The Refuge & Resaturation of the Ravivari River Bank by IonaHoggarth

[DANCE]FLOORS & [AQUA]FISSURES T H E R E F U G E & R E S AT U R AT I O N O F T H E R AV I VA R I [ PA R A ] S I T U AT I O N A H M E D A B A D

IONA HOGGARTH

THESIS: [DANCE] FLOORS AND [AQUA]FISSURES; T H E R E F U G E A N D R E - S AT U R AT I O N O F T H E R AV I VA R I

AGENCY: THE KALAKRUTI NI POL; A WOMENS REFUGE A COLLECTIVE PROMOTING THE FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL INDEPENDENCE OF WOMEN RECOVERING FROM DOMESTIC ABUSE THROUGH AN ENTERPRISE OF TEACHING, PRODUCING AND TRADING FINE QUALITY TRADITIONAL TEXTILES.

[ PA R A ] S I T U AT I O N :

T H E S A B A R M AT I R I V E R , A H M E DA B A D, I N D I A THE RAVIVARI BA ZAAR, E AST BANK.

AUTHOR : IONA HOGGARTH THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH 2019-2021

01: INTRODUCTION

02: THESIS CONTEXT; WALL WELLS AND WELL WALLS T H E WA L L E D C I T Y, T H E PA R A S I T U AT I O N S S I T UAT I O N A : O B S E R VAT I O N S O F A T Y [ P O L ] O G Y U R B A N FA B R I C ; C A R V I N G T H E B AG R U B LO C K S I T UAT I O N B : T H E R AV I VA R I B A Z A A R U R B A N FA B R I C : A R E I M A G I N AT I O N O F G R O U N D

03: [DANCE]FLOORS & [AQUA]FISSURES FLOOR AND FOOT T H E P L A N E TA B L E F I S S U R E A N D FAU LT L I N E

04: KALAKRUTI NI POL: THE AGENCY BRIEF T H E C O L L E C T I V E : C L I E N T & S TA K E H O L D E R S

0 5 : T H E R E - S AT U R AT I O N O F T H E R AV I VA R I GUILDED EDGES

P R E FAC E : At the forefront of the drive for independence from

The reclaiming of a valuable 200 hectares of real estate,

the British Empire, Ahmedabad held a uniting vision

20 per cent of which now sit with private developers

of post-industrial India, prospects of a pioneering

and a further 28 taken up with four wide lane roads,

India ruled by Indians. The emphasis on the mother

resulted in the most significant displacement of a

tongue and native customs has gone some way to

population in the city’s history, flooding in 2006

contributing to a cultural surge in the post-industrial

and have lead many to question the integrity, both

city of the western bank, deepening national pride and

ecological and political,of those leading the project.

identity. However, as the AMC’s =Sabarmati river front

The concern is now for how a continued division

development projects demonstrate, assertions of western

of public space will affect the social cohesion and

ideals of modernity endure. Sentiments of a society that

both cultural and physical landscape of Ahmedabad.

recommences its path to modernity along old European routes, prioritising individual industrial prosperity

The thesis aims to test an ecosophic approach to

and commercialising attitudes, have filtered down into

urbanism for contemporary Gujarat, proposing an

the practice of placemaking and the public realm. The

intervention at the Sabarmati river front developed

once shifting and seasonal flow, thriving with a rich

through a methodology of urban design rooted in the

biodiversity and over ten thousand families living on the

Indian cultural, intellectual and urban fabric of Old

Riverbank, is now channelled. The banks capped in an

Ahmedabad.

unyielding 11.5 kilometres of vast baking hot concrete walkways and manicured lawn, emulating year-round navigable basins of the Seine or Thames.

E A S T R I V E R B A N K O F T H E S A B A R M AT I , A H M E DA B A D, G U JA R A AT, I N D I A . 1 9 9 0

T H E D RY R I V E R B E D O F T H E S A B A R M AT I I N D RY S E A S O N 1 9 9 0

CONTENTS

0.1 THESIS INTRODUCTION 0.2 THESIS CONTEXT: THE SITUATIONS 0.3 [DANCE] FLOORS AND [AQUA] FISSURES 0.4 THE BRIEF 0.5 KALKRUTI NI POL 0.6 THE RESATURATION ON THE RAVIVARI; GUILDED EDGES

T H E E A S T R I V E R B A N K O F T H E S A B A R M AT I F O L LO W I N G T H E D E V E LO P M E N T P R O J E C T

INTRODUCTION 01. THE REFUGE OF THE RAVIVARI

The Kalakruti ni Pol houses an agency rooted in the

city

they

represent

the

Western

Bank.

social sustainability and ecosophic spacial qualities instilled within Ahmedabad’s Old City pol vernacular.

The project tests an ecosophic approach to

An architecture of containment, of defence but

urbanism and placemaking; an ode to thresholds,

also community, interdependence, culture and

and a reimagining of ground; it explores the

sanctuary. The Kalaruti ni Pol is a women’s refuge

balance of passage versus enclosure to elevate the

for those suffering domestic abuse,

a hub for

harmony of many independently moving parts to

producing and trading traditional fabric crafts

function as a collective agency; safe and fortified

and education of critical skills that will empower

rather than imprisoned. The design aims to enable

economic independence while keeping alive textile

Ahmedabad’s people to reclaim and re-saturate

traditions under threat of being lost to Gujarat.

the riverbank as a vital part of their cultural and commercial landscape.

Stitching closed the desiccated seam between Ahmedabad’s new and old city walls, Ambdavadis, and the watery artery of their city. The project sits between the Sabarmati and the centuries long-established Ravivari Bazaar. In its prominent purchase on the Eastern bank, the urban speculation represents a new phase of the textile legacy and counterbalancing landmark to the associations of cotton mill owners and the metropolitan

PARA-Situation: {Ahmedabad}; Past, Present, and Possible. Walls Wells & Well Walls.

A H M E DA B A D, G U JA R A AT, I N D I A . 1 5 7 3 A K B A R N A M A B O O K BY A B U ’ L - FA Z L I B N M U B A R A T H E M U G A L C O N Q U E R O F G U J A R AT.

