Wednesday, January 6, 2016 5:00 pm
-
5:00 pm
EST (GMT -05:00)
Of
the
thesis
entitled:ÌýDe-Coding
Urbanity
LearningÌýfrom
and
for
Old
DelhiÌýÌý|ÌýÌýPreserving
Cultural
Urban
Codes
Abstract:
TheÌýWalled
City
Of
Old
Delhi
serves
as
the
heart
of
metropolitan
Delhi.
The
city
isÌýa
complex
amalgamation
of
Mughal,
Colonial
and
post
Colonial
architecture.
ThisÌýoverlap
has
resulted
in
a
rich
urban
fabric
and
networked
cultural
urbanism.ÌýThis
provides
theÌýcity
it’s
personality
traits,
which
can
be
defined
as
it’sÌýurbanity.
The
thesis
aims
to
decode
the
microcosm
of
this
urbanity,
which
canÌýbe
understood
as
the
result
of
a
morphogenesis
that
is
generated
by
boundaryÌýconditions,
a
densely
packed
fabric
and
urban
attractors
andÌýconnectors.
Ìý
This investigation attempts toÌýextract the spatial and cultural codes of Old Delhi using parametric tools toÌýanalyze the changing sets of relationships that govern its architectural growthÌýand development. These codes serve as parameters that define the shape of theÌýcity’sÌýfabric. The first act in this process is the Database Step-this criticalÌýpart is simply the recording and translation of the informal types ofÌýsettlements— into architectural and urban maps and drawings so that they can beÌýanalyzed. The recording of acts, processes and theirÌýresultant architecturesÌýand the urban fabric that they constitute are considered to be invisible asÌýthey are not ‘legitimated’ by formal civic processes but rather are embodied inÌýthe lives, activities and culture of a community and embodied in the urbanÌýfabric that surroundsÌýthem.
This narrative description is thenÌýsupported by the extraction and development of parametric urban codes throughÌýGrasshopper scripts and manual design iterations representing a series ofÌýalgorithmic morphological conditions. These codes can generate typologies andÌýexhibit the relationship between the communal and larger infrastructure to giveÌýthe user a material sense of the cultural world.
The preservation of historicÌýcenters and its embedded urbanism is an important question of urban design. TheÌýplanning department and organizations pay primary attention to the heritageÌýsites instead of understanding and preserving its embedded spatial codes.ÌýHence, theÌýgoal of this thesis is to address the need for a planning model thatÌýillustrates the framework of the residential settlements of historic citiesÌýthat are undergoing rapid transformation or are under process for redevelopmentÌýto architects, planners and organizations involved inÌýurban development. ThisÌýmodel provides sets of rules and values that anticipate design solutions thatÌýcan act as a paradigmatic model for Old Delhi and other historic cities therebyÌýfacilitating the preservation of its cultural and architectural urbanity.
The examining committee is as follows:
Ìý
Ìý
This investigation attempts toÌýextract the spatial and cultural codes of Old Delhi using parametric tools toÌýanalyze the changing sets of relationships that govern its architectural growthÌýand development. These codes serve as parameters that define the shape of theÌýcity’sÌýfabric. The first act in this process is the Database Step-this criticalÌýpart is simply the recording and translation of the informal types ofÌýsettlements— into architectural and urban maps and drawings so that they can beÌýanalyzed. The recording of acts, processes and theirÌýresultant architecturesÌýand the urban fabric that they constitute are considered to be invisible asÌýthey are not ‘legitimated’ by formal civic processes but rather are embodied inÌýthe lives, activities and culture of a community and embodied in the urbanÌýfabric that surroundsÌýthem.
This narrative description is thenÌýsupported by the extraction and development of parametric urban codes throughÌýGrasshopper scripts and manual design iterations representing a series ofÌýalgorithmic morphological conditions. These codes can generate typologies andÌýexhibit the relationship between the communal and larger infrastructure to giveÌýthe user a material sense of the cultural world.
The preservation of historicÌýcenters and its embedded urbanism is an important question of urban design. TheÌýplanning department and organizations pay primary attention to the heritageÌýsites instead of understanding and preserving its embedded spatial codes.ÌýHence, theÌýgoal of this thesis is to address the need for a planning model thatÌýillustrates the framework of the residential settlements of historic citiesÌýthat are undergoing rapid transformation or are under process for redevelopmentÌýto architects, planners and organizations involved inÌýurban development. ThisÌýmodel provides sets of rules and values that anticipate design solutions thatÌýcan act as a paradigmatic model for Old Delhi and other historic cities therebyÌýfacilitating the preservation of its cultural and architectural urbanity.
The examining committee is as follows:
Ìý
Co-Supervisors:
Mona
El
Khafif,
University
of
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
MatthewÌýSpremulli,
University
of
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
CommitteeÌýMember:
Ila
Berman,
University
of
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
External Reader:
Erkin Ozay, University at Buffalo Ìý
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Ìý
Wednesday
January
6,
2016
5:00PM
ARC
1110Ìý
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.