Ritual and Right: Water as a Democratic Urban Experience

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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Wari The Ephemeral Permanence

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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Metamorphosis of Sonsoddo: Bridging the Gap Between Waste and Public Consciousness

Author: Muhammed Swaleh Beg
Site Location: Margao, Goa
Institute: Goa College of Architecture
Advisor: Dr. Uma Jadhav

Description

Metamorphosis of Sonsoddo – Bridging the Gap Between Waste and Public Consciousness reimagines the Sonsoddo landfill in Margao, Goa, as a catalyst for renewal rather than neglect. Once a peripheral site, now encroached upon by residences and schools, Sonsoddo symbolizes both environmental degradation and systemic failure in waste governance. This thesis proposes a transformative model that integrates waste management with public life, positioning the site as a shared urban resource.

The project critiques the prevailing linear “take-make-waste” economy and instead advances a circular approach, where discarded materials are reintegrated into productive cycles. Facilities such as upcycling workshops, training centers, an eco-market, awareness spaces, and landscaped trails transform the landfill into a place of learning, opportunity, and ecological restoration.

At its core, the proposal envisions a pilot ecosystem where enterprises, artisans, craftsmen, students, and the elderly work alongside each other, creating social, economic, and cultural value. Recyclable materials and RDF become resources for industry, while other materials are recycled, displayed, and repurposed, breaking down barriers between waste, knowledge, and community.

Through thoughtful site planning, sustainable infrastructure, and inclusive programming, the thesis positions Sonsoddo not as a symbol of exclusion but as a model for collective growth, resilience, and renewal.

Drawings

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Building a Bridging Community: Re-imagining the Lives of the Sexworkers and Children of Sonagachi Redlight Area

Author: B Vishnu Priya
Site Location: Sonagachi, Kolkata
Institute: Department of Architecture and Planning, College of Engineering, Trivandrum
Advisor: Arun Cherian

Description

Going into Sonagachi and identifying the real issues inside is one of the most challenging tasks known to India. Over the years, It has formed impenetrable layers of security within itself making it difficult to leave once trapped inside. A sexworker’s  desire to escape from the cycle of prostitution, abuse and illness is overshadowed by fear and a lack of sufficient support systems.

This project aims to provide the sexworkers and children the freedom of choice by providing all required facilities to leave the profession and transition back into society as strong independent citizens. Once a sexworker has chosen to leave Sonagachi behind, this project welcomes them to join the process of reintegration.

The design program involves a newly curated administrative and architectural self-sustaining ecosystem to provide housing, opportunities for upskilling, assistance with child care and access to education, leisure and sense of belonging.

Exclusion can only be addressed by involving the public in the sustenance of this project. Hence the project forms 3 layers of privacy on site. The site level zoning forms a market area where the people of Howrah and Kolkata can freely move about. The second level stacks the housing of the women on top of the commercial zone creating a secondary street network exclusively accessible to the tenants. The third layer addresses the need for institutional facilities required for liberation.

The future of Sonagachi is not written in stigma, but in the strength of its women. A city that no longer defines them by the walls they were once confined within, but by the possibilities they are free to pursue. This project is a step toward an urban fabric that chooses inclusion over exclusion, dignity over neglect, and liberation over silence. In reimagining the lives of the women and children of Sonagachi, we are reminded that architecture is not just about structures—it is about lives, choices, and the collective courage to create change.

