A r c h i t e c t u r e
P O R T F O L I O
Selected works 2019
Ashi Sharma
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Name: Ashi Sharma D.O.B: 14.02.1998 Place: New Delhi, India Linguistic Proficiency: Hindi & English E-mail: ashi.spab@gmail.com Phone: +91-7011764914 Instagram: ashiisharmaa
Hello! The following document is a collection of my selected works through the course of my first three years pursuing my Bachelors in Architecture, at the School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal. The projects vary in scale, context, approach and typologies are selected to showcase my design growth throughout these years.
Education
Academic Projects
2014 | Apeejay School, Noida C.B.S.E (10.00 CGPA)
2017 | Second Semester Kiosk Design
2016 | Apeejay School, Noida C.B.S.E (95.4%)
2017 | Third Semester Nalukettu Vernacular Documentation
2016-2021 | School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal B.Arch
2017 | Third Semester Contemporary Vernacular Residence Design
2017 | University of Pennsylvania English for Journalism | Online Course
2018 | Fourth Semester Restaurant Design
2017 | International Centre for Science and Culture Green Revolution | Certif icate Program
2018 | Fifth Semester Bhimbetka Accessibility Audit and Interpretation Centre Design
Skills Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk Revit Trimble Sketchup Adobe Photoshop CC Adobe InDesign
2019 | Sixth Semester Mixed-use Housing Design, Smart City Bhopal VRay Lumion M.S. off ice Model Making Sketching
Extra Curriculars N.L.I.U Dramatics Competition Runner Up V.A.S Student Photography Competition Honorable Mention
Workshops May 2018 | Ecosphere Volunteering Along The Home stay Trail Spiti, Himachal Pradesh July 2018 | Archade Foundation Bamboo Construction and Joinery Faridabad, Haryana January 2019 | Centre for Science and Environment Sustainable and Affordable Housing Neemli, Rajasthan
2019 | Seventh Semester Hospital Design
Competitions 2017 | U. C. Berkeley Essay Writing Competition World Top 9 2018 | U. C. Berkeley Travel Fellowship 2018, 2019 | Oslo School of Architecture and Design 120 hours Competition 2018 | Tamayouz Excellence Award School in the Marshes 2018 | Bee Breeders Affordable Housing Writing Contest 2018 | Kihara Product Design Contest 2018 | Archasm Kenya Wilderness Pavilion 2019 | N.A.S.A H.U.D.C.O Trophy 2018-19
June 2019 | ETSAM Public Condensers | Updating Urban Heritage Madrid, Spain
2019 | I.N.H.A.F Redesigning Affordable Housing
Work Expierence
2019 | Unfuse Regathering Syria-Memory People’s Choice Award
Summer Intern | June 2017 Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Project Aga Khan Trust for Culture, New Delhi
2019 | Unfuse Urbanscape
Con t en t s 1. Place o f p eo p le
06 -13
2 . Ta leem Pri m a r y S cho o l
14- 2 1
3. B hu m i B hava n
15- 29
4 . Wave Ho u si ng
3 0- 3 9
5. Fo r The B lu e Thats In Yo u r Eye
40- 45
6. Fro m Fu nc ti o ns to C o nversati o ns
46- 49
7. T he Morn in g Rit u al
5 0- 5 1
8 . S a cre d S ola ce
5 2- 5 3
9. Pe e k -A-Boo
5 4- 5 5
10. Po eti c Fri nges
5 6- 57
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People’s Choice Award
1. Place Of People سانلا ناكم
Regathering Syria-Memory 2019 | Group Project
he dissent between rebellion T and the G overnment in Syria along with other spectating powers of the world involved in the war, is far from being solved. The huge def icit of corr uption and chaos has had catastrophic impact on the lives of people. Regathering Syria-Memor y required to star t a cooperation by creating a memor y infused architecture with a function by the citizens of the place in one of the damaged/destroyed yet impor tant site(s) of Syria.
Place of People is a dynamic public space designed in the hear t of Aleppo that seeks to acts as a catalyst in the personal healing and community strengthening process. The design instills a feeling of strength in the people that takes bir th from their weaknesses and fears to alleviate their spirit and morale. The people experiencing the site are healed in various ways, but the most signif icant of those processes is the healing of the wounds inf licted on people’s minds by the atrocities of war.
