Hill areas remain different, distinct and unique in its physiography, morphology, structure, topography and fabric, when compared with the plain areas of the country. Because of prevailing difference and distinction in land morphology, flora, fauna, environment and climate, planning and designing buildings in hill areas remain complex and cumbersome requiring much more understanding of the context on the part of architects, planners and engineers as compared to designing/constructing buildings in the plain areas. Unfortunately, despite having distinction in nature of land etc; and hills occupying more than 10 % physical area in the country, India still does not have a dedicated course in the planning, designing and construction of buildings in the hilly region of the country. This has led to majority of buildings being designed and constructed without caring for the peculiarities of the hilly regions/hill areas. Because of the fragility and unscientific planning, designing and construction of buildings, hilly regions are facing massive disasters in the shape of frequent landslide and massive flooding, leading to collapse of buildings causing enormous loss to life and property in the hilly regions. Looking at the gravity of the vulnerability prevailing in the hill areas, it was thought and considered prudent to outline few of the principles which should be kept in view while selecting site for the projects in the hill areas; approach to be adopted for site planning and principles which should be kept in view to create buildings which remain responsive to climate and context of the region besides ensuring that buildings don’t adversely impact the environment and ecology of the area. Approach defined does not claim to be conclusive and final . Text provides adequate space for embedding more ideas and thoughts in the text for making it more qualitative and self-contained. It is hoped the text will create awareness about the need ,importance , role and relevance of planning and designing buildings in the hilly regions with care and caution after understanding the context, physiography and specific character and culture of the region in which buildings are to be planned , designed and constructed to make them safe , qualitative and supportive of the fragile environment and ecology prevailing in the hills of India.

1. Planning, Designing Options and Strategies for
Built Environment in Hill Areas
 Jit Kumar Gupta
 jit.kumar1944@gmail.com
Hill areas remain different, distinct and unique in its physiography,
morphology, structure, topography and fabric, when compared with
the plain areas of the country. Because of prevailing difference and
distinction in land morphology, flora, fauna, environment and
climate, planning and designing buildings in hill areas remain
complex and cumbersome requiring much more understanding of
the context on the part of architects, planners and engineers as
compared to designing/constructing buildings in the plain areas.
Unfortunately, despite having distinction in nature of land etc; and
hills occupying more than 10 % physical area in the country, India
still does not have a dedicated course in the planning, designing
and construction of buildings in the hilly region of the country.
This has led to majority of buildings being designed and
constructed without caring for the peculiarities of the hilly
regions/hill areas. Because of the fragility and unscientific
planning, designing and construction of buildings, hilly regions are
facing massive disasters in the shape of frequent landslide and
massive flooding, leading to collapse of buildings causing
enormous loss to life and property in the hilly regions.
Looking at the gravity of the vulnerability prevailing in the hill areas,
it was thought and considered prudent to outline few of the
principles which should be kept in view while selecting site for the

2. projects in the hill areas; approach to be adopted for site planning
and principles which should be kept in view to create buildings
which remain responsive to climate and context of the region
besides ensuring that buildings don’t adversely impact the
environment and ecology of the area. Approach defined does not
claim to be conclusive and final . Text provides adequate space for
embedding more ideas and thoughts in the text for making it more
qualitative and self-contained. It is hoped the text will create
awareness about the need ,importance , role and relevance of
planning and designing buildings in the hilly regions with care and
caution after understanding the context, physiography and specific
character and culture of the region in which buildings are to be
planned , designed and constructed to make them safe , qualitative
and supportive of the fragile environment and ecology prevailing in
the hills of India.
i. Site Selection;
 Project Area must be visited before selecting a site.
 Look for two or three alternatives for the site in the
identified area/regions.
 Have a comparative in-depth analysis of positivity
and negativities of different sites identified before
opting for a final site.
 Site opted must be free from all legal
encumbrances. Disputed sites must be avoided.
 Never opt for a site which faces North and all
Northern slopes to be ignored for siting the
buildings/projects.
 Most preferred site should be facing
South/Southern slopes.

3.  Avoid selecting a site which is very steep with slope
more than 30 degree .
 Prefer/opt for a site having gentle slope.
 Look at the site which has good and stable soil
structure with known history of stability.
 Avoid site having too many ridges and valleys.
 Study the vulnerability of the area regarding
manmade and natural disasters. Avoid site having
history of landslide
 All low lying sites, liable to flooding should
invariably be avoided.
 Select a site having area adequate to meet not
only your immediate requirements of the project
with possibility of additions in future for
accommodating additions in capacity/expansion-
particularly in case of public buildings related to
healthcare , education and serving communities
 Site must have a good accessibility and
connectivity with important roads and nearby
residential / other development
 Standalone sites should be avoided unless needed
due to peculiarities of the project - for Minimising
the cost and making use of existing infrastructures,
services etc.
 Site must not violate the provision of Master
Plans/legal plans/ laws governing the development
in the area.
 Site selected must be compact and regular to the
extent possible. Too linear/deeper/oblong sites
should be preferably avoided for better utilization of
the available land.

