A Retail for post consumption

a retail for post-consumption experimenting alternate productive relations to mindless consumption.

Architecture Research Dissertation | 2020 A retail for post-consumption

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A retail for post-consumption

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abstract The trigger that started the enquiry for ‘A retail for post-consumption’ was through the understanding of the age of Anthropocene and the impact that humans have created on the surroundings through the commodified world we live in. Tracing the roots which have led up to this capitalist setting of the society, the factors affecting it and the consumerist strategies which leads to a numb state of mindless consumption by deciphering the epitome of consumerist typology of ‘shopping mall’. These extravagancies lead to the collective notion of excesses termed as ‘waste’.

Further, the study tries to map the end of life journey of an everyday object in an urban setting of Mumbai through understanding the formal excess network in Mumbai, role of the informal agents and the repurpose network.

Now, what if we consider a point in transition from post-consumption till it gets considered as trash, the project offers alternate solutions for the second life of the objects categorized into household objects, fashion and electronics, and a proposed network of these post-consumption processes which informs the shortcomings of our primary modes of production in our society.

These alternate systems are experimented in an existing retail setting of dysfunctional shopping malls where these demonstrations question possibilities of de-consumerist, hyper-consumerist, mobile strategies, incentivizing them to activate multiple roles of a consumer for productive participation at a place where the role of a consumer shifts multiply breaking the passivity and making them a part of these re-purposing processes. Furthermore, it reframes the role of human in the social and ecological sphere as a shift in the current paradigm for decentralizing ways to manage our objects in our ‘buy and discard’ society.

(key words: anthropocene, commodified passivity, buy and discard culture, repurpose)

A retail for post-consumption

society

,mindless

consumption,

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acknowledgements Firstly, i would like to thank my college Academy of Architecture and my guide Ar. Neha Panchal for her constant support and guidance, for always not letting me derail from my argument, not letting me jump to conclusions and helping me channelise my thoughts in the right direction. Phone call discussions were always the best ones.

Also, I would like to thank Ar. Yagnik Bhatija for always critically evaluating my project, Ar. Ronak Savla for the initial head start helping me to develop an argument.

I’d like to thank my classmates for being in touch virtually, Serah for all her advices and support, Kevin for the daily updates, Chintan for patiently listening to my uncooked argument, Sushant for the lengthy phone calls, Devansh for the motivation to finish on time, and Priyanka for the procrastination.

My juniors Krissh and Pranav, for keeping up with my demands in presentation work, my seniors Karan and Shreya for the ideations. And also, special thanks to Chintan Gala and Vinit Dharia for providing me access to data in times of a global pandemic.

Lastly, my Mom will surely be proud of the efforts put into my project, my Dad, brother and Baa to keep home an environment to work all day long, my cousins and Fiyus for always being there. And thanks to anyone who I might have missed in the list.

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table of contents

General

a. Declaration b. Approval Certificate c. Acknowledgment

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Introduction

Consumerist mechanism leading to excess

1.1 Decoding the Anthropocene

2.1 Understanding the behavior in consumption

1.2 Tracing the modes of production and consumption 1.2.1 Capitalist society- Industrialization as a shift in modes of production 1.2.2 Consumerism- Bazaars as places of exchange 1.2.3 Hyper mediation- Shopping malls as simulations of city centers 1.2.4 Excess- Current solutions to excess management

human

2.2 Lexicon of an epitome of a consumerist typology- Shopping mall

1.3 Understanding the dominant mode of production in a capitalist society 1.3.1 What is against this mode of production?

1.3.2 Conclusion

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End of life in the first cycle of objects

What if? (solutions for second life)

3.1 Landscape of everyday objects

4.1 Life of objects – alternate solutions

3.2 Life of objects – Conventional trajectory 3.3 Post-consumption considered as Solid waste 3.3.1 Understanding the existing formal excess network in Mumbai 3.3.2 Understanding the existing informal excess network in Mumbai 3.4 The agents of repurpose network

the

3.5 So, what? (concerns existing excess cycle)

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existing of

the

4.2 alternate solutions 4.2.1 household objects 4.2.2 fashion 4.2.3 electronics

Experimenting in a retail setting

Now, what?

5.1 Site options

6.1 Case studies

5.1.1 Site selection table

6.1.1 I AM Recycled / PKMN Architectures 6.1.2 Maker store / Amsterdam

5.2 Mapping Irla 5.2.1 Context mapping 5.2.2 Figure and Ground mapping 5.2.3 Land use mapping 5.2.4 Amenities mapping 5.2.5 Connectivity mapping 5.2.6 Building heights mapping 5.3 Irla Marketconsumption

Street

5.3.1 Street-consumption patterns 5.3.2 Prime Mall

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6.2 Aim, objectives and scopelimitations 6.3 Curating a design programme 6.4 Way forward of List of figures Bibliography

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Research Methodology

Urban system of objects

Anthropocene

consumption

production

excess

What? (first life cycle)

human psychology

lexicon of consumerist strategies

Formal network

Informal network

Repurpose network

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Categorization of objects

What if ? (alternate solutions)

post- consumption

Household objects Plastic

Fashion and apparel Clothes

Electronics mobile phones, laptops tablets

Process

Agents

Element

s

ts

Prime Mall, Irla Market

Consumption patterns

Defunct malls way forward

Mapping Irla

Mega Mall, Oshiwara

Prime mall syntax

Citi Mall, Andheri

Where? (a retail setting to experiement)

s

Retail setting

agencies for roleplay

design objectives

design strategies

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aim

Now, what?

design programme

towards circularity

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introduction 1.1 Decoding the Anthropocene 1.2 Tracing the modes of production and consumption 1.2.1 Consumerism- Bazaars as places of exchange 1.2.2 Capitalist society- Industrialization as a shift in modes of production 1.2.3 Hyper mediation- Shopping malls as simulations of city centers 1.2.4 Excess 1.3 Understanding the dominant mode of production in a capitalist society 1.3.1 What is against this mode of production?