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C on t ex t
Aleppo, Syria 36°11’49.9”N 37°09’46.4”E
Originally conceived to be the seat of Governor of the Government, the Grand Serail (Also known as New Serail) held its place in history as an important structure in citadel peripher y in the past century. During various war clashes, conf licting forces demolished this historic structure and other areas that cover a major portion of covered market and important buildings in the peripheral locations of the Citadel. The site sits right next to the citadel of Aleppo and is at the heart of the walled city’s historic precinct. Pre civil-war this area was the center of art, culture and music, it had many souks (traditional arabic markets), mosques, shops and restaurants that attracted locals and tourists alike. The site earlier used to house a government off ice building before it was shot down. The Citadel in its background, its convenient location and great access to other parts of the city make the site an ideal place for getting people together to start the rebuilding
C on ce p t Devel o p men t
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For m Deve l o p me n t
Pre-war the city of Aleppo was a vibrant center of arts, culture, heritage and tradition
The built heritage was the worst hit during the war, changing its image forever.
New incidental forms of debris dott the city changing the visual urban landscape.
Physical manifestation of space and form is a contemporarised version of present day city.
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V I S UA L I ZAT I O N Me m or i a l
In order to segregate the social and personal function the spaces have been designed om different levels. The self reflection spaces have been provided on the lower level to impart a sense of peace and safety.
These spaces are connected via a spiraling ramp that enables the user to experience both the levels simultaneously. The memorial acts as an emotional and way finding symbol for the people.
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Further division of spaces in the lower level allows to incorporate a variety of spiritual and functional spaces. Rooms for meditation, retrospection, study and music are provided at the lower level.
The lower level is naturally illuminated and ventilated by a series of courtyards varying in scale and size, that also act as experiential transit spaces for people to interact and engage.
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2. Taleem Primary School ميلعتلا ةسردم School in the Marshes 2018 | Group Project
he Iraqi Marshes are a wetland T area located in southern Iraq. Historically the marshlands, mainly
composed of the separate but adjacent Central, Hawizeh and Hammar Marshes, used to be the largest wetland ecosystem of Western Eurasia. A historical and fundamental area of Iraq, today are home to many families with minimal infrastructure. Thus, Dewan was chosen to build a school in order to supply the families the much-needed education in an area that lacks basic. The challenge was to build a primary school taking into account the
limitations of the area, the ecological impact of construction on nature and fauna of the marshes and to sensitize the children about the importance of the marshes. The primary aim of Taleem is to translate the essence of the physical features and culture of the Marshes into the micro environment of all its units. This sustainable project seeks to create a realm that is a miniature biosphere in itself. Our design strives to bring the outside into the inside where learning takes place in a setting with unquantifiable natural and physical characters that affect the learners emotionally, with cognitive and behavioral consequences.
C on t ex t
Basrah, Iraq 30°38’58.8”N 47°39’35.8”E
The competition site was part of the Mesopotamian wetlands that undergone systematic draining from the 1950s – 1990s in Iraq and to a smaller degree in Iran, which resulted in the displacement and migration to the nearby cities of Basra, Amara and Al Nasiriyah. The proposed plot (15,000 m2) was donated by one of the residents to be used for a primar y school serving the nearby villages , the proposed school site can be easily access through rural roads which connects it with the surrounding villages, the easiest way to reach the school is by using the traditional boat “Mashoof ”. Lack of services including educational facilities has caused the residents to leave the area, the nearest school is no less than 3 km away. One of the main reasons of this plot turned into a school is to encourage the return of the indigenous people of the marshes (Ma’adan) to return
C on ce p t Devel o p men t
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Sun acts as the primary source of energy for the growth and maintenance of the landscaping and the installed solar panels. The electricity produced by the solar panels is used by different units in the project.
Water from the site is effectively used by the flora and fauna creating a healthy biosphere. It also helps to lower the temperature of the micro environment by means of evaporative cooling
Reed is effectively used as a constructional material throughout the site.
Fruits (dates) on trees and the fish in the water body are consumed by the users
The organic waste produced within the site is used up as manure to landscape the site.
