Analyzing a morphology of domestic legacies

Abstract

Shakharibazar in Old Dhaka, one of the first streets to be built in the region of South Asia, is a sanctuary to a very specific ethnic group, and the only known home to some craftsmen. Shop house is the generic archetype of existing urban fabric of Shakharibazar. A striking characteristic of this distinctive ‘plan unit’ is oblong and linear plots with very narrow frontal widths. Defence mechanisms, community interaction, commercial, residential and service interfaces were the bases for the spatial features of individual houses. This paper investigates the patterns of configuration of domestic space that historically fostered its growth and explores the potential of the settlement pattern and space layout to function as an important tourist destination. The methodology consists of literature review, site survey, house survey, formal and informal interviews with the inhabitants of selected houses and an elaborate spatial analysis using space syntax. The street is syntactically responsible for very high pedestrian movement and community activities. The shop is the most integrated space of the ground floor, whereas the changing room is the deepest. There are instances of gendered space, that are segregated to some extent. The control values coincide with the air flow pattern, and VGA analysis demonstrates privacy and security. Conservation of this lifestyle and spatial pattern is more necessary than merely conserving existing structures.