1.3.2 Conclusion

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Figure 1: Manufactured landscapes (Source: Edward Burtynsky/Flowers London)

/ˈanθrəpəˌsiːn/ Anthropocene is Earth’s most recent geological epoch which is significantly impacted by indelible human activities. This epoch1 can be traced back to when men started farming, or until the industrial revolution started or maybe even after the use of nuclear weapons during the Second World War. But this not being the case in point, the impact humans have created over this planet is immense and irreversible.

The dependency of humans on resources such as food, water, energy and raw materials. We have always been involving with activities that would fulfill the demands of the society through resource extraction, obsolescence and generating waste.

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Def. Epoch- an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development

Introduction

Today, the industrialization of outskirts of the city have created ‘manufactured landscapes’ 1, cities have become products of consumerist spectacles and obsolescent landscapes.

Someday now, wondering how would you reframe the Anthropocene, there has to be shift in narrative in the role of interplay between social and ecological balance?

The answer might not be absolute, but transitional. What are these alternate modes of (re)production in demonstrated as a breaking from the dominant capitalist modes of production?

The study further tries to understand the further diagnosis of the traces of a capitalist anthropocentric material driven society by understanding the various agencies and the role of various actors in shaping up these urban mechanisms of production, consumption, excess and the immaterial meanings induced with it.

Figure 2: Deforestation to production line.(Source: author)

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Manufactured Landscapes, Edward Burtynsky.

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Bazaars as places of exchange Bazaar means a location in a community where buying and selling of goods take place. Historically, trade and commerce being the central activities to these market places. The formation process of the Bazaar has come into existence since the human being accomplished to produce much more than their requirements.

Human beings, who belong to permanent and organized settlements required a public place to acquire free communication, production of these civic centers as congregational spaces, social gathering spaces, protesting against the authorities was facilitated through these market places. The buyer and seller portrayed the most ordinary instance of everyday theater in the city

Figure 3: Bazaars as civic centers.(Source: School of life)

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Introduction

Consumerism The consumer society we live in and its context can be termed as ‘shop’ as it has everything you own, need, want, comes through a shop1. Each product comes with a specialized satisfaction which is mediated to be believed as a want. There are no false needs, but they’re combined with material and symbolic aspects to satisfy this emotional state for a temporary period, until they arise again.

The constant urge to consume makes us mindless and passive, almost automated objects meant to continue the linear process of manufacturing and consumption. This passivity in deeply ingrained in society today, and is almost subconscious within in our lifestyles, where the capitalist society has kept us away from manufacturing through use of virgin resources, chemicals, energy consumed and waste generated.

Figure 4: Chain of consumerism.(Source: School of life)

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Vinit Dharia in his thesis ‘Building up a schizoid performance.

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Capitalist society The contemporary urbanized world is a world predominantly ruled by interests organized around the economic extraction of profit .Capitalism is an economic system of society which is based on ‘individual rights’ of a person. It is a centralized authoritarian approach where the production and distribution are privately owned by a group of individuals.

It creates a vicious cycle which starts from accumulation of land, to resources being extracted to manufacture into finished goods. Then the media takes role to sell these products by manipulating the consumer. The commodification of all products leads to a material. The cycle is repeated all over again with loops generated while treating the excess.

Figure 5: Market of monopoly.(Source: Monopoly game)

Industrialization as a shift in modes of production The Industrial revolution led to a change in the modes of production, which mechanized systems replacing humans. This system impacted all the material activities of the society and led to large scale production of standardized commodities. The goods were manufactured using assembly line. The factors driving this change were capital, land, labor and resources.

The psychological shift from ‘need’ of goods to ‘wants’ was created. Thus, this led to acceleration of commodities. The mechanism of production was produced inside a factory. The rise in consumer demands led to creation of larger production areas away from the cities as a result of providing them within cities.

Figure 6: Capitalist machine.(Source: School of life)

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Introduction

Hyper mediation Mediation is a process of simulation1 which means providing an experience something which not directly accessible. The society that we are a part of is highly polluted by bombardment of false information that is indirectly perceived by the society. We are already a part of this false environment around us where we seek pleasure, leisure and escape from banal everyday life.

In the process of this mediation, it results in simulation which creates a false reality of an object that is shifted from the ‘idea of being’ to the ‘idea of looking’.

The world around is commodified and converted into an ‘image’. The idea of branding and commodities defines lifestyles leading to mindless consumption excess and which is unaware of the production costs and processes making life a mere ‘spectacle2’, losing meanings in the larger cultural milieu.

Figure 7:

Simulated society(Source:Johanna Walderdorff for NBC News)

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Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation

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Guy Debord, Society of the spectacle

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Shopping malls as simulations of city centers The shopping mall structure demarcates and isolates the shopping space from the urban environment visually, physically and socially within a gigantic enclosed space, and thus recreates the public space outside the city center. It is an imitation of the city centers which fails to carry the aspects of it, just a simulated version of it.

In this structure, the shopping activity is transformed from an act of purchasing with the intention to fulfill needs, into an act of consumption which is independent from needs. Characteristics of real urban space are simulated superficially in the structure, with the aim to recreate the complex and chaotic urban atmosphere of the city in a sterile environment.1 In this way, consumption becomes an end in itself.

In this type of society, the model is not designed on the basis of “reality”, instead “reality” is based on the model itself. Hence, society today is often intermingled in the productions of these false realities. People shop to shape their identities and leads to excess consumption which is endless and never fulfilling.

