Contemporary architecture as a result of globalisation often moves away from relationships with the culture and tradition of a particular area or country. Simply put, ‘globalisation is the process of weakening the borders (also) the cultural ones dividing nations’. At the same time, globalisation has an impact on architecture such as: the extra-national, continental spread of patterns and parallel localism. This means that, on the one hand, non-culturally sensitive buildings are being constructed without local elements, while on the other hand, the existing traditional architectural solutions are excessively repeated without reference to the modern world. Thus, there is a need to link these two extreme tendencies in favour of a more moderate one promoting the development of contemporary architecture that fits the location by responding to its cultural and historical context, climate, responsive local building techniques and the character of the community. Cultural sensitivity appears to be important especially in countries highly populated, industrialised, undergoing political, economical and social transformations despite their rich cultural heritage.
The cooperation of well-known architects, architecture students and local com...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
At the XXIV World Congress of Architecture (UIA), held in Tokyo in 2011 after the historically devastating events in Japan in March 2011, professionals and students working in architectural and urban fields consequently made a pledge to "promote responsibility within our profession, support architects and architecture, and enhance the regional quality of life for all people, together with governments and others, by closing the gaps in social justice, whilst working towards sustainability". This commitment is expressed in the idea of the cooperation of well-known architects, architecture students and local communities in the creation of architecture in selected examples of completed buildings in South-East and South Asia, particular in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. The architects referred to the traditional local materials and construction techniques that had been forgotten or superseded by global ones, and rediscovered centuries-old solutions, which in turn allowed the appropria...
Conservation of the Urban Heritage to Conserve the Sense of Place, a Case Stu...drboon
The sense of place can only be achieved if the urban heritage is still intact and preserved whilst accommodating for new development. In the past Misurata city center where the traditional areas and historical significance are located did not have any positive consideration and appreciation from government which, were destroyed to build a new commercial buildings within business district area of city center. This paper intends to highlight on urban heritage "historical significance & activity pattern" that still survive in the city center of Misurata and reflects the sense of place. The study adapted the visual survey field method for data collection and this approach adopted techniques namely photograph and diagrams or maps. The results of the study indicate that there are some urban areas and buildings with historical or traditional significance and conducive sense of belonging and identity that must be renewed, restored, reused and conserved; for instance the marketplace, Allfah Square and the old city center.
Planning Model of Religious Cultural Heritage Buildings as a Concept to Inten...drboon
The issue of heritage buildings is an important part in the development of a city. Historic buildings have high value tourism, if managed properly. Unfortunately, the government is less concerned about the presence of historic buildings. Urban development is more focused on commercial activities and generates high revenue for the region. Many historic buildings in the city of Jakarta is not properly maintained. Several historic buildings that have religious values often lead to conflict. The buildings are supposed to have an atmosphere of worship and sacred environment, even more immersed in line with the development of the city. This study is to identify the problems of the religious cultural heritage buildings in Jakarta that will be processed based on the Physical Components and Socio-Cultural Components. The result of the study is the mapping of potential problems and give solution about a model of cultural heritage buildings in the area, especially religious building. This model hopefully can solve the problem of disharmony between the religious value of cultural heritage buildings and its environment surrounding.
Strategies for Planning Smart Cities in IndiaJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Paper critically lookS at prevailing planning, development and management practices; re-define new order of urban planning, ; leveraging technology; rationalising travel; promoting governance and re-defining design strategies for built environment to make cities more humane, just, efficient, sustainable and happy place to live and work.
Paper is an attempt to define the role and importance of smart cities in the context of state of art planning and design to promote happiness among the residents and stakeholders of the city .
The cooperation of well-known architects, architecture students and local com...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
At the XXIV World Congress of Architecture (UIA), held in Tokyo in 2011 after the historically devastating events in Japan in March 2011, professionals and students working in architectural and urban fields consequently made a pledge to "promote responsibility within our profession, support architects and architecture, and enhance the regional quality of life for all people, together with governments and others, by closing the gaps in social justice, whilst working towards sustainability". This commitment is expressed in the idea of the cooperation of well-known architects, architecture students and local communities in the creation of architecture in selected examples of completed buildings in South-East and South Asia, particular in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. The architects referred to the traditional local materials and construction techniques that had been forgotten or superseded by global ones, and rediscovered centuries-old solutions, which in turn allowed the appropria...
Conservation of the Urban Heritage to Conserve the Sense of Place, a Case Stu...drboon
The sense of place can only be achieved if the urban heritage is still intact and preserved whilst accommodating for new development. In the past Misurata city center where the traditional areas and historical significance are located did not have any positive consideration and appreciation from government which, were destroyed to build a new commercial buildings within business district area of city center. This paper intends to highlight on urban heritage "historical significance & activity pattern" that still survive in the city center of Misurata and reflects the sense of place. The study adapted the visual survey field method for data collection and this approach adopted techniques namely photograph and diagrams or maps. The results of the study indicate that there are some urban areas and buildings with historical or traditional significance and conducive sense of belonging and identity that must be renewed, restored, reused and conserved; for instance the marketplace, Allfah Square and the old city center.
Planning Model of Religious Cultural Heritage Buildings as a Concept to Inten...drboon
The issue of heritage buildings is an important part in the development of a city. Historic buildings have high value tourism, if managed properly. Unfortunately, the government is less concerned about the presence of historic buildings. Urban development is more focused on commercial activities and generates high revenue for the region. Many historic buildings in the city of Jakarta is not properly maintained. Several historic buildings that have religious values often lead to conflict. The buildings are supposed to have an atmosphere of worship and sacred environment, even more immersed in line with the development of the city. This study is to identify the problems of the religious cultural heritage buildings in Jakarta that will be processed based on the Physical Components and Socio-Cultural Components. The result of the study is the mapping of potential problems and give solution about a model of cultural heritage buildings in the area, especially religious building. This model hopefully can solve the problem of disharmony between the religious value of cultural heritage buildings and its environment surrounding.
Strategies for Planning Smart Cities in IndiaJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Paper critically lookS at prevailing planning, development and management practices; re-define new order of urban planning, ; leveraging technology; rationalising travel; promoting governance and re-defining design strategies for built environment to make cities more humane, just, efficient, sustainable and happy place to live and work.
Paper is an attempt to define the role and importance of smart cities in the context of state of art planning and design to promote happiness among the residents and stakeholders of the city .
The concept of knowledge-based urban development has first come to the urban planning and development agenda during the very last years of the 20th century as a promising paradigm to support the transformation process of cities into knowledge cities and their societies into knowledge societies
Planning Smart cities- Concepts and Practices.docxJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Planning remains universal for making cities growth rational and logical. In the absence of planned development, cities cannot be made to grow in an orderly manner. Planners have been making cities different and distinct using different agenda for planning and development of cities. Currently planners are making cities safe, resilient, sustainable and livable. Many nations are vouching to make cities smart. Smart city is not a new concept .It has been followed globally to improve the quality of living and promote operational efficiency and productivity of the cities. It is an attempt to make cities more livable, sustainable and for creating a brand image to attract investment and make them a tourist destination. Globally , smart cities are characterized by high degree of environmental consciousness; using information technology to promote energy/ resources efficiency; creation of knowledge infrastructure; promoting sustainable economic development and high quality of life; ensuring wise management of natural resources through participatory action. According to Forbe, the structure of smart cities will have to be built on eight pillars involving: ‘smart governance, smart energy, smart buildings, smart mobility, smart infrastructure, smart technology, smart healthcare and smart citizens. Based on detailed studies and in depth analysis made of the most successful case studies globally, as how to transform cities into great places to live and make a city great, Mckinsey’s suggests three pronged strategies involving, achieving smart growth, do more with less and win support for change. Considering the entire gamut of urban settlements , a city can be made Smart only if it is planned smart, developed smart, operated smart, financed smart and governed smartly .