Drawings

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Kasaykaar – A Journey From Ore to Finish

Author: Yashashree Pimple
Site Location: Near Aathawada Bazar, Teli Ali Ratnagiri
Institute: Aayojan School of Architecture and Design
Advisor: Ar. Divya Makhijani

Description

In the heart of Konkan, the rhythms of rituals, marketplaces, and seasonal festivals still echo through the streets—but the Tambat coppersmiths, once central to this living heritage, face quiet decline. Their tools are outdated, their knowledge undocumented, and their presence fading from the city’s evolving fabric. Rooted in the coastal town of Ratnagiri, Kasaykaar is a cultural center designed to revive the declining legacy of local coppersmiths—artisans whose knowledge, once central to the region’s economy and rituals, is now on the verge of disappearance due to lack of documentation, generational discontinuity, and limited adaptation to modern techniques. Despite high demand, most craftsmen struggle to meet market needs owing to outdated tools, absence of design innovation, and diminishing local recognition.
The center acts as a bridge—where tradition, technology, and equity converge. Equipped with shared workshops, material labs, and collaborative studios, it empowers artisans while engaging youth in reviving the craft through modern design tools and knowledge exchange.
It also celebrates the cultural richness of the Konkan region by creating a platform for endangered practices like Konkani Ranmus, supported by local activists striving to keep these traditions alive.
Strategically located between a temple and an active marketplace, the center integrates with its surroundings—offering shaded verandahs, transitional courtyards, and public thresholds that invite spontaneous engagement.
More than a building, Kasaykaar becomes an evolving identity—an inclusive space where artisans, locals, and visitors shape culture collectively, ensuring that heritage is not preserved in silence, but practiced through living participation.

Drawings

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Water Edges: Navigating Inequity and Dilemmas related to Urban Water

Author: Dweep Jain
Site Location: Nashik
Institute: L.S. Raheja School of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Mridula Pillai

description

‘Water edges or boundaries’ are challenging to define due to water’s inherently fluid and dynamic form. In the rapidly urbanizing society, water in the urban realm is increasingly vulnerable. Such is the plight of the Godavari River also known as the as the Dakshin Ganga, is India’s second-longest river. The river is enshrined in scriptures as one of the four sacred rivers worthy of reverence and worship. Godavari not only harbours a strong cultural significance, being the stage for the Kumbh Mela, but also is home to delicate ecosystems. Despite people worshiping the intangible idea of the river, its tangible form has been subject to abuse in the name of development. The inequities become especially severe at the source, in Nashik, where rampant concretization, illegal encroachment etc have severely compromised the river’s health and its ecological network, creating an alarming situation in need of immediate intervention.

By conceptualizing the evolving riverscape as a “form,” this approach responds to the impending climate emergency in Nashik’s precinct. The form is designed to sustain and adapt to its ever-changing environment, creating a resilient and equitable realm. It revitalizes the riverscape, ensuring it nurtures the neighbourhoods and ecosystems that rely on it as their lifeblood. Here, the ghats and built structures are not static; they adapt dynamically to shifting climatic and cultural needs. This approach moves beyond mere preservation, establishing a sustainable and equitable framework that addresses contextual and climatic challenges, ultimately fostering a resilient and thriving precinct. Architecture, in this vision, transcends its physical form, becoming a living entity that adapts to shifting cultural needs as well as, integrates, and mitigates climate emergencies.

drawings

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Institute of Garbology

Author: E Cynthia
Site Location: Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Institute: CMR University School of Architecture
Advisor: Prof. Renuka

description

In the tapestry of our urban landscapes, waste has become an ever-growing shadow, woven from the threads of rapid urbanization and swelling populations. This thesis embarks on a journey to illuminate a path towards a harmonious coexistence between our cities and the environment. By embracing the philosophy of a second life for products, we transform refuse into resources, curbing the blight of landfills and the scars they leave upon our Earth. Through the lens of interdisciplinary research and collaboration, thesis seek to craft a climate-responsive paradigm, where waste management is crucial, empowering communities to actively reduce environmental impact. Waste management serves as a hidden thread in the fabric of climate response, weaving together efforts to reduce methane emissions from landfills and breathe new life into resources through recycling and reuse. This vision aspires to weave a new fabric of sustainability, where urban resilience and environmental stewardship intertwine, fostering a society deeply attuned to the delicate symphony of our planet’s needs

drawings

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Re-imagining Social Housing through everyday infrastructures

Author: Neha Dalvi
Site Location: Mhada Transit Colony, Mumbai
Institute: School of Environment and Architecture
Advisor: Prasad Khanolkar, Milind Mahale

description

In contemporary times, the highest level of sustainable and technological advancement in residential building types is often recognised through the infrastructural amenities the building can offer; most popularly in terms of water harvesting, electricity and compost gardening for waste management. 

