Transformative Teaching

Abstract

The traditional Indian architecture invokes timeless quality and remains relevant to the contemporary urban settings, because it follows a collective concurrence of shared values and deep-rooted traditions. It is a manifestation of the local socio-cultural beliefs and systems. Eternal & ever infusing, it relies strongly on the fundamental attributes of space making from access and movement, sequencing of spaces, movement through the spaces, dynamic and flexible notions of the built, scale and proportion, quality of light and shade and the relationship between the built and the unbuilt. The study attempted to identify and understand these fundamental attributes of space making, in the historic precinct of Chikkajala Fort, Bengaluru. The process that had been adapted for the creation of the documentation involved mapping space nuances and elements for their sensorial, experiential and associational qualities. Further, an academic exercise was formulated to interpret the relevance of the deciphered spatial narratives in context of a contemporary urban setting. The study concluded by recording the responses indicating that such timeless spaces establish a relationship with the user and condition user’s perception, independent of the cultural background. Such architecture, therefore, needs to be understood as a continuum of the traditional knowledge system and should be interpreted through perceptual and associational values and not only by the abstract constructs of the geometrical-form finding or static configurations of the ornamented built frontages.