BUILDING HUMANE INTEGRATED HOMES
Homes
we build for ourselves to stay and live on become the everlasting part of our
existence. During their construction process if enough attention is paid to
some fundamental issues of how we relate to the spaces that we live in, we can
end up with putting into shape of humanizing living space.
Usually
this aspect is never looked into. A building is normally designed based on two
fundamental design parameters such as form and function. Form means the way the
building looks. Function is the overall utility aspects of it. A judicious
blend of fundamental principles of architecture and building design results in
the creation of an humane and integrated Home.
For
example in a remote village in Kerala we witness Puthupparambil which is a
traditional nalukettu, that means a courtyard house, the building, its
complementary structures, inner and outer spaces make an interesting study, and
overall making one really feel at home, there.
The rooms in the house are very compact. The walls painted with lime are
white in colour. The ceiling and doors, done in jack wood, are just high enough
for people to walk below. The central open-to-sky courtyard is only ten by ten
feet in size. It brings in a lot of light, air and even rain inside the house.
There is a thookukattil, a hanging cot, in the open living area adjoining the
courtyard. The hanging cot is used by the visitors who can sit on it, gently
swing it back and forth and think of things past and future. This structure is
endearingly different because the entire structure exudes an humanizing
atmosphere.
Among
the two fundamental design parameters the form, in turn, is determined by other
variables like Scale, Climate etc., and complimented with other factors such as
technology, materials, colour etc.,
When
the aspect of humanizing has to be effectuated, the first step will be to bring
the functionality of the house down to the minimum possible level.
Minimalisation was one of the golden rules followed by the master designers of
yester years. Minimalisation is
discarding all that is avoidable.
The
second rule is to choose the right form for the house. One of the parameters
that decides the form is scale. Scale can be defined as the dimensional
relationship of human body with the space and objects it come in contact with.
It is a conceptual tool that architects and designers use when they design
buildings and other forms of built spaces.
Scale
undoubtedly plays an important role in rendering character to a space. Exactly
due to this reason, the living room inside a house begins to look like a hotel
lobby and bed room a dormitory, if the scale is wrong. The bigger the scale is,
the more intimidating and less intimate the house and its interior spaces will
be. In other words, a house becomes more humane when you scale the spaces down
from big to the optimum level.
Climate
has always played a dominant role in determining the physical form of the
dwellings. The life in a typical village in our country presents a classic
example. The house a villager lives in, forms just a part of the environment
that he uses for his daily life. Apart
from the house, the property that he dwells in, will usually have a well, a
cowshed, a front, side and rear yard. The front yard will have platforms
constructed below the trees for entertaining guests. The side and rear yard
will be used for growing vegetables, drying grains and washing dishes.
Thus
the house gets integrated with its surroundings completely. In totality, the
whole property on which the house sits becomes the house. This is one of basic concepts of a true
habitat. A habitat should be the most
humanized form of a house.
India
is blessed with a tropical climate and we can exploit those benefits. Hence, it
is paramount to adopt a planning style commonly known as 'open architecture'.
The buildings have to be planned in such a fashion that the rooms become airy
and well lit. They could be integrated with internal courtyards and gardens and
external open spaces as well. This, in
turn, will help to reduce the energy consumption by artificial air-conditioning
and lighting systems. This is all the
more important in today's context because our Nation is facing an energy
crisis.
Other
than the planning principles that one uses in the buildings, the materials that
are used for construction also play an important role in humanising our houses.
The more we try and reduce the use of heat retaining materials such as concrete
and glass and switch over to natural materials such as bricks, wood and
terracotta the more humane we can make our houses. Actually the locally available materials are
cheaper than other imported glass and aluminium from foreign countries.
To
the maximum extent possible, we should try to humanize the spaces that we live
in. When that humanizing process is complete, our habitat helps us to integrate
ourselves mentally and physically with our surroundings in a better way.
For More...........:
No comments:
Post a Comment