The Drawing Board Competition | 2016-2019 by RohanBuilders

2016 - 2019

in quest of creating ideas, knowledge and discourse

ÂŠ 2020 Rohan Builders Pvt Ltd and Matter Design Services LLP 1 Modibaug, Commercial building, Shivajinagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411016 rohanbuilders.com | thedrawingboard@rohanbuilders.com The Drawing Board Competition 2019 Proceeds of the Cycle AN INITIATIVE BY: Rohan Builders Pvt Ltd Mindspace Architects

Email: thedrawingboard@rohanbuilders.com Phone: +91 (0) 20 7101 7101 Social Media: www.thedrawingboard.in

Rohan Builders India

thedrawingboard.in

Rohan Builders

DESIGNED & PUBLISHED BY Matter Design Services LLP, #456, The Blue House, Monte-Villa Road, Monte-Guirim, Sangolda, Goa 403 511 INDIA think@matter.co.in | studiomatter.in

Printed by Silverpoint Press Ltd, Kohinoor Estate, 165 Tulsi Pipe Road, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400 013 ISBN: 978-81-933936-4-2 All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this journal may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the copyright holders.

COVER IMAGE: Sandeepa Vithanage, Aaqil Roofin, Dilik Abeyakoon, City School of Architecture, Colombo, Sri Lanka

THE DRAWING BOARD COMPETITION CHRONICLE: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

a competition for architecture students

EVERY SITE IS AN OPPORTUNITY... FOR DIALOGUE FOR REFLECTION FOR TRANSFORMATION

⁠— CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

INCEPTION

ABOUT the premise of the competition

THE ORGANISERS the people invested in the efforts and processes

RETROSPECTIVE

CONTEXT OF THE COMPETITION by Suhas Lunkad, CMD, Rohan Builders and Sanjay Mohe, Founder & Partner, Mindspace Architects

2016 brief the jury commendations

PROCESS the instituted platforms and arenas of engagement in each cycle

2017 brief the jury commendations

2018 brief the jury commendations

2019 INTRODUCTION theme, site context, programme

THE JURY

COMMENDATIONS work by the winners and finalists

INTERVIEWS with the 2019 jury and the team

142

IMPRESSIONS testimonials, partners, media

158

NOTES EMERGING THEMES significant common ideas

166

Why Participate? 168 importance of participation, principles of design and aspects of the way forward

the drawing board 2019 / introduction

ABOUT The Drawing Board competition is a national level platform inviting open ideas from students of architecture for site-specific architectural concerns and communities annually.

professionals and ideas on a common platform. It helps instigate thoughtful research about design, by episodically suggesting tangible issues on architecture and context with each cycle.

Conceptualised by Mindspace Architects and Rohan Builders in 2016, it is a framework for students to test their understanding and skills in shaping the way communities live and thrive while preserving local heritage. The opportunity lies in an academic exploration in designing for real challenges in real locations.

Presentations by the participants, and lectures by the invited jurors adds layers of value. Each competition cycle thus becomes a novel revelation and repository of knowledge and sensitive ideas. The aim is to provoke reflections for spaces and places, and create a culture for engagement with different approaches for a particular site; a new opportunity arises with every site, every edition.

The endeavour is to create a unique space for conversation and to bring together students,

the drawing board / introduction

Incepted since 1994 out of a rented space in a small garage 26 years ago, Rohan Group has built a name for itself across the Real Estate, Infrastructure & Industrial contracting sectors. With a spectrum of work that began with a residence project of eight apartments, it has scaled tremendously to have a team of over 1000 professionals and landmarks sprawling over 15 million square feet across the country.

Rohan Group’s excellence in design & innovation is also woven into the nation’s infrastructure – the Amritsar Wagah NH1 that connects India to Pakistan, and other roads, tunnels, bridges across Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, to cite a few. It has also led large multinational clients such as Coke, Pepsi, HUL, ITC, Bajaj, Tata, Mahindra, Cairn to trust Rohan Group with repeat orders.

Making a selection of the things that matter most to great living, the group conceptualised PLUS Homes - Perfect Ventilation, Lively Light, Utmost Privacy, Smart Space, an integral aspect of all Rohan homes. Rohan has also introduced the Tunnel form technology, a rapid and advanced construction technique, that helps build one floor a day with much better quality and durability than conventional construction. Each project is representative of their commitment to safety, transparency, quality construction and timely completion. Rohan Group has been the recipient of many esteemed recognitions.

In everything they do, they believe in bettering the lives of people, and in giving the experience of great living! – by building homes that are beautiful, on time, good quality, and efficient; by building factories for customers that are technically challenging and under tight timelines with given quality and under safe working condition; by giving opportunities for their people to grow professionally. They do that by thinking differently, and not shying away from trying out new things. The Drawing Board Competition is one of such endeavours. With feet firmly on ground and vision far ahead in the future, Rohan Group continues to inspire and lead the industry.

the drawing board / introduction

Mindspace, formed in October 2004, is a Bengaluru-based architectural firm. Founded by Sanjay Mohe, Vasuki Prakash and Suryanarayanan, the firm is known for its Architecture works which are seamlessly integrated with nature. Architecture, for them, is always guided by local context, culture, and most importantly, the climate, which has always been the influencing factor on lifestyle-culture, behaviour, eating habits, fashion and Architecture. Hence the central idea of their architecture lies in its response to climate, context and integrating nature into the built where ‘Experience’ takes precedence over ‘Form’ and ‘Soul’ over ‘Skin’. The buildings designed are not focused on capturing attention from the exterior but utmost importance is given to creating spaces which are unique in its “feel” providing the inhabitant a series of experiences - experiencing elements of nature within a space, experiencing light, breeze, sound, unfolding of layers and volumes. The external form of the building is derived to complement the functions within. They strive to strike balance between man, his needs, emotions, culture, his aspirations, elements

of nature and technological advancement. The projects done by Mindspace have resulted in several national and international awards and consistent features in architectural journals. Mindspace presently comprises of the partners, Sanjay Mohe, Medappa, Suryanarayanan, Amit Swain and Swetha. A, along with 21 architects, engineers and support staff, all of whom work as a team. Some of the awards won include - ‘J K Cements The Great Master award 2019’ awarded to Ar Sanjay Mohe, NDTV Award for CCMS in JNCASR Bengaluru in 2014, The Golden Architect Award by A+D & Spectrum Foundation Architecture Award (2009), A+D Award in 2006, J K Cements commendation award in 2011, J K Cements Architect of the Year Award -1991 / 1999 / 2001 / 2007 / 2008 / 2013; The Award of the Journal of Indian Institute of Architects -2002; ar + d International Annual Award of Architectural Review (1999), London, and d’line for JRD Digital Library; Gold Medal from ARCASIA (The Asian Forum for Institutes of Architecture - 1998).

⁠— inception

the drawing board / inception

Students have a free imagination and their fresh perspective to look at things sometimes challenges assumed notions. We are proud to have played our part in organising The Drawing Board competition with stellar support from partners and associates who have passed on their values, dedication and empathetic contribution to make this initiative the success that it is.

me as an attempt to provide students with real design challenges in real locations. We wanted the students to understand how architecture can play an important role in shaping the way communities live and preserve the local heritage. It has evolved over the course of four editions into a meaningful and relevant dialogue and exchange of ideas. We want to make TDB an even better and valuable milestone in the lives and careers of architecture students in the coming years.

The Drawing Board competition was conceptualised by Architect Sanjay Mohe and

SUHAS LUNKAD CMD, ROHAN BUILDERS

the drawing board / inception

The idea of having a students’ competition came from Suhas Lunkad at Rohan Builders, and we at Mindspace were excited with the idea.

et cetera. Their team provides all the support required to make the event happen professionally. Since reputed architects from India and abroad were getting involved as Jury members, it was apt to take advantage of their presence to share their knowledge with the student fraternity. Hence, it was decided to conduct the jury where students would listen to their comments and critique which in itself is a great learning process. The team from Rohan Builders also arranges an informal interaction session with the Jury members and local architects to exchange ideas. Lecture presentations by visiting Jury members, and an exhibition of their works were added subsequently as part of the event.

Having a students’ competition was to motivate students to bring sensitivity towards the way of seeing things, unlearning and relearning. To create awareness of asking the right questions and an attempt to develop problem-solving skills. The challenge was to set up a problem that would generate enough interest and excitement in the students that they feel the urge to attempt in addition to their regular college submissions. Hence, the problem had to be simple, yet challenging. We wanted it to be site-specific and not generic. We looked at the context of Pune, mainly because there was awareness about the competition in this region. Avinash Ankalge and Yatindra Patil being from Pune and having studied most of the old town settlements critically, helped us a lot. There were a lot of discussions at Mindspace about different sites and different approaches to arrive at an exciting problem. We narrowed it down to a few sites, examined these through site visits, pictures and videos and then formalised the program, and shared it with the Rohan Builders’ team to take it forward.

It has been five years now and the event has gained popularity, not only across the country but from outside India as well. An unbiased judging process is established where the entries are judged in two stages. We have been closely working with Mr Suhas Lunkad (Chairman, Rohan Builders) during the past two decades, learning, experimenting, evolving, and above all enjoying the entire process. The students’ competition has been one such experience for all of us at Mindspace, to be a part of this exciting journey.

The best part is the professionalism with which the team from Rohan Builders works, where there is no interference in the process of setting up the problem, the choice of jury, way of judging

Though the entire Mindspace studio participates in the process, those who were directly involved so far are Medappa, Swetha, Avinash and Yatindra.

SANJAY MOHE, MINDSPACE ARCHITECTS

970 registrations 300 colleges 2016

1292 students 388 colleges 2017

1063 students 293 colleges 2018

1086 students 327 colleges 2019

the drawing board / process

PROCESS 01 REGISTRATION An annual competition, The Drawing Board announces an open call for entries each year with a set Design Brief, and Problem Statement. Open to all colleges across India and extending to other countries as well, the competition looks at gathering diverse perspectives and ideas.

MENTORSHIP The process encourages practitioners, alumni or academicians to assume the role of a mentor for participating students and guide them in bringing new perspectives to light. It will help the students tap into the existing knowledge, skills, and experience of the mentor.

02 EVALUATION An interim evaluation is held internally, to carefully peruse and deliberate on the appropriateness and credibility of the submitted entries. Discussions, debates and cognizance of the brief statement inform the decision of shortlisting the participating projects. A shortlist of nine-ten teams is announced, and invited for a review. The evaluation process concludes with a day event where the participants present their ideas in short crits to the Jurors. Eminent jurors are invited to be a part of the panel presiding the presentations.

03 REVIEW + LECTURES The short-listed entries are invited to present at at a prominent venue with an audience composed of fellow students, and invited practictioners and academicians. Through engaging discussions, the students receive critical insights and inputs from this panel. A selection of commendations are awarded as the Winner, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up. The incentive is the holistic feedback that the participants become privy to, and the a symbolic amount that is presented as the prize. The eminent jurors deliver inspirational lectures on their work in between the sessions.

the drawing board / process

⁠— retrospective

the drawing board / retrospective Futuristic Expression for a Habitat Multipurpose Activity Center

The first edition’s aim was to explore various ideas as a futuristic expression of a habitat - an idea which would reflect a housing typology for the future. The idea needed to cover environmental, social and economic aspects of future lifestyles. The proposed site was in Tambat Ali which is a settlement of tambats or copper craftsman and is the oldest part of the city.

The third edition brought to focus a need to explore sensitive and intelligent designs that recognise the existing context as an important layer of the settlement. The proposed site was an integral part of the settlement located at the foot hills of Parvati Hill temple. The design had to evolve from the available resources of the place and needs of its people.

2017

2019

2016

2018

Reviving a Lost Heritage The fourth edition deliberated on ideas to create a dialogue between the surrounding urban communities, citizens and a 140 year old heritage water tower which is a highly visible but an isolated segment of the urban fabric. The proposal has to be compatible with the established urban fabric and its emerging features with the tower as a very important element. The programme was envisioned to create the tower as strong reference for the city’s fabric and to have a connection to the natural, cultural and heritage environment of the city while offering a new formal and informal platform to engage the public.

Expansion and Contraction: A Restaurant The second edition called for ideas to explore intelligent designs that are flexible and allow spatial transformation and size variability. The site was located on the banks of Mula River where the water level changes seasonally. The building had to “expand and contract “as a reaction to this changing water level and had to be a place where people can gather together, celebrate nature or just enjoy its tranquility.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 2016 25

the drawing board / retrospective / 2016

2016 BRIEF

FUTURISTIC EXPRESSION FOR A HABITAT The competition aimed to explore various ideas as a futuristic expression of a habitat. Participants were required to present an idea which would reflect a housing typology for the future. The idea needed to address environmental, social and economic aspects of future lifestyles. The key emphasis was placed on innovative ideas and user comfort reflecting the philosophy of Rohan Builders. The ideas were compelled to complement the past and contribute to future ways of living. DESIGN PROGRAMME – A dwelling for a family of five - A couple in their 40s with two teenagers and a grandparent. (The area was not specified) – A single-bed unit with an independent entry (1000 sqft) for renting it out. – A shop/workshop at lower level with verandah to access from main road. (minimum 600 sqft) – Parking for three two-wheelers. There was no restriction for the height, use of materials and technology. Setbacks were not required to be accounted for, but care had to be given to the aspect of light and ventilation. SITE CONTEXT A small settlement of copper craftsmen, known as “Tambats” in Marathi, migrated to Pune in the 17th century and created beautiful metalwork. In the present day, this ancient craft is dying due to lack of awareness. The proposed site was in Tambat Ali which is a settlement of tambats or copper craftsman and is the oldest part of the city. The site was located in an alleyway with houses of coppersmiths where the workshops at lower level open out onto the street with residences above. The site was tucked in-between existing old structures called ‘WADA’. Roads were onto the shorter sides of the site – the Main road on one side and service lane on the other with a level difference of 1.2m between the two roads, service lane being at a higher level. The longer sides of the site had high blank walls of the neighbouring WADAs.

