Urban Renovations

URBAN RENOVATIONS Urban strategies to regenerate urban public space Haiya Dalal | UD0917

REBEL BODIES REBEL CITIES Designing sensitive urban devices in contested spaces Case study 1.0 | ‘Bhadra Fort Precincts’ | Ahmedabad (India) Tutors: Victor Cano Ciborro + Mansi Shah | TA: Purvi Tank

L2 STUDIO REBEL BODIES REBEL CITIES Tutors: Victor Cano Ciborro + Mansi Shah

This portfolio is prepared as a part of the L2 Studio, Rebel Bodies Rebel Cities, Bachelor of Urban Design, 2018, CEPT University.

December 2018 All photographs, text and drawings are by the author, unless otherwise mentioned.

BACHELOR OF URBAN DESIGN CEPT UNIVERSITY

STUDIO BRIEF In the contemporary world, Big Data, economic profit, and digital surveillance seem to be the main strategic process that govern political and spatial decisions. But beyond this rational and Machiavellian controls that generate rigid design where the human uncertainty and its deepest feelings are overlooked and ignore, emerge the figure of the REBEL BODIES. Non-compliant individuals and communities who claim their own identities, aesthetics, and patterns of behaviors through radical spatial practices that emerge as counter narratives and counter spatialities, giving shape to the REBEL CITIES. RBRC aims to make visible and re-think these rebellious actions / constructions, usually unrecognized by urban designers, politicians, or architects, following a radical methodology focused in the contested area of Bhadra Fort Precinct (Ahmedabad).

The visualization and communication of such state and recognition as its own field of urban design is the main target of this bodily and sensitive proposal for this Vertical studio.

STUDIO STRUCTURE -01- Narrative Cartographies: In this part, each student study a rebel action/s in the Bhadra fort precinct (one of the most contested areas in Ahmedabad’s walled city) and produce cartographies that reorients or radically deepens understanding of the situations identified.

-02- Performances: Students work individually or in group to make performances in Bhadra Plaza, of the challenges detected in the area. The aim is to feel through their own skin the importance of body as an urban element and main character in spatial production in the public realm.

-03- Design Urban Sensitive Devices: In the last and crucial part, students develop spatial strategy/ device in an urban context that is able of respond to the real needs of individuals or hidden communities which are gathered from previous exercises

*** Victor Ciborro + Mansi Shah

SITE- BHADRA FORT PRECINCT Studio has selected the historic area of Bhadra Fort Precinct in the Core walled City of Ahmedabad, considered one of the complex and contested spaces in the city to visualize the spatial and bodily rebel actions.

The post design intervention in Bhadra has observed spontaneous adaptations and unplanned ramifications.

Given the volatility of Bhadra precinct and its restructuring, the city dwellers displayed defiance from time to time such as the marginalized who claimed and occupied spaces to live in the plaza, vendors who struggled for a formal area to sell and self organized in the space that they considered ‘theirs’. All the regular appearances of struggle against the specific order of designed urban spaces or what is legal suggest its own integral logic that can be said as counter narratives in space, differing largely from what was suggested, anticipated or expected.

In regulating these, the everyday confrontations have further made visible the rebel actions. To grasp the perspectives of both the regulators and “non-conforming” actors, students analyze the mutually constructed nature of space through ‘Narrative Cartographies’ and ‘Performances’. For this purpose, Bhadra precinct is a perfect starting point for de-constructing the different conditions, underlying assumptions, and how and why these rebel actions reproduce in space.

Bhadra Plaza

Teen Darwaza

Jami Masjid

*** Victor Ciborro + Mansi Shah

King’s Tomb

Queen’s Tomb

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NARRATIVE CARTOGRAPHY In this part, the cartographies had to communicate in a graphic way the sensations, needs, or actions of a very specific inhabitant or community in public realm

PART I _ 4 WEEKS -Depicting physical space where the actions were situated showing the context and relations.

-Identifying particular elements (such as edges, trees, benches, tombs, stairs, etc.) related to the rebel action -Visualizing and communicating through drawings the events/ actions/ bodies) in space through cartographic representation.

