We love things that are traditional. They make us feel homely and more connected. But where traditional approaches serve wisdom and strength, they sometimes hold us back too. How true does it come when we talk about Traditional Architecture? Should one really go for a traditional approach? One good way is to hire an expert building architect. It helps one have a custom recommendation made around the situation at hand. But this does not mean that you must not get further advice around a thing. We spoke to https://radvi.com/in/ about how good is Traditional Architecture in modern times. Here is the wisdom thus revealed thereafter.
Where Traditionalism offers a sense of permanence, there it deprives one of greater possibilities too.
A Guide to Traditional Building Architecture in the Modern World!
When we spoke to a family in Coimbatore about how houses are changing, we saw forehead wrinkles coming in return —
“This is the reason that people are becoming more anxious now than they were. You call this development, but it does not offer peace. All that we get is concrete and paint. How will health come? And then you talk of climate change too.”
How true is it that Modern Architecture is a bane to the modern generation? One expert building architect from https://radvi.com/in/ told us that there is much more to an architectural style than a name. What people do not understand they cannot weigh.
So, should we be getting clarity on these architectural styles? Indeed! It will help us get to a lucid judgement.
What is Traditional Architecture?
There was one instance when a person revealed why he hated Traditional Architecture — “Ew! Who would like to live within the walls plastered with dung and mud?” It was humorous. But more than being humorous, it was sheer ignorance and lack of knowledge.
Traditional Architecture does not mean we have to use dung and mud. There are many dimensions to architecture other than plasters and flooring.
Traditional Architecture is an architectural style that once used to be followed before these modern times. Usually, the traditional architecture used to follow certain sets of beliefs, values and requirements. For example, if you look at traditional Rumah Gadang houses in Indonesia, you’ll see spires shaped like buffalo horns. Rumah Gadang literally means ‘house of the Minangkabau peoples’. It reflected the social beliefs of the Minangkabau.
Similarly, the traditional architecture follows these many things —
- Social and cultural values
- Religious beliefs of the society
- the environmental conditions
- the climatic conditions (take igloo for example)
An expert building architect in Traditionalism must hold adequate knowledge about the cause and consequence chain that gave birth to Traditional Architecture. Otherwise, the whole purpose of traditional architecture falls futile.
Influence of Traditional Architecture!
Earlier, people used to focus on design and architecture to serve the needs related to livelihood. The main focus used to be on providing the best design that could help live a better life. And once the basic needs were met, there came the spot of beliefs and values. Let’s look at some of the common influences of traditional architecture!
- Climate – Before scientific and industrial revolution came to meet us, humans were vulnerable to the deadly nature. We used to pray to the weather deities to serve us mercy. Apart from it, we used to design homes that could help us deal with the climatic blows. At that time an expert building architect was the culture that people passed from generation to generation. Macro climatic conditions drove maximum building architecture. Look at houses in the cold regions like Serbia and you’ll find thick walls that provide insulation and prevent heat loss. Whereas, homes in hot regions like the middle east used materials that provided cross ventilation. Windcatchers were the highlight of such architecture.
- The local beliefs were one of the big reasons behind traditional architecture. Beliefs are something that we feel safer under. Vastu in India drives the design and structure of many homes. It helps one bring home in conformity with the elemental influences.
- Culture is dear to us and it always drives home design and architecture. Whether a family is nuclear or joint, how people handle gender differences, is the culture polygamous or monogamous, etc. this all drives how home is built. For example, several East African homes will have marked boundaries with separate individual blocks for families.
- Building Materials like wood, thatch, soil, mud, limestone, adobe, windcatchers, clay, animal skins, etc. were used to form as a part of construction material.
But how good is Modern Architecture than Traditional Architecture (or otherwise) when it comes to comparison?
Traditional Architecture v/s Modern Architecture!
Modern Architecture is a name given to an architectural trend that arose in the early 20th century and saw a growth in the mid and later 20th century. There are a few things that set modern architecture apart from traditional architecture —
- Unlike Traditional Architecture, Modern Architecture uses improved technology in the form of metals and glasses.
- It uses fluid design to provide a sense of visual flow to the eyes.
- Modern architecture uses simple colour palettes. In most homes, you’ll find monochromatic palettes washing the interiors. This allows a sense of peace to the eyes.
- Modern architecture allows huge cost savings as compared to the traditional one.
- The environmental impact of modern architecture is less as compared to the traditional one. For example, you will be using less wood.
- Modern materials provide more strength to the structure that is able to withstand brutal natural forces. We have skyscrapers and high-rises now because we have the technology.
- However, modern houses are less eco-friendly as they leave more carbon footprints as compared to the traditional ones. Traditional homes used to take rainwater harvesting technologies into the architecture. This is not seen now.
As we see, there are places where the modern architecture wins and there are places where it sighs down on its knees. So, which one should you be going for? One expert building architect from https://radvi.com/in/ brought more clarity to us when we asked about it.
Should you opt for Traditional Architecture in the modern times?
Architecture and the interior should as much support our emotional needs as it should our physical ones. When we talk about a home, we talk about a place that does not only save us from physical threats like burglary, storms, earthquakes, fire, etc. but also serves us as a psychological harbour. We might feel threatened inside a home that is thick and dark.
If you are leaned toward Traditional Architecture, the best way is to create a blend of these two. You might not want to use logs and logs of wood as it will have an environmental impact. On the other hand, you must use water and energy-saving technologies. Every century hovers around one sort of threat. The modern world is suffering from climatic threats the most and thus you must opt for an architectural style that helps cope with the threats around. Hire any expert building architect around you and ask the person what could be the best fit for you. If you love certain approaches of traditional architecture, you can easily blend those features in your architecture.
Read also: Building homes that are good for environment and emotional wellbeing!