Form D evel o p men t
Exp loded Vi ew C lassro o m
Reed mat infill
Secondary Reed Bundles
Primary Reed Bundles
Floating Platform
Supporting Piles
Program me Develo pmen t
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Di n i n g Area
The layout is based on a 2mX2m grid that gives the flexibility to create private and semi-private clusters. Each cell in the grid has a dual nature of formal and informal sitting spaces.
Cells are act as dining units and shared open spaces. Small mounds as additional sitting arrangement are added in the open spaces to create informal sitting space.
As the final step cross vaulted shades are installed in the dining spaces. The shades create an open space for all students to interact and stay connected to nature.
L i b ra r y
The central reed bundled pillar symbolizes a tree and serves a dual purpose of a book shelf and creates a metaphysical entity which encompasses and inspires all that occupy the space.
The core is landscaped in the form of mounds that acts as an informal sitting space for the students while a peripheral jaali wall encompasses the library that visually connects the library with its surroundings.
The inner walls act as the envelope encompassing the core breaking at regular intervals for access, serve as bookshelves and formal sitting spaces for the students.
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3. Bhumi Bhavan भूिम भवन
Interpretation Centre Design 2018 | Independent Project
he Bhimbetka caves are a product T of action of natural forces over a long period of time. They reflect a
The basic design ideology is inspired by this natural timeless way of building itself. Wherein the true essence of a volume is gradually revealed by means of subtraction. The design seeks to challenge the preconceived notions about subtractions and portray this phenomenon in a new light.
Keeping in mind the context of Bhimbetka the built environment is sensitively weaved into the unbuilt natural environment so as to impart the users with a lasting impression of the site. the main aim is to bring the outside into the inside and create a natural environment for the user.
One experiences Bhimbetka in a systematic linear fashion. which is easy for all users to understand and to be able to relate to the site. a similar approach is adopted in the design wherein the user experience is sequential and meaningful.
long interaction between people and the landscape, demonstrated in the quantity and quality of its rock art. It is closely associated with a hunting and gathering economy as demonstrated in the rock art and in the relics of this tradition.
C on t ex t
Bhaiyapur, India 22°57’02.4”N 77°37’16.8”E
Situated in the raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, bhimbetka rock shelters spread from the southern edge of Vindhya Mountains. In 2003, the caves were recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site as the Bhimbetka Caves ref lect a long interaction between people and the landscape, as demonstrated in the quantity and quality of its rock art and are closely associated with a hunting and gathering economy as demonstrated in the rock art and in the relics of this tradition in the 21 villages on the periphery of this site. The site is situated in Bhaiyapur, a small village in the buffer zone of the Bhimbetka Caves. It is a primarily agricultural area sitting at the foothills of the Satpura range. The plot has direct connectivity with the caves and is at an ideal location for the proposed Interpretation Center.
C on ce p t Devel o p men t
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The Bhimbetka Caves are a product of action of natural forces over a long period of time. The basic design ideology is inspired by this natural timeless way of building itself. Wherein the true essence of a volume is gradually revealed by means of subtraction. And subtraction is not associated with negative attributes of diminishment but rather of improvement, introspection and abstraction.
Form D evel o p men t
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V I S UA L I ZAT I O N G a l l e ri e s
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V I S UA L I ZAT I O N Au d i t ori u m
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4. Wave Housing Smart City Bhopal Project 2019 | Independent Project
hopal is one of the twenty cities B selected in the first round of smart cities challenge by the Government
on dealing with multi-functional and high -rise service oriented buildings. With an emphasis on integration of of India (GoI). The vision for Bhopal socio-economic and environmental was formulated as: “Transforming context along with technological Bhopal, a City of Lakes, Tradition& advancements. Heritage into a leading destination for Smart, Connected and Eco Friendly Wave Housing is thoughtful and communities focused on Education, sensitive response to the given site Research, Entrepreneurship conditions and context. Designed and Tourism”. It’s Area Based keeping in mind the user behavior Development (ABD) proposal includes and lifestyle to make this transition redevelopment of 342 acre of North & of living comfortable for all citizens. South TT Nagar. The ABD would be The project seeks to incorporate the a state of art smart city in the heart community spirit associated with row of the city of Bhopal with all modern housing into the vertical realm of the facilities in a sustainable manner and Smart City Project. The idea was to would generate more job opportunities. provide all world class facilities and amenities without compromising on Thus, the studio’s main focus was the social aspect of life of the people.
