AR3401 – REGIONAL AND VERNACULAR BUILT ENVIRONMENTS IN INDIA- ECA

AR3401 – REGIONAL AND VERNACULAR BUILT ENVIRONMENTS IN INDIA

B.Arch II Year IV Semester

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 AR3401 – REGIONAL AND VERNACULAR BUILT ENVIRONMENTS IN INDIA- ECA

SYLLABUS
OBJECTIVES

To introduce the nature of evolution/ determinants of human settlements. To give an understanding

of regional manifestations in settlements and architecture as evolving from contextual forces. To give
familiarity to the methods and approaches for the study of regional/ vernacular built environment. To
study the important manifestations of regional/ vernacular architecture and settlements in different
regions of India.

UNIT I HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND THEIR DETERMINANTS

Determinants of morphology of human settlements – climate, culture, socio-economic aspects,

geography, etc, Differentiating between rural and urban settlements. Overview of settlement
evolution in India. Relation between settlement morphology and architecture. Discussion of the terms
traditional architecture, regional architecture, indigenous architecture, vernacular architecture, etc.,

UNIT II STUDY OF VERNACULAR/ REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE

Vernacular/ regional architecture as a process and responsive design. Concepts, approaches, survey
and study of vernacular/ regional architecture -aesthetic, architectural, anthropological, etc., General
aspects to be studied in vernacular/ regional architecture of India –climatic response, forms, spatial
planning, socio-cultural aspects, symbolism, colour, art, materials of construction and construction
technique, etc.,

UNIT III SETTLEMENT MORPHOLOGY AND REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF GUJARAT AND

RAJASTHAN

Determinants and morphology of rural and urban settlements in Gujarat. Vernacular/ regional
architecture of Gujarat as particular productions. Determinants and morphology of rural and urban
settlements in Rajasthan. Vernacular/ regional architecture of Rajasthan as particular productions.

UNIT IV SETTLEMENT MORPHOLOGY AND REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF KASHMIR AND

BENGAL

Determinants and morphology of settlements in Kashmir. Vernacular/ regional architecture of

Kashmir as particular productions. Determinants and morphology of settlements in Bengal.
Vernacular/ regional architecture of Bengal as particular productions. Colonial and modern influences.

UNIT V SETTLEMENT MORPHOLOGY AND REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF TAMILNADU AND

KERALA

Determinants and morphology of settlements in Kerala. Vernacular/ regional architecture of Kashmir

as particular productions. Determinants and morphology of rural and urban settlements in Tamil
Nadu. Vernacular/ regional architecture of Tamil Nadu as particular productions. Colonial and modern
influences.

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OUTCOME

An understanding of the built environment as a process and knowledge of its determinants. Ability to
analyse built environment through the knowledge of approaches to its study. Knowledge of
settlement morphologies and regional/ vernacular architecture in specific regions of India.

TEXTBOOKS

1. Bernard Rudofsky, 'Architecture without Architects', University of New Mexico Press, 1987.

2. Paul Oliver, 'Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World', Routledge, 2007.

3. Amos Rapoport, 'House, Form and Culture', Prentice Hall Inc. 1969.

4. Carmen Kagal, 'Vistara- The Architecture of India', The Festival of India, 1986.

REFERENCES

1. Kosambi D.D, 'The Culture and Civilisation of Ancient India in Historical Outline', Vikas,1997.

2. R W Brunskill, 'Illustrated Handbook on Vernacular Architecture', Faber and Faber, 2000.

3. V.S. Pramar, 'Haveli – Wooden Houses and Mansions of Gujarat', Mapin, 1989.

4. Kulbushanshan Jain and Minakshi Jain, 'Mud Architecture of the Indian Desert', Aadi Centre,
Ahmadabad, 1992.

5. G.H.R. Tillotson, 'The Tradition of Indian Architecture: Continuity, Controversy, Change since 1850',
Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1989.