Tambat Ali is a testament to our glorious, traditional art of metalworking. We need to preserve this rich heritage.

the drawing board / retrospective / 2016

2016

JURY PUSHKAR KANVINDE Pushkar Kanvinde is an Urban Designer and a fulltime educator. Presently, he is the Principal at B K P S College of Architecture, Pune. He has served in various capacities on a number of professional and academic organisations like, Council of Architecture, India, and IUDI. He has also been invited to number of seminars and conferences to express and share his views on education and the profession.

SANJAY MOHE Sanjay Mohe graduated from Sir JJ College of Architecture, and is the founding partner of Mindspace Architects in Bengaluru. Mohe had a working association of 21 years with Bengaluru’s CnT Architects, stints with Ar Charles Correa in Mumbai, and Saudi Arabia. His work spans a spectrum of projects – Research Laboratories, Knowledge Parks, Campus Designs, Beach Resorts, Libraries, Corporate Offices, Hospice and Residences. Some of honours awarded to him include - The Golden Architect Award by A+D & Spectrum Foundation Architecture Award (2009), India; J K Cements Architect of the Year Award – 1991 /1999 /2001 /2004 /2007 /2008/2013; The Award of the Journal of the Indian Institute of Architects – 2002; ar+d International Annual Award of Architectural Review (1999), London; a Gold Medal from ARCASIA (the Asian Forum for Institutes of Architecture -1998).

the drawing board / retrospective / 2016

WINNER Aditya Pawar Institute for Design Environment and Architecture, Nashik FIRST RUNNER-UP Prasad Somvanshi VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune SECOND RUNNER-UP Tanmay Patil, Raghav Ganesan Sinhgad College of Architecture, Pune

2016 31

⁠— commendations

the drawing board / retrospective / 2016

WINNER

COPPER HOUSE Aditya Pawar Institute for Design Environment and Architecture, Nashik

The house form is designed with two approaches: one which is permanent and other which is temporary or transitory. In view of the fact that there are places which become sacred, some of them act as a Multipurpose space and these are spaces which can be modified. The permanent which was not changed is the common (shared) wall between both neighbours’ houses. As a positive side, the niches in walls can be used as storages. So, one really sees it as a contemporary house, very similar to those of heritage tube houses. What remains constant is the response to climate, context and the ability to evolve as per time and flexibility to grow as per people’s need. A material sensitive approach is adopted which responds to climate and context always challenges to explore materials in varied ways. A house in a ‘Tambat Ali’ was designed which still retains the roots of our cultural craft. Change & absorption is a vital part of our tradition with roots penetrating deep within. The evolution of the spaces happens informally & flexibly to absorb the changing nature of its activities with time & people’s association. Three different work spaces are carved out for the varied activities & time. The experience of outdoor & indoor is dissolved and becomes part of cityscape with its vibrant changing nature. Community participation becomes an integral part of daily activities The experience of informality still penetrates in the design by creating interactive & overlooking spaces. Spaces with a flexible nature allow the owner to use them as per various needs in different events & time.

the drawing board / retrospective / 2016

FIRST RUNNER-UP

DWELLING HOUSE Prasad Somvanshi VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

Tambat Ali is a small settlement of coppersmith workers in Pune and thus, the site was contextually located in one of the oldest settlements in the city. All the houses in this locality are built in the same typology, and they work at ground floor and stay at first floor. Respecting the location of the site in Tambat Ali, Pune, India, the primary idea was to merge the new insert into the existing canvas without disturbing It. Hence, the residence is designed by responding to and respecting the existing height of the structures. The residence merges with the surrounding canvas visually, and the interior spaces are made of steel structure to render flexibility. Public Spaces: The attempt was to create a porosity from the Main Access road, and make the space a small multifunctional public space for large gatherings or holding community festivals such as Ganesh Utsav. Restricted yet open, it was designed to house various activities throughout the year. Semi-Public Spaces: The attempt was to bring in passive light and induce ventilation by playing with the volumes. Also, small spaces were detailed out to aid in converting hot air into cool penetrating through the building, and to create a feeling of enlightenment when in the ‘Pooja’ room. Private Spaces: The attempt was to create volumes of open spaces at this level creating a relation between open, semi-open and enclosed spaces. Skylights were introduced in the Toilets. The threshold between open and enclosed spaces is treated effectively to make the space more flexible.

the drawing board / retrospective / 2016

SECOND RUNNER-UP

RESIDENCE Tanmay Patil, Raghav Ganesan Sinhgad College of Architecture, Pune

The simple idea was to retain the old value systems of the traditional ‘tambats’ in a new modern home. It started with thinking about how these people live and work, and how their family functions. From this research, we learnt that there is frankness and honesty in the family. Families are quite open. After studying the old ‘wada’ and ‘ali’ houses, it was understood that there are little courtyards and passages which connect the lower and upper to front side of building and rear respectively. Although Tambat Ali is an interconnected maze of streets and buildings with narrow spaces and wider chowks where the coppersmiths have their workshops and living quarters, there is a lack of greenery and an abundance of noise and dust pollution. All the factors led the way to the solution. The design is an amalgamation of the Old and New, Nature and Human, and Traditional values with Modern living. Design Consideration: 01. Integrating with green space. 02. Implementing sustainable features. 03. Improvising lifestyle and creating connections. 04. Maintaining privacy when needed. 05. Reducing noise commotion in the interior. 06. Contextual approach yet providing its own identity. 07. Maximising passive light and ventilation. The ancient and traditional values were kept intact while giving it a modern enclosure. Special care was taken for the arrangement of rooms, diagonally arranged with visual connections. Privacy and concealment, and wind-flow became crucial aspects of the design.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 2017 37

the drawing board / retrospective / 2017

2017

BRIEF

‘EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION’ A RESTAURANT The competition aimed to explore intelligent designs that were flexible, allowing spatial transformation and size variability. The site was located on the banks of Mula River, Pune where the water level changes seasonally. The building had to “expand and contract” as a reaction to this changing water level and had to be a place where people could gather together, celebrate nature or just enjoy its tranquility. DESIGN PROGRAMME – Restaurant – Kitchen, storage, dining and a shop (1000sqm area) – Parking Space for five cars and a few two wheelers. There was no restriction in use of materials and technology. Setbacks were not required. It was stipulated that the structure should not be taller than the existing railing of bridge. SITE CONTEXT The proposed site was in Khadki Cantonment. The site area measuring 4145 sqm was located along the Mula river which has a historical association to the city of Pune that has developed around it. The site was tucked in between the 150 year Holkar bridge and a flyover crossing over the Mula river, facing the water. The abutting SANT DNYANESHWAR GHAT and a shrine adds a serene dimension to the surroundings. It was indicated that they were to remain without any design intervention.

...to explore and consider the contrast between the water and the earth, the history and the modernity, the past and the present, the noise at the upper level and the quietness at the lower level, and the changing volumes...

the drawing board / retrospective / 2017

2017

JURY BIJOY RAMACHANDRAN

RAHUL KADRI

Bijoy Ramachandran is an architect and urban designer based in Bengaluru. He currently leads Hundredhands, a design studio, with his partner Sunitha Kondur. Apart from architecture, he has also made two films. ‘Architecture & the City: A Bangalore Perspective’, a documentary feature on professional practice in the city in 2005 and ‘Doshi’, produced in 2008, on the Indian architect B V Doshi, directed by Premjit Ramachandran. Bijoy has a Bachelors degree in Architecture from BMS College, Bangalore University, and a Masters degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA, in Architecture & Urbanism. He also attended the Glenn Murcutt MasterClass in 2012.

Rahul Kadri is the Principal at I M Kadri Architects. He studied at Sherwood College, Nainital. This early relationship with nature infused within him with a deep passion to create buildings & spaces, which are in harmony with its natural context. He completed his diploma in architecture from the Academy of Architecture, Mumbai and his master’s degree in Urban Planning from University of Michigan. He assumed directorship of Kadri Consultants in 1995 and since then has designed townships for Tata, Jindal & Reliance, Hotels & Resorts for Taj & Club Mahindra, College Campuses for Symbiosis and more. Rahul Kadri is a Trustee of Save The Children India - an organisation committed to the cause of the education of the least privileged children in India.

SANJAY M PATIL

PRASANNA DESAI

After studying architecture from Sir JJ College of Architecture in Mumbai, Sanjay Patil returned to his hometown Nashik in 1981 to immerse himself into a meaningful and sensitive architectural practice - Environ Planners. Over the years, he has received many honours from the industry and his projects have been widely published in architectural journals. His greatest reward however continues to be the appreciation and support of his numerous clients who have played a vital role in his approach to architecture.

After spending more than 30 years in Delhi, Prasanna Desai moved to Pune in 1990 where he currently runs an architecture practice which is involved with urban design issues emphasising the role of an architect in the public domain. He is also the Director at P V P College of Architecture, Pune and has been the guiding force in the establishment of Forum for Exchange & Excellence in Design FEED, an academic platform for students and architects in Pune. Prasanna holds degrees in architecture and urban design from SPA Delhi. For the last decade, Prasanna Desai Architects have been involved in the designing of streets as social spaces with peoples’ participation.

the drawing board / retrospective / 2017

WINNER Rushikumar Chaudhari, Prasad Somvanshi VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune FIRST RUNNER-UP Tejkumar Makadia, Siddhant Bhatasana, Vibhuti Sorathia Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture, Rajkot SECOND RUNNER-UP Siddharth Sudharm Waze, Saqib Riyaz Mulla, Abhishek Anant Naik Dr D Y Patil College of Architecture, Kolhapur

FINALISTS Gaurav Patil VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune Vedashree Raul Pillai HOC College of Architecture, Rasayani Shreyasa Patil, Shardul Chaskar Aayojan School of Architecture and Design, Pune Swapnil Kamthe, Aakansha Baldi Dr D Y Patil College of Architecture, Pune Swarna Sai Subhash Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee

2017 43

⁠— commendations

the drawing board / retrospective / 2017

WINNER

EVEN THE BRIDGE WANTS TO BE SOMETHING Rushikumar Chaudhari, Prasad Somvanshi VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

There was a lot of covered space existing under the bridge which could be used for the construction. The proposal aims to use the area under the bridge for the core of the Restaurant i.e. Kitchen, Washroom and a Shop. Strong site forces such as ’The gap between two lanes of the new bridge’, ‘Ghat adjacent to the site’ & ’varying levels of water’ led the design process. The Gap: can be used as a light well for the Kitchen as well as a service duct for the Washrooms. The Ghat: connecting it to the site will make a spillover space for the pilgrims in the ‘’Waari’’. Varying water levels: The space ‘Expands and Contracts’ with the varying water-levels throughout the year, with the help of the floating structure.

the drawing board / retrospective / 2017

FIRST RUNNER-UP

CELEBRATING WATER Tejkumar Makadia, Siddhant Bhatasana, Vibhuti Sorathia Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture, Rajkot

The main idea is to celebrate water during any time of the year. To enhance the idea, the developed concept is such that the view could be maximised from the developed area, yet the water can also be celebrated. As we know the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ghatsâ&#x20AC;? are places that visually enforce connections. The concept of a platform gives horizontal transparency. The levels of platform decrease with respect to the levels lowering at the site, and thus with the increasing water level the platforms can be perceived as floating. and when the water level decreases, the view is mesmerising. Another idea was to utilise the dead spaces under the bridge. This space has the most potential in its own way. Above that, there is a level difference possible due to the increasing volume under the bridge which allows for spatial transformation. A singular deck can be given for private occasions and on other decks, dining for the restaurant can be continued. Even the changing water level can generate spatial transformation experience wise, similar to the floating deck. Due to the increasing volume, the decks can be expanded in numbers, and at different levels or they can be stacked in future as to utilise both the spaces, above and below. Thus, it is flexible enough in varying sizes of the restaurant in future and additionally, are connected with each other.

the drawing board / retrospective / 2017

SECOND RUNNER-UP

MEET & MELT RESTAURANT Siddharth Sudharm Waze, Saqib Riyaz Mulla, Abhishek Anant Naik Dr D Y Patil College of Architecture, Kolhapur

