TRADITIONS SET IN STONE

As skyscrapers take over the urban landscape, here's a look at the vernacular architecture of a few South Indian homes designed based on the tropical climate

- Neeta Jessani

While you walk through the dim hallways of the vernacular houses in south India, the breeze passes unhindered, and the feet feel the firmness on concrete floors exuding the coolness from the diligently laid stones. The corners whisper the stored secrets of coolness, and the roofs reveal layers of ancient anecdotes. The walls echo the thoughts and perspectives gone in the making of the haven, flaunting the inheritance from ancient architecture.

These are traces of the traditional houses planned to combat the tropical climate enveloping the vast swathes of the south. While in Kerala, in the 18th and 19th centuries, Naalukettu tradition was looming across, in Tamil Nadu, Chettinad houses were sprawling, Gutthu houses had already thrived in coastal Karnataka since the 15th century.

Krithika Venkatesh, principal architect, Studio for Earthen Architecture, says, "Karaikudi houses or the Naalukettu houses are usually spoken as vernacular, but every context (structure) has its own identity and a style of architecture."

Socio-cultural changes are inevitable and the changes are rapid, remarks Benny Kuriakose, a designer who has contributed to architectural conservation.

As the architectural landscapes were on a transformational journey, cities started swelling with poorly-planned skyscrapers. The need to look back at ancient architecture and construe the lessons of sustainable plans has become a dire need. The ancient insights are the cornerstone of creating well-planned architectural structures in modern days.

Roofing