Architecture of Uttarakhand and Construction Techniques for Affordable Housing

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A large part of the population in Uttarakhand lives in rural areas and is deprived of the basic human need of a decent shelter. Such a scenario is observed in almost all the parts of India. Various housing programs are initiated from time-to-time by the government to provide better living conditions to the rural population at an affordable range in terms of cost and size of the dwelling unit. But 'one size does not fit all'. There is a need to provide safe, durable, comfortable and low cost housing solutions considering the local geo-climatic conditions, living habits and socio-economic conditions of the local people. The vernacular and traditional architectural styles in Uttarakhand, both in the Kumaon and Garhwal regions provide a base to understand the prevalent rural housing typologies along with the building volume, scale and orientation. Through intensive study it is found that most of the existing rural houses lack the basic necessities of light, ventilation, services like water supply and sanitation, proper relationship between interior- exterior spaces and resistance to hazards like earthquake and floods. CSIR- CBRI has developed and constructed environment friendly prototype of an affordable dwelling unit for Uttarakhand region with the help of innovative materials and construction techniques to provide a low cost, energy efficient, comfortable and disaster resistant house. It also addresses the shortage of the conventional building materials in the region. The building technology used is easily adoptable and may be implemented with the help of local labour which shall help to generate employment.