Seventeenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the changes in the social life of the Mishing community caused by the changing spatial configuration of Mishing traditional architecture found in upper Assam, India. Generally, architects and researchers use space syntax analysis to quantify the quality of spatial conformation and properties and extract information on social configuration. In space syntax analysis, the value obtains from mathematical model that reflects information of social configuration and cultural practices. In this research, space syntax analysis is done using Justified Plane Graph (JPG) method. The samples (house layouts) are taken from Mishing village in Dhemaji district of Assam state for this initial analysis. The transformed/ modified traditional house layout is acquired by visiting the selected household and draw the spatial configuration and the historic original house layout is recovered and reconstructed with the help of the inhabitant’s memories from field-survey of the same household. The study is the first investigation into the spatial analysis of transformed Mishing architecture. The data and results will be useful for further studies in the domain of designing ideal houses to support Mishing community and their regular livelihood.