Spatial Histography_Humanities_2020-21 by aoa_confluence_2022

HISTORIOGRAPHY A compilation of Humanities Studio First Year Batch 2020-21

Academy of Architecture (A) Artwork by- Khushi Pednekar

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TUTORS Neha Panchal Avneet Kaur Waraich

Ronak Savla Anisha Mehta

OVERVIEW

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CONTENT

TITLE

AUTHOR

PAGE NO

aalay Untangled

Riddhi Deshmukh

Analysing Changes

Janhavi Jadhav

Patilchawl Rewinds

Sandesh Jadhav

Search For Spatial Equilibrium

Ved Joshi

Changing Constants

Riya Khinvasara

Spatial Vishleshan

Mohit Pandkarkame

Tabdiliyaan

Tasneem Vali

Unfolding The Vinchurkars’

Sharayu Vinchurkar

Spaces Speak Volumes

Shanaya Wadia

Spatial Historography

AALAY UNTANGLED

INTRODUCTION

From 1957 to 2021, a series of changes took place in our home which had a great impact on our family. The transformation from nuclear to joint family was a remarkable change in the whole series as shifting from a village to a city marked modernization in thoughts and activities. There was a great change in the site context of the house leaving a great impact on our life like more privacy, proper space management, decrease in space leading to change in leisure activities. The current house comprises ten members.

Spatial Historography

Left to Right: 1.Plan and Section of Current House 2.Identity of current house 3. Location of current house and its connectivity to neighbouring areas. 4. Plan and Section of Ancestral House 5. Location of ancestral house and its connectivity to neighbouring areas.

My ancestral house is popularly known as ‘Bangla’ is the only house in the village connected to its farm, has a temple, outhouse, godown, and is close to railway lines. While the current house is in a colony consisting of a temple, water tank, and houses. Regarding the Identity of both houses, religious pictures and writings are given the most important as we consider them to protect us from all the evils. Moreover, now we live in a colony whereas the ancestral house was on the outskirts of a village with Ridhapurcha Bangla(Ancestral House) with very few or no neighbors. The identity of the houses is well described in the images shown.

Spatial Historography

Left to Right: 1.Movement of family members in entire house and the way of using the space varies according to the activities therefore increasing the value of the space. arrangement(Current House) 2.Privacy spacess 3.Change in the color depicts the level of privacy of each spaces (Ancestral House).

PRIVACY We live in a Joint family so privacy is the main factor to be taken care of. It is considered that privacy provides respect for every individual, it provides power to choose our thoughts and feelings, and safety. The privacy in our house is divided into three parts namely public, semi-private, and private spaces. Mostly the rooms on the ground floor are public and semi-private spaces while the first and second floors are completely private. Even changes in the materials used in windows and the use of curtains depict the level of privacy. The spaces of the ground floor are frequented by all the family members due to the space and the elements it encompasses.

Spatial Historography

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS Left to Right: 1.Change in sleeping arrangement(Current House) 2.Seasonal adaptations affecting use of spaces 3. Change in Eating arrangements. 4. Change in Pooja arrangements.

Festivals like Diwali,and events like marriages lead to changes in arrangements of elements in the spaces. Specific changes like the alignment of sofas, etc. depend upon the number of guests arriving. All the unnecessary stuff is dumped in the room and the addition of new elements like new sofa covers, bed sheets, carpets, etc. takes place room to show the best in the house. Decorating the house is a respectful gesture towards guests to invite them with all open hearts. Sleeping arrangements, pooja arrangements, and eating arrangements solely depend upon the number of guests being invited. Since the verandah is the largest space next to the front yard so whenever we have to accommodate guests more than 12 people, it takes place in the verandah.

