Sketches and Renderings

4. BUILDING WITH NATURE

Year: 2012-2013 University: Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands Type of project: Master Thesis

This project focusses on the coastal city of Kochi in India where urban development happens without form and structure, and often by reclaiming land, filling up waterbodies and eroding ecological structures which are part of Kochi’s natural flood management system.

Being a city that lies below sea level and receives an annual rainfall of over 300 cm, it is crucial that Kochi has a strong system to manage flood.

The project proposes a blue-green structure which can act as floodplains and help in efficient drainage of water. Public spaces will be incorporated into this structure to make them part of urban life. Brownfield sites along this structure will be rejuvenated and made part of the structure as well.

While outside the structure, urban growth is allowed to happen organically, the structure itself will be out of bounds for any development.

Proposed blue-green structure to restore the city’s ecological and flood management system

wetlands and natural vegetation canals existing public spaces The components of the proposed blue-green structure abandoned railway lines