LIFE WITHIN A DWELLING
RANIPURA
Ranipura, a village which even today preserves not only the traditional ways of construction, but also the lifestyle, the socio-cultural aspects with the feeling of togetherness deeply rooted in its ground. Among all the villages in the Tikamgarh Tehsil, this was the one village which still remains untouched by urbanisation.
Set in a linear pattern, with a spine which forms various nodes by changing its character as it goes through the village.
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Starting from the mouth, where it intersects with the Tikamgarh Marg, there is a cluster of dwellings.
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The street opens up in the center where the school, the panchayat and the temple are located, hence forming the core cluster.
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Towards the end of the village, there is a highly dense residential cluster.
ENTRY CLUSTER
CORE CLUSTER
END CLUSTER
Life of the people of Ranipura, lies not inside the closed confines of their homes, but instead in the open spaces within their premises. A typical household in the village has some closed spaces, meant for storage, which may be used for cooking and sleeping as well, as the people mostly prefer to cook and sleep in the open. The houses follow a courtyard typology, and one household has one family living in it, which might go up to 14-15 people. The open courtyards are provided with washing areas used for bathing and washing utensils and clothes as well.
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Below is the plan of one typical group of houses in Ranipura, complete with all the objects and spaces that form the lives of the people living within them.
CORE CLUSTER
This is the part of the village where the street widens to form a large open space, which is very lively and active throughout the day. Consisting of a primary school, a temple and the panchayat, this part forms the major community core of the village. The open space in front of the school hosts a market every wednesday. The area also has two handpumps and a well from where the poeple of the cluster get their water. The temple becomes important at the time of religious festivals.
School
Panchayat
Temple
Anganwadi
Being surrounded by the school, children play in this area during the day. A market is set up here every wednesday.
Being surrounded by the school, children play in this area during the day. A market is set up here every wednesday.
An analysis of the notions of privacy within the cluster
An analysis of the Land Use within the cluster
An analysis of the activity pattern
within the cluster
A typical Method of defining privacy by making a boundary wall around the premises of their households by using a woven bamboo fence also used for putting out clothes for drying.
A double pitch roof and a lean-to shade in front of the house is constructed using wooden framing and is covered with roof tiles made from the red soil
A typical Method of defining privacy by making a boundary wall around the premises of their households by using a woven bamboo fence also used for putting out clothes for drying.