Spatial Historography

Left to Right: 1.Interaction with neighbourhood and activities(Ancestral house) 2.Marking terrioeries(Ancestral house) 3. .Interaction with neighbourhood (Current house)

INTERACTION WITH NEIGHBOURHOOD AND MARKING TERRIOTERIES

Interaction with neighbors mostly depends upon the type of compound wall, the window every exterior wall comprises of, the alignment of neighboring houses, and the age group. In our current house, the height of the compound wall is 0.91m from all sides leaving the backyard whose height is 3.2m. The most interacted neighbors are the ones on the right side as the family has two kids having the same age as my sister so they prefer playing in the front yard of the house while the compound wall is quite low in height so mother prefers direct talk with neighboring aunt across the wall. Interactions are marked by direct visiting of neighbors at our space as the Bangla was directly connected to farm or the road networks Marking territories are observed in both the houses depending solely upon the comfort the particular space provides to the family members and the element space encompasses.

Spatial Historography

Left to Right: 1. PLAN- Nana-Nani’s home 2. Section- Nana-Nani’s home 3. Current home section 4. Usage of spaces- current home 5. Usage of spaces- ancestral home 6. Behavorial patterns observed

STUDYING THE SPACES In the plans, the colour patches show the predominant members in the respective rooms, and the size of the circles varies with the involvement of the member in each room. One can observe how each family member now has a designated space or territory within the house, and how they exert dominance. By observing the drawings, a shift can be observed in “gender-specific” roles, and participation of family members.

Spatial Historography

The house is spacious, well ventilated, and well lit throughout the day because of the east and west facing windows and openings. The view on the east side is a huge farm adjacent to our society, and on the west we have the common lawn for our society. The apartment has 1800 sq. feet carpet area which allows us to move comfortably throughout the house.

Nani and Nana shifted to Kala Nagar, Bandra in the 1960s. A quaint 1BHK, which was later converted into a 2BHK (by enclosing a part of their front yard as a spare room) as the family grew. There, nani and nana resided with their 4 children and 3 pet dogs. The home had tiny spaces which were utilised to the fullest by nani nana. It was oldfashioned- the furniture, the tapestries, the television, the flooring- everything.

Certain changes occur with seasons and festivals. Festivals were celebrated as a community back in the day, whereas now- as a nuclear family- the celebration is scaled down. Seasonal activities were more predominant in the ancestral house, such as drying chillies and pickle-making.

Spatial Historography

LOCALITY AND SECURITY Security has been given much more importance in the present age, with our current home. The intercom system has also caused reduced interaction amongst residents, and we generally meet our neighbours for dinners or lunches outside of our home. Our location places us closer to almost all our necessities such as healthcare, farm fresh groceries, retail outlets, and an educational institute. Whereas due to the absence of layered security, nani nana’s home was more easily accessible. The layout of the colonies and buildings increased interaction among members. Neighbourhoods had salient features which gave an insight into the lifestyle back then- such as milk booths, proximity to family doctors, ‘patrakaar’ colony, etc.

Security has 3 layers in our present home- the main entrance to the society, the building lobby, and our doorstep security system. Privacy now has much more importance. Amenities are added with the betterment in financial conditions- such as ample parking, intercom systems, CCTV surveillance.

Security wasn’t given much importance, and the ancestral home was easily accessiblejust a doorbell ring away. Spaces were divided into colonies and according to income groups. Community living was emphasized, which can be observed through the common spaces shared by the colonies.

Spatial Historography

PATILCHAWL REWINDS

INTRODUCTION

Talking about ancestral home, it had less amenities (requirements) due to urban development. Image title

Spatial Historography

1.Ancestoral home plan 2.Ancestoral home section 3.present home 1st and 2nd floor plan 4.Section along breadth 5.Section along lengthRoom 1.Section through Living Room

Trees in locality got reduced due to deforestation, development and increase in settlements. Arrangement of bathroom and kitchen was interchanged after rebuilding due to ventilation requirement. previously females were involved in all kitchen activities, while in present home males too have interaction with kitchen space. My all 3 houses were close to each other, due to nearby school and job facilities.

Spatial Historography

1.mid-age home plan 2.mid age home section 3.location on map 4.movement in all 3homes 5.light penetration and sitting arrangement in all 3 homesRoom

My different home being compact, the movement of all was common among spaces, and spaces were defined for members except in mid-age home, where the space was too much compact. Sitting arrangements, while having food was in a closed polygon in the ancestral home and mid-age home while in present it is quietly dispersed due to parental health restrictions Movements of members could be seen throughout the space, although spaces were shared by everyone. Alterations were made maintaining privacy and defining each ones space.

