Letter from Lahore: House-builders revert to traditional style

A decade ago, White House style homes, complete with pillars and painted concrete facades, were all the rage in the city.

Today, featured alongside the red-brick homes standing along many roads, a greater variety has entered the architectural scene.

In many parts of the city, 'havelis' of the style that was once found only in the old, walled city area have cropped up along modern lanes. In others, homes built to resemble the rounded, mud structure found in villages have been constructed, with ethnic motifs on the balconies and doors adding to the image.

The interiors, with higher roofed ceiling, ventilators high up on walls, and bricked floors are often equally ethnic. Blinds, made from cane or wood, are increasingly replacing heavy fabric window drapings, and low, wooden 'peeris', many with intricate carving or painted patterns, are creeping into drawing room spaces to offer seating, alongside sofas and chaise lounges.

But, while this falls partially in line with the fashion for the traditional that is currently dominating the home décor, furniture and fashion business, there are also other factors behind the change.

The foremost among these is the recognition of both home-owners and architects that designs replicating constructions in the United States or Europe are not climatically suitable for the intense summer heat that grips the city for at least six months each year. Whereas air conditioning had solved this problem in most cases, the rapid increase in the price of power means many families are eager to cut electricity costs.

Homes that allow plenty of cross ventilation, have verandahs and open roof tops where it is possible to catch the faint breezes of summer and are built to catch cool air while warding off the hottest rays of the sun, are clearly the most suitable for this. Indeed, some of the most innovative architects have been able to use traditional 'room coolers', comprising simple water pumps and fans that allow air to be cooled by passing through a layer of woven straw netting, and then blown into rooms, to create a system of 'central air conditioning'. The system is quite remarkably effective in conditions of dry heat, and of course, many times more cost effective than air-conditioning.

Combining the demands of ethnically-inspired fashion with practical needs has also meant a return within homes of internal courtyards, that both help keep conditions cool, and also serve as a private sitting area for families. With more and more choosing to sleep outdoors in summer, fenced rooftops, some with raised platforms on which beds can be placed, are also very much a part of the recent trend.

The result of such change is a distinct new look to residential areas, at least in some parts of town. While red brick has always been a hugely popular building material in the city, in keeping with Moghul tradition and the many kilns located all round the city, more varieties are now being created to tile floors and to insulate roofs. Synthetic material replicating the rough look of mud has also become increasingly popular, and it would seem that, as a response both to changing needs and aesthetical preferences, the traditional is now very much a part of the modern city of Lahore.

The writer is former editor of The News, Lahore.