ABSTRACT
Traditional house forms of most societies are a result of the aims and desires of a unified group for an ideal environment. They are direct expression of existing values, images, perceptions and ways of life. They are made by the people who dwell in them and, therefore, their houses directly symbolize the shared cultural ideas of the society. As a product of culture, the built form stands in a symbolic relationship with society, establishing social identity so that groups not only select different habitat but also create them. They facilitate the location of people in social space through their physical space.
When one looks at the nature of house forms from the cultural perspective, one should realize that at this point of time man was living in a group with common shared values and images of the world and that his houses are a result of a group decision. Therefore, the physical system of the environment life site, climate, materials and construction are themselves, choices governed by cultural factors. This presentation explores the built forms of the Khasi as it undergoes a cultural and religious change from its own belief system to that of Christianity and explains the dynamics of the social and physical system and its influence.
