RURAL STUDY GUIDELINES

Handout by Ar. Pradeep Reddy Navakoti

INTRODUCTION :
The village has been significant basic unit of community life through the
centuries. The first villages in history emerged when men became feed producers
and they had to settle down together in hamlets or villages comprising of a number
of households. Such spatial aggregates formed social organisations whose
members all co-operated for collective tasks. Thanks pattern of growth and the way
of life of such communities very considerably, the influencing factors being
topography and geology, social structure, availability of natural resources and so
on. These factors influenced the built environment – the arrangement of Streets, the arrangement of Streets,
communal open spaces, the nature of house types and these further articulate the
environment that man created for himself.
The economy of the Indian subcontinent is largely agriculture based and
about 70% to 80% of the population lives in rural areas. It is believed that the
Indian subcontinent will continue to be rural for many years to come. Yet we
can t regard the Indian village community as static timeless and changeless. The
impact economy. Social and cultural values need no detailed explanation.
The problems facing the village folk are many and diverse in character.
Many of the problems stem from the alarming rates of illiteracy accompanied by
inherited prejudices and superstitions. These traditional evils are still prevalent and
practiced by the masses doing greater harm than good. Population explosion has
led to unemployment poverty and malnutrition, I ll health and sub standard
housing. Besides lack of infrastructure like protected water supply, improved
sanitation, inadequate transport and communication system have isolated the rural
area, leading to misery.
If our village – the arrangement of Streets, the backbone of our cultural heritage and tradition continues
to be neglected any more, further deterioration in the standard of living is bound to
occur. The need for rural uplift is a moral obligation and essentially a life – the arrangement of Streets,
planers, architects, social workers, sociologists etc. The primary aim is to identify
deficiencies in the system, after careful surveys and subsequent analysis, carefully
plan and then subsequently implement development schemes. While achieving the
above, precautions are to be taken to preserve the rural character in all its aspects.
The environment should suit the priorities, values and life style of the rural
community.
OBJECTIVES:
a. To project survey data on to a design brief.
b. To be able to design with respect to environment.
c. To understand the use of forms in relation to open spaces.
d. To project the need of a community in the design of facilities.
The following are the various stages of the rural development project:-
a. Formulation of objectives
b. Surveys
c. Analysis
d. Identification of the problem ( public participation required)
e. Recommendations
f. Preparation of development plan, types of house and community
facilities
g. Implementation
h. Monitoring
i. Review
• FORMULATION OF OBJECTIVES:
The rural development project should aim at
a. Community development ( general uplift of people in terms of social
life, education, economic, development and improvement in health)
b. Improvement in infrastructure ( includes improvement in housing
conditions, proper water supply and drainage, electrification, marketing
and storage facilities and transport linkages).
• SURVEYS:
This comprises the study of the rural environment and the influences the
occupational pattern and population characteristics, the physical environment and
the available infrastructure. Surveys are undertaken to get statistical information
regarding existing conditions.
i. Physical surveys: effort is made here to arrive at approximately, the access,
boundaries, street network and levels if any, of the existing village. Besides
this, the impact of zone of influence surrounding this village will have to
be looked into.
ii. Visual survey: the visual impact created by important landmarks such
as temples, water bodies like tanks, ponds, rivers, besides, the pattern of
growth of the village and it s relationships with surrounding environment
will be dealt with. The rural scene and the activities in all its aspects will
be realized through the survey.
iii. Socio- Economic survey: this is a house-to-house survey giving data
regarding family size, income, occupation, and aspirations etc of the
households.
iv. Housing survey : design aspects and construction aspects regarding
housing are to be dealt with. Details regarding existing house types based
on plot and plinth areas, materials used, construction techniques adopted
 and structural conditions are collected. Traditional methods of building
with rural materials are to be covered.
v. Infrastructure, public amenities and environmental survey.
• ANALYSIS:
With the study of the village on hand, the various groups have to analyse every
aspect, visual surveys analysis will help us to identify the physical characteristics,
retention of important landmarks, future growth pattern, retention of rural survey
analysis will have to identify village boundaries, house boundaries, open spaces to
be preserved areas under cultivation and that which could be cultivated, areas for
device, etc. Socio-Economic analysis will help us to broadly classify the household
with various income and occupation groups, caste and ethnic composition, literacy
percentage, etc with this we will broadly able to identify the economic base.
Whether the village is economically backward or not what sort economic activity
can support the village in future, etc. The housing survey will broadly classify or
otherwise. They will list out the design of present housing and the survey on
services will help us to identify methods of garbage disposal, sources of water
supply, sanitary conditions etc. Other facilities to be identified for example, health,
education, transportation etc.
Rural Study Guidelines And Survey Groups:-
• Physical Survey:
i. Mapping of street network
ii. Mapping of existing land use
iii. Village key plan / plan of village
iv. Mapping of street skyline and elevation
v. Mapping of village skyline
• Visual Survey:
i. Identifying landmarks focal point, scenic vistas ( temple, ponds, water,
bodies, tress etc ) and interaction nodes
ii. Visual documentation by drawings, photographs and sketches
iii. Observation of village day life and night life
iv. Sketching the ambience of the village.
• Socio-Economic Survey:
Demographic data of the village- village population, sex ratio, village area,
literacy rate etc
Demography survey of individual families of various types
Family size, occupation, family annual income, no of
literates, land ownership etc.
 Questionnaire survey- lifestyle, social life, social issues, culture, traditions
and festivals etc.
Fact file of the village, history of the village and important structures like
temples, heritage buildings etc.
• Housing Survey:
Documentation of house of all typologies ( plan, section and elevation)
i. Design aspects
ii. Construction techniques
iii. Structural system
iv. Climatic aspects
v. Materials used for construction
Documentation of major landmarks like temples and important heritage
buildings
Plan, section, elevation, photographs and sketches
• Infrastructure, Public Amenities And Environmental Survey:
Services- water supply, drainage system, sanitation, electricity, garbage
disposal, street lighting, communication facilities- telephone, TV etc,
transportation etc. ( Infrastructure mapping)
Public amenities like primary health care centre, post office, bank, school,
public library, provisional store, market etc.
Environmental survey- air and water pollution etc.
On site and off site survey, built up space Vs open space.