Vernacular Architecture in South India

6. The Calicut Houses

The very typical two storied middle-class houses with numerous small rooms, providing privacy at a budget. They are primarily built of the abundant laterite found in the neighborhood and timber. These houses are traditionally occupied by the many Hindu joint families. The houses generally consisted of members belonging to over three or four generations.

Karnataka 

7. The Chikmagalur houses

Chikmagalur housed the quintessential Muslim traders. Since they were a bit higher on the economical hierarchy, the Vernacular Architecture certainly shows it. The house speaks grandeur fluently with its timber pillars and two stories. The houses are gable-roofed with terracotta tiles.

8. Ilkal weaver’s house

The weaver settlement in Bagalkot District in Karnataka is an excellent example of stone construction. These houses were huge in size and filled a pattern throughout the settlement. They have monumental entrance structures made of stone.

Andhra Pradesh

9. Coastal Andhra Houses | Houses of Tamil Nadu

The Vishakapatnam Chuttuillu, a roundhouse with thatched roofing arranged in a circular form, clustering to avoid the stormy winds. These houses are usually for the fishermen community. The walls are built using the cob method, earth mixed with water, placed in a row developing to form a wall. A special feature of the roof is that they are angles at 45 degrees if it’s any less, which would cause water to fall through the palm thatch leaves.

10. Bhawanti Houses

The weaver’s houses from Telangana follow a  chitrasala, layout with three sections in the front and the rooms at the back, housing a courtyard at the center. Usually built of bamboo, palmyra as beams, and roof tiles in a semi-circular shape. According to economic conditions the house might have an enclosed garden area.

While Vernacular Architecture houses usually only refer to climatic conditions, the houses in the south depend largely on the economic factors of the families. The use of local materials and labor must have made things cheaper and more feasible. Their livelihood and jobs are very visible from the architecture. The house shapes the people and is shaped by the people.

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