C on t ex t
Bhopal, India 23°13’47.5”N 77°23’47.5”E
The TT Nagar redevelopment project is designed to unlock the value of underutilized government land in the heart of the city. The aim is to radically transform the area into an eco -friendly and f inancially sustainable model that incorporates all smart city features within a new urban landscape, ensuring relationship of people to place and buildings to space. It is strategically located between two primar y transport axes (BRTS & proposed Metro) and embodies TOD principles to provide a compact, walkable and sustainable spatial morphology. The proposed site is a corner plot with 45m boulevard street on one side and 24m street on the other side. It is conveniently located in the heart of the city with close proximities to most health, educational, recreational and commercial facilities. The plot has a mixed use nature with 25% commercial and 75% residential with an area of 1.3Ha. It is surrounded by other smart city mixed use projects and shares its rear boundar y with an educational facility.
C on ce p t Devel o p men t
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The predominant character of most built structures in Bhopal open low-rise development. The People are habitual of a constant contact with the ground. These spaces act as social and cultural catalysts in their daily lives. The design proposal seeks to incorporate this social nature of horizontality into the vertical through its built form, by offering intermediate shared spaces on different levels.
Form D evel o p men t The final form is a cyclic overlay of climatic factors, local bye-laws, creating a optimum access routes to and within the site and retaining existing vegetation cover whilst seeking to provide maximum views and facilities to all residents.
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V I S UA L I ZAT I O N Re si d e n t i a l Bu i l d i n g
Flo or Pl ates
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3BHK and 4BHK
Mechanical floor
2 BHK and 1 BHK
Section
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5. For The Blue Thats In Your Eye Updating Urban Heritage Spaces 2019 | Group Project
he scope of action proposed was T in the Plaza del Carmen in the center of Madrid presently a hollow
of the dense built building plot. It belongs to a series of chained urban voids, which harbor the life of the city. The morphology of the square has emerged numerous transformations over the centuries. One of the most important was in the middle of the 19th century; which led to the emergence of Murga or commercial passage in 1845. However, with the opening of the GranVĂa as an east-west urban axis at the beginning of the 20th century; the Plaza del Carmen and its passage
were behind the urban showcase of modernity beginning its decline. At present the plaza does not have public space quality, being contaminated by numerous layers of interventions disconnected from each other. Giving birth to a complex space without identity arises; at the same time a place of opportunity in which to be able to act on the cultural, material and human heritage that it houses. The aim of the workshop was to work in groups to develop a design proposal to revitilise the Plaza del Carmen and bring it into the mainstream of public spaces in Madrid.
C on t ex t
Madrid, Spain 40°25’07.8”N 3°42’11.6”W
The given site Plaza del Carmen is a quaint public square in the heart of the city of Madrid. With the main city East-West axis Gran Via running on its north and another public square Puerta de Sol on its South, Plaza del Carmen at present is a space lost in mere transition. The populace uses the square to get to and from to other main spaces of attraction and importance. The plaza also lacks urban furniture, proper lighting and landscaping to attract people to pause otherwise. The plaza’s convenient location and excellent connectivity to other parts of the city empower it with potential to be a successful public space tying the urban fabric of Madrid together. Thus, the proposal is aimed at redesigning the Plaza to make it welcoming and usable for all people of Madrid. Thus, the proposal For The Blue Thats In Your Eye is the outcome of cyclic overlay of site observations and public requirements to revitilise the plaza.
C on ce p t Devel o p men t
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The main idea was to provide a space for people to pause and to make the plaza a sort of breathing space catering to busy commuters and shoppers from the Gran Via. The objective was to make this transition of people meaningful. Presently the plaza is dotted with plenty of vegetation that created beautiful visual frames. The proposal thus seeks to accentuate these views by providing spaces to sit and relax. The intervention thus works on two levels, the topography and the upper shell. The form gives the users the f lexibility to experience the space in different ways; walking over the shell and by taking refuge below its shade.
