7/31/2019 A Study into the Making of a Traditional Architecture
The Case of Beri-Chettiar Dwellings in Chennai _1850-1950_
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Bachelor of Architecture 2011
AStudyintotheMakingofaTraditionalArchitecture:TheCaseofBeriChettiar
DwellingsinChennai(18501950)
Student:V.S.Vigneswar
Guide:Ranee
Vedamuthu
Architectureorthebuiltenvironmentisthe
'envelopment'ofvariousprocessesinsociety.Itis
nota fossilized recordofwhathappenedbut it
isacontainmentofallkindsof forceswhich
have alreadyoccurredand areprobably likely tooccur.This is
especially true in the caseof
traditionalarchitecture.Traditionalarchitectureoftenservesasagoodrecordofthecontextual
forcesatplayduringitsmakingandshowsatendencytobe'rooted',
The BeriChettiar dwellings in Chennai (Madras) are a unique
example of traditional
architecture.Chennai,
acolonial
city,
was
established
by
the
British
in
1639.
One
of
the
first
trading communities toestablish themselves in thenative
settlement around Fort StGeorge
wastheBeriChettiarcommunity.Thoughthiscommunityhadextensiveoutsidecontact,ittried
consciously tomaintain andpreserve its traditional roots. This
combined influence is clearly
evidentinthedwellingsbelongingtothiscommunity.
WhatprimarilydefinestheBeriChettiarhouseasatypeisthe'Making'ofthebuilding.Inthis
houseformthelayoutofthehouseisverysimilartothatofthetraditionalTamilhouseandthe
urbancontextofChennai,given thenatureof itsdevelopment, lead to
thecreationof these
housesin
isolation
with
each
other.
Despite
these
factors
the
Beri
Chetti
dwelling
is
uniquely
identifiable. Thematerial usage, the building components, their
assembly and the exquisite
craftsmanshipappliedinthesedwellingsiswhatgivesthemtheiruniqueidentity.Giventhefact
of the community's economic prosperity, it can be safely
concluded that the construction
methodsandprocessesoftheregionreachedapinnacleintheBeriChettiarhouse.
Constructionisoneoftheprimaryactivitiesinthemakingofanyarchitecture.Theconstruction
ofabuilding isan
inclusiveprocesswhichenvelopstheflowofmaterial,energy,time,human
lives,theways inwhichsocietiesareorganized,theway
inwhichnatureworksetc.Thusthis
studyhastriedtounderstandthemakingofthebuildingbyfirststudying
itasanartifactand
thentoworkbackwardsfromthisunderstandingintotheprocessesandsystemsinvolvedinits
actualmaking.
Theaimwastodocumentandunderstandthemaking
(construction)ofaBeriChettiarhouse
through the study of the Building as anOBJECT the physical
object and its attributes and
BuildingasaPROCESS theresultofasystemofmaking.
7/31/2019 A Study into the Making of a Traditional Architecture
The Case of Beri-Chettiar Dwellings in Chennai _1850-1950_
2/2
Bachelor of Architecture 2011
Objectives
Studythecontextinthattimeperiodwhichinfluencedthemakingofthesehousessuchas:
HistoryofMadrascity(18501950)
HistoryoftheBeriChettiarcommunity
ThetraditionalTamilhousetype.
SelectandDocumentBeriChettiarhousesinMadrasbuiltaroundtheperiod1850to1950.
Studythephysicalattributesofthehousessuchas:
Architecturalform
Constituentpartsandtheirassembly
Materialusage
Studyoftheprocessesinvolvedintheconstructionofthesehousessuchas:
Constructiontechniques
Materialprocurement
Building
crafts
Ceremoniesduringconstruction
Analyzethefindingsfromboththeabovestudies.
