CAADRIA 2023: HUMAN-CENTRIC - Volume 2

Abstract

This paper uses the notion of fractal geometry to understand the underlying geometric rule behind the complex appearance of traditional Indian stepwells, taking the reference of Chand Baori, which is one of the most stunning and complex stepwells in India. Stepwells were mainly designed for religious, water conservation, and social purposes. This paper indicates those aspects in exploring the complex arrangement of the repetitive self-similar stair units in Chand Baori. The geometric quality of self-similar repetition resulting in a complex outcome can be systematically described by fractal geometry. Hence, this paper has adopted a fractal-based computational approach to model the Chand Baori stepwell, including a new stepwell design followed by the Sierpinski triangle, a canonical example of mathematical fractals. The fractal dimension method has been applied at the end to analyze the visual complexity of Chand Baori.