Best Of 83+ Breathtaking Warli House Plan For Every Budget

The Warli house and tribal architecture has been a characteristic of India since the medieval times. It’s always been about adapting to the environment, preserving traditions, and creating highly functional living spaces. Warli house designs are characterized by their rectangular structures, walls made of compacted earth blocks, and a large central courtyard.

The buildings are typically longish in plan, extending asymmetrically in two directions and featuring a wide central conch-shaped verandah that merges with the ground or sits on stilts. Smaller rectangular verandahs are also found in the interiors. It’s a common practice for Warli homes to have steeply angled roofs, due to thedifficult terrains found around these parts of the country.

The main living space in a Warli home is known as the 'drawing room', which is usually positioned in the centre. It's a larger, open area surrounded by narrowerpockets, usually used for storage or other functional activities. It can also be used as a Dwali, which is basically a community hall used for gatherings and festivities. A Typical Warli House Plan usually features walls made of solid earth or stone, and filled with thick layers of straw, supported by a wooden frame.

The internal walls are usually whitewashed with distinctive designs and symbols, as expressed in traditional Warli art. Additionally, many households maintain a preferred pattern - often a spotted one - over the doorway for protection against bad luck or evil spirits. Stone or brick columns frequently divide the house into small compartments, usually around 2 x 2 meters each.

Walls of a Warli house are usually created by shaping and compacting earth blocks. Building stones, sands, and gravel are combined with soil and other ingredients found in the region, then molded into rectangles. Generally, these are about 30 cm in length, 10 cm thick and 5 cm deep. After hardening the blocks are then leveled and reinforced, ready to be used in the building process.

The style of Warli architecture is mostly recognized by its strong rustification. The houses are often built with brick or stone walls, or surrounded by solid clay walls. Sometimes, these are decorated and painted in white. An important aspect of Warli homes is that processes like green construction and fixing solar panels are included in the design.

Traditionally, the walls of Warli homes were decorated with geometric patterns and graffiti style wall art. This kind of art, usually characterized by abstract or semi-abstract designs, was usually created with the help of colored sangams (or mud) and natural pigments. The most typical Warli symbols include the sun, moon, a temple, a water body, tree of life, and an animal.

The visual identity of Warli Architectures is often completed with bright and vibrant colors such as yellow, orange, red, white, and black. This form of ornamentation was mainly used to boost the visual appeal and encourage protective energy around the living space. Even today, this kind of design is still largely adapted and used in the rural areas of India.

The Warli people are an indigenous ethnic group that live in western India. In the past, the Warli population and the architecture they created were mostly nomadic. This meant that the architecture they created responded to their constantly shifting environment and needs. But as their population grew, the Warli began to build more permanent structures. This in turn led to the flourishing of various inventive designs and decorations.

The Warli architecture has also been influenced by different cultures and materials. They’ve been known to construct thick walls made of mud, without using any wood. They also used different kinds of grasses in the construction. As a result, today's Warli houses feature a mix of modern and traditional construction materials.

Warli architecture can be found in the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, and Orissa. It is characterized by including residences, temples, and feasting pavilions. Typically, the roofs are made with tiled sloping angles, their walls are often of rectangular mud bricks or stones,and they feature verandas around the inner courtyard.

The Warli houses are usually grouped into clusters and located in villages, where families maintain narrow alleys. In most cases, the villages are surrounded by walls for protection, and they have a central gate each with a defensive tower. These structures are mostly made of strong mud and typically covered in a thatched roof. Historically, local women would dry clothes and prepare food in the tower during the day.

Recreational or leisure balconies are frequently found in Warli homes, typically placed in one corner of the main room or facing the central courtyard. They’re usually constructed with solid mud and bamboo poles and feature small shelves and a birdhouse. The roof is commonly decorated with various colorful vibrant patterns and visual elements that signify protection.

Additionally, the Warli People are known for their skills in the rural construction. They often use wooden logs and clay that can withstand extreme and chaotic weather. This type of construction style is very common in villages, where the materials are easy to get and they build in a very short time.

The Warli people are known for their versatile and effortless style of living, evident in their various living spaces and external structures. The gabat is a residence building that blends indigenous design elements with the Warli architectural style. It basically includes a large space area as a common family room and an attached lean-to on the outer side of the building. It’s a great way to make the best out of the limited available land space.

On the other hand, many Warli families are known to live in clusters of huts, comprising of an open fireplace, low walls, and a small roof. Some even prefer to construct adobe homes, which are usually made with mud and stone walls, with a thatched roof.

A vital part of the Warli lifestyle is the intense communal bonds between different clans. Therefore, one of the most preferred activities involve gathering around the compound for food cultivated from their vegetable Patch. Warlis typically have special gardens for growing different vegetables, and each villager prepares food in their own separate kitchen. This process is referred to as “Wada” in the local dialect, and has survived many changes in the Warli culture.

Each Warli home is usually composed of multiple structures and buildings, all of which are interconnected via a complex network of paths. During the wet season, the paths and exterior areas tend to get muddy and slippery, hence most Warli families have begun paving these surfaces with stones whenever possible.

To maintain the dry and safe pathways, the Warli People often use a special type of paving. Stone pathways are dug into the ground to form a layer, and then the path is covered with an even layer of stones. This construction method is used in different regions, and sometimes even includes a winding path that crosses a small river. Parsi houses are commonly known to contain a well, meandering pathways, and even waste treatment systems.

The Warli house is a beautiful example of how building and living together has evolved over time. From its rustic austere beginnings to its modern adaptations, it has stayed true to its roots and inspired its diverse surroundings. It’s a truly inspiring and creative take on the traditional architectural style of the Indian subcontinent.