ADAPTIVE REUSE OF POL HOUSES IN AHMEDABAD

Abstract

The old walled city of Ahmedabad with its bustling narrow lanes, intermingling pols, community announcement boards, the bird feeders, the timeless darwajas (city-gates), temples, Indo-Islamic monuments, day markets transforming into night food joints and various other images become identity of the Amdabadi's. The beauty of a Pol-house stands testimony to the intimacy of a traditional Gujarati lifestyle that is still alive in this part of the city - a living culture. One will be mesmerized and captivated by the row-house form of architecture. Detailed study reveals that besides being architectural masterpieces, these houses are planned keeping in mind the social beliefs, climate and culture of the place. The methods of construction adopted and the materials used are also responsive to the local context of the place. There are many lessons to be learnt from these houses and their organizational pattern to solve the problems of today. Moreover, these houses are becoming popular among the .tourists (both domestic and international) therefore conservation of these is a matter of prime concern. This work starts with study of Pol houses and how they behave in context to various design considerations. The data is then analyzed and used to suggest adaptive reuse options in order to make the preservation of rich urban fabric of Pol Houses in a self-sustained way...