1917, ARTHUR EDWARD MIRAMS. A H M E DA B A D C I T Y A N D S U B U R B S , T H E O N LY L A RG E - S C A L E T E C H N I C A L S U R V E Y D R AW I N G O F A H M E DA B A D ’ S C I T Y WA L L S , WA S P R E PA R E D BY T H E S A M E C O LO N I A L E N G I N E E R W H O C H A M P I O N E D T H E WA L L D E M O L I T I O N F O R N E A R LY A D E C A D E . (

Wall Wells & Well Walls 02. THESIS CONTEXT: THE WALLED CITY

Ahmedabad is the largest city in Guajarat, India

leaving the Dawaja’s standing as monuments.

and situated on the banks of the Sabarmati

In April 1915, Scottish polymath Patrick Geddes

river. Ahmedabad was founded over the ancient

visited Ahmedabad to provide the municipality with

settlement of Ashaval in 1411 by Ahmed Shah

town planning advice. There were plans in motion

I of Gujarat Sultanate. He built the first citadel,

for the demolition of the five-century-old City Walls

Bhadra Fort, starting from Manek Burj, the first

and he was asked to contribute to the discussion.

bastion of the city. The Bhadra Fort had eight gates (Darwaja’s) as entrances to the walled city. When the city expanded, Ahmed Shah built the second fort, Mahmud Begada, which later

“The more this patient study of the walls and their

fortified with twelve gates in 1486. After the arrival

neighbourhoods is continued,the less does the proposed

of railways, the British built two more gates to

demolition maintain itself in any way, whether as a

facilitate the movement. Over time large sections

business proposition, an aesthetic or a sanitary one.” -

of the ancient city walls have been demolished,

Patrick Geddes. Notes on Ahmedabad 1915

A R E M A I N I N G F R A G M E N T O F T H E O L D C I T Y WA L L A N D B H A DA R G AT E , 2 0 1 9

[ PA R A ] S I T U AT I O N S SITE A: JAHANHI NI POL S I T E B : T H E S A B A R M AT I R AV I VA R I B A Z A A R

[ PA R A ] S I T U AT I O N S : THE CITIES WITHIN THE CITY

Ahmedabad Sabarmati

is into

divided two

distinct

the

Situation A; Jathanhi ni Pol

halves.

The Pols are vernacular co housing clusters and

The eastern bank of the river houses the old

self contained sociological units comprised of

city, which includes the central town of Bhadra.

many families, of a particular caste, religion

This part of Ahmedabad is characterised by

or trade. The highly dense unplanned evolved

densely packed bazaars, the pol system of

nature from a natural defence. The word

closely clustered buildings, and numerous

Pol is derived from the Sanskrit word Pratoli

places of worship. The heritage of these Pols,

meaning Entrance to an enclosed area. Unique

has achieved Ahmedabad UNESCO World

to Gujarat the urban structures date from 1738

Heritage Status. The colonial period saw

during Mugha Maratha rule ( 1738-1753) in

the city’s expansion to the western side of

Ahmedabad a time of communal riots and

Sabarmati, facilitated by the construction of

violent unrest.

Ellis Bridge in 1875 and later Nehru Bridge.

Situation B: Ravivari Bazaar

The western part of the city houses educational

Ravivari is a Gujarati word meaning Sunday.

institutions commissioning globally renowned

The market runs Adjacent to the Sabarmati

Architects such as BV Doshi, Louis Khan and

between

Le Corbusier, residential areas, shopping malls,

32,00msq Concrete seam between old city

theatres and new business districts.

wall and new River Wall. The oldest market in

Ellisbridge

and

Sadar

Bridge

consistent location in Ahamedabads history The project is rooted in two Situations; a Site

once stretched to the waters edge but is now

of Investigation (A) and Site of Implementation

curtained by concrete retaining walls and a no

(B).

mans land of 100 meters

S H A N T I N AT H N I P O L C H O W K A N D C H A B U RTO ( B I R D F E E D E R ) , 2 0 1 9

O B S E R VAT I O N S O F A T Y [ P O L ] O G Y : S I T UAT I O N A : JAT H A N H I N I P O L

The pols are a winding nest of narrow streets and courtyards beneath jettying upper stories. Chabutros, totem-like bird feeders, standing at the entrance unique to each pol act as signpost landmarks within the labyrinth. The Haveli’s of Jathanhi ni pol not only showcase the intricate craftsmanship with rich facades of carved wood ornamentation, Jali stonework and intricate metalwork but embody hundreds of years of understanding of climate and culture. Design principles inherently present engineering their environment through ; Fixed and flexible façades; layers of shutters and screens, overhanging roofs, minimising solar gain, central chowk courtyards providing natural ventilation, thermal properties of underground Rain water cisterns, utilisation of thermal mass. 1.

Hierarchy of privacy: Varied levels of access for semi-public areas .

Careful consideration of scale for shared living quarters

Visual access; framed views, passive community survillance

Clarity of wayfinding; public versus private spaces

Convivial and repose spaces; opportunity for retreat and privacy

Flexibility of use within communal spaces

A SEQUENCE OF THRESHOLDS

Otla; A raised platform, porch-like plinth, extending

Chowk: The Central courtyard and’ Heart of the

the threshold between house doorway and street

Household’ the clmatic regulator of the house it

into the house. A transition space where both

providing light and ventilation into the deep narrow

house occupant and neighbour could rest; sit,

plan of the building, all spaces orientate around this

observe and interact with passersby, sell fruit or

central opening, and overspill into it, semi internal,

vegetables, or the occupant can do household

semi external, it provides an area for food preparation

chores. It is a semi-covered space, shaded by the

or laundry but also another reception room.

jettying of the upper floor balcony. The active threshold establishes passive surveillance and

Osri : A- small semi enclosed veranda near the

daily interactions within the pol, strengthening

chowk. It is a semi-open space and accommodates

community cohesion; an unfamiliar face would

the spill-over activities of the chowk. On the

upper floors this space is known as the revasha.

quickly

noticed.

Families

can

observe

their children from a relative distance street. Ordo Khadki; main

The

door

quieter

reception for

and

safety

cooler

room and

than

behind

privacy.

outside

The innermost space of the house,

the

deep inside from the street; it is the most

Darker,

private space used for sleeping and storage.

create

calm more formal atmosphere despite being

Resodu: the kitchen of the house adjacent to the

the

osri, chowk, to be

most

public

room

within

the

dwelling.

near the traditional water-

storage system known as the tanka. Domestic Parsal: The semi-enclosed veranda space adjacent

activities are usually extended from the resodu

to a central courtyard. The most commonly used multifunctional family space bridging the threshold

Utility areas: The toilet is generally placed in

between interior and exterior, the key circulation

front and is attached to the otla or khadki rather

space.

Gujarati

than to the private spaces in the traditional house.

sankheda swing in the Parsal. It is also used as

Wash area for washing clothes and utensils and

There

often

traditional

a dining room or an extension of the kitchen.

bathing, are attached to a common wall.

