COLONIAL INFLUENCE OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN GOA
LOCATION AND FEATURES
Goa is India's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in
terms of population.
Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan,
it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north and by Karnataka
to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast.
Portuguese first landed in Goa as merchants, in the early 16th century,
and conquered it soon thereafter.
The Portuguese overseas territory existed for about 450 years, until it
was annexed by India in 1961.
Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage
architecture.
Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of international and domestic
tourists each year.
It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western
Ghats range, which is classified as
BANGLA - BUNGALOW
Bangla is an Indian term to describe a hut originated from Bengal,
India – 17th century
Bengali or Bangla is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian
subcontinent
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Bangla or bungalow is an westernised version of the indian hut
developed and designed to suit the requirements of the europeans
when they settled in india
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BANGLA AND BUNGALOW
BANGLA BUNGALOW
• NATIVE STRUCTURE • WESTERNISED
• SINGLE STOREY • ONE OR TWO STOREY
• BUILT OF WOOD BAMBOO • BUILT OF SUNDRIED
AND THATCH BRICKS AND THATCH
A Bangla A Bungalow
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ORIGIN OF BANGLA
Originated from bengal by the natives
Single storey
Primarily a shelter for poor people
Rich hindu family usually have many of these huts for different activities
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
Made of mud
Raised plinth 3’ – 4’
Thatched roof sloping on two sides
THE ANGLO INDIAN BUNGALOW
Materials changed from the native bangla
Characteristics of Anglo Indian bungalow
Central square
thatch extended over all sides
verandah introduced to cut down the heat
corner of the verandahs converted into rooms
clear storey lighting was provided in the roof
it was either square or rectangle in plan
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COLONIAL INFLUENCES - GOA
Lies in Malabar coast south of Bombay
influence of Christianity in architecture by Portuguese
building types found Indo Portuguese architectural style
churches classic mansions and houses
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GOAN HOUSES
HINDU HOUSES CHRISTIAN HOUSES
Style : indo portugese style
materials :baked claytiles , laterite for walls (plastered)
windows with wooden frames
HINDU HOUSE
Rectangular in plan
Single storey
Central courtyard with tulsi madam
Central entrance has a verandah
The room arranged around a central pillared court yard
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View of Thulasi Madam inside the house
View of interior courtyard with columns
Ar. Ramesh VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
Ar. Ramesh VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
The goan Hindu Architectural style is different from the Portuguese-
influenced style.
Hindu houses have little colonial influence.
Most of the big houses have a courtyard called as Rajangan in
Konkani where a Tulasi Vrindavan is seen.
A special place called as Soppo is often used for relaxing.
Goan traditional Hindu houses have the following features:
Angan (courtyard with a Tulasi Vrundavan)
Rajangan (a courtyard inside the house)
Deva kood (a place for daily prayer and other rituals)
Saal (a hall)
Raanchi kood (a kitchen with a door which is called Magil daar)
A room special meant for pregnant and nursing mothers.
Kothar (store room)
A hall specially meant for celebrating Ganeshotsav
EXTERIORS
The traditional pre-Portuguese homes were inward-looking with small
windows; this reflected the secluded role of women.
The houses opened into courtyards, and rarely opened onto streets.
The Catholic houses were more outward-looking and ornamental, with
balcões (covered porches) and verandas facing the street.
The large balcões had built-in seating, open to the street, where men
and women could sit together and chat
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These balcões are bordered by ornamental columns that sometimes
continued along. The houses of rich landlords had high plinths with
grand staircases leading to the front door or balcão.
Large ornamental windows appear purely decorative,
Front doors were flanked by columns or pilasters.
Railings were the most intricate embellishment in a Goan house.
Pillars, piers, and colours mixed bag of architectural styles.
USE OF COLOUR
Dramatic and startling colour—initially achieved with vegetable and
natural dyes—plays an important role in Goan architecture. Colour was
decorative and used purely to create a sensation
INTERIORS
Painting on walls
walls up to the dado height finished with glazed tiles
Floral pattern below the cornice
CORNICES
Country tiles used as a corbel are a feature peculiar to Goa. The
effect achieved is aesthetically pleasing, giving the roof projection a
solid, moulded appearance.
PONDICHERRY
INTRODUCTION
PUDUCHERY formerly known as PONDICHERY located in the southern
east part of TAMIL NADU.
PUDUCHERY literal meaning is ―NEW VILLAGE‖.
It is one among the seven union territiories in India where the
governance and the administration of the territory falls under the
federal authority.
Pondicherry consists of four small unconnected districts:
The territory has a total area of 492 km²:
Official languages of Pondicherry are French & Tamil
A remarkable degree of French influence in Pondicherry exists to this
date. Pondicherry was designed based on the French (originally
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Dutch) grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular
streets.
MAP-PONDICHERY
FRENCH SETTLEMENT
SETTLEMENT PATTERN
STREETS
Continuous walls spread through out the streets.
High fortified walls
Each floor is divided by the cornice works with rich decorations.
The facades of the building gives the feeling of continuity to the
street and makes richness.
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The windows are either arch windows nor flat which is covered by the
band made of bricks.
In the two storey building the balcony which is made of wood
supported by the iron.
The parapet walls in the buildings are made up of either bricks or
khujas.
DESIGNING PATTERN
The houses of the `French were similar to each other and high
workmanship.
These pattern are similar to 18th century houses in France.
The facades of the building always are similar on both sides and front
facade faces towards the garden.
The rooms are placed continuously.
They used flat roofing
There are continuous pillars which forms a verandah used due to
climatic aspects.
The interiors are richly decorated than the exterior.
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Cement flooring were used and teak wood floors in rare cases.
Used different staircases above the arches.
