Ep. 25 | Inside the Ainmane: Hidden Science & Architecture with Ulliyada Suharshi Devaiah

[00:00:23]special emot connectity and architecture detection.

[00:00:57]So architect she is by profession.

[00:01:23]Let's start with your introduction.

[00:01:42]professor of bot I think almost 40 years of service and she works in Japan in the merchant navy as a third officer robotics Okay. Okay. Okay. Nice to know that and wishing you happy married life. Thank you so much.

[00:02:16]So brief what projects you have worked I studied at the university school of designs.

[00:02:28]Okay. and it has now become the school of planning and architecture. It's under the Myso University. Okay. So when I was in college every second year they used to take us to these rural areas to study native architecture because most of our curriculum was based on western architecture >> and like you know it was interesting because western architecture is very fancy looking and you know glass and steel and you know very unique forms and so like you know that idea of and because we see our indigenous architecture all around us it never comes comes to mind that you know like how did they build it with what did they build and so when I was in the second year they had taken us for a project in Manda where they were we were made to study an entire village like you know how this how one house influences the entire village and you know how with what materials did they build >> so that really made me very interested and also my house in the cha it's located very close to the cha >> so I always grown up going there for put and you know all these festivals and you know every other thing we had like a small every event we used to have it in the bal so I always had that sense of sentiment you know like you know I really like this yeah and it's like such an old house like you've seen so many people use it so I always wondered like you know how did they build it like you know what are the materials so I used to ask questions but everyone was like so like as as an architect, I was very excited with the opportunity of studying something for coup and then like when I did this study in college, I thought I could do this forever and I was so inspired by what I learned and then the other three years we had to like you know what design uh learn to design commercial structures and all which I was not very interested in but I continued India I kept working in like two or three firms which were based on Indian architecture itself in Mangalore and Bang And then finally I found this firm where they were where they said like you know we have this research project going on into the indigenous um houses of Karnataka. So the pilot project was Karnataka and I was asking my boss like how come we are doing Karnataka and he's like have you noticed that nobody has ever studied indigenous architecture we've only studied western architecture so why don't we you know begin the process. So because I already was interested in it, we said okay I'm going to take it up with my team and like that we studied like all of South Karnatakas like starting from Kola up to Mangalore.

[00:05:09]>> So we've completed house studying houses on that.

[00:05:12]>> How many houses uh in an average?

[00:05:15]>> We've actually shortlisted like 140 houses which are authentic like without renovation and everything like whatever suits like the actual description of that house. So we completed that and we did like two houses in Bagel Court also.

[00:05:29]Okay.

[00:05:30]>> So with that like you know I kind of realized like how there's so much diversity just in Karnataka. It's not only like you know the money >> the regional influence also.

[00:05:40]>> Yeah. Like even the materials for example in Colar you couldn't build an you would end up building something with stone because you get a lot of granite over there. So all the houses are built of stone and mud. And then you come towards K you don't have as much granite but you have a lot of wood and mud.

[00:05:58]That's why you see a lot of houses built with that. So it was very exciting to see the variation in these homes. Okay.

[00:06:05]Okay. So we have chosen technically what do you say means our elders you know they had to like gather a lot of resources.

[00:06:39]Everything was system.

[00:06:43]So we used to grow a lot of rice and everything.

[00:06:48]They used to know they used to gather enough and you know to actually build to actually decide to build an so and even like you know you had to get permission from the raja at the time to be able to build an im money because you need to have that strength of family and that kind of know I won't say financial but the intern know the way of ensuring that you know you get a whole structure constructed so It's like you know very significant that it's even lasting to this day. Okay.

[00:07:29]Everything is built with like the finest materials. The wood is seasoned very well and even like you know it was a very difficult this thing process but they still managed to get like very good work done so and they've actually built it and it's lasting to this day and also have you presented any papers or uh specific projects related to the Cordova man or anything.

[00:08:06]>> We have completed one on Ku and a man that is located in Chi Boo. So that was our first project and like uh that was the one we studied very intensely and I lucky and unlucky.

[00:08:20]>> Is it a renovated diamond?

[00:08:22]>> No, not at all. It's untouched and it's like 300 years old and it's like in pristine condition like the like the family who lives there also they've maintained it really well >> and like we were very happy to find something that hasn't been touched like I was like how come and they were like we love this house so much. So I was we were very happy to find that house and study it.

[00:08:53]>> Very well said. Okay. Okay. So uh again coming to the topic on the technical details on so I have read few of the articles.

[00:09:11]Have you done any study or research on the evolution of this?