CHOWK OTL A

OSRI

KHADKI

PA R S A L ORDO

RESODU

KHADKI

CHOWK

OSRI

PA R S A L

ORDO

OTL A

RESODU

CHOWK

OTL A

Traditional Spaces within typical Pol house plans

UTILITY

OSRI KHADKI RESODU

OSRI

PA R S A L

ORDO

Tankas & Troubled water Hidden Depths; The underground water harvesting solution within the pol Haveli’s

The situation of wetness in Ahmedabad, once a

tankas from 16 pols; the water was clear, non

finely balanced equilibrium between torrential

-saline and portable, soft and with negligible

monsoon season and stepwells to subterranean

chemical

aquifers is now one of crisis. Since 1974 the

penetrate the tankas, unlike rooftop cisterns

central and northern Gujarat water table, has

found across India, Laboratory testing found

dropped at a rate close to 20 meters per decade.

the water to be without bacteria and cannot

Overexploitation of groundwater has left the

harbour any water bourne disease. Each tanka

Fatevadi, Gyaspur and Maktampura districts

storing about one lakh gallon of water, which is

of Ahmedabad queuing in the 45 degree heat

enough to last a year for a family of 10 members

for the visiting water tanker for daily drinking

Copper Drainpipe systems, Chanel monsoon

water. The dense and intricate housing clusters

water in the wet season into deep wells below

that make up the urban fabric within the walled

Chowks the mouth of which has a copper

city represent an ecophilosophy inherent within

strainer, the underground chamber is lined with

an Indian vernacular typology. It is through the

a particular type of limestone or coated in lime.

distillation and application of this paradigm

The 300 year technology was displaced from

that a fissured threshold between wet and dry

use following a British government order for

in ahmedabad can be re-imagined. Within the

their disuse and closure, fearing freedom

Pols sits a buried and once banned solution to

fighters may use them as hideouts. Now that

the water crisis. This system emerged to

households have taps, most tankas have

tackle water scarcity in this drought prone city.

remained unused for 70 years

content.

sunlight

does

not

There are about 10 000 Tankas in the Old City and their storage capacity ranges from

“(The towns eminence) In various ways , is in the

25 000 to 50 000 litres. A survey by the AMC

wealth and capability of its burghers to support

in 2005 discovered the water stored in the

progressive , in clever contrivances such as the

maintained Tanaka’s surpass the World Health

huge infer water tanks called tankas in the old city”

Organisation standards. The survey tested 11

Amrita Shah, Ahmedabad; A city in the World

A N U N P LOT TA B L E R E F U G E

Gujarat has had a history of successive invasions

in common. Formerly individual could sell or

Ahamedabad has a

history of religious

mortgage a house to an outsider without first

and sectarian strife The most recent of which

tragic

offering it to the people of the pol. When a house

being the 1969 Gujarat Riots which cost over

is mortgaged or sold, the people of the pol had a

1,000 lives. As a direct result the purpose of these

right to claim from one-half to two per cent of the

narrow settlements was to ensure security of each

money received. At weddings or family occasions,

community at times when animosity

became

each householder is expected to feast the whole

dangerous. Each pol has its distinctive architecture

pol, and in some cases all the men of the pol,

and motifs, depending upon its inhabitants and their

are expected to attend any funeral that may take

traditions. These tightly clustered groups of houses

place. If the pol rules are slighted, the offender is

have regulated points of entry and gates guarded

fined. The money gathered from gifts, fines, and

their ‘polia’ watchman. Each pol ends either

the percentage on house property sales, formed a

blocked by a dead wall or, through a bari; opening

common fund managed by the leaders, seths, of the

into an adjacent pol usually disguised as a a small

pol and spent on repairs.

Wooden door to a Haveli. To maintain the integrity of the safety precaution the Bari is usualy known only-to the inhabitants that pol. Some of Haveli cellars have air shafts running through the walls, so that they may be used as retreats for men in hiding. Unlike the common conception of community or

neighbourhood

the

pols

function

similarly to a co housing intentional community, with communal responsibility and expectation The property in the pol is to an extent held

T H E C H O W K S O F JAT H A N H I N I POL The motif model of inlaid golden threads and bands into hardwood offers a conceptual method of mapping the pols’ spatial qualities and hierarchy, not evident in the plans of paths alone. Through a process of overlaying aerial images and plans, the model traces the glinting lines of hidden copper gutters and plots the Chowks beneath whitch the calm waters of the tankas sit.

I N V I S I B L E WAT E R S

The motif model of inlaid golden threads and bands into hardwood offers a conceptual method of mapping the pols’ spatial qualities and hierarchy, not evident in the plans of paths alone. Through a process of overlaying aerial images and plans, the model traces the glinting lines of hidden copper gutters and plots the Chowks beneath whitch the calm waters of the tankas sit.

Urban Fabric; Carving the Bagru Block

Manchester of the East ‘Gujarat is home to

products marketed in the right manner.

many craft communities such as Chaudhari

Just as the pols sit tightly together within the old

Patels,

Rabaris,

city walls, the intricately hand-carved wooden

Harijans, Darbars, etc. who practice various

printing blocks create a fabric which pattern

kinds

appliqué

tesselates completely and yet imperfectly. The

traditions, which are the mainstay of their

boundary edge invisible to all those except

livelihoods. The production of woven cloth,

its maker. The Invisible waters model holds an

dyed fabrics, woven carpets, block printing etc

imprint of that unplottable imperfection in the

that is produced on the premises is sold at the

form of a carved wooden block ready to ink.

Choradia

hand

Ahirs,

Choradia

embroidery

and

Ravivari Bazaar on Sunday. Ahmedabad is one of the oldest hubs for textile crafts; famous for its block printing and Aplique embroidery. Many of these crafts however are dying, the craftsmen possessing extraordinary skills face poverty and turn to other occupations for a livable income, pushing these crafts further in the direction of extinction. The skills passed through generations hold great value both culturally and as a high value product, to preserve this rich cultural heritage, awareness needs to be created about these crafts and

PARA-Situation: {Ahmedabad}; Past, Present, and Possible. Walls Wells & Well Walls.

