AMS ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN II- RURAL STUDIES 2018

III Semester 2nd year

Objective of the Rural Study

Villages are under transformation. The socio economic profile is undergoing drastic change due
to opportunities for education, skill formation in the face of failing agricultural means. Tamil
Nadu with nearly 50% of its population is exerting pressure on the villages.

Villages were mostly self-sustained but in the recent years they have become increasingly
dependent on the neighboring towns and cities for means of livelihood, healthcare and
entertainment etc. This exercise is meant for the students to understand a human settlement, its
problems by means of surveys, analysis and draw inferences and finally propose solutions. The
students are expected to prepare a report and presentation to give an insight of the settlement,
Culture and the Socio- Economic aspect together with its problems.

The methodology of study is divided into 5 stages and these shall be carried out by five different
groups.

 Stage 1 - Data Collection

 Stage 2 - Documentation
 Stage 3 - Analysis of the Data and inferences
 Stage 4 - Identification of specific issues
 Stage 5 - Proposals to deal with the issues identified.

The groups are divided on the basis of Ekistics – the science of human settlements. These
groups depicts the elements of Ekistics (Nature, Anthropos, Society, Shells and Network),
while the remaining groups other details such as the Visual, History, Sustainability,
Anthropology.

S.N EKISTICS DESCRIPTION GROUPS

O concepts
1 Nature Physical -Settlement Group 1
2 Nature science –Ecology and Group 2
Environment
3 Network Infrastructure Group 3
4 Anthropos Demographic statistics Group 4
5 Society Social and Economics Group 5
6 Shells Building Typology Group 6

7 Visual Aesthetic blend Group7

8 History The past Group 8
 9 Sustainabilit Group 9
y
10 Anthropolog Cultural influence to built form Group 10
y

Goal of Ekistics – Human happiness, leading to the evolution of better human species by the
formation of appropriate human settlements achieved through the best combination of the five
elements.
In order to attain the goal of Ekistics, following ways are opted:
a. Study the whole subject of human settlements;
b. Conceive their future;
c. Act to shape the physical habitat, in order to implement the image we have conceived.

These ekistics points will elaborated with arch science of Social, Economics and the political
Background.

These groups are defined in detail below

GROUP.1

Nature Study – the earth and the natural site on which the settlements are built

 Geographical location, topography, environmental and ecological elements

 Physiology, Geology and Geomorphology-beach, coastal lowlands, coastal plains,
wave cut platforms, cliffed coast and cape
 Natural Resources
 Coastal erosion, coastal water bodies
 Climate and weather
 Wave climate and coastal response
 Flora, fauna and aquatic life.
 Measurement of temperature, wind and sound at different points
 Soft and hard landscape, parks and gardens
 Pollution and factors affecting nature
 By laws to preserve nature
 Nature as an influencing factor in the physical and psychological well being.
 Access to nature
 Nature as a catalyst agent for supporting way of life.

Deliverables by Group.1:

 Ecological Plan of the settlement

 Natural resources analysis
 Climate analysis
  Geographical analysis
 Quantitative and qualitative relevance of temperature, wind and sound
 Enlarged Layouts with details of the Landscape
 Supporting sketches, photographs and descriptive note
GROUP.2

Physical
 Mapping of physical layout of the settlement including the disposition of internal
roads and pathways, neighboring settlements and other proximities.
 Linkage with the neighboring settlements, proximity & connectivity with the
nearby towns and availability of the public transporting system.
 Mapping of the existing land use.
 Footprints of the settlement including major landmark buildings, public open
spaces such as parks, weekly market spaces, play grounds, water bodies including
public well if any.

Deliverables by Group.2:
 Location Plan of the settlement
 Base Maps
 Enlarged Layouts of selected areas
 Supporting sketches, photographs and descriptive notes
 Documentation of selected street elevation

GROUP.3

Networks – Group of system to interconnect things, resources or people

 Understanding the hierarchy of internal roads and other surface movement tracks and
pathways.
 Means of transportation such as carts, auto rickshaws, trucks, bus stops, etc.
 Notable Identification of source, transmission, substation and distribution of
Electrical Power.
 Source, collection, storage treatment and distribution of potable water including
identification of all natural water resources like bore wells, open wells, tanks, etc.
 System for managing sewage, storm water and solid waste if any.
 Communication networks, telephone, cables etc.
 Economic level of Infrastructure.
 Construction, maintenance and repairs of facilities

Deliverables by Group.3:

 Maps depicting all the systems

 Photographs of all the visible features and elements
 Supporting sketches and descriptive notes
  Village model

GROUP.4

Anthropos

 Gather details relating to total population, age and gender percentage, occupation
profile (detail of one household under different occupational group to be surveyed),
literacy level, income profile, spending patterns, etc.
 Population growth, inward and outward migration if any and their impact on the
settlement.
 Toddlers, young kids, girls, boys, teens, women, men, middle age, old age, senior
members
 Undivided family, patriarchal, matriarchal, nuclear
 Lifestyle, leadership, ownership.

