Tag: Social Design GM

Rethinking Urban Housing Density – Enhancing Community Integration in Hyderabad’s Housing

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Author: Sivani Dirisala
Site Location: Hyderabad, Telangana
Institute: Wadiyar Centre for Architecture
Advisor: Nelson Pais

Description

In contemporary urban environments, particularly in cities like Hyderabad, the adoption of standardized construction technologies, combined with bylaws such as an uncapped FSI, has fueled a surge in high-rise developments dominated by typical 3BHK and 4BHK layouts, regardless of actual demand. While these practices streamline construction and reduce timelines, they have also led to a homogenization of housing—prioritizing profit and maximizing returns. This market-driven approach creates a monopoly over centrally located land, making housing in the city center inaccessible to the working class and other family structures.

This project positions itself as a counterpoint to existing housing models in the city’s core. Instead of vertically repeating a single layout and multiplying it across the site, it introduces varied layouts that respond to diverse family structures. The design takes a different approach where the smallest parts also dictate how the overall project turns out. The relationships between these units are explored to create shared spaces and commonalities across multiple scales, reimagining density as a network of connected communities. The proposal aims for a context-sensitive density model—one that prioritizes livability and long-term community well-being over short-term commercial gain.

Drawings

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Revitalization of Benarasi Karigari

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Author: Priyal Patel
Site Location: Vishwanath Gaali, Varanasi
Institute: MIT School of Architecture, Pune
Advisor: Dr. Neeti Tirvedi

Description

The handloom industry of Benaras has served the livelihoods of over 75% of the population, predominantly comprised of Muslim weavers, for more than 400 years. The craft is developed as a legacy of their ancestors, continued by successive generations. However, the lackadaisical view towards the weavers in Benaras have forced them to live in a sub- human environment, creating an adverse impact on the craft of handloom weaving, leading to migration of weaver’s community to the periphery. The craft is facing the threat of extinction due to the exploitation of weavers by Gaddidars (traders), and growing usage of power looms, which enable faster and more cost-effective production.
Housing Conditions: Due to insufficient income, multi-weaver families live in overcrowded and uninhabitable conditions, sharing the same limited space for both domestic activities and weaving production. According to the research and documentation of existing dwelling units in Vishwanath Gaali, we observed the need for a space which would incorporate the weaving activity separately along with the domestic work.
The Aim of the Project: The aim of the project is to commercialize hand loom weaving by bridging the gap between the weavers and the local community in the old town of Varanasi. The intent is to create tangible spaces for intangible interactive experiences that engages both residents and weavers, bringing the craft into the public realm by showcasing it on the streets of the city. By integrating tangible aspects of urban design with the intangible cultural heritage of weaving, the initiative seeks to safeguard the weaver community within the old town, thereby preserving the essence of traditional hand loom craftsmanship.
The Site Plan: The design of the site plan is inspired from the process which is involved in pre and post weaving activities. The project aims at creating a weavers walk which would involve the experience of viewing the processes of weaving by the tourists. The weavers would also be provided with stalls at the end of the walk where they can display their art and sell their products together. The design of the site plan is done in a way to encourage the weavers to carry out activities such as washing of threads and dying work done together in the central area of the site. This would ultimately connect the local weavers to their potential clients simply without an interference of the traders. This also involves an additional source of income for the women to run food stalls along with their weaving studios. This would inculcate in them, a sense of inclusivity and security within the community of the old town of Varanasi and ultimately preserve the age-old craft of handloom weaving.

Drawings

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Portable Shelter for Temporary Settings

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Author: Azad Golakiya
Site Location: Rajkot, Gujarat
Institute: Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture (IPSA)
Advisor: Ar. Ronak Gangadev