The main challenge was to work with the landform and the changing water level. The landform and space were designed in such a way that even if the water level rises, the activities happening in the restaurant would not be disturbed. Additionally, the structure could expand and contract with the water level changing simultaneously. Principles of Hydraulic column and the hydraulic columns used in the stack parking spaces, were analysed. Three blocks were placed in a triangular manner supported with three solid stone masonry blocks which resembled the iconic “buruj” of the Shaniwar Wada entrance gate. These solid blocks contained the restaurant’s services, and thus were made waterproof and water resistant for various water challenges. A MS Steel spiral staircase was designed in middle of this triangle for vertical connectivity. The working of hydraulic column was such that each block had four columns i.e. two columns attached to the solid block, and one supporting the centre. The two central columns were coated with water resistant materials. The restaurant block was designed as an aluminium base structure with no joints and its weight was kept equal to a truck which can be lifted by the hydraulic columns. Whenever the water level reached the maximum level, the structure would contract i.e. the hydraulic columns may come into use and when the water level is below, the structure could expand to the fullest. Surrounding Areas: The existing trees were retained as it is. The site boundary from the river side was curved such that water could flow continuously without any blockage for the water to flow. Apart from the Restaurant block, seating was provided at the entry portion with a small shop and a recreational zone besides the restaurant. The Parking area was made under the existing bridge, and the level was elevated to the maximum level where water could not accumulate by adding a slab. Below this slab, we created an amphitheatre for performances. We observed that there were many birds nesting in a gap under the bridge, so we created a 2.5m radius MS Steel mesh extended over the site and allowed for a creeper above it so that the birds could inhabit that planted space. Thus, we got two spaces (vertically), one for the humans below, and for the birds above.

the drawing board / retrospective / 2017 FINALIST

THE RISING WATER LEVEL ON THE ROOF CAN BE SEEN FROM THE LOWER LEVEL THROUGH THE GLASS WHERE ONE CAN EXPERIENCE THE AQUATIC LIFE. Gaurav Patil VITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

FINALIST

THE CHANGE IN LEVEL OF WATER INVOLVES THIS KINETIC MECHANISM IN THE STRUCTURE THAT EXPANDS AND CONTRACT RESPONDING TO THE WATER LEVEL. Vedashree Raul Pillai HOC College of Architecture, Rasayani

FINALIST

RIVER SCENIC TRANSIT an aesthetic confluence and physical continuity Shreyasa Patil, Shardul Chaskar Aayojan School of Architecture and Design, Pune

the drawing board / retrospective / 2017 FINALIST

DIVE-IN RESTAURANT Swarna Sai Subhash Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee

FINALIST

THE PUPPET SHOW Swapnil Kamthe, Aakansha Baldi Dr D Y Patil College of Architecture, Pune

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 2018 51

the drawing board / retrospective / 2018

2018 BRIEF

MULTIPURPOSE ACTIVITY CENTER The competition aimed to explore sensitive and intelligent designs that recognise the existing context as an important layer of the settlement. The design had to evolve from the available resources of the place and needs of its people. The multipurpose activity center was indicated required to be able to transform itself through the day, engaging different age groups - from an informal playschool for children (Balwadi) in the mornings, to vocational training center / workshop to make and encourage products manufactured by the women dwellers in the afternoon, to a place for social gatherings or hold bhajans in the evening and a shelter for homeless at night. DESIGN PROGRAMME â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Multipurpose Activity Center (Built-up Area: 140 sqm) No restriction was assigned to use of materials and technology. Setbacks were not required. SITE CONTEXT The proposed site, measuring 1430 sqm, was an integral part of the settlement located at the foot hills of Parvati Hill temple. It has an unobstructed view of the hillock and is an extension of the cascading rocky terrain. The spirit of the site lay in the dynamism and vibrancy of the activities it exhibited; a playground, an existing Ganesha temple, a place where people congregate and unite as one to celebrate festivals or come together to hoist a flag. It was stated that the design intervention should only enhance this vibrancy.

The intervention can be something powerful, something so sensitive, that you respect all the forces of the nature, allow the water to flow through properly, exploit the eye level, the view...which would address the need of the community .

the drawing board / retrospective / 2018

LVL

+75.5

LVL +76. 0m

LVL

+75.

PROPOSED SITE LOCATION FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE AT PARVATI PAYATHA, PUNE

6.5

7 L+

m L

9.5

0.0

8 L+

LVL

ION

.5 m LVL +80

+81.5

LVL

8.5

+81.0

7.5

7 L+

EXISTING TREE

LVL +72.60 m

3.50

L +7

LV 16000

LVL +72.60 m

4.00

L +7

2.60

LVL +75.15 m

31000

LVL +75.15 m

LVL +74.75 m 9400

EXISTING TREE

3.50

LV DN

PROPOSED SITE

4.4

17000

m DN

LVL +75.75 m

EXISTING TREE

SITE AREA=1430 SQ.M.

EXISTING ROCKY TERRAIN

GANESH TEMPLE

LVL +75.15 m

LVL +75.45 m

EXISTING FLAG POST

32000

LVL +76.05 m

BANYAN TREE

36000

LVL +76.95 m

EXISTING TREE

EXISTING ROCKY TERRAIN

11000

EXISTING TREE

PROPOSED SITE BOUNDARY

ION

ADJOINING HOUSES EXISTING GANESHA TEMPLE

CONTOUR LVLS.

NORTH

ROAD/PATHWAY AROUND SITE

SITE PLAN

PROPOSED SITE

EXISTING ROCKY TERRAIN

EXISTING FLAG POST EXISTING HOUSES +81.0M

RETAINING WALL

+79.5M

+75.5M

+72.60M EXISTING HOUSES

EXISTING HOUSES

SECTION - AA

+76.5M

2018

the drawing board /retrospective/2018

JURY SOUMITRO GHOSH

MARINA TABASSUM

Educated at CEPT Ahmedabad, Soumitro Ghosh has worked with B V Doshi, R J Vasavada, Neelkanth Chhaya and others, before starting this collaborative practice. Soumitro set up ‘Mathew and Ghosh Architects’ partnership in 1995, joining with Nisha Mathew.

Marina Tabassum is an architect, winner of Aga Khan Award for Architecture, 2016 and Principal of MTA. Marina Tabassum graduated from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 1995. The same year, with Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury, she founded URBANA, an architecture practice based in Dhaka. In 1997, her second year into practice, they won a prestigious national competition to design the Independence Monument of Bangladesh and the Liberation War Museum.

Having designed and realised the important public spaces / design projects and significant private projects in the city of Bengaluru, the practice has been well recognised through writings on / citing of their work in the context of modern architecture in India & Asia and awards. Soumitro has been often invited to speak at public and institutional forums in India and overseas. As an integral part of the professional work and extension of the practice, Soumitro has been teaching architectural design, history and technology subjects at architecture schools in Bengaluru since 1996. The practice bridges the real world of projects and the practice flows into the realm of teaching as an extended space of teaching, learning & vice versa including the environment at the design studio.

Marina Tabassum is the Director of Academic Program at the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements since 2015. She has conducted design studios in BRAC University since 2005. She taught an Advanced Design Studio as visiting professor at the University of Texas. Tabassum has lectured and presented her works and ideas on architecture at various prestigious international architectural events. She has curated exhibitions and directed architecture symposia in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her project, the Pavilion Apartment in Dhaka was shortlisted for an Aga Khan Award in 2004. Tabassum received an Ananya Shirshwa Dash award which recognised the top ten women of Bangladesh in 2004.

NARESH MEDAPPA Having graduated from Malnad College of Engineering, Hassan, Medappa worked with Ar Padalkar for five years after which he worked in CnT Architects with Ar Sanjay Mohe till 2004, when Mindspace was formed. He continued to work in Mindspace as an Associate Partner till he became a Partner in 2008.

“In a way it is important that our young architects really focus on people who are marginalised or lower income, to give them a better life.”

Medappa’s simplicity truly reflects in his design. His constant search for spatial experience, poetics of light, integrating nature into the built, softness in space is aimed at engaging the emotive senses and spawn tranquil feeling. He believes that design is a language binding creativity and context. Medappa’s works range from institutions, research labs, residential development and residences. He has won the A+ D award for IIM Hostel block in 2006, J K Cement award for IIM Faculty Housing and Ashima in 2008 and 2011, NDTV Design & Architecture award, 2014 in the Institution category.

- Marina Tabassum 54

the drawing board / retrospective / 2018

WINNER Akshay Mahale, Bhavdeep Trivedi Institute of Design Environment and Architecture, Nashik FIRST RUNNER-UP Apurva Patil, Omkar Hiremath, Raj Shah VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune SECOND RUNNER-UP Pranit Bora, Shubham Ghodke, Rohan Salve VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune FINALISTS Sanat Bhavsar, Arnav Kele, Amber Shukla Aayojan School of Architecture, Pune Atharva Ghogale, Janhavi Kamthe VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune Mohammad Khalid MEASI, Chennai Aniket Raskar, Rushikumar Chaudhari VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune Shivani Khond, Shubham Revankar VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune Siddharth Waze, Saqib Riyaz Mulla, Abhishek Naik Dr D Y Patil College of Architecture, Kolhapur Prithviraj Agashe VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

2018 57

⁠— commendations

WINNER

9 x 2.5 Akshay Mahale, Bhavdeep Trivedi Institute of Design Environment and Architecture, Nashik

Permanency can be achieved in the form or the state but the temporal dimension is to be achieved with the adaptability of a space and the human perceptions linked with it. The diorama around varies with time, with use, and with perspectives on regional and cultural basis. The nonstagnant, yet functional elements are the need of the era. Dynamism, being the core, attracts people and generates vivid experiences in their minds. The inception of change is brought about by the collective act of both - mass and surrounding. The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new designs, but in having new eyes. The notion is not about designing a separate space termed as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; but it is about activating the residual in a way that it triggers the daily activities, and pleases every soul by not being phenomenal, yet being true to its nature. By adopting a self-help process of construction, the project endows the people with dignity and self-respect. The userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involvement in decorating the dwellings with beautiful colours add an identity to each dwelling. The participatory process of the project not only helps to add the traditional character to centre but also helps to understand peoples need and aspirations.

the drawing board / retrospective / 2018

FIRST RUNNER-UP

ENHANCING THE EXISTENCE Apurva Patil, Omkar Hiremath, Raj Shah VITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

The site is located at the foot of the Parvati Hill, Pune, amidst an extremely dense informal settlement. Affectionately called as `Warcha Maidanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, it is a centre-space of mirth and activity. The temple and the flagpoint, and the activities pertaining to them, bring the entire settlement together a breath of air in a crowded mass. However, while the space has a certain charm, somewhere it gets lost amongst the jumble of built mass. The intent of the design is to enhance this charm, while still retaining its open nature. The people of the settlement have carved out their own niches in the land and know how to optimise space. Thus, responding to the geometry of the context, a cube has been taken and explored to act as a platform for the ideas of people. The design aims to create spaces to facilitate exchange of ideas, learning, income generation and at the end of the day - relaxation. The multifunctional, flexible nature of the design is keeping in tradition with the playfulness and creativity of the people - yet going one step ahead.

the drawing board / retrospective / 2018 SECOND RUNNER-UP

AN EXTENSION TO THEIR OWN SETTLEMENT AND LIVELIHOOD Pranit Bora, Shubham Ghodke, Rohan Salve VITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

Built Up Around the context of Parvati Hills, there exists a vibrant community with their daily activities and they have their own sense of belonging with their settlement, so the space to be provided has to be attached physically & mentally.

1. Anganwadi - 54sqm 2. Work Places - 86sqm Plan showing Existing and Proposed Circulation

By observing their context, we understand the relationship between built and unbuilt spaces, the levels, shared spaces and strong site forces like the accountability of people, the terrain, the existing Ganesh Temple and the banyan tree. ACCOUNTABILITY OF PEOPLE Making for social causes and community gatherings, and increasing vibrancy and extending their livelihood in the context. THE TERRAIN Creating levels in the terrain so as to avoid direct contact with high tension cables, and accommodating different activities at every level.

Construction Details and Material Procuring

THE GANESH TEMPLE AND THE BANYAN TREE Giving a shrine around the sacred tree, and attaching it in sync with the temple.

Use of Spaces according to the season

the drawing board / retrospective / 2018

FINALIST

SUPER IMPOSING THE TEXTURE OF IRREGULAR QUADRILATERALS ON TO THE SITE Sanat Bhavsar, Arnav Kele, Amber Shukla Aayojan School of Architecture, Pune

FINALIST

JOINING THE EXISTING DOTS AND SUBTLY STRENGTHENING THE LINES JOINING THEM IS THE SOLUTION! Atharva Ghogale, Janhavi Kamthe VITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PVP College of Architecture

the drawing board / retrospective / 2018

FINALIST

WINDOW FOR THE COMMUNITY Aniket Raskar, Rushikumar Chaudhari VITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

FINALIST

MORE NATURAL, MORE FREE FLOWING, MORE SCENIC, USED BY ALL KIND OF AGE GROUPS FOR ALL KIND OF ACTIVITIES Mohammad Khalid MEASI, Chennai

the drawing board / retrospective / 2018 FINALIST

विसVISAVA Shivani Khond, Shubham Revankar VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

FINALIST

MITRA ( मित्र ) The one who helps and protects us in every situation... Siddharth Waze, Saqib Riyaz Mulla, Abhishek Naik Dr D Y Patil College of Architecture, Kolhapur

the drawing board / retrospective / 2018 FINALIST

MULTI ACTIVITY CENTRE AT THE FOOTHILLS OF PARVATI Space for the People and by the People Prithviraj Agashe VITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 2019 67

How do you create a dialogue between the surrounding urban communities, citizens and the 140 year old heritage water tower which is a highly visible but an isolated segment of the urban fabric?

the drawing board / 2019

REVIVING A LOST HERITAGE

44 70

the drawing board / 2019

CONTEXT An old tower at Wakdewadi in Pune was selected as the site for the fourth edition of The Drawing Board competition. A significant site, the Tower raised several lines of enquiries about social, historical, and built contexts. Formerly, designed for storing water for a well-known landmark - the Reach Mansion (Jehangir Bungalow), the Tower stands as a lone remnant of that time and essence in the present day.

reach the tank. The known details of construction can be traced back down a timeline of 140 years. The Heritage Committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation has registered the water tank as a Grade I heritage structure. The site extends to the surrounding of the heritage Water Tower and the front plaza of existing labour office at Wakdewadi, Shivajinagar, Pune. In the backdrop of this Water Tower: on the east side are contrasting glass buildings such as Shoppers Stop, few IT offices, and across the road on western side there is a labour office, and toward the southernend, facing the flyover are the slums of Patil Estate.

