, which makes its use
difficult in areas with high rainfall or the possibility of flooding. It has low strength, which

13 | P a g e
means mud roofs are difficult to make. It is susceptible to mechanical damage, Rodents can
easily make holes in mud walls and floors. Mud does not grip wood properly, so gaps often
develop around the wooden doors and windows in mud walls. Mud soaks up water and
becomes very heavy. As a result, the wooden beams supporting a mud roof begin to sag, the
mud cracks, and the roof starts leaking. Mud houses do not stand up well to earthquakes
which is why mud is only used as an additive in the region.

Figure 11: Keeping Cool, A Mud House In Assam

3.2 BAMBOO

In the lush tropical jungles of the Northeast, the basic resource of the people is bamboo and
cane. From these simple materials a sophisticated technology has evolved – to build bridges
high over raging torrents, to construct durable houses, to make innumerable aids for everyday
living. In the hilly areas, houses are propped up on bamboo stilts. Sliding doors and windows,
fully exploiting the properties of bamboo, are of matting, imparting the quality of woven
architecture.

Bamboo has been known since ages to be a flexible yet strong material having the
capacity to take up dead, imposed and as well as seismic loads. The cheap and easy availability
of bamboo made it a popular building material among the masses. More over in seismic zones
the building materials used are supposed to be lightweight so that if during an earthquake any
of the members break and fall they don’t cause fatal accidents. The bamboo along with the
other indigenous building materials passes this test.

Bamboo is primarily used as load distributors rather than as a main load bearing
element. Bamboo being the local plant of the region, it is woven in the lifestyles of the rural
population of Assam. It has a wide range of utilities ranging from food, fodder, medicinal and
livelihood and housing. Most of the houses in this region made with bamboo have a life span

14 | P a g e
of more than ten years. Also, most of the houses with bamboo mortar composites are as old as
forty years.

Figure 12: Bamboo- the basic building material

Basic traditional construction systems of main building components:

Foundation and structure: Two types of foundations:

a. Building on Stilts: Beam and Post system with bamboo in combination with local wood.
In this case the flooring is made from bamboo in various ways.
b. Local stone foundation with mud base with column and beam system with bamboo in
combination with local wood. These houses have mud flooring.

Wall: Two major types:

a. Ekra system- Walls made from woven bamboo mats with either strips or flattened
bamboo. They are either left exposed or plastered with mud or lime depending on the
climate conditions. If thermal mass is required, plastering is done. But if ventilation and
lighting is required, the wall is left exposed.
b. The Assam system. Walls with wattle and daub method with widely spaced frame made
of bamboo splits covered with mat, jute or mesh plastered with mud or lime mortar.

15 | P a g e
 Figure 13 a: Bamboo Wall method 1 Figure 13 b: Bamboo Wall method 2

Roof: Roofs were made sloped or flat depending on rainfall in the area.
a. Sloped roof- Almost the whole structure is made from bamboo in combination with
local wood. Roofing material generally used is thatch, terracotta tiles and more recently
tin or sheets.
b. Flat roofs- Two methods were used. Some places bamboo was used for the
understructure in combination with wood with lime surki slab on top. In the second
system, bamboo was used as reinforcement in the lime surki slab.

Figure 11: Bamboo Roof Covering

16 | P a g e
 Figure 14: Fixing of Bamboo Corrugated Sheets
3.3 TIMBER

Wood-based components are used to build Ikra homes. For instance, sal wood is used in the
vertical posts, roof trusses and elevated floor. A weed called Ikra is used extensively in the
walls and roof. The scarcity of available wood makes these homes a rarity in recent times. The
fire hazard also significantly raises the cost of insuring such homes. Like all homes that have
stood the test of time (structurally speaking), the Ikra homes have been developed keeping in
mind the climatic conditions, locally available construction material as well as the functional
needs of families who live in them.
Although, earlier Assam-type houses were made of wood. At that time good quality wood was
affordable and available. In today’s date, the wood that is available in the market is too
expensive and the quality is not as promising as before. They get damaged too easily. So people
generally do not find it feasible to spend such an expenditure on the maintenance of the wood.