Description

This thesis addresses the urgent need for dignified temporary shelters for construction workers in India, with a focus on Rajkot’s semi-arid climate. Migrant laborers, who form the backbone of the construction industry, often live in unsafe, overcrowded, and unhygienic conditions—spaces as small as 2–3 sqm per person, far below the NBC’s recommended 7–10 sqm. Their shelters typically lack privacy, sanitation, ventilation, and safety, forcing families to live in compromised conditions while they build permanent
homes for others.
The project proposes a modular, portable, and climate-responsive shelter system that is cost-effective, easy to assemble and dismantle, and adaptable to varying site conditions. Using locally available, lightweight, and recyclable materials, the design emphasizes sustainability while ensuring comfort. Passive strategies such as natural ventilation, shading, and insulated roofing respond to harsh climatic conditions, while thoughtful zoning provides spaces for sleeping, cooking, sanitation, and community interaction.
Shelters can be placed in linear, clustered, or courtyard formations, allowing flexibility across diverse construction sites. The system reduces waste through reusable components and promotes safety by minimizing reliance on heavy machinery during installation. More than housing, this project aspires to restore dignity, health, and equity to migrant workers, creating a replicable model for labor housing across
India.

Drawings

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Housing and Landscape Urbanisation: A Case in Kolhapur’s Extents

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Author: Aditya Mahajan
Site Location: Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Institute: School of Environment and Architecture (SEA)
Advisor: Prasad Shetty

Description

Complexities of land, caste-based segregation, people’s agency, agriculture, and industries give rise to a distinct urban and house form within city extents. These forces led to questions about life and space, intervening through diverse socio-political and environmental logics. The architectural inquiry is therefore about thinking of inhabitation forms where space emerges through fragmentation, accretion, and the ideas of permanence and impermanence.
Based on a thorough analysis of the biographies of resident families, the design imagines a housing and landscape urbanisation project driven by the community. It intervenes through planning, rethinking builtforms, and inserting infrastructural landscapes. By understanding ways of homemaking, it derives a proportioning system and stratifies the terrain into habitations.
Analysing land conditions, affordances, transformations, and intensification of homes, the project suggests a strategy for planning and rebuilding, estimated over the next 15 years, to improve living conditions. The proportioning system is developed into household modules, which can be permutated, appropriated, and grown over time by arranging them in various ways. Made with steel, reinforced fiber panels, and patra, they are meticulously designed with proportional sizes, proper ventilation, play of spatial syntax and volumes, ensuring costeffectiveness. Furthermore, the site systems can be configured to create varying degrees of publicness.

Drawings

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Siddi: Preserve, Empower, Thrive – Community-driven Architecture in Ahmedabad

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Author: Habib Rehman Akhtar Khan
Site Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Institute: Lokmanya Tilak Institute of Architecture and Design
Advisor: Harish Shetty

Description

The Siddi Community Centre is envisioned as a place of dignity, belonging, and opportunity for a people often pushed to the margins. The Siddis -Africans by origin, Indians by nationality have lived in Gujarat for over four centuries. They built forts, carved Ahmedabad’s iconic Siddi Saiyyed Jali, and enriched India’s cultural fabric. Yet today, many struggle with poverty, exclusion, and invisibility, with little access to education, healthcare, or secure livelihoods.
Many remain unaware of their Scheduled Tribe rights, while issues like gambling and exploitation weaken unity. Hope lies in the younger generation, eager for education and change.
This project responds by asking: who are we designing for? The answer lies in co-creating with the community. Set on a 29,000 sqm site along the Ahmedabad riverfront, the design steps with contours and draws from idea of Correa’s incremental grid, Kéré’s ventilation strategies, and Fathy’s brick vaults. Each 12 × 20 m module, supported by RCC beams and brick piers, integrates services, harvests rainwater, and anticipates growth.
Programs emerge from lived realities – a healthcare block for women and children, a community kitchen inspired by Hirabai Lobi’s struggle, schools woven with skill centers, and courtyards for Dhamal dance, weddings, and festivals. Sunken exhibition spaces become hubs for dialogue and livelihood, while sports and women’s training centers unlock future potential.
This is not charity. It is architecture as equity, preserving heritage, empowering livelihoods, and nurturing cultural pride for generations to come.