4.  Site which is divided/bisected by roads / public
thoroughfare should preferably be avoided.
 Sites having High Tension Electrical Lines, canals,
sewerage pipes, built up structures, should also be
carefully considered/evaluated for suitability before
opting for the same.
 Agriculturally rich land should preferably be
avoided and derelict land should be preferred.
 Residential/commercial Sites near industrial areas/
slums should preferably avoided.
 Site must be evaluated in terms of the
future/development proposed in the master plans/
development plans/ local area plans prepared for
the area.
 Views from and to the site must be considered as a
valuable ingredient/ element of site selection. Sites
having poor views should be avoided whereas sites
offering good options for view should be preferred.
 Existing flora/fauna needs to be clearly identified,
studied, analyzed in terms of quantity, quality,
usability and implications for the project before
selecting the site.
ii Site Planning;
 Analytical site planning based on carrying out a
SWOT analysis must precede the design of
individual buildings.
 Rational Site planning coupled with orientation,
climate and wind direction invariably leads to good
building design.

5.  Invariably go for a detailed and accurate survey of
the site while establishing clearly the contours and
its interval.
 Respecting, valuing site and existing features of
should be the first/governing principle of site
planning.
 Undertake a site suitability analysis of the site
before starting for designing.
 Based on site suitability analysis;
- identify area which needs to protected ;
- area which needs to be conserved;
-- area which is derelict and needs value addition.
 Always opt for area which is derelict for avoiding
damage to the site/environment.
 Based on above, zoning of site needs to be
prepared
 Locate your buildings in the derelict area / where
buildings were constructed earlier for avoiding
damage to fresh areas
 No buildings should be designed/placed in the area
identified for protection and preservation
 Don’t cover the entire site with the buildings
 Cover minimum area under the building by defining
limited area as building envelop.
 Cause minimum disturbance to the site and
damage to existing flora & fauna.
 Minimize the finger prints of the buildings proposed.
Invariably opt for designing compact.
 Preferably place your buildings on flatter land and
avoid putting buildings on steep land

6.  Plan your buildings along the contours and avoid
doing the same across the contours
 Minimize cutting and filling in the site and tempering
with the natural contours.
 Preserve , protect and make value addition to the
existing flora and fauna in the site
 Reserve all steep part of the site for afforestation,
plantation, increasing the tree cover, creating
walking trails, bicycling, viewing, tourism/ public use.
 Protect all existing water channels/resources within
the site and protecting them from covering under
built up area
 Where possible use the low lying area within site for
leisure/ creating water bodies/ rain water harvesting.
 Services within sites must be planned carefully.
 All water supply system/sources should be placed
at higher grounds whereas all waste
water/sewerage/ STPs should be located at the
lower level. Principle of gravity must be used as the
basis for planning/designing/locating services.
 Make optimum use of available resources within the
site and its close vicinity.
 Provide for appropriate setbacks for buildings ,
considering the size, shape, height and volume of
the buildings proposed.
 Keep adequate setbacks for buildings from the main
road for reasons of providing parking, safety, noise
reduction, defining approach, landscaping, provision
of services, widening the approach roads.
 Identify the most appropriate approach to the
site/buildings along with other secondary
approaches to the site.

7.  Define the space for placing the buildings, space for
parking and space for landscaping- both hard and
soft surfaces.
 Define the fabric/profile of the buildings,
single/multiple; low rise/high rise and orientation of
the buildings
 Confine the vehicular traffic on /near the approach
to the site. Provide pedestrian access to buildings
within the campus to the extent possible. Invariably
avoid taking the vehicular traffic within the site.
 Respect the front /main road. Place your building
parallel to the front road, with irregular areas
earmarked for landscaping, parking, locating
services etc.
iii. Designing Buildings
 Building design in hill areas should be based on
nature and making optimum use of natural
resources- Sun, Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu, Akash and
greenery.
 Design to be based on consideration of prevailing
climate- Macro Climate – Regional; Meso- Climate -
City and Micro-Climate- Site/local climate; which
should remain one of the most critical principles of
site planning.
 Building should be deigned on the principle of
maximizing retaining/promoting heat gain and
Minimising heat loss.
 Buildings should be designed for sustainability and
energy efficiency