Spatial Historography

Generally, the arrangement of furniture isn’t changed. But, during a lot of people accommodating at our place chairs are placed outside, while beds and tables are moved to corner spaces making the room more open as per comfort. Suitcases were kept on cupboards thereby eliminating space occupied on the floor.

Being Maharashtrian vaastu played important role, so depending on the setting and direction of the house door was mostly placed on the northwest side but in the present home, as the neighbor home fell on the west wall, it was hence put up on the north wall on the northwest corner. Based on the level and locality the air circulation into our spaces varied a lot.

Space outside was occupied by males on occasions, while females defined inner space as per preparation work divided among them. The guest was allowed to sleep at the neighbour’s due to space constraints. Sleeping arrangements widely varied during guests which directly influenced furniture settings.

Spatial Historography

Spatial occupancy

Festivals and events

Surrounding and locality

Back then, grandparents had traditional methods and techniques to follow out process making life easier and which in turn followed even today., most of the things are done using advanced equipment and not manually. Maybe because of the gap in passing on the methods from generation to generation and also eagerness to adopt new technology.

The number of people accommodating at home depends upon the enthusiasm and excitement of the particular festival. the spaces for ritual performances were defined based on what we must see when we enter our home. Previously in the ancestral home, a large number of members used to live with fewer facilities and assets while presently less number of people hold more assets and advanced things.

Outer spaces chairs were mostly occupied by females due to their long talks and simultaneously work of home, while males talks seemed too short at doorways and passing by. Animals preferred to stay at doors and over roof depending upon time and weather conditions generally they don’t enter home except for having food.

present

mid-age

ancestral

Spatial Historography

GIFs

Spatial Historography

SEARCH FOR SPATIAL EQUILIBRIUM

INTRODUCTION

House is primarily expected to allow to run day-to-day life by maintaining religious belief system about worshiping, eating, cooking, healthy space to live and chances of making some modifications in respective circumstances to a minimal extent in both the ancestral and current home. But mainly due to change in economic conditions and life over some time the factors like privacy, space for celebrating various festivals and events on a large scale, gardening, etc were also taken into consideration and even spaces were modified permanently according to it. The ancestral house was built under influence of a traditional belief system where the space for cooking, eating, worshiping was very sacred and thus was provided with proportionately larger space, placing a toilet near the living area was considered impure. But these notions evolved in current house.

Spatial Historography

The everyday activities in the home majorly affect the internal arrangement of the house and vice versa depending mainly on the priorities and routine due to occupation of the house members. The architectural features of niches, sajjas , the direction of windows play a significant role in the functioning of daily lives instead of constraints of permeability and privacy in the house.

Use of various types of spaces depending on the degree of openness, privacy level, and amount of light and temperature in the respective place, as well as proper modification according to the season, is also a very important part of running day to day life efficiently.

Occupancy of space by various family members and the track they follow depends on their daily habits, physical condition, and their role in the house. The current house was initially built to make the movement within the house easier but due to various modifications and the addition of the room the movement within the house took a long time but some of the features in the house were added like privacy and more living and storage area.

Spatial Historography

Along with the variations in daily routine the festivals and the events occurring repeatedly also, play a very significant role in temporary as well as permanent modifications in the house due for two reasons firstly as the position of celebrating festivals in the house are modified and the festivals also bring guests which leads to further modifications within the house for accommodating the daily activities of increased people.. .

Different parts of the house is used specifically to celebrate different types of festivals depending mainly on directions and degree of openess.

Different types of spaces are used to performe different types of daily activities after arrival of guest. Mostly the regular positions of these activities changes depending on number of guests.