T H E R AV I VA R I B A Z A A R , O N T H E E A S T B A N K O F T H E S A B A R M AT I R I V E R

THE RAVIVARI BA ZAAR S I T UAT I O N B : T H E S A B A R M AT I R I V E R F R O N T

‘Sabarmati’

derived

from

the

word

‘shvabhra’ , meaning ‘fissure’. The sabarmati riverfront development has

site cleared of immediate spatial constraints

severed the connection between Bazaar and

to avoid a mirroring of the isolated and

waterfront. 32,000 sqm of bustling market is

excluding plots of modern institutes on the

contained between tall concrete retaining walls

opposite bank. The Ravivari market site, while

upon which sits four lanes of traffic

on the

vibrant and hectic on Sundays has no attraction

West and the remaining refurbished old city

throughout the remaining days of the week, for

walls and bastions on the East.

six days a vast expanse of concrete is barren and abandoned. One aim of this project is to

The site is one of the only remaining stretches

reclaim the land once engrained in daily routine

of Eastern Sabermati bank where the busy

to the people of Ahmedbad and re-establish

road deviates away from the bank edge, the

the Ravivari river bank as an appreciated public

opportunity is presented in the seam of land

space, restoring the shared sense of ownership,

between River bank and market currently

identity and presence to the area.

standing void of all footfall, for the old city to

reclaim its connection to the water and occupy the bank. The challenge of the site is to create a navigable links between the two walls and set up appropriate design parameters in a

The Ravivari Market and Sabarmati River Bank 1:1000

Existing Site: View accross project site from Sabarmati bank facing East to the market site. Old city walls visible the far side of the market and level change.

M E T I C U LO U S C H A O S ; A H A N D I L L I S T R AT I O N C A P T U R I N G T H E PA R R A L L E L I N T E N S I T I E S O F R AV I VA R I

& THE POLS

A RECONCEPTION OF GROUND LENTIC AND LOTIC

The

invisible

subterranean

waters

aquifers,

and

Ahmedabad, all

but

the

forgotten

chambers of the Pols Tankas sit in contrast to the water scarcity of the dusty city above, alluding to a

Parasituation of wetness above and below

ground. The cisterns, hanging below the citadel as a pendulum, counterbalance to the humidity above. The culverted and concreted banks that stretch where once lush wetlands soaked up the Sabarmati can be reimagined as a brittle cap on top of the saturated ground. Brittle and breakable.

The opposite sequence of drawing explores the idea of the ‘ground’ within the pols as an assemblage of extrutions; delicate points of connection between wetness above and wetness below ground held in the fissures between the pieces and held together in the compression provided by the old city walls.

LENTIC LOTIC

LENTIC

LOTIC

AQUIFER & AQUAFISSURE LENTIC AND LOTIC

The

term

meaning

Lentic slow

(from

the

Latin

motionless),

lentus,

refers

The page

illustrations investigate

the the

opposite idea

standing waters such as lakes and ponds

of water standing captured and pooling within

(lacustrine),

marshes

the Aqua fissure, creating a lentic situation

(paludal). Lotic (from the Latin lotus, meaning

swamps

and

of wetness, or water being released to etch

washing), refers to running water (fluvial or

the fissures deeper into the ground, in a lotic

fluviatile) habitats such as rivers and streams.

situation of wetness.

The conceptual notion of ground and fissure is further explored through the lens of these two parallel conditions of wetness represented above and below Ahmedabad ground. The reciprocity of capture and release within the water cycle highlights the temporary and inconsistant nature of the ground as a threshold. Still waters are captured wetness, whether in a lake or tanka, and running water is released wetness. The aquafissure concept held within the model of the invisible waters can be conceived of as either facilitating the capture of wetness or the release.

Wall well: Capture and Release. A rainfall intervention at the Ravivari The first intervetion of the thesis follows the ideas of capture and release of water through aquafissures as an intervention of ground at the Sabarmati River Bank. A Proposed rainwater harvesting system via a network of canopies utilises the monsoon deluge destined otherwise to be

lost into storm drains

and the river basin. Instead, it creates a network of filtration pools, releasing the water gradually slowing down the runoff process and irrigating the river bank. the open pavillion like spaces allow the people of ahmedabad to ocupy and overflow the channeling walls of the sabarmati developement to reach the river edge once more.

The proposed

can canopies provide needed shading during the hot seasons and allow the market to continue throughout the rainy season.

Wall to wall // Catch & Long Section 1:200

& Release

WALL TO WALL; PL AN Proposed Site Plan 1:500

Aquafissures & Cloud Catchers Troubled Water

The Pols

Wall well: Catch

Well wall: Release

The situation of wetness in Ahmedabad, once a finely balanced equilibrium between torrential monsoon season and subterranean aquifers is now one of crisis.

The word 'Pol' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Pratoli' meaning entrance to an enclosed area. The dense and intricate housing clusters that make up the urban fabric within the walled city represent an ecophilosophy inherent within an Indian vernacular typology. It is through the distillation and application of this paradigm that a fissured threshold between wet and dry in ahmedabad can be re-imagined. Within the Pols sits a buried and once banned solution to the water crisis,

The intervention of a water harvesting network for the Ravivari Market, collects water within the' well' created between old wall and new walls and utilised the centuries old technology of the pol's 'Taankas.' An open pavilion like structure allows the people of Ahmedabad to occupy and overflow the channelling walls, new and old, to reach the river once more. The shifting unformulaic nature of the temporary market now free to spill out protected from the sun above and cooled by the water chambers below.

The concrete capped westernised Sabarmati river front has physically separated the people of Ahmedabad from the River. The act of idol submersion within the river, an important ritual of the Hindu festivals of Durga & Ganesh Puja, have been stopped due to the resulting pollution of the River. The second intervention; a mechanically flowing 'Stepped well' breaks the Sabarmati bank and creates filtering submersion ponds using the water harvested at the Ravivari, and created a more ecosophic threshold between the people and the river

Since 1974 the central and northern Gujarat water table, has dropped at a rate close to 20 meters per decade. Overexploitation of groundwater has left the Fatevadi, Gyaspur and Maktampura districts of Ahmedabad queuing in the 45 degree heat for the visiting water tanker for daily drinking water.

cad-block.com

WALL TO WALL; SECTION

cad-block.com

Submerssion and Filtrations Pools

Well Wall: Filterin

ng Submersion Ponds

THE SUBMERSSION OF IDOLS

The

act

submerssion Sabarmati

in is

idol

additional polution the

the

dissolving idols leave in

the river, The submersion

important ritual of the

pools

Hindi festivals Durga &

filtering

Ganesh Puja. The practice

water within the aqua

has

fissures

been

banned

slowly

and

flowing

accomodated

the AMC due to the

the

resulting

endangering the river.

debris

and

practice

without

PARA-Situation: {Ahmedabad}; {Aqua} Fissures and {Dance}Floors Ecosophic Urbanism Ecosophic Practice