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Corten Steel Shell
Vegetation
Topography
V I S UA L I S AT I O N In si d e th e sh e l l
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World Top 9
6. From Functions to Conversations Applying The Social Art of ARchitecture 2017 | Group Project
What is the social art of architecture? The Task was to go out in the local community and find two buildings that best typified the social art of architecture, one of which is no more than 10 years old. The aim was to outline what it was about these buildings that acted as a model for future architects to create equally successful designs.
It was a hazy Saturday morning in late December in Bhopal. After getting down from the college bus, and finding myself an auto to lead me to my destination, I sat back and took in the moist smell in the air, and glanced through the openings on either side. Enroute, Central Library, I was greeted by round and onion domes, by round, Mughal and cusped arches. Often I found myself staring at the little jharokas and ornamented brackets in century old houses; midst these stood vast the pink minarets of Taj-Ul Masjid watching over Old Bhopal as it’s custodian. Most shops had their shutters down while few had just opened and were being religiously dusted clean by their owners. The streets were relatively empty with few men on bicycles heading to work and kids with heavy backpacks on their backs trotting to schools. Through these narrow lanes soaked in the fragrance of freshly made tea and frying fritters and the sound of the morning azaan (call for namaz), I made my way to the library.
large building in refreshing bright red sandstone instantly captivated me. Painted white chhatris on the top seeked to provide a contrasting relief from the red and create a picturesque background for the groups of students sitting around makeshift tables in the porch.
On entering the library, the first spaces that met my eye were the entrance foyer, the computer room and the librarian’s chamber on the left and right respectively. The foyer despite being large in size, felt modest and dense owing to the quantum of students occupying the space. Whereas the computer room and the librarian’s office seem relatively old with outdated systems on their desks. Ahead of me stood an empty shelf in the fully packed wooden rack, where I kept my bag and stepped down heading to a double heighted hall. Intricate jaalis, close to the ceiling allowed the winter sun to peek playfully and light up the huge space. The creaking sound from the fans suspended from the high ceiling provided a soothing Soon I found myself at the threshold of a heavy iron gate backdrop acoustic while the musty smell of books mixed that lead me to a long avenue lined with lush trees on with the scent of antique lumber gave the place a serene either side. On the end of the road the sight of a quaint, aura.
Numerous enquiring eyes looked up from their books and followed me as I made my way around the hall, navigating through narrow aisles flanked by high wooden shelves on either side. Fiction, Drama, History, Botany, Chemistry, Arithmetic, Culture and Psychology appeared to be a few subjects whose books line these never ending shelves. I felt trance bound by the simplicity and the purity of the space, to be surrounded by the many things of meaning and mystery, the rich strangeness of another world. The library opens at 11 in the morning but students start queuing by its gates around dawn, as the reading space is provided strictly on a first- come- first –serve basis. Those who fail to find a place in the hall, settle down in the porch and around the building periphery, taking refuge under the shade of many trees in the compound. The library built in 1908 was first conceived as a museum, is a fine example of the fusion of Hindu and Muslim Architecture. Lack of maintenance, forced it to shut down during the Nawab era only to be later reused as the State Library under the supervision of Sultana Jahan Begum. At its inception, the library had about 60,000 books and manuscripts in Hindi, English, Urdu, Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit. Five, was the number of staff members, when Dr. Vandana Sharma started presiding over the city’s biggest and oldest library. The operators were the only visitors in a heavily encroached area. Vagabonds and beggars had made its ground their home, and children organized cricket matches here on lazy afternoons. The boundary wall existed only for the namesake; and as the day passed the area turned into a parking lot. People sped past this treasure- trove of knowledge, without even pausing to give this building a second glance. Today, the institution has over 4000 members and houses in excess of 2 lakh books under its roof. The body acts as an intellectual catalyst for socio-cultural development by providing facilities for acquiring education and information; while organizing recreational activities and providing guidance to students from professionals of various disciplines. Library members initiate collection drives and distribute clothes and stationaries to the less-fortunate kids of the nearby slum clusters. The State Education Board cooperates actively as the groups visit and engages with these underprivileged kids. Thus the library penetrates deep into the life of the community and acts as an educational hub conducting lectures, discussions, exhibitions, employment fairs and group studies. The expanse of this library extends way beyond its walls and embraces anyone who is affiliated with it. It has es-