Drawings

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Generative Design for Traditional Communities: From Roots to Resilience

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Author: Vidulla Ghodekar
Site Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Institute: Pillai College of Architecture
Advisor: Neha Sayed

Description

Chimbai is a quaint coastal village nestled in Bandra, Mumbai, home to diverse fishing communities, including Hindu, Kathiawadi and East Indian families. Once characterised by low-rise Koli houses and a close-knit fishing community, it has gradually transformed from single-storey dwellings to a mix of contemporary structures. This shift has altered the traditional fabric of the community and attracted a more diverse population.
In the recent years, the community has begun rebuilding their houses, resulting in haphazard development that lacks any character or identity. Such conditions may draw the attention of the authorities and risk rehabilitation of the community due to high land value.
The generatives design process empowers the community by letting them decide the development process. It supports them in rebuilding their homes through design guidelines that address existing issues while preserving the socio-cultural identity of the village. This process allows residents to develop their houses at their own pace, enabling Chimbai to evolve organically over time. It will also invite people from all walks of life to explore the seafront, its cuisine and culture, thereby boosting the local economy.
This approach presents a model for community-led regeneration in rapidly urbanising cities, where architecture is rooted in people, place and purpose.

Drawings

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Kashmiriyat – A Center for Social Revival

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Author: Iqbal Aashiya Hussain Priyanka
Site Location: Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
Institute: Sir JJ College of Architecture
Advisor: Dr. Vilas Ramteke

Description

A Cultural Center has long been an architectural design approach to curb the ignorance of social and cultural values of a region. For the region of Kashmir however, the problem is deeper. Kashmiri people have long been guardians of their cultural values and traditions, with a rich blend of civilizations from all over South-east and Central Asia. However, with recent disturbances, the people of Kashmir suffer through plights of depression, social alienation, stark unemployment, drug-use and so on. Once the crown jewel of the country, the closest place to heaven as people say, now finds itself covered under the dark clouds of a collective shared trauma. However, the true glory of Kashmir, Kashmiris and their Kashmiriyat is immortal, and this intervention intends to revive those values. The design intends to kindle the ability to experience healing – as it remains especial for those blessed enough to experience pain and suffering. Therefore, architecture’s inane quality to heal, rejuvenate and revive, births a solution to the plight of Kashmir and its Kashmiris.

Drawings

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From Mortal to Eternal: Spatializing the Ghat as a Ritual and Reflective Space

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Author: Ananya V
Site Location: Srirangapatna, Karnataka
Institute: School of Planning and Architecture, Mysore
Advisor: Ar. Srikanth K.S

Description

This thesis reimagines the sacred riverfront of Paschimavahini, one of the rare west-flowing stretches of the Kaveri. The site is historically significant as a traditional pilgrimage destination and a place where families perform post-death rituals and rites of passage connected to the cycle of life, death, and memory. It proposes an inclusive, multi-level ritual landscape that honors Hindu non-cremation death rituals such as shraddha, tarpana, pinda pradana, and asti visarjane. The project highlights the quieter yet important practices of remembrance, offering, and connection to ancestors.
The design presents the riverfront as a living ritual spine. It is not just a place for tourism or urban renewal but a sacred ecology where death, memory, and nature are intertwined. The architecture explores multi-level ritual experiences, from horizontal ghats to vertical structures like treehouse-inspired pavilions. These features symbolize the layered journey of the soul while engaging with the river’s edge, water, and vegetation in a sacred way.
In light of Paschimavahini’s cultural and spiritual significance, the proposal ensures the dignity of both human departure and natural cycles. The design emphasizes spatial fairness and inclusivity, providing equal access and respectful spaces for marginalized groups such as widows, poor families, and the elderly, who are often left out of death-related practices. Ultimately, this thesis reweaves death, nature, and memory into a sacred space. Here, ritual architecture goes beyond mere functionality to reflect tradition, ecology, and the dignity of departure.

Drawings

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Kasimedu Karai: A Harbour Front Interface for Coastal Life and Cultural Confluence

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Author: Niveditha G
Site Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Institute: MEASI Academy of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Reshma Banu

Description

Kasimedu, one of Chennai’s largest fishing harbours, is a vital economic and cultural hub for Tamil Nadu. Yet, its condition does not reflect its significance. Informal market activity spills into public spaces, causing congestion and unhygienic conditions. Community and recreational infrastructure is limited, and a social gap exists between local fishermen and visitors, with few opportunities for meaningful interaction or understanding of the community’s way of life.

The project reimagines the harbour as a Harbourfront Interface, promoting equitable access, cultural exchange and community participation. Zoning addresses all stakeholders, with a dedicated harbour zone near the coast left undisturbed for fishing activities, while markets and recreational areas are strategically planned to minimize fish odor. Recreational and cultural spaces allow visitors to experience local traditions, while bird nesting and watching areas provide habitats for migratory and local birds, integrating ecological sensitivity. A waste management system converts organic waste into plankton and fertilizer. Flea markets and handicraft spaces encourage sustainable local entrepreneurship.