Spatial Historography

The surrounding of the house plays an integral role in influencing the daily life of the family. My current house was built at the time when the surrounding area was not developed, but when it started to develop it affected our house in various ways like some of the architectural features of the house become useless and it led to change in space use but on other hand now it increased the security as well as social life of the family member. The presence of public buildings like the temple and public park stimulates lots of events and atmosphere to spend leisure time. The production and availability of the various essential products like groceries, vegetables, milk in the neighborhood ensure proper quality of the product which overall increases the quality of life.

Plan of my neighbourhood and the sketches describing the ineraction of family members and house with neighbourhood.

Effects on different architectural elements of house due changes in neighbourhood.

Spatial Historography

Left to Right: 1.Practices still present 2.Identity of houses 3.Neighbourhood in Ancestral house 4.Mandap use by guests

The ancestral and current house has a significant difference in structures due to differences in availability of the materials, economic status, and neighborhood, but the arrangement and use of spaces have similarities to a large extent due to similar ideology of livening in a space.

Spatial Historography

CHANGING CONSTANTS

INTRODUCTION

Our native house is located along with one of the busiest streets in Sinner, Nashik. Situated in between 2 roads, it is very linear, with one room leading to another along a unidirectional path. It is built using locally available materials like timber, kaula, with chuna (limestone) and cow dung as plaster, which has now lead to the formation of cracks and wearing out of the walls. Low pitched sloping roofs are responsible for lower lintel levels of timber doors and windows on the second floor, which is now unused because of the same. The house is more or less based on Vastu, with the devghar across East-West direction and the bed in the bedroom facing South, etc. Though there is absence of big trees and plants around the house, still the weather remains pleasant due to the local material like cow dung which spread on the floor during Summers, to make the room cooler.

Spatial Historography

Left to Right: 1.Flow of spaces in current house 2.Areas around current house 3.Flow and Movement in children’s room 4.Flow of spaces in native house 5.Toilets then and now in native house 6.Toilet in native house

MOVEMENT AND FLOW The movement in the house is very fluid, with rooms interconnecting and not following a very linear path, unlike the native house. This has helped in free flow in the house with no restrictions while ensuring privacy at the same time. As one-room mixes with the other, there is no clear separation within the spaces and their use, but there is also a sense of well-defined boundaries that keep the spaces and their use defined.

Spatial Historography

Children’s bedroom on the East gets a lot of sunlight during the day which helps in keeping the room lit and fresh, on the other hand, the master’s bedroom on the same floor is pushed towards the North, keeping it less exposed to the Sun and hence maintaining shade and privacy in the room. Trees in the compound are placed along the East ensuring that they get a lot of sunlight throughout the day, helping them grow faster and healthier. Neighbourhoods played a very important role in socializing, as most of the kitty party members, lived in the same area and stayed quite close. But socializing in our current house is not the same, due to the advancement of our lifestyles, with almost everyone owning a vehicle and easy transport. The areas around our house have almost equal areas of built and unbuilt areas, hence leaving a lot of open space for small children to play, for trees and even for common areas.

Open areas in the house, like the compound and the terrace, are used for recreation and getting some fresh air. The trees surrounding the house keep the weather cool and provide shade in the compound, while the canopy keeps privacy in place.

Spatial Historography

EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES AND USE OF SPACE Our native house is located along with one of the busiest streets in Sinner, Nashik. Situated in between 2 roads, it is very linear, with one room leading to another along a unidirectional path. It is built using locally available materials like timber, kaula, with chuna (limestone) and cow dung as plaster, which has now lead to the formation of cracks and wearing out of the walls. Low pitched sloping roofs are responsible for lower lintel levels of timber doors and windows on the second floor, which is now unused because of the same. Our current house is located in a less rainfall area, in Sangamner. It is a two-story house, which was renovated a few years ago, it now has 2 bedrooms on the ground and first floor and a storeroom on the second floor. Most of the rooms in the house are rectangular with the furniture at sides, hence giving a lot of space for movement and circulation. Due to more number of rooms, we have well-defined areas for all the daily activities as well as storage.

These images show the use of spaces by various family members throughout the day in our native house.