The mansion was a part of the beautiful manison built in 1879, currently positioned at the rear side of the shopping complex and the IT tower. The tower has a water tank on top and stairs to

the drawing board / 2019

46 74

the drawing board / 2019

2019

BRIEF

PROPOSED SITE The old Mumbai-Pune highway has undergone many changes from the time it came into existence, around 1922. The old Mumbai-Pune highway passes through the proposed site. One side is next to the Shoppers Stop, adjoining the Water Tower and on the other side, is the front plaza of existing labour office buildings. The proposal had to be compatible with the established urban fabric and its emerging features with the tower as a very important element. The programme was envisioned to create the tower as strong reference for the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban fabric and to have a connection to the natural, cultural and heritage environment of the city while offering a new formal and informal platform to engage the public. The height of proposed buildings as per highway rules and regulations had to be above 6m from the road level to enable taller vehicles to pass through and could be a maximum of 6m below ground.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;...we will not know who we are if we do not understand what has been our past.â&#x20AC;? - Ernesto Bedmar 75

the drawing board / 2019

DESIGN PROGRAMME – A maximum of 5000 sqft of Knowledge Center/Gallery to create awareness on sustainability, the importance and evolution of heritage landmarks (in this instance: the Tower which is specific to this site). – A café with a small kitchen, restrooms, parking space. In addition to this, the participant was expected to study the bustling activities of the surroundings that happen through the day and propose spaces to cater to these activities which could be used by different age-groups, without diluting the importance of the heritage structure.

The programme was envisioned to create the tower as a strong reference for the city’s urban fabric and to have a connection to the natural, cutlural and heritage environment of the city while offering a new formal and informal platform to engage the public.

the drawing board / 2019

VISUALISING THE BRIEF Comic by The Leewardists

the drawing board / 2019

EXHIBITION An exhibition of Palinda Kannangara’s work was organised as part of the review day at Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture, Pune. Palinda’s work in Sri Lanka reflects a restraint, and framing of simple, essential living in the contrasting idyllic and urbanes landscape of his country. Recent works such as the Artist’s Retreat, the Frame House, Studio Dwelling were showcased in panels composed with the drawings and visually compelling images. Models of various scales and typologies accompanied the panels, contextualising the work in a wider spectrum. LECTURES: ERNESTO BEDMAR PALINDA KANNANGARA Ernesto Bedmar and Palinda Kannangara honoured the evening by presenting talks on their practices and projects at the conclusion of the evaluation process.

the drawing board /2019

“Architecture is not only the building that we are designing but the - indoor and outdoor as one composition altogether.” - Ernesto Bedmar

“We find ideas within the site itself, and take the challenge from the context, availability and the climate as the core design principles.” - Palinda Kannangara

47 81

the drawing board / 2019

2019

JURY ERNESTO BEDMAR Ernesto Bedmar, an Argentinian, graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1980 from the University of Architecture & Town Planning, Cordoba, Argentina. Ernesto’s career began in 1977 when he did practical work in the studio at Miguel Angel Roca, Argentina. Between 1980 to 1984, he worked as an Associate at Miguel Angel Roca in South Africa and Hong Kong. ln 1984 he came to Singapore and worked with SAA Partnership until 1986, when he set up his own practice, Bedmar & Shi Designers Pte Ltd and since then, has been a Director/Design Consultant at the company. Ernesto Bedmar has been a faculty at the School of Architecture at the National University of Singapore. Ernesto Bedmar has received several awards, some of which are the Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award, Cityscape Architectural Review Awards and the 10th SIA Architectural Design Awards for Recreational Buildings’ and Individual Houses’ Categories.

PALINDA KANNANGARA Sri Lankan Architect Palinda Kannangara has a background in Mathematics and Architecture. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Physical Sciences in the year 1996 with a specialisation in Mathematics. His primary calling, however, was elsewhere. He joined the study course conducted by the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects in 1994. As a student, Palinda trained under Sri Lankan modernist architect Anura Rantavibhushana, who had worked with Geoffrey Bawa for 16 years. On receiving his Charter in 2004, Palinda established his independent practice in 2005. The studio is located in Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka.

the drawing board / 2019

VISUALISING THE POSSIBILITIES Comic by The Leewardists

WINNER Sanidhya Shah, Vivek Wanarase VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune FIRST RUNNER-UP Sharmen Mehta, Siddhant Manpara, Akshay Patel ITM - School of Architecture Art and Design, Vadodara SECOND RUNNER-UP Ravi Varma, Vaibhavi Pujari, Ashutosh Mundada VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Pune FINALISTS Sandeepa Vithanage, Aaqil Roofin, Dilik Abeyakoon City School of Architecture, Colombo, Sri Lanka Farhan Khan R V College of Architecture, Bengaluru Hashwanth Ram, Divakara Murthy R V College of Architecture, Bengaluru Rahul Kustagi, Vismaya N, Sourav JK Wadiyar Centre For Architecture, Mysuru Harish Rikame, Shreya Kalbhor, Yukta Gandhi Trinity College Of Architecture (TCOA), Pune Siddharth Sudharm Waze, Saqib Mulla, Abhishek Naik D Y Patil, Kolhapur

2019 87

⁠— commendations

the drawing board / 2019

the relation of two distinct identities

WINNER

A DISJUNCTION IN TIME Sanidhya Shah, Vivek Wanarase VITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

THE PROCESS Different approaches were explored to arrive at the final design. One of the options attempted to retain the roads and create a public realm for pedestrians on ground, as well as underground. The second calibrated a skywalk design that catered to pedestrians and the final one worked with an underpass design for vehicles.

the drawing board / 2019

THE WATER TOWER The defunct Water Tower is revived as a waterfall on site. This helps to connect the Tower back to its roots with water, and to the people as well as becomes an active pause point in the vicinity. Thus, the water body creates a certain buffer and an aura of the Water Tower itself. The water is taken down through steps thus generating curiosity about to where the water leads and forming a pause point. It acts as a buffer to the fast paced roads as well as to cancel out the noise pollution with the soothing sound of water.

the drawing board / 2019

Opening up the open spaces, safer they become; Cleaner the spaces given, cleaner they are kept….

THE FOLLY – The volume is designed to be similar to that of the water tower so that even a layperson can make the connection. – The strong void symbolises the disappearance of the identities. – It acts as a gateway and a strong reference point for people commuting everyday. – People moving on the road can also relate to it and thus, this new element creates curiosity. – A Pause Point occurs as a choice.

THE LABOUR PLAZA In the existing condition, the hawkers take over the pedestrian pathway and the whole Labour Plaza is a haphazard parking space. There is no access to it and it has become a dump yard. The proposed Labour Plaza is created by giving an axis to the office itself, in a way celebrating it, and the hawkers’ space is re-planned on the sides of this axis. A ‘Katta’ is proposed for people to use, as a Pause Point. The intention is to open up the whole of Labour Plaza as an open space to public. An axis is created in the center so as to celebrate the Labour office, and along the axis, the hawkers can put up their stalls. The space is only inserted with steel columns so that it can be used according to the temporal needs of the people. For example: Parking in the morning, Eat-street in the night, putting up ‘pandals’ during a festival. The existing tree canopy can be enjoyed the full day as a ‘katta’ is set up around it so that it forms a pause point for the labourers.

the drawing board / 2019

RICKSHAW STAND AND THE BUS STOP Rickshaw owners of Patil Estate have a stand, and a parking area for their rickshaws under the Water Tower itself. Also, the existing bus stop is very badly placed as the buses stop on the main road itself causing traffic jams on the highway while the designated stop is 3m inside on the footpath. Prepaid Rickshaw service, a stand, and a space for the drivers to rest is proposed as well. They are lined along the footpath itself so that people have a good access to them. Bus bays are envisioned to incorporate the bus-stops as well as no hindrance to the traffic and the pedestrians.

the drawing board / 2019

KNOWLEDGE CENTRE This underground Knowledge Centre is imagined as a Heritage Experience and Interaction Zone. The heritage entities of Pune are interpreted in a simple manner and each has its own experiential space, namely: – Educational Heritage – Residential Heritage – Religious Heritage – Historical Heritage (forts) – Cultural Heritage This centre aims to be a space to create a relation between all the forgotten pieces of history. A strong axis is created so that the everyday passers’- by/ subway users have to travel the shortest distance to cross the road. In this way, they walk through the whole heritage museum but still have a chance to have a pause in the community courtyard with everyone. The main aim is to provide ease of movement but with quality for everyone.

THE COURTYARD This element is borrowed from the traditional ‘Wada’ typology with an added waterbody. This space is open for everyone to enjoy, and is celebrated in a similar manner.

THE ROOM OF SAFETY As an interpretation of forts, the room is made to have sharp walls and angles which open up into a soft space in the centre. This attempts to symbolise that how the forts have kept us safe within from the atrocities outside. Religious and Cultural Heritage: Pune has a rich history of religious and cultural gatherings happening in the city. These are occasions when people come together still in today’s time; and as a gesture in respect to these occasions, two of these phenomena have been taken to interpret them and give the people an experience of what it is like to be a part of this. The two aspects taken here are: – Waari festival of Lord Vitthal – Ganpati Festival (Ganeshotsav) THE ROOM OF DEVOTION This room depicts the Religious Heritages. A major experiential feature here is the Dindi of the Warkaris. – People can emulate the feeling of being a part of the Waari movement.

the drawing board / 2019

THE ROOM OF CULTURE This room aims to give the people a place to understand different cultures. For one such purpose, ‘dhols’ have been hung from the ceilings which are allowed for the people to play. Institutional Heritage: Pune is known as the ‘Oxford of the East’ owing to many prestigious institutions which were established here throughout history. People come to Pune to learn, seek knowledge and grow. With this view, this room tries to reflect on these types of heritage buildings. THE ROOM OF ENLIGHTENMENT – Pune projected as exhibits as the centre of education. – People can find books related to such specific histories here. – A space for lectures for the people living around in Patil estate on History. THE TOWER ROOM Every Grade I heritage structure should have its own information centre. – Model showing the use of the Tower in its time. – Purpose of the museum.

99 47

100

the drawing board / 2019

FIRST RUNNER-UP

ANTARNAAD

The inner voice of water tank Sharmen Mehta, Siddhant Manpara, Akshay Patel ITM - School of Architecture Art and Design, Vadodara

“Heritage” - the word itself is too grand enough to be taken lightly. And its revival, a wonderful opportunity for us. As soon as we heard about the design brief, it took us back to our childhood days. Thinking about Lightning McQueen in the movie, Cars; knowing what all ‘ego’ could do even when you were the fastest; and even worse, what all could happen when a legend loses his confidence and identity. It was as if the urban fabric was trying to overpower the only

monumental structure there. However, just some glassy facades and tall-heighted structures cannot take away the glory, right? It was as if the water tank still wishes to stand out. it was as if it still wanted to be remembered. We present the design, ‘ANTARNAAD : The inner voice of water tank’. As with every story, it has three chapters: 01 Vision 02 Attachment 03 Demonstration

101

the drawing board / 2019 CHAPTER 01 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; VISION The foremost aim was to revive the Towerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lost dignity and importance so radial diverging lines from the tower became the guidelines for the design and mass development. Here, the main three features were: 01 Viewports 02 Naturally ventilated spaces 03 Naturally daylit spaces in the gallery and the sunken plaza. In order to pay respect to the Tower, the design bows down before it and the whole construction is underneath the ground. FORM EVOLUTION Basically, this kind of design helps add softness to this existing fabric by doing this - there is an unexpected view to the Tower from each and every part of the design and the surrounding which also incorporate more number of visual connections into the sunken plaza. By this, we connect with the Tower visually as well as bring its physical presence in, at some places. The key features of this place are improved acoustics, comfort zone due to the geothermal energy and earth sheltering to reduce the heat island effect. The design is divided into two parts: 01 The Gallery 02 Sunken Plaza This is an urban insert which tries to incorporate all the different type of spaces such as the built, semi-built and open in order to refuge or cater to all the needs or demands that todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fabric has to offer. Bus Stand: This is a proposed bus stand as the design tries to promote more of public transportation in the site. The gallery is around it, which bridges the distance between the theoretical activities and the sunken plaza.

102

the drawing board / 2019

FORM EVOLUTION

103

the drawing board / 2019

...by doing this, there is an unexpected view to the tank from each and every part of the design and the surrounding which also incorporate more number of visual connections into the sunken plaza.

