Proceedings of the International conference on Applied Research in Engineering,Science and Technology
Year: 2018 | Page No:63-74
DOI: http://www.doi.org/10.33422/icarest.2018.09.42
Narration of Architecture and Built form in the Context of Changing Urban Milieu
Ar. Bhagyalaxmi S Madapur, Ar. Shanu Raina
ABSTRACT:
Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody’ – Jane Jacobs An urban area, with its complex landscape is the frontier of any modern world country offering enriching quality of life to its dwellers. Historically we have witnessed evolution of several resolute examples of great cities shaped by deep rooted understanding of environment, spatial and cultural preferences, and indigenous forms of knowledge, wisdom and skills. These great cities justifiably provided a backdrop for the progression of architecture and built form vocabulary positioned in a specific place and time.
However in the cities of developing countries like India, the rapidly changing urban environmental context which is epitomized through standalone built forms devoid of their contextual settings and its subsequent catastrophes such as degradation of natural and manmade landscapes, floods, water scarcity, congestion, deficiency of affordable housing, lack of accessible amenities, increasing non-inclusiveness (both spatially and socially), increasing mass of characterless manifestations of architecture and urbanism, etc. are rendering these urban areas as muddled models of unorganized growth. These mounting issues have been reflecting upon the fact that it is injustice to represent an urban area only through the lenses of unconnected architecture and built form.
Additionally, our architecture and urban design /planning discourses are increasingly being practiced within a paradigm borrowed from elsewhere which essentially do not recognize co-existing commons resulting in obvious paradoxes in the design and production of architecture and built form.
This paper attempts to shed light on the vital necessity of new narratives that are far more favoring in the advancement of comprehensive ecological thinking of the urban habitat where spheres such as environment, culture, spatial – social equity, economy, shelter, energy, water, food and mobility are seen as equally important contexts in the evolution of an urban milieu well balanced among its context, architecture and built forms.
Keywords: Architecture, Built form, Context, Urban Milieu, Narratives.