Architecture · Research
Artisans Directory
A Comprehensive Study of Alternative Building Technologies and Cultural Practices
About the Project
This project undertakes a systematic study, documentation, and compilation of various alternative building technologies that have contributed to the development of a unique architectural vocabulary throughout history. Its objective is to critically assess these technologies in order to enhance our understanding of the key factors necessary for the preservation and contemporary application of traditional and culturally significant building practices.
The project actively engages with artisan communities, who serve as custodians of these traditions, through interaction, documentation, and research utilizing photography, video recording, and oral tradition recordings.
Building Elements Studied
The research encompasses building systems that utilize local resources in terms of knowledge, materials, and craftsmanship; the full spectrum of how a structure comes together when designed in conversation with its place.
The Directory
The project concludes with a comprehensive report that aims to ensure these valuable techniques do not fade into obscurity. It also raises awareness about the challenges faced by practicing communities; economic pressures, diminishing apprenticeships, and a market that often undervalues handcraft in favor of industrialized alternatives.
Workshops, seminars, interactions, and visits by historians, anthropologists, architects, and artisans are organized to facilitate knowledge exchange and foster dialogue around these practices. The findings were published in the INTACH Directory of Traditional Building Crafts of India: Volume 1 Saurashtra.
View Documentation ↗Field Photography
