A STUDY OF SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT (RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS) IN

TRADITIONAL LIVINGS AT CALICUT

Traditional Residential buildings are carrier of history. Pattern of traditional
buildings varies from community to community even in same region, but share
basic common themes.
AIM
Find the spatial arrangement of different houses in kuttichira muslim
houses( tharawads)
Analyzing and study the reasons behind that kind of arrangement.
Effect of religion, tradition, influence of colonial architecture on
architectural feature of community Muslim houses.
OBJECTIVES
Define traditional livings & its effects on architecture. Study about the
architectural spaces and its satisfaction on a built traditional community houses.
How religion effects on spatial arrangements in residential buildings. Explore the
potentials of future applications.
METHODOLOGY:
To analyze a house we need to understand how the house works and what it is
about. The interior and exterior should be reviewed closely to gain an over-all
impression and sense of continuity. The spatial divisions and functions can be
analyzed as formal/informal or horizontal/vertical circulation areas. The function of
space should be casual and appealing.
Roof: type, high angular, slate shingles
Walls: barrier, boundary, enclosure of space, privacy
Hall: wide, deep, spatial area, lighting
Entrance: size, lighting, location, number of doors
Staircase: location, angle, material
Windows: size, shape, type, continuity to structure
Rooms: size, location, shapes, specialized spaces, secluded rooms
Floors: different levels, change of planes
Yard: landscape, shrubbery, vines, trees, garden
Ornamentation: wood carvings, designs, patterns
Lighting: dark, gloomy, airy, bright, electric, natural, indirect
Inside: decoration appearance, mood tones, paneling, paint, wallpaper, textures,
furniture
Find out Spatial arrangement of different types of houses in kuttichira
community using sketches and plans: case study of different size of houses,
different aged houses
Analyze the daily activities of the residents, community livings
Find out Anthropometry applied in traditional buildings ( floor to ceiling
ratio, door height)
How religion affects spatial arrangements:
-Daily activities (namaz, women, men, children etc. )
-Festivals
-Religious belief
-Literature & art
-Sacred geometry
-Iconography and the use of sophisticated semiotics such as signs, symbols
and religious motifs
Effect of colonial architecture on buildings through ages
-building elements
-column
- height
-door, window pattern etc.
Vernacularism of buildings
-building materials,
-construction technique
Conclusion
KUTTICHIRA COMMUNITY: Kozhikode is Kerala's third largest city and it is
considered to be the Muslim capital of Kerala. The focus of this paper is
Kozhikode Koyas a Muslim matrilineal-oriented trading community who
closely connected to Thekkepuram, a Muslim neighbourhood where the
community continues has its roots. Thekkepuram is the oldest surviving part of
the city, an area of large joint households (tharavadus) and old mosques,
delimited by the sites of the communitys present and past economic activities:
commodity bazaars to the north; retail bazaars to the east; coastal godowns to
the west and river-side timber yards and wood mills to the south. Kuttichira
pond with its ancient mosque provides is the focal point of the neighborhood.
Tharavad: is a system of joint family practiced by people in Kerala, especially
Nairs, Tharakans and Thiyyas. There is a very complex system of relationships
amongst tharavads, which are based on the matriarchal and marriage
relationships.
ECONOMY: Commerce in timber, copra and rice, together with trade with the
Gulf countries are economic activities that have been dominated by the Koya
community.
ARCHITECTURE: The settlement at kuttichira as a whole predominantly follows a
unique character which is a blend of Islamic & traditional kerala styles. Though
there were disturbing development s or constructions off the contextual style in
the religion throughout the past decades, in effect they are not substantial
enough to cause a major disturbance to the character of the entire settlement.
PEOPLE: Most of the inhabitants in Thekkepuram are Muslims, mostly belonging
to the Koya subdivision of Mappila community of Kerala. They follow a unique
marriage and joint family system in this area: women continue to live in their
ancestral home after marriage and their puthiaplas (husbands) move in. For
every marriage in the family, a room is added to the house. The newly added
room is called Maniyara(wedlock room). Some houses here have more than six
added rooms to accommodate the multiple weddings.
Historically, Koyas were traders and have a near monopoly in the big bazaar of
Kozhikode. More than 20% of the inhabitants are working abroad(mainly in the
Middle-East) and their remittances play a big part in the local economy.
CULTURE & CUISINE: Unlike other Muslim pockets in Kerala, here two Qazis
supervise the religious jurisdiction and ceremonies. Qazis had a special place in
the durbar of the King of Kozhikode known as Zamorin, with one
Nasarudheen Abdul Azeez serving as a defence adviser during the battle with
the Portuguese.
Mishkal Mosque at Kuttichira, Kozhikode, was built by Nakhuda Mishkal in the
14th century. Nakhuda Mishkal was a renowned trader and ship owner from
Yemen. The title Nakhuda is of persian origin, meaning Captain of the ship; from
nv = boat + khud = master. As you can see, the mosque was designed in the
traditional kerala architecture of that period.
MISHKAL MOSQUE:
The Mishkal Mosque at Kuttichira stands as a symbol of communal harmony. In
1510 AD, the Portuguese had attacked the mosque and partially destroyed it.
Supposedly, their mission was to divide and rule, breaking the harmony between
hindus and muslims. The Samoothiri (Zamorin), the local ruler at that time,
didnt fall for this and helped in defending and repairing the mosque. The
mosque was 5 storeyed, but after the destruction, it remained as a 4 storeyed
structure. The walls of the mosque, except the ground floor are made of wood.
Remnants of the portuguese destruction can still be seen on the upmost floor.

http://www.rocksea.org/kozhikode-and-kuttichira-mishkal-mosque/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thekkepuram
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tharavadu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabar_(Northern_Kerala)
MALABAR SECRETS: SOUTH INDIAN MUSLIM MEN'S (HOMO)SOCIALITY ACROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN: Osella, Filippo
KUTTICHIRA-A MEDIEVAL MUSLIM SETTLEMENT OF KERALA : KASTHURBA.A.K.