Architectural Heritage and Social Interaction of Rosetta, EgyptAhmed al-Rhodesly
A Lecture presented in Rashid Cultural Forum at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt. The lecture has shown the outcomes of HeritageForAll’s workshop “Urban Architectural Heritage and Social Interaction” which had been held in Rashid (October 2017). The workshop aimed at understanding and analyzing the heritage context in Rashid and estimating how the local community deals with their surrounding cultural heritage. This aim is considered the initial steps of completing the file of the historic quarter of Rashid as a tentative world heritage site.
Through HeritageForAll’s ISSUU page, you can read the e-Publication of the workshop
“Urban Architectural Heritage and Social Interaction: Rashid, Open Air Museum”:[https://issuu.com/heritageforall/docs/workshop_uahsi_publication?fbclid=IwAR24m6-9xaW1zKwIEM3tkhHBONlKDJ_VuGx0a-Pf8RoylOl0EHThBZ5EIHc]
This PPT explores the impact of architecture on the development of a nation. It examines how architecture can shape a nation's identity, culture, and economy, and how it can be used to create a sense of national pride.
Proclaiming Colonial Urban Heritage: Towards an Inclusive Heritage-interpretation for Colombo’s Past
* Professor Dr. Harsha Munasinghe Image result for research orcid
School of Architectural Studies, George Brown College, Toronto, Canada
E-mail: hmunasinghe@georgebrown.ca
ARTICLE INFO:
Article History:
Received 13 April 2021
Accepted 18 July 2021
Available online 26 July 2021
Keywords:
Urban Heritage;
Colonialism;
Contested-Past;
Historic-City;
Inclusive heritage Interpretation;
Colombo.
ABSTRACT D:\My Journal\papers\Vol 4 ISSUE 1\1 senem sadri Turkey\check for updates2020ijcua.tif
Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital is a forceful creation of European colonialists who occupied the island for over four centuries. Its urban structure displays the social fragmentation sought by the rulers. Colombo elaborates an extraordinary process of city-making, stratified with its Dutch-origin, British-reshaping, and post-colonial adaptation. Proclaiming such a contested past as an inheritance requires an inclusive heritage interpretation. The recent renovation of monumental buildings for potential market values and demolishing minor architecture do not display such a heritage interpretation. This, placing undue attention on a selected social group, is found to be further emptying the compartmentalized city. The exclusion of some sub-societies also cost possible stewardship to urban heritage. Having observed the non-sustainability of current heritage-interpretation practised in Colombo, we searched for alternative means to unify societies in time-space thus sustaining the diversity of urban spaces. Our empirical studies have established the need to integrate the inherent cultural values of the colonial-built urban fabric in heritage interpretation. The results of vibrant heritage-interpretation results have been studied through a literature survey with aims to contribute towards the development of an inclusive heritage interpretation practice to protect Colombo’s colonial past sustainably.
JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS (2022), 6(1), 1-12.
The Congress for the New Urbanism views disinvestment in centr.docxrtodd643
The Congress for the New Urbanism views disinvestment in central cities, the
spread of placeless sprawl, increasing separation by race and income, environmental
deterioration, loss of agricultural lands and wilderness, and the erosion of society’s
built heritage as one interrelated community-building challenge.
We stand for the restoration of existing urban centers and towns within coherent
metropolitan regions, the reconfiguration of sprawling suburbs into communities of
real neighborhoods and diverse districts, the conservation of natural environments,
and the preservation of our built legacy.
We advocate the restructuring of public policy and development practices to
support the following principles: neighborhoods should be diverse in use and
population; communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit as well
as the car; cities and towns should be shaped by physically defined and universally
accessible public spaces and community institutions; urban places should be framed
by architecture and landscape design that celebrate local history, climate, ecology,
and building practice.
We recognize that physical solutions by themselves will not solve social and economic
problems, but neither can economic vitality, community stability, and environmental
health be sustained without a coherent and supportive physical framework.
We represent a broad-based citizenry, composed of public and private sector
leaders, community activists, and multidisciplinary professionals. We are committed
to reestablishing the relationship between the art of building and the making
of community, through citizen-based participatory planning and design.
We dedicate ourselves to reclaiming our homes, blocks, streets, parks, neighborhoods,
districts, towns, cities, regions, and environment.
Continued on back...
1) Metropolitan regions are finite places with
geographic boundaries derived from topography,
watersheds, coastlines, farmlands, regional parks,
and river basins. The metropolis is made of
multiple centers that are cities, towns, and villages,
each with its own identifiable center and edges.
2) The metropolitan region is a fundamental
economic unit of the contemporary world.
Governmental cooperation, public policy, physical
planning, and economic strategies must reflect
this new reality.
3) The metropolis has a necessary and fragile
relationship to its agrarian hinterland and natural
landscapes. The relationship is environmental,
economic, and cultural. Farmland and nature are
as important to the metropolis as the garden is
to the house.
4) Development patterns should not blur or
eradicate the edges of the metropolis. Infill
development within existing urban areas
conserves environmental resources, economic
investment, and social fabric, while reclaiming
marginal and abandoned areas. Metropolitan
regions should develop strategies to encourage
such infill development over peripheral expans.
Socio economic-cultural aspects of urban realmMoksha Bhatia
Overview of cross cultural influences in city development, Contemporary culture - the metropolitan experience, Introduction to the exploration of the interface between the built environment & human behavior, Changing attitude towards urban space at global level & Special emphasis on urban space as contested domain – public private, Concept and production of everyday space
Współczesne centra turystyczne w naturalnym krajobrazie Namibii na przykładzi...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
There are fewer and fewer places in the world where natural landscape is preserved and at the same time contemporary architecture does not harm it. Namibia is one of the countries that has managed to combine these two issues. It is endowed with natural tourism attractions and a beautiful landscape – the Namib Desert – the oldest and driest desert in the world, the Fish River Canyon – the longest gorge in Africa, Twyfelfontein – one of the largest concentrations of rock engravings in Africa included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lately these sites have become a tourist destination due to its uniqueness and to the fact that Namibia is a very safe country compared to other African ones. This resulted in a dynamic development of tourism as an important source of income of Namibians. Visitors’ center are one of the tourist facilities built close to the sites forming a part of the national Namibian heritage that can significantly either positively or negatively affect the natural lan..
