The architecture of Ahmadabad has a unique richness, both in its religions and in its domestic forms. The carved wooden facades of traditional houses are in no way interior artistically to the elaborately sculptured details on sandstone mosques or marble temples. As a study of Ahmadabad's houses reveals, all of the three major communities living in the city—Jains, Hindus and Muslims — have contributed significantly to its traditional domestic architecture. In order to have a better understanding of these houses, it is useful (o relate them to their cultural and urban context.

City Form
Since: it was founded in t411 on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati, Ahmadahad remained; in irregular semi-circular city defined by fortification walls which played an important role in the defence of the city. It was only at the beginning of the twentieth century that attempts were first made to pull the walls down, thus leading to a major metamorphosis in which the city rapidly expanded outwards in different directions.

Besides (he development of a royal complex with fortifications, neighbourhoods called Puras emerged as .self-sufficient residential units during the reign of Mahmud Begra (1458-1511). This ruler assigned various areas within the city limits to his commanders for accommodating their followers. The result was the formation of distinct localities which were named after the different commanders. These 1'uras exist even today, although most of the dwellings in these areas are of later origin. The Puras have a distinct identity of their own, and together they appear like a cluster of small villages somewhat randomly distributed within the urban confines. However, a closer scrutiny reveals a definite pattern structured by linking together the twelve city gates to the central area in the vicinity of Manek Chowk, the main commercial hub ofthe city. This resulted in the creation of a radial pattern of streets. Over a period of time, four more gales were added to the city walls.

Pols
After the communal riots of 1714, Ahmadabad's population sought greater security by living together in closely associated groups within pols. The typical pol is a small residential unit consisting of a single street with a group of houses, It is a kind of micro neighbourhood, usually protected by a gate at the entrance. These pols developed further as the process of densification continued; today they are a special feature of old Ahmadabad. Traditionally, the main considerations for living within a particular pol were the religion and caste of the inhabitants. Compact housing clusters with dead-end streets formed distinctive residential patterns. The pols were even self-sustainable over a period of time since each house had its own storage for water and food grain, a tradition that continues today.

The geometric form of the pols varies throughout Ahmadahad. There are areas where the pol has a definite rectilinear pattern, but in most parts of the city an organic pattern prevails. As far as scale is concerned a strong consistency can be observed. It is safe to conclude that the street of the pol has been the most dominant form of community space in Ahmadabad throughout the centuries. Some of the oldest pols are Mhurat Pol, Mandvi-ni-Pol and Lakha Patel-ni-Pol, all concentrated in the central part of the walled city. Although these pols are becoming congested due to overpopulation, we may still discern a sense of pride in their residents.
House Form
While the layout of most houses in old Ahmadabad conforms to a general pattern, we can see how they have been adapted to different circumstances. Typologically, most houses are deep, with a narrow frontage which opens onto a narrow street. Along its longer sides, the house shares walls with the adjoining properties. Normally, the house occupies the entire plot of land available to the owner. This has resulted in a very densely built environment, made somewhat "porous" by the streets and the courtyards within the houses. This has added greater importance and meaning to the courtyards, also to the thresholds connecting the houses with the streets. A threshold is the transition between inside and outside, and is therefore elaborate both in conception and in detail, though small in scale. This element is invariably accompanied by a platform known as the otla. Depending upon the community, the otla can be an extremely busy area where several activities are carried on, or it may function just as an entrance, as can be observed in the houses of certain Muslim communities.
The major components of Ahmadabad's traditional houses are identified by their particular names rather than by their functional allocations. There is no "living room", "dining room" or "bedroom" as such. The nomenclature is basically Gujarati, the local language, and is common for the houses of all three major communities. Naming these elements begins at the street level with the otla. This entrance platform often has a row of columns supporting a facade which projects outwards as one moves upwards to the different floors. The otla is like a preamble to the actual threshold which is called the umro. Besides accommodating the extended activities of the house, the otla has great ritual significance for Hindus since religious activities take place there. However, when a similar house is used by a Muslim family, the otla loses its significance because the activities extending outwards from the house are limited due to notions of privacy.

