The Role of Decorative Features in the Endurance of Vernacular Architecture in Kinnaur,Himachal Pradesh,India |
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| Authors: | Melissa Malouf Belz |
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| Institution: | Interdisciplinary and Global Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts |
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| Abstract: | The remote Himalayan region of Kinnaur in northwestern India is known for its carved wooden homes with decorative features. Relatively recent environmental policies have prompted limitations on wood collection. This, coupled with an increase in access to modern building materials, has resulted in dramatic changes in vernacular housing styles. Landscape analysis and interviews reveal that house form, building methods, and construction materials are all changing. However, decorative features are among the last remaining characteristics of the traditional house. This paper argues that small‐scale architectural features are a significant part of an enduring vernacular landscape and allow a region to preserve traditional styles and identity, while also moving forward as a modernizing society. |
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| Keywords: | cultural landscape Himalaya India place vernacular house |
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