Figure 15: a) Components of post and foundation b) splicing of posts at sill level (c) brick masonry
17 | P a g e
 4. HOUSING TECHNIQUES

4.1 IKRA OR ASSAM-TYPE HOUSING

Ikra house, commonly referred to as the “Assam type house” is common throughout the
Northeast India. Majority of such houses are used for residential purposes. Typically these
houses are built with light weight locally available materials like bamboos, wooden planks,
thatch etc. Such houses have a proper system of bamboo/wooden beam-column and fulfil the
earthquake safety requirements of rectangularity and simplicity. Ikra houses are single-storey
structures consisting of brick or stone masonry walls up to about 1 m above the plinth. This
masonry supports the walls consisting of bamboo woven together with a wooden frame, and
plastered with cement or mud plaster. The roof generally consists of GI sheets supported on
wood/bamboo trusses, which laterally connect the parallel walls. Bamboo superstructure is
connected to the masonry foundation walls using steel angles, and flats with bolts and nails.
There were no reports of any significant damages to Ikra structures during past earthquakes.
Given that Assam is prone to high seismic activity, the Ikra homes are designed to be
earthquake resistant.

Figure 16: A typical Assam type house

These types of houses came into existence in Assam and a few neighboring states during the
British rule and wereactually devised by the Britishers themselves. The performance of Assam
type houses have been proven to be extremely good in several past earthquakes in the region,

18 | P a g e
owing to the usage of light weight construction materials, flexible connections and good
framing. However, due to untreated wood based materials, these houses are vulnerable to fire.
Assam type houses are found in both rural and urban areas, and are used for both residential
and commercial buildings. Mostly these houses are one storeyed with elevated plinths to keep
off flood water and stray animals. Two storeyed versions of these houses too are found in some
areas.
For residences, this type of houses have a rectangular plan form for single family units
and typical 'L' or 'C' plan form for multi family units. A continuous verandah generally runs
along the full length of the front facade. If constructed in hills, the verandah is placed to face
the slope. The materials used for this type of construction are: Sal wood for posts, wooden
trusses for sloped roof, and elevated floor. The walls are made of bamboo with infills of ikra,
a weed, which grows in river plains and lakes, and is plastered over with a mixture of mud and
cow dung. The wooden trusess are mounted with Ikra reeds or corrugated GI sheets to form
the roof.

Figure 17: Plan Variations of typical Assam- type

houses built in NE India

In a typical modern Assam type house construction, the timber posts either embedded or bolted
into RCC base, and the house is framed with either timber or bamboo. The wall infill is Ikra
shoots and a mixture of cow-dung and mud plaster over them. In some urban houses, brick
walls are taken upto the sill level upto 600 mm from the plinth level and the upper portions are
framed with wood with Ikra infill with mud plaster. Ikra is widely used as it is less susceptible
to insect attacks as compared to bamboo due to presence of starch and cellulose. Moreover, it
bonds very well with mud, cement or lime mortar. Ikra reeds are generally placed in vertical
orientation between bamboo splits of 15 to 40mm width. The mud plaster is then filled in within
the gaps of the Ikra reeds and then an overall plaster is done. The connections between the
wooden posts and intermediate wooden scants at floor, sill and lintel level is done by means of
nuts and bolts or with coir ropes in some cases. The roof is pitched with a high gable, of about
one third to one fifth of the roof span, in order to cater to heavy rainfall in Assam.. The roof

19 | P a g e
consists of either thatch of Ikra or GI sheets fixed over wooden purlins with nails or J-bolts.
Wooden planks or Ikra reeds are kept over beams as a false ceiling to avoid the roof trusses
and rafters from being seen from bottom . The attic thus formed is also used for storage. A
typical small family unit house has a eaves height of 4 metres and a pitch of the sloped roof of
about 2 metres. When thatch roofs are used, the roofs are kept steeper to prevent ingress of
water. .The door and windows are panelled and glazed, made of locally available Sal wood.
Flooring is generally mud plaster or wooden batten flooring in this type of houses. The mud
plaster over the flooring and walls has to be repeated frequently because it cracks during
summer and washes out during rainy season. A much modified Assam type house has thin
concrete columns in place of timber posts and half brick thick walls in place of wall infills of
Ikra and mud plaster, with roof trusses of wood and GI sheets over them.

