Research & Consultancy

Graham Foundation

Tracing the language of the spatial configuration of housing blocks in the post-colonial architecture of India

Housing blocks are basic units of urban design and planning. The layouts of the plots in the blocks are major factors influencing the constraints of designing buildings in them. There are fewer studies on the built environment at the block level. The design considerations at the block level are many times overlooked. The design considerations at the block level fall between the architectural level and the planning level of the layout.

Housing blocks are basic units of urban design and planning. The layouts of the plots in the blocks are major factors influencing the constraints of designing buildings in them. There are fewer studies on the built environment at the block level. The design considerations at the block level are many times overlooked. The design considerations at the block level fall between the architectural level and the planning level of the layout.

Taking them as the inspiration, we move towards tracing the language of the spatial configuration of housing blocks in the post-colonial architecture of India. There are several designed housing blocks by eminent architects in the post-colonial period. These outcomes are a synthesis of traditional knowledge, modern thought, modern requirements and aspirations.

The focus of the research is on low-rise and medium dense residential environments.

The major outcome of the project would be to develop a set of componential design ideas. These ideas would be the outcomes of the research. These ideas would be scale modeled and evaluated from a social and climatic analogy. They would form the major portion of the exhibited content.

These design ideas would be scalable, replicable and customizable. They would be backed by social reasoning and climatic logic. In an area less explored, these outcomes of the research would form an optimal contemporary discourse on architecture.