By addressing spatial, social, and ecological inequities, the project bridges the gap between fishermen and the public, creating a resilient, inclusive waterfront that preserves heritage, sustains livelihoods, nurtures cultural exchange, and supports biodiversity.

Drawings

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AABHAS – A Sense of Home: A Sustainable Model for Migrant Construction Workers

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Author: Pranjal Prakash Tak
Site Location: Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
Institute: Rachana Sansad’s Academy of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Ashley Fialho

Description

They raise our skylines, yet sleep under tarps. Their homes are temporary, their futures uncertain. With no access to stable housing, education, or safe spaces, migrant construction workers and their families remain on the margins-building the nation while being denied a place within it.

This thesis is a response to that silence-a call to rebuild what’s been forgotten. It proposes modular, mobile housing units that are scalable, stackable, and site-adaptable. But it’s more than shelter, it’s an ecosystem that includes classrooms, medical rooms, and women-centric spaces, designed to empower and uplift.

A replicable solution that moves with the workers, grows with them, and offers not just homes, but hope.

This project envisions a future, where the hands that build our cities are finally given a foundation of their own.

Rooted in empathy and inspired by the diverse cultural and religious lives of migrant workers from Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Odisha and beyond, the prototype re-imagines shelter as a shared ecosystem of identity, safety, and celebration. Co-creation with workers informed both private spaces, which respect family structures and rituals, and common areas like courtyards and street edges, which act as cultural bridges-hosting shared meals, celebrations, and conversations

By centering the needs of those most often ignored-women, children, the displaced-this is not just a model for housing, but a manifesto for justice. This is not just about building better homes. It’s about building a more adaptable and humane society.

Drawings

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Tribal Development at Kudampudar, Odisha

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Author: Nashra Hasan
Site Location: Kudampudar, Odisha
Institute: Axis Institute of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Abhishek Mishra

Description

The proposed thesis project is situated in Kudumpadar, Kundra block, Koraput district, Odisha, spanning across 50 acres of land. The vision of the project is to establish a Self-Sustaining Tribal Ecosystem rooted in harmonic coexistence with nature, integrating biophilic design principles and clustered hamlet-based planning. Inspired by traditional tribal settlement patterns, the master plan draws from the geometry of Kolam design, where grid patterns form the basis of sectoral division and cultural motifs influence building forms. Key facilities include housing clusters, educational spaces, a healthcare center, training and skill development zones, marketplaces with exhibition areas, and communal gathering spaces such as an open-air theatre. The architectural approach emphasizes the use of vernacular construction techniques and local materials, ensuring both cultural relevance and sustainability. The project aims to enhance the quality of life of tribal communities by addressing their social, cultural, and economic needs while simultaneously promoting eco-tourism and cultural exchange. By bridging traditional wisdom with contemporary planning strategies, the project seeks to serve as a model for inclusive tribal development and resilient rural ecosystems.

Drawings

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A Cultural Centre for the Migrants of Champaner

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Author: Aishwarya Ramesh Kale
Site Location: Palghar, Maharashtra
Institute: Pillai HOC College of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Amit Mhatre

Description

“Before their legacy fades into silence, let architecture become the voice that safeguards a vanishing community.” Cultural centres act as inclusive platforms where people gather, interact, and share ideas bridging gaps between generations, communities, and backgrounds. These spaces become cultural landmarks that not only serve the local population but also attract visitors, offering a glimpse into the unique history, traditions, and values of the region. By enabling dialogue and collective engagement, such places nurture a sense of belonging and strengthen the social fabric of urban life.

This thesis centers around the Marathi-speaking Panchal community, aiming to recognize and preserve their craftsmanship, engineering achievements, and traditional wisdom passed down through generations. Despite their excellence in craftsmanship such as die-making and carpentry, the community’s identity remains largely confined to local business circles and neighbourhoods. Their historical journey, especially after migrating from Gujarat to Maharashtra, deserves broader acknowledgment and celebration.