Deliverables by Group.4:

 Documentation of data collected supported by charts and pie diagrams

GROUP.5

Society

 Understand the historical evolution of the settlement and the possible direction of the
future gro
 Describe existing common facilities in the village.
 Significance of cultural and religious events of the settlement.
 Population growth, inward and outward migration if any and their impact on the
settlement.
 Family, community, neighborhood, small colony, small town, small city, large city,
metropolis, megalopolis, ecumenopolis.
 Ethics, morality, judiciary, panchayat, municipality.
 Caste, class, revenue generation.
 Governance, democratically, law and order.

Deliverables by Group.5:

 Documentation of data collected supported by charts and pie diagrams

 Sketches of salient features such as Retail outlets, communing spaces, banks, etc.
supported by descriptive texts.
 Findings through interviews of locals and accounting of major deficiencies in
fulfilling socio economic needs.

GROUP.6
Shells-Building Typology

 To study and document typical building typologies such as small, medium and large
houses, work place-cum-living units, schools health centres, village offices, etc.

 Document all the architectural characteristics and relate them to the socio-economic
needs and/or constraints.
 Identify local construction details along with materials and technologies
deployed.
 Identify local decorative elements
 Provide an overview of the status (permanent, semi-permanent, temporary,
etc.) of the various structures.
 Aspects relating to lighting ventilation and levels of comfort achieved through
gadgets and equipments.
 Units, clusters, walling, roofing, flooring, fenestrations, transition spaces,
connections, stairs, steps, ramp, corridors.
 Hierarchy of privacy gradient, enclosed private space for individuals.
 Area cost of construction, location, taxes, water charge.
 Building byelaws, D.C. rules, side open spaces, society managements.

Deliverables by Group.6:

 Measured drawings documenting the various salient features.

 Photographs and texts to support
 Description of materials and construction deployed through sketches.
 Impact of changing life styles on buildings

GROUP.7

Visual Study

 Notable Architectural Features/details

 Street perspective showing both natural and man-made elements.
 Pictorial depiction of important landmarks and their visual impact on the settlement
 Pictorial and narrative depiction of rural scenes including outdoor activities
 Visuals highlighting the relationship between built and open spaces.

Deliverables by Group.7:

 Model to scale showing the street elevations and skyline details.

 Sketches showing the activities.
 Sketches & models focusing on selected and major landmark structures such as
schools, temples, mosques and churches.
GROUP.8

History Study – Study of past events with respect to present

 Study of historical importance of the village

 Understand historic Evolution and Planning Aspects of the village
 Study religious, cultural importance and its impact study
 Evolution and ancient Planning Aspect

Deliverables by Group.8:

 History mapping of the village

 Change in sky line, depicting evolution of the settlement

GROUP.9

Sustainability

Sustainability is the process of change in which the exploitation of resources the direction of
investments , the orientation of technological development and institutional change are all in
harmony and enhance both current and future potential to human needs and aspirations. The
sustainable development includes the following interconnected domains :Environment ,social
and the Economic .

Ways of living more sustainably can take many forms from reorganizing living conditions,
reappraising economic sectors or work sectors, using science to develop new technologies
,designing systems in a flexible and reversible manner and adjusting individual lifestyles that
conserve natural resources.

In the Rural set up, Sustainability is usually seen as blend with older practices. Documenting
these techniques will be the prime goal of this team.

Three basic need in rural development for the sustainable future is

 Improving or reducing the rural urban gap ,stamping out poverty and preventing
city migration
 Protecting and preserving natural landscape and cultural resources
 Ensuring universal access to food with a sustainable farming production.

The documentation should include the following domains to access to actual sustainability in the
rural areas in all sectors.

 Health and well being

 Village Infrastructure
  Water conservation
 Energy Availability and efficiency
 Materials and resources
 Social and community actions
 Any other Green innovations

Deliverables by Group.9

 Details, sketches, photographs of the green Practices identified.

 Identification of issues required to be addressed in the region.
 Implementation Strategies.
 Future outcome study.

GROUP.10

Anthropology group – Study of humans and human behavior

The built environment in which we live as humans, is an important matter. The architectural
landscape deeply structures our lives. On the other hand, architecture, as it is produced today in
our urbanised environments, is based on too restricted knowledge. Postmodern ‘theory of
architecture’ is determined by the conventional history of art. Its narrow concept of aesthetic
values prevents scientific research and reasoning by judgements of subjective taste The term
architecture is defined in new ways by integrating it into anthropological dimensions, including
primatological and paleanthropological considerations. Thus the term ‘architecture’ implies: all
what humans and their biological relatives built and build.

 Study of human relationship with built environment and neighboring people.

 Study of human senses with respect to built environment.
 Study of metaphysical aspects (science, faith, religion, culture) with respect to built
environment.
 Any Correlating concepts

Deliverables by Group.10:

 Cultural influences on the built environment and its impact on the humans
 Adaptation on both the macro and micro level