Wetness behind the sc/een | Re-wetting the ORAN Academic | Spring 2018 Tilwara, Thar Desert, Rajasthan. Instructor: Anuradha Mathur
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ndia, a country rapidly moving toward contemporary aspiration of urban livelihood. Looking down upon their thousand years old traditions, which are considered as signs of backwardness, where as some of these practices are well complied with contemporary world. This project tries to extract one of these neglected and unknown practices in the desert of Rajasthan, called “Oran” –a system of settling around a multipurpose forest and maintaining it through generations. The method of extraction tried to break the dichotomy of traditional representation of looking at a dessert but opened the conversation and revealed the project when looked at it as imprints of wetness. The design project revolves around three key points An enhancement of traditional Diverse ecological system as a performative Landscape that can be used as examples in different parts of the world Introduction to Public sanitation (toilets) The project is unique in its exploration method. It engages the unknown terrain of wetness, a productive Landscape, which can shed light on many ways, landscape as profession can work in future.
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he primary exercise of the studio was to counter the tradition reading of Rajasthan, with a “slowness and distancing of the analog� with imprints and montages. Much of this imprint, however, lies behind the scene. In this case the imprints were the practices of staining. Staining as a lens of re-enacting embodiment of wetness in the landscape. The revelation of Oran started with a method of exploration through staining, by looking for imprints of wetness from satellite images. These stains helped to identify marks of vegetation thresholds, fences, clustering of plants in windward side of hills, accumulation of wetness through water tanks and water holes. The stains started to recognize a certain pattern of vegetation clustering and accumulation of humidity, which led to the re-discovery of the Oran. Understanding Oran was the integral in the earlier stages, which showed how a traditional forestation, not designed by any professional can become a sustainable practice for surrounding communities and as well as ecologies to grow. xacto knife
25% India Ink 75% Water
foam brayer
Pin pen
25% India Ink 75% Water
foam brayer
Regions of interest were identified from satellite images. Regions that were recurrent, throughout the landscape (... although it seemed barren). These regions had elements anticipated as embodiments of wetness in the terrain; which were cut out to make the stencils to make prints on water color paper plates.
Earth Image
Stencils
Imprint (printing + staining)
Wetness traced to the windward side of the hills
Marks of vegetation threshold effervescence
Bundling of plants Coagulations
Waterholes, tanks, etc. Accumulation
Orans from the images
Orans from the texts
An ORAN: Vanaliya Talab Community forests/rangelands, called Orans and Gauchars in the western arid part of India, constitute a significant proportion of the total geographical area of the region. Given the economic importance of these areas from time immemorial, the local people took special care to protect and utilize sustainably these common property resources.
Some of the issues faced by these O -
Land degradation and encroachm Break down of traditional institu Fragile ecosystem Excessive grazing Pastoral based rural economy los Diversion from other uses Modern education marginalizing Lack of governance and land ma
Orans:
ment ution & Disappearing traditional farming
sing its relevance
g traditional knowledge anagement
Site Plan google earth image of Tilwara
Speculative site for the ORAN
Hilshade showing microtopography
Looking through satellite images and visiting in person, a site nearby at the back of a village showed all the opportunities of a Oran being present. But locals have denied of any. Moreover, they said that this area was used as an open toilet, which is a common practice in rural India. But it had all the identifiers similar to other Orans, like old trees and trees of agriculture, water collection of a large catchment area, traces of water hole that can only be created in monsoon season. So, the site had all the possibilities to become a New Biodiverse system representing “Oran”. Through the transect, from the back of the village, through Tilwara, through Luni, to the temple on the other side, there were certain scopes of other programmatic interventions along with the Oran. Such asFormalizing temple event space Working with micro topography of the river “Maidan”. And at the end where there were opportunities of reviving the Oran, and the pastoral expanse.
Schematic design Armature and Programs
Sectional Photo stitches through Tilwara Temple II
Mesquite threshold
Stagnant stream/ relative low point
Current stream path
Temple I
Cattle Node
Agriculture fields & Oran site
Sequential sections through the transect
Panoramic view at key intersections/anchors
Types of Oran These ecologies demand the cultivation of an eye that looks beyond the scene, the imprint to engage, and an itinerary that intersects with the practices of people. The project tried to address these issues by analyzing traditional Orans and looking at potential site for new Oran.
Kakad Bani, Rakht bani & Devbani
Overlap between ‘gochar’ or ‘roondhs’ the common pastures... Sacred woodland around a temple
Every Oran has a water body like Johad, Tank, Spring, Baori , Well etc
Kakad Bani- grove on common geographical boundary of two or more villages
Bishnoi ‘ community and their 29- point led to absolute protection of the flora and fauna of these orans
Rakht bani - belongs to one village
Oran serves four main purposes: vegetation as grazing ground for the livestock; watering place for the livestock; resting places for the livestock; and medicine in ethnobotanical form.
