Courtyard as a Spatial Negotiator: Socio-Spatial Transformation of Domestic Life in Traditional and Contemporary Indian Houses

Abstract

This paper examines how changing socio-spatial configurations influence patterns of negotiated
domesticity in traditional and contemporary courtyard houses within India's composite climate.
A comparative case study approach is adopted, analyzing traditional houses from Ayodhya,
Barabanki, and Varanasi, and contemporary houses from the NCR (National Capital Region).
Methods include field surveys, photographic mapping, secondary data collection, and space
syntax analysis using convex maps, step depth, and visual graph analysis (VGA) to assess
spatial hierarchy, accessibility, and visibility. Findings reveal that traditional courtyard houses
exhibit layered spatial hierarchies, in which courtyards serve as active socio-spatial mediators
that support interaction and cultural continuity. In contrast, contemporary houses demonstrate
spatial homogenization, reducing courtyards to symbolic elements with limited integrative
function. The study concludes that adaptive reinterpretation of courtyards is essential,
emphasizing their role as dynamic socio-spatial architectural elements to sustain negotiated
domesticity within evolving Indian housing contexts.