Figure 19: Detail of Ikra application in timber

Figure 18: Ikra False Ceiling frame work

4.2 CHANG HOUSING

The concept of Chang Housing was derived by the Deori people build traditional house by
using bamboos, woods, canes, reeds etc. They believe in typical "Chang Ghar" (Stilt house).
The lower part of the house is used as an enclosure for the animals. The floor has certain holes
in it and they pass the unnecessary victuals to the animals. A corridor is enclosed to the mid of
the house or in a side by which they can differ various rooms for certain purposes. The fireplace

20 | P a g e
is attached with the ‘Chang’ and they call it as "Dudepati". They cooked various types of meals
in it and eat them sitting to gather around the fireplace. A platform remains enclosed to the
house for cleaning various things. Such a platform is also built (by somebody) at the entrance
of the house. It is to be noted that the Deori people keeps faith in God and hence they build a
place (inside the home) containing an altar for praying.

This type of house is raised on stilts is an age old structure originating in the Himalayan ranges.
In North Eastern India the tribes living on houses on stilts mainly live in hills amongst thick
vegetation, forest and by the banks of rivers. Traditionally people of the Mishing community
of Assam live in houses on stilts; these houses and the flight of 5-7 stairs leading to these houses
have religious and social beliefs and practices attached to it. The house on stilts is a big hall
with a central kitchen for a large joint family.

Figure 20: Chang Housing Figure 21: A typical chang house

at Sadiya, Assam

The stilted houses are generally rectangular in shape with linear planning and rooms opening
into each other. These houses are constructed over bamboo posts and bamboo diagonal
bracings are tied to form the stilt areas. The structure above is formed by horizontal members
tied across the bamboo posts with jute ropes and using dowel and tenon joints. The stilt height
is typically 1.50 to 2.00 metres from the ground level. The space below the stilt is often used
to store a canoe for emergency usage during floods .The stilted houses are typically designed
to keep out the effects of heavy monsoon. The floor and walls inlays are mostly bamboo
weaves, which allows the water of floods and heavy rains to pass rather than getting stored.
The roofs of the houses are made by fixing bamboo trusses over the posts, over which local
grass is laid. The roof height from weaved floor is approximately 3.50 metres. A bamboo loft
is fixed below the roof inside for secure storage of goods in case of floods. Bamboo being a
bad conductor of heat keeps the interiors cool and adequate ventilation through the permeable
floors and wall keeps the moisture content inside the houses low.

21 | P a g e
Figure 22: Interior of a stilted house in Assam Figure 23: A stilted house showing rain
showing the permeable weaved floor collection techniques

Figure 24: Elevation of a typical stilted house

showing approximate heights

22 | P a g e
 5. PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

These construction techniques have been not only used for residential but for office purposes
as well. Although now it is restricted only for the rural-urban fringes or rural areas. These
buildings can at most go up to two storeys. With rapid urbanisation, the multi-storeyed building
has taken over low rise buildings. Assam type house, in its vernacular form cannot meet the
demand of growing population. Some materials like timber take longer time to replenish. It is
not available in an abundant way as it was before and definitely not as much to meet the
demands of the growing population. So the use of wood will be restricted. Due to space
constraints, the demand of Assam type houses is less than R.C.C. houses. It is susceptible to
fire and termites as compared to R.C.C. structures. The Kutccha Assam type house which has
mud flooring causes unfavourable conditions during rainy season due to dampness.

The major cause of destruction during an earthquake is the rigidity of the buildings.
Since the materials used in Assam vernacular style are light weight, hence they have a
flexibility to sway with the motion and have lesser chance of damage, which lessens the
chances of casualty and injury. But it cannot be directly applied in an urban context, so it needs
to be explored and adopted to modern context with technological inclusions. The major
material used was Ikora (Reed) but over the years it has become scarce and Bamboo has
replaced it, which is actually a good transformation. Assam is rich in Bamboo production. It is
a renewable material which doesn’t have any negative implication on the environment. It can
re- grow at a fast pace. Bamboo is durable and light weight. So it becomes an important material
that can be used extensively. The “Chang house” (house on stilts) is a good solution for flood
prone areas. Originally used for barns, but residences also can be built on stilts. That can be
adopted at an urban context to address flooding problems by combining with advanced
technology.