DESIGN BASED ON CLIAMTIC FACTORS
Depends on the climatic factors they roof were high than normal
roofing.
The rooms were huge and windows were large.
The verandhas were placed along the garden.
The wood used for the windows and entrance doors.
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CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE
Bricks used for the construction of walls.
Usually the walls of 2’thick and 14’ high.
The arches and pillars were made of bricks.
Madras terrace technique for construction of roofs.
Lime is used as water proofing agent.
Balconies were 4’ wide and was supported by steel members.
MATERIALS USED FOR CONSTRUCTION
Bricks and lime used for construction of walls
For interiors and exteriors lime plastering were used.
Burma and teak wood were used for the wooden works.
Fired bricks were used for the decorative purposes
The carving works can be seen in some of the houses in facades.
FORTIFICATION WALLS
The buildings were surrounded by the fortification walls and huge
entrances.
The walls were divided equally by the small pillars and copings were
used.
In government buildings the bricks pillars were placed in order to get
the view of the building.
ENTRANCE
The main speciality of the French streets were the entrances of the
houses.
The houses which is at the street have highly decorated entry which is
differed by the materials or using of colours.
The simple and highly decorative entrances can be seen.
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WINDOWS
They were high and with arch or flat.
The materials of wood and glasses were used for the doors.
The windows are covered with bands of strips.
In arch windows the decorations can be seen.
The doors placed directly on walls and locks used is made up of steel
or aluminium.
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WINDOWS AND ARCHES
ARCHES
The verandahs which faces towards the garden have arch openings
These acts as bridge between the exterior and interior of the
building.
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There is a foldings in between the joining of roofs and pillars.
COLUMNS
The pillared verandah can be seen in single storey building
These acts a support for the arches.
Circular pillars with broad base and short at the capital.
The iron or brick hand rails were placed in between the columns.
PLASTERS
The cornices divides the floor levels
Depends on these handrails and windows were placed.
Depends on interior the exterior facades have decorations at top and
bottom.
The cornices were designed in such a way that used as damp proof.
Double cornices were also used.
The cornices were richly decorated and generally made of lime or
surkhi.
STAIRS
The stairs add aesthetic to the building.
Straight flight, dog leg, open well stairs were used
The wood or bricks were used for the handrails
BALCONY
The balconies generally placed between the cornices and the plaster.
Usually the width of the balcony is between 4 to 5 feet.
The balconies were made of madras terrace and manglore tiles were
used for roofings.
Balconies placed above the cornices can be seen in rare cases.
Ar. Ramesh VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
Ar. Ramesh VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
TAMIL SETTLEMENT
STREET PATTERN
The difference between the French and Tamil settlement is notifiable.
The main feature of tamil settlement is low rised entrance and thinnai.
A low rised platform thalvaram in the street has a small pillars were
the sloped roof lies on these pillars.
Continuous plasters and thalvaram,cornice parapets are on same
pattern makes the street good looking
Flat roofs and sloped roofs were combined in the buildings.
The two storey house has the feature of tamil culture and first floor of
french culture.
DESIGN PATTERN
The houses were divided into public,semi public and private areas.
These were divided along the common path with small level
differences.
The thinnai which joins the road and the house has the entrance which
can be lead by the steps.
Depends on the vasthu the courtyard is placed at the center which
acts as the link to the front and the back portion of the buildings.
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The courtyard is surrounded by the thalvaram and has the sloped roof
towards the centre.
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The courtyard is surrounded by the rooms such as pooja arai,samayal
arai,saman arai(store room).
Behind the house kinaru(well) and thottam(garden) is placed.
The continuous settlement of these houses has common wall on one
side
DESIGN BASED ON CLIMATIC FACTORS
Due to hot seasons the construction of huge houses and windows
placed on road side has been avoided.
To protect the walls from rain entrance thalvaram were used and for
air movement central courtyard used.
The houses has open, semi open and closed area were used depends
on the climate.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE
The walls were simple which holds the roof and foundation made of
small stones and bricks laid above that.
For walls bricks were used and the clay and powder bricks were used
as bonding material.
For flat roofing madras terrace were used above the wooden planks.
For sloped roofs mangalore tiles were used and supported by
wooden planks.
MATERIALS USED
Used locally available materials.
Bricks,lime,clay,fired bicks,woods are the most commonly used
materials.
The french-tamil method of construction is followed in tamil region.
These type of method also followed in interior of the buildings.
Ground storey building follows the proper method of tamil style.
This method contains based on following order.
Thinnai,
thalvaram,
courtyard,
rooms, and
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used wood for doors which were carved.
First floor is on the basis of french style
These includes using arch windows decorative capitals,flower
vase etc.,
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Ar. Ramesh VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
DOORS AND WINDOWS
The doors are wood and richly carved.
All the doors have similar carvings.
The carving in the doors depends on the castes.
Windows,generally made of teak wood and placed in the wall.
The windows were of semi arch in tamil buildings which is of french-
tamil method of construction.
PARAPET,CORNICE,WINDOWS
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These are decorated carvings or glass works.
The sunshades is made of light materials supported by wooden
planks.
PLASTER AND CORNICE
These both elements acts as important materials in facades.
These plaster and cornice decides the placement of doors, windows,
parapet and balcony.
The cornice placed near the roof has foldings and they prevent the
wall from rain.
PARAPET WALLS
The parapets above the buildings gives the aesthethic look to the
streets.
The parapets which lies above the cornices are made of brick works ,
khujas ,fired bricks.
The band that run through out the buildings and the copings were
used to avoid the dampness of wall due to rain.
However the method and technique used for construction is not only
for function and aesthetic purpose but also gave historical importance
in the construction field.
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