Sustainable housing : looking at social and cultural aspects of traditional Indian settlement

Abstract

RESEARCH QUESTION: How social and cultural housing issues can be addressed through the traditional practice of Indian settlement?

ABSTRACT: This research aims to strategize a comprehensive design, establishing a link between the traditional and current practice of housing. The intent is to provide the various housing issues; energy waste, social-cultural aspects, ignored the specific need of environment and local people, missing regional architecture characteristics. Social and environmental factors in the housing sectors have been affected by the forces of globalization during the rapid urbanization. In the last three decades, housing construction tends to reflect the requirements of the global market instead of local architecture or social demands. The concept of regional housing is selected as a stepping stone of this research project to provide guidelines for the current housing practice. Hence, the research question: “How social and environmental issues can be addressed through the traditional practice of Indian settlement?”

Every year, mass migration has created a shortage of housing. However, modern rapid housing construction has given a roof to migrants at the cost of losing the local identity and characteristic of the city. A large number of migrants comes from the north of Gujarat villages or small towns, who are still rooted in their culture and believes. It is a crucial necessity to understand their lifestyle, needs, and provide good living ambience for the betterment of life and maintain the identity of the local architecture.

As per the current scenario, the findings indicate that Ahmedabad, Gujarat is the first Heritage city of India declared by UNESCO. Belonging from Gujarat and having deep connections to Ahmedabad city, because of its rich heritage and culture, the observation of the city raised the need to reidentify the housing practice in the city with the social and environmental value of local heritage architecture.

Design methodology incorporates the comparative investigation of spatial form in traditional and current housing practice. It might provide some useful insights providing different type of activities and environment requirements, to develop a typical housing model which will hold the local architectural identity for the local people. Regional housing is a relatively new approach which will consider different factors in the design process, such as location, climate, accessibility, people, construction techniques, and the vernacular environmental approach. Few planned and successful housing projects, provide the inferences to develop the best possible strategy for this approach.