CONSIDERATIONS ON BLOCK FORMATION AND HOUSE TYPES IN NAGAPATTINAM (TAMILNADU, INDIA)

This paper intends to clarify block formation and house types of Nagapattinam, India, and analyze their transformation process. The research on which this paper is based is the further study of the project called 'Field Research on Origin, Transformation, Conversion and Conservation of Urban Space of Colonial Cities', which the major targets are Dutch colonial cities all over the world. Further to this project, comparing colonial cities in South Asia, in terms of spatial formation and transformation is the ambitious objective of this research. Another purpose is to elucidate the Dutch way of houses construction in their colonial cities, where in Nagapattinam, Dutch developed the form of town houses for high-density living. Nagapattinam was once a head quarter of Coromandel, one of five administrative districts laid by Dutch on South Asia. At present, Nagapattinam is still holding numerous town houses. This paper clarifies the spatial organization of Nagapattinam, by analyzing distribution pattern of its facilities and block formation, based on field surveys. At the last chapter, this paper focuses on house types of Nagapattinam identified according to their physical features and planning parameters. The transformation processes of these house types are also discussed. This paper suggests that construction of town houses in Nagapattinam were based on regional vernacular architecture and partly influenced by Dutch.