Adaptive Reuse of Traditional Himalayan Houses for Tourism: Expansions and Transformations of Dwellings into Sustainable Homestays in India
Khushi Kakkad & Shweta Suhane
Abstract
The recent floods and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh present a challenge to the locals to maintain their lifestyle. Here, it is essential to keep the village settlements and cultural identity in order to maintain the eco-friendly livelihood of the region. Therefore, the primary emphasis is on the identification of vernacular buildings, and how they can be conserved, restored and repurposed for today's needs, ensuring an ecological balance. Looking at the fast-changing scenario of homestay models in Himachal Pradesh, there is a great shift; loss of cultural identity and environmental responsiveness. This research explores the potential of the adaptive reuse of traditional Himalayan houses as sustainable homestays for the conservation of the heritage, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic resilience, while also minimizing the necessity of new construction in these villages. The research will be conducted by documenting traditional houses, through field observations, case studies, stakeholder interaction and analyzing architectural features, building materials and spatial arrangement of traditional houses. It will also examine seismic, climatic and topographical responses of local materials and construction techniques and consider their suitability for re-use as sustainable homestays. The community view will be examined to understand how homestays can be used as a livelihood generator in terms of their socio-economic benefits. The study underscores the importance of maintaining traditional houses in the Himalayas as one of the means to protect the architectural heritage and cultural identity and ensure sustainable livelihoods. It concludes that adaptive reuse is both a viable and sustainable alternative to indiscriminate new construction, which could preserve and repurpose existing built fabric, reduce environmental impacts and enhance community resilience.
Keywords:
Traditional architecture; Contemporary architecture; Social interaction; Cultural identity; Urban transformations, Bahrain.