104

the drawing board / 2019

105

the drawing board / 2019

Earth Sheltering

Bus Stand

Gallery

106

the drawing board / 2019

Walkway

Connecting Spine

Sunken Plaza

107

the drawing board / 2019

CHAPTER 02 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ATTACHMENT TO THE SITE Getting to know the site, people getting attached to each other because of this site is equated to people getting attached to this site. This becomes possible because of the versatile nature of the sunken plaza which can transform into a base for many activities throughout the day. Not just for activities but festivals as well. 01 National Festivals 02 Dhuleti 03 Diwali 04 Eid 05 Christmas 06 Shivaji Jayanti 07 Ganesh Chaturthi

Christmas

Dhuleti

Eid

Ganesh Chaturthi

And this just is the tip of the iceberg. Basically, it is nothing but a blank canvas. Think of the many possibilities that you could think of. Think about the next art festival happening with theoretical knowledge shared in the Gallery and hands-on activities going on in the Plaza, and the central spine is a connecting bridge between the two. Each and every activity is happening in the vicinity of the tower.

108

the drawing board / 2019

Diwali

Independence Day

Shivaji Jayanti

“...it is nothing but a blank canvas. Think of the many possibilities that you could think of…”

109

110

111

112

113

the drawing board / 2019

100% HEAT ISLAND REDUCTION - BUILT MASS. CHAPTER 03 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEMONSTRATION This is not just about nostalgia or romanticism about the site. This urban insert is a scientifically working boon for the entire city as well. It has the potential for the IGBC platinum rated green building or campus. The key features being 100% VOC free building. All the natural material kept in its natural form without using any external synthetic finishes. There is a 100% heat island reduction on the built mass because whole terrace roof covered with draught tolerant species landscape. 85% of all spaces are naturally daylit spaces using double glazed window and solar tube throughout the spine. RAIN WATER HARVESTING The site has the capacity to hold 100% capacity to rain water inside it plus it has a tank with the capacity of 500 liters. The water use is reduced by efficient irrigation system and drought tolerant landscape above it saves 40% water consumption above base line.

100% VOC FREE ENVIRONMENT

RAIN WATER HARVESTING

85% NATURALLY DAYLIGHT SPACES

114

the drawing board / 2019

POTENTIAL FOR IGBC PLATINUM RATING 100% VOC free built environment 100% rain water harvesting 100% heat island reduction 85% naturally daylight spaces 60% energy efficient above baseline because of earth sheltering 50% HVAC load reduction above baseline 40% savings in water consumption above baseline.

115

This revival is just about architecture. It is to bring some life to this urban fabric and peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mechanical lives. The symbolism of VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM, that is global family is reflected by the versatility of space that brings the people of all communities, castes, sects, religion, and age groups together. All of this becomes possible because of its glorious past and more than that, the courageous future of this Tower. So let us take a vow today to use it judiciously as it is indeed not a return from the past but a loan from the future.

116

the drawing board / 2019

SECOND RUNNER-UP

WATER AS A CONNECTING THREAD Ravi Varma, Vaibhavi Pujari, Ashutosh Mundada VITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PVP College of Architecture, Pune

Every Heritage is more than just a structure! These are built for specific functions, But the function fades Over time, Leaving behind the structure. Can we revive the lost function, Revive the Heritage?

117

the drawing board / 2019

SITE The site sits between the built fabric of shopping complexes, offices, labour court & slums. The Mumbai-Pune highway passes through the site. ISSUES – VISIBILITY OF TOWERS – TRAFFIC CONGESTION – HAPHAZARD PARKING – LESS PEDESTRIAN SPACE – DENSE BUILT FABRIC – UNORGANISED ACTIVITIES – SCARCITY OF OPEN SPACES – NOISE AND AIR POLLUTION SITE MOVEMENT The vehicular traffic is low in morning. It increases by the evening time as the Public transport avenues, Shoppers Stop, the Labour community’s spaces open into the same place.

118

the drawing board / 2019

119

the drawing board / 2019

CONNECT Connection plays an important role. Connection of – – Two isolated sites – People with Tower – Tower with People – People with People

PEDESTRIAN Crossing the highway becomes difficult at times. TRYING THE POSSIBILITIES

The footpaths are narrow as compared to the crowd that is too encroached by parking. WATER TOWER Currently, the Water Tower is highly visible but an isolated segment of the urban fabric with the contrasting Shoppers Stop building at the backdrop and the compounding vehicle in the fore court.

A Footover Bridge: It sometimes becomes difficult for the people and it is not used efficiently by all user-groups. The scale of the Tower gets disturbed.

WHY IS THE TOWER BEING IGNORED?

There is no buffer space around the Heritage Tower.

A Public Plaza: There is a disconnect between the Tower and people in case of subway. The space can act as a negative space at night.

The highway is not planned taking into consideration the existence of water tower.

An Underground Subway: The plaza becomes accessible to the people of all age groups and can remain functional during day as well as night.

Creates obstruction for the people walking on the footpath. Thus, the space formed around Tower acts as parking.

120

the drawing board / 2019 THE DESIGN INTERVENTION

THE FORECOURT The Water Tower acts as a backdrop to the podium in front and acts as a landmark for the urban fabric, increasing the quality of life around it.

ACCESS WAY Currently, the Tower is a obstruction to the pedestrian on the footpath so creating an access through the Tower to enable the movement through it.

ACCESSIBILITY Along with the pedestrianisation of the Plaza, public access to the site by pedestrian friendly lanes as well as enhancing the connection across the site. The upgradation of Bus Terminus in close proximity to the Plaza also provides an opportunity to meet the parking requirements within the congested Walled City.

121

A VIEWING TOWER The Tower has a staircase to access it upto the water tank. This can be used by the people as a viewing gallery of the designed podium with lot of hustling activities over it.

the drawing board / 2019

THE WATER TOWER

THE AMPHITHEATRE

THE WATER SPINE

EXHIBITIONS

122

the drawing board / 2019

THE TEMPORARY SHEDS

THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

THE WATER FOUNTAIN & SPLASH PAD

PLAY AREA FOR CHILDREN

123

the drawing board / 2019

CANTEEN

THE FLAG POST

BUS STOP

THE COMMUNITY SPACE

THE WALKING STREET

124

the drawing board / 2019

THE HERITAGE PLAZA

125

the drawing board / 2019

126

the drawing board / 2019

127

FINALIST

REANIMATION Sandeepa Vithanage, Aaqil Roofin, Dilik Abeyakoon City School of Architecture, Colombo, Sri Lanka Mentors: Architect Surangi Gunawardena & Architect Chamila Bambaradeniya

The proposal identifies heritage in resonance with tangible and intangible connections to a historic context, event or period. It emphasises that evolution of mankind today is accelerating the erasure of the past, trophies of progression and the relics of events of dissolutions; and the human of today has taken upon ourselves the responsibility of preservation and the ideology of submission to history. It is necessary to understand the significance of the convergence of the past, present and future to enable the growth

of people and places. Places and people are entities that are procreated over time. The societal integrity that follows Place-making is a crucial unquantifiable variable. This variable is the decisive element of the future of a place. The conceptual framework 01: Relocation 02: Creating an intangible imprint 03: Celebration - of space, place and plane

128

129

FINALIST

DITCH Farhan Khan R V College of Architecture, Bengaluru Mentor: Subham Somani

Architecture should move beyond serving only the human race. The situation today is such that if no action is taken, the future generation may not be able to survive. Water has become an element of destruction. When in excess, people suffer and when in dearth, people die. Man has built cities in a way the ground is not allowed to breathe. Every inch of its surface is getting sealed with a thick layer of concrete. The water thus unable to meet the ground, displays its displeasure in various forms. In this age of time, water has become an element to fight for. Hence, unless and until we allow the amalgamation of the earth and the fluid, we cannot service this lonely planet for long.

The site in Pune is an ideal context to demonstrate the principle to the world. The water Tower which at some point of its healthy life served a group of people is now transformed in a way that it will serve the city as a whole. During the peak monsoon, the water is channelled into the recharge well dug into the ground. The undulation created in the terrain acts like catchment area. During the summers, the same terrain transforms into a playground and during monsoons the whole area transforms into a lake bed allowing the water to seep into the water table.

130

131

the drawing board / 2019

FINALIST

IN.BETWEEN.CLOISTER Hashwanth Ram, Divakara Murthy R V College of Architecture, Bengaluru

The idea was to create an entity which represents the Water Tower, both in terms of function and form which was frozen back in time and completely neglected during current era, thereby creating reminiscence of the past and also engages with the crowd and their activities. In order to create a new, collective memory, the Tower is rehabilitated and forms the focal point by converging the movement of public towards it.

free flowing plan and creates nodes for informal gathering. The cloister provides a shaded area for stalls and public gathering, by establishing a path within the existing movement and without altering the vegetation, levels are played with to encourage transition and nodal gathering.

Heritage structures tend to evoke a memory of time so as to carry forward the experience, the module was designed based on proportion of the Tower which creates an illusion of the proposed as the extension of the past. The module is repeated to form a cloister which inhabits the public space. These cloisters create a dialogue with the Water Tower. Hence, the Water Tower acts a metaphor between the past and present. The proposal comprises of recreation space on the ground floor which integrates itself with the moving population on the either side of the road and built space is moved onto the first floor which enables

The water management is the primary factor in design of the modular configuration which allows water harvesting to a maximum area and acts as a recreational garden space. This collected water is given back to the slums within the vicinity of the Tower and raised platforms encourage gathering and functionally serve as a slab for the sump tank. The Tower is brought to life by supporting its intended function rather than supplying to the existing bungalow; instead, it serves the slum and community which will thus create a balance. Hence, the synonym IN BETWEEN CLOISTER which represents within and without, tangible and intangible nature of the module and which conveys the meaning of a sustainable cycle.

132

the drawing board / 2019

133

FINALIST

CENTRIPETAL Rahul Kustagi, Vismaya N, Sourav JK Wadiyar Centre For Architecture, Mysuru

The design deliberates on the notions of ‘Transit’ and ‘Centripetal’. Have we ever paused in our busy dynamic lives to admire the beauty that surrounds us? This heritage Tower that lies amidst the highways and IT buildings constantly goes un-admired. The intent is to bring back the focus and relevance of this structure by designing a catalyst, “transitional space” where one can take a break, read, eat, learn, unlearn, entertain and recreate. All these activities are the ones that happen ‘in-between’ our busy scheduled lives.

An underground walkway, open air theatre, kiosks, exhibition spaces and information centre is derived on the principles of a platform for all user groups, undivided and unified, which acts as one space for multiple functions, emerges as a catalyst to inform and implement, with the Tower as a marquee, a subway (vehicular or pedestrian), varying volumes, screening the building to recenter the focus on the Tower, the idea of non-building, a circular or elliptical OAT, a degree of enclosure and informals carts and kiosks.

134

the drawing board / 2019

135

FINALIST

SANVAD Harish Rikame, Shreya Kalbhor, Yukta Gandhi Trinity College Of Architecture (TCOA), Pune

Keeping in mind the design of an intervention that calibrates an appropriate interval of spaces, naturalness and tranquility, the concept of this design creates a transcendental visual link between existing and new activities, and the context. A programme is composed based on a carefully derived shadow analysis, and patterns of occupation are created. The cafeteria, knowledge gallery, amphitheatre are oriented to imbibe the qualitative performance set

by the design. The site zoning allows for proper access and positioning for the bus stop, while allowing for barrier-free pedestrian movement. Ramps are provided for disabled people to have a glance at the Tower and a zen view is created. The seating space of a cafe is projected cantilevered over the retail shops to give the feeling of openness with the help of existing vegetation. The orientation of the seatings in the cafĂŠ are towards the Tower. A new set of activity cycles with a newer sense of identity is created.

136

the drawing board / 2019

137

FINALIST

PRAMEYA Siddharth Sudharm Waze, Saqib Mulla, Abhishek Naik Dr D Y Patil College of Architecture, Kolhapur

The design was inspired by images which show the mental connectivity which is maintained. Inspired by this thought, we implemented our design process. The thought process was carried out by three principles: IDEALISM-REALISM-NOMILALISM The design wanted to involve people in the space and to make the 140 year old Water Tower more significant and stand as a symbol of strength and power. The form evolves from the thought that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Knowledge is Infiniteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and continuous. So, to make people mentally attracted

138

to the space, spaces were created which were organic, which brings together the two divided sites - a continuous form which resembles that knowledge is infinite. The organic lines starting from the Water Tower resemble the path of the people and the wall where they experience the importance of sustainability and also divides the structure from the contrasting building. Organic form makes one clear of were they are and makes them automatically walk through the spaces created.

the drawing board / 2019

139

the drawing board / 2019

140

the drawing board / 2019

VISUALISING THE EVALUATION PROCESS Comic by The Leewardists

141

142

2019

â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; interviews & testimonials 143

JURY / INTERVIEW

ERNESTO BEDMAR Q: What was your reaction to the spectrum of work you saw as submissions to The Drawing Board competition? Were you happy with the cross-section or did you think that a lot of it was missed out on? What were the kind of responses you anticipated for the competition at a student level? What themes would you have like the students to explore more?

through this selection, for the kind of brief and site that was put forth? EB: My key concern is that the students must understand the true value and relevance that a historical site/building has in relation to the city; a city without a past is irrelevant, every historical building deserves to be addressed and enhanced.