*** Victor Ciborro + Mansi Shah

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Family occupying for living

Kids playing

Hawkers occupying the entrances of the tomb T1

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Left: Narrative cartography showing current situation inside the Queen’s tomb showing different activities at different time by different user groups T3

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FAMILY USING THE SPACE FOR RESIDENCE

Storage

A family residing in the corner of the Queen’s tomb is using it as their accommodation.

The man works from here by making ‘tajiyas’ and selling them in the market.

Woman cutting vegetables

Man working Cloths hung between the pillar

cad-block.com cad-block.com

-Area occupied: 98 sq mt.

-Living here since 48 years -Family consists of- man, woman and two children (girls) 1. Cloth 2. Bag 3. Bamboo 4. Bucket 5. Storage 6. Glasses 7. Matka 8. Boxes

Children studying

Woman cooking

The images shows the usage of the space for basic activities like sleeping, cooking, bathing, studying, playing etc. The walls are used for storage.

Storage on the walls of the tomb

Buckets and utensils kept between the pillars

CHILDREN USING THE SPACE FOR PLAYING

The kind of games they play depends on the particular area like they play basketball and football beside the graves in the empty space, they run around the tombs, they plan marbles outside because of the texture of the stone pavement and they sit and relax on the stairs.

Children playing inside

-Area covered for playing football: 418 sq. mt.

-Area they use for playing marbles: 52.3 sq. mt.

-Area used for on the stairs and the blocked entrances: 42.5 sq. mt.

The kids are on the stairs of the tomb playing either marbles or on their phones.

Sitting on the stairs

The children using this space for playing. They play inside the tomb, beside the graves, outside on the stairs, on the floor - anywhere they can find a place.

PEOPLE USING THE SPACE FOR SETTING STALLS AND PARKING VEHICLES

A shop is also built exactly in front of the ASI board partially covering it and every corner and stair of the tomb is not accessible.

Encroachments by the shop keepers

Vehicles parked at the entrances

ASI board hidden by the stalls

People set up their temporary shops beside the structural

Pillars of the tomb

Shops blocking the view of the tomb from the

The walls are also used for parking vehicles because of limited space available near the tomb.

Stalls resting on the walls of the tomb

SHOPKEEPERS USING THE SPACE FOR THEIR SHOPS

Clothes hanged for display

The people living in surrounding of the tomb don’t have their personal space for shops so they have set up their own temporary ones at the staircases, on the plinths, alongside the walls, and at the corners of the tomb Cupboards used for storing clothes

Plastic draped over for shade

Area used by this stall: 45 sq. mt.

The people spend most of their time here selling and these spaces are their own as they ‘claim’ it.

Clothes hanged

All the entrances of the tomb have been blocked by these small temporary shops made of bamboos and a small plastic draped over for shade.

Pile of clothes at the periphery of the tomb

Vehicles parked near the stairs blocking the

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PERFORMANCES In this part, students had to feel through their own skin the importance of body as an urban element and main character in spatial production in the public realm

PART II _ 2 WEEKS -Make visible, communicate and feel the contested and layered complexity of Bhadra -Recognize the value of the body as fundamental element in th0e contemporary theories of urban design -Make cartographies of the performance to communicate the output of the event

*** Victor Ciborro + Mansi Shah

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SETTING UP The football court was set up using different materials like pigeon net as the goal post, A string to tie the net with the pillars, red tape for marking the court so that it attracts more people and is visible from a distance and a football that we gave them as a souvenir.

First, the net was tied between the two corners of the tomb with the help of pillars and the children helped us setting up the court.

This activity also attracted many unnecessary attention from the people living there a lot of convincing was required for carrying out this activity in the historical monument.

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DURING THE PLAY It was bewildering to see the reaction of the children towards the play. It wasn’t any different since they already used to play such football matches . But their excitement was because they had never seen a set up done before.

While playing a lot of challenges were faced like the ball going near the graves, as we were creating hindrance for the visitors also.

