The 10th ISVS with the theme “Re-domestication of the World after the Pandemic: A Re-visit to the Origins and Manifestations of Domesticity in Vernacular Settlements” held at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) Bhopal from February 12 to 14.
The three-day seminar looked into vernacular architecture as the post the Covid19 situation. The theme of the seminar is focused on the human settlements after the covid19 situation as it has changed the way of living in the home that was turned into an office for many of the people, as well as they also started focusing on the self-reliant in their daily needs, therefore the need of the vernacular settlements come to mind, in which the earth was treated with a sense of reverence, due care and acceptance of human subservience to Nature. As informed by Prof. Sanjeev Singh, Professor, SPA Bhopal, and seminar chairperson.
There were 37 papers presented and these researches brought the wisdom of vernacular knowledge of settlement design and the need and ways to integrate this traditional wisdom into modern planning. The various researches discussed examples of vernacular architecture transformation of various settlements in India and Indonesia. Some of the discussed example were of Maheshwar city, Nalsarovar, coastal Sauraashtra and Patan in Gujarat, Mumbai (Majiwada Gaothan), Pune, Baiga tribe settlements, Khudagarh in Chhatisgarh, Baramatim, Shantiniketan, Majhuli island, villages of Mizoram, Melukkote Karnataka, Chamba district Himachal, laddhakh, Mattur village Karnataka.
The three-day seminar was divided into 6 sessions i.e. 1) Manifestations of Domesticity in Vernacular settlements, 2) House Home and Sense of Belonging: Vernacular concepts and conceptualisations, 3) Earth as Sacred Abode: Vernacular Conceptualisations of Nature, 4) Vernacular Practice of Negotiating Nature's Adversities and Pandemic, 5) Origins and Manifestations of vernacular culture and 6) Transformations of vernacular settlements.
On the first day Keynote speaker Prof. Gunawan Tjahjono, Professor of Architecture at the University of Pembangunan Jaya, Jakarta, Indonesia discussed about “Redomestication of Humans: Spatial Change to Live by the Pandemic With Wisdom of Vernacular Settlements”.
The second-day keynote speaker Velika Ivkovska Assistant Professor at Bahçesehir University (BAU) Istanbul discussed about “Resurgence of the Vernacular in the Era of Covid19 in Macedonia”. On the third day in the valedictory function Prof. Miki Desai former Professor of Architecture at the CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India discussed and deliberated on the new role in the coming years in his essay “We the Modern (Architect)”. Ar. Habib Khan , president council of Architecture gave the valedictory address.