Infrastructures are portrayed as the most sustainable and efficient infrastructural systems due to their capacity for space optimization and efficient service management, resulting in time saving. Thus, efficiency and sustainability today have become the chief advertising attributes that promise a better living, thus becoming aspiration generators among people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

However, we fail to realize that these methods for achieving efficiency in residential building infrastructure are predominantly driven by the developers’ logic. This logic tends to perceive these systems as mere efficiency devices, often concealing them in smaller nooks and corners, which require separate maintenance and only caters to a particular class of people who have the economy to maintain it. 

When the same infrastructural systems are installed in low-income housing societies, they not only break the existing socialities amongst the inhabitants but also tend to fail due to the lack of funds for maintenance.  The thesis proposes a cooperative housing society for low-income housing that integrates both technology and sociality to create an inclusive and democratic space for living. A simple tweak that repositions these infrastructures is able to question the everyday practices of contemporary society through the lens of class, difference and caste.

drawings

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Saahor Alohi, Tea Experience Hub, Assam

Author: Charlina J. Dutta
Site Location: Amchong Tea Estate, Assam
Institute: GZS School of Architecture & Planning, MRSPTU
Advisor: Ar. Amandeep Kaur

description

The thesis project envisions a transformative tea experience hub, set within a 24-acre estate, designed to immerse visitors in the art and culture of tea. The site is thoughtfully divided into two primary sections: a built-up area that houses key facilities and a cultivation zone dedicated to tea production.

The built-up area features a variety of carefully curated spaces, including a museum, a restaurant, guest accommodations, and recreational areas. Each structure is strategically placed to enhance the visitor’s connection with the surrounding landscape while offering insights into the tea-making process. The cultivation zone allows for direct engagement with the tea fields, offering a holistic experience that blends education with leisure. Central to the design are climate-responsive features that ensure sustainability and harmony with the environment. The architecture optimizes natural ventilation, minimizes solar gain, and integrates water management systems. Local materials further ground the design in its cultural and environmental context, creating a space that is both innovative and respectful of its natural surroundings.

drawings

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Open Mall and Restaurant at Sindhudurg

Author: Pranjal Rajendra Paithankar
Site Location: Sindhudurg, Maharashtra
Institute: Vidya Pratishthan’s School of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Priyanka Barge

drawings

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Resort in Kevadia, Gujarat

Author: Dhrumil Patel
Site Location: Kevadia, Gujarat
Institute: Dr.D.Y.Patil School of Architecture
Advisor: Prof. R.T. Golgire

description

Introduction: The site is near Navagam village, Kevadia Colony, Narmada district of Gujarat, presents a unique opportunity for architectural exploration and innovation. With its strategic location, rich cultural heritage, and diverse natural surroundings, the area offers a canvas for sustainable design interventions. The site boasts direct access to a major highway, is a short distance from the iconic Statue of Unity (6.9 km), and enjoys a prime location along the Narmada River.

Surrounding Environment:

  • Natural Features: The Narmada River offers scenic beauty, potential for recreational activities, and may influence the microclimate.
  • Vegetation: Limited information available. However, considering the presence of botanical gardens nearby, explore incorporating native flora for ecological benefits.
  • Built Environment: The area is undergoing rapid development with tourist attractions like the Statue of Unity

Why a Resort is Needed and Design Inspiration:

Kevadia Colony is experiencing a tourism boom, and a well-designed resort can cater to this growing demand:

  • Accommodation Gap: The current infrastructure might not be sufficient to accommodate the influx of tourists.
  • Enhanced Experience: The resort can offer unique experiences that complement existing attractions, extending tourist stays and contributing to the local economy.
  • Climate Responsiveness: The design should adapt to the hot and dry climate using strategies like deep overhangs, windcatchers, courtyards, and water features for natural cooling.
  • Harmony with Nature: The resort should integrate seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, potentially incorporating native vegetation and minimizing disruption to the river ecosystem.
  • Community Integration: The resort can incorporate elements that encourage interaction with the local community, promoting cultural exchange and fostering a sense of place.