Figure 8: Escalator as shopping devices (Source: Author) 1

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Birol G (2005), The interpretation of the modern urban pattern in contemporary shopping malls

Introduction

Excess The notion of excess is always considered as waste as a process post-consumption.

We often consider it to be someone else’s job. This is due to the mindset of our buy and discard culture that often the objects we buy are trashed within a short period of time. But a lot of these waste can be used again as ‘resources’ but they are considered as a part under centralized authority. Individual participation and management of self-consumed of everyday objects has to be the way forward. Decentralized ways of participation in a bottom’s up approach would create awareness in the current condition.

Conclusion

Figure 9: Still of a landfill (Source: Conserve energy future )

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Tracing production consumption and excess

bazaar

agrarian societies productive tasks at a household level, self provisioning, based on skilled artisans, crafts barter system, surplus of self-provisioning

marketplace as civic center

BC 1700s

agora

consumerism, need based society changed to a want based material society

arcades

rise of bourgeoisie

Pre- industrial society 26

Introduction

factory

rise of suburbia

industrial society mechanisation, steam power, handloom

lead to department stores where act of buying all goods at a single place consumption of luxury goods

1800s 1900s

department stores

increase in production assembly line, mass standardisation of production, fordist model techno capitalism industrial revolution 2.0

Industrial society A retail for post-consumption

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landďŹ lls the effect of these vanities is a creation of man made hazardous landscape

shopping malls

identity loss in a post modern world everything you buy is a sign, A visual image of acts as a stand in concept for something demarcates and isolates the shopping area from the urban environment visually, physically and socially simulated society

landďŹ lls Hyper mediated society

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Introduction

so, what are these mechanisms, places and syntax that lead us to consume mindlessly and induces passivity in humans?

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post-fordist society?

Figure 10: Tracing production, consumption and excess.(Source: author)

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What is against this Primary cycle of production?

1. The Ultimate purpose of an economy is to produce more consumer goods.

The over-production in a decentralized setting where the production process is separated from the consumption process where the virgin resources, chemicals, energy, water are used which end up as trash in half a year.

2. This leads to excess which means people have extravagant processes and more vanities then required? So now what to do about these second hand goods or excess goods?

3. Planned Obsolescence is designing for dump, companies are producing stuff to make it useless as quickly as possible and perceived obsolescence by constantly changing the appearance of products to convince users to dump their existing products and buy newer versions.

4. We have been very concerned about diversity shrinking due to mass production, modernization, and homogenization of local cultures, the popularity of churning global fashions, and other factors.

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Introduction

Conclusion 1. The marketplace started with production and consumption at same places on a smaller scale, barter system trading of excess production. The buyer and seller portrayed the most ordinary instance of everyday theater in the city1 (Richard Sennett), weaving the buyer and the seller socially.

2. Consumerism movement of 1700s changed it to consumerism, need to want, greed to consume more. In 1850s, the shift from a market economy to a consumer culture based on intensified commodity circulation became apparent in the first mass consumption environment where enormous number of goods were presented in a single location radically changing the city’s commercial landscape.

3. Architecture facilitating the consumption in typologies of fast production of goods of departmental stores which has led to excess. The fixed prices of these departmental stores altered the social and psychological relations of the marketplace. This made the buyer a spectator, an isolated individual making passivity into a norm.

4. The landscape of production and consumption in the current urban geographies is dominated by segregation, most of our public spaces have become commercialized spaces dedicated to consumption; meanwhile, spaces of production are tucked away in the folds of the urban fabric, in industrial estates or in far away countries. A culture of fast consumption of goods and trashing them is induced in the society.

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Richard Sennett

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Figure 11: Street as everyday theatre (Source: Wikipedia)

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consumerist mechanism leading to excess 2.1 Understanding consumption

the

human

behavior

in

2.2 Lexicon of an epitome of a consumerist typologyShopping mall

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Why do people shop? What makes you consume endlessly? (acquisition of commodities through direct commodification)1

• Gratification when you shop.

• Accumulation of objects of what you own.

• Brands are signs and symbols defining who you are.

• Commodities define lifestyles and production of culture.

• Shopping stimulates nebulous desire and encourages specific purchases.

• It is perceived as a partially false need • It causes simultaneous stimulation and sedation.

• ‘The Gruen Transfer’ effect shows when a destination buyer who has a specific purchase in mind is transformed into an impulse shopper who consumes mindlessly.

• Contrived packaging makes the consumer seduced.

1 Literature review from ‘The world in shopping mall’, Margaret Crawford.

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

Shopping was dependent on socialization, congregation, communication in an urban space. The shopping activity is transformed from an act of purchasing with the intention to fulfill needs Shopping malls are detached from their environments and contexts, and are thus closed in on themselves. These structures host a contemporary public space within their boundaries that has been designed as indoor urban space. They demarcate and isolate the shopping space from urban environment visually, physically and socially. It is an escape from the chaotic, banal everyday life.

How these simulated environments impacts the act of shopping. The loud messages that are bombarded on consumers which are illustrated by studying the syntax of a shopping mall and how it makes you consume mindlessly and generates excess in a ‘buy and discard society’.

Figure 12: Syntax of a shopping mall (Source: Author)

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

Dramatic atriums (central voids) as huge spaces for contemplation

The central space has a field view of the whole volume at once, which generates wants one after the other. These visual messages constantly makes you want to consume more objects.

Figure 13: Central Voids in a shopping mall (Source: Author)

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

Billboards (vertical surfaces) as messages

The vertical messages .

hoardings

are

bombarded

with

The array of shops displays agendas of multiple products selling identities.

The horizontal floor are also used for displaying messages which makes the entire envelope mediatized with information.