tablished itself as a cornerstone of the community by giving people the opportunity to experience new ideas. This space has become a social production, the outcome of ideas and relationships. Here, the works of the people that are associated with it are enriched by the stories that they hear, read and live by. It was almost dusk, the sun’s mellow rays peeped over my shoulder as I sat under one of the many trees, reading a paperback. I looked up to see groups of young students retiring for the day. Feeling weary, I gathered my things and started to wander around the compound looking for a washroom to freshen up. I was taken aback when one of the staff members informed me there isn’t one in the premises. The mere thought of the absence of a sanitary facility in a building that catered to about 350 people on a regular basis, deeply upset me. So I exit the same heavy iron gate that had once promised me hopefulness, with a melancholic feeling, searching for a public toilet nearby. But all I found around were some overflowing garbage bins, some men urinating on walls and some people sitting out in the open with winds on their sails, hiding their faces and exposing their bases in pristine glory. On looking at this state of the streets, questions of inadequacy of sanitation in India poured down on me. The 2011 UNICEF survey revealed that 626 million people in India defecated in the open. For most Indians, the sight of people squatting by roadsides, has become a part of their daily lives. Many people consider having and using an affordable pit latrine ritually impure and polluting. Open defecation, in contrast, is seen as promoting purity and strength, particularly by men who typically decide how money is spent in a household. They prefer to go out in the open, refusing to believe in the benefits of using a toilet just like their ancestors have done for centuries. Women are the worst sufferers. According to the UNICEF report of 2006, half of the rape cases took place when women defecated in the open. Trying to squat wearing a sari, holding a jar of water to wash herself while looking out for rapists is an unimaginable task. Widespread open defecation in India is not due to relative educational deprivation, rather to its beliefs and values about purity, caste and untouchability causing people to reject affordable latrines. It is well established that the history and continuing practice of untouchability plays an important role in explaining why India has the highest rate of open defecation. Most rural Indians associate emptying a latrine pit by hand, a work that lower castes are traditionally supposed to do. The 2015 Socio-Economic Caste Census revealed
India still had 180,657 households that were dependent This ‘Sulabh Shauchalaya’ is based on the two-pit pouron manual scavenging for a living and there were over 2.6 flush compost toilet system. There are two pits, while million dry latrines in the country. one is used the other is kept on standby. When the former is full, it is switched over to the other one. This There is a notion in the Indian society that poor people slowly converts itself into a bio-fertilizer; rich in phosdeserve ‘poor’ solutions. This, combined with a theory phorous, nitrogen and potassium acting as manure for that the cheapest is the most economic, is the heady cock- the agricultural sector. Unlike its conventional contempotail that the deprived are forced to drink. For centuries raries which use 10 liters of water per flush this model the lower castes, have been forbidden from drinking from uses only 1 liter. Furthermore, this mechanism attempts the same wells, worshiping at the same temples, or even to effectively eliminate the need for manual scavenging wearing shoes in the presence of upper castes. Modern as the excreta in the pits converts itself gradually into to laws against such discrimination are rarely enforced and bio-fertilizer by the time the pit needs to be cleaned. poverty and violence still compel them to do the nation’s dirty work. They are seldom seen clearing carcasses from Interestingly, this complex is not only used as a facility roads, placentas from birthing rooms and human wastes for people to relieve themselves but it also effectively acts from pits and open sewers. a social center. Auto drivers park their autos under the shade of the huge peepal tree, seeking comfort from the Such is the life of an untouchable, they come early in harsh sun; turning the front of the complex into an auto the morning and sit at community chowks, hoping to get stand. Its centrally located convenient position enables some work. Around midday, Bittu 44, is the last among shoppers to use the facility on the go. Opportunistic road them who is asked to clear a blocked septic tank in the side hawkers look at this place as a hotspot for their businearby Tulsi Nagar colony. He is sloshed by this time. His ness and are seen sitting on the front footpath making eyes float with globs of yellow and his cheeks are sunken their sales. At other times, the complex provides a safe as the city’s potholes. He looks at least ten years older. haven to waiting crowds during off hours. This toilet has His eyes are partially damaged- the result of toxic fumes gradually transformed into a local landmark, encouraging from a sewer pipeline he had to enter a few years ago. social interaction amongst the people of the area. This The society has a name for people like Bittu: Jamadaars complex acts as a shared space whose intent extends (manual scavengers). They work in the sewers, with ex- beyond its primary functions. Such places are unlikely creta against their bare bodies. They stay intoxicated by to be priorities, but nonetheless their effect is otherwise. sipping country liquor to prevent feeling nauseous. Bittu has worked with excreta for thirty years now. His son “The responsibility of architecture—indeed of any public who works with him started as an early teen, the same art—is to communicate.” James Wines age his father did. “No innovation in the past 200 years has done more to save lives and improve health than the sanitation invention triggered by invention of the toilet.” – Sylvia Mathews Burwell The construction of public toilets is a successful government intervention which acts as a targeted measure against inhibiting the inhumane practice of manual scavenging and the problem of sanitation. One such toilet commissioned in 2015, in the TT Nagar locality stands proudly and has evolved into a tool for social change. Located in a busy commercial setting, the public toilet complex is found at the crossroad of the market. A ramp on one side and flight of stairs on the other leads one to the complex, divided into separate sections for females and males, with respective bathing provisions. Maintained by the Sulabh International Social Service Organization, the facilities provided in this establishment are free to all.
