H@R 87/365 Vernacular built heritage Hee-Bermiok, West Sikkim

H@R 87/365

Vernacular built heritage Hee-Bermiok, West Sikkim

Hee-Bermiok, as is happening in other parts of the country, especially in rural India, is losing the rich vernacular building tradition. Traditions are being threatened by the rapid urbanization process as well as the desire to appear modern and fashionable. As a result, people are forgetting their age-old vernacular architecture and building traditions, and are employing climatically unsuitable contemporary materials and techniques of construction, completely alien to the region. Concrete structures with brick infill are mushrooming all over the region despite the fact that they are expensive in comparison to low-cost vernacular building technology supported by locally available building materials. A balanced approach and incentives are required.