Figure 14: Billboards as messages (Source: Author)

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

Fountains and benches carefully positioned to entice shoppers into stores

Benches and seatings planned in a way which seduces the user to consume more.

Figure 15: Strategizing seatings in malls (Source: Author)

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

Escalators and movement strategies placed at the end of corridors

The circulation in a mall is planned in a way where a consumer has to pass through all the shops for changing levels.

The routes creates are passive acceptance of the gestures of movement the mall hints.

Figure 16: Movement strategies in malls (Source: Author)

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

Order of these spaces as standardised organisation along endless aisles

The order creates a efficient, banal and repetitive interior space which facilitates fast consumption.

Numbingly repeating stacks of racks for constant and rapid turnover of goods and creating constant desires to buy.

Figure 17: Interior spatial organisation in malls(Source: Author)

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

an inverted space exaggerating the difference between the exteriors

Mediatized facade which is disintegrated from the interiors

Limited entry controls the flow of consumers to loiter the whole space enticing shopping.

Stark boundary away from the activities of the banal everyday life into a world of simulations which is driven by mindless consumption.

Figure 18: Mall exteriors (Source: Author)

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

Central space as event space

This becomes a focal point to facilitate indirect commodification making the mall as a whole package

The mall central space in absence of sound from outside creates these events where artificial and visual effects are complemented by ‘white noise’ creating a Simulated environment

Figure 19: Central event space (Source: Author)

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

Curated lighting and reflective surfaces bring near and far together

Curated lighting and reflective surfaces create a pseudo reality where focus is being guided on.

Figure 20: Curated lighting enticing shoppers (Source: Author)

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Figure 21: Lexicon of a shopping mall (Source: Author)

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Consumerism mechanism leading to excess

the indicators of the resulting ‘weightless realm’ receives substance only through the commodities it contains where ‘passivity’ and ‘endless consumption’ drives the space. So, what happens to this excess consumption?

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end of first life of objects 3.1 Landscape of everyday objects in a Mall 3.2 Life of objects – Conventional trajectory 3.3 Post-consumption considered as Solid waste 3.3.1 Understanding the existing formal excess network in Mumbai 3.3.2 Understanding the existing informal excess network in Mumbai 3.4 The agents of the existing repurpose network 3.5 So, what? (concerns of the existing excess cycle)

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Figure 22: Landscape of everyday objects (Source: Author)

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End of first life of objects

shirts

vessel

mobile

shoes

tees

tiffin box

laptop

slip on

top

pen

earphones

flip flops

dress

household objects

desktop

sandal

pants

mobile covers

microwave

slippers

jeans

water bottle

toaster

footwear

fashion

bookshelf

charger

boots

apparel

stools

refrigerator

loafers

shorts

art pieces

iron

sneakers

jackets

clocks

television

espadrilles

masks

lighting

electronics

running shoes

rugs

coffee table

disk player

stiletto

undergarments

watch

printer

bags

comb

keyboard

Considering the landscape of everyday objects that we consume, what happens to the post consumption life of these objects in the current scenario of Mumbai?

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The process starts with the extraction of materials for the manufacturing process

The raw materials are then processed to finished goods in a privately owned factory

Then the retail acts a point of contact for consumers to buy the product.

The actual consumption that takes place at individual houses

Then they get discarded and get labelled as waste

Figure 23: Linear cycle of production(Source: Author)

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End of first life of objects

this chapter enquires about the after life of the tangible goods and objects that we consume in a ‘buy and discard’ culture, in an urban setting of mumbai, what are the agents involved and what places do they go through?

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Solid waste management as a meta subject Waste management is defined as the activities and the actions that are required to handle garbage from its inception to its final disposal. The process includes collection, transport, treatment and disposition, together with monitoring and regulating its flow.

Average Generation of Waste by a Citizen of Mumbai depends on the socioeconomic conditions to which the person belongs. For example, a rich family will generate nearly four to five kg of mixed waste per day; a middle-class family will generate between one to three kg of mixed waste per day and a poor family, in slums, will generate close to 500 grams per day.

Figure 24: Still from a dumpyard in Mumbai(Source: Scroll.in)

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End of first life of objects

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Coporation (BMC), Mumbai produces 7,500 metric tonnes waste per day or 27.37 lakh metric tonnes in a year, a third of the total waste generated in Maharashtra.

Deonar dumping ground, the report said, receives approximately 34% of the trash, while Kanjurmarg and Mulund get 32% and 34%. Mulund and Deonar have nearly exhausted their capacity.

The solid waste management department of the civic body has achieved 95% of its door-to-door collection target. It has scored 53% in segregation of solid waste, 35% in recovering waste, and 32% in scientific disposal at landfills. Apart from the organic waste, the report said, the city generates organic dry — wood and cloth (3%), sand, stone and fine earth (17%), and recyclable material, paper plus metal (4%).

The term ‘waste’ is considered to be part of certain end process, we must question the role of humans and find alternate ways to these centralised processes. Further illustrating the process, places and agents through which the waste passes through in Mumbai.

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Understanding the existing formal excess network in Mumbai

Once the objects are disposed, collection at household level where the waste is segregated as dry waste and wet waste

Then they are collected at building level

Collection points are provided at a neighbourhood level where the BMC trucks collects the waste.

The collected waste is then transferred to transfer stations at Mahalaxmi ,Kurla and Versova, where are some recovery processes of the materials that can be recycled.

And the rest are then taken to dumpyards and landfills at Deonar, Kanjurmarg, and Mulund.

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End of first life of objects

Figure 25: Formal excess network in Mumbai (Source: Author)

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Understanding the existing informal excess network in Mumbai

Now, after understanding the role of the formal sector in waste management, the role of the informal workers provide a huge contribution to managing waste in Mumbai.

at household level, there are door to door collectors

at a neighborhood level, there are street waste pickers who collects from municipal bins

Then there are dumpsite waste pickers who collect waste at landfills and transfer stations.

