WATER IN LANDSCAPE

ARCHITECTURE
In the early days most of the civilizations have sprung up on the bank of some navigable river or at any natural
port.
• Resource
• security to the town
• communicating link from one civilization to another".

Earliest civilizations were seen on the banks of

• Euphrates and Tigris,
• Nile,
• Ganges (Ganga),
• Sindhu (Indus Valley),
• Yamuna,
• Yang-ste-kiang
Babylon and Egypt
Egyptian Cities

Ancient Grid
cities of Egypt
Indus Valley Cities
Water Wisdom
In most cultures water is also a source of inspiration and has been for many centuries. People have adopted
deeply rooted spiritual and religious values and beliefs that bind them and support them in living the way they
do.

Hinduism: to Hindu people all water is sacred, especially rivers. Hindu belief holds that bathing in the river
causes the forgiveness of sins and likewise that immersion of the ashes of the dead in the Ganges will send the
departed soul to heaven.
Buddhism; for Buddhists water is said to symbolize purity, clarity and calmness. It is crucial to Buddhists to
live in harmony with the environment.
Christianity; Water in Christianity is primarily associated with baptism. Environmental stewardship, or the
responsibility to take good care of resources, including water, is an overarching and essential part of
Christianity.
Islam: Water is life and water is a gift from God; as such water itself should not be sold or bought.
THE ROLE OF WATER IN THE OLD MYTHS
Water, as one of the main effects of life has long been interested in different cultures, as in
many civilizations, we could find legends about emergence and development or relationship
between water with the birth of the universe.
ROLE OF WATER : As a place for farming
ROLE OF WATER : As a place for the poor to build their hutments
ROLE OF WATER : As a place for recreation
ROLE OF WATER : As a place for washing and drying clothes
ROLE OF WATER : As a place for holding the traditional ‘Sunday Market’
Water, a source of life:
Water and culture are strongly interlinked. Water is a vital source of life, and culture greatly
determines a person’s ‘way of life’. This includes the way people manage their water
resources, having adapted themselves to the environment in which they live.
For centuries sustainable water management has been daily practice in many cultures,
resulting in a delicate balance between water resources and human society.
WATER AS ELEMENT IN ARCHITECTURE CAN BE STUDIED IN VARIOUS
WAYS AND ITS PERSPECTIVES IN DEFINING A SPACE.
Water plays an important role as element in architectural design and aspects segregated as
• physical,
• dimensional and
• sensory effects (auditory, visual, touch and texture).

Water(water body) defines space according to its size, placement and proportion, its
consideration is done where it can alter the microclimate of place creating the comfort
condition for which it is opted in hot and dry climate since Mughal period ,also defined as
important aesthetic element in landscape architecture,
WATER IN
LANDSCAPE
WATER AS LANDSCAPING
ELEMENT

WATER AS DESIGN ELELMENT

Elements of Visual Design The particular characters of
•Line
•Form
•Colour
•Texture &
•Sound
WATER AS LANDSCAPING
ELEMENT
Line:
The character of line formed by the Water Land Interface has a
major impact upon the images water evokes in the mind of the
beholder.

Soft textured line – unbridled nature

Controlled Sinuous Line – Controlled or Symbolic Nature
Angular Line – confers Energy
The edge can be obscured with aquatic plants for a sense of
mystery or can be crisp and decisively bulk-headed leaving little Rhythmic silhouette
to imagination.
WATER AS LANDSCAPING
ELEMENT
Form:
The form of the water feature can be to
•Accentuate The Flow Of Water
•Convey A Sense Of Centrality
•A Sense Of Arrival

The form can be simple and uniform to convey a more unified

sense.
The form can be a complex combination of differing characters,
thereby bringing together disparate elements.
WATER AS LANDSCAPING
ELEMENT
Colour:
Good quality water is relatively clear. Takes on the
colour imparted by reflections carried upon its
surface, and also the colour of the container. •A
Sense Of Arrival.

Texture:
Texture into flowing water can be brought about
by turbulence. Constriction to water flow or Smooth surface yields glassy
protrusion into flowing water causes turbulence. sheet flow
The Surface of moving water is determined by
depth and flow characteristics and by the shape
and texture of its containers. Thinner the layer of
water becomes, even a minor difference in
container alignment can cause surface texture.
Overlap produces horizontal
frothy rhythm
WATER AS DESIGN ELEMENT
Cascades & Waterfalls When a thin sheet of water
moves down a vertical
Naturalized Cascade surface, minor ripples in the
surface can impart interesting
textures and aeration to the
water.

Stair steps create myriad of

Horizontal ribs create agitated
frothy surface droplets, each reflecting light
source.
WATER AS DESIGN ELEMENT
Cascades & Waterfalls
Step Related Cascade

Fountain & Cascade

Falling water is animated and

produces musical sound.
Fountain & Cascade
WATER AS DESIGN ELEMENT
WATER IN ARCHITECTURE
Condition at night
•Heavy mass cooled during the night
•Cool air descending to fill the courtyard and
the ground floor rooms.
•Solar radiation releases to the cold night sky.
•Illuminating the interiors.

Conditions during day:-

•Heavy mass absorbs heat during day time.
•Courtyard gives shade and retains cool air.
•Evaporative cooling due to the fountain.
•White surfaces reflects part of solar radiation