Architecture as a social entity

Abstract

Everyone has right to an inviolable, decorous, and decent housing. And one of the most important aspects of that is affordable and social housing. But does affordable housing brings stability, economic diversity and improves the physical quality of neighbourhood?? The Indian government started a policy called “ Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna” or PMAY targeted at fulfilling the needs of low income groups and keeping the aspect of increasing population in mind. The main objective of this policy has been to provide a pakka house to all the houseless households living in kuccha and dilapidated house. For overpopulated countries like India it is necessary to change the concept of housing. It tends to originate wage employment and programs of national rural employment programs. Rural landless employment guarantee program has been one of them. But are the people able to adjust and accommodate to these changes and does these changes in quality of life of an individual necessarily mean improvement in that quality is a big question. The paper seeks to investigate and analyse and achieve a deeper and a better understanding of architecture as a social entity by citing the example of the rehabilitation of slum dwellers from Banganga slums in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India through post occupancy survey. The case studies, for this research will be intended towards addressing questions like, Is architecture merely a house to live in or a home which connects people to their identity, tradition and culture?? The paper highlights the above mentioned aspects and seeks to set a stage for an expanding creative dialogue, and not offer a utopian solution for the damage caused by the segregation of this society over the past years. So in context of recent development, the community asks, how can architecture be conceived as a socio cultural design for people??