Conclusion: The site presents an exciting opportunity to design an architectural marvel that harmonizes with its climatic conditions, cultural context, and natural surroundings. By embracing the principles of climate-responsive design and sustainable development, architects can create a landmark.

drawings

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L’habitat Biophilique Balancing Nature & Urbanism in High Density Housing

Author: Pavithran Gunashekar
Site Location: Auroville
Institute: Saveetha College of Architecture and Design
Advisor: Priyanka Rachael Mathews

drawings

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Pravas – Redesigning of an existing crematorium

Author: Shrinivas Tele
Site Location: Nashik
Institute: CTES College of Architecture
Advisor: Prof. Gayatri Narkar

description

The redesign of the crematorium in Nashik is a thoughtful fusion of tradition, sustainability, and climate responsive architecture. Rooted in the principle of “form follows climate,” the design is shaped by Nashik’s hot, semi-arid environment, ensuring that the structure is both functional and harmonious with its surroundings. The crematorium, located near the sacred ghats of the Godavari River, honours centuries old rituals while incorporating modern amenities that address the needs of a growing and evolving city.

The building’s orientation and materials are carefully selected to mitigate the harsh summer heat, utilizing natural ventilation and shading to maintain a comfortable environment for mourners year round. Locally sourced materials, such as stone, brick and wood, helps to reduce the carbon footprint.

Landscape design plays a crucial role in enhancing the emotional experience, with indigenous plants and water features creating a serene atmosphere for reflection and remembrance. The crematorium’s design respects the flow of traditional rituals, guiding mourners through a dignified, contemplative space that blends seamlessly with the spiritual landscape of the ghats. This project exemplifies how modern architecture can uphold cultural significance while adapting to contemporary environmental and societal challenges.

drawings

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The Foodhill

Author: Rajvir Singh
Site Location: Navi Mumbai
Institute: Dept. of Architecture Guru Nanak Dev University
Advisor: Dr. K.S. Chahal, Dr. R.S. Aulakh

description

The Food Hill, a Vertical Farming Institute in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai envisions an educational model, fostering empowerment and community building of farmers, researchers, students, and city dwellers.

Positioned in a dense urban environment, this project addresses the escalating concern of the limited accessibility to organic produce in urban settings. The project is driven to build a mixed-use vertical farming institute with its program broadly covering Academic, Indoor Farming areas, Research labs, Housing, Administrative zone, Recreational, convention center, organic food shipping store, and Market areas to create a self-sustaining environment.

Notably, there are strict laws to protect forest lands, but no such exists for agricultural lands which are taken up by authorities in the name of urban development. This project acts as an experiential memoir of the agrarian practice that was once the primary purpose of this land. Farming which made us settle and shift from our nomadic lifestyle, has now been ousted from our immediate view in the urban areas. This vertical farming institute aims to bring agriculture back to urban dwellers’ lives via education.

drawings

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Model Handicrafts Centre: Crafting a cultural legacy

Author: Shivani Jitendra Rampariya
Site Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Institute: Lokmanya Tilak Institute of Architecture & Design Studies, Navi Mumbai
Advisor: Prof. Harish Setty

description

Indian handicrafts, a culturally significant sector, employs millions of artisans and contributes to the economy. However, it faces challenges like changing consumer demands and competition from mechanized production. The project revitalizes Rajasthan’s unique handicrafts, preserve community values, and promote sustainable practices, attracting tourists and generating revenue.

