Copal Publishing – förlag

The book looks at the vernacular architecture and traditional development in the hills through vitally crucial state of Himachal Pradesh. It documents and dwells upon the traditional construction techniques like the Kath-Kuni technique, amongst others. The book very skilfully tries to weave together the importance of vernacular of the hills with its integral relationship with sustainability. The book traces various building typologies from homes to temples across various valley regions of Himachal and touches the immense contribution of local artists and architects.

The various components and characteristics of trees have served a multitude of purposes for humans, for as long as we have been in existence. While the tree and its association with the human has been the studied and reflected upon in various disciplines of study, its spatial dimension is the object of this book, seen through the aesthetic, economic, political, socio-cultural and symbolic lenses, primarily in the Indian context. While looking at various Indian socio-cultural zones which are the result of climatic zones.

The book is a compilation of simple notes made by an architect while he is constantly trying to analyze his thoughts on architecture, the process of designing and his observations based on personal experience. In this book, the author Sachin Agshikar speaks about the origin of design by enumerating the importance of lines drawn in different planes that give shape to plans, sections and elevations. These ultimately help in choreographing three-dimensional spaces.

The book focuses on the influences of Indian temple architecture on the Khmer temple architecture of Cambodia with a method to study temple architecture holistically. There is a systematic transmission of knowledge from India to Cambodia which has developed a new style of temple architecture in that region. The Dravidian temple architecture influenced Khmer temple architecture of Cambodia beyond the physical form of the temple. The book includes the detailed study from regional level to the temple architecture level so that the influences, either direct or indirect, could be comprehended. Another important aspect of this book is to appreciate Indian temple architecture holistically. It is observed that the focus of major studies in temple architecture are based on the Western approach where it is based only on the physical appearance of the temple.

The book is an attempt to present a logical approach to contextual design. Architects and designers are always inclined to adopt an intuitive approach to design in historical contexts or surroundings with peculiar characteristics. There is no specific, methodical approach to design in such contexts apart from the ability to identify cues from the surrounding through experience. This book presents a sequential framework wherein one can analyze, synthesize, and generate design genotypes based on the inbuilt spatial grammar of the context. The shape grammar concept as a generative tool is presented to identify the spatial construct's grammar, which acts as a cue for design genotypes. Space syntax is explored as an analysis tool to evaluate the sympathetic spatial fitness of generated design genotypes.

The book systematically delves into the complex intersection of Islam with art and architecture, unraveling the profound philosophical and aesthetic foundations that serve as the bedrock for Islamic artistic expressions. Commencing with comparative analyses of geometric patterns in traditional and contemporary Indo-Islamic architecture, it unveils the enduring significance of these patterns in India's architectural legacy. Moving through the pages, the narrative unfolds the intricacies of the Mughal era, thoroughly examining the role of geometric ornamentation in Mughal buildings and its transformative impact on the grandeur of Mughal architecture.

Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar’s resting place is located in Sikandarah (British synonyms to Sikandra) in the outskirts of Agra, Uttar Pradesh. This handsome monument displays a coherent amalgamation of architecture, landscape and detailing through geometry, calligraphy and Islimi in Mughal architecture. Documenting the geometric adornments of this magnificent yet humble monument was the starting of this book. The scope expanded in adding the other details like calligraphy and Islimi thus completing the book. H. Masud Taj, an architect, calligrapher and poet, generously contributed through his elegant calligraphy and further expanding to epigraphy and poetry. He also contributed an essay on the significance of Charbagh. Shruti Barve, a landscape architect, wrote an essay about the landscape and Islimi details binding it together. Following the introduction, the book is seamlessly organized through geometry, photography and essay on Islimi and calligraphy, epigraphy, poetry. The book is a humble attempt in showcasing and interpreting the details which aligned with the interest of the contributors.