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WRAP-UP AND HINDRANCES Since it is a sacred place, the caretaker and residents warned us about the ball going towards the graves. A lot of impediment was from a guy who came shouting and breaking everything and asking to wrap-up. It was then the wrap up quickly started. The boys who were playing participated quickly and actively in helping in clearing things out.

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DESIGN INTERVENTION In the last and crucial part, students had to develop spatial strategy/ device in an urban context that is able of respond to the real needs of individuals or hidden communities which they gathered from previous exercises.

PART III _ 8 WEEKS -To be sensitive with the local aesthetics and techniques and use them for their contemporary designs to avoid impose constructions out of context.

-To be able to constructively draw to visually communicate ideas relevant to the scale of their intervention.

*** Victor Ciborro + Mansi Shah

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Family occupying for living

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Stalls on the periphery of the tomb resting on the tomb

4 Left: Existing Plan showing current situation inside the Queen’s tomb showing different activities at different time by different user groups

Storage is kept near the walls and the entrance of the tomb

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EXISTING SECTION

Shops exhibiting clothes

Clothes hung between the pillars Stall covering the ASI board

Plastic besides the grave

Children playing inside the tomb

Family living at the corner of the tomb Storage Vehicles parked

Window of the building too close to the monument

Overhang electric lines

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Strategy 1: Adding continuous plinth to demarcate public and private spaces

Strategy 2: Remodeling of two buildings in pol typology

Strategy 3: Giving the shopkeepers a selling space with a clear demarcation of the boundary

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PROPOSED SECTION

Shops exhibiting clothes Continuous Public Space

Continuous Public Space

Private Space

People using the terraces of the new built building Dilapidated houses re-designed for occupants of the houses removed

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Plan of the new re-designed buildings

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New plinth and new benches added for sitting

Left: Proposed design plan showing different strategies and design interventions catering to the challenges faced by the tomb.

New sitting and green spaces added for people

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CATALOGUE OF OTLA DIMENSIONS AND ACTIVITIES AFFECTED BY IT

private use of houses

Sitting space

Walking purpose, children playing football

Ramps used for old people to get on otlas,

CONCLUSION

Queen’s tomb- a historical monument built in 15th century by Ahmed Shah (who founded Ahmedabad).It has a great cultural importance and heritage value. Currently, it is ASI protected monument at present queen’s tomb sit in space that is occupied by houses and squatters that have encroached on the surrounding. They are also the care takers and guides of the monuments but the monument faces many challenges. Some of them are, as a tourist visibility of the tomb is a big challenge because accessibility is blocked, a lot of shops occupy the walls of the tomb. The walls, pillars, façade, of the tomb are used for storage, clothing.

For my cartography, I focused on different activities carried out by different user groups- family of 4 using the space for residence, children for playing, people for parking vehicles and shopkeepers for setting up their stalls and shops. As we entered through the gate, the tomb stays hidden behind the chaos of venders, vehicles, and people.

As a part of my performance I focused on children who play inside the tomb, on the stairs. Also, the kind of games they play depends on the particular area like they play basketball and football beside the graves in empty space, they run around the tombs, they plan marbles outside because of texture of the stone pavement and they sit and relax on the stairs.

I perceived many challenges which are residents occupying the public space, not enough space for shopkeepers, no clear demarcation of public and private space. The designed project intervenes through small surgical interventions to resolve these challenges related to space. In order to realize the projects the design looks at key strategies: -Clear demarcation of private and public space by adding continuous plinth -Providing housing to the occupants of the tomb in the same vicinity -Carving small areas for play within the new plinth -Accommodating the shops on the periphery of the tomb with an ordered organization and with tangible designed infrastructure so that the monument skin is not damaged.

Therefore the purpose of the design is to build spaces that are lively and vigorous which create moments of interaction of different users making the place healthier

REBEL BODIES REBEL CITIES Designing sensitive urban devices in contested spaces Case study 1.0 | ‘Bhadra Fort Precincts’ | Ahmedabad (India) Tutors: Victor Cano Ciborro + Mansi Shah | TA: Purvi Tank