Traditional Dwelling in Malkaganj, New Delhi

Study of Traditional Dwelling, Malkaganj, New Delhi, India

ORIENTATION – It is oriented towards north-west direction.

• This house more known as Khanna house was built for Khanna family after independence in 1952.
• Presently Mr. And Mrs. Khanna stay here  with their two daughters as other family members have moved abroad.
• More than half of the house is on rent since the time it was built.

WHY IS IT DIFFERENT TO OTHER TRADITIONAL DWELLINGS?

• This house in the post independence era was built with a very modernized outlook but it fulfills each and every requirement of  a traditional house.
• Unlike other traditional houses this house has a huge courtyard surrounded by walls on the three sides leaving the north-east side for good lighting.
• The most important element which adorns the house with a modernized look is the porch in front side of the house.

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

• The climate of Delhi is composite.
• Its characteristics change from season to season.
• It has basically three seasons comprising hot and dry, warm and humid and cold and dry.

CLIMATIC RESPONSE

• Presence of large number of windows on the south west wall to utilize the winter sun.
• Presence of roshandans over each and every window transforms light all over in the house.
• The courtyard is oriented in such a way that the open side gives it light and heat in the morning and prevents it in the afternoon.
• The building has mezzanine floors over the service rooms which are comparatively cooler.

ORNAMENTATIONS

• The patterns exploded on the front boundary wall is very much inspired from the “vedicas” with 2 perpendicular and horizontal lines.
• Parallel patterns run on the balcony and also the roof railings.
• Various traditional patterns are engraved on the doors and the door frames.
• Typical jali running longitudinally on the exterior wall of the staircase.

DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE ONE SIDE OPEN COURTYARD

VIEW OF SEMI-BUILT STUCTURES ON THE ROOF

• These are half walls built to define volume to the otherwise empty terrace.
• Due to this defining of volume there was enough privacy to sleep during summers.

Ground Floor Plan

Section XX’

Section YY’