Floors & Fissures 03. CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

At the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts on

markets and temple floors across the old city. The

the West bank of the Sabarmati ,we find a central

bounding white lines on the ground demarcating

assembly hall a dance floor, holding up to three

thresholds; between the dancers, the dancers and

classes simultaneously and alongside each other.

their teacher. The hierarchy of space and intense

The pristine surface holds a privileged status within

relashionship between person and place , gesture

the space, one must remove their shoes before

and ground are drawn together by a condition of

stepping onto the swept and polished dark green,

surface.

striped surface. The cold surface against the bare foot in the heat of mid day sun prepares one for their dance class. The jarring action of unprotected soft heels of the dancers against the unforgiving hard marble is felt much as observed by the captivated audience. Fragments the green and white striations of the same surface occur unexpectedly within

EXHIBITION: NOT SHOWN, PROJECTION OF D A N C E R S O N TO P L A N E TA B L E

CO AUTHORS: DESMOND SU & JULIA BROOKFIELD

DANCE FLOORS AND AQUA FISSURE T H E P L A N E TA B L E

This drawing “sets up” the plane table to discuss urban

a series of surfaces. Through the notation system

agencies of Ahmedabad through the intersection of

developed we understand certain kinds of event

two phenomenological events in the city, the dance

territories which would accommodate different types

floor and the Aquafissure. In doing so, we bring the

of program. Rather than formalising the individual

conversation between gesture and environment to

notation, the sets of colour marks are created to

ecosophic conversation

augment the existing and potentially-emerging event territories. The result could be perceived as

APPARATUS AND APETURE, A METHOD OF DRAWING

the linkages among the situations within the city / the connections to the four cities / future proposal

In order to unpack Ahmedabad in terms of the dance

of the new event condition. Displaying fluctuating

floor and the aqua fissure we derive a language. Here,

architectural qualities such as intensity vs. porosity and

we looked to the frameworks of architect Bernard

fast vs. Slow help highlight these spaces.

Tschumi and Flusser to offer guidance on how to analyse the urban. Tschumi’s ability to perceive the modalities of the urban guide us to our first stage of drawing, the notation. From this underpinning we established a drawing process to analyse the gesture of body to ground and understand both of the phenomenological implications of gesture and the weight of consequence to the act of observing The implementation of dance floor and mappings create

Notations of an event territory; Situation; The Ravivari

F I S S U R E S A N D FAU LT L I N E S

Fissures and fault lines suggest an inflexible quality; Fault lines only appear when pressure is applied. The urban grain of the pols developed from containment within the old city walls, forcing a patterning self organisation like matrix of carbon atoms in graphite or diamond. The groyne model conceptualises the inlaid quality of green marble stripes of the dance floor as the bounding containment of the aqua fissure motif. Creating a plotable framework for urban grain to sit within a design development. The idea allowes an re imagination of the fissure to be cracks in the dance floors marble. The idea is developed in concept models which play with ideas of pressure, containment. the fissure lines this time provided by the Ravivari bazaar notations within the phenomological 1:250,000 drawing. The white lines of the dancefloor seep and pool through into the fissures in the brittle surface finally broken by the dancers heel

OCCUPIED SHORT SECTION 1:50

FISSURE AND

FA B R I C AT I N G

CONCEPT DEVELOPEMNT

This drawing carries the intersection between ecosophic

enunciations,

aspiration, spacial and gestural. stitches the bounding

environmental The drawing

groyne model spine of

the aquafissures into the Bank site in the Ravivari, within which the invisible waters motif is patterned as an inked Bagru

block would print on cotton

cloth. Tracing over the top is the gestural notation of the event territories plotted on the plane table.

PARA-Situation: {Ahmedabad}; {Aqua} Fissures and {Dance}Floors The Refuge of the Ravavivari; Kalaruti ni Pol

Kalakruti ni pol 04. THE AGENCY BRIEF

The state government run Nari Sanrakshan

skills are provided for many ‘ Inmates’ there is

Gruh- Ahmedabad’s women’s refuge, houses on

not a viable prospect of independence, who then

average 45 women at a time, between 17 – 45 in

have no options than to return from the situations

age all seeking shelter from desperate or violent

from which they fled. The Kalakruti ni pol scheme

domestic situations. With hundreds of Auto-

proposes a response to these need and issues

Rickshaws’ emblazoned with slogans of solidarity

with the unification of a number of currently active

in the support of the movement in action against

organisations in Ahmedabad within one scheme,

the violence against women – Ahmedabad is

claiming a prominent position on the new Sabarmati

considered a front runner in providing a safe city

east bank and drawing from the commercial and

for women in India, and yet the ‘prison’ like refuge

social strengths of site.

does not meet the government own standards of

rooted in the individual and collective self-reliance

safety, cleanliness or counselling or support.

ingrained within the spatial qualities of Pol typology

It is a widely established issue that unless financial

of the old City.

and legal aid, basic literacy education and trade

An alternative agency

THE COLLECTIVE AGENCY; THE BRIEF V O I C E , V I S I B I L I T Y, V I A B I L I T Y

REFUGE: A shelter for women from domestic

embroidery etc.

abuse. A sheltered accomodation for those in need that will provide the councilling,

The teaching of crafts that will enable an

oportunities, legal and financial assistance or

economic independance when leaving the

urgent medical a attention required .

refuge and keep alive traditions under threat of being lost from the city.

. PRODUCTION: The production of fine quality

EDUCATION:Provide access to key skills &

fabric products to be sold at the Ravivari

literacy education.

Market and further a field Provition of opportunity to learn key The schemes profit will in part be reinvested

communication skills such as IT Literacy and

in the project itself; funding the purchase

basic writing and mathmatics are essential to

of raw materials for production, the running

independance both financially and socially.

of the kitchens and accomodations and the wages of the staff. A percentage will be given back to the individuals of the refuge who are producing the fabrics. SKILLS: The exchange of local traditional skills – Spinning, Dyeing, Block Printing, appliqué

C L I E N T A N D S TA K E H O L D E R S THE BRIEF

THE CLIENT & STAKEHOLDERS

food security and social security. (at least health care,

The Pol structure allows a framework of communicating

child care and shelter).

houses that function as one unit. The lead client for the project is the AWG, with a shared level of investment and occupation from the following stakeholder charity and organisations.

SEWA KALAKRUTI: The commercial arm of SEWA represents 15000 women artisans and 106 women’s co-operatives in the textiles and handicrafts sector. Promoted by

AWAG: AHMEDABAD WOMENS ACTIONS GROUP

Gujarat State Women’s Sewa Kalakruti is a marketing outlet for the products generated by women artisans

Founded in 1981 the organisation aims to support

organised under outreach co-operatives. The goal is to

women of Ahmedabad through the provision of

let the women workers obtain collective strength and

education for economic betterment. AWAG adopts

ownership of their trades or principal activity and get

a holistic approach to women’s empowerment to

directly linked with consumers without interference

addresses the issue of domestic violence.

from exploitative middle agencies.