The handicrafts centre in Jaipur aims to revive the industry by integrating sustainable architecture and community empowerment. Locally sourced materials and passive cooling strategies are used to reduce environmental impact and promote economic sustainability. It also revives an existing stepwell which is used for rainwater harvesting and has an on-site waste water treatment system for block printing workshops. The centre also focuses on community empowerment and cultural preservation, providing a space for artisans to showcase and sell their crafts. It serves as a cultural hub and tourist attraction, promoting Rajasthan’s unique handicraft traditions globally.

The project blends Rajasthani heritage with modern design principles, using local materials and architectural features. It emphasizes clean lines, open spaces, and functionality. The landscape design incorporates native plants and revives existing trees, preserving historical significance and enhancing sustainability.

drawings

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Resposive Housing through Generative Design

Author: Tarakesh. C
Site Location: Sholinganallur, Chennai
Institute: MEASI Academy of Architecture
Advisor: Saniya Aafreen

description

As urban environments grow increasingly complex, the need for adaptable living spaces becomes crucial. The project, Responsive Housing Through Generative Design, addresses this challenge by creating dynamic housing that evolves with the changing needs of its occupants and the environment. To achieve this level of responsiveness, advanced computational tools like Grasshopper, Ladybug, and Evolutionary Solvers were adopted which allowed us to explore multiple design iterations, optimizing for environmental performance, space efficiency, and user satisfaction. The project is situated in Sholinganallur, Chennai, a thriving IT hub. The site selection is strategic, targeting first-time buyers and single dwellers who prioritize proximity to work and education. To address climate concerns without sacrificing valuable real estate, the project strategically manages the built/unbuilt ratio. This balance allows for open spaces that support biodiversity and enhance daylighting and thermal comfort, while also optimizing the use of land for development. The design offers 25 unique housing options, each with a carefully balanced mix of open and closed spaces. Residents can choose from a variety of layouts that prioritize privacy, outdoor space, and views, all while ensuring optimal environmental performance. The result is a living environment that adapts to the needs of its occupants and the site, creating a sustainable and responsive urban habitat.

drawings

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Vertical Urbanisation – Mixed use skyscraper

Author: Swasti Choksi
Site Location: Mazgaon, Mumbai
Institute: Faculty of Architecture – SCET, Surat
Advisor: Prof. Persi Engineer (co-guide Prof. Avinash Engineer)

description

In the realm of architectural marvels that define modern cityscapes, skyscrapers
stand as testaments to human ingenuity, technological prowess and creative
innovation. The focus of this thesis revolves around the design of mixed use tall
buildings, aiming to address the pressing concerns of sustainability, human-centric
design and efficiency in constructing high end skyscrapers.

The scope encompasses a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating architectural,
environmental, social and technological perspectives. It involves extensive research
into precedents, case studies and advanced design methodologies. The fundamental
purpose of this thesis is to explore and advocate for a paradigm shift in urban
development, emphasising the creation of tall buildings that serve as microcosms of
cities, integrating multiple functionalities within a single structure.

The proposed skyscraper in Mazgaon, Mumbai (Site location pin : 18°58’26”N
72°50’51”E) addresses the challenges of urban density by maximising the efficient
use of space through vertical development. By integrating various functions within a
single structure, the design promotes sustainable land use and reduces the
environmental impact which fulfils the intent of this project to mitigate urban sprawl,
optimise land use and promote sustainable living with a solid objective of exploring
innovative architectural and engineering solutions by fostering a harmonious
coexistence of residential, commercial, recreational and green spaces within vertical
landscapes.

drawings

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Indian Institute of Skills, Nasmed, Gujarat