Public Spaces in Bhopal
The accessibility and high visibility of architecture make it the ideal medium for interacting with a large and diverse audience. It strives to link people to its physical surrounding, by creating an environment which shapes man within the natural realm, establishing a place where individuals connect with the community. Architecture uses the visual language through its built form to communicate to its users. The milieu alone cannot solely create communities, architecture spatially reveals social ideas resulting in the redefinition of a group’s identity and reorganization of their social culture. It is this versatile and accommodating nature of public spaces that make them a driving force for societal progress. According to Stanley Abecrombie, architecture can manifest goals of social reform. Social change is not a smooth or orderly progression which evolves harmoniously; but proceeds from contradictions built into society which are ultimately the source of open conflict and radical change. A radical change in the structure of society occurs when a class is transformed from a “class in itself ” to a “class for itself ”. The Sulabh Shauchalaya scheme has helped liberate millions from the inhumane practice of scavenging and has provided them a second chance to a dignified life. Henceforth, architecture acts not only as a professional discipline, but also as a panacea to cure social ills in a society like ours. Architecture is shaped by the culture of the people who create it and possesses the power to transform the patterns of their life. The architectural fraternity has the potential to bridge the gaps between the haves and the have-nots through interactive and effective design strategies. The Central library has provided opportunities to those who lack the resources and has helped them instigate a brighter future. It is a shared ground in a diverse society, a place to which whole community feels a connection with. As Architects it’s our duty to successfully induce a sense of belonging, in the hopes of encouraging relationships that will ultimately foster a sense of community. The true function of architecture is therefore not to speak of its existence but rather to articulate mankind about their own nature. Man has been known to interact in terms of symbols. A symbol does not simply stand for an object, event or place; it defines them in a particular way and indicates a response to them. Hence the symbols ‘library’ and ‘toilet’ do not only represent a place to read and release bodily wastes respectively. But they also indicate a line of action that has been highlighted in this
essay. The aim was to convey how two starkly contrasting sites in nature, form and function essentially conveyed the same ideas. Together these spaces seek to eliminate the social ills of illiteracy and untouchability in our society through their direct being and act as influential forces shaping communal development. Thoughtful design interventions like these can actually better the lives of people, if we as individuals of a developing society are willing to embrace them. Works Cited: Ashok Shah, G. S. (2011). Vintage Bhopal. Bhopal: Archaeology, Archives and Museum . Michael Haralambos, R. H. (1980). Sociology Themes and Perspectives. Oxford University Press. Sociology, S. I. (2013). National Conference on Sociology of Sanitation. New Delhi: Sulabh International. Madiath.J (2014). Better toilets, Better life (Video File). Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/joe_madiath_ better_toilets_better_life *Bittu is a figment of imagination.
Photography
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T he Mor ning Ritu al Taj -Ul M a sj i d, B h opa l, Indi a
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Sacred S ol ace Ba rce lon a Ca th edra l, B a rcelona , S pa i n
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Pee k-A-B oo De mu l, H im a ch a l P ra desh , Indi a
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Po eti c Fri nges Pa ri s , Fra n ce Hono rab l e Menti on V.A .S. St u d en t Photog ra p hy Com pet i t i on
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