Traditional and Vernacular buildings are Ecological Sensitive, Climate Responsive Designs- Study of Himachal Pradesh

The Traditional Architecture of Himachal Pradesh is the outcome of the prevailing topography, extremes of the climate and other natural forces. Indigenous architectural solutions have responded well to these natural forces. Moreover the vernacular architecture merges well with the hills at the backdrop. The Traditional Architecture forms the back bone of social and cultural set up of the place. It is essential for this architecture to retain its integrity. So the Traditional Architecture should not be disturbed, rather the contemporary architecture should be integrated well with the traditional architecture. This Traditional Architecture has stood till today. It commands deep interest and respect as it represents and reveals the many faceted realities of the people living there. In the traditional architecture, buildings were designed to achieve human comfort by using locally available building materials and construction technology which were more responsive to their climatic and geographic conditions. Learning from traditional wisdom of previous generations through the lessons of traditional buildings can be a very powerful tool for improving the buildings of the future. Keywords—Traditional Architecture; Climate responsive buildings; Vernacular Architecture; Sustainable Construction.