Traditional architecture holds up well in earthquake-affected Kashmir

• Taq house in central Srinagar

The scenes of destruction following the devastating earthquake in Kashmir in October 2005 are familiar to many. But some buildings constructed according to traditional designs and using local materials escaped with little or no damage. To publicize this important observation and its implications for post-earthquake reconstruction and preservation, UNESCO has sponsored the creation of posters and a two-volume handbook, Kashmir’s Traditional Architectural Heritage and Vernacular Hybrid Structures in Kashmir: Repair, Rebuilding and Retrofitting Techniques.

These are to be presented at a workshop on the Repair and Retrofitting of Traditional and Vernacular Structures in Kashmir, organized by the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir, UNESCO and UNDP at the Sheri Kashmiri International Convention Centre in Srinagar on 14 and 15 June 2007.

The handbook and workshop aim to encourage conservation of Kashmir’s vernacular architecture through increased understanding of its scientific and cultural attributes. The urgency of this is particularly apparent in the on-going reconstruction following the 2005 earthquake. Damaged or destroyed buildings are in many cases being replaced by new constructions that use non-local designs and reinforced concrete. But reinforced concrete buildings do not hold up well in severe earthquakes unless they have been constructed to international standards using proper materials and methods and appropriately trained engineers and builders, none of which are widely available in Kashmir.

Conservation architects Mr. Randolph Langenbach and Dr. Rohit Jigyasu wrote the handbook and designed the posters for UNESCO. Mr. Langenbach observes, “Construction is a manifestation of a culture just as design is. Appropriate and potentially sustainable solutions can be found within one's own culture.”

The handbook describes two building design techniques that are indigenous to Kashmir. Dhajji dewari uses walls formed of a “patchwork quilt” of panels framed by horizontal, vertical or diagonal timber, filled in with bricks or rubble and a soft earth and lime mortar. In taq or timber-laced construction, large timbers are embedded into both sides of masonry walls at the level of floors and windows, and tied together through the walls and at the corners.

Dhajji dewari and taq construction, which use locally available materials, were probably originally developed because throughout the Vale of Kashmir the soil is water-laden, which makes buildings subject to settling. Both techniques are very effective in holding buildings together, even when parts of them shift out of alignment due to subsidence.

The experience of the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir showed that the same construction advantage holds true even under severe seismic stress. The design of dhajji dewari and taq buildings gives the framework the flexibility to move and to distribute seismic energy throughout a large area of the wall. This prevents destructive cracking in any one area, which might lead to the building’s collapse. In Srinagar and in many towns and villages, houses and other buildings that used dhajji dewari and taq construction remained standing even when modern, reinforced concrete buildings next to them had collapsed to the ground.

The workshop to be held in Srinagar aims to raise the awareness of decision makers and local engineers and masons in the State of Jammu and Kashmir about traditional Kashmiri construction methodologies and their importance in strengthening and conferring earthquake-resistant characteristics to the built environment. The workshop will also serve to train engineers and masons in the retrofitting and restoration techniques of the dhajji dewari and taq traditional construction systems and to share experiences of national and international experts in the field of disaster management and cultural resource management.


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• Source:UNESCO New Delhi
• 04-06-2007