The Assam Type Typology and Technique

The Assam type architecture is a variety or style of building prevalent in Assam and entire northeast India. It is generally constructed as earth-fast, single story architecture. However, sometimes it is constructed on stilt, where the floor is generally constructed with wooden planks. There is also prevalence of double storied building in this style. When constructed as residential unit, the Assam type architecture is constructed as independent and single unit. The Assam type variety of architecture is replete with different merits that count for its widespread popularity. Thus, the Assam type houses are modern in concept and construction that possess the structural strength expected in the architecture of an earthquake prone area for the “performance of Assam-type houses has been extremely good in several past earthquakes in the region” (Kaushik & Babu:2009). Moreover, the style provides good provision of light and ventilation.

1) Growth and Development of Assam Type Architecture:

The colonial rule and their architectural enterprises brought the first change in the field of vernacular architecture of the state, developing a new genre of architecture, later became popular as the Assam type house. The Assam type style initiated the modernization and urbanization of architecture, especially of the residential architecture. The change initially started in the areas of early British operation in the state, especially in Guwahati. The city came to the threshold of modernism with the occupation by the British on 28^th March of AD 1824, when British recovered and occupied the Guwahati from the Burmese army. Though the region of Goalpara was already under the administrative control of British since 12^thAugust, 1765 (Colonial Assam), the occupation of Guwahati marked an important episode in the history of state. This marked the annexation of the Assam region to British Empire and Guwahati became the headquarter of the British rule. The event of establishing headquarters in then sparsely populated Guwahati by the British brought gradual and rapid change to the place. Subsequently, Guwahati became a town and municipal area from 1853. Till this time, all the houses of Guwahati were of bamboo and thatch, and a fire that broke around this year burnt almost all the houses of the area. After this devastating fire, the people appealed the government for the construction of terracotta tile houses and subsequently, people from Bengal were brought to Guwahati to make brick and terracotta tile (Hazarika:2013).

This new house style was the outcome of the effort to adapt to the local surrounding and environment and construct a shelter of need and utility using primarily local materials. Thus, these houses fuse the idea of a modern house of comfort and amenity that possess the structural strength and comply also to the environmental requirement. To achieve such qualities in the new style of house, there were changes made in the layout and construction technique. Such changes and innovations were accomplished through the synthesis of the European building style and local materials. The resultant form of the house i.e. the Assam type house proved to be an appropriate solution of housing need. As a result, there was gradual spread of the style across the British subjugated areas. This newly introduced style of architecture marked its supremacy within a few years and the major architectural projects were accomplished in this style. Simultaneously, with the change of rule and with the abolishment of existing ban, there see the gradual percolation of the style to the folk tradition.

2) Technique of Assam Type Architecture:

The Assam type architecture is primarily “half-timbering” type wherein the main structure of the building is constructed with a network of timber frame. Noble writes,

“In central and western Europe, when supplies of timber neared exhaustion and cost consequently increased, buildings began to shift to a construction system of halftimbering, in which the major structural members were wood and the walling was of earth materials, most often mud or brick nogging” (Noble:2007:113).

The Assam type house followed primarily the earth fast architecture of vernacular variety. Thus, primarily these earth-fast structures are gabled or hip-roofed but use relatively permanent materials. Thus, these houses are constructed with wooden posts and stakes on a brick foundation and horizontal girt are notched at a certain interval. The girt have the grooves into which reeds are inserted vertically and tied with horizontal bamboo splinters. Then the panels are plastered from both sides with cow-dung mixed mud. This technique of construction is known as “wattle-and-daub” construction. The walls possess sufficient number of windows and ventilators for light and ventilation of air. In some instances, iron or concrete posts were used in the construction while the plinth and lowest panel of the house is usually constructed with brick. So, such structures are sometime called “half-walled” Assam type house. Initially, the roof of the Assam type house were made of bamboo, installed over bamboo or wooden truss, and covered with thatch using the technique applied in pajaghar. However, gradually the Corrugated Galvanised Iron sheets were introduced as roofing material over the wooden truss.

The British initially employed Chinese skilled craftsmen, especially carpenter in construction work. The type gradually received wide recognition in Guwahati and vicinity, which soon become popular as an elite form of residential architecture. As it is noticed in the existing examples of such architectures, the house is constructed compact and different functional components of a traditional homestead are incorporated within the same house. Thus, the traditional units like chora-ghar, bar-ghar, maral-ghar are accommodated or integrated within the same house. In other words, different compartmented spaces of the same Assam type house used to play the function of those units. Even the kitchen though sometime constructed little away from the main house, was annexed to the main house. Thus, this new type of compact architecture gained popularity as residential architecture and turned out to be the urbanized form of vernacular architecture.

3) Percolation of Assam Type into the Folk Tradition:

The British introduced Assam type type architecture gained widespread popularity as residential architecture within a very short span of time. Gradually, the basic type and technique spilled into the vernacular architecture tradition with certain modifications and changes, which actually marked the urbanization of the Assamese vernacular architecture in true sense. Thus, gradually the Assam type house replaced the earlier forms of the pajaghar variety of thatch and bamboo. Though the function and name remained the same, the structures began to emerge in the new technique of half-timbered with wattle and daub wall construction.

Thus in the sub-urban and even in the rural areas of the entire region, the technique of the new type became increasingly popular. However, in the rural areas, it undergone certain changes. Thus, in the rural areas, instead of constructed as a compact unit, the technique was appropriated for the existing genres of chora-ghar, bar-ghar, or maral- ghar and following the traditional layout of these structures. Thus, the structures such as the bar-ghar or the maral-ghar were coming up in the original or traditional floor plan in the Assam type style. And gradually, the half-timbered, wattle-and-daub Assam type house structure adorns the traditional homesteads in the rural areas for the units of bar- ghar, maral- ghar or chora-ghar.

As the Assam type became increasingly popular, even the stilt houses of different tribal communities began to emerge in this style. In this connection it needs to mention that the British too developed another variety of architecture, known popularly as the “chang- bungalow”. This variety of architecture is an Assam type house but constructed on a wooden platform. This variety might have developed taking inspiration from the tribal stilt architectures due to their appropriateness and suitability for the environ and topography of the region. The look and construction technique of the basic structure is fundamentally similar with the common Assam type building.