6. S. Muthiah et al, 'The Chettiar Heritage', Chettiar Heritage, 2017.

7. Weber. W and Yannas. S, 'Lessons from Vernacular Architecture', Routledge, 2014.

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UNIT I HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND THEIR DETERMINANTS

Determinants of morphology of human settlements

A populated place or settlements refers to community where people reside. Settlements can vary in
size, from a small group of houses to large cities with extensive urbanized areas. These communities
can consists of hamlets, villages, towns and cities. A settlement reflects the socioeconomic conditions
and environmental limitations of given area, encompassing both physical structures like houses and
the people who live there. It represents the social, historical, cultural and religious aspects of human
life within a specific geographic environment.

The development of settlements can be traced back to nomadic herders who eventually settled in one
place due to the growth of families and the need for a stable living environment. As a result, villages
began to form, often centered around agricultural activities.

Some villages accumulated non agricultural surpluses, leading to the development of ‘mandis’ or
‘marketplaces’. Transportation routes connected these Mandis, giving rise to urban settlements.

RURAL SETTLEMENT VS URBAN SETTLEMENT:

CRITERIA RURAL SETTLEMENT URBAN SETTLEMENT

Morphology Consists of agricultural Characterised by tall buildings,
landscapes broad roads, administrative
centres and recreational spaces.
Activity Agriculture, forestry, mining, Non Agriculture, Manufacturing
fishing
Demography Lower population with scattered High population with compact
settlement living spaces
Population Less than 5000 Greater than 5000
Population density Less than 400 persons/ sq.km Greater than 400 persons/sq.km
Run By Gram Panchayats Municipality, Cantonment Board,
Corporation

RURAL SETTLEMENT :

Rural settlements consists of disorganized clusters of closely connected houses with poor ventilation
and inadequate sewage and drainage systems. The roads in these settlements are often winding and
not well planned, sometimes ending abruptly at houses.

Rural settlements not only encompass villages but also the surrounding agricultural fields, forestry
areas and livestock raising land that are functionally integrated with the village. These communities
are characterized by strong social bonds and a high degree of cohesion among residents, reflecting a
powerful centripetal force due to the close relationships between people. Both the physical layout
and social structure of rural settlements contribute to their overall makeup.

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They are made up of the village itself, along with agricultural land, forestry and livestock-raising areas.
These settlements are a reflection of the socio-economic aspirations of the people, their adaptability,
the historical development of a living civilization and their economic functionality.

HAMLET

A hamlet is a small human settlement. A hamlet is considered smaller than a village. A hamlet differs
from a village in having no commercial premises.

VILLAGE

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town
with a population ranging from a few hundred to few thousand.

RURBAN

Rural + Urban. Transitional phase in between rual and urban settlements. Run by Gram Panchayets.
Population is more than 5000 but less than 10,000.

TOWN

A town is a medium-sized human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages but smaller than
cities, though the criterial which constitute them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Large town consists of 20,000 to 1 Lakh People. Town consists of 5,000 to 20,000 people.

CITY

A city is a large human settlement. Cities generally have extensive systems for housing, transportation,
sanitation, utilities, land use and communication. City consists of 1 Lakh to 3 Lakh Population. Large
City consist of 3 Lakh to 1 million population.

METROPOLIS

A metropolis is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political and cultural center
for a country or region. An important hub for regional or international connections, commerce and
communications. Mother city of a colony having minimum population 1 million to 3 million and
conurbation from 3 million to 10 million people.

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MEGALOPOLIS

The term was used by Patrick Geddes in his 1915 book Cities in Evolution. Jean Gottmann popularised
this term in 1961. A megalopolis (sometimes called a megapolis, also megaregion or supercity) is
typically defined as a chain of roughly
adjacent metropolitan areas, which may
be somewhat separated or may merge
into a continuous urban region.