8.  Design must focus on making buildings Green,
considering life cycle-cost of operation and
maintenance.
 Buildings must be planned and designed to be
compact , occupying minimum site area.
 Minimize the finger prints of the buildings, leaving
large open spaces.
 Determine/demarcate clearly the good directions of
the site along with directions having limitations
imposed by climate , location and orientataion.
 North direction remains the worst side for human
living for the reason of non-availability of sun. South
direction remains best for obvious advantages of the
maximum sun.
 Rationally divide all the requirements into two
distinct categories - spaces involving/ used for
human habitation and spaces having minimum
human habitations.
 Good direction/portion of the site – South, East
/West - should be used for housing spaces used by
human beings whereas spaces involving minimum
human habitation could be placed on Northern side.
 Buildings to be designed with achieving highest
space efficiency. Proportion of the carpet area must
remain high, with minimum area within building-
going under circulation, walls, services etc.
 Promoting optimum use of space by having doubly
loaded corridors
 Avoid single loaded corridors, due to large space
going under circulation.

9.  Follow the norms of the agencies
controlling/regulating the nature of the project for
designing;
 Invariably follow CBSE norms for designing
educational buildings; AICTE norms for designing
technical/management/pharmacy institutions ; COA
norms for designing architectural colleges; Medical
Council norms for designing healthcare buildings;
University/UGC norms for designing universities/
buildings
 Height, total permissible coverage on all floors;
Maximum ground coverage, Floor Area Ratio; height
of rooms; building setbacks; shall invariably be
governed by the applicable building bye-laws.
 Width and number of lifts / staircases /toilets/ area
under dining rooms/auditoriums etc., to be provided,
shall be determined by the use of buildings; number
of users; on thenorms prescribed in the applicable
building bye-laws.
 Parking spaces/ number of cars to be provided
within building/site shall be calculated in terms of
Equivalent Car Spaces (ECS).
 ECS is defined; based on the use and area of
proposed buildings; keeping in view the norms
specified/ prescribed in the building bye-laws
 Parking can be provided on ground, under stilts
/basements. Area for carparking shall be based on
the norms prescribed for ground/stilts/ basements.
 Normally space specified for ; I ECS= 23Sqm for
open parking; 27Sqm for stilt parking & 32 Sqm for
basement parking;

10.  Height of the buildings should be fixed based on the
load bearing capacity of soil, and the prevailing
topography
 Buildings should be designed lean/smart with
minimum self-load. Hollow/ lightweight bricks/
readymade aeriated cement concrete blocks could
be effectively used in buildings to reduce self-load
and increase the speed of construction.
 Buildings to be designed should capture maximum
sunlight/ heat within the building.
 Room size, area, height of buildings should be
defined in a manner that all living rooms have the
advantage of natural day light.
 Buildings to be designed should have best of the
indoor air quality in the spaces used for human
habitation.
 Providing buffer spaces at the entry must be made
integral part of the building design to avoid the loss
of heat while entering the main building.
 Building envelop shall be designed to be compact to
avoid minimum loss of heat and gain of cold.
 Building outer surfaces must be made of dark colour
to minimize reflection of solar heat and to maximise
the absorption/gain of the heat falling on the
building.
 Buildings to have window/wall ratio- 30-40% for
sourcing enough natural sun- light within the building
without any glare.
 Cavity walls, Trombe wall ; Solarium could be used
as options for retaining heat within the building in a
passive way.

11.  Views from/to the site need to be carefully studied
and used in the designing buildings, while making
optimum use of good views and avoiding bad
views- slums, industries, garbage dumps etc.
 Buildings to be designed with prime motive of
merging with nature while avoiding fabric,
placement and form competing against nature.
 Building designs should make value addition to
nature, bio-diversity and promoting environment and
ecology rather than adversely impacting them.
 Cutting of trees should invariably be avoided and all
trees made integral part of building design.
 Building designed in hill areas must reflect the local
architecture, character, tradition and culture
 Making use of local building materials in the natural
form and using modified local construction
technologies, invariably helps in making buildings
qualitative and vernacular.
 Buildings must be planned, designed and
constructed for safety- against both
manmade/natural disasters.
 Roof typologies adopted must be based on the
amount of rainfall/snow etc. falling in the area;
ensuring that rain water/snow is immediately
drained off from the roof for minimising self-load and
eliminating the chances of seepage of moisture into
the buildings
 Buildings must be designed for flexibility to
accommodate /address the changes involved in the
human living and working.

12.  Clubbing public health services must be made
integral part of the building design for reasons of
economy and managing services within the
buildings
 In case of multi-storied buildings, toilets at different
floors must be placed on the same position for
reasons of economy and operational efficiency
 Location of the toilets/kitchens/ water intensive
spaces etc. within the buildings must be based/
guided by the availability of the public services
outside the buildings.
Authored by;
Jit Kumar Gupta
Director, College of Architecture
-IET, Bhaddal, Ropar (Punjab)