Współczesne budynki biurowe w Ameryce Łacińskiej na przykładzie wybranych met...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
Ameryka Łacińska : kwartalny biuletyn informacyjno-analityczny , 2010
Praca biurowa zajmowała zawsze ważne miejsce w życiu i rozwoju różnych społeczeństw, a obiekt biurowy, w którym była wykonywana, kojarzony był z panoramą wielkich miast. Pierwsze światowe biurowce w dzisiejszym znaczeniu po-wstały na końcu XIX i początku XX wieku w Ameryce Północnej i definiuje się je jako obiekty, w których personel kolektywnie wykonywał czynności biurowe polegające na obsługiwaniu dynamicznie rozwijającej się wytwórczości, handlu i transportu. Od tego czasu zarówno praca biurowa, jak i budynki, uległy znacznemu udoskonaleniu. Na skutek nowych technologii informacyjnych i telekomunikacyjnych środowisko pracy biurowej zwiększyło swój zasięg przekraczając granice biura, natomiast samo biuro bez określania miejsca zaczęło służyć jak najefektywniejszemu zdobyciu, przetworzeniu i przekazaniu informacji będących podstawą sukcesu firm. W efekcie praca biurowa o charakterze stałym nadal realizuje się w biurowcach i w strukturach wielofunkcyjnych zaprojektowanych według najnowszych trendów w wielkich miastach, a praca biurowa o charakterze mobilnym wykonywana jest w miejscach przy węzłach komunikacyjnych (dom, przestrzeń publiczna, dworzec, lotnisko). W tym świetle platformą środowiska pracy biurowej stały się współczesne metropolie. Miasta te, jako duże węzły komunikacji i transportu, koncentrują ważne techniczno-naukowe korporacje oraz międzynarodowe polityczne i ekonomiczne organizacje lokalizowane w budynkach biurowych, służąc pozyskaniu, prze-tworzeniu i przekazaniu informacji.
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The concept of knowledge-based urban development has first come to the urban planning and development agenda during the very last years of the 20th century as a promising paradigm to support the transformation process of cities into knowledge cities and their societies into knowledge societies
Planning Smart cities- Concepts and Practices.docxJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Planning remains universal for making cities growth rational and logical. In the absence of planned development, cities cannot be made to grow in an orderly manner. Planners have been making cities different and distinct using different agenda for planning and development of cities. Currently planners are making cities safe, resilient, sustainable and livable. Many nations are vouching to make cities smart. Smart city is not a new concept .It has been followed globally to improve the quality of living and promote operational efficiency and productivity of the cities. It is an attempt to make cities more livable, sustainable and for creating a brand image to attract investment and make them a tourist destination. Globally , smart cities are characterized by high degree of environmental consciousness; using information technology to promote energy/ resources efficiency; creation of knowledge infrastructure; promoting sustainable economic development and high quality of life; ensuring wise management of natural resources through participatory action. According to Forbe, the structure of smart cities will have to be built on eight pillars involving: ‘smart governance, smart energy, smart buildings, smart mobility, smart infrastructure, smart technology, smart healthcare and smart citizens. Based on detailed studies and in depth analysis made of the most successful case studies globally, as how to transform cities into great places to live and make a city great, Mckinsey’s suggests three pronged strategies involving, achieving smart growth, do more with less and win support for change. Considering the entire gamut of urban settlements , a city can be made Smart only if it is planned smart, developed smart, operated smart, financed smart and governed smartly .
Architectural Heritage and Social Interaction of Rosetta, EgyptAhmed al-Rhodesly
A Lecture presented in Rashid Cultural Forum at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt. The lecture has shown the outcomes of HeritageForAll’s workshop “Urban Architectural Heritage and Social Interaction” which had been held in Rashid (October 2017). The workshop aimed at understanding and analyzing the heritage context in Rashid and estimating how the local community deals with their surrounding cultural heritage. This aim is considered the initial steps of completing the file of the historic quarter of Rashid as a tentative world heritage site.
Through HeritageForAll’s ISSUU page, you can read the e-Publication of the workshop
“Urban Architectural Heritage and Social Interaction: Rashid, Open Air Museum”:[https://issuu.com/heritageforall/docs/workshop_uahsi_publication?fbclid=IwAR24m6-9xaW1zKwIEM3tkhHBONlKDJ_VuGx0a-Pf8RoylOl0EHThBZ5EIHc]
This PPT explores the impact of architecture on the development of a nation. It examines how architecture can shape a nation's identity, culture, and economy, and how it can be used to create a sense of national pride.
Proclaiming Colonial Urban Heritage: Towards an Inclusive Heritage-interpretation for Colombo’s Past
* Professor Dr. Harsha Munasinghe Image result for research orcid
School of Architectural Studies, George Brown College, Toronto, Canada
E-mail: hmunasinghe@georgebrown.ca
ARTICLE INFO:
Article History:
Received 13 April 2021
Accepted 18 July 2021
Available online 26 July 2021
Keywords:
Urban Heritage;
Colonialism;
Contested-Past;
Historic-City;
Inclusive heritage Interpretation;
Colombo.
ABSTRACT D:\My Journal\papers\Vol 4 ISSUE 1\1 senem sadri Turkey\check for updates2020ijcua.tif
Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital is a forceful creation of European colonialists who occupied the island for over four centuries. Its urban structure displays the social fragmentation sought by the rulers. Colombo elaborates an extraordinary process of city-making, stratified with its Dutch-origin, British-reshaping, and post-colonial adaptation. Proclaiming such a contested past as an inheritance requires an inclusive heritage interpretation. The recent renovation of monumental buildings for potential market values and demolishing minor architecture do not display such a heritage interpretation. This, placing undue attention on a selected social group, is found to be further emptying the compartmentalized city. The exclusion of some sub-societies also cost possible stewardship to urban heritage. Having observed the non-sustainability of current heritage-interpretation practised in Colombo, we searched for alternative means to unify societies in time-space thus sustaining the diversity of urban spaces. Our empirical studies have established the need to integrate the inherent cultural values of the colonial-built urban fabric in heritage interpretation. The results of vibrant heritage-interpretation results have been studied through a literature survey with aims to contribute towards the development of an inclusive heritage interpretation practice to protect Colombo’s colonial past sustainably.
JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS (2022), 6(1), 1-12.
The Congress for the New Urbanism views disinvestment in centr.docxrtodd643
The Congress for the New Urbanism views disinvestment in central cities, the
spread of placeless sprawl, increasing separation by race and income, environmental
deterioration, loss of agricultural lands and wilderness, and the erosion of society’s
built heritage as one interrelated community-building challenge.
We stand for the restoration of existing urban centers and towns within coherent
metropolitan regions, the reconfiguration of sprawling suburbs into communities of
real neighborhoods and diverse districts, the conservation of natural environments,
and the preservation of our built legacy.
We advocate the restructuring of public policy and development practices to
support the following principles: neighborhoods should be diverse in use and
population; communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit as well
as the car; cities and towns should be shaped by physically defined and universally
accessible public spaces and community institutions; urban places should be framed
by architecture and landscape design that celebrate local history, climate, ecology,
and building practice.
We recognize that physical solutions by themselves will not solve social and economic
problems, but neither can economic vitality, community stability, and environmental
health be sustained without a coherent and supportive physical framework.