SEWA: SELF EMPLOYED WOMENS ASSOCIATION

REACH TO TEACH:

SEWA’s

A charity based across Ahmedabad and London

organise self-employed women small business workers

works with local community groups in Ahmedabad to

for full employment & self-reliance economically and

improve literacy and numeracy skills.

in terms of their decision-making ability by creating sustainable livelihood strategies for income security,

A contemporary pol; Plotting ecosophic place

TRACING TERRITORY A CONTEMPORARY POL

An Overlaying of the invisible waters motif, the gestural notation of the metropolitan plane table event territories and the Dance floor Groyne striations of the ground allows a tentative revision of a figure ground plan to be traced instilled with spatial, gestural and conceptual sensitivities. Elements explicit or implied configure to enclose a positive space with a degree of chaos, unpredictability or asymmetry, inherent within the pols but absent from traditional western master planning sensibilities. The method allows the forms to shape space rather than sit freestanding in space.

Print House

Dye House

lower courtyard

Weaving House

Courtyard

Weaving House

Front of House: Reception Administration

TRANSPOSING ECOSCOPHIC TERRITORIES Weaving together the transposed plan and aqua fissure along the bounding lines of the groyne framework creates an intersection between enclosed space and pathway, dwelling and transition space, bank and river edge. The aqua fissure represents a vennel network of terraced and naturally cooled courtyards, pools and cisterns steeping down into the river bank to reach the Sabarmati. The slowing down and filtering of surface runoff may make a minimal environmental difference in one project alone, but when iterated along the extent of the 1km open seam of land between Ravivari market and riverbank there is an opportunity to saturate the site, creating a more biodiverse habitat and engaging relationship between Amdavadi people and Sabarmati than the existing unyielding concrete diaphragm retaining walls allow

PARA-Situation: {Ahmedabad}; {Aqua} Fissures and {Dance}Floors The Refuge of the Ravivari; Kalakriti ni Pol

Kalakruti ni Pol 05. BUILDING DESIGN

The Kalakruti ni Pol houses an agency

Stitching closed the desiccated seam

rooted in the social sustainability and

between Ahmedabad’s new and old

ecosophic

city walls, Ambdavadis, and the watery

within

spacial

Ahmedabad’s

quality Old

instilled pols’

artery of their city. The project sits

architectural vernacular. An architecture

City

between the Sabarmati and the centuries

of containment, of defence but also

long-established

community,

interdependence,

Ravivari

Bazaar.

culture

its prominent purchase on the Eastern

The Kalaruti ni Pol is

bank, the urban speculation represents

a women’s refuge for those suffering

a new phase of the textile legacy and

domestic abuse,

counterbalancing

and sanctuary.

and

trading

a hub for producing

traditional

the

crafts

associations of cotton mill owners and

and education of critical skills that will

the metropolitan city they represent on

empower

the Western Bank.

economic

fabric

landmark

independence

while keeping alive textile traditions under threat of being lost to Gujarat.

THE KALAKRUTI APPROACH

Standing within the Ravivari Market, The Kalakruti stands prominently in the skyline, for those walking glimpses can be snatched past the Buildings to the Sabarmati beyond. The perforated brick screens of the weaving house allowing glimpses of swaying movement of the lush roof garden and circulation spaces beyond it, veiling but not hiding the activities behind. Oversized bifolding shuttered outer facade of the administration offices projecting to the focal point of the elevation. A perceptible change in threshold of closed versus open shutter, an unavoidable visual prompt whether the kalakruti is open for daily business of closed and walls of the refuge made absolute. The further into the courtyard and more private and encolsed the space becomes, the smaller the elements of the facade become.

4 7

3 6

4 5 7

3 6

2 5

ROOF

P L AR NO O F

PLAN

ROOF

G E N E R A L GAE RNRE AR N AG L EAMRERNA TN G P LE A MNE SN T P L A N S GENERAL ARRANGEMENT PLANS 1:200

1:200

ROOF

PLAN

G R O U N D F LGOROORU NPD L AFNL O O R P L A N

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

RECEPTION 1. RECEPTION W E AV I N G S T2 U . D WIEOAV I N G S T U D I O D Y E S T U D I O3 . D Y E S T U D I O P R I N T I N G S 4T .UPDRI O INTING STUDIO UPPER COUR 5 .T YA U PRPD E R C O U R T YA R D L O W E R C O U6R. TLYA OW RD E R C O U R T YA R D F I LT R AT I O N 7P. OF O I LT L SR AT I O N P O O L S

GROUND FLOOR PL AN

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

RECEPTION W E AV I N G S T U D I O DYE STUDIO PRINTING STUDIO U P P E R C O U R T YA R D L O W E R C O U R T YA R D F I LT R AT I O N P O O L S

3 8 9 7

3 1

8 9 9

FIRST FLOOR PL AN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

A G E N C Y A D M I N I S T R AT I O N TEACHING ROOMS TEACHING ROOMS B AT H R O O M COMPUTER SUITE COMMUNAL DINING HALL K I TC H E N S COUNSELING OFFICES LEGAL & COMMERCIAL OFFICES

FIRST FLOOR PL AN

SECOND FLOOR PL AN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

4 E A S Y A C C E S S A C C O M M O D AT I O N ROOF GARDEN FA M I LY A C C O M M O D AT I O N S O C I A L S PA C E FA M I LY A C C O M M O D AT I O N R O O M S C O M M U N A L S O C I A L S PA C E RIVER FRONT ROOF GARDEN 4 R E F U G E A C C O M M O D AT I O N R O O M S SOCIAL ROOM B AT H R O O M 4 E N S U I T E A C C O M M O D AT I O N R O O M S . W A R D E N A C C O M M O D AT I O N

SECOND FLOOR PL AN

3 2 1

7 6 4

Sectional Axonometric SECTION A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

W E AV I N G S T U D I O & C E N T R A L C O U R T YA R D TEACHING ROOMS ROOF GARDEN U P P E R C O U R T YA R D C I R C U L AT I O N LEGAL AND FINANCIAL OFFICES W A R D E N A C C O M M O D AT I O N

3 1

6 5

3 2

3 1

6 5

SECTION B 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

DYE STUDIO TEACHING ROOMS FA M I LY A C C O M M O D AT I O N S O C I A L S PA C E L O W E R C O U R T YA R D C I R C U L AT I O N / D W E L L I N D I V I D U A L A C C O M M O D AT I O N