[00:09:17]Now know I've taken a lot of reference material from Bowarian and Anjama and China they actually they've left us so much of knowledge like you know which a lot of people have remember but they they like you know it's kind of they've forgotten it so I took a lot of reference and respect to them they really inspired so many people to like you know study balanes and understand our culture really so I took a lot of reference from Then in what they've written in their book that is they were like all these clan houses like for Example, he started giving these different this thing parts of the village to improve to increase cultivation.

[00:10:39]So that's how like you know what became a cluster setting ended up be becoming like an isolated setting like you know where everyone tended to the land and very mangala they used to meet and they used to meet otherwise okay >> so that's how it kind of became like you know like massive houses like kept away from each other and it was like a full house so many members it is a beauty to see I've read some books and when I heard from my grandma I used to imagine those things those days a whole family filled with kids it was very nice >> like I couldn't believe that you know so Many people lived in one.

[00:11:52]like without a window. That's something we saw in Bali and we were like we were asking like why doesn't this window room have a window ancestors also though education was limited but they knew what was relevant what is relevant and what is required is what they used to choose and we are like we don't know what is required and not so if you go towards again we are somewhere aligned to the architecture could be because of the region availability basis somewhere it is aligned aritecture.

[00:12:59]How many types of ancestors they used to they used to grow patt and they used to go all the way to Kerala and Canada to sell the patty. In return they used They used to feel that they used to go all the way to they used to buy salt and you know at one point when they made a lot of when they could effort it they started bringing the carpenters from Kerala and asking them to So that is how the context there's more of a influence north of can influence in that in terms of the carvings and all that very similar to what is there in Mangalore and it's very very interesting there's like a lot of variation between north and south to determine based on how many members were there in the family which is like a single rectangle.

[00:14:33]It's like a rectangular shape.

[00:14:45]about which is not so this thing evident right now we couldn't find it's like an L-shaped that was mainly used for storage.

[00:15:27]They used to watch It's very interesting. Okay.

[00:15:46]Something like that.

[00:15:50]And then Okay. Okay. Very interesting.

[00:16:13]is very different.

[00:16:18]It's like just like internal room entry and one more thing which I commonly observed It will always be reason why it is always on the higher.

[00:16:47]First of all, the water table is very high ground water table.

[00:17:06]So you can't build too high also because the wind speed is also so much because they used to clear out a little bit of the forest.

[00:17:35]round. It kind of breaks the wind. It buffers the wind.

[00:18:01]very beautiful architecture which we'll not see later again coming to the point specific room different could be the entrance.

[00:18:26]We had rooms.

[00:18:49]soldiers.

[00:18:56]So, it was mainly built that way to delay any enemy entry.

[00:19:47]They used to thresh. rice.

[00:20:02]Which is like Okay.

[00:20:37]Southwest corner.

[00:20:41]Ancestors.

[00:20:56]So, and the planning is pretty similar.

[00:21:00]The planning is pretty similar.

[00:21:06]for okay very well planning and one more thing most interesting 99% toilet.

[00:21:44]It was not never close to the man. So that is a perfect planning like mainly it was because they wouldn't use the bathroom.

[00:22:18]for excretion and all that.

[00:22:21]But they used to go outdoors to like you know finish the other business.

[00:22:36]Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.

[00:22:59]Okay.

[00:23:03]It will be not part of the I felt very unique is the toilets and bathroom which they kept aside because of hygiene and could be because of the security reasons also.

[00:23:22]And apart from this it is very different on the windows windows.

[00:23:42]It was very beautiful. But what do you say?

[00:23:53]Art is very accessible.

[00:23:58]Clean lines are appreciated.

[00:24:03]It was some element of interest because there was no real entertainment.

[00:24:10]We have endless things to watch TV and like you know phone it was like you know they used to add this element of interest there's so many variations Of course, musician generic peacock.

[00:24:54]very interesting thing is every room will have a pictures frames but very different were not allowed inside the house. So that is behind technical reasons.

[00:25:49]Yeah, it's like lifestyle change completely because I also have read about it a lot but that will spread negative things to the and that is the reason was not allowing all these photo frames inside the house rather to keep it in the so I fel somewhere it is true frames every day we are not supposed to keep there's lot of things and so that is where I asked reasons Ancestors will consider everyone very well said.

[00:26:58]Continuing the discussion facility, it is very all manual but it was very difficult to how they were managing what was planning behind it mainly construction technique Like you know how they planned because water is essential.

[00:27:56]They never built in steps.

[00:27:59]It will build on flat land.

[00:28:09]It didn't have foundations.

[00:28:31]They used to boil it.

