“This framework, which I refer to as ‘risk – regulations’, became an integral part of the colonial administration in the late nineteenth century. It introduced a layer of managerial techniques and established a system for overseeing financial risks within the construction industry of colonial India. This eventually led to the standardization of practices and a shift towards a managerial approach in the building construction industry, signifying the emergence of a new dimension of economization.”


The project attempts to examine ‘non-productive’ works from an economic standpoint and demonstrates how economization played a significant role in the design and construction of civic buildings of the late nineteenth century. It addresses previously unexplored questions, such as:
What steps were taken by the colonial administration for economization within the Public Works Department?
How did the PWD Engineers manage to balance the need for representational value of civic projects, within the budgetary constraints of economization? 



︎     💬️
Research     Mind map
Paper