Content uploaded by Vikas Nirmal
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Vikas Nirmal on Sep 13, 2023
Content may be subject to copyright.
International Journal of
Architecture, Planning and Building Engineering
ISSN 2455-5045, Vol. 02, No. 01, January 2015
IJAPBE 020104 Copyright © 2015 BASHA RESEARCH CENTRE. All rights reserved
Bioclimatic Architecture and Vernacularism
SHRUTI H. KAPUR1, VIKAS KUMAR NIRMAL2
1Department of Architecture, CT Institute of Management and Technology, Shahpur, Punjab, India
2Amity School of Architecture & Planning, Amity University Haryana, Gurgaon, India
Email: shrutihkapur@gmail.com
Abstract: -Bioclimatic architecture, it means the architecture that has a connection to nature. The word bio
climatic deals with climate and living organism. The keystone of energy conservation is architecture. Building,
as they are designed and used today, contributes to serious environmental problems because of excessive
consumption of energy and other natural resources. More decisively, it can also be considered as a tool to
raising people’s awareness of environmental protection or in other words a reaction to mother nature, which
always cohabits and appreciates manhood. Presently the resources are not adequate enough to fulfill human
needs in future. Sustainability is facing dual crisis due to global warming and depletion of fossil fuels. In
today’s world the major consumption of energy is in building sector. Climate had the major impact on the
performance of the traditional building architecture and its energy consumption in hot dry area of Kapurthala.
Passive cooling, ventilation and heating were few techniques used in the past and more harmonious, with the
Mother Nature. Materials used for the historical buildings in the past were energy efficient. The perspective of
this paper is applicability of passive and low energy cooling technologies and also enlighten the processes by
which building and entire habitat were designed to respond to nature, with climate as the basic parameter of
planning Moorish Mosque. Today’s contemporary world requires such techniques and these can act as a source
of inspiration for sustainable development in futuristic evolution. In this paper, the author has examined various
passive cooling techniques and locally available resources used in Moorish Mosque in North Indian climate,
buildings and systems analysis, to find out passive and low energy cooling technologies potential.
Keywords: bioclimatic architecture, passive cooling, energy, material, courtyards, environment
Introduction:
Human beings and mother nature had strong
relationship in the past but with passage of time it
merge into technology leading to the technical world
with minimum respect towards nature .It has reduced
the harmony, and which has resulted in building
merely following context. Moorish Mosque is one of
the astonishing examples using passive design as well
as different technologies when mechanical ventilation
was not found. The passive technology was merged
together with newer methods that even after next
seven centuries the building would cope with the
extremities of climate in northern India. With the
development of industrial revolution and the later
phases of architecture, human being became more
prone to mechanical devices rather than utilizing
natural resources. Our great ancestors derived
different means and developed comfortable spaces
with inevitable expenditure on energy devices.
Contrasting modern approach towards designing, the
intention of designer’s is to provide thermal comfort
to the generation without knowing the cons of that
which overweighs the pros of designing thermal
environment. Today’s generation is consuming more
energy, which results in less comfortable dwelling
rather than the historical buildings. Modern architects
does not place environment into value, designing is to
utilize maximum resources through artificial control
of environment. The consumption of building depends
on three ideologies, first is to maintain internal
environment to make spaces comfortable, secondly
microclimate control and furthermost manufacturing
of materials. The author has tried to understand the
natural phenomenon involves in planning of Moorish
Mosque to make natural cool environment to the
building, which may guide architects to develop
bioclimatic architecture in future.
2. Passive Design: -It is a key to sustainable building.
It’s a technique used in design so as to induce
buildings that come back through their surroundings
condition by natural process. It achieves this by using
a free renewable offer of energy just like the sun and
wind to provide house heating, cooling, ventilation
and lighting. using passive style will scale back
temperature fluctuation, improve indoor air quality
and create a home drier and plenty of enjoyment.
Bioclimatology relates the study of the climate
(climatology) to the kith and kin. The bioclimatic
style is an approach that takes advantage of the
climate through the correct application of design
elements and Management promotes energy saving
moreover as ensuring comfortable conditions Into
buildings. Throughout this case, the bioclimatic
design is so specifically associated with the
understanding of native environmental condition
options and to the applying of passive ways that
associated with this, each of these parts work with
completely different to realize comfortable
temperature and sensible indoor quality.
3.1 Climatic characteristics: -Before ongoing the
strategies of Moorish Mosque, it is desirable to
understand the temperature prevailing in this area. Hot
and dry winds prevail in North India leading to
Composite climate, which is dominated by hot and
dry conditions for at least two-third of the major part.