The vernacular practices are mainly prevalent in the rural areas or rural-urban areas. To bring
back the old methods, we need some merger with modern technology, as it is not possible to
follow direct suit of a rural setting and plant it in an urban setting. In this context, integration
of modern technologies with the traditional wisdom can bring sustainable and positive results.
So towards a sustainable environment, it is very important to look at the past, where without
very advanced mechanisms; people did just fine without leaving huge negative footprints.
Through various studies and observations, it has been seen that Assam type buildings are
durable, seismic resistant and climatologically efficient. So all the stake holders of this industry

23 | P a g e
including policy makers, architects, engineers and researchers, etc. should work towards the
revival of Assam type Architecture by devising new methods to adopt it in modern context.

6. CONCLUSION

The architecture of North East India relates to the socio-economic setup, the cultural identities
and a good climatic responsiveness. A good number of climate responsive design features are
revealed during the study of the housing forms including temperature control, enhancing
natural ventilation, protection from natural calamities such as flood, earthquakes etc. However
certain features that lack in the traditional housing are mostly: fire proneness and termite
infestation due to usage of non-treated bamboo and wood; lack of damp proofing and use of
non stabilized soil for construction too pose problems like dampness of walls and washouts
during rainfall.
Once the construction and design community of North East are aware of the pros and
cons of the traditional typologies, the advanced construction techniques can be meticulously
clubbed alongside to nullify the problems and enhance the advantages, a modern yet
sustainable architecture for the North East region can be effectively created. Currently, the
local byelaws of North- East states do not have special provisions for the traditional housing in
the respective states, neither they have special byelaws for the hilly regions and the restrictions
of construction therein (GMDA, 2006). In view of the varied advantages of the Traditional
Housing in the various North Eastern states, the Governments need to frame local bye-laws
that support the traditional houses of North East, and promote incentives to the inhabitants of
these houses. The byelaws additionally need to incorporate the special treatments for locally
available materials such as bamboo, timber etc. before usage in construction to make them
effective for long run and also slate restrictions in built forms and typologies in the hilly terrain
and flood prone areas.

24 | P a g e
 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY

7.1 WEB RESOURCES

 http://db.world-housing.net/building/154/Heritage Guwahati
 Archinomy. (2013, September 10). Retrieved September 10, 2013, from
http://www.archinomy.com/casestudies/ 675/the-sema-naga-traditional-dwelling
 https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-123698
 https://www.nelive.in/assam/art-culture/assam-type-houses-are-more-environment-
friendly
 https://www.nelive.in/north-east/art-culture/art-housing-assam-style

7.2 PRINT RESOURCES

Books:
 Kolkman René, Blackburn Stuart,
Tribal Architecture in Northeast India (2014)
Copyright 2014, Brill NV, Leide, The Netherlands

 United Nations Development Programme

Indian Institute Of Technology, Delhi
Central Building Research Institute, Rourkee
A Compendium Of Rural Housing Technologies,
PAHAL (2016)

Essays and Journals:

 Devi Jyotirmayee
Growth of Urban Centres in the Brahmaputra Valley in the Post Independent
Period
 Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee 1984
Live Better with Mud and Thatch Improved Rural Houses CBRI
 Glancey, J. (2011).
Nagaland: A Journey to India's Forgotten Frontier. Faber & Faber.
 GMDA. (2006).
New Building byelaws for Guwahati Metropolitan Area. Guwahati.
 Kaushik Hemant, K. R. (2009).
Housing Report: Assam type House. World Housing encyclopedia
 Singh Manoj Kumar, S. M. (2011).
Bioclimatism and Vernacular Architecture of North-East India
 Steele, J. (1988).
Hassan Fathy by James Steele. St Martin's Press.

25 | P a g e
26 | P a g e