Cultural Landscape

REDEFINING THE DEFINED

A Retrospective in Cultural Landscape

Abstract

Retrospection into to past, the indigenous culture and tradition of the people, their life style and its effects on built environment has led to an intriguing thoughts of the inlaid principles of sustainability that was predefined ages ago. Their cultural values and traditional approaches towards built form and structure not only retain the regional identity but also provide authentic solutions to the design problems faced on a regular basis.Vernacualar architecture is but a representation of man, his ideals, and his beliefs on a built scale. This research attempts to understand the definition of sustainability through simple and effective methods used in the bygone days.

Cultural landscape being the translation of the innateness of man’s respect towards nature is also thus a dynamic or ever changing phenomenon. One of the best examples of cultural landscape could be the growth and evolution of settlements over time. Settlements manifest the same on a macro level. Considering the settlements in the Goan lands of India ,though the morphology of settlements is broadly influenced by any governing factors like socio-cultural influences, cultural changes, technological innovations, the beginning of any human civilization is marked by the evaluation of the geographical parameters(2). The watersheds/ geographical features and character of the site, shape the occupation of the people and their livelihood. Groups of people whose life revolves around their occupation, tend to stay around the agricultural precincts thus growing along the boundaries over the years. This hands a certain character to the settlement which is more physically determinist. Geography of the place acts as the determinant of the form and structure of the settlement. However there are places where the culture takes over the physical characters of the settlements. The Greek settlements

The depiction of culture in a place may be through the visual components of the built form or through the timeless practices used by the people .When evaluating the architecture based on the lifestyle of the people ( which is a reflection of their tradition) it is important to study the living realm as a representation of the same. Their notion of house should be evaluated based on the family structure, their beliefs, the drama of life, and their social intercourse