Abstract:
An Otla is a vernacular element that occurs in
some traditional Gujarati homes. It has many
variations known by many names in other
parts of India, but generally performs the
same function: it marks the transition from
street to house, usually with a change in
elevation, and often with a change in
material. According to architect Balkrishna
Doshi, it serves as the meeting place of the
sacred (house) and the profane (street). It
serves as a space where neighbors meet
informally, and completes the street and the
house, bestowing upon each a unique
character.
This paper will discuss Dr. Doshi's Aranya
housing settlement in Indore, India, focusing
on the otla of the Economically Weak Sectors
(EWS) houses. The paper will analyze and
compare examples of EWS otla to determine
the extent to which design and functional
diversity pervade this common element. It
will examine the extent to which Aranya's otla
introduce new ideas, uses, and forms to a
traditional element. The paper will also
discuss the role of the otla within the context
of the larger settlement, particularly the way
in which it creates a unique street character
for the EWS neighborhoods. In examining
these issues, I will consider Dr. Doshi's Aranya
settlement to be an unusual instance of
'designed vernacular'. While his EWS
demonstration housing constitutes a fine
example of an architect-designed vernacular
infused with modernity, the majority of EWS
houses were built without the involvement of
an architect. Builders constructed them
according to resident's needs and the spatial
and programmatic restrictions of the site.
Because Aranya is a sites-and-services
settlement, some amount of freedom was
granted to residents within the tight control
of its master plan. This freedom, I will argue,
manifests itself most intensely within the
small space of the otla.