[00:28:35]sticky.

[00:28:38]They used to pour it into the so they used to wait for it to dry in your layer and also is like very complicated.

[00:29:12]The roof was so heavy it had to brick.

[00:29:29]again to make bricks.

[00:29:46]So it was like a joint effort is not that easy.

[00:29:54]I feel it is really not easy.

[00:30:03]We have to realize the struggle which they have. It took years for them to build it.

[00:30:09]It's actually an amazing thing.

[00:30:16]It's like how did they know how to build like this in How old is the oldest?

[00:30:35]They say it's 350 years old.

[00:30:49]But they've kept it very well.

[00:30:56]very interesting to look at.

[00:31:09]And still the flooring is China.

[00:31:13]Uh any specific or scientific reason that is it because just for the availability resources it's very easy to clean easy to maint because we would never put it on the floor.

[00:31:41]Yeah, that is the reason I as this question because abroad most of the countries they use wooden flooring High water tends to move against gravity. Wherever there's like dry dry soil, the water will instantly start rising over it.

[00:32:32]>> So it's called capillary action. So the same thing happens in houses which have mud mud floors and all.

[00:32:44]But action it used to at least resist the water coming out because it's coming from underground.

[00:33:23]Okay. Okay. Nice.

[00:33:33]I've seen that. Even I've read about that also.

[00:33:38]Especially for the reason engaging if they're financially sound also affects Technically what we used to keep the termites out.

[00:35:02]Main reason was reapers.

[00:35:22]Oh, nice.

[00:35:26]That still very happy with the way they live in the very nice and that is the happiest way of living.

[00:35:57]So one more question that flashed me is again construction what are the climatic aspects that we will need to consider it has been built on the climatic aspect it's like very fine tuned It's very unique to it is the climatic aspect because open spaces where you could relax but not be in the sun.

[00:36:53]The sun is also very strong.

[00:36:56]The sun is very strong.

[00:37:17]The floor gets eroded very fast.

[00:37:25]You don't have on all the sides.

[00:37:31]The wall is exposed to the sun.

[00:37:34]First of all, the mud has this capability of breathing.

[00:37:40]The mud shrinks and when it's like it starts expanding again. So that's called breathing breathing especially south and western master bedroom is on the southwest the room will be warmed up it's the wall is breathing out the heat it has accumulated So the with the east and the north you can have your verandas because by the time the sun gets very hot it's already on the west you'll have a lot of the house the roof is very steep.

[00:38:50]32° is like the standard slope.

[00:38:54]It's 40° 40 45°.

[00:38:59]They build it very steep.

[00:39:22]It channels the wind away from the house.

[00:39:31]They last very long because they're actually a barrier against the wind.

[00:39:35]They kind of direct the wind away. 32° it's a little low.

[00:39:43]Very nice. So consider architecture because what works in Bangalore won't work in climatic conditions very it's very different very extreme climate when you said climatic condition I completely agree on that parents when we see we observe them having knee pains When I was just checking out, I felt luxury flooring either tiles or granite. So we align to the luxurious architecture but still a compatible compatible. It is not allowing us because they are suffering from most of them are suffering from pain and all these things could be the reason.

[00:40:55]What is your what do you say for that?

[00:41:10]But what one thing that worked well for us is that we don't really live on that side of the house.

[00:41:26]Actually, it's true because it's kind gets quite cold. It gets colder there faster.

[00:41:32]It kind of absorbs the radiate unknowingly that cold this thing kind of affects our body unconsciously and most of them say that that is a reason for It's still accumulating all the water.

[00:42:05]The land is still accumulating water.

[00:42:08]The floor gets so cold. It kind of leads to so many health issues.

[00:42:14]>> Anyways, maybe we will need to take it as a separate topic of plant conversions and all.

[00:42:20]>> Seriously, we have to stop at least considering their health. They will need to consider all these things aspects especially and the architecture of the home should be very different in case it cannot same as the dry the same cannot be considered for the wetland also it's fine you can still live but building your pl right on the Okay, very nice again.

[00:43:10]So somewhere the lifestyle was such that they used to spend all day out outdoors.

[00:43:30]All day they used to spend outdoors.

[00:43:36]So that darkness actually didn't matter.

[00:43:46]and beyond.

[00:43:51]There was one person who said the sun is very strong.

[00:44:03]The sun is very soft. So they needed these big French windows and all.

[00:44:10]The sun is so under strain. You see a lot of they never used to wear glasses until like 607 getting glasses and all because eyes are always under straight because it's so bright the sun actually helps your eyes kind of soothes your body.

[00:44:41]So the windows were very small.