SECTION C 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

DYE STUDIO COMPUTER SUITE TEACHING ROOM FA M I LY A C C O M M O D AT I O N R O O M PRINT STUDIO C O M M U N A L D I N N I N G H A L L / K I TC H E N C O M M U N A L M E Z Z A N I N E S O C I A L S PA C E L O W E R C O U R T YA R D / P O O L S COUNSELLING OFFICES RIVER FRONT ROOF GARDEN

Detail Section Model Facade Study 1:50

The Section taken represents the point within the scheme where the two facade sensibilities meet. The more public buildings of Kalakruti, the workshops, offices and market-facing buildings are load-bearing brick and concrete systems. The more privacy-sensitive facilities such as the refuse accommodation ‘ GesturalLink’ sitting over the Aquafissure Pools utilise ‘softer’ materials such as Wood. The facade systems being adjustable for comfort and privacy with full or half story overhanging shutters. This section model examines the assemblage of the wooden skin of the courtyard facing elevation but also the ‘ Threaded’ brick screen of the ‘ Ordo’ Balconies.

White Model: Form and Massing Study 1:200

The cluster configuration of the contemporary pol is made up of eight distinct varying volumes. It, therefore, requires a degree of aesthetic cohesion of architectural form whilst maintaining distinct identity and characteristics. The goal is to read the scheme as a collective agency but made up of individual houses. ‘ The Weaving House’ , ‘ The Dye House’ etc. Each building aims to reflect the nature of the program within.

White card modelling aided in the refinement of these forms and spatial relationships through subtle iterative adjustments in the alignment of walls or the framed views created through new openings. The white model worked in parallel with the refinement of the Plans.

White Model: Form and Massing Study 1:200

The reduction in representation of facade systems and Materials, to Bulsar, white card and cotton to represent, primary , secondary, and tertiary compositional elements of structure and envelope allowed a refinement and clarity of system to the relationship between program and material. The white card representing the solid brickwork encasing the spaces used for workshops, offices, teaching and those used by the wider community of the Kalakruti. Starched Cotton representing the woven pattern of perforated brickwork veiling spaces used by members of the refuge .

I N T E R N A L S O U T H E L E VAT I O N

S O U T H E L E VAT I O N

100

INTERNAL NORTH

E L E VAT I O N

A R D N O RT H S E C T I O N A L E L E VAT I O N

E X T E R N A L S O U T H E L E VAT I O N

Elevation Set 1:100 at A2

E A S T E L E VAT I O N

[RIVER]

W E S T E L E VAT I O N [ M A R K E T ]

A SEQUENCE OF THRESHOLDS

Otla; A raised platform, porch-like plinth, extending

Chowk: The Central courtyard and’ Heart of the

the threshold between house doorway and street

Household’ the clmatic regulator of the house it

into the house. A transition space where both

providing light and ventilation into the deep narrow

house occupant and neighbour could rest; sit,

plan of the building, all spaces orientate around this

observe and interact with passersby, sell fruit or

central opening, and overspill into it, semi internal,

vegetables, or the occupant can do household

semi external, it provides an area for food preparation

chores. It is a semi-covered space, shaded by the

or laundry but also another reception room.

jettying of the upper floor balcony. The active threshold establishes passive surveillance and

Osri : A- small semi enclosed veranda near the

daily interactions within the pol, strengthening

chowk. It is a semi-open space and accommodates

community cohesion; an unfamiliar face would

the spill-over activities of the chowk. On the

upper floors this space is known as the revasha.

quickly

noticed.

Families

can

observe

their children from a relative distance street. Ordo Khadki; main

The

door

quieter

reception for

and

safety

cooler

room and

than

behind

privacy.

outside

The innermost space of the house,

the

deep inside from the street; it is the most

Darker,

private space used for sleeping and storage.

create

calm more formal atmosphere despite being

Resodu: the kitchen of the house adjacent to the

the

osri, chowk, to be

most

public

room

within

the

dwelling.

near the traditional water-

storage system known as the tanka. Domestic Parsal: The semi-enclosed veranda space adjacent

activities are usually extended from the resodu

to a central courtyard. The most commonly used multifunctional family space bridging the threshold

Utility areas: The toilet is generally placed in

between interior and exterior, the key circulation

front and is attached to the otla or khadki rather

space.

Gujarati

than to the private spaces in the traditional house.

sankheda swing in the Parsal. It is also used as

Wash area for washing clothes and utensils and

There

often

traditional

a dining room or an extension of the kitchen.

bathing, are attached to a common wall.

ORDO

RAVESHA

KHADKI

PA R S A L

CHOWK

RESODU OTL A

D SHORT SECTION

CHOWK

Traditional Haveli Spacial Hierarchy SECTION A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

R E S O D U - W E AV I N G S T U D I O & C E N T R A L C O U R T YA R D CHOWK - TEACHING ROOMS ROOF GARDEN O S R I - U P P E R C O U R T YA R D PA R S A L - C I R C U L AT I O N KHADKI -LEGAL AND FINANCIAL OFFICES C H O W K C E N T R A L C O U R T YA R D O R D O - R E F U G E P R I VAT E S L E E P I N G A C C O M O D AT I O N

OSRI

TYPE 1: ENGLISH BOND

TYPE 2: FLEMISH BOND PROTRUDING HEADER

TYPE 3: DOUBLE STACK PERFORATED

TYPE 5: BESPOKE BLOCK AND PERFORATED CLAYS PACER

TYPE 4: BESPOKE HANGING DOUBLE STACK

L PA C K A G E : M A S O N R Y W O R K T Y P E A X O N O M E T E R I C BRICK TYPE 4 DIAGRAM

Drawing Package BRICK D I F F E R E N T B R I C K T Y P E S A N D L O C AT I O N S WITHIN THE PROJECT D I A G R A M O F B E S P O K E B R I C K FA C A D E 1 ; 2 0 D E TA I S E C T I O N

TYPE 1: ENGLISH BOND

TYPE 2: FLEMISH BOND PROTRUDING HEADER

TYPE 3: DOUBLE STACK PERFORATED

TYPE 5: BESPOKE BLOCK AND PERFORATED CLAYS PACER

TYPE 4: BESPOKE HANGING DOUBLE STACK

M AT E R I A L PA C K A G E : M A S O N R Y W O R K T Y P E A X O N O M E T E R I C BESPOKE BRICK TYPE 4 DIAGRAM 1 : 5 0 AT A 1

