The 13 types of govt houses in Chandigarh and the bylaws that govern them
The idea of Chandigarh at that time was like a blank canvas providing freedom to the planners and architects to design at every level of detail. To define the character of the city, a common language was established which would control and regulate every aspect of the design.
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Le Corbusier and his team of architects comprising of Pierre Jeanneret, Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew were responsible for designing the city. (Representational)Written by Nikhita Kinger
“Let this be a new city, unfettered by the traditions of the past, a symbol of the nation’s faith in the future.’” was Nehru’s vision for the city of Chandigarh. To overcome an exploited past that ended with the chaotic disorder of partition, a need to represent rationality, structure and order emerged. The idea of Chandigarh at that time was like a blank canvas providing freedom to the planners and architects to design at every level of detail. To define the character of the city, a common language was established which would control and regulate every aspect of the design.
Le Corbusier and his team of architects comprising of Pierre Jeanneret, Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew were responsible for designing the city. Where Corbusier designed mainly the master plan and monuments and iconic buildings like the Capitol Complex, the other three master architects were majorly in charge of designs related to the neighborhood unit.
Corbusier created a mathematical basis for all his artistic designs. He established a system of measurement called the – ‘Modular’ -a harmonic measure to the human scale’ which was extensively used in the design of Chandigarh at different scales. Designed in a grid iron pattern, the largest unitof the city is the ‘sector’ which was a self-sufficient walkable neighborhood unit. Similarly, at a smaller scale the building façade and its elements were also devised through a system of proportions to create rhythm and harmony. In Chandigarh, which was to be a role model and pacesetter for the development of new towns in India, the seeds of Aesthetic Legislation were embedded from the tiniest homes to the largest independent villas right up-till the group housing societies.
The housing within each sector is of two types: government and private. Government housing was divided into thirteen categories according to the income groups of government employees. The design of these houses included unique architectural elements on its façade like the Jaalis (screens), creating a rhythmic play of solid and void with bricks and Brise-soleil (meaning ‘”sun breaker”) forming an elegant envelope. Theseelementsnot only helped in good ventilation and sun control but also created an aesthetic façade composition which is what we term today as the Chandigarh style of architecture. Due to economic constraints, the basic building materials to be used werebricks which were mostly left exposed. Every residential street of these housing units has its own combination of perforations, geometric grids and punctures creating functional and beautiful facades.
Private housing provided in 70% part of the city was left to the people who designed them. Initially the controls were only the height restrictions and setbacks, but there were no byelaws linked to the façade design leading to a mixture of multiple elements resulting in poor architecture and a haphazard street image.
The system of aesthetic legislation was then improved to create a harmonious street image. Mainly three types of controls were framed for private residential developments.The first type was theFrame control which was established in 1958 and was applicable on plots up to10 marla (250 yards). It consists of two vertical elements which are the party walls and a top horizontal band together forming the frame. Anything constructed within the interior is entirely up to the owner. In phase 1 (sectors 1-30) the controls create acuboidal built form with equal areas for all floors while in phase 2 (sectors 31-47)it takes asteppedterrace built formon the rear side with standard design of brick jaalis. Further,to absorb the increasing population towards the southern sectors, phase 3 has housing societies with six storied gated communities.
The second control system was applied to plots which lie on important roads of sectors 2,3,4 and 5 havinghouses facing the hills and coming under the category of ‘special areas’.Plots in sectors 10 and16 that face the leisure valley come under this category too. Any intervention in these has to be done only after consultation with the Chandigarh Administration.
And finally the houses opposite to the V4 streets in Ph-1sectors 10,11,18,19, 27 etc.come under the Full Architectural Control category, the guidelines specify the heights, building line and materials to be used. Since these V4 streets have full control of the facades of the market shops, it was important to generate a similar pattern of continuityfor the houses right across it as well.
Further other controls like building byelaws lay down the minimum standards for areas, light and ventilation. All plots within the city have to follow zoning restrictions which lay down the building volume specifications.
Like all other laws, these architectural controls havealso been time and again amended and relaxations like increase in covered area and habitable use of barsatis depending upon the requirement are given. A shift in the image of the city is very obvious because of such changes. Also it is observed thatin many cases byelaws are not being adhered totheir full extent.
For private housing, we need to understand that even though the interior of the house is personal, the exterior falls under the public domain, for which we need to educate the residents on the importance of controls and to maintain the vocabulary and architectural expression which was envisaged at the time the city was built. Therefore,appropriate legislation is imperative for the growth and development of cities.
(The author is Visiting Faculty in CCA. The article is edited by Ar. Saumya Sharma, Assistant Professor, CCA. It is a part of the series of fortnightly articles by students and faculty of CCA on the Making of Chandigarh in alliance with the LCPJ forum.)
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