[00:44:47]One thing was privacy because you just had small wooden windows.

[00:45:00]They used to satisfy construction. You can't build big windows.

[00:45:28]cracks.

[00:45:30]So material wise also there are some drawbacks but mainly but that was the main reason like you know most of the old houses are quite dark inside and also especially used to keep it very dark as you said earlier right? So, so that room was always kept filled with positive energy.

[00:46:10]And they are living their leading their lives.

[00:46:29]role model.

[00:46:32]How should it be? How would you imagine?

[00:46:38]You should have neighbors.

[00:46:51]You build as the way you like.

[00:47:08]satisfy the climate climatic issues mainly about its river.

[00:47:23]It still doesn't have the capacity to hold water.

[00:47:38]like you know there's no extra steel sheet and they've not even built on top ground and the slabs are fine it's like proper properly like you know leakage damp it happens so I would always say but always build a slope proof because it'll always drain off the water for you longterm issues planning satisfy the climate otherwise it's fine like whatever you please it's you person extended and just satisfy the climate very nice I will need to work on 300 years.

[00:48:52]What is your suggestion on that?

[00:48:59]main problem is the craftsmanship has slowly disappeared over time.

[00:49:13]You can just fill it up like you'll have to remove the entire form.

[00:49:27]It's become like something only very rich people can afford. It's coming back now.

[00:49:35]It's already started. Maybe not in the city. farm. They're actually approaching that.

[00:49:51]So, the place.

[00:50:04]I've met a few people who still know the techniques and all that.

[00:50:10]It's always like a group activity. It's not something you do on your own.

[00:50:25]It's very beautifully rebuilt.

[00:50:41]Not everyone can gather resources to renovate a house which you don't live in where like you know they've collect collected old houses from all over South India.

[00:51:04]They go buy the house and they rebuild it. It's an example from this area.

[00:51:19]It's like a oneoff example.

[00:51:25]cracks.

[00:51:37]Okay.

[00:51:40]Other problems I told you as I told you it breathes cement doesn't breathe along with the mud it also brings the mud off along with it okay but we have to build community resource rebuilding and renovation to continue.

[00:52:25]They still follow the old method.

[00:52:52]So it's kind of very difficult to gather like you know people to like you know come for like you know it's kind of difficult for people to come together and do something.

[00:53:04]>> Okay. Okay. Nice. So very the way you have done your research on you're really a inspiring lady for many of us because you have chose a topic which will help all of us how beneficial it was for us. How if in case beautifully spoken and before we end this session would you like to advise or your message to us I feel it's like something our know our ancestors have gifted us they've really struggled to build it and they've left it for us to look after to be together it's like a home where we can unite with our family again.

[00:54:01]festivals but we should find a new way of meeting meeting up and using the more regularly for example they were forced to come back home like you know they work from colleges from home from home. Nice almost two three monthsacks.

[00:54:59]It was a very it gave me so much hope that you know there is there is a way of using palman other than our rituals and you know only to perform our rituals we go to >> maybe as you said we should find more reasons to go there and we should explore those ideas on how we can regularly go to Balyan because our time especially Makkah they started understanding their own cousins better.

[00:55:35]That sense of brotherhood came back again which is so nice. It continues even to this day.

[00:55:50]find ways of you know reviving it and you know using the baloney regular >> and also during a few utilized for mangala earlier days they used to do it but that is also missing >> I think they still do that even now it follows the tradition even I had put up these suggestions to We spend ls together to few rather than that if they spend rather than giving it to a hall we can use it to the for their own cause I don't know how many of us can start doing But it'll take a long time to get back that legacy.

[00:56:52]Social media is like a very powerful tool.

[00:56:59]promote marching. I feel it'll kind of create like you know kind of I don't know it'll catch a bit of opposition also because but still we have to promote our own legacy because earlier days and the blessings which we get blessings is different and the rituals will be perfect.

[00:57:27]There could be a lot of things that is missing >> and single mort that is all beautiful. I hope all those days will come back soon with that.

[00:57:39]>> Thanks Si. Uh this time which we have spent almost two hours one and a half two hours. It is really we have spoken our heart out.

[00:57:48]>> Thank it was really a great conversation that we had. I hope to see you further in our upcoming episodes as well.

[00:57:59]again. The part two of discussions will be posted soon.

[00:58:15]with a new guest we will be introducing that episode. So episode is on the technical part of suggestions feedback information. Please put up in your in the comment section of YouTube. So keep supporting you free to share your feedback and suggestions for us.

[00:58:41]Thank you.

[00:58:44]Thank you. Thank you.