Author: Manas Yatin Gawade
Site Location: Budhwar Peth, Pune
Institute:BMS College of Architecture, Design & Planning
Advisor: Dr. Lekha Hegde

Muktangan: Re-imagining Safe Spaces for Vulnerable Women – Case of Budhwar Peth, Pune is an architectural thesis that addresses the rehabilitation and empowerment of women and children affected by sex work, trafficking, and abuse. Moving beyond the idea of institutional sheltering, the project envisions a safe, healing, and empowering campus where architecture becomes an active partner in restoring dignity and enabling reintegration.
Designed to accommodate 100 women and 30 children, the program integrates residences, healthcare, legal aid, counseling, classrooms, vocational training, cultural spaces, and healing landscapes. A unique addition is an all-women’s residency, run by the community itself, which fosters economic empowerment while breaking stigma through positive social interaction.
The circulation of the master plan mirrors the women’s journey: entering from the chaotic main road, passing through zones of therapy and empowerment, and opening toward the serene riverfront that symbolizes liberation. Spaces are shaped through trauma-informed design principles, emphasizing privacy, autonomy, safety, and choice, with courtyards, gardens, and community spaces creating balance between protection and openness.
Rooted in the stigmatized study context of Budhwar Peth, the project aspires to transform exploitation into resilience. Muktangan offers an architectural model of safe, dignified, and community-driven rehabilitation where survivors become active agents of change.

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Drawings

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