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End of first life of objects

Figure 26: Informal excess network in Mumbai (Source: Author)

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Understanding the existing repurpose network in Mumbai

First, the process starts with the waste generators that includes households that tend to accumulate ‘dry’ waste.

A basket of mixed dry waste contains paper, plastic, metal and glass.

The second group of players are the waste pickers (kachrawalas). These waste pickers walk through the places and collect waste that they know to be of recyclable quality.

Kachrawalas are famed for their ability to expertly pick high grade waste from tons of mixed waste. Within the informal system

Then sell their collection to the third group of players, small scrap dealers buyers ( kabadiwalas) The waste goes through a preliminary sorting process where waste is separated into piles based on type (plastic, metal, cardboard, e-waste).

The fourth group of players, industry processors, buy waste wholesale from the small scrap dealers. At this step of the process, the waste goes through both more rigorous sorting.

The processed waste is then sold to recyclers in Dharavi, Sakinaka based on materials who convert the processed waste back into raw materials suitable for production of new products. Finally, in the last step, the recycled material is sold to manufacturers who create finished products.

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End of first life of objects

Figure 27: Existing repurpose network in Mumbai (Source: Author)

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Figure 28: Network of excess management in Mumbai (Source: Author)

Formal cycle Informal agents

Repurpose network

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End of first life of objects

after understanding the postconsumption life and excess management, 1. what if we imagined a network of alternate systems, be a part of more informed consumers cycle to provide second life to these excess objects generated through excess consumption?

2. how can architecture attempt to address this issue by demonstrating consumers and make them actors of the repurpose movement?

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what if? (solutions for second life) 4.1 Life of objects – alternate solutions 4.2 alternate solutions 4.2.1 household objects 4.2.2 fashion 4.2.3 electronics

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What if the objects were categorized into three heads of household plastic objects, fashion and electronics. Smaller demonstrations of these processes done in the society nationally and globally are taken as base work of devising an architectural solution. These includes re-purposing strategies such as recycling and up-cycling for a more circular approach.

instead of ending up in a landfill or an ocean and staying for 1000 years or considering it unprivileged, what if we could use our discarded household plastic objects to repurpose into products by giving a second life to them?

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Figure 29: Landscape of plastic household objects (Source: Author)

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Instead of ending up in a landfill or an ocean and staying for 1000 years, what if we could use our discarded household plastic objects to recycle into newer products giving a second life to them?

Figure 30: Recycling of plastic from precious plastic (Source: Author)

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Figure 31: Recycling of plastic- collection and sorting (Source: Author)

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Figure 32: Recycling of plastic- shredding (Source: Author)

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Figure 33: Recycling of plastic- workspace (Source: Author)

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Figure Elements of workspace (Source: Author) What if?34:(Solutions for second life)

Post consumption- Plastic objects

first life cycle

extraction

production

consumption Second life cycle

post- consumption

collection

in-store collector

sorting bag storage shelf table

cart collector

sorting

sorter

sorting bag large scale trolley

circularity

shredding

shredder

shredder trolley workbench

cycle shredder

co-create

craftsman

injection mould ventilation caddy trolley

machine operator

consume

Process

post processing bench

seller

Agents

Elements

Figure 35: Second life cycle of plastic (Source: Author)

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fashion and apparel doodalage

instead of ending up in a landfill or an ocean and staying for 1000 years or considering it unprivileged, what if we could use our discarded fashion to upcycle into products by giving a second life to them?

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Figure 36: Landscape of fashion objects (Source: Author)

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Figure 37: Upcycling of clothes (Source: Author)

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Figure Elements of workspace (Source: Author) What if?38:(Solutions for second life)

Post consumption- Fashion

first life cycle

Fabric creation

production

consumption Second life cycle

post- consumption

collection

in-store collector

sorting bag storage shelf table

cart collector

sorting

sorter

sorting bag large scale trolley

patching

designer

table trolley workbench

cutter

sewing

craftsman

sewing machine trolley post processing bench

sewist

consume

Process

seller

Agents

Elements

Figure 39: Second life cycle of clothes (Source: Author)

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electronics karma recycling

instead of ending up either sitting in drawers, being wasted, or ending up in landfills , what if we could use our discarded electronics to refurbish, recycled into products by giving a second life to them?

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Figure 40: Landscape of electronic objects (Source: Author)

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Figure 41: Recycling of electronics (Source: Author)

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Post consumption- Electronics

first life cycle

extraction

production

consumption Second life cycle

post- consumption

collection

in-store collector

sorting bag storage shelf table

cart collector

sorting

sorter

sorting bag large scale trolley

refurbishing

designer

table trolley workbench

mechanic

craftsman

recycle

trolley post processing bench

consume

Process

seller

Agents

Elements

Figure 42: Second life cycle of plastic (Source: Author)

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

after understanding these alternate systems and solutions, which setting would be an appropriate place to demonstrate this network of static and mobile systems, formed be a part of more conscious (re)consumption?

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Manual of proposed system

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What if? (Solutions for second life)

Figure 43: Pamphlet of the recycling process (Source: Author)

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experimenting in a retail setting 5.1 Site options 5.1.1 Site selection table 5.2 Mapping Irla 5.2.1 Context mapping 5.2.2 Figure and Ground mapping 5.2.3 Land use mapping 5.2.4 Amenities mapping 5.2.5 Connectivity mapping 5.2.6 Building heights mapping 5.3 Irla Market, street of consumption 5.3.1 Street-consumption patterns 5.3.2 Prime Mall

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It is a place which is intended to be a place in where transactions takes place in a neighbourhood, but failed due to not being able to compete with the large scale spectacles in the vicinity.