We represent a broad-based citizenry, composed of public and private sector
leaders, community activists, and multidisciplinary professionals. We are committed
to reestablishing the relationship between the art of building and the making
of community, through citizen-based participatory planning and design.
We dedicate ourselves to reclaiming our homes, blocks, streets, parks, neighborhoods,
districts, towns, cities, regions, and environment.
Continued on back...
1) Metropolitan regions are finite places with
geographic boundaries derived from topography,
watersheds, coastlines, farmlands, regional parks,
and river basins. The metropolis is made of
multiple centers that are cities, towns, and villages,
each with its own identifiable center and edges.
2) The metropolitan region is a fundamental
economic unit of the contemporary world.
Governmental cooperation, public policy, physical
planning, and economic strategies must reflect
this new reality.
3) The metropolis has a necessary and fragile
relationship to its agrarian hinterland and natural
landscapes. The relationship is environmental,
economic, and cultural. Farmland and nature are
as important to the metropolis as the garden is
to the house.
4) Development patterns should not blur or
eradicate the edges of the metropolis. Infill
development within existing urban areas
conserves environmental resources, economic
investment, and social fabric, while reclaiming
marginal and abandoned areas. Metropolitan
regions should develop strategies to encourage
such infill development over peripheral expans.
Socio economic-cultural aspects of urban realmMoksha Bhatia
Overview of cross cultural influences in city development, Contemporary culture - the metropolitan experience, Introduction to the exploration of the interface between the built environment & human behavior, Changing attitude towards urban space at global level & Special emphasis on urban space as contested domain – public private, Concept and production of everyday space
Similar to Culturally Sensitive Contemporary Buildings in India (20)
Współczesne centra turystyczne w naturalnym krajobrazie Namibii na przykładzi...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
There are fewer and fewer places in the world where natural landscape is preserved and at the same time contemporary architecture does not harm it. Namibia is one of the countries that has managed to combine these two issues. It is endowed with natural tourism attractions and a beautiful landscape – the Namib Desert – the oldest and driest desert in the world, the Fish River Canyon – the longest gorge in Africa, Twyfelfontein – one of the largest concentrations of rock engravings in Africa included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lately these sites have become a tourist destination due to its uniqueness and to the fact that Namibia is a very safe country compared to other African ones. This resulted in a dynamic development of tourism as an important source of income of Namibians. Visitors’ center are one of the tourist facilities built close to the sites forming a part of the national Namibian heritage that can significantly either positively or negatively affect the natural lan..
Współczesne budynki biurowe w Ameryce Łacińskiej na przykładzie wybranych met...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
Ameryka Łacińska : kwartalny biuletyn informacyjno-analityczny , 2010
Praca biurowa zajmowała zawsze ważne miejsce w życiu i rozwoju różnych społeczeństw, a obiekt biurowy, w którym była wykonywana, kojarzony był z panoramą wielkich miast. Pierwsze światowe biurowce w dzisiejszym znaczeniu po-wstały na końcu XIX i początku XX wieku w Ameryce Północnej i definiuje się je jako obiekty, w których personel kolektywnie wykonywał czynności biurowe polegające na obsługiwaniu dynamicznie rozwijającej się wytwórczości, handlu i transportu. Od tego czasu zarówno praca biurowa, jak i budynki, uległy znacznemu udoskonaleniu. Na skutek nowych technologii informacyjnych i telekomunikacyjnych środowisko pracy biurowej zwiększyło swój zasięg przekraczając granice biura, natomiast samo biuro bez określania miejsca zaczęło służyć jak najefektywniejszemu zdobyciu, przetworzeniu i przekazaniu informacji będących podstawą sukcesu firm. W efekcie praca biurowa o charakterze stałym nadal realizuje się w biurowcach i w strukturach wielofunkcyjnych zaprojektowanych według najnowszych trendów w wielkich miastach, a praca biurowa o charakterze mobilnym wykonywana jest w miejscach przy węzłach komunikacyjnych (dom, przestrzeń publiczna, dworzec, lotnisko). W tym świetle platformą środowiska pracy biurowej stały się współczesne metropolie. Miasta te, jako duże węzły komunikacji i transportu, koncentrują ważne techniczno-naukowe korporacje oraz międzynarodowe polityczne i ekonomiczne organizacje lokalizowane w budynkach biurowych, służąc pozyskaniu, prze-tworzeniu i przekazaniu informacji.
Wpływ przemian ery informacyjnej na kształtowanie budynków biurowychAnna Rynkowska-Sachse
Zeszyty Naukowe. Architektura / Politechnika Śląska, 2004
W artykule przedstawiono postulat określenia wpływu, jaki może mieć era informacyjna na kształtowanie się budynków biurowych. Zmiany te dokonują się w efekcie oddziaływania czynników społeczno-gospodarczych, tzn.: nowego podejścia do wiedzy, rozumienia wzajemnych relacji pomiędzy środowiskiem pracy a wydajnością, globalizacji rynku, postępu technicznego, nowych sposobów inwestowania i podejścia do ochrony środowiska naturalnego. Budynki biurowe zgodnie z nowymi wymogami powinny być odpowiedzią na możliwości oferowane przez nowe formy pracy, stymulować produktywność oraz kreować środowisko zgodne z zasadami zrównoważonego rozwoju na XXI wiek.
Re-discovering the African philosophy of the architecture through the other/o...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
THE UIA 2014 PROCEEDINGS, DURBAN 2014, 2014
The Western definitions of the "smart cities" are concentrated around three main elements. First approach describes the "smart city" as the organized body, using the new technologies in the manner to increase the efficiency of the infrastructure and communication interconnectivity (Azkuna, 2012). Another approach emphasizes the role of the sensors,
mobile devices, to create digital dimension of the city (Schaffers, 2012). Yet another approach presents the city as the area consisting of populations implementing activities and effectively acting institutions in terms of knowledge creation, developed broadband infrastructure and on-line tools for knowledge management and solving problems that arise
for the first time, as the key to the assessment of the intelligence (Komninos, 2008).
Aspekt kulturowy w analizie przedprojektowej na podstawie obiektów zrealizowa...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
Badania interdyscyplinarne w architekturze \: BIWA 1 \: monografia konferencyjna. T. 3, Badania przedprojektowe i okołoprojektowe w kształtowaniu środowiska zbudowanego, 2015
W badaniach przedprojektowych, na które składają się różne aspekty poznawcze danej lokalizacji, czynnik kulturowy jest istotnym elementem, ale niestety traktuje się go drugorzędnie. Powstają więc obiekty o małej wrażliwości kulturowej w odniesieniu do miejsca. Celem artykułu jest zwrócenie uwagi na aspekt kulturowy i zagadnienia z innych dziedzin jako elementów analizy służącej do ustalenia potrzeb i budowania programu funkcjonalno-przestrzennego. Aspekt kulturowy przedstawiono na przykładzie „obiektów wrażliwych kulturowo” w innym kontekście kulturowym, programów edukacyjnych dla studentów architektury, własnych doświadczeń z pracy w biurze architektonicznym w Namibii i ze współpracy z filozofem - dr Małgorzatą Kądziela z Zakładu Estetyki Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Architectural Means of Expression in the Creation of Contemporary Heritage In...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
Heritage Interpretation Centres are specially created facilities for evaluation of the cultural and/or natural heritage of a given area and its transformation into an educational, cultural or tourism product. Approach to heritage and architectural means of expression in the creation of contemporary Heritage Interpretation Centres and the impact on users, especially European ones, are presented on the example of buildings from South Africa (The Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre, Alexandra Interpretation Centre, Freedom Park). Field studies of selected buildings allowed an assessment of how effective and easy to read the message of cultural heritage was for people from the outside, and by what architectural means it was possible.
