Author: Shreeya Kamath
Site Location: Divar Island, Goa
Institute: BMS College of Architecture
Advisor: Dr. Leena Thombre

Description

This thesis proposes a community–visitor center on Divar Island (Site Location Pin: 15.53439611522159, 73.90173249052955) as a shared platform where locals and tourists come together, designed to nurture cultural exchange while protecting both heritage and ecology. The intent is not only to provide facilities but also to create an environment that celebrates coexistence. For locals, the spaces generate income, revive agriculture, and sustain artisanal practices that risk being lost. For visitors, they provide opportunities for authentic experiences—ones that are mindful, meaningful, and deeply rooted in the island’s identity. Material limitations are embraced as strengths, with locally available resources guiding construction and demonstrating the wisdom of vernacular methods. The architecture resists spectacle and excess, relying instead on its rhythm of blocks, courtyards, and pathways that weave built and unbuilt spaces together. These interstitial areas foster interaction, community gatherings, and a constant dialogue with the landscape. The design ensures that the built does not overwhelm the natural; instead, it frames it. In this way, the architecture blends modestly into Divar’s timeless setting, appearing grounded, enduring, and inseparable from its place.

Drawings

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