Another reason why these have failed as due to the economic inflation of rents along with low maintenance, poor management and the disability to not match the major brand. The current use of these malls are makeshift spaces for educational institutions, commercial offices.

These malls located in the map of Mumbai are in the transit corridor of Northsouth. There is a vast potential in these grey fields where these provide an architectural critique to the consumerist culture through use of these spaces and programmes.

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Figure 44: Location of Shopping Malls in Mumbai (Source: Author)

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Prime mall, Irla Location Year of completion Plot area Ground cover No of floors

2008 4,200 sq.m 2,412 sq.m G+3 floors, double basement (lower basement for parking)

Context

Residences, Retail Street, Educational Institutes, Medical Institutes

Connectivity

Adjacent to S.V Road, Close to Vile Parle Station

Ownership Condition

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Irla, Vile Parle (West)

Ownership Structural alternations possible, retaining existing grid possible

Experimenting in a retail setting

Mega Mall, Oshiwara

Citi Mall, Andheri

Oshiwara, Goregaon(West)

Andheri (West)

2009

2009

12,00 sq.m

6,000 sq.m

5,500 sq.m

2,400 sq.m

G+4 floors, double basement (both basement for parking)

G+4 floors, double basement (both basement for parking)

Residences, Slums, River

Residences,Slums River,

Adjacent to Link Road, Oshiwara Metro Station(proposed)

Opposite Link Road Close to Metro station (proposed)

Dudhwala Builders

Ownership

Structural alternations possible, retaining existing grid possible

Structural alternations possible, retaining existing grid possible

Table 1: Site criteria for selection(Source: Author)

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Prime mall, Vile Parle

Figure 45: Location of Prime mall in Mumbai (Source: Author)

Prime mall is a shopping mall in the Alpha Market area in Vile Parle West which is one of the oldest market areas. The monopoly of the retail market is dominated by chain of retailers called Alpha. The area is filled with a lot of subsidiary shops and informal market, which deals with retail of clothes, electronics and shoes.

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Figure 46: Aerial view of Irla market (Source: Author)

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understanding the context of prime mall, irla

prem nagar metro station

irla market road cooper hospital

d.j sanghvi college

prime mall

gulmohar road

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Experimenting in a retail setting

s.v road

parle factory

10 0

20

50

Figure 47: Context mapping of Irla, Vile Parle (Source: Author)

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ďŹ gure and ground mapping

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Experimenting in a retail setting

10 0

20

50

Figure 48: Figure and ground mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author)

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land use mapping

legend Residential Health Education Public utilities Open spaces Commercial Industrial Under utilized area Transport

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10 0

20

50

Figure 49: Land use mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author)

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amenities mapping

legend Temples Churchs Hospitals Colleges OfďŹ ces Malls Factories Hotels Fire station Petrol pump

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Experimenting in a retail setting

10 0

20

50

Figure 50: Amenities mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author)

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conectivity mapping

prem nagar metro station

irla road gulmohar road prime mall

proposed metro line yellow Line (lines 2a, 2b)

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Experimenting in a retail setting

towards andheri station

s.v road

yover vile parle east

towards vile parle station 10

0

20

50

Figure 51: Connectivity mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author)

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building heights mapping

legend G G+1 G+2 G+3 G+4 - G+7 G+8 - G+10 G+11 - G+14 > G+15

116

Experimenting in a retail setting

10 0

20

50

Figure 52: Building heights mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author)

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5.3 irla market, street of consumption

prime mall 118

Experimenting in a retail setting

Figure 53: Street mapping of Irla market(Source: Author)

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Figure 54: Fabric of Irla market(Source: Author)

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Prime Mall Prime mall is a shopping mall inserted in the market context of Irla road. The typology didn’t work in the context and now most of the mall is unused. The architecture of the mall has a central atrium. It is kept away from the informalities of the vibrant street and does not respond to the context.

Central atrium redundant

which

is

totally

Core connecting the mall vertically

Array of shops with narrow corridors which are mostly unused

The boundaries of the mall lacks porosity

Entrance to the mall through a single limited entry from the streetside.

Figure 55: Existing layout of Prime mall ,Irla(Source: Author)

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Figure 56: Interior view of Prime mall(Source: Robert’s photoblog

Figure 57: Exterior View of Prime mall (Source: Author)

Figure 58: View of Prime mall basement (Source: Author)

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Figure 59: Interior view of Prime mall(Source: Author)

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Figure 60: Interior view of atrium in Prime mall(Source: Author)

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Figure 61: Exterior facade view of Prime mall(Source: Author)

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Experimenting in a retail setting

after understanding the site, 1. how do we experiment in a space of retail incorporated at the epitome of consumption and what are these additional components required to reprogramme a place for retail?

2. what are the roleplay(s) of a consumer in the reprogramming of the mall as a place to manage the excess back into the cycle as a primary product?

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now, what? (a retail for post consumption) 6.1 Case studies 6.1.1 I AM Recycled / PKMN Architectures 6.1.2 Maker store / Amsterdam 6.2 Aim, objectives and scope-limitations 6.3 Curating a design programme 6.4 Way forward

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I AM Recycled, Arrasatte, Spain Architects: PKMN Architectures Year: 2014 Area: 2,568 square meters Program: Recycling center, reuse workshop and second hand products sale I AM Recycled outlines the importance to preserve the identity of the original reinforced concrete structure as well as its industrial preexistences. A series of lowcost strategies are developed as a way to make it possible that a new activity can be established, accompanied by the appearance of a new contemporary identity for the building.

