A Morphological Study of Traditional Hill Settlements in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Confirmation of Candidature Report Dwellings in the hills: a morphological study of traditional hill settlements in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh Monojit Chakma School of Design Creative Industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology February | 2013 DWELLINGS IN THE HILLS: A MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF TRADITIONAL HILL SETTLEMENTS IN CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS, BANGLADESH Monojit Chakma MURP (Sydney), BArch (BUET) Principal supervisor: Dr. Mirko Guaralda PhD (Politecnico di Milano), 5-Year-Degree in Architecture (Politecnico di Milano) Associate supervisor: Professor Paul Sanders Master of Architecture (University of Natal), BA (Hons) (Kingston Polytechnic), Diploma in Architecture (Kingston Polytechnic) Associate supervisor: Associate Professor Kathi Holt-Damant PhD (Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech) Confirmation of Candidature Report-Part A: Articulation to PhD Submitted in [partial] fulfilment of the articulation requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Design Creative industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology February | 2013 Keywords Hill groups, hill town, morphogenesis, town-plan analysis, typological process, urban morphology, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh Dwellings in the hills: a morphological study of traditional hill settlements in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh i Abstract The hill towns and rural settlements in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh, are home of at least twelve hill groups representing different cultural backgrounds. Urbanisation is transforming this region and its hill groups’ spatial practices. The result is a situation where the cultural identity of these hill groups and their settlement forms are undergoing deep transformations. This study is an attempt to identify the recurrent built form types and settlement morphology of the hill groups. The research examines the spatial patterns of the hill settlements in relation to urbanisation and its effects on place making. This research is based on morphological approach, using a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The discourse on transformation, from traditional to modern urban environment as well as the loss of traditional building typologies, is timely for the CHT region and central in the debate within the urban morphology discipline. This research contributes to the knowledge about the settlement types, forms and patterns of the hill groups and their changing spatial practices in relation to urbanisation. The research findings, based on the settlements of diverse culture groups at a cross border region in the uplands of Asia, can be referred to similar contexts. In the general discourse of urban morphology, this research contributes to the cross cultural studies relating to small towns and traditional settlements in Asian context. iiDwellings in the hills: a morphological study of traditional hill settlements in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh Table of Contents Keywords .................................................................................................................................................i Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. ii Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures ......................................................................................................................................... v List of Tables ....................................................................................................................................... vii List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................... viii Statement of Original Authorship ..........................................................................................................ix Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Context ......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Purposes ....................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3.1 Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 3 1.3.2 Research Objectives.......................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Significance, Scope and Definitions ............................................................................................ 4 1.4.1 Significance ...................................................................................................................... 4 1.4.2 Scope ................................................................................................................................ 4 1.4.3 Definitions ........................................................................................................................ 4 1.5 Document Outline ........................................................................................................................ 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................... 6 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Urban Morphology....................................................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 British school of urban morphology: Conzenian tradition ............................................... 8 2.2.2 Italian school of urban morphology: Muratorian tradition .............................................. 9 2.2.3 Versailles school of urban morphology .......................................................................... 10 2.2.4 Typological process and town-plan analysis .................................................................. 10 2.2.5 Review of Town-plan analysis ....................................................................................... 11 2.2.6 Review of Typological process ....................................................................................... 13 2.2.7 Typological process and Internalist approach ................................................................. 15 2.2.8 Typological process and traditional settlements ............................................................. 17 2.3 Place making .............................................................................................................................. 19 2.4 The place: Chittagong Hill Tracts .............................................................................................. 21 2.4.1 Zomia: the highlands of Asia .......................................................................................... 22 2.4.2 Historical context ............................................................................................................ 23 2.4.3 Towns and villages ......................................................................................................... 32 2.4.4 Dwellings ........................................................................................................................ 34 2.5 Summary .................................................................................................................................... 36 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN ............................................................................................... 38 3.1 Methodology and Research Design ........................................................................................... 38 3.1.1 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 38 3.1.2 Research Design ............................................................................................................. 42 3.2 Cases and Participants ................................................................................................................ 44 3.3 Instruments................................................................................................................................. 44 Dwellings in the hills: a morphological study of traditional hill settlements in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladeshiii 3.4 Ethics and limitations ................................................................................................................. 44 3.5 Timeline ..................................................................................................................................... 46 CHAPTER 4: METHODS ................................................................................................................. 47 4.1 Data Sources, types and forms ................................................................................................... 49 4.2 Data collection