In 20^th century modern international style of architecture developed in the industrialized western countries influenced architecture globally. It is observed that this development changed the prevailing traditional approaches of design and detailing to modern, in the form of replacement rather than adaptation of design systems. Thus architectural details and forms that were evolved in response to local climate, physical and cultural requirements of people for centuries were neglected.

In the region comprising of the state of Kerala, a southwestern state in India, traditional built forms and design systems have survived the impact of modernization. This research work aims at evolving an architectural design methodology of adaptation of traditional design systems and details as linkages from past in the context of Kerala, to understand how modern houses, more adapted to human and environmental realities can be designed and built to create a ‘Post-traditional’ built form.

Organization of space system in traditional residential built forms enclosed by structures based on material and construction systems used has place adaptive qualities. The methodology followed is in the form of study of traditional space systems to identify design elements and relationship between them as historical linkages generated in the structure by the material and construction systems. This is followed by assessment of these linkages applied in the design, by a process of re-establishing them in a ‘post-traditional’ house, which is finally constructed and occupied meaningfully.

Through this research it is observed that adaptation of traditional design elements as linkages results in a built form with place adaptive qualities depicting continuity in relationship between culture and built form of the place established over several centuries. It is inferred that designing and constructing by adapting traditional design systems and details of a region results in continuity of physical and visual linkages to the architectural past of the place, through a ‘post-traditional’ built form that responds to the climate of the place.

Get this thesis as e-book:

Linkages in Architecture