The front area of the house is a reception space, a kind of sitting room sometimes called the baithak. The inner part of the house, the courtyard or chowk, is the most important element, ft is this central open space which controls all the other spaces of the house since these are usually built around it. A slight change in level may signify the transition between the chowk and its surrounding areas. Not only arc the social and family needs satisfied by the chowk, this part of the house also responds to climatic needs. Since it signifies the outside realm within the confines of the house, the facades that surround the chowk receive particular attention; their decorated elements are often a showpiece for the family. The verandah-like space called the parasal that often surrounds the chowk is also used as another zone of family activities. Among the rooms of lesser importance is the ordo used both for storage and for sleeping. House roofs are mostly sloping, but those portions which are flat (agasi) arc used for sleeping outside during the summer nights, and also for drying and spreading out articles in the open.
While there arc no major differences in the forms of houses used by various community and caste groups, certain details do vary. Muslim houses, in particular, have been somewhat improvised and adjusted. Two major differences occur due to the need for privacy and to the different eating habits which influence the plan organization and space utilization of the house. Whereas cooking itself is given a lot of importance in Hindu and Jain houses, resulting in more elaborate and often larger kitchens, a typical Muslim house, even in wealthier households, has a smaller and .simpler kitchen. Dining is an important, almost ritualistic, activity in Muslim homes, resulting in more space for eating. Privacy for women has created two distinct zones in Muslim residences. This results in a kind of living-entrance area in the front of the house where visitors are welcome; for the family and closer relatives, though, a living room at the rear of the house is more commonly used. In all houses, irrespective of community type, the stairway is invariably close to the entrance.
Construction techniques of traditional houses of Ahmadabad can be classified as composite. The structural system is essentially trabeate, with carved wooden posts and beams, and infill of brick panels. Facades are treated with wooden elements used structurally as well as decoratively; on the whole, the structure remains light. Such traditional building methods have always been craft-oriented since design and construction were mostly standardized. The only improvisations are in the details of the carving. Invariably, the quality of the carving was excellent, and until recently many of Ahmadabad's houses retained outstanding examples of ornamented wood-work. Most of the decorative treatment in Hindu and Jain houses focuses on symbolic forms with floral and geometric patterns. In Muslim houses, where non-figural patterns are preferred, there are no images of gods, people, birds or animals.
Wood-work
Among the principal building materials used in Gujarat, carved stone and wood stand out for richness of expression. With both these materials we can observe elaborate details of carving. In the construction of houses and mansions or havelis, wood predominates, with stone used only for pillar bases called kumbhis. Not only did wood provide a strong structural system for house building, it was also an excellent material for carving various elements such as pillars, capitals, brackets, lintels, balconies and eaves.

"Compared to stone, wood because of its plasticity lent itself to a variety of adaptations in form and design and quickness of execution. There was a severe competition between the stone- and wood-carver to excel each other in the perfection of his workmanship by introducing elaborate details and variety of ornamentation. The rivalry between the two was healthy, each imitating and accepting the best of the art evolved by the other. It is for this reason that there has been in Gujarat great kinship between wood and stone sculpture both of which have displayed unique similarity in design and form. But no other art has shown that diversity and richness which wood-carving has done. Whereas constructive architecture and idols are the principal subjects worked in stone, wood has, besides these two, many other alternatives in furniture, vehicles, articles of household use, etc., the decoration of which has not been the good fortune of stone carvers to attempt because of the innate limitation of the matter. There has thus been a rich assortment and diversification of the ancient art of wood-carving, which was both constructive and decorative, architectural as well as utilitarian, capable of abundant display of such a wide array of splendid forms and design." Fortunately, several examples of such wooden houses can still be seen not only in Abmadabad, but in several other towns of Gujarat as well. Within the old city of Ahmadabad itself, there are more than four hundred houses which belong to this tradition. Several of these are elaborately decorated structures which are threatened by neglect and commercialism. It is not uncommon to find owners demolishing their houses in order to erect modern apartments and office buildings. The sale of carved wooden house facades is unfortunately fairly common.
At the initiative of some concerned citizens, the Ford Foundation has recently sponsored a conservation study of historic Ahmadabad. The listing of these houses and the development of an appropriate conservation policy forms the focus of this study which is currently being carried out by the Municipal Corporation.