Observation of Io’s Resurfacing via Plume Deposition Using Ground-based Adapt...Sérgio Sacani
Since volcanic activity was first discovered on Io from Voyager images in 1979, changes
on Io’s surface have been monitored from both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes.
Here, we present the highest spatial resolution images of Io ever obtained from a groundbased telescope. These images, acquired by the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large
Binocular Telescope, show evidence of a major resurfacing event on Io’s trailing hemisphere. When compared to the most recent spacecraft images, the SHARK-VIS images
show that a plume deposit from a powerful eruption at Pillan Patera has covered part
of the long-lived Pele plume deposit. Although this type of resurfacing event may be common on Io, few have been detected due to the rarity of spacecraft visits and the previously low spatial resolution available from Earth-based telescopes. The SHARK-VIS instrument ushers in a new era of high resolution imaging of Io’s surface using adaptive
optics at visible wavelengths.
The ability to recreate computational results with minimal effort and actionable metrics provides a solid foundation for scientific research and software development. When people can replicate an analysis at the touch of a button using open-source software, open data, and methods to assess and compare proposals, it significantly eases verification of results, engagement with a diverse range of contributors, and progress. However, we have yet to fully achieve this; there are still many sociotechnical frictions.
Inspired by David Donoho's vision, this talk aims to revisit the three crucial pillars of frictionless reproducibility (data sharing, code sharing, and competitive challenges) with the perspective of deep software variability.
Our observation is that multiple layers — hardware, operating systems, third-party libraries, software versions, input data, compile-time options, and parameters — are subject to variability that exacerbates frictions but is also essential for achieving robust, generalizable results and fostering innovation. I will first review the literature, providing evidence of how the complex variability interactions across these layers affect qualitative and quantitative software properties, thereby complicating the reproduction and replication of scientific studies in various fields.
I will then present some software engineering and AI techniques that can support the strategic exploration of variability spaces. These include the use of abstractions and models (e.g., feature models), sampling strategies (e.g., uniform, random), cost-effective measurements (e.g., incremental build of software configurations), and dimensionality reduction methods (e.g., transfer learning, feature selection, software debloating).
I will finally argue that deep variability is both the problem and solution of frictionless reproducibility, calling the software science community to develop new methods and tools to manage variability and foster reproducibility in software systems.
Exposé invité Journées Nationales du GDR GPL 2024
Seminar of U.V. Spectroscopy by SAMIR PANDASAMIR PANDA
Spectroscopy is a branch of science dealing the study of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy refers to absorption spectroscopy or reflect spectroscopy in the UV-VIS spectral region.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is an analytical method that can measure the amount of light received by the analyte.
Deep Behavioral Phenotyping in Systems Neuroscience for Functional Atlasing a...Ana Luísa Pinho
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) provides means to characterize brain activations in response to behavior. However, cognitive neuroscience has been limited to group-level effects referring to the performance of specific tasks. To obtain the functional profile of elementary cognitive mechanisms, the combination of brain responses to many tasks is required. Yet, to date, both structural atlases and parcellation-based activations do not fully account for cognitive function and still present several limitations. Further, they do not adapt overall to individual characteristics. In this talk, I will give an account of deep-behavioral phenotyping strategies, namely data-driven methods in large task-fMRI datasets, to optimize functional brain-data collection and improve inference of effects-of-interest related to mental processes. Key to this approach is the employment of fast multi-functional paradigms rich on features that can be well parametrized and, consequently, facilitate the creation of psycho-physiological constructs to be modelled with imaging data. Particular emphasis will be given to music stimuli when studying high-order cognitive mechanisms, due to their ecological nature and quality to enable complex behavior compounded by discrete entities. I will also discuss how deep-behavioral phenotyping and individualized models applied to neuroimaging data can better account for the subject-specific organization of domain-general cognitive systems in the human brain. Finally, the accumulation of functional brain signatures brings the possibility to clarify relationships among tasks and create a univocal link between brain systems and mental functions through: (1) the development of ontologies proposing an organization of cognitive processes; and (2) brain-network taxonomies describing functional specialization. To this end, tools to improve commensurability in cognitive science are necessary, such as public repositories, ontology-based platforms and automated meta-analysis tools. I will thus discuss some brain-atlasing resources currently under development, and their applicability in cognitive as well as clinical neuroscience.
Earliest Galaxies in the JADES Origins Field: Luminosity Function and Cosmic ...Sérgio Sacani
We characterize the earliest galaxy population in the JADES Origins Field (JOF), the deepest
imaging field observed with JWST. We make use of the ancillary Hubble optical images (5 filters
spanning 0.4−0.9µm) and novel JWST images with 14 filters spanning 0.8−5µm, including 7 mediumband filters, and reaching total exposure times of up to 46 hours per filter. We combine all our data
at > 2.3µm to construct an ultradeep image, reaching as deep as ≈ 31.4 AB mag in the stack and
30.3-31.0 AB mag (5σ, r = 0.1” circular aperture) in individual filters. We measure photometric
redshifts and use robust selection criteria to identify a sample of eight galaxy candidates at redshifts
z = 11.5 − 15. These objects show compact half-light radii of R1/2 ∼ 50 − 200pc, stellar masses of
M⋆ ∼ 107−108M⊙, and star-formation rates of SFR ∼ 0.1−1 M⊙ yr−1
. Our search finds no candidates
at 15 < z < 20, placing upper limits at these redshifts. We develop a forward modeling approach to
infer the properties of the evolving luminosity function without binning in redshift or luminosity that
marginalizes over the photometric redshift uncertainty of our candidate galaxies and incorporates the
impact of non-detections. We find a z = 12 luminosity function in good agreement with prior results,
and that the luminosity function normalization and UV luminosity density decline by a factor of ∼ 2.5
from z = 12 to z = 14. We discuss the possible implications of our results in the context of theoretical
models for evolution of the dark matter halo mass function.
Richard's aventures in two entangled wonderlandsRichard Gill
Since the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2020 and the Nobel prizes in physics of 2022, critics of Bell's work have retreated to the fortress of super-determinism. Now, super-determinism is a derogatory word - it just means "determinism". Palmer, Hance and Hossenfelder argue that quantum mechanics and determinism are not incompatible, using a sophisticated mathematical construction based on a subtle thinning of allowed states and measurements in quantum mechanics, such that what is left appears to make Bell's argument fail, without altering the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. I think however that it is a smoke screen, and the slogan "lost in math" comes to my mind. I will discuss some other recent disproofs of Bell's theorem using the language of causality based on causal graphs. Causal thinking is also central to law and justice. I will mention surprising connections to my work on serial killer nurse cases, in particular the Dutch case of Lucia de Berk and the current UK case of Lucy Letby.
