An Aesthetic Appraisal into the Facade Wall of Independent Houses Case Study of Chennai

Abstract

Facades of independent houses contribute to creating the identity of the city. The city is constantly expanding and changing its profile. Advancements in materials are rapidly being manifested in facades and the pluralistic nature of the city is mirrored in the range of its multi-dimensional architecture. Research into facades of independent houses can suggest how to arrive at an understanding of the architectural language of independent houses and detect and identify the forces at play, this way preserving the identity of the city. A study of this kind is required. The objective of this thesis is to analyse the facade on the basis of its the architectural language and socio-anthropological issues of privacy and identity, through an analysis of twenty one houses, architect designed, independent houses built in the recent period between 1990-present, in Chennai. Houses are categorized into three groups-contemporary houses, houses of sustainability group and vilas. The research will provide some guidelines on the manner in which identity can be constituted within the framework of the character of the city. The research concludes with findings of stylistic nature. It suggests that the architecture of the facade is pluralistic in nature governed by choice of materials and design philosophy. The steady influence of modernism from pre-globalisation era to the present is evident from an analysis of the sample. Three styles or approaches are seen to be present and are a Modernist approach governed by a rich vocabulary of abstraction and the perception of the facade and building as an object. The aesthetic approach governed by Sustainability which enforces the use of natural materials and waste to generate facades where on the surface and the fabric of the facade pattern and materiality are explored. The approach can be eco based and tech based. Recommendations and guidelines are suggested to suggest priorities to be considered to maintain architectural character based on these findings in the facade.