Fractals, architecture and sustainability

The concept of fractals has brought about exhilarating and innovative changes deepening and broadening our understanding about the nature, culture and science. Sustainability as understood is an attempt looking at three dimensions- social ,economic and environmental. Architecture accomplishes some of the basic human needs namely aesthetics, functionality and sustainability. Fractal architecture with its unique feature of organic assemblage of units is better endowed to answer questions of sustainability than many other form of architecture. The fractal theme serves as a framework or reference for organizing an intellectual and aesthetic presentation in order to explain the reality that ‘everything in the universe (nature) is connected to everything else.’ The concept of fractal explains nature, where sustainability is a current concern. The topic of Fractal is a realization of the natural world expressed mathematically where the structure of every piece holds the key to the whole structure. The application of fractal theory in architecture is a new concept. The following research paper will discuss about fractals, their existence in architecture and how further they can be related to sustainabilit

Courtyard houses: An overview

In old traditional residences, the courtyard was the focal point of the house. Most, if not all, rooms of the house had a direct connection with the courtyard. Courtyards served privacy purposes where they maximized interior relationships and openness while keeping the outside separate. Not only were courtyards used as social family gathering spaces, they were also a source of air flow and thermal comfort to the residence. Courtyard Houses have been most popular in residential architecture all over the world and in all climatic regions. Courtyard can be square, rectangular, round or amorphous, generated by placement of rooms or buildings around it. In hot arid climates such houses provide a greater measure of comfort. The courtyards supply light and cool air to the rooms around it. Air circulation within this confined space relies largely on the proportions of the surrounding walls and positioning of window openings in the surrounding rooms. Breeze and shading in the courtyard help in creating comfortable living conditions during day and sleeping conditions during night. In this paper various attributes of courtyard houses are discussed. The degree of enclosure, the size and orientation of courtyard in terms of the bioclimatic significance is discussed