Figure 62: Plan of I AM Recycled (Source: Archdaily

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Figure 63: Model view of the refurbished building(Source: Archdaily)

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Figure 64: Section of I AM Recycled (Source: Archdaily)

Figure 65: Interior view of I AM Recycled (Source: Archdaily)

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Inferences The project refurbishes the existing building functioning, making recycled objects for sale become protagonists. The building houses a Recycling center, reuse workshop and second hand products sale which bridges the gap between a conventional retail space and a material recovery center. A space for exchange of the discarded in the neighbourhood.

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Makers Shop , Amsterdam, Netherlands Architects: HOP, Habitats of people Year: 2017 Size: 270 m2 Program: Retail, creative workspaces, 3D printing, laser engraving

Figure 66: Maker store isometric view(Source: Habitats of people)

HOP designed the new layout for the Maker Store in the Hallen of Amsterdam. The cash register now plays a central role, improving way-finding within the store. The main area for product displays is found in the back and the ‘maker functions’ such as laser engraving, 3D printing and digital embroidery are placed along the facade of the main street inside the Hallen. HOP also designed the interior of the products area forming large pegboards on which products can be displayed in various ways. Due to the need for flexibility as local products are ever-changing this created an ideal way to transform the placement of products while maintaining a coherent appearance throughout the store.

Figure 67: Store pegsticks(Source: HOP)

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Figure 68: Maker store plan(Source: Habitats of people)

Inferences The project is an example of space flexibility with aprreciation to the crafts culture as a part of post-fordist model of production. Such spaces engages with the making of things rather then just consuming it.

Figure 69: Maker store sketch(Source: Habitats of people)

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The project challenges to reverse the conventional notion of retail in a hyper-mediated urban setting which induces passivity in the consumers, by using the postconsumption objects in our ‘buy and discard’ society, oscillating roles of a consumer to provide radical solutions to curb and challenge the state of our society towards ‘circularity’ 136

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Figure 70: Three lessons in architecture: The Machines(Source: Studio Libeskind)

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Objectives

‘Emancipation’ against the dominant modes of production by providing radical solutions through alternate modes. They repurpose the objects back into the primary cycle by means of recycling and upcycling techniques.

‘Incentivizing’ the consumers by for seduction for making secondary retail of post- consumption a part of everyday transactions making labour productivity and self used objects are store points.

‘Shifting roleplay’ of consumers’ participation where they shift roles from a cycling collector to a operator to break away from the passivity that the current consumption cycle works on.

‘Engaging actively’ in productive labour activities as means to produce energy for creating objects. It creates a sense of belonging and experiences efforts that go through making a single object.

‘Transparent mechanism’ of the activities as part of participation in the process rather than the product, where a consumer is actively engaged in activities where he is co-creating, crafting objects for selfconsumption from discards.

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Figure 71: I AM Recycled, PKMN Architectures(Source: Archdaily)

Scope and limitations

The scope of the project includes everyday objects which are categorized under the specified categories of retail. The tools and techniques are examples of what have been done by experts from other disciplines and are used as an experiment to strengthen the architectural intent of the project.

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Design strategies

‘Amusement’ as a heightenedspectacularisation of the mall which seduces the consumers in hyper real scenario, where the want to repurpose objects is directly connected to the act of pleasure and gratification.

Figure 72: Fun Palace, Cedric Price (Source: beyzademirblog.wordpress. com)

‘Labour Mechanism’ as a cocreator of everyday objects where work and craft in a post fordist setting, becomes a process of participation in the making rather than just mindlessly consuming.

Figure 73: The Orphanage for lost adventures (Source: Jeroen Van Kesteren

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Now what? (A retail for post consumption)

‘Deconstructing’ the syntax of mall to break the embedded passivity of a stereotypical centrally placed atrium, by creating spaces which would question the anthropocentric view of the world towards an objective view.

Figure 74: Libeskind’s machines(Source: Studio Libeskind)

‘Plug-in’ as not as static object in the fabric but an active response to the informal activities of the context. So, the place for retail is never singular but has multiple identities.

Figure 75: The Walking city (Source: Archigram)

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Objects

Repurpose method

Programmes

in the second life cycle

Collection space Sorting areas Household objects

recycle

Shredding space Co-creating spaces

Collection space Fashion

recycle

Resource storage areas

upcycle

Recycling spaces

Upcycling workshops

Electronics

refurbish

Collection space

recycle

Resource storage areas

Recycling spaces

Productive workshop

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Agents for role play

Strategies

Objectives

Emancipation Ragpicker

Shredder

Amusement

Labourer Labour

Programmatic

Incentivizing

Shifting roleplay

Engaging actively

Transparent mechanism

Collector Flexibility

Deconstruction

Segregator

Spatial

Craftsmen

Plug-in

Ephemerality

Context responsive

Porosity Designer

Cart collector

towards circularity Table 2: Programme matrix(Source: Author)

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Narrative for ‘Retail for post consumption’

The project further would strategize the larger design intents of amusement (to seduce consumers) and labour (for productive relations) into working of a post-consumer retail by using spatial strategies of deconstruction (to break the syntax of a mall) and plug-in (as a part of a mobile cycle) to demonstrate a place where excesses are curbed back into the cycle making it a dominant way further.

