As Assam reels under the devastating impact of the floods, a yearly phenomenon, one is reminded of the distinctive ‘Assam-type houses’ that were actually a British innovation.
High roofs, parallel widened doors, parallel windows facilitating cross ventilation, skylights, bay windows and a porch are distinctive features of the Assam-Type houses.
Assam type house/ Northeast Now
With sloping roofs being a defining characteristic, these Assam-type houses were not only made to be flood-proof but also earthquake-proof.
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The arrival of British in Assam
Before the arrival of the British, affluent families in Assam lived in expensive, elaborately constructed houses, while the others survived in huts made from mud-plastered bamboo walls and thatched roofs.
After coming to Assam, the British began constructing buildings and housing structures with thick walls.
But these ended up getting destroyed in the earthquakes that followed.
The new housing model of the British
The British then called in engineers and used their expertise to build houses, combined with indigenous knowledge.
The Assam-type houses thus came up, made with wood, reed, mud plaster and hay, after studying the climate and topography of the region.
From the beginning of the twentieth century till the early 1980s, all government buildings—administrative blocks, judicial courts, hospitals, educational institutes residential quarters continued to be built in this fashion.
These houses, which withstood the 1950 earthquake, are still standing strong today.
The cities of Guwahati, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, as well as the state of Meghalaya, are dotted with such buildings, although now these are being increasingly replaced with modern buildings.
An eco-friendly, sustainable house
To avoid marshy grounds and rainwater run-off, the plinth of an Assam-type house is raised above the normal ground level.
The vertical posts, roof trusses and elevated floor are made of Sal wood.
An Assam type house with sloping roofs/ @lyndemsophie
A weed called Ikra, which grows wildly in river plains across Assam is extensively used in the house’s walls and roof.
The roof’s slope varies from one-third to one-fifth of the span depending upon the permeability of the roofing material.
Changing landscape
With increasing population and shortage of space, the single-storey Assam-type houses were not very feasible.
The Telegraph quotes Jayanta Pathak of the civil engineering department at the Assam Engineering College: “There is an urgent need to present affordable and sustainable housing to the masses which is safe against earthquakes and mitigates loss of life and property. We need to look at traditional housing again seriously and document the practice with improved earthquake-resistant features so that the rural and semi-urban population can be encouraged to adopt the improved traditional housing wherever possible instead of being compelled to live in poorly constructed RCC houses.”
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