Today, as lifestyles evolve and technology advances, younger generations are becoming increasingly disconnected from their heritage. Many are unaware of their ancestral professions, struggles, and cultural practices, leading to a gradual fading of community knowledge, pride and forgetting their roots. By integrating cultural identity with evolving architectural and economic contexts, this initiative ensures traditional craftsmanship not only survive but thrive—contributing meaningfully to India’s cultural and global economy.

Drawings

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A Garden of Stories: Placemaking in Three Acts

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Author: Shruti Jayaraman
Site Location: Imphal, Manipur
Institute: RV College of Architecture
Advisor: Anup Naik, Mehul Patel, Nagaraj Vastarey, U S Maiya

Description

In the everlasting essence of society, there is the oppressor and oppressee. Their ways of negotiating with each other are limited to space. This space then becomes contested and a memory etched into us for generation to come. Having seen both the oppressor and oppressee, space is still excluded from the conversations of powerplay, ethnic and religious multiplicity.
As long as space is treated as a neutral spectator (instead of as an active participant), she will always be subjected to forms of violence, dissent and be vulnerable to the acts of a power hungry man.
Space that is designed to account for the narratives of all, can facilitate and create agency for treating the past as memory(not as active dissent). In this thesis, Space tells the story of the tribals, women and children in the contested capital of Manipur – Imphal.

This explorative thesis claims the need to perceive space as an active participant and a custodian of legacy to make place for the oppressed in society. As architects we must place-make for them. This project is in the contested capital of Imphal and challenges the city’s current spatial quality, materiality, and design as oppressive forces.

Drawings

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School of Thought: Architecting Dharavi’s Future Through Civic Design

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Author: Agatha Mary Mohan Ponraj
Site Location: Dharavi, Mumbai
Institute: Avani Institute of Design
Advisor: Ar. Niraj Pillai

Description

The origins of the project lie in observing the everyday as architectural. Drawing from Pauline Gallacher’s question in Everyday Spaces: “Is there still potential in the forming of neighborhoods for little spaces of contradiction, which stand aside from the transience of the here and now and testify to the past of a place and its future possibility?”

I grew up in Dharavi. Not in the map of it, but in the texture of it—the closeness, the choreography, the constant negotiation of space. As I entered architectural education, a dissonance appeared: the city I knew and the city the discipline wanted to draw were not the same. One was fluid, porous, shared. The other was enclosed, programmed, rendered. This thesis comes from the need to reconcile those two visions.

Cities like Dharavi are rarely short of architecture; they are full of it—walls that become blackboards, staircases that double as markets, courtyards that host festivals and funerals alike. What they lack is recognition. Conventional design frameworks call these conditions “informal,” but in reality, they are civic systems—messy, adaptive, and profoundly intelligent.

This thesis begins by taking those overlooked logics critically. It does not read incidental spaces as leftovers, but as urban instruments that shape collective life. Through mapping, observation, and critical inquiry, the project transforms these cues into architectural propositions that resist closure and invite appropriation. The aim is not to solve Dharavi, but to listen to it—and in doing so, to reframe architecture as an act of equity: a structure that acknowledges multiplicity, amplifies everyday practices, and opens itself to use far beyond what is drawn.

Drawings

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Mukhyadhara : A Skill Development Centre for the Transgenders

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Author: Nirmitee Yatinkumar Hule
Site Location: Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra
Institute: S.B. Patil College of Engineering and Design
Advisor: Ar. Rujuta Pathak

Description

According to Census 2011, India has nearly 4.9 lakh transgender persons, though the figure remains uncertain due to lack of acceptance within families. Transgender communities have existed in South-East Asia for over 4,000 years, referenced in ancient texts, temple carvings, and traditions. Despite their cultural recognition, they continue to face widespread discrimination today. Vocational Training Centres play a vital role by offering technical education in fields such as IT, nursing, and automotive repair, along with professional skills like communication and teamwork, linking practical training directly with future employment opportunities.
In the Western view, eunuchs are “made” through castration, often employed in palaces or harems. In contrast, the Indian perspective considers them “born, not made”—individuals lacking distinct sexual characteristics (Saxena, 2011).
The project aims to empower transgender individuals through education and skills, creating opportunities for economic independence in a safe and inclusive environment. It seeks to promote equality, diversity, and inclusive architecture while addressing needs such as social inclusion, access to basic amenities, legal rights, emotional well-being, and sustainable development.
The scope includes providing basic amenities, healthcare, vocational training, scholarships, legal advocacy, and awareness campaigns. However, deep-rooted stigma, lack of sensitivity, financial constraints, weak policy implementation, limited healthcare access, and community resistance remain major challenges, requiring sustained support for long-term impact.

