4 research outputs found
A study of transition spaces in traditional houses of Tamil Nadu
No full text426-432Architecture is inevitably a mechanism for social purposes that could impact the personal and public levels.
While architecture is used in many different ways, the arrangement and structure of places are fundamental and
essential to people's lives. Thus, the people started to create spaces allowing them to eat, sleep, worship, learn, argue,
recreate, and so on in a specific timeframe that has been subjected to the tradition and culture of people. This study is
about one such traditional transition space - the thinnai that creates connectivity between the public and private zones
in a housing typology. As evolution occurs, these structures, intended for various activities, have vanished, and
compound wall structures have enclosed the dwellings. This shortens the connectivity to the external environment. In
southern India, the thinnai spaces serve various socio-cultural activities. The typology of the thinnai spaces differs
according to the regions of settlement, occupation and religious practices. Such spaces have been recreated due to the
refurbishment of the buildings, which will not require them to serve their purpose. The main objective of the paper is
to document and analyze the transitional spaces (known as thinnai or raised platform) prevailing near the entrance in
the varied typology of traditional houses in a village in Tamil Nadu and to classify them based on the thresholds. The
qualitative study was carried out through intense documentation analysis of transition spaces near thresholds in the
varied typology of traditional houses in Mangalrevu village Tamil Nadu. The result of the study showed that the
transitional spaces that exist near thresholds in traditional buildings have demonstrated extensive functionality and lie
in harmony with the people's lifestyle. Further, the authors also classified the types of transition spaces with respect to
the thresholds. It is considered the need of the hour to replicate these structures with the same meaning in modern
dwellings without any compromises
Climate responsive design principles in Dravidian temples: A case study of Nellaiyappar temple
Get PDF298-305The main objective of this paper is to focus on climate responsive design strategies adopted in one of the Dravidian temples, the Nellaiyappar temple, Tirunelveli, as a case example. Temples were the main gathering space and also a source of recreation in the olden days. The temple complexes are spaces with cultural vibrancy. The areas in and around the temple complexes are designed with consideration of the local climatic factors. Each space is designed per the activity, rituals held, and the climatic considerations of that region. In pursuing the investigation, the paper focuses on two main objectives. The first part of the study was to analyse the evolution of Dravidian temples with ages and its space planning within the temple complex. The planning of the temple complex and the materials used in the construction have crossed several transitions, starting from the rock-cut temples to structural temples. The evolution happened across various dynasties, from the Pallava dynasty to Nayaks. The second part of the study was to investigate the influence of climatic factors of the place on the planning of the temple and its precincts. Directly or indirectly, the climatic condition of the site controls the planning features and materials used in construction. Literature analyses of both objectives were done, and to examine them, Nellaiyappar temple, Tirunelveli, was taken as a case example. The study was done using a single method analysis that includes qualitative analysis. This qualitative study was done by a live case study visit to the temples, and further investigation was conducted by reading the plans, photographs, sketches, and sections. The entire temple complex was analysed qualitatively and found that responsive climate strategies were evident in the Nellaiyappar temple, and the design ideas may be adopted in modern temple typologies
A study of transition spaces in traditional houses of Tamil Nadu
Get PDFArchitecture is inevitably a mechanism for social purposes that could impact the personal and public levels. While architecture is used in many different ways, the arrangement and structure of places are fundamental and essential to people's lives. Thus, the people started to create spaces allowing them to eat, sleep, worship, learn, argue, recreate, and so on in a specific timeframe that has been subjected to the tradition and culture of people. This study is about one such traditional transition space - the thinnai that creates connectivity between the public and private zones in a housing typology. As evolution occurs, these structures, intended for various activities, have vanished, and compound wall structures have enclosed the dwellings. This shortens the connectivity to the external environment. In southern India, the thinnai spaces serve various socio-cultural activities. The typology of the thinnai spaces differs according to the regions of settlement, occupation and religious practices. Such spaces have been recreated due to the refurbishment of the buildings, which will not require them to serve their purpose. The main objective of the paper is to document and analyze the transitional spaces (known as thinnai or raised platform) prevailing near the entrance in the varied typology of traditional houses in a village in Tamil Nadu and to classify them based on the thresholds. The qualitative study was carried out through intense documentation analysis of transition spaces near thresholds in the varied typology of traditional houses in Mangalrevu village Tamil Nadu. The result of the study showed that the transitional spaces that exist near thresholds in traditional buildings have demonstrated extensive functionality and lie in harmony with the people's lifestyle. Further, the authors also classified the types of transition spaces with respect to the thresholds. It is considered the need of the hour to replicate these structures with the same meaning in modern dwellings without any compromises
Climate responsive design principles in Dravidian temples A case study of Nellaiappar temple
Get PDFThe main objective of this paper is to focus on climate responsive design strategies adopted in one of the Dravidian temples, the Nellaiyappar temple, Tirunelveli, as a case example. Temples were the main gathering space and also a source of recreation in the olden days. The temple complexes are spaces with cultural vibrancy. The areas in and around the temple complexes are designed with consideration of the local climatic factors. Each space is designed per the activity, rituals held, and the climatic considerations of that region. In pursuing the investigation, the paper focuses on two main objectives. The first part of the study was to analyse the evolution of Dravidian temples with ages and its space planning within the temple complex. The planning of the temple complex and the materials used in the construction have crossed several transitions, starting from the rock-cut temples to structural temples. The evolution happened across various dynasties, from the Pallava dynasty to Nayaks. The second part of the study was to investigate the influence of climatic factors of the place on the planning of the temple and its precincts. Directly or indirectly, the climatic condition of the site controls the planning features and materials used in construction. Literature analyses of both objectives were done, and to examine them, Nellaiyappar temple, Tirunelveli, was taken as a case example. The study was done using a single method analysis that includes qualitative analysis. This qualitative study was done by a live case study visit to the temples, and further investigation was conducted by reading the plans, photographs, sketches, and sections. The entire temple complex was analysed qualitatively and found that responsive climate strategies were evident in the Nellaiyappar temple, and the design ideas may be adopted in modern temple typologies