Phenomics assisted breeding in crop improvementIshaGoswami9
As the population is increasing and will reach about 9 billion upto 2050. Also due to climate change, it is difficult to meet the food requirement of such a large population. Facing the challenges presented by resource shortages, climate
change, and increasing global population, crop yield and quality need to be improved in a sustainable way over the coming decades. Genetic improvement by breeding is the best way to increase crop productivity. With the rapid progression of functional
genomics, an increasing number of crop genomes have been sequenced and dozens of genes influencing key agronomic traits have been identified. However, current genome sequence information has not been adequately exploited for understanding
the complex characteristics of multiple gene, owing to a lack of crop phenotypic data. Efficient, automatic, and accurate technologies and platforms that can capture phenotypic data that can
be linked to genomics information for crop improvement at all growth stages have become as important as genotyping. Thus,
high-throughput phenotyping has become the major bottleneck restricting crop breeding. Plant phenomics has been defined as the high-throughput, accurate acquisition and analysis of multi-dimensional phenotypes
during crop growing stages at the organism level, including the cell, tissue, organ, individual plant, plot, and field levels. With the rapid development of novel sensors, imaging technology,
and analysis methods, numerous infrastructure platforms have been developed for phenotyping.
DERIVATION OF MODIFIED BERNOULLI EQUATION WITH VISCOUS EFFECTS AND TERMINAL V...Wasswaderrick3
In this book, we use conservation of energy techniques on a fluid element to derive the Modified Bernoulli equation of flow with viscous or friction effects. We derive the general equation of flow/ velocity and then from this we derive the Pouiselle flow equation, the transition flow equation and the turbulent flow equation. In the situations where there are no viscous effects , the equation reduces to the Bernoulli equation. From experimental results, we are able to include other terms in the Bernoulli equation. We also look at cases where pressure gradients exist. We use the Modified Bernoulli equation to derive equations of flow rate for pipes of different cross sectional areas connected together. We also extend our techniques of energy conservation to a sphere falling in a viscous medium under the effect of gravity. We demonstrate Stokes equation of terminal velocity and turbulent flow equation. We look at a way of calculating the time taken for a body to fall in a viscous medium. We also look at the general equation of terminal velocity.
ISI 2024: Application Form (Extended), Exam Date (Out), EligibilitySciAstra
The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) has extended its application deadline for 2024 admissions to April 2. Known for its excellence in statistics and related fields, ISI offers a range of programs from Bachelor's to Junior Research Fellowships. The admission test is scheduled for May 12, 2024. Eligibility varies by program, generally requiring a background in Mathematics and English for undergraduate courses and specific degrees for postgraduate and research positions. Application fees are ₹1500 for male general category applicants and ₹1000 for females. Applications are open to Indian and OCI candidates.
ESR spectroscopy in liquid food and beverages.pptxPRIYANKA PATEL
With increasing population, people need to rely on packaged food stuffs. Packaging of food materials requires the preservation of food. There are various methods for the treatment of food to preserve them and irradiation treatment of food is one of them. It is the most common and the most harmless method for the food preservation as it does not alter the necessary micronutrients of food materials. Although irradiated food doesn’t cause any harm to the human health but still the quality assessment of food is required to provide consumers with necessary information about the food. ESR spectroscopy is the most sophisticated way to investigate the quality of the food and the free radicals induced during the processing of the food. ESR spin trapping technique is useful for the detection of highly unstable radicals in the food. The antioxidant capability of liquid food and beverages in mainly performed by spin trapping technique.
ESR spectroscopy in liquid food and beverages.pptx
Culturally Sensitive Contemporary Buildings in India
1. Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
Sopot University of Applied Sciences
Polish Institute of World Art Studies
CULTURALLY SENSITIVE CONTEMPORARY
BUILDINGS IN INDIA
INTRODUCTION
ontemporary architecture as a result of globalisation often moves
away from relationships with the culture and tradition of a particular
area or country. Simply put, ‘globalisation is the process of weak-
ening the borders (also) the cultural ones dividing nations’.1)
At the same
time, globalisation has an impact on architecture such as: the extra-national,
continental spread of patterns and parallel localism. This means that, on the
one hand, non-culturally sensitive buildings are being constructed without
local elements, while on the other hand, the existing traditional architectural
solutions are excessively repeated without reference to the modern world.
Thus, there is a need to link these two extreme tendencies in favour of a more
moderate one promoting the development of contemporary architecture that
fits the location by responding to its cultural and historical context, climate,
responsive local building techniques and the character of the community.2)
Cultural sensitivity appears to be important especially in countries highly
populated, industrialised, undergoing political, economical and social trans-
formations despite their rich cultural heritage. These countries are likely to
lose their cultural sensitivity particularly in the context of the fast changes
and globalisation that do not respect local patterns and an urbanising world.
The largest population growth is projected by United Nations as follows:
‘much of this urbanisation will unfold in Africa and Asia, bringing huge
1)
Frysztak (2010:65–67).
2)
Rynkowska-Sachse (2014: 49).
C
2. 261
Culturally Sensitive Contemporary Buildings in India
social, economic and environmental transformations (…). The world can
expect to add close to 1.5 billion urbanites in the next 15 years, and 3 billion
by 2050 and how the world meets the challenge of sustainable development
will be intimately tied to this process’.3)
In this case India seems to be an
appropriate example to be discussed in terms of a place where contemporary
tradition-rooted architecture is facing an urban explosion.
INDIAN CITIES
India is a country identified with cultural wealth and diversity for much of
its long history. India is a region of historic trade routes and vast empires.
It is the birthplace of the oldest civilisations of the world (Sumerian in the
valley of the Euphrates and the Tigris, Harappa in the Indus basin), whose
achievements in the sphere of culture or economics formed, in many cases,
the foundations in terms of the progress of civilisation around the world.
At the same time India is a multilingual and a multi-ethnic society as four
world religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism — originated
there. Today, India is the second-most populous country in the world4)
with
1,210,854,977 inhabitants. Due to rapid urbanisation, development and growth
in technology, it has been predicted that within 50 years, the population
will exceed one and a half billion.5)
India also represents one of the fastest-
growing major economies along with urban growth since the early 1990s. The
economic surge has resulted in a rapid influx of people to the cities and India
expects that 40.7 % of its population will be living in cities by 2030.6)
For exam-
ple, Mumbai is one of the most populous urban regions in the world and the
most populous city in India with a population of 12,442,373 according to the
census of 20117)
and the wealthiest city in India with the highest GDP of any
city in South, West, or Central Asia.8)
Another city – Hyderabad, established
in 1591 — is the fourth most populated Indian city with a population of 6,7
million.9)
It is historically known as a pearl and diamond trading centre and
3)
UNFPA.
4)
Mydel, Groch (2000:15).
5)
UNFPA.
6)
Wącławowicz ( 2007:103).
7)
CENSUS2011.
8)
Wącławowicz ( 2007:106).
9)
CENSUS2011.