W AT E R S U R FA C E

F I LT E R M E D I A

F I LT E R P R O B E S

AIR HEADER

INLET CHANNEL ( FROM ALL C O U R T YA R D R O O F G U T T E R S )

A I R VA LV E WA S H O U T CHANNEL

D R A I N VA LV E

F I LT E R E D W AT E R C O L L E C T I N G C H A N N E L

W A S H W AT E R E A R T H E R N W A R E L AT E R A L S F I LT E R E D W AT E R C H A N N E L T O L O W E R C O U R T YA R D C I S T E R N

Aquafissure: LONG SECTION S E C T I O N T H R O U G H W AT E R TA N K S A N D F I LT R AT I O N P O O L S M A X I M U M W AT E R H E I G H T O R A N G E + 1 0 . 5 M E T E R S RECORD FLOOD HEIGHT PINK + 7 ME TERS ACCESS ROAD LEVEL BLUE

M A X I M U M W AT E R H E I G H T + 1 0 . 5 M E T E R S

RECORD FLOOD HEIGHT + 7 METERS ACCESS ROAD LEVEL

PARA-Situation: {Ahmedabad}; Urban Fabrics & Fluvial Fortification Ecosophic Urbanism: The Resaturation of the Ravivari

AQUAFISSURES

PUBLIC COURSE

AGENCY POOLING

OCEANS OF WETNESS

Guilded Edges 06. THE URBAN DESIGN;

URBAN METHODOLOGY IN MODELS The urban speculation for the ravivari re-saturates

The final drawing outlining the varied public

the bank through 12 parallel Aquafissures, each

domains and the water present within the Aqua

carving a network of filtration pools and cooled

fissures. The once desiccated void of people, and

spaces woven between and beneath a series of

identity is now saturated with a rich urban fabric

Local amenities; and Guilds; centres for traditional

and framework for community sitting parallel,

local crafts and the basis for agencies of the

parasitically together and as a Paradigmatic Pol for

same intention as The Kalakruti refuge. Just as

a contemporary Ahmedabad.

demonstrated historically in the pols, communities of skilled trades work

together to creative a

cohesive and sustainable communities. Setting up a framework model to lead on ongoing ecosophic approach to urban design results in an intricate but spatially appropriately rich, irregular and indian framework for architectural development. The series of drawing on the overleaf depict the cumulative fissuring and enclosure of first the Aqua fissures, then the proposed public open Amenity spaces, (Chowks), progressing onto the next degree of threshold, and the public space within the proposed guilds.

S P E C U L AT I V E S A B A R M AT I E L E VAT I O N 1:1000

Implementation of Aqua Fissures to Kalakruti context

Bank Development Process 1;1000 WHITE PLASTER MODEL G R O U N D : I T E R AT I O N S O F I N C I S I O N S , VA R Y I N G T H E F I S S U R E .

Bank Deelopment Process 1:1000 WHITE PLASTER & CARD GUILD

THE GUILDED EDGES OF THE RAVIVARI

THE GUILDED EDGES OF THE RAVIVARI: 1:1000 MODEL PL ASTER, AND CARD

GUILDS: L E F T TO R I G H T :

PERFORMING ARTS GUILDS, S T O N E M A S O N R Y, J A L I , C E R A M I C S , C A R P E N T R Y, C A R P E T M A K I N G , T E X T I L E S , JEWELLERY AND IRONWORK

AMENTITY: L E F T TO R I G H T :

P E R F O R M A N C E A N D E X H I B I T I O N S S PA C E S G AT H E R I N G A N D R E C R E AT I O N S S PA C E S ; R O W I N G C L U B , C A F É ’ S A N D R E S TA U R A N T S SCHOOL P L E A S U R E B O AT F E R R Y D O C K

ACCESS: I N C R E A S E D P E D E S T R I A N P R E S E N C E O N R O A D F R O N TA G E R E D U C T I O N O F F O U R L A N E S O F V E H I C U L A R T R A F F I C TO T W O N E W A CC E S S R O U T E S I N TO B A N K D E V E LO P M E N T F R O M M A R K E T L E V E L DISABLED ACCESS ALONG RIVER FRONT PROMENADE

GLOSSARY OF TERMS:

A G E N C Y : An Ezymatic Territory or any part of it. A G E N T : That which takes on and represents the operative force of an agency. A M E N I T Y : That which is available for folk to arrange to suite themselves. A Q U A - F I S S U R E : A contemporary re conception of a stepwell, a Vennel of steeping pools and platforms of for the slowing of run - off water and filtration into the sabarmati.

D A N C E F L O O R : A surface of prestige ground , cool green and white marble found at daparna dance school, but also throughout the old town, in chowks of temples.

E C O S O P H I C A L E N U N C I A T I O N : The register of a constituent part of an enzymatic territory. E N Z Y M A T I C T E R R I T O R Y : The fluctuating fecund ground on which folk, ground, sky, buildings, and water continuously work in parasitically productive relations.

G R O U N D : That which is both literally and metphorically the ground apon which architecture is built. G R O Y N E : A barrier or threshold constructed to contain and defend against erosion and drifting, or sprawl.

G U I L D : An association or agency craftsmen or creative industry with a mutual aim or the pursuit of a common goal.

P A R A S I T U A T I O N : An unfamiliar co existent. ‘ Other’ situation that is necessitates a different appreciation of a host situation

P L A C E : Somewhere people find meaningful. T A N K A : A traditional vernacular water harvesting system of the Pol districts of Ahmedabad._

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

TUTORS: DORIAN WISZNIEWSKI KEVIN ADAMS NEIL CUNNING PA U L PAT T I N S O N LEO XIAN

GUEST CRITICS: PETER SALTER F I N D L AY M C FA R L A N E S A M B A R C L AY ROBERT STEPHENS C O N S U LTA N T : A N D R E W L E I P E R J O N AT H A N N A R R O ENGINEERS POL GUIDES: RAJESH & UNESH SHAH

L E F T TO R I G H T : D E S M O N D S U , J A M I E F O R D E , J U L I A B R O O K F I E L D, I O N A H O G G A RT H , PA M E L A FENG, VSEVOLOD YERCHENKO.

SPECIAL THANKS I wish to extend a special thank you to my fellow Parasituation: Ahmedabad Studio colleagues; Julia, Desmond, Pam, Seva, Jamie, Jack and Kevin, better travelling companions I could not have hoped for; Thank you for sharing two years of exploration, collaboration and friendship. Thank you to my family for their unwavering long-distance support, and my flatmate Martha for tolerating a kitchen full of sawdust and plaster during the workshop closures of a national lockdown.

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