Spatial Historography

SPATIAL VISHLESHAN

INTRODUCTION

Spatial historiography allowed us to observe analyse and infer the spaces which we were living for years and opened up our vision towards looking at spaces through the Architectural perspective. During this exercise I analaysed how different spaces interconnected with each other by studying my current house and the house in my native place In detail. As the space grows larger, the people occupying the space tend to spend their time alone in their private spaces. Even if there is no physical or visual barrier between the people ,proximity creates a new type of barrier in the spaces. The spaces are configured according to the demand with respect to time , privacy, event, social cultural factors and the relationship with the family.

Spatial Historography

HOME EVERYDAY Living in the city , constraints of the space has led the spaces not designed for a single task but for multiple tasks at every point in time. The same space act as study space, TV room , Dinner space ,Extention of the kitchen and the stairs (pairya) are used as a chatterbox for the neighborhood ladies. The furniture in the living room is arranged on the periphery leaving a empty space which is reconfigured according to the tasks. In contrast to the city home the spaces in the native house are designated for a particular tasks. As a person is at the door step of the house he could get a glance at the Devghar which has a huge window opening to wards the entry. The living room is used conventionally for family use as well as small public gatherings and leisure activities. The sitting space in the native house is more in accordance to the number of family members and the frequent nature of gatherings.

The spaces in the current home show hierarchy in factors concerning the usability, adaptability, volume, proximity, arrangement, and the overall capacity of the space. The neighborhood at our current home is quite informal and the houses look directly into each other. The common space between the houses is used for many purposes including drying clothes, pickles, papad and is also used for playing.

As the ally in front of the house is narrow the house is usually seen in s perspective where you see the house morphed. The house is raised by 2 feet above the ground, the windows have small plants.

Spatial Historography

PRIVACY AND PERMEABILITY

The percentage of distribution Of public space is more. The spaces like devghar are visually accessible to strangers.

These spaces are visually inaccessible but there are minimum physical barriers and are accessible to relatives and close neighbors.

There are minimum private spaces and the ground floor of the house is used by the family where as the first floor is totally dedicated to public use (baithak).

The ground floor has All the public and Semi public areas, which have a Visual exposure to an outsider. These areas are often accessed by Close neighbours ,relatives and friends and are majorly circulation spaces. The spaces like the bedrooms and toilets which are on the first floor to provide them privacy. And the spaces which are difficult to access.

Spatial Historography

CONFIGURATION The spaces evolve as the time passes by due to the factors like climatic changes, neighborhood, cultural beliefs, occupation, economy etc which has a diversed impact on the architecture of the houses. The spaces subconsciously Influence how a person feels and has an impact on his mental well-being. During festivals, the public spaces and the common community spaces in the proximity of the house are used about their connectivity in relation to the house.

Spatial Historography

The Privacy and permeability inside a space plays an important place in how the space space is going to be used. Physical barriers such as staircase ,curtains ,translucent window glass as well as the window grills also act as a visual barriers to provide intemacy to the spaces as the windows and the doors of houses look directly into each other.

The paths of circulation in the house are kept open and no furniture is allowed to be placed in its way. This makes it easy and convenient to navigate throughout the house. The sitting arrangement during our dinner shows how chronology affects the place where everybody sits. The ones who have the food first sit to wards the area marked in red without blockading the path to kitchen as the person carrying hot vessel can easy access the area.

Some spaces in the house are often used more and are preferred by the member this is because of the factors such as light, ventilation, views, Isolation, noise the space receives and the spaces which are around that particular space.

Spatial Historography

TABDILIYAAN

INTRODUCTION

For over a 100 years, my family has been residing in the same space in Nagpur, Maharashtra. In this span, the abode has transformed from an ancient haveli to a contemporary home. Each change was gradual but significant in shaping the identity of our home- Haroon Villa. Our ancestral home housed seven members- my great grandparents, my grandparents and their children. At the time of its construction, all my grandfather’s siblings lived here, however as they moved to expand their family half the house was rendered vacant with major occupancy on the ground level. There was no continuous boundary wall and a compound was shared with the neighbors. The current house portrays a more efficient use of space. With 10 members living together, each one of us have designated spaces to occupy.

