Open Spaces in Low-Rise Residential Units in India: Urban vs Rural

pen spaces are vital in the spatial, climatic, and socio-cultural fabric of residential architecture. While vernacular rural homes integrate open spaces as multifunctional, climate-responsive elements, urban low-rise residences often treat them as regulatory obligations. Byelaws-driven setbacks hav...

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Main Authors: Manoj Panwar, Riya Paulast
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Alanya Üniversitesi 2025-07-01
Series:Proceedings of the International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism-ICCAUA
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Online Access:https://journal.iccaua.com/jiccaua/article/view/703
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author Manoj Panwar
Riya Paulast
author_facet Manoj Panwar
Riya Paulast
author_sort Manoj Panwar
collection DOAJ
description pen spaces are vital in the spatial, climatic, and socio-cultural fabric of residential architecture. While vernacular rural homes integrate open spaces as multifunctional, climate-responsive elements, urban low-rise residences often treat them as regulatory obligations. Byelaws-driven setbacks have led to a significant gap in understanding how spatial configurations affect microclimate, ventilation, lighting, neighborhood interactions, and openings. This study undertakes a comparative, cross-regional analysis of open spaces in low-rise residential units across urban and rural India, integrating literature review, case studies, spatial composition mapping, and referring to building byelaws and codes. Findings reveal that rural, human-driven open spaces – particularly central courtyards and organically placed courtyards – outperform urban setback-based configurations in terms of microclimate regulations (up to 3 °C lower temperature and better daylight penetration), cross ventilation, and multifunctionality. Though compliant with building byelaws, urban setbacks often result in fragmented, underutilized, and climatically inefficient open spaces. Study recommends that the learnings from regional vernacular architecture be incorporated in urban building byelaws.
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spelling doaj-art-cd0271eeee074bca8c6e8a17379305772025-08-20T03:28:34ZengAlanya ÜniversitesiProceedings of the International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism-ICCAUA3023-70092025-07-018110.38027/ICCAUA2025EN0359Open Spaces in Low-Rise Residential Units in India: Urban vs RuralManoj Panwar0Riya Paulast1Department of Architecture, Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, India 131039Department of Architecture, Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, India 131039 pen spaces are vital in the spatial, climatic, and socio-cultural fabric of residential architecture. While vernacular rural homes integrate open spaces as multifunctional, climate-responsive elements, urban low-rise residences often treat them as regulatory obligations. Byelaws-driven setbacks have led to a significant gap in understanding how spatial configurations affect microclimate, ventilation, lighting, neighborhood interactions, and openings. This study undertakes a comparative, cross-regional analysis of open spaces in low-rise residential units across urban and rural India, integrating literature review, case studies, spatial composition mapping, and referring to building byelaws and codes. Findings reveal that rural, human-driven open spaces – particularly central courtyards and organically placed courtyards – outperform urban setback-based configurations in terms of microclimate regulations (up to 3 °C lower temperature and better daylight penetration), cross ventilation, and multifunctionality. Though compliant with building byelaws, urban setbacks often result in fragmented, underutilized, and climatically inefficient open spaces. Study recommends that the learnings from regional vernacular architecture be incorporated in urban building byelaws. https://journal.iccaua.com/jiccaua/article/view/703Open Spaces; Rural Housing; Urban Setbacks; Climate Responsive Design; India.
spellingShingle Manoj Panwar
Riya Paulast
Open Spaces in Low-Rise Residential Units in India: Urban vs Rural
Proceedings of the International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism-ICCAUA
Open Spaces; Rural Housing; Urban Setbacks; Climate Responsive Design; India.
title Open Spaces in Low-Rise Residential Units in India: Urban vs Rural
title_full Open Spaces in Low-Rise Residential Units in India: Urban vs Rural
title_fullStr Open Spaces in Low-Rise Residential Units in India: Urban vs Rural
title_full_unstemmed Open Spaces in Low-Rise Residential Units in India: Urban vs Rural
title_short Open Spaces in Low-Rise Residential Units in India: Urban vs Rural
title_sort open spaces in low rise residential units in india urban vs rural
topic Open Spaces; Rural Housing; Urban Setbacks; Climate Responsive Design; India.
url https://journal.iccaua.com/jiccaua/article/view/703
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AT riyapaulast openspacesinlowriseresidentialunitsinindiaurbanvsrural