Drawings

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Ritual and Right: Water as a Democratic Urban Experience

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Author: Aleena Paulson
Site Location: Kochi, Kerala
Institute: SEED – APJ Abdul Kalam School of Environmental Design
Advisor: Ar. Jills Philip

Description

This architectural thesis explores the democratization of water in urban spaces by reimagining water infrastructure as an inclusive public realm. It emphasizes equitable access for all users, regardless of gender, age, or physical ability, while reviving the cultural significance of communal bathing—once central to social interaction, well-being, and collective identity. The project addresses the disappearance of shared water bodies due to urbanization and privatization, positioning water as not only a utility but also a spatial, social, and emotional connector.
The chosen site at Kakkanad, Kochi, located along the Seaport–Airport Road, provides excellent connectivity through road, metro, and Water Metro links. Its sloped terrain and natural water reserve create opportunities for layered spatial experiences, where water becomes both symbolic and functional, mediating between the dense urban fabric and the surrounding landscape.
Conceptually, the design begins with a simple mass divided into public, semi-public, and private zones. A cross-through access organizes movement, while addition and subtraction of volumes shape a dynamic composition of open and enclosed spaces. Envisioned as an “oasis in the city,” the project ensures physical, social, experiential, ecological, and urban equity through universal accessibility, inclusive water interactions, affordability, diverse modes of engagement, and preservation of natural resources.

Drawings

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Assumptions to Inclusion: Rethinking the Social Datum

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Author: Prathamesh Mahajan
Site Location: Mumbai
Institute: L.S.Raheja School of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Mridula Pillai

Description

Architecture is often described as a reflection of society. But what happens when that reflection is incomplete, shaped by assumptions of who belongs and who does not? This dissertation, Assumptions to Inclusion: Rethinking the Social Datum, explored how architecture can move beyond these presumptions to embrace equity and inclusion.

The study began with the idea of datum as a physical reference, but soon revealed its parallel in society: the social datum, invisible norms that dictate who is prioritized and who is overlooked. These norms often exclude the differently abled, neurodiverse individuals, non-normative identities, the elderly, and the economically marginalized. Seen users are typically accounted for in design, while unseen users remain unconsidered.

To confront this, the research used comics to narrate everyday struggles of diverse individuals in the city, grounding design in lived stories rather than abstractions. The chosen site, Watson’s Hotel and Kala Ghoda Chowk in Mumbai, was both symbolic and practical. Once marked by exclusion, it is reimagined as a civic space rooted in participation, memory, and belonging.

Design interventions, such as a stramp for equitable mobility, calm zones, un-gendered restrooms, and multi-sensory navigation, are not add-ons but embedded principles. Together, they form the Urban Living Room, a space that challenges assumptions and shifts the social datum toward equity.

Drawings

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Museum of Cyclone for Odisha

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Author: Jitesh Panigrahi
Site Location: Bhubhaneshwar, Odisha
Institute: Piloo Mody College of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Shankar Giri

Description

Odisha, often referred to as “India’s Best Kept Secrets,” is a land of immense cultural heritage and natural beauty, has long stood on the frontline of nature’s fury. Situated along the eastern coastline of India, the state has borne the brunt of countless cyclones, each leaving behind a trail of destruction, loss, and transformation. However, with every storm that has battered its shores, Odisha has risen stronger, turning adversity into an opportunity for progress.

The Museum of Cyclone stands as a symbol for the extraordinary strength and resilience—a space that narrates Odisha’s journey from devastation to becoming a global leader in disaster preparedness and mitigation. However, it was the Super Cyclone of 1999 that truly redefined the state’s approach to disaster management. With wind speeds exceeding 250 km/h and storm surges swallowing entire villages, the cyclone resulted in immense loss of 10,000 lives and properties, exposing the vulnerabilities. Yet, it also marked a turning point. —ushering in a new era of scientific preparedness, infrastructural fortification, and community-driven resilience.

