EXAMINING THE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF OLD INDIGENOUS ARCHITECTURE OF KOLKATA TO ATTAIN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Urbanization is a global phenomenon that needs to take up serious sustainable approaches in this time when rapid global warming is looming large on the earth. Like other science and technology domains, architecture is also taking up various sustainable approaches so that the urban built environment harms nature the least. Building design has become energy conscious and various rating systems have come to the forefront. However, another domain has remained largely unexplored in the aging urban centres of India where the old indigenous architecture of these cities has not been examined for their climate responsiveness. These indigenous architectures have evolved from the local vernacular building traditions, and thus synthesizes two aspects in them – they are climate responsive as well as functionally suited to their urban requirements. This paper examines the old indigenous residential architecture of Kolkata, the third largest urban centre in India after Delhi and Mumbai, by comparing them with the new residential buildings of the city and thus tries to find out to what extent they are better performing in the warm and humid climate of the city.