EB: In general, it was a good spectrum of work, from the safe to the very intellectual, as happened to be the Sri Lankan team.

Q: As a member of the Jury, what do you think is the significance of the process and recognition that such a competition represents for the students?

Some of the groups put more emphasis on the general components of the brief (the activities) instead of the relevance of the Tower with its value as a historical site.

EB: Extremely important, this type of competition makes the students aware of many different points, not often taught to them. They become aware of urban issues, historical elements, landscape spaces, plus the relationship of us - humans with the environment that surrounds us, a complex intermix of factors that needs attention.

Many groups were not able to handle, to manipulate the existence of the big road in front of the Tower therefore the project degenerated into heavy shades and components taking the attention from the Tower as the important component. Q: While evaluating this work through the process of having a dialogue with the participants on stage, what were the key concerns or issues that you thought must be addressed

Q: Could you share your thoughts on the consideration of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Heritageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in architecture and development of the urban fabric?

144

the drawing board / 2019 / interviews

EB: A city without history is not a memorable city. The heritage of any place, like it or not, forms a part of the DNA of the people of the city, and it enables us to trace all aspects of the culture of the place.

of architecture in India? EB: I was excited to see the entry of the students of Sri Lanka; it was totally intellectual, this type of approach opens our imagination and enriches the participants tremendously, by not creating boundaries to our imagination, several good points can be learned. The approach may not be realistic to the building in question but open many different points of view and questions never asked before.

Q: Is it relevant and important for students to participate in competitions (such as these or otherwise) of a certain nature and scale? What can we do to make this more rewarding and engaging?

As a general opinion, I do appreciate students that have more intellectual response to problems in question. At the end of the day, it is an exercise in which all the senses should be applied.

EB: It is extremely relevant to have these type of competitions, they give the students the chance to participate and enhance their commitments to the place they live or study, give them a chance to participate, if yet only intellectually, on decisions that involve the city and engage them in the process of making. The scale of these competitions must be maintained small to allow students to grab all the elements necessary in the competitions.

Specifically I appreciate the work done by the students who came in second position, their solution was a mixture of idealistic and realistic terms that gave the project an overall good intervention, they were able to tackle the urban problem very well, as well as the historical relevance of the Tower, unfortunately they did not take into account the existing greenery.

Q: Any other critique/comment/suggestion on the idea of The Drawing Board Competition, the process and the initiative? Any concluding thoughts for the participants, and other students

ERNESTO BEDMAR, BEDMAR & SHI

145

JURY / INTERVIEW

PALINDA KANNAGARA Q: The theme for this year’s competition was ‘Reviving a Lost Heritage’. It was sitespecific, focusing on the aspects of a heritage Water Tower, and invited students to create a Knowledge Centre. What were your initial thoughts when you read the brief?

PK: It was nice to see the different solutions that students had come up with and the different approaches that international and national students had taken. It was good that they had gone beyond the brief, and looked at integrating the society into their proposals.

PK: When I first read the brief, I found it very interesting and it was a good challenge for the students. It was fascinating to see how the urban fabric had been built around this heritage building without taking it into consideration. It was a good opportunity for the students to recognise this and use this exercise in relation to other monuments.

Q: While evaluating this work through the process of having a dialogue with the participants on stage, what were the key concerns or issues that you thought must be addressed through this selection?

Q: What was your reaction to the spectrum of work you saw as submissions to The Drawing Board competition? What were the kind of responses you anticipated for the competition at a student level?

PK: The main issue was that they should respect the historical context while giving a contemporary solution and it should be an out-of-the-box idea. Q: As a member of the Jury, what do you think is the significance of the process and recognition

146

the drawing board /2019 / interviews

that such a competition represents for the students?

can we do to make this more rewarding and engaging?

PK: It is good to be part of a competition like this as students will be able to develop their thinking process and improve their designs with the feedback they get from the jury. It allows them to be open to a wider spectrum of ideas and open up their vision, and to see what other students are doing.

PK: If possible, the participants should be allowed to visit the site and share their videos and photos via a social media group on either Facebook or Whatsapp. It would also be good for the public to give their feedback and be involved in the design. Q: Any concluding thoughts for the participants, and other students of architecture in India?

Q: Could you share your thoughts on the consideration of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Heritageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in architecture and development of the urban fabric? PK: Heritage is important as it helps us have an understanding of our past, and the lessons we can learn to apply to contemporary living. We should take heritage structures into consideration when developing the urban fabric with how they respond to the context instead of having development for the sake of it with no consideration to the historical context of our cities. Q: Is it relevant and important for students to participate in competitions (such as these or otherwise) of a certain nature and scale? What

PK: As we have seen through the competition, It is important to take into consideration the site and the context when designing and to be open to new contemporary ways of thinking and designing.

PALINDA KANNANGARA, PALINDA KANNANGARA ARCHITECTS

147

JURY / TEAM / INTERVIEW

SANJAY MOHE Q: How did the inception of this endeavour come about?

of Pune. This helped in discussions on identifying an appropriate site. That is how it all started.

SM: We always pondered upon bringing awareness of good architecture within the city of Pune which has a large number of architecture students. During one such discussion, Suhas Lunkad of Rohan Builders proposed to formalise this and give it a certain direction which led to the idea of holding a Competition. Since the students have to take part in this competition in addition to their college submission, the brief had to be something that would advocate them to partake in the competition. The scale of the programme had to be small, idea centric, and site-specific. The students should be able to see the site, experience, absorb rather than something hypothetical. Avinash and Yatindra who hailed from Pune had done their study on the local fabric

Q: How do you arrive at a certain brief? SM: The brief is arrived at after going through a lot of discussions. While discussing this particular context, I recalled reading about a brief set up by Ar Charles Correa which was published in Mimar magazine. It was an odd-shaped site with a description of the entire family structure and a goat. The description exuded certain warmth and also gave a different dimension to think. The site for the first brief in 2016 was in Puneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tambat Ali which was a narrow plot was connecting two streets which were at different levels. The idea of this brief was to

148

the drawing board /2019 / interviews

create awareness about the dying craft and an opportunity to revive by using it in architecture or any other form. Unfortunately, lack of opportunity is driving the coppersmiths who have excelled in this craft for generations together, to change professions. The skill just dies. This is already the case of many such crafts. So, it was important to bring in the awareness amongst the students and thus the idea of having a workshop at the lower level and their residence along with a place to rent out at the upper level was incorporated in the brief. This led the students to look at and analyse the streetscape and existing buildings around, the importance of having windows from the floor level was nice. This is a very ubiquitous sight in Nashik houses and street fabric. Some of the students from Nashik had incorporated this element in the design in a very contemporary way.

And hence there is more participation from Pune students. Now that the awareness and participation are spreading across, the question of whether it has to be restricted to Pune should be looked at which is a difficult decision to make. The Head of the Departments of Pune colleges gives the students the freedom to work on this competition. Whether a similar approach would be the case from colleges in a city like Bengaluru, is something that we are unsure of. The intention is to make the student aware of the context to come up with a very strong and workable idea. If anyone can think of some interesting problems, you may get in touch with us.

Q: Between Mindspace Architects and Rohan Builders, how does the setting of the brief take place? How is a location selected?

SM: The first two times when I spoke about the brief, I realised that too many clues were given. It was to indicate that one has to look at all those aspects while designing and was not meant to be a clue or emphasis on a certain kind of approach. The essence of the competition is the local context and the guidelines which are to be followed to

SM: Setting up the brief is completely done by Mindspace. The architectural part is left to us. So far, we have looked at the location as Pune.

Q: When setting the brief, is there a certain emphasis or insistence on a certain kind of approach?

149

the drawing board / 2019 / interviews

respond to that context. Eventually as a Jury, we get to see only 10 shortlisted entries whereas the entries run into hundreds. It is a very difficult process to eliminate and shortlist ten with the right representations of the idea from the many good entries that come in. Q: What is the internal review process? How do you select the jurors? SM: We would come up with few options for the programme, brief and discuss in office. We try and get as much information about the site and context before finalising one. For the last one with the Tower, it was important to understand the history of the Tower. A professor from Pune who Avinash knew gave some leads which helped us in getting the data about the Tower. Some initial work happens through student contacts. Rohan Buildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; team will then hire a professional to photograph and video shoot the site at different times of the day capturing various activities that happen all along. We started thinking of bringing in International jurors. We were sure Ar Palinda would agree. But we were unsure if Ar Bedmar would, but are glad that he did agree. Now that it has started, others will also start coming in. Q: What is the process like? SM: One of the processes is when the jury for one participant is going on, the nine others are not allowed to witness the process as they would get influenced by the jurorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reaction. But on the contrary, they would learn much more if they are allowed to be a part of the process.

Q: For 2019, how did you come to select the site of the Tower in Pune and what kind of responses were you anticipating? SM: We have been seeing the Tower for the last 10-15 years. It just feels so isolated. You see it when you drive past and then it is forgotten. Now, the glass structure has become its backdrop. Even the previous year, we were thinking if this could be used for the competition. There was very limited space near the tower. We were unsure about how to frame the programme. While we pondered about this, the thought of using the space on the opposite side of the road occurred. There was a huge potential of connecting these two parcels of land. But we did not want to give away the clue of whether it should an underground connection or overhead connection. Hence 6m parameter of above, and below ground was set. Here, the idea was to create awareness on the importance of heritage and but respond to suit the present contemporary context. I think the response was good. We got almost ten different approaches to the problem. The participants have a specific time limit for submission. But after the initial shortlisting, 10-15 days is given to elaborate the idea and present it to the jury. So a lot of work is done during this time. There is a flexibility of slight deviation and change the approach from the initial submission. Q: How do you foresee the competition evolving in future? SM: To begin with, the idea was to create awareness amongst the students. As far as our

150

the drawing board /2019 / interviews

office is concerned that was the sole intention. The problem should be easy for the student to work on. The programme should be such that the student should not end up with too much of survey, analysis and complexity. It is all about coming up with powerful ideas. That is why the next second problem was even more interesting than the first one. The site was near Holkar Bridge along the Ghats below. The setting excited us whenever we passed by. There is the fixed slab of the bridge, there is ground with Ghats, and there is water where the level varies. The space above the water gets compressed during the rainy season and expands during the rest of the year. The idea was about expansion and contraction. There is access to a large piece of land which shrinks during the rainy season. The design of the boutique shop and restaurant had to respond to this with some relation to the existing shrine. Since it was a small triangle where the land was flat, we said parking for 2-3 cars and 4-5 bikes, so one could park and walk down. We got some nice responses for this programme. Not just in

terms of architecture but the use of technology as well, which was very interesting. As long as the standard keeps going up and people get inspired by the work, I think that itself is a success, more than looking at the number of participants. Here, the scale becomes very important. It is easy to comprehend if the scale is small. The moment it becomes larger, a lot of time and effort goes into analysis. In JJ (College of Architecture), we used to have a day problem. It was called ESKI. I am not sure where that word came from. It used to be there from the first year. Our seniors would always talk about it and I always found it interesting. A problem is given in the morning and by evening 5 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; clock, the ideas and design have to be ready. This made us completely focus on it and come up with ideas. It was more of an idea based design problem.

SANJAY MOHE, MINDSPACE ARCHITECTS

151

TEAM / INTERVIEW

NARESH MEDAPPA Q. Could you give us a background on your involvement with The Drawing Board? Please share with us the beginnings of The Drawing Board Competition. What prompted this undertaking? NM: When the Drawing Board competition was conceived about five years back and discussions started happening in our office about setting up of the programme for the competition, we had gotten very excited about it. Mohe would ask our opinions, and we would start imagining the context and the stories to be built around it. We would discuss at length and the process of arriving at the right programme with the location was quite exciting. This was an opportunity to challenge young minds to come up with creative ideas. Q. What are some of the defining moments that you think have happened for this competition? What have been some of the challenges and opportunities? NM: I think the direction of the competition was defined in the first year. The context was chosen in a comparatively older settlement where any intervention had to connect the past and the present, in a very compact site. So, it was an opportunity for the student to come up with a creative solution bound to the site, surroundings, culture and climate. The context driven programme of the first year set the tone and in subsequent years, this was improved upon.

Q. What is the general process for setting the brief? And what is the process of evaluation? While evaluating this work through the internal reviews or onstage discussions, what are some of the key concerns or issues that you think should be addressed through this selection, for the general kind of briefs and sites that are put forth? NM: The idea of the competition was to engage the students in a process of studying local traditions and culture that have evolved to become intrinsic to these places and translate the learnings into architectural spaces. Of course, the other aspects of climate, understanding the scale and forming their own sub-programme were all important. The brief should allow the students to bring in their own story into the programme. The first evaluation or rather elimination process of selecting ten entries from about 120/130 entries is a Herculean task. Before starting the evaluation process, we would have thought of a few approaches for the design. It is always a surprise to see some of the design solutions which we would not have thought about, which is exciting. Q. With respect to the 2019 brief, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Reviving a Lost Heritageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or any other, what was your reaction to the spectrum of work you saw as submissions to The Drawing Board competition? What were the kind of responses you anticipated for the competition at a student level? What

152

the drawing board / team themes would you have liked the students to explore more?

a different level.

