Reinvigorating the Ipseity of Historic Town: Savanur, Karnataka Student’s Perspective Resilient Urban Morphology

Abstract

Urban insert is not simply a passive reaction to change. Kevin lynch defines the expression of sensing the place through five factors that contributes towards making of a city. The exercise of documenting first expressions of a town from people point of view which not initiated into lynch theories would be a good assertion of whether and how the theory holds good for traditional Indian towns. This study focuses on the process of making better liveable places for people from their point of expressions. So, many towns in India have no any documentation to sense the place. Documentation of Maps are very important to perceive the nature of the place. At urban scale level it’s important to perceive the maps to establish the strength its unique identity. So, that it forms a structure to follow the Urban morphology, which will ensure the sensitive design approach. The aim and objective of this study is to observe, document the existing town character qualify the town’s true quality or identity. This will enrich the future Urban interventions. Savanur is located in the southern Indian state of, Haveri Dist., Karnataka. Savanur is an eighteenth-century planned town by Nawab Abdhulraouf Khan. Interesting is the beauty of this town evolution, blue print prepared by the nawab directs the formation of town by implementing seven bazars. These bazars are one of its special features. Savanur was once a royal capital of the Nawabs, full of regal splendour in terms of trade, commerce and the arts. Fourth year (2019 batch) eighth semester students from School of Architecture, of KLE Technological University, Hubli, studied this town as a part of their Urban Insert studio. The study initiated with book reviews to understand the Urban design expressions realise to read the city and compare with the author’s approach. Apart from regular studio discussions, six days of exercise was conducted for recording first expression of the town through student’s perspective, also interview with the stakeholders who are closely connected to the place. The exercise was primarily sketch based. Later converted to document the maps which itself forms the base for sensing the various layers. All these collective expressions together revealed a comprehensive character of the town, otherwise difficult to capture from a single person’s sensibility. The student’s study and documentation are accompanied with a commentary by the faculty analysing the aspects picked up by students and the reasons that these formed essential elements of the town’s historic character.