Assam-type architecture
{{short description|Style of architecture}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{refimprove|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox art movement
|name = Assam-type architecture
|image = {{photomontage
|photo1a=Bezbaruah Higher Secondary School.png
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|photo2b=Bonoshree lodge in Kaziranga.jpg
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|photo3a=Chandrakanta Handique Bhawan.JPG
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|size = 300
|color_border = #AAAAAA
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| caption = Top: Bezbaroa Higher Secondary School in Golaghat
Centre: A lodge at Kaziranga
Bottom: Headquarters of Assam Sahitya Sabha in Jorhat
|countries = India
}}
Assam-type architecture also known as "Beton" or "Baton" is an architectural style developed in the state of Assam in India during the late modern period. It is found in Assam and Sylhet region. The houses constructed using this style are generally termed as Assam-type houses, consisting usually one or more storeys.{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/culture/travel/tea-planters-punch/cid/1695757|title=Tea planter's punch|website=www.telegraphindia.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-05}} The houses are built to be earthquake proof,{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/assam-debates-safe-house-structures/cid/1530029|title=Assam debates safe house structures|website=www.telegraphindia.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-05}} and are made from materials ranging from wood and bamboo to steel and concrete.{{Cite journal|last1=Kaushik|first1=Hemant|last2=Ravindra Babu|first2=K. S.|date=2009-02-20|title=Housing Report: Assam-type House|url=http://www.world-housing.net/WHEReports/wh100172.pdf|department=Department of Civil Engineering|journal=World Housing Encyclopedia|publisher=Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) and International Association for Earthquake Engineering (IAEE)|publication-place=India|pages=2}}{{Cite news|url=https://roofandfloor.com/realty-guide/traditional-assam-type-house/|title=Amazing Facts About Traditional Assam Type House- RoofandFloor|date=2016-04-15|work=RoofandFloor|access-date=2018-07-31|language=en-GB}}
History
Before the arrival of the British in India, 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. With the knowledge of and access to modern science, British engineers assessed the natural environment and designed and constructed buildings that are now known as Assam-type buildings.
Present day
The present-day Assam-type buildings are a result of architectural changes that were introduced in colonial Assam.
Elements of Assam-type style
= The structure =
Buildings are constructed on both flat and sloped terrains. On flat grounds, the buildings are typically rectangular or L or C layout. On other surfaces, such as highlands, they are usually rectangular in shape, accessed via the hillside. The roof is typically erected by high gables to overcome heavy rainfall in the region, where walls are usually timber-framed, plastered with cement.{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/golaghat-gets-a-place-of-pride-planter-converts-ancestral-bungalow-into-modern-club/cid/1620116|title=Golaghat gets a place of pride - Planter converts ancestral bungalow into modern club|website=www.telegraphindia.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-05}} With high ceilings and well-ventilated rooms,{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/culture/heritage/back-then-at-the-burra-bungalows-of-tea-estates/cid/1680275|title=Back then, at the burra bungalows of tea estates|website=www.telegraphindia.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-05}} the floorings are either wooden or concrete with tiled, mosaic or stone surfacing with stilts.{{Cite web|url=https://happho.com/learn-traditional-assamese-houses/|title=What to learn from traditional Assamese Houses|date=2017-09-21|website=Happho|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-05}}
= The configuration =
The general design of a residential building incorporates a living room, verandah, kitchen, besides bedrooms and bathrooms.{{Cite web|url=http://www.easternpanorama.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2373:in-the-lap-of-green-tea-plants&catid=6:contents&Itemid=10|title=IN THE LAP OF GREEN TEA PLANTS|last=Panorama|first=Eastern|website=Eastern Panorama|language=en-gb|access-date=2020-02-05}} Some may additionally feature long corridors, connecting rooms, especially buildings such as schools and colleges.