3. 262 Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
today it continues to be known as Genome Valley. It derives this name after
the special economic zones dedicated to information technology that have
attracted companies from across India and around the world to set up their
operations there and the emergence of pharmaceutical and biotechnology
industries in the 1990s. Today, Hyderabad is the fifth-largest contributor to
India’s overall GDP and a chaotic agglomeration which pays no heed to its
cultural heritage.10)
Jaipur with a population of 3 million is the tenth most
populated Indian city. It was founded in 1459 as a city on the strategic road
linking Dehli to Gujarat. Handicrafts is the foremost industry in the city while
tourism comes second. The city serves as an important marketplace for wool
and agricultural products. Unfortunately, the upcoming 9 MMTPA Refinery
and Petrochemical complex to be set up will transform the industrial landscape
of the city drastically. The City Populations 2011 clearly shows how important
cities are in India and how fast India is developing along with its cities.11)
At the same time, urban growth is followed by developments in archi-
tecture which often pull away from ties with local culture and tradition as
a result of globalisation. Rahul Mehrotra, the recognised Indian architect,
writes in his book Architecture in India – Since 1990 that ‘pluralism, fusion and
hybridity are the dominant traits of cultural change in twenty-first-century
India. The resultant architecture reflects this fabric of one of the world’s larg-
est and most populous nation states’. He also says: ‘To be socially relevant,
cities have to grow out of the roots. They cannot be transplanted so easily’.12)
This means that the contemporary architecture of India, despite its culture,
history religion and the climate responsive solutions that reflect its various
socio-cultural sensibilities, has been moving away from relationships with its
cultural heritage. Therefore, with India facing an urban explosion, it is worth
reflecting on how to (re)construct culturally sensitive buildings in a modern
way by referring to those case studies that, first and foremost, pursue a fusion
of tradition and modernity.
10)
Kaczorowski (2009: 326).
11)
CENSUS2011.
12)
RM.IE.
4. 263
Culturally Sensitive Contemporary Buildings in India
CASE STUDIES – CULTURALLY SENSITIVE BUILDINGS
In light of the definition of ‘culture’ grasped as a set of formulas to solve
problems specific to a given society13)
and of ‘cultural resources’ considered
as ‘those tangible and intangible aspects of cultural systems, both past and
present, that are valued by or representative of a given culture, or that contain
information about a culture’14)
– creating contemporary architecture finds
solution to the problems of the local community and draws inspiration from
traditional and local materials, design solutions, upgrading them to objects of
contemporary architecture, with which the local community will be identi-
fied. Thus, considering the cultural aspect now threatened with exclusion
by the rapidly expanding cities, it is worth introducing the work of Rahul
Mehrotra from RMA Architects, and the Studio Lotus. The examples of build-
ings designed in cities such as Hyderabad and Jodhpur, prove that using
site-specific architectural solutions and technologies derived from the Indian
cultural heritage make contemporary architecture that is culturally sensitive
of its location.
KMC Corporate Office in Hyderabad designed
by RMA Architects
Rahul Mehrotra is an Indian recognised architect and urbanist who is the
Founder Principal of RMA Architects with studios in Boston and Mumbai,
and an educator. He works in Mumbai and teaches at the Graduate School
of Design at Harvard University, where he is Professor of Urban Design and
Planning, and Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design as well
as a member of the steering committee of Harvard’s South Asia Initiative.
In August 2014, he delivered a lecture as a keynote speaker at UIA World
Congress held in Durban in South Africa that the author of this paper had
the pleasure to listen to.15)
Mehrotra’s designs range from recycling urban
land and master planning in Mumbai to the design of art spaces, shops,
weekend houses, factories, social institutes and office buildings across India.
Rahul Mehrotra’s architectural design takes the urban landscape, urban
conservation and contemporary development into consideration. His design
13)
Encyclopedia (2010: 164–165).
14)
LaGro (2013; 167).
15)
RM.UIA.
5. 264 Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
philosophy includes conservation which in turn plays an important role
in informing architectural practice in creating contemporary architecture.
Therefore, he values relationships with craftspeople by including them in
the process early, getting their feedback and working closely with them.
As a result, he is interested in contemporary craft.16)
Thus, RMA Architects
work actively with local craftspeople to develop and refine construction
details and methods of building that are relevant, sustainable, and founded
on local knowledge and culturally-specific design solutions.17)
Using tradi-
tional materials such as wood, lime and stone is the mainstay of his team
in conservation projects while in their new buildings they also involve new
materials. Secondly, his design is also influenced by what he learned from
conservation about the life cycle of materials.18)
He says that ‘buildings have
problems when materials with two different life cycles intersect. If something
that lasts for 100 years is intrinsically linked with a material with a 10-year
life cycle, then you will have trouble. And when you begin to think about
separating material with different life cycles, then this has implications on
design configurations. These are simple things, it’s common sense’.19)
Apart
from design, Mehrotra has been actively involved in civic and urban affairs in
Mumbai concerning historic preservation and environmental issues. He has
written and lectured on issues regarding architecture, conservation and urban
planning in Mumbai and India in his books Architecture in India – Since 1990
about contemporary architecture and a catalogue Kumbh Mela: Mapping the
Ephemeral Mega-City referring to the notion of ‘smart cities’ and the necessity
for architects to collaborate across disciplines.20)
Raul Mehrotra and his design associates designed the KMC Corporate
Office (Fig. 1) in Hyderabad – a city known as CyberCity. This is an office
building which employs the idea of ‘a double skin’ as an energy saving and
visually striking device – an architectural solution drawing inspiration from
traditional design solutions and at the same time upgrading it to contempo-
rary architecture.
Today, the word ‘skin’ is now widely used in an architectural vocabulary
to describe the outer layer or layers of the building, which is perceived, first
16)
RM.IE.
17)
RMA.INTRO.
18)
RM.IE.
19)
RM.IE.
20)
RMA.RM., RM.IE.
6. 265
Culturally Sensitive Contemporary Buildings in India
of all as an external part of the building largely independent of the internal
one, which has been made possible by technological innovations. Secondly,
the skin is a building shell that serves as an ecological filter and plays a key
role in passive architecture. Today after the introduction of nanofibres and
so-called smart fabrics to architecture, double facades play an intermedi-
ary role in the interaction between the inner and outer environment.21)
In
this context, a double skin in a corporate building acts firstly as a climate
responsive solution based on the traditional cooling systems of South Asia,
which is extremely important. Secondly, it is a visually dynamic façade
called ‘the green-wall’, which is a simple application on a surface serving
an aesthetic and social function. The principal of the facade is inspired by
an idea derived from the past. A double skin that allows the modulation of
light and air through the building comes from the traditional cooling systems
of humidified surfaces used throughout the ages in hot and dry climates in
the old Indian architecture of humble dwellings, monumental palaces and
temples (Fig. 2). One of the tools used in traditional building design was the
ability to vary the thermal characteristics of the skin of the buildings taking
into consideration the time of the day or the seasons. Thereby, it was possible
to retain the building’s interior temperature or even cool it by evaporating
water from the skin. The physical mechanism was based on a framework that
defined the building exterior and within which suitable panel elements with
different thermal properties could be fixed at different times. The Diwan-i-khas
in the Red Fort at Delhi is one traditional building designed in such a way.
