architectural design research

From Folder : BENARAS

The soothing and pastel colours in the courtyard enhances the light quality making it lively.

Internal courtyard of a house.

Verandah in a house, shielding the internal spaces to the external sunlit courtyard.

Verandah in a house, shielding the internal spaces to the external sunlit courtyard.

Notes for images – during using these images and mentioning the captions to them : 1.

Abstain from the romanticism of the old traditional houses, its architectural elements either interior or embellishments. The idea to communicate is that besides the romanticism and nostalgia towards these houses, there is a critically observed attitude which finds these houses in harmony to the natural environment and thereby sustainable.

2.

Efforts and elements like the courtyards, jaalis etc. besides providing aesthetics, are essentially important and critical elements of architecture which concerns us with the idea of their functionality. They allow light and air circulation which is self induced due to the pressure differences between outside and inside of the house, thus they are self-initiated and self-sufficient ‘systems’.

Though we do not have proofs on them being considered as such ‘systems’ but probably this is the aim with Go Green efforts- to recognize them as systems and integrate them in architectural practice over the stayed romanticism with such traditional elements in architecture.

3.

‘Courtyards’ where ever mentioned essentially saves energy by providing light and air circulation otherwise for which one installs electric lights or fans. Thus they are essentially important in that manner.

4. Images which are not included in the .doc file are mere repetitions of similar images which carry captions. Thus they have been avoided ther but could be used for future purposes.

From Folder : THEMATIC

The articulated faรงade becomes a layer before the living area. The decorated elements of the faรงade protect the inside while let filtered light and air enter inside.

The external courtyard with a layer of jharokha opening towards outside, brings filtered light and ventilate inside.

Inside of a courtyard in havelis with warm colour modulating the space with light and ventilating it further.

The sequence of courtyards and terraces mark the traditional havelis in Rajasthan. Marked with all traditional elements of architectural controls on their front face the havelis back to back and other on side create courtyards as protected well for light and ventilation.

Frequent openings in the roof at transition spaces characterizes the traditional house forms by introducing natural light to the service spaces, otherwise neglected.

The following sheet present an overlook into the varieties of courtyards in traditional houses found across India. Characterizing courtyard as an essential element in traditional built forms of the country, though they might vary in size or location but have always been integrated much due to light and ventilation purposes besides socistal and other functional use of family.

The courtyard in a pol house which works again for introducing light and ventilation into the inside of a house. Such courtyards allow to save installation of extra illumination in the house, thereby making their environment natural and more sustainable. (ignore the image above)

An internal courtyard in a Jodhpur house, where the common functions are arranged around the courtyard where it provides light throughout the whole day and keep the air change occur for maintaining natural environment.

An upper level external courtyard.

The articulated elements in a courtyard of a haveli, function as modulators of external environment against the internal environment, protecting the inside but at the same time connecting inside to the outside.

The use of terraces in traditional houses allows for functions being carried out in open sky allowing to maintain the traditional lifestyle.

The jharokhas and the jaalis on the faรงade of the traditional houses work as both embellishers as well as environment controllers. Each city has its specific need with such elements and thus they differ in their opening on the street. The ones more covered are found such due to privacy reasons and its orientation of the house.

The extra layer of such projections provide shade to the spaces under where the windows open and thus remain shaded and thus cool.

Internal courtyard and terraces in traditional houses.

Architectural control elements like jharokha.

In the drawings note the modulator elements on faรงade while in the section (left top) the jharokha placed as transition space protects the inside while modulating the light and air inside.

From Folder : NEW FOLDER

Intricate jaali work as modulator of light and air.

Intricate jaali work as modulator of light and air.

Pavilions and terraces as Indian architectural elements of space making.

Narrow width streets (Jaisalmer) provides shade and shadow during high sun. while their faรงade with jharokhas and jaalis act as architectural controls.

(Top) The discreet spatial arrangement of units in Kerela with intermittent open spaces allow the air movement in the house complex, besides providing spaces for daily activities, which are marked with plantations and water structures of the house. Such an approach is seen as the house being self-sufficient for its needs and thus more sustainable in the broader sense.

(Below) The transitional space between (verandah, in north India) works as circulation space as well as climate modulator for spaces inside, allowing porosity of air and view towards outside, in the hot humid climate of Kerela.

From Folder : INDIAN ARCHITECTURE

Besides the noted hierarchy of public and private spaces, the haveli has intermittent courtyards which open up the house and prvide shade and shadows which are well represented in the drawing here, making internal common spaces habitable even during day time. The high walls on the side mark the significance of courtyards as light and air wells.

The clerestory or the roof windows allow ventilation and light penetration into the inside dark spaces.

From Folder : FATHY

The jaali or screen filters light inside.

(top left) Wind catcher and jharokha in Egypt house. (bottom left) Wind catcher with protection screen. (bottom right) an external courtyard in an Egypt house with climate modulators like plantation.

(top) Note the mechanism of the wind catcher which drafts the outside hot wind inside cooling it in the process to divert it inside into the big volume where with diffusion it becomes cool. The wind besides cooling the internal temperature also allow air movement maintaining air change. (bottom) the elevation of house derives its architectural language from the screens or jaalis that make the house porous. Thus jaalis become the aesthetic element providing architectural language to the house.

The jaali or screen modulating light from outside to inside in warm hues.

Screens or jaalis in the market are in Egypt, providing ventilation and light.

Made up of natural earth these structures also provide a characteristic architectural style.

Integration of a courtyard with the thick wall construction of the region.

The courtyard protects and shields and with plantation inside creates a micro-environment inside the house in the hot-arid region, making it comfortable and naturally livable environment.

Also note the intermittent niches which work as windows where jaalis are placed to connect the outside to inside.

The courtyard here does not function with the same principles with that of the Indian courtyard (convection current drafts of windinside) but is simply a spatial interlude towards the harsh climate outside the house.

And thus there are not many openings within its walls towards inside, where there is cool air maintained.

The wind catcher with the top opening in the roof in the shape of the elevated skylight, make the internal environment aerated and cool by inducing the air movement throught he wind catchers.

(bottom) the roof trusses which are installed on wind catchers are made up of local materials and allow the same function as the wind catchers with other conventional materials,

From Folder : KERELA

The mechanism with which Kerela houses work, explained in this sketch.

The house layout sketch. (refer the text on Kerela houses to relate).