Exploring the Indigenous Construction Techniques and Reinterpreting them in the Modern Context

The studio focuses on imparting an understanding of vernacular construction systems of three different regions in India using locally available materials. Students will design a small workspace for craftspersons making critical improvisations in the existing vernacular construction system to make it suitable for modern requirements. Vernacular construction systems are inherently cross-disciplinary, as its practitioners are trained to think about the process of making as an overall derivative of material properties, spatial utility, idiosyncrasies as well as climate, all at the same time. This stands in contrast with a compartmentalized approach, often evident in contemporary approaches in practice and pedagogy. Thus, looking towards the vernacular methods of construction can create a fecund ground to achieve the above-mentioned understanding. Students will look at the works of some master builders who have successfully blurred the boundaries between architecture and engineering such as Geoffery Bawa in Sri Lanka, Hassan Fathy in Egypt, D D Contractor, and Chitra Vishwanath in India.