Spatial Historography

Left to Right: 1.Neughbourhood 2.Permeability 3.Spatial Occupancy 4.Special Events

There was not much in terms of built form around my ancestral house. For this reason, it was easily identifiable as the ‘peeli mitti ke kaarkhaane ke saamne wala bangla’. The security was minimal with low boundary walls and just a wooden gate at the entrance. This shows a trust and understanding between neighbors. The central location and a big hall space allowed many events and functions to be hosted in this house. The hall could accommodate about a 100 people. Community meals during Ramadan, marriage functions, family get together- the house has been a witness to all. There was no proper maintenance of the outdoor space. Activities like washing clothes and utensils were done in the courtyard as the primary water source.

Spatial Historography

Most redevelopments in the house seem to have taken place at times of marriages. As the family expanded, there was a need for privacy so the earlier empty rooms were converted into livable bedrooms. The ancestral house had minimal furniture and all the storage was in the form of niches in the wall. This reduced the clutter and made the spaces seem more open. Today the excess of furniture seems to be a commentary on the vanity and needs of the present generation. Traditionally, toilets were located outside the living quarters to maintain hygiene in the house. Overtime they shifted inside and each bedroom had an en suite toilet. Water tanks were built and 3 water connections were bought to meet the growing needs. All the cooking was done while sitting on the floor in the older house, and the kitchen doubled as a dining space where all the members ate together in a thaal. The construction of the dining room was influenced by my grandmother who had a dining table in her maiden house. All of us ensure to have our meals together as a family to preserve the essence of a thaal.

Despite the many changes observed, both structural and in lifestyle, there are certain things that sustained. The tiled roof, the old wooden doors and windows, the parapet wall on the terrace are some of the things that can still be seen in certain parts of the house. At the same time, the older slab has been covered with a false ceiling in some parts to give the house a modern touch. In this way our house is a unique blend of time, where the past and the present collapse.

Spatial Historography

CHANGING WITH TIME Gradually with urbanization, the empty spaces around the house became building complexes. This affected our privacy as anyone could sneak a look at our daily affairs. The landscape and vegetation provided a solution. The compound wall is bordered with ashoka and other canopy trees like mango and neem which along with providing a pleasant surrounding also acted as a visual barrier. The neighborhood grew significantly and the name ‘Haroon Villa’ was coined by my grandmother for ease of identification. There is a considerable increase in the security in terms of barriers and gates before one enters the house. This trend has created a level of detachment between the neighbors.

There are certain spots in the house which we associate with certain family members. My grandmother for example can be seen tending to her vegetable garden in the backyard. All the trajectories of the members overlap in the dining room, living room and the veranda. These are spots for meals, board games and family time.

Outdoor spaces became an extension of the indoor environment and provide recreation outlets and spaces

Spatial Historography

UNFOLDING THE VINCHURKARS’

INTRODUCTION

Studying the ancestral home (Wada) located in Dhamangaon, Amravati, grandpa’s home and current home in Nashik truly unfold the evolution of the family. These housed 13, 5 and 4 members respectively. The shift from rural to urban setting saw many differences in the form of the house and its occupancy. The ancestral home designed and built by the family reflected the agrarian background with more space allotted to the cowshed, agricultural equipment and produce storage. Grandpa’s home and current home, both apartment flat residencies, accommodate the habitual activities in BHK system adapting the urban form according to habitual and traditional practices.

Spatial Historography

Left to Right: 1.View of ancestral home 2.Occupancy at ancestral home 3.View of grandpa’s home 4.Occupancy at grandpa’s home 5.View of current home 6.Occupancy at current home

The semi open spaces- the Chapri and the Angan in the ancestral house account as the primary feature distinguishing it form the urban homes. The Chapri in the ancestral home corresponds to the living room in the urban homes though the earlier was used for a wider spectrum of activities. All the activities from dawn to dusk, from pooja to eating to sleeping took place in the Chapri which could accommodate the large family unlike any other room. Today, these activities are staggered in distinct rooms specially designed according to the utility. Furthermore, the personalisation and privacy of these exterior spaces in the ancestral home faded off with the shared exteriors of the apartments.