NM: ‘Reviving a Lost Heritage’ gave a new dimension to this competition series. There were multiple challenges thrown out in this programme with the Tower being the focus, but having the highway and commercial complex almost attached to the tower. I expected design approaches that would connect the various activities at an elevated level above the highway. But surprisingly, there were many designs that proposed connections below road level. Some of the design solutions lowered the road and connected horizontally. You would get this kind of out-of-the-box thinking, and that is the intent of the competition.

Q. How do you visualise the way forward for this illustrious initiative?

Q. What do you think is the significance of the process and recognition that such a competition represents for the students? Is it relevant and important for students to participate in competitions (such as these or otherwise) of a certain nature and scale? What can be done to make this more rewarding and engaging? NM: I feel this is a fantastic opportunity for students to express themselves. Imagine the opportunity to be able to present their ideas to architects like Ar Palinda Kannangara, Ar Ernesto Bedmar and Ar Sanjay Mohe on one platform. It would be an amazing opportunity and would be a very good learning experience. An open programme is an opportunity for students to express their ideas compared to a more structured one that they would encounter which is mostly bound by the University syllabus. a) An opportunity to present their ideas to some of the most experienced architects would enhance their knowledge as well as confidence. b) They also get to learn from other students’ works from different colleges.

NM: The journey till now for both Rohan Builders and Mindspace has been quite interesting. Every year the standard of this competition has been getting better. Over the years, you can see the enthusiasm of the students growing and the entries are much more exciting. Students nowadays are getting carried away with a lot of stuff they see on the Internet. This kind of a competition where context is very important makes them think in a different way. Ultimately, it is about challenging the students with programmes that would bring out the best creativity in them and they would definitely respond to these challenges. Hope to see that the initiative encourages a lot of students to bring out the best in them. Q. Any concluding thoughts for the participants, and other students of architecture in India? NM: This might be cliched…but I would like to repeat it to student participants. It does not matter if you win or not. But the process you go through and the learning that happens, is very important. The jurors invited to these events are sensitive designers and the guidance that the students get from these events is very important at the student level. In the long run when the students evolve themselves into young architects, this is what they would carry apart from what they learn at schools. That is the reason I feel that this event is especially important from the students’ point of view. Q. Any other comment on the process, or about Rohan Builders and Mindspace or about The Drawing Board? Any key takeaways for Mindspace as organisers of this initiative?

Q. Any other critique / comment / suggestion on the idea of The Drawing Board Competition, the process and the initiative? NM: It would be nice if all the competing students get to hear the comments by the jury. Because of the format, the students who have not presented would not get to hear the comments by the jury on other competitor’s works.

NM: We at Mindspace have enjoyed being a part of the Drawing Board competition. Rohan Builders have encouraged architects like us to express our creativity in the project and are able to market it in their own innovative ways. Their pursuit to encourage students to present their creative ideas on a larger platform to some of the best minds in architecture is a laudable initiative.

Another observation I have is that sometimes all the jurors will have similar views. This will be an advantage as far as the students are not confused about affirmation of their approach. But sometimes when you have a juror who would have a very contrasting idea and contradictory comments, the end result of the discussion could be taking the learning to

NARESH MEDAPPA, MINDSPACE ARCHITECTS

153

the drawing board / team

TEAM / INTERVIEW

SWETHA A Swetha A graduated from Bangalore Institute of Technology in 2004. She has worked with Ar Kukke Subramanya and Ar Dominic Dube for a brief period before joining Mindspace in 2006. She went on to become an Associate Partner, and later on, a Partner in 2018.

The Drawing Board competition by Rohan Builders is a great platform for students to respond to real world challenges, to better understand the connection between architecture and the city, to urge students to bring a connect between habitable space and the genius loci. We at Mindspace, while defining the competition brief under the guidance of Mr Mohe, are always excited to nudge students to distil abstract architectural concepts into context and climate sensitive design. This has been very exciting for us since there is so much to learn in the process. With the first competition brief set in the street of Tambat Ali of Pune, the idea was to understand the importance of a dying craft and how architectural spaces can influence a revival of the craft.

With rapidly growing urbanisation, it is important for the students to understand and respect the heritage of a place and integrate it with the urban fabric, respect the context of a heritage structure but propose solutions with a contemporary approach. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Revival of the Lost Heritageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was formed with this intent. We got some exceptionally good entries that explored different perspectives. We also make sure that the programme is of the right scale so that all aspects of the design development are touched upon by the students. The discussions at Mindspace that happen over topics and details of the competition briefs are all captured succinctly, and the programme and core idea of the brief is communicated in a manner that is informative and easy to understand without giving away too many clues.

In the second edition, the idea was to be sensitive of the immediate context â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the presence of an old bridge, a small shrine and ghats along the water; the changing equation between the land and water - water increases and land shrinks during monsoon and land increases and water shrinks during the other seasons. With this, the intent was to briefly introduce technology for tackling the variations between land and water, in addition to the context.

It is amazing how the team at Rohan Builders has come up with ideas of drone videos so that students from outside of Pune understand the context, site, and surroundings.

Similarly, with the third edition of the competition in addition to relating to the context of the Parvati Hill, shrine, fla pole and to enhance the spirit of the already vibrant place, we wanted them to get an idea of designing for multifunctionality using available resources.

We hope to continue to set exciting and challenging programmes for the forthcoming editions. It is exciting to see the passion and enthusiasm of the team at Rohan Builders to put this event together so professionally, and we wish to see this becoming a premier event for students on a global level.

It is a rare platform for students to present their ideas to stalwarts of the architectural fraternity, to interact with them, get their advice and to be guided by them. It is an equally good learning platform for us as well.

154

the drawing board / team

TEAM / INTERVIEW

YATINDRA PATIL Yatindra Patil graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Dr D Y Patil College of Architecture in Pune in 2010. He worked with Mindspace Architects in Bengaluru under the guidance of Architect Sanjay Mohe from 20102019. Thereafter, he established his own practice, ‘Craft Narrative’ based out of Pune in February 2020 with Ar Avinash Ankalge & Ar Vijay Kharade.

The Drawing Board Competition for architectural students was initiated with the Intent to ‘inspire students to enroll in creative world’. The entire competition pivots around the competition brief. Along with Mindspace architects, we were fortunate to be a part of the brief design team. ‘Complement the past & contribute to future ways of living’ remains a core concern while designing the competition brief. The sensitive, simple & intelligent approach to the existing context is a vital evaluation criteria for shortlisting the entries. For this edition, ‘Reviving a Lost Heritage’, we received diverse design approaches, so it was a great learning experience for us. We enjoyed

the way participants think deeply or carefully about the neglected historical water Tower, existing trees, heavily trafficked road & came up with an appropriate solution for the urban fabric. The Drawing Board competition will be a rewarding experience for all the participants. As this forum gives them an opportunity to interact & showcase their design abilities in front of eminent architects, I feel one can learn so many lessons from diverse design approaches to the same design problem. The most engaging aspect of TDB is the realistic design brief, that encourages participants to improve the design skills at grass-roots level. I appreciate the passion and enthusiasm of the team at Rohan who organise this Competition and my best wishes for the upcoming edition.

155

the drawing board / team

Q: What are some of the defining moments that you think have happened for this competition? What have been some of the challenges and opportunities?

TEAM / INTERVIEW

AVINASH ANKALGE Avinash Ankalge pursued his Bachelor of Architecture from Dr D Y Patil College of Architecture in Pune. He worked with Mindspace Architects in Bengaluru under the guidance of Architect Sanjay Mohe from 2010-2019. Thereafter, he established his own practice, ‘Craft Narrative’ based out of Pune in February 2020 with Ar Yatindra Patil & Ar Vijay Kharade.

Q: Could you give us a background on your involvement with The Drawing Board? AA: We, along with Mindspace Architects, Bengaluru (I left Mindspace office last year having worked there for ten years), during this period and for all 4+ years under the guidance of Architect Sanjay Mohe Sir and Mindspace team and the team at Rohan Builders, were involved in selecting the subject/topic and framing the relevant brief / programme for the subject, the selection of site, requirement etc. We used to review the submission requirements, selection of Jury members in accordance to the topic, and see which Jury could give relevant guidance or is specialised in the subject. For example, last year we had asked Architect Marina Tabassum since the topic was about social development of the people near Parvati Hills, Pune. Architect Marina has done similar work in the field so her evaluation of the entries and the guidance for students was very helpful. Responding to the FAQ-related queries for students, and along with the Jury members + Mindspace team + Rohan team co-ordinating for shortlisting the primary level entries for the finals etc also is a part of this.

AA: The main challenge every year is always about how to give a specific problem to the students. It needs to always be a new topic, and of various fields and scale. In the first year, it was about a Craftsman Residence + Gallery + workshop in an old settlement in Pune, and the year later, it was on the one of the oldest Ghats of Mula Mutha river in Pune, and in the 3rd year, it was about the social development of a few communities in the slum areas, and last year, it was about more about addressing an urban form where a heritage building was totally neglected in an urban chaos. We always try to refine the subject of solving a particular problem, and giving an appropriate solution for it. Most of the times, all these topics are selected as live sites. The idea behind giving a live site is not just about designing and arriving at a solution, but additionally to raise general awareness about problems / issues in the cities amongst the architecture students and the general public, how everyone can come together, and how architecture can give solutions to that particular real subject. With respect to this, not only students of architecture but also general public and allied fields such as Landscape, Urban Design, Product Design, Art, Sculpture, people from various disciplines can come together and discuss about the present issues in our cities. The opportunities that we are looking forward to with this TDB platform, and with help of Rohan builders and Mindspace is that, ‘can a particular topic be implemented as an actual future working model?’. May be, we should follow up and get into this more so that the entries from students do not only remain as documents but we could try to see opportunities for the future if all these ideas can be implemented in reality in the cities so that the solution becomes live - that is where the idea of giving a real site started. Q: What is the general process for setting the brief? And what is the process of evaluation? AA: As I mentioned earlier, every year for the subject we see what are the current issues / problems in the cities and if there is a chance that this TDB platform can give solutions for these

156

current issues in the cities with the help of a students’ competition. At first, we shortlist a few topics in discussion with Mohe Sir + Mindspace team + Rohan team. We all brainstorm on all these shortlisted topics and arrive at one appropriate topic as per the site conditions, with all the data of the site, its proximity with respect to access and convenience for students from other states, as well as the scale of the project for undergraduate level architecture students. Once we select a live site with a real problem, the competition becomes real not only for sake of the entries, but we have seen the students’ response evolve over the years once we give them the live topic. The topic and the site selection happens in a simultaneous process; a few times it has happened that we have arrived at a particular site and evaluated a brief so selecting the topic and the related site is very important decision. Sometimes, we understand the background of the site as well to provide more information to the students and brief them about history of that place. Once the site and topic is selected, we undertake proper measurement and working drawings exercise of the site with all necessary measurements, photographs, drone shoots and all the necessary information about the site. Q: With respect to this year’s brief, ‘Reviving a Lost Heritage’ or any other, what was your reaction to the spectrum of work you saw as submissions to The Drawing Board competition? What were the kind of responses you anticipated for the competition at a student level? AA: Every year the response from the students is always energetic. We have seen the graph is increasing year by year. We have observed that once we shortlist first stage entries, we arrive at ten entries for the final stage. One of the Jury members writes a mail to each of the ten shortlisted student teams about how he can think more or indicates a few guidelines about how it can be improved on - just to give them a direction, not to give a solution but so that collectively, they can work more on the representations etc.

the drawing board / team

Students bring a variety of ideas about the same topics, and for us also, it was a good learning experience to see so many solutions for one topic. Few ideas were very unique which we also never anticipated this year. Every year, we always make sure that the ten shortlisted entries for final presentations will have different ideas so that each solution can be brainstormed on, discussed to take it further, and to create a level of interest and curiosity and to explore how a single topic can have so many varying, and different solutions to one problem. We always expect a more detailed submission to reflect on one idea, more for the jury members and general public. Some times, what happens that a idea of a few students is very strong but their idea lacks presentation, may be because of the time constraint or or overlapping academic schedules, so we may guide them for the final stage. Q: What do you think is the significance of the process and recognition that such a competition represents for the students? Is it relevant and important for students to participate in competitions (such as these or otherwise) of a certain nature and scale? AA: We think it is a very good platform for students and we should encourage them to participate in this or any other competitions. We always try to frame the real problems or issues so that the students become aware about cities, neighbourhoods, communities, environments that they are living in or are surrounded by and how architecture can help them to understand these issues and arrive at an approach to solve it. We feel the team at Rohan and TDB platform is encouraging and creating this practical awareness amongst all architecture colleges in India, so that students can get more engaged in real, practical problems rather than only studying the syllabus. They should get more engaged in these activities so that they are always connected to real issues with academics plus practice. So they should balance the Academic + Practice + Practical life addressing these issues at a city level which will make them not only good and sensible architects but sensitive citizens and they can raise awareness within the society. TDB is a great platform to do so. The best part about this year was that we got entries from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

etc so we are now getting the entries across the globe. It is good to look forward to, making it an international level platform and encourage students more and more. Q: Any other comment / suggestion on the idea of The Drawing Board competition, the process and the initiative? AA: Only one suggestion, we can think is from coming years onwards, if we can have participation of or engage other creative fields specialised people such as product designers, photographers, writers, actors urban designers as secondary jury members along with primary juries of architects so it may widen up the vision and goal of this competition. May be, a few government officials such as the Mayor of a particular city can be invited for the finals so that by engaging with them, we can see the possibilities of or get an opportunity to implement a few of the ideas in reality so it remains associated as a live competition rather than just a studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; competition. Otherwise the co-ordination, and the way the Rohan team takes initiatives and as an organising committee, is a great team effort. Q: How do you visualise the way forward for this illustrious initiative? AA: This is a wonderful idea to document all these entries and make archival of all the drawings so that the students will get more encouragement. Not only for the former winning entries but it will boost up the future entries in the coming years to do something good for our neighbourhoods and environments. The archival part will also give us a collection of ideas where in the future a particular idea can be implemented through participation of Government bodies. It can also become a good document to refer for architecture colleges across country. Q: Any concluding thoughts for the participants, and other students of architecture in India? AA: I think we are also students. What we all should do is, instead of just engaging in college activities, we should start looking at issues or

157

problems around our own neighbourhoods and cities in a practical way. Most of the colleges lose that balance of the practical and the academic. I think colleges should start promoting these ideas to engage students more in practical and real issues rather than solely sticking to books and theories. Just remember what Charles Correa said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;architecture cannot be taught but it can be learntâ&#x20AC;? and we need to address the real issues about our cities - that is where we get a chance to grow. Q: Any other comment on the process, or about Rohan Builders and Mindpsace or about The Drawing Board? AA: Rohan Builders + Mindspace - are giving students a really great platform through TDB. It is a great opportunity for students to address real issues.

