Abstract
Dwellings are usually constructed by people as per their respective needs, with the use of traditional skills. The architectural built form, layout, building materials, and local construction practices vary from one region to the other, depending on the socio cultural and socio-economic significance. It is essential and crucial to understand the cultural significance in an ever-transforming world. Thus, a study has been attempted to analyze typical characteristics of houses in Krishna district of coastal Andhra Pradesh. As part of the study process, a few dwellings were selected which have vernacular building components and which underwent transformation (spatial, physical and esthetical) in response to the respective users’ changing requirements in time and space. People’s attachment to the vernacular components of the present and earlier house was recorded. The qualitative analysis brought out that 25% of houses exhibited transformation in their built-up area while 75% exhibited transformation in terms of its spaces, components such as roof, wall, joinery and ornamentation. It was also found that the quantum of transformation which had taken place arose from different reasons in isolation and combination such as family structure, change from joint large family to a smaller nuclear family system within the same premises, property subdivision, growth in economic condition, and partial physical deterioration of building components. The principal focus of this paper is to understand the degree of people’s attachment or satisfaction level toward vernacular elements and thereby understand the social acceptance of vernacular architecture in a broader perspective.