Spatial Historography

Changing family structure and role of females in the family along with the restricted space availability merged the genderbased restrictions in the urban homes.

Whereas, the nature of familytime occupancy remained constant explaining the importance of intimacy and communication amongst members of the family.

Though members of the family did not have personal rooms, their affiliation with some particular space is prominent in all three homes.

Spatial Historography

The dynamic nature of houses is seen in their modifications according to the seasonal changes, festivals and for accommodating guests. The principles behind these changes, the customs, believes and cultural practices remained constant while their application in the space and thus the occupancy of the spaces changed with time.

Entertaining the guests and the idea of privacy and permeability while doing the same has been persistent.

Whatever the form of the house, the customs of the family modify the occupancy while the form, too, influences the customs.

Spatial Historiography

SPACES SPEAK VOLUMES

INTRODUCTION

Living in the same area for years makes me realise how much I have grown with my surroundings. The changes have been slow and gradual. In 2007-08, my area in Mumbai had lesser amenities. Now, there are new additions like new shops and societies, the monorail, the eastern freeway and encroachment by the slum-dwellers. When my great-grandfather had bought a plot for my ancestral home in 1947, Pune, the area was like a forest. Now the greenery has reduced to a great extent and bungalows and buildings are being erected. Though all the parts of the house are accessible by all the members of the house, we have spots where we like to spend our time. They are a reflection of us. My mother compromises a lot by giving up her preferred chair and the bed during the day. The occupancy of any space in my home is based on mutual understanding. Due to space constraints, we all make efforts so that all of us can have some personal space to ourselves for some time.

Spatial Historiography

Left to Right: 1. Plan and section of my current home 2. Plan and section of my ancestral home 3. Cross ventilation in my current home results in the slamming of doors 4. My east facing room in the ancestral home receives direct sunlight

The layout of my current home allows fantastic cross-ventilation all throughout the year. However, this often resulted in the slamming shut of the doors and chipping of the plaster. We, thus, had to install a magnetic and a kick-down door stopper. There is no cross-ventilation in my ancestral home as the central passage wall blocks the wind flow. Our east-facing room receives direct sunlight and it would become scorching hot during summers. As a result, the windows would have to be shut and the curtains, drawn. My relatives also believed in sprinkling water as the latent heat of vaporisation would result in cooling.

Spatial Historiography

My ancestral home has no security guard and just the lock-and-key mechanism has kept us safe all these years. However, in my society, a person goes through tight security in order to reach my door-step – from the ‘MyGate’ app to CCTV cameras.

This makes me wonder why are we so cautious today. Perhaps because the term ‘protection’ has been ingrained in me since childhood, I have never questioned this. Is there any benefit in secluding ourselves to a private and secure space at the cost of human interaction?

“And all you know, security Is mortals’ chiefest enemy.” -William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Spatial Historiography

My ancestral home has a lawn and most of the get-togethers took place there as we preferred fresh air to a closed and compact room. To overcome the space constraints in my current home, a few modifications like a sofa-cum-bed and an extended window sill have been made. It is observed that the living room is the common space in both the homes where the guests seat themselves. The bedrooms are a more private space and usually only my cousins access it as freely as I do. Since sleepovers have been an integral part of my childhood, adequate arrangements have been made by my parents to accommodate my cousins. These include the sofa-cum-bed and extra mattresses.

A common practice of decorating the entrance to the homes with chalk and toran (garland) is seen in both, my ancestral and current home. The space we live in is our identity and a warm and welcoming entrance sets a good first impression.

The bonds with the neighbours have grown stronger over the years. Whereas, in my ancestral home, interactions with the other bungalows’ occupants were rare as we (relatives) were content with each other’s company. The fact that there is no feeling of hostility or displacement with the constant change in the surroundings and living style is what makes my neighbourhood a home.

THANKYOU BATCH OF 2020-2021