Author: Aashima Mathur
Site Location: Gujarat
Institute: Manipal University Jaipur
Advisor: Ar. Nexa Saxena

description

Gujarat is a hub for artisans, skilled labor, and the workforce. Indian Institute of Skills attempts to strengthen and preserve Gujarat’s rich artisanal traditions and skills. Through the skill development of these artisans, this Institute aims to provide a platform for the promotion of traditional Handicrafts and allied cultural practices and the processes involved in their creation and the preservation of culture, community, and local environments. Creating a common roof under which a range of local and traditional craftsmen and other stakeholders can exchange ideas and collaborate. The vision is to create a sustainable Indian Skill and Craft Institute that values craft, handicraft, and space. The project aims to create inclusive craftmanship hubs that serve as spaces for traditional artisans, trainees, and the surrounding community to engage, collaborate, and learn. The project will encompass workshops for artisans to exchange knowledge and enhance their craft. These spaces promote skill development and creativity by providing the necessary tools and supplies. The design shall also include communal gathering areas for social interaction and cross-cultural exchange. The project also includes designated areas for the preservation of traditional knowledge and promoting mentorship and learning among generations of craftsmen and skilled workforce.

drawings

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Architecture for Hills : A Context Responsive Housing Settlement

Author: Lakshmi Sai
Site Location: Naggar, Himachal Pradesh
Institute: Aurora Design Institute, Habsiguda
Advisor: Prof. Aparna Devisetti

description

The “Architecture on hills” always seems to be beautiful from the very prehistoric times, these hills have sustained themselves, enticing and soothing to the eyes of the people.

“Shelter” has been one of humankind’s necessities since immemorial time besides food and clothing. While nothing has changed significantly in man’s food and clothing habits, he has been constantly improving upon his dwelling to make it more homely, protective, and comfortable to suit his ever-changing lifestyle under various environmental conditions.

In that quest, not only have the basic materials of construction and their usage techniques changed radically but the planning and design parameters, functional imperatives and everything else have undergone an almost complete transformation. A price has been paid to accommodate more and more people and to suit the expanding economy.Houses have been washed away and buried under the massive landslides. Earthquakes have taken their toll since these houses are not built quake-proof unlike the traditional ones.

The more fundamental question is:

“Whether the displacement of communities from their ancestral homes is the best-case scenario and how can we provide effective sustainable disaster resilient housing solutions…?”

-The Himalayan town of Joshi Math, Uttarakhand, India has been experiencing land subsidence The town’s problems have worsened since October 2021, when large areas of land began to sink and buildings started to crack. Over 700 houses and several roads have developed cracks, and as many as 200 families have been evacuated

The people who live there are much more governed by the seasons than elsewhere, Those building methods are tested through trial and error by society and are tailored to the climatic, aesthetic, functional and sociological needs of that society and the built environment emerges from the “Indian traditional knowledge systems”.

Addressing hill development issues does not have a specific path on which one can stick. Understanding the type of problem that persists is necessary. We should pave the path to sustainable development and habitats in mountainous areas in a holistic, all-encompassing manner by focusing on a single habitat or settlement.

drawings

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Reviving Wooden Toy Industry in Etikoppaka

Author: Utkarsha Purushottam Ranbhor
Site Location: Etikoppaka, Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Institute: Pillai HOC College of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Ashwathy Rajagopal

description

“Like nature, cultural heritage evolves and adapts, but can also face extinction without care. In today’s dynamic world, intangible heritage like wooden toys; are cultural treasures. As plastic toys threaten this craft in Anthropocene, challenge is to preserve and reimagine its relevance. This project creates space where tradition and innovation merge, ensuring survival and revival of this timeless art by establishing a model of flexible, scalable upliftment that can be replicated across other clusters in India.

A design approach that allows for adaptation and growth in response to evolving needs of the artisans and communities. It responds to the unique socio-economic context of clusters, allowing for localized adaptations that respect the craft’s heritage while ensuring its relevance in contemporary markets. By offering spaces that can be reconfigured and repurposed as needed, the center empowers artisans to continuously innovate and sustain their craft in face of changing market dynamics.

In essence, this project embodies the spirit of flexibility and resilience. It recognizes that to sustain the legacy of traditional clusters, architecture must evolve in harmony with cultural and economic shifts that define the artisans’ world. This approach not only preserves the craft but also ensures that it thrives in future and contributes to the global economy of India.

drawings

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