Extract

An examination of a house design proposed by the Department of Rural Development of India’s Affordable and Appropriate rural housing scheme showed a major cultural gap of understanding between urban perspective and rural expectation. Significance of community value and cultural ecology have been compromised in planning and implementation of grand housing schemes. This research argues that mere design of rural housing runs the risks of not being culturally inclusive. This paper elaborates the description of the cultural ecology as defined by the literature review within the context of the research to be conducted in Assam. The culture of the place or region is the product of a cultural ecology that is the intersection of environment, community and interactions. In a rural household as the cultural ecology; the house and its boundary signify the environment where the members of the household are the community and activities of each member are the interactions. To reflect the culture and value as an integrated design element, the emancipatory research paradigm is highly significant. The approach is demonstrated by developing a questionnaire/survey which encompasses the family structure, life style and income for collecting relevant data necessary for designing culturally inclusive housing for rural community.

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