Bandhan: To bind, to tie
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Other Title
Authors
Patel, Jayna
Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)
Degree
Master of Architecture (Professional)
Grantor
Unitec, Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology
Date
2023
Supervisors
Hall, Margot
Patel, Yusef
Patel, Yusef
Type
Masters Thesis
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
Tāmaki Makaurau (N.Z.)
Auckland (N.Z.)
New Zealand
Gujarati architecture
Indian architecture
Gujarati in New Zealand
Indians in New Zealand
community centres
cultural identity
Auckland (N.Z.)
New Zealand
Gujarati architecture
Indian architecture
Gujarati in New Zealand
Indians in New Zealand
community centres
cultural identity
ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
Citation
Patel, J. (2023) Bandhan: To bind, to tie. (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional)). Unitec, Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6287
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION
How can vernacular traditions and contemporary fabrication integrate to enhance the cultural identity of the New Zealand Gujarati community?
ABSTRACT
Indians in Aotearoa arrived with temporary intentions of living but emerged as pioneers who significantly shaped contemporary Aotearoa. They faced substantial challenges and racial prejudice within a foreign land and responded by forming organisations and establishing communal spaces to preserve their rich cultural identity and collectively advocate for their rights. The spaces were often existing homes or commercial buildings repurposed to meet their needs. However, some Indian communities, like the Athia Samaj Society, struggle to convey their identity within these adapted spaces.
This project aims to represent and acknowledge the Hindu practices, knowledge, and languages of the Athia Samaj Society, a Hindu Gujarati community in Aotearoa.
Guided by interviews that outlined the community’s needs and concerns to revitalise the existing Athia Samaj Hall, the project addresses the research question: How can vernacular traditions and contemporary fabrication integrate to enhance the cultural identity of the New Zealand Gujarati community?
The project integrates cultural traditions by drawing inspiration from the dōrō. It is a sacred thread that defines spatial experiences as embodying protection, prosperity, purity, and a connection with nature. Architectural Hindu design mythologies like Vāstu Śāstra are applied to transfer knowledge to second-generation Gujaratis in Tāmaki Makaurau, creating a meaningful space for connection and reinforcing their identity.
Craft plays an essential role in art and architecture, serving as a medium for expressing identity, as seen in Māori and Hindu cultures, where buildings are an extension of themselves.
The project explores how traditional Gujarati craft elements can be integrated using contemporary methods like computer numerical control machines. Introducing technology to cultures embedded within traditional practices may pose challenges due to the fear of losing the cultural essence. However, technology may become the necessary tool to convey cultural art and facilitate communication, appreciation and understanding between cultures.
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