Devbani- refers to a common preserved sections of forests protected in the name of some god or goddess by each of the villages of their own specific faiths Mechanisms within the design of the ORAN include: - Silviculture scheme - Foresting parameters - Grass cycling - Cycling of animal types - Alternate changes of fences
- Addition of built structures - Water hole/ agor-space walls to give it structure and filter debris - Building areas to serve research institutes and temple - Public dry toilet- a programmatic need
Phenology of the Oran
Plant species for sustainable silviculture
Calendar/ Schedule: Grass & Animal Cycling
Reading of the site The Orans visited, consisted of elements like Trees at least few centuries old Location at the end of a village/community Fewer non-native plants like Prosopis Juliforia Water hole, open for cattle Naturally formed swales visible in the terrain to give a sense of its catchment area both an open and closed water tanks called “Tanka� All the above attributes were consistant with the site at the back of Tilwara. The first step into studying the terrain was to identify the ridges of the hills. And further studying the terrain using the mechanism mentioned below helped identify low points which act as zones of rain water accumulation. Which later was designated as regions for the pastural grasses. Also identified were regions which were relatively more wet and a spectrum of wetness in the terrain.
a) The handmade paper is moistened with water
CNC model of the terrain
Existing Fences
b) Then the paper is shaped onto the terrain
c) Ink is dropped at high points on the paper
d) Then sprayed with water to reenact rain
Handmade paper shaped on the terrain
Flow & accumulation of water on the terrain
Tracing Water Flow lines
Water Accumulation
Grass & Fences cycling Apart from built structures and a robust detail of grass cycling and alternate fencing are needed, to contain overgrazing. The grass cycling consists of seed mixes divided into annual a and b, & perennials c and d. Zones of all the seed mixes are fixed. Seed A and C are planted in the first year. As indicated in the diagram (Grass cycling and Fencing). Fenced off at the beginning, Grass A and C begin to grow. After a significant volume is achieved, they are opened for grazing. Throughout the year intermediate and alternately, A and C are fenced off for room for growth. After 1st year, Seed A zone is rested, and seed B and D is planted. Seed mix C being perennials continue to grow and grazed upon. Until B and D reaches a significant volume. Then the region of C is rested and only opened during another fenced regions or drought. This cycle alternates and continues in the coming years. During this time, it is expected that living fences reach an optimum height and volume. Along with grasses animal types are cycled, between cattle, goats and camels.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Schematic diagrams of the grass & fences Year 4
Plans through the lens of wetness Grass cycling
Annual seed mix A & perennial C
Annual seed mix B & perennial D
Annual seed mix A & perennial C second expanse
Annual seed mix B & perennial D second expanse
Fences of seed mix A(closed) & C (open for grazing)
Fences of seed mix A & C (open for grazing) B & D (closed for grazing)
Composite of all fences after five years
Growth of Fences in time
Existing Fences
Foresting parameters Taking cues from the elements observed from the satellite images, like vegetations thriving and more prevalent on the windward side of the hills, foresting parameters were devised. To use this recurring attribute of the region, relative high points and a low points were identified in the microtopography of the site. This revealed regions for trees and regions (lower areas) for grasses. During the monsoon season Tilwara receives winds at an average of 7mph for for approximately 641 hrs/yr, from the SSW. So trees are to be planted at perpendicular to the wind direction, to act as windcatchers. Coupling this with the terrain, and only planting trees on the windward side of the hills, helps in intercepting moisture. Resulting in a sustainable foresting schemes.
Ridges & Relative Low points
Year 1
Year 2
Existing Trees
Composite plans with buildings Year 2
Wind directions and its perpendicular
Year 3
Existing Fences
Year 3
Planting Direction with respect to topography
Year 4
Tracing Water Flow lines
Year 5
Water Accumulation
Year 7
Steward & sustenance Coming to the last part of the five years, task now is to designate a steward which is a necessity for the sustenance of the Oran. Some of these can be- A research institute and which provides of educational seminars on pastural and agriculture practices; secondly a temple as a religious steward. The latter being a permanent “pledged� steward on behalf of the village. Changes in throughout the five years is anticipated diagrammatically and represented through staining. It is imperative to look through the lens of staining since wetness is everywhere, importance of which is more so in the desert landscape. Staining is an attempt to cultivate the eye that looks beyond the scene to engage the ecologies and people. It can be expected that once the integrity builds up, the wisdom and technology will be transferred to another Oran, and later to hundreds of communities those can help enhance the system which is connected, healthy and set an example of sustainability, which is acquired from traditional knowledge.
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100
500 ft
Dry Season
The Agor: Water hole and the Oran
Wet Season