Each set of columns surrounding the emperor’s throne, could hold curtains
and screens according to the need of time. For example, in summer there
were three sets of screens used, two of which were grass mats kept wet by
sprinkling water. In winter they were swapped with heavy quilted curtains
that were raised in the day-time and lowered in the evening to retain the
warmth.22)
In the KMC Corporate Office the outer façade is a screen that humidifies
the air entering the building to create evaporative cooling for the interi-
ors (Fig. 3). This is achieved with the use of contemporary materials and
comprises a custom cast aluminium trellis with hydroponic trays and drip
irrigation, integrated for growing a variety of plant species. ‘The trellis also
has an integrated misting system in order to control and regulate the amount
21)
Weston (2011: 182).
22)
Gupta (1984: 41–43).
7. 266 Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
of water released to the plants and used when required – to cool the build-
ing or cleanse the façade of dust in the hot and windy summer months in
Hyderabad. The inner skin of the building is just a reinforced concrete frame
with standard aluminium windows. In this project, the screen also takes on
the aesthetic function of a dynamic façade where assorted species of climbing
plants are organised in a way to create patterns, as well as bloom at vari-
ous times of the year. Such a solution brings attention to different parts of
the building façade through the changing seasons’. The company employs
20 gardeners who can access the facade through a system of catwalks on
all five levels. The visual penetration of the building by two very different
groups – both socially and economically — also softens the social thresh-
old created by cultural class differences, which are inevitable in corporate
organisations in India.23)
This solution could be perceived as successful in
terms of reducing social inequity. Moreover, Mehrotra is against inequity and
considers it ‘a deadly instrument in hardening the boundaries between the
communities in a society that hardens thresholds very easily’.24)
Finally, it is
worth highlighting that the building showcases the continuity of traditional
cooling systems of humidified surfaces used in the past in the hot and dry
climates of South Asia.25)
The RAAS Hotel in Jaipur designed by the Studio Lotus.
The Lotus Praxis Initiative and the Lotus Design Services are architectural
offices involved in designing the RAAS Hotel near the Mehrangarth Fort. The
Studio Lotus is a multi-disciplinary design practice based in Dehli employ-
ing a 40-member team from the diverse disciplines of Architecture, Interior
Design, Exhibition Design, Furniture Design & Graphic Design. Their work
varies from interior to exterior spaces, from large architectural ideas to
the smallest of furniture details. Their design philosophy involves a deep
contextual approach to their work and combines this with a strong focus on
the tactile and sensory qualities of the space.26)
The design process looks at
sustainability through the lenses of cultural, social and environmental impact.
They describe themselves as follows: we work on the principal of conscious
23)
RMA.KMC.
24)
RM.AD.
25)
RMA.KMC.
26)
SL.INTRO.
8. 267
Culturally Sensitive Contemporary Buildings in India
design, an approach that combines a keen awareness of technologies and materi-
als that celebrate the local resources and cultural influences and are sensitive
to all stakeholders together with the impact on the ecology. We deal with every
daily problem at a fundamental level.27)
Therefore in their work one can see
an active engagement in integrating localised skills and resources with the
materials and technologies to make their buildings culturally sensitive.
The RAAS Hotel is uniquely located in Raas Jodhpur at the base of the
Mehrangarh Fort which is a historic place founded by Rao Jodha in 1459
after whom Jodhpur was named after.28)
The RAAS hotel is a luxury bou-
tique hotel with 39 rooms situated near the old city quarter of Jodhpur. This
building was acknowledged in the World Architecture Festival in 2011 in
Barcelona and received the first prize in the Holiday category.29)
The site of
the hotel was inherited with three structures (from 17th
– 18th
century) set
in a large courtyard. Therefore, the main spatial concept was to use the old
buildings and the expanse of the courtyard as the platform for the Raas Hotel
and to locate the new buildings so as to serve as framing elements and as
contemporary counterpoints to the site and the Fort. The old buildings were
restored by traditional craftsmen with original materials such as lime mortar
and Jodhpur sandstone. The spaces of these parts (the pool, dining areas,
a spa, open lounge areas) were used as common areas; three apartments were
housed in the old buildings, and thirty six rooms in the new ones. The archi-
tects designed the new buildings in such a way that the spatial and formal
relationship among the old buildings and the Fort was highlighted. This was
achieved by architectural planning in the following way. Firstly, architects
created the sense of arrival by extending the meandering narrow lanes of the
walled city into the property and with a new wing design playing the role of
a second gate opening onto the main courtyard for the quests. Secondly, the
architects used the monochromatic palette of the local Jodhpur sandstone in
all its hues and textures. This device made the hotel blend into the landscape
with the Fort in the background. Thirdly, new buildings respond both to the
heritage structures and to the organic form of the Blue walled city dwellings,
without aping the old. Next, the relationship between the hotel and the Fort
was maintained by almost all rooms having a view of the fortress. At the same
time, cultural sensitivity of the buildings was achieved via several solutions.
27)
SL.INTRO.
28)
Kaczorowski (2009: 329–330).
29)
WAF.WBD.RH.
9. 268 Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
The development was crafted by over a hundred regional artisans and master-
craftsmen as a result of the strong local tradition of craftwork (stonework,
woodwork, metal work). The buildings were 70% made with locally available
materials (hand cut stone, pigmented cement terrazzo poured in situ on the
floors, locally crafted furniture in a local Indian hardwood called sheesham)
worked on by a team of craftsmen.
Additionally, a double-skin façade (Fig. 5) was installed on the RAAS hotel.
It was inspired by the traditional stone latticed jharokhā form of Rajasthani
architecture. The contemporary panels can be folded away by each guest to
reveal views of the fort, or can be closed for privacy. The outer skin acts as
a ‘breathing’ stone lattice wall that keeps out heat. 30)
Such a solution is based
on indigenously designed apertures optimised for light, ventilation and view.
‘An equivalent window in amber consists of an opening protected by stone
louvers tiled towards the inside. Frequently, large openings were filled in by
“jalis” (screens) that let in air and some light’. 31)
SUMMARY
Facing rapid and uncontrolled urban growth, India is likely to lose its architec-
tural identity if it neglects its cultural heritage in contemporary architectural
design. Considering cultural and historical contexts at the pre-design stage
could become a stimulus to develop contemporary architecture connecting
designs of various scales, culture and new technologies with the existing
urban and architectural environment. The presented culturally sensitive
contemporary buildings have demonstrated how contemporary Indian archi-
tecture attempts to appropriate a traditional vocabulary and spatial sensibility
to devise new design solutions. The KMC Corporate Office in Hyderabad and
the RAAS hotel in Jodhpur are culturally sensitive buildings. Although they
come from different cultural regions of India, they show how recognised
architects consider the cultural aspect in their building design and therefore
their work may serve as a model for others to follow. This happens because
the architects take vernacular architecture into consideration, which is ‘built
by people whose design decisions are influenced by traditions in their culture,
has been gleaned through a long period of trial and error and the ingenuity
30)
WAF.WBD.RH.
31)
Gupta (1984: 45).
10. 269
Culturally Sensitive Contemporary Buildings in India
of local builders’.32)
More so the architects respect the local builders because
‘they possess specific knowledge about their place on the planet, and thus
it is valuable in promoting climate-specific passive building technologies in
modern buildings’.33)
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