Traditional Architecture of Jaisalmer by Jaydeep Khatri

COMMON ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES :

LOCATION : • • • •

• Jaisalmer is situated towards the western portion of Thar desert • Latitude: 26.9157° N • Longitude: 70.9083° E

Dense clustering is seen in this street view of Jaisalmer. Streets are narrow and are mostly E-W oriented. Dense construction is observed on both sides of the road. These streets are shaded through orientation and structural projections.

• The height of the building id generally 3 times the width of the road. • The “Jharokhas” (a type of overhanging balcony seen in Havelis in Jaisalmer) shade the street. • “Compartmentalization” is done in the building to restrict the harsh sunlight reach the interiors.

CLIMATE: • The climate is influenced by its position amidst the great Indian desert. • The region experiences arid climate throughout the year. • The surrounding region is rocky and barren, relieved by sparse, scrubby weeds, but no trees. • Jaisalmer falls at more extreme end of hot dry climate, within which can be identified four different seasons, pre-monsoon, Sun path diagram monsoon, post-monsoon and winter. • Pre-monsoon, which is the hottest season, extends from April to June, with the daytime temperature often exceeding 45 degree C, cooling down to a minimum of 26 a degree C at night. • Monsoon arrives in mid-July. The daytime temperature reaches a peak value of around 36 degree C, and during night time conditions have minimum temperature of around 28 Average temperatures and precipitation degree C. • • • • •

The third season is post monsoon, starting early to mid September, daily temperatures range from about 20 degree C at night to over 35 degree C in daytime. The final season is winter, which extends from December to March, January being the coldest month. The daytime temperatures for this period peak in middle twenties, dropping to less than 10 degree C at night. Apart from very short monsoon season, relative humidity is very low (25-40%), with precipitation generally less than 500mm/year The prevailing wind direction is south westerly but for four months of the year, November through to February, the wind blows from North-East.

TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF JAISALMER

• The facades of the buildings are finely carved into various geometrical patterns giving the appearance of latticework ( jali); creating a rough texture. • The sandstone walls and the limestone used for carving are light in colour and provide a permanent natural finish. NAME:

DATE

05/09/2021

JAYDEEP CHHANCHHARIYA

ROLL NO.

20SA123

SUBJECT:

SHEET NO.

AR_3303_CLIMATOLOGY

SIGN

COMMON ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES : • Depending upon the socio economic status of the inhabitant, there are three types of houses in Jaisalmer. • The simplest town house consists fa single room, a verandah and a courtyard. • Larger houses of this type have another verandah over the entrance and some houses have an additional room on one side of the courtyard. • Three single storey structures are owned by the poorest people and have been built in the Small houses in Jaisalmer peripheral areas of the town. • The second type of house belongs to the middleincome people. • A two or three-storey structure, this house type can be considered the typical house of Jaisalmer. • It is similar to the first house type in plan, with the only difference that additional rooms and small enclosed terraces are located at the upper floors. • The front part of the first floor has a balcony projecting onto the street.

• The houses have small penings for visual connectivity.

• Courtyard Effect

• Jali Walls

• Small houses in Jaisalmer

• Middle income houses in Jaisalmer

PATWON K I HAVELI :

• This haveli is a six floor building consisting of three main • The building projects out on every floor both towards the street and the floors, two wind pavilions and a basement floor, The courtyard. courtyard at the ground is surrounded by verandah on all sides with additional row of rooms in front and the back • The two connecting staircases act as a wind shafts. • Also, the entire street facade is covered with stone carved finned of the haveli. surfaces, balconies and sun shade • The windows are placed at lower level so that the cool air enters the building and the hot airs and exits the building through the ventilators placed above the sill level.

• To facilitate the moment of cool air into the house parpets are not built towards the courtyard.

• The air enters the building through the air ducts. • The hot air exits the building • The dense construction around the street completely shades it. through the courtyard.