Megalopolis is derived from Greek :

megas meaning great and polis meaning
city, therefore literally a ‘great city’. This
term is closer in meaning to megacity.
Gottmann defined its population as 25
million. Doxiadis defined a small
megalopolis a similar cluster with a
population of about 10 million.

PRIMARY CITY

A primary city (Latin : ‘prime, first rank) is the largest city in its country or region, disproportionately
larger than any other in the urban hierarchy. First proposed by geographer Mark Jefferson in 1939. He
defines a primary city as being “at least twice as large as the next largest city and more than twice as
significant’. Among the best known examples of primary cities are London and paris.

MORPHOLOGY OF RURAL SETTLEMENT

Morphology refers to the internal structure or the constructional plan of a village which includes the
layout of streets and roads, arrangement of houses, pattern of housing, geometrical size and shape of
village and agricultural fields, location of either the water body, religious site or the house of the village
headman.

Rural Morphology include Physical Morphology and Social Morphology.

PHYSICAL MORPHOLOGY

Physical Morphology includes the study of the relationship between the following:

Road to Lane relationship It includes how roads are connected to lanes.

Lane to Lane relationship It is description of geometrical arrangement of lanes. How are they
connected to each other and ending at what points. In Indian villages, lanes are extremely narrow
meandering and ending abruptly. This shows unplanned character of Indian villages. In UK, cruciform
villages have all the lanes cutting across 90 degree, because they are planned villages.

Lane to House relationship Geometry of lanes determines the arrangement of houses because houses
grow along lanes. In India, lanes are largely unplanned and arrangement of houses determines the
lane type.

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House to House relationship Physical morphology is also determined by the spacing between the
houses. In clustered villages, houses are unevenly spaced or they have wall to wall arrangement.
Houses are hardly according to geometrical plan and their average height is variable. There is
clustering of houses based on social structure / cast system. House type can range from Pucca to
kutcha and in older parts of the villages, ventilation is closed to the roof (depends on the whether
village is developed or not)

SOCIAL MORPHOLOGY

It refers to the social structure of a village which is based on cast or class. In Indian villages, caste
hierarchy is reflected in the morphology of villages. Social factors like division of work, untouchability,
social prohibition over the work of women and lower casts had all led to a distinct social morphology
of rural settlements from urban ones.

The following factors affect the following morphological character of villages :

Arrangement of buildings, Pattern of streets and fields, Functional characteristics of settlement.

Eg: the houses of higher cast people like Brahmins and Rajputs would be large and people from the
ower cast would have huts, kutcha houses with cattle.

The intermediate regions of rural settlement comprise of the people of service casts like Ahirs, Jats,
Loth etc. Cast based hamlets at times emerge. These are closely linked with centre under the jajmani
system (inter cast cooperation like higher cast people requiring lower cast people for some specific
work) and act like unit.

DOXIADIS CLASSFICATION OF RURAL MORPHOLOGY

Earliest attempt to classify rural morphology was done by Doxiadis. He classified rural morphology
into four sectors :

1. Homogenous sector / Village core

2. Transitional Zone
3. Circulatory Part
4. Special Part

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HOMOGENOUS SECTOR / VILLAGE

 Central part of the Village

 Religious site, water body or Zamindar / Village Headmans’s house or community land.
 Surrounded by own caste man of village Zaindar
 Most densely populated region and congested part of the village reflecting patriarchal society
and security concerns.

TRANSITIONAL ZONE

 This part is occupied by the village servicemen. Eg. Goldsmith, Blacksmith, Milkman, Weavers
etc.,
 This Zone is attached with the core of the village where middle caste people are mixed with
poor upper caste people.
 This zone is also known as Artisans zone.

CIRCULATORY PART

 It is the outer periphery of the village where new houses and settlers have been migrated or
settled outward due to congestion of the core
 Thus, this zone has mixed land use in terms of social structure

SPECIAL PART

 It was occupied by landless labours outside the village close to farmlands because of work
opportunities on field and social segregations.
 They are usually the people from the lower castes.

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