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The Golden City

The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned


by forts which contains the palace and several ornate Jain
Temples.

Vernacular Architecture
of JAISALMER

LOCATION

CLIMATE

Jaisalmer climateis influenced by its position amidst


the Great Indian Desert.

The region experiences an arid climate through the year.

The temperature remains low during the winter season


while summers are characterized by cold and dry
Jaisalmer weather.

Hot winds blow during summer and sand storms are also
seen.

The absorbed radiation are dissipated to atmosphere at


night.

SUNPATH AND WIND DIRECTION


Winter
Winds
NW

TYPICAL FEATURES OF
RAJASTHANI ARCHITECTURE
Jharokha
Chhatris
Haveli
Stepwell
Johad
Jaali

JHAROKHA

(Social Aspects)

Jharokha is a kind of suspended or over hanging enfolded balcony.

It is basically stone window which projects from wall plane.

Generally employed for :-

Additional
architectural beauty to
the mansions.
As a sight seeing
platform.
Permit woman in pardah

JHAROKHA

(Climate Responsive)

It aids in diffusing natural


illumination thereby reducing
glare and heat gain.

While admitting sunlight to


reduce mechanical lighting.

To protect from angular


precipitation, vertical elements
called fins were also introduced
on either side of a windows.

ELEMENTS OF

JHAROKHA

Chajja like platform work as a


roof with different tiers and
detailed carving. These chajjas
can be arched sometimes
depending on the shape of the
balcony.

Decorative columns to support


the overhang with different
motifs carved out.

Railing with decorative floral


pattern and animal symbols, etc.

Brackets or corbelling to support


with same level of carved design
with play of mass.

CHHATRIS

Chhatris are the elevated pavilions or porches in dome


shape.

It stands as a symbol of honor and pride used to portray


the fundamentals of admiration in Rajasthans Rajput
architecture.

Chhatri refers to a canopy or an umbrella. Held at the


shekhawati area.

Chhatris are generally simple structure with single dome


built inside four pillars carrying several domes along
with a basement containing various rooms.

CHHATRIS

HAVELI

Haveli derived from he Persian word Hawli means an


enclosed place.

The shekhawati Haveli consists of two courtyards with


the outer courtyard meant for MEN, whereas the inner
one for WOMEN.

Frecoes surrounded all


side with a single
main gate.

COURTYARD EFFECT
Courtyard enhances air circulation through principle of stack
effect. After the air passes through the interiors it heats up and
starts rising. The courtyard allows this air to escape.

STEPWELL

(Social Aspects)

Bawdi or Baoli is a pond or well where water can be


filled by climbing down steps.

It could be roofed and were secluded.

Most of the living


stepwells act as a leisure
spots besides providing
water.

STEPWELL

MACRO
(Climate Responsive)

Its Architectural Function is used to maintain the


temperature of atmospheric air on the MICRO level.

How does it effects on MICRO LEVEL?

The evaporation helps in moisturizing and cooling down


the Hot and Dry Air. Hence, makes the surrounding
environment favorable.

Why Baolis are deep inside the EARTH?

Under Earth atmosphere is always lower than the


atmosphere above.

Used to get the pure under ground water.

BAOLI
MICRO

JOHAD

It is a storage of rainwater in a tank mainly used in


Rajasthan, which stores and collects water all through
the year.

Rainfall during the months of July and August is stocked


up in Johads and is used all through the year.

Known as KHANDINS in JAISALMER.

JAALI

(Social Aspects)

Jaali is normally a perforated stone or latticed screen,


usually with an ornamental pattern.

Came into existence on account of the PARDAH SYSTEM,


which did not allow women to be seen in public.

This enabled women to observe


the outside world by remaining
out of sight.

JAALI

(Climate Responsive)

Jaali is used to penetrate


the direct sunlight and
allows only the diffused light
to come indoors.
Used to filter the dusty
storms.
Also used to create buffer
spaces.
Nowadays, Water drip channels
are being used to make the hot
dry air cool down as it moves
inside.

SOME DESIGN STRATEGIES


TYPICALLY USED IN RAJASTHAN

Town Planning issues and Climate

Control of Heating

Texture of Surfaces

Orientation

The Grid

The Courtyard

TOWN PLANNING AND CLIMATE:

A typical town of Jaisalmer


presents a very compact
picture of houses and other
buildings huddled together so
that they not only shade each
other but also considerably
reduce the exposed open
spaces around them.

The height of the building


compared to the width of the
streets is large to create
shaded and cool environment.

TOWN PLANNING AND CLIMATE

Where normal low level dust swirls within the settlement the
exteriors of buildings are protected by almost blank walls with
very small openings.

Jharokhas and decorative facades are located on street sides.

The streets are relatively narrow


and winding .

CONTROL OF HEATING

The heat inside of the building is controlled by the use of


textures in Jaisalmer. This is organized at three levels.

Town

scale the buildings are of unequal


height with parapets and high walls.

The

building facades have large number


of projections like jharokhas and chajjas

The

front part of the facade which


remains exposed are controlled by
creating deeply carved patterns

CONTROL OF HEATING BY TEXTURE


OF SURFACES

Use of such devices minimizes the heat gain by providing shading due to
texture. Such devices also result in increased convective transfer of heat
because of increased surface area.

In summer

In

day time when the major heat source is Sun


the exposed textured surfaces will be cooler
than plain surfaces.

In

evening when ambient conditions are cool the


increase surface area helps in cooling it faster.

CONTROL OF HEATING BY
TEXTURE OF SURFACES

ORIENTATION

The building is always oriented by the cardinal


directions: North, South, East, West, Northeast,
Northwest, Southeast and Southwest. Each of these
directions is considered as energy by itself.

The

spaces in different

orientation are
considered differently
for design purposes.

THE

GRID

The grid system of planning was always followed


regardless of the site or building type.

It was made flexible enough to accommodate any site


condition and topography.

It is more sustainable in terms of economy and speed of


construction.

Easier to recycle materials if it was built on a grid.

The grid was not always symmetric or simple. Complex


geometry and curvilinear grids were also adopted.

THE

COURTYARD

The central courtyard is the lung space 'of


either the house or the housing block. Just
to ensure there is a courtyard in every
house, the centre of the house is never
built up and
is called the
Brahmastana, the
genius loci of the
house.

SOURCES

www.archinomy.com/case-studies/1992/the-vernaculararchitecture-of-rajasthan

www.prismma.in/rajasthani-architecture

www.rajasthantourism.co.in

http://www.archdaily.com

https://www.scribd.com

Climate Responsive Architecture by Arvind Krishan

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