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Figure 76: Way forward (Source: Author)

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list of figures Figure 77

Figure 1: Manufactured landscapes (Source: Edward Burtynsky/Flowers London) Figure 2: Deforestation to production line.(Source: author) Figure 3: Bazaars as civic centers.(Source: School of life) Figure 4: Chain of consumerism.(Source: School of life) Figure 5: Market of monopoly.(Source: Monopoly game) Figure 6: Capitalist machine.(Source: School of life) Figure 7: Simulated society(Source:Johanna Walderdorff for NBC News) Figure 8: Escalator as shopping devices (Source: Author) Figure 9: Still of a landfill (Source: Conserve energy future ) Figure 10: Tracing production, consumption and excess.(Source: author) Figure 11: Street as everyday theatre (Source: Wikipedia) Figure 12: Syntax of a shopping mall (Source: Author) Figure 13: Central Voids in a shopping mall (Source: Author) Figure 14: Billboards as messages (Source: Author) Figure 15: Strategizing seatings in malls (Source: Author) Figure 16: Movement strategies in malls (Source: Author) Figure 17: Interior spatial organisation in malls(Source: Author) Figure 18: Mall exteriors (Source: Author) Figure 19: Central event space (Source: Author) Figure 20: Curated lighting enticing shoppers (Source: Author) Figure 21: Lexicon of a shopping mall (Source: Author) Figure 22: Landscape of everyday objects (Source: Author) Figure 23: Linear cycle of production(Source: Author) Figure 24: Still from a dumpyard in Mumbai(Source: Scroll.in) Figure 25: Formal excess network in Mumbai (Source: Author) Figure 26: Informal excess network in Mumbai (Source: Author) Figure 27: Existing repurpose network in Mumbai (Source: Author) Figure 28: Network of excess management in Mumbai (Source: Author) Figure 29: Landscape of plastic household objects (Source: Author) Figure 30: Recycling of plastic from precious plastic (Source: Author) Figure 31: Recycling of plastic- collection and sorting (Source: Author) Figure 32: Recycling of plastic- shredding (Source: Author) Figure 33: Recycling of plastic- workspace (Source: Author) Figure 34: Elements of workspace (Source: Author) Figure 35: Second life cycle of plastic (Source: Author) Figure 36: Landscape of fashion objects (Source: Author) Figure 37: Upcycling of clothes (Source: Author) Figure 38: Elements of workspace (Source: Author) Figure 39: Second life cycle of clothes (Source: Author) Figure 40: Landscape of electronic objects (Source: Author) Figure 41: Recycling of electronics (Source: Author) Figure 42: Second life cycle of plastic (Source: Author)

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Figure 43: Pamphlet of the recycling process (Source: Author) Figure 44: Location of Shopping Malls in Mumbai (Source: Author) Figure 45: Location of Prime mall in Mumbai

(Source: Author)

Figure 46: Aerial view of Irla market (Source: Author) Figure 47: Context mapping of Irla, Vile Parle (Source: Author) Figure 48: Figure and ground mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author) Figure 49: Land use mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author) Figure 50: Amenities mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author) Figure 51: Connectivity mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author) Figure 52: Building heights mapping of Irla, Vile Parle(Source: Author) Figure 53: Street mapping of Irla market(Source: Author) Figure 54: Fabric of Irla market(Source: Author) Figure 55: Existing layout of Prime mall ,Irla(Source: Author) Figure 56: Interior view of Prime mall(Source: Robert’s photoblog Figure 57: Exterior View of Prime mall (Source: Author) Figure 58: View of Prime mall basement (Source: Author) Figure 59: Interior view of Prime mall(Source: Author) Figure 60: Interior view of atrium in Prime mall(Source: Author) Figure 61: Exterior facade view of Prime mall(Source: Author) Figure 62: Plan of I AM Recycled (Source: Archdaily Figure 63: Model view of the refurbished building(Source: Archdaily) Figure 64: Section of I AM Recycled (Source: Archdaily) Figure 65: Interior view of I AM Recycled (Source: Archdaily) Figure 66: Maker store isometric view(Source: Habitats of people) Figure 67: Store pegsticks(Source: HOP) Figure 68: Maker store plan(Source: Habitats of people) Figure 69: Maker store sketch(Source: Habitats of people) Figure 70: Three lessons in architecture: The Machines(Source: Studio Libeskind) Figure 71: I AM Recycled, PKMN Architectures(Source: Archdaily) Figure 72: Fun Palace, Cedric Price (Source: beyzademirblog.wordpress.com) Figure 73: The Orphanage for lost adventures (Source: Jeroen Van Kesteren Figure 74: Libeskind’s machines(Source: Studio Libeskind) Figure 75: The Walking city (Source: Archigram) Figure 76: Way forward (Source: Author)

list of tables Table 1: Site criteria for selection (Source: Author) Table 2: Programme matrix(Source: Author)

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bibliography Works cited Baba, E. C. (2017). The evolution of shopping centers: The reconstruction of the city center in the shopping mall as imitatiton/ simulation. Proceedings of INTCESS 2017 4th International Conference on Education and Social Sciences.

Baudrillard, J. (1996). The system of objects. Verso.

Crawford, M. (n.d.). The world in a shopping mall.

Debord, G. (2014). Society of the spectacle. Bureau of Public secrets.

OMA. (2001). Project on the City II: The Harvard Guide to Shopping. Taschen.

Peter W. Hjemdahl, S. B. (2018). To What Extent Would Operational Restructuring Through Connecting Market Participants Streamline the Informal Recycling Industry in Urban India?

Silpa Kaza, L. Y.-T. (2018). What a waste 2.0 A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste.

Veronesi, M. (2016). Mumbai’s urban metabolism and the role of waste management through informality.

Young, L. (2019). Machine Landscapes: Architectures of the Post- Anthropocene.

Architectural Design.

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Thesis projects Chintan Gala, An urban flux Vinit Dharia, Building up a schizoid performance Devendra Duggad, Building place capital Karan Malkan, Quest for contemporary Indian identity Alicja Szczesniak, Garba(r)ge

Systems of alternate consumption Precious Plastic Doodlage, upcycled fashion Karma Recycling, NGO based in Delhi

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Aum Nirupa Nilesh Gohil | Academy of Architecture 152