To locate the notion of the local identity of a region that is being formed, it becomes important to understand the processes that go into the same, as well as the resultant products formed. After establishing and defining them, select layers of the cultural landscape of the region will be exemplified in order to derive the relationship between them. Furthermore, the research will investigate the role of the tangible component of the product, i.e., the materials and architectural forms as symbols. To further investigate how a relationship has been formed between all these components, case studies of schools in post-colonial regions will be investigated to exemplify and finally interpret the manner in which contemporary practices aim to connect to the local identity of a region.
Although titled ‘defining a local identity’, the first chapter questions the necessity of boxing the definition of identity using a specific set of adjectives. In doing so, paradoxically, the complexity of the nature of identity itself is reduced to the delineated definitions of those adjectives. Perhaps then, as opposed to an essence, a more suitable definition of the idea of local identity would be to view it as a constant, ongoing process. The processes referred to here are historical and social processes carried out by social actors. The outcome, then, of these processes- the larger product thus formed is the cultural landscape.
The process of production, the act of making symbolizes a multitude of underlying notions and processes. Although they may vary contextually, their fundamental underlying ideologies remain the same. A manner of classification of these processes was provided by Christopher alexander, who termed them as unselfconscious and self-conscious processes. The processes investigate how a shift in social actors and the relationships between them affects the methods of the making of a form.
To further understand how processes lead to the creation of layers of a cultural landscape, one can now begin to study the products, that is the layers of the cultural landscape that exemplify these processes. A post-colonial cultural landscape becomes a rather appropriate one through which to understand the difference between the aforementioned processes and their results on the products formed. In addition to containing layers that were formed by the people of the region, they contain layers formed due to the influence of external agents, which contributed equally towards the making of the identity of the region. Hence, to serve as an exemplification of the self and unselfconscious processes, and the drastic difference in the manner in which they were tangibly manifested, the two layers then that can be examined are the vernacular and colonial layers.
Hence, the dynamics between the actors, or the representing and represented are not only reflected in terms of their relationship with each other, but also the manner in which they utilize processes which in turn affect the formation and expression of the product, i.e the material and the architectural form. The tangible component then starts to become representative of, or, a symbol then of both the processes employed as well as the relationship between and intentions of the actors involved in the act of making. Furthermore, as mentioned before, it is the tangible component which forms a layer of the cultural landscape which then becomes representative of the identity of a region. Hence, while trying to interpret the local identity of a region, it becomes important not only to look at the material as a tangible product, but also the underlying processes and intentions that the utilization of the material symbolizes.
Educational institutions by virtue of their function as well as their forms have the potential to inform people about the history, about the culture of the place, while simultaneously alluding to the propagation of a global knowledge system. In order to derive the tools used by external agents to create associations towards an identity for the context and to discern the processes that a material is symbolic of, three questions need to be asked. In what context is the identity being created? Who is creating an identity for who? What are the pre-existing layers of identity that are being alluded to?
In order to understand the manner in which the material here acts as a symbol, formative of a local identity, educational institutes belonging to the same region were comparatively investigated through relationships between the actors, processes and products. To look at the way in which the product was manifested and conversely, to understand the relationships that the product symbolized, the roles and interactions between the actors were examined in conjunction with the processes employed and the manner of making of the product.
Interestingly enough, although the choice of materials in all these cases alludes to the vernacular layer of the local, thereby trying to emulate a self-generated, utilitarian form, when read in conjunction with the processes and relationships between the actors, one may realise that the resultant institution alludes to more layers of identity than one. The relationship between the representing and represented is not as linear as it seems, thereby adding an additional layer of complexity to the formation of an identity.
Although the pretext and choice of process of all the case studies remained quite similar, subtle differences in intentions, manners of making, allusions to existing layers of identity and the approach towards the treatment of a material radically shifted the type of local identity that was being created by these global institutions.
As established by these global educational institutions in post-colonial landscapes, the identity as a process and the manner of allusion is far more complex. While the contemporary practices that operate within such a complex cultural landscape have a decolonial intent which they choose to express through the choice of material and architectural product, the processes may say differently. As was stated by Octavio Paz, “Identity is not essence, but history.” The local affinities thus being created by the institution are not solely dependent then on what existing layer of identity the product alludes to, for it is possible for the processes and products to allude to differing layers of the local, thereby generating a new layer of local identity.