This Museum serves 3 main purposes:
1- Memorializing the Past: Honoring those who have succumbed and survived.
2- Educating the Present: Spreading awareness about cyclone preparedness and climate change.
3- Inspiring the Future: Showcasing Odisha’s resilience, adaptive strategies and innovations.

At its core, the Museum of Cyclone is not just a place of remembrance; it is a beacon of awareness and preparedness. In an era where climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, the museum will serve as a vital educational hub, inspiring future generations to prioritize sustainability, disaster resilience, and community cooperation. By chronicling Odisha’s incredible journey of survival and innovation, the museum will ensure that the sacrifices of the past serve as lessons for the future.

Charles Correa; In his essay “The Blessings of the Sky”, he emphasises architecture’s role in celebrating the human spirit through place. Giringaput, situated on the periphery of Bhubaneswar, offers a site layered with symbolism and strategic relevance for the Museum of Cyclone. Cradled between rivers and hills, it embodies the delicate balance between nature’s power and human perseverance. As a burgeoning nexus of IT and innovation, it resonates with Odisha’s trajectory —from vulnerability to resilience. The site becomes not just a backdrop, but an active participant in the narrative—bridging memory, landscape, and a climate-conscious future.

Drawings

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Wari The Ephemeral Permanence

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Author: Mrunmai Sujit Patil
Site Location: Pandharpur Wari, Maharashtra
Institute: D Y Patil School of Architecture
Advisor: Anita Shyam

Description

The project explores equitable design interventions along the Pandharpur Wari, focusing on temporary settlements, transitional villages, and urban streets. Typology A addresses rural temporary villages, creating modular clusters that provide uniform accommodation, shared resources, and sanitation facilities for pilgrims while minimizing permanent impact on the land. Typology B intervenes in semi-developed villages like Sansar, where the design balances the seasonal influx of pilgrims with the needs of local residents, enhancing community facilities, circulation, and economic opportunities post-Wari. Typology C focuses on urban areas, transforming streets and open spaces into safe, accessible, and multi-use zones that support both daily city life and the pilgrimage. Across all typologies, design decisions prioritize inclusivity, accessibility, and adaptability, ensuring that diverse user groups—including women, children, the elderly, and differently-abled—are accommodated with dignity. Sustainable materials like sugarcrete and temporary infrastructure strategies are employed to reinforce the principles of circularity and minimal environmental impact. By integrating cultural practices, social behaviors, and ecological sensitivity, the project seeks to preserve the inherent equitability of the Wari while providing contemporary, functional, and context-responsive interventions.

Drawings

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Adaptive Spatial Model – A Case for Decentralising Transitional Care in Ahmedabad

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Author: Ishita Agarwal
Site Location: Ahmedabad
Institute: NMIMS Balwant Sheth School of Architecture
Advisor: Suprio Bhattacharjee

Description

The project addresses a pressing urban inequity – the absence of dedicated spaces for recovery between hospital treatment and home care. In cities like Ahmedabad, a major regional hub for healthcare that draws patients from smaller towns and rural areas, the lack of transitional care facilities amplifies existing disparities. Patients discharged after major treatments often face inaccessible or unaffordable rehabilitation options, particularly those from socio-economically weaker backgrounds. Many are left to recover in overcrowded or unsuitable environments, compromising their physical, emotional, and social well-being.

To bridge this gap, the project proposes an Adaptive Spatial Model for Transitional Care – a decentralized, modular framework that can be embedded into diverse urban contexts. By situating such centers within the city’s everyday fabric, the model ensures that quality care becomes a shared urban resource, not a privilege. Each module includes a complete set of essential programs, from rehabilitation and counselling to accommodation for patients and families, supporting holistic healing across conditions. Rooted in the principles of healing, the design integrates nature, sensory engagement, and community interaction to restore dignity and accelerate recovery. The model’s flexibility allows it to respond to varied site conditions, resource constraints, and cultural contexts, while maintaining an unwavering commitment to equity and inclusivity. By reimagining healthcare infrastructure as accessible civic space, the project presents a replicable vision for embedding recovery into the fabric of Indian cities – starting with Ahmedabad.

Drawings

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