A field report from eleven days of survey work in Athangudi, recording fourteen Chettinad mansions on a single street. Includes notes on methodology, a summary of findings, and a preliminary typology of courtyard plans.
A study of the courtyard house plan in the Chettinad region, based on measured surveys of twelve houses in Karaikudi and Athangudi. The paper examines how successive courtyards manage light, ventilation, and the graduated privacy of domestic space.
Our standard protocol for measured survey, photography, oral history recording and field notes. Written for survey team members, interns and workshop participants. Covers equipment, sequence, drawing conventions and archive submission.
An observational study of lime plaster preparation and application in the historic houses of Sivaganga district. Based on interviews with three masons and direct observation of a traditional plaster repair at a house in Karaikudi.
A study of the Athangudi tile tradition, from material composition and production method to the patterns and floor layouts observed in twelve surveyed houses. Includes measured drawings of ten tile patterns and interviews with two tile-makers.
A guide to architectural photography for documentation purposes. Covers equipment, the standard photograph sequence (exterior approach, façade, entrance, rooms, details, materials), lighting, and calibration. Written for students and field volunteers.