Chapter#3: Socio-Cultural Factors and House Form

HOUSE FORM AND CULTURE

CHAPTER#3: SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS AND HOUSE FORM

There are several reasons why a dwelling takes a certain kind of a form. The reason is human nature is very different and not any two human beings are same. What is liked by one person will not necessary impress the other. There are so many factors that affect the likes and dislikes of a person. And the major role behind our choices is played by the social interaction, culture, ritual, economy and physical factors. According to the author, Amos Rapoport, with the passage of time the factors and responses may change gradually in the same place but the lack of rapid change and continuity of usage of a specific form are the characteristics of vernacular abode.

The primary factor that drives the house form is socio-culture. There are loads of things that come under the heading of “socio-culture” such as: social customs, religion, believes values, family and clan structure, source of income, etc.

Religion is one of the cultural choices. What is sacred in one culture might not be accepted in other cultures; therefore a huge difference in houses forms can be observed. For example: Dogan villages are built in pairs to represent earth and heaven; according to the Hottentots believe the circle is the perfect form which brings down the blessings of heaven; etc. not only the form of the house is according to the religious believes but also its orientation, height, structure, placement, roads, landscaping and surrounding.

Providing shelter is the passive function of a house, so the proactive function is” the creation of an environment best suited to the way of life of a people”.

The basic needs of a person can be defined as the need to breath, eat, drink, sleep, sit and love. Their definition and explanation differs from one culture to the other. It might sound unpleasant to some people that in Japanese traditional house the smell of toilet are accepted; and Eskimos acknowledge the high concentration of smell in igloos. The lightning levels, comfort level of heating, eating and cooking habits also vary from culture to culture.

In some of the cultures, privacy is of the greatest importance and in other cultures they don’t consider it essential. It is the basic attitude towards sex, shame and territoriality. For the sake of privacy, the step is taken for the separation of domains. For example: separating of noisy public from the quiet private domains. Every culture is the living example of it.

Man by nature is a social animal. Place of socializing are always kept in mind during the design process of a dwelling. It is kept in mind while designing the interior as well as the spaces outside the dwelling areas. When designing a house the whole settlement pattern is considered. In one of the personal communications by Professor Laura Nedar of Department of Anthropology, University of Berkeley stated, “The settlement pattern can also affect attitudes to innovation, as in the cases of the Navajo and Zuni. When veterans came back after World War II the Navajo, who have a dispersed living pattern, were able to accept innovation because it affected only the single household and did not disrupt the community. Among the Zuni, whose settlement pattern is compact, any innovation would have affected the whole community and was resisted.

Site selection is an important aspect of the creation of a house.  The nature has an everlasting effect on every living being. In the Fourth Congress of South African Architects and Quantity Surveyors, P.H.Connel presented a paper which stated “ in new townships the grid destroys both intimate scale and the link with the land… group unity is destroyed, and there is no clear relation of man to his surroundings through elements of increasing spatial scale and demarcation of domain in harmony with the land around”.

Change is a constant part of human nature. Progress is also a form of change. With the passage of time human needs, believes, likes and dislikes changes. As soon as the culture changes, the form looses its meaning. The needs may remain same or constant but its specific symbol may vary. And it does have a very huge impact on Architecture.

Sana Fazal

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