SHRUTI H. KAPUR, VIKAS KUMAR NIRMAL
International Journal of Architecture, Planning and Building Engineering
ISSN 2455-5045, Vol. 02, No. 01, January 2015, pp 17-19
Figure 1
3.2. Microclimate control: -
The Persian garden have put an emphasis on Moorish
architecture which is used as a basic tool not only as a
symbol but also to improve the quality of immediate
surrounding environment of the building. The
environment outside the building is important to
control the inside temperature of the building. The
external breezes treat surrounding environment. The
environment outside the building is important to
control the inside temperature of the building.
Improving microclimate of the region, which
consequently enhances the quality of, treats the
external air inside the building. To enhance cooling
by evapo-transpiration trees played a dominating role
and addition of vegetation increased it’s potential.
Evapo-transpiration processadds water vapors to the
air and brings down the air temperature. The water
bodies were added to improve the humidity in hot and
dry regions. Fountains are the better way to improve
the quality of air as it sprinkles the water drops into
the air and make the process of evaporation faster.
[FIG 2]
Figure 2- Chahar Bagh Concept
4. Integrated Indoor Outdoor Living: - Indoor
relationship with the outdoor adds beauty and make
design more utilarian. Verandah acts as a buffer for
inner space to protect people from prickly heat while
functioned as a place for organizing their daily
activities during rainy season. Thehierarchical
positions of courtyard, verandah and inner spaces in
Mosque provide an organization of activities from one
place to the other in relation to climate.
5. 1. Thermal Mass: -Ancient structures have thick
walls with highly permissible thermal insulation. The
rate by which heat flows is responsible because of
temperature difference between the exterior and the
interior surfaces. Maximum heat gain by the surface is
through outer surfaces but due to large thermal masses
the inner surface remains cool. By providing the
shading devices on the exterior masses heat can also
be controlled by transmitting to the interior zone. As it
happened at daytime
Figure 3: - Indoor-Outdoor Relationship, Fig 4:-
Courtyard
only, night is helpful at certain point as the
atmospheric temperature is less at night so exterior get
cools easily because of the high emissive property of
walls.The same methodology is applied in Moorish
Mosque.
5.2. Courtyard: -Courtyard is the another feature
adopted inMosque planning. Hot and dry climate
consequences can be taken care by providing a
comfortable place like courtyard, which enables
environmentally as well socially
requirements.Courtyard not only prevents harsh solar
radiations to entre but also protects from hot and
dusty winds. The temperature of the air present in the
courtyard israised due heated floors and walls, which
made rise of the air due to its lightweight.The
resultant is a fresh and cool air replaces the space
evacuated by the hot air. [FIG 4]
5.3 Vernacularism: -To fulfills the social and
environmental significance; elements like verandah
and courtyard were inbuilt in Moorish Mosque. This
had made building more harmonious with nature.
Bioclimatic Architecture and Vernacularism
International Journal of Architecture, Planning and Building Engineering
ISSN 2455-5045, Vol. 02, No. 01, January 2015, pp 17-19
Even the uses of local materials by artisans have made
this building more energy efficient. [FIG 5]
Figure 5:-Locally Available Material
6. Conclusion: -Author has tried to layemphasis on
passive cooling techniques and utilization of
vernacularism in Moorish Mosque. The design
elements by great ancestral builders evaluated on the
criteria of climate and minimum resources. It can act
as an inspiration for today’s world to stress on natural
resources and making building more energy efficient
by less means of technical consumption. The
environmental innovations in the Moorish Mosque
may be used as a concept of upcoming architecture,
which will develop harmony between man and nature.
References:
[1] Arora, Anju, The Princely States, British
Paramountcy and Internal Administration 1858-
1948, National Book Organization, Delhi. 2002.
[2] Caine, W.S., Picturesque India, George
Routledge and Sons, New York, 1898.
[3] Fletcher, Banister, A History of Architecture
(On Comparative Method), The Athlone Press,
London, 1961(reprint).
[4] Hyams, Edward, A History of Gardens and
Gardening, J. M. Dent, London, 1971.
[5] Marchoiness of Dufferin and Ava, Our
Viceroygal Life in India, Selections from my
Journal, 1884-45, Vol. II, John Murray, London,
1890.
[6] Massey,Charles Francis, Chiefs and Families of
Punjab, Kapurthala, 1890.
[7] Punjab Legislative Department, Punjab Ancient
and Historical Monuments and
[8] Archeological Sites and Remains Act,
Chandigarh, 1964.