AVINASH ANKALGE

the drawing board / testimonials

TESTIMONIALS JURORS, PARTICIPANTS, OBSERVERS

“Getting selected from so many entries and students is really great; it gave us confidence which will remain throughout our life.” Prasad Somvanshi, Rushikumar Chaudhari Winners, The Drawing Board 2017

Reflections and representations on the process, the credibility and experience.

“The Drawing Board is an amazing learning experience that helps students prepare better for their career in architecture”.

“It is a really interesting format. Students really excel and they are also put to a test because there are no ready solutions that are being asked.”

Pushkar Kanvinde Principal, BKPS College of Architecture

Soumitro Ghosh Mathew and Ghosh Architects

“I think it is a wonderful initiative that Rohan Builders and Mindspace has created, especially the brief was wonderful. I really wish it would continue and it would really make a difference, especially in the young minds.”

“This is the second year in running, and BNCA is delighted to host teams not just from Pune, not just from panIndia but also from Sri Lanka. Students approaching a live site – this is a wonderful opportunity that Rohan Builders has provided to the students across India, and next year we will go SAARC. We are trying to merge academia and the industry. I am really happy to be associated with Rohan Builders and The Drawing Board and look forward to many more years with this.”

Marina Tabassum Marina Tabassum Architects

“I think The Drawing Board Competition is an opportunity for young minds to explore, express and evolve.”

Mahesh Bangad Assistant Professor, Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture, Pune

Prasanna Desai Prasanna Desai Architects

158

the drawing board / testimonials

“I really encourage the students to be probably as imaginative or I can say as a wild as possible to be able to be able to create things. I think the competition was excellent, it was a wonderful platform for all young people to participate and as I said earlier is not only about showing your skills as a sort of a future architect but that gives you the ability to be confronted by a very wide sort of public.”

“The level of expertise of the jurors and the experience that they have, is always something that we get to learn from.” Sharmen Mehta, Siddhant Manpara, Akshay Patel from ITM SAAD First Runners-up, The Drawing Board 2019

“In the times, when we want to create more awareness about the meaning of heritage, its value, this competition plays a very important role. These are competitions where you not only learn about architecture and urban design, but in a way you also get a chance to interact with, and connect with professionals....There is no winning or losing here, there is only participation, that is more important.”

Ernesto Bedmar Bedmar & Shi

“To introduce students so early to context, heritage, culture, and make it as a part of the brief, is itself commendable for the people who set the brief. And to carry it so consistently, from the first edition to now, that is the most encouraging thing.”

Rajesh Advani, ArchitectureLive!

Swapnil Valvatkar, Collage Architects

“Getting such a huge platform at this stage, matters a lot for a student...”

“They gave us a different perspective on how our design would be looked at by a different stakeholder. They told us which ideas were validated and we understood where we were on the right track.”

Ravi Varma, Vaibhavi Pujari, Ashutosh Mundada from VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Second Runners-up, The Drawing Board 2019

Vivek Wanarase & Sanidhya Shah from VIT’s PVP College of Architecture, Winners, The Drawing Board 2019

159

the drawing board / testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

Dr Anurag Kashyap Principal, Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture, Pune

Q. Having been part of and a witness to all the editions of The Drawing Board Competition, what is your general feedback on it? Any critique / comment / suggestion on the idea of The Drawing Board Competition, the process and the initiative?

students to something hands-on, allowing them to explore beyond the classroom environment is itself a liberating thought. The process adopted by TDB has been very methodological and also more practical than just textual approaches of the Classroom.

AK: First of all, let me put on record, that this whole initiative of bridging the gap between the industry and academia is worth all the applause.

Another important aspect is the Brief formation, which to us is the backbone of the competition. There is sincere thought given to the brief which makes it worthy of being a International Level Competition Brief. Also, the selection of Jury members has been a strong point of the competition, and I must put on record the efforts that both Mohe and Rohan Builders are putting in for this.

The Drawing Board Competition is an innovative platform created by Rohan Builders in association with our very good friend and guide, Ar Sanjay Mohe, and it has been our pleasure being associated with it since its inception. We have known both Suhasji and Moheji for years and getting associated with them has been an absolute pleasure. The competition is professionally organised and hosted by the team of Rohan Builders and Mindspace and have raised their standards by the years. In times to come, BNCA would love to be more involved with the competition, right from the brief setting stage till the publication of the final entries. To us, Rohan Builders and the TDB Team are like family, and we wish to strengthen our bonds with them all in times to come. Q. Do you wish to give an insight into BNCA’s involvement with The Drawing Board? AK: When Prof Mahesh Bangad first presented the idea of being associated with this wonderful initiative, as the Principal of BNCA, I handed over complete authority to him and gave him a go-ahead. I too was as excited as he was getting involved as the Venue Partners for the Competition. The credibility that TDB has earned over the years, makes it our priority and pride as well. In all my talks, I have always said that BNCA will officially be always available to be the host, partner in all the future ventures of TDB, and also anything else to do with Design and Architecture. The last two years have been amazing, it has been a privilege to host the wonderful Jurors, Participants and Audience at BNCA and it is a pleasure looking at such wonderful and creative work produced under the Competition banner. Q. What do you think is the significance of the process and recognition that such a competition represents for the students? AK: Primarily, the whole idea of giving a live site, introducing the

Lastly, this acts as a superb platform for the students to present their ideas, work on a real-life site and then get exposed to some tremendous work being done all over the country. Plus, they get to interact with the Jury members one on one, which adds more value to the take-aways. Q. Any comments/thoughts addressed to the participants, and other students of architecture in India? AK: I personally feel that it is time we get empowered by Technology, the digital tools and techniques. Look at the Eastern and the Western world, and get inspired to explore new trends beyond the usual beams and column structures. Students need to think and work towards the next 25 years, and look at bringing about a positive change in the domain of Architecture and create buildings that not only are iconic but habitable and more human. Its always important to be ahead in this race. They need to participate in competitions that will allow them to explore their own potential and widen their spectrum too. Q. Any other comment for the future of the initiative or Rohan Builders and Mindpsace? AK: Firstly, I would want to wish both Rohan Builders and Mindspace Architects the very best in this venture and I hope we have many more years of association in hosting The Drawing Board Competition. Also, it is my personal wish to see that this Competition reaches global audience and receives entries from all over the world. I am really happy that this publication is coming out this year and I am sure it will go a long way in realising this dream of taking our “local” to the “global” market.

160

the drawing board / partners - 2019

PARTNERS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This edition of the Competition was supported by the due outreach and efforts of our esteemed Partners.

VENUE PARTNERS MKSSS’s Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture for Women, founded in 1994 under the able leadership of Mr Avinash Wardekar and Principal, Dr Anurag Kashyap is one of the eminent architecture colleges in India.

ECOSYSTEM PARTNERS A digital media studio, Campus Times Media is a Pune-based startup with a young and passionate team on board specialising in making creative digital content.

ArchitectureLive! is an online portal open to everyone who wishes to share projects, stories, news, jobs or other information related to Architecture and Design.

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a registered society founded in 1984 with the vision to create a membership organisation to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.

Started in 1974, Venus Traders is a retailer cum supplier of Stationery goods in Pune. The stationery goods include everything from Basic Pens to Paper, Drawing Material for Art and Engineering Students to highly technical stuff for the Draftsman.

24adp® is a marketing agency with skills in managing digital ad spends and creating campaigns that mirror the core strengths of an entity. With an experience of managing 40 Mn USD in digital ads for OTT, finance and lending, real estate and ecommerce brands, the team has worked with leading national & international brands.

Design Pataki is the foremost digital design magazine in India, founded by Esha Gupta. Since inception in 2013, their focus has been to fill the void of information and streamline the conversation around design in India.

Leewardists is an urban forum which creates awareness about the importance of Design, Architecture, Sustainability and Urban Design through the medium of simple art of ‘Comics’. Prayash Printing is a comprehensive digital centre offering all printing, plotting and binding solutions and services in Pune.

Prof Mahesh Bangad, an Assistant Professor at BNCA since 2010, has been an active member of The Drawing Board Competition since the past two editions.

161

Hindustan Times 26th September, 2019 Sakal Times 03rd October, 2019 The Times of India 18th September, 2019

162

The Drawing Board and its journey over the years has been published in esteemed newspapers and several online portals. A glimpse into the archive of the media coverage it has received.

2019 163

â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in the press

the drawing board / media

Business Today 13th September, 2019

Design Today 12th September, 2018

Sakal 18th September, 2019

164

the drawing board / media

Aaj Ka Anand 25th September, 2019

Navbharat 26th September, 2019

Prabhat 25th September, 2019

Loksatta 24th September, 2019

Navrashtra 25th September, 2019

Pudhari 24th September, 2019

Maharashtra Times 28th September, 2019

Samaana 3rd October, 2019

165

Punyanagari 19th September, 2019

EMERGING THEMES NOTES ON SIGNIFICANT COMMON IDEAS FROM THE FOUR COMPETITION CYCLES

In the realm of discussions and searching of the site, a plethora of ideas and deliberations emerge. These discussions are broader tangents related to the architecture and urban framework of India.

CONTINUITIES Every site selected in The Drawing Board is rooted in realities. It analyses a real site and asks for propositions that extend the existing social and cultural fabric to develop new relationships and futures of the selected area. The quest is to seek more resources and evaluate complexities to create better environments for these sites. A place, a site, an area becomes the starting point to raise these important questions. The nature and qualitative aspects of a place as investigated through elemental programmes. Through the lens of the competition, one can closely examine the environments, experience and architectural settings to reconsider sustainable, layered, nuanced, contextual and environmentally appropriate solutions for our time.

THE THRESHOLD BETWEEN OLD AND NEW Within the pluralistic context of India, we exist with dualities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the disparity, the geographical terrains, and more prominently, the modern and the historic. Understanding of this duality in architecture has critical implications. While traditionalists are bound to the conception of preservation, the futurists are looking at radical solutions. The idea is to redefine this threshold, and to look back and forward at the same time. Many sites of The Drawing Board Competition consider the expressions of this transition, putting forward the relevance of designing in this threshold. The spatial environments need to evolve sensitively and while respecting the past, still open out to the possibilities of the future. This thinking is about outlining ideas that can be fundamentally transformative for the social and physical spaces.

PEOPLE, PLACE, COMMUNITY AND BELONGING Place and identity are inextricably bound to one another. The selected sites â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tambat Ali, or the Heritage Tower to name a few, are distinct environments that are continually shaped by the people who inhabit or use it, and their sociological contexts. Exploring the relationship between place and identity deepens our understandings of identity formation and the role of architecture in establishing or contributing to its narrative. It is a versatile concept where each student roots the reading of his/her architecture in these multiple narratives and reveals the potential ideas that can happen at various scales. The Drawing Board encourages students to move beyond the conventional associations of architecture and offer an insight into the shifting cultures and functionalities that they perceive.

166

THE VALUES OF APPROPRIATENESS In architecture, aspects of composition, form, aesthetics and proportion integrated in principles of design of a building that support and favour the existing domain are crucial. The architecture needs to be appropriate to the place, space, people, value systems, energy systems and climate. This value of appropriateness is therefore not only a necessity mandated by the competition but a suggestion to think deeper about the intention of architecture. Changes in expressions and styles have to be syncretic and the values need to imply structural, functional and material honesty. This design value is anchored by where the project is located, how it is embedded, its history, the occupation of its inhabitants, its present scenario and systems of expansion, and can provide frames of inspiration, functional clues and aesthetic forms that architects should use as a basis for their interventions.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SUSTENANCE In these times, more than ever, one needs to recalibrate their approaches in architecture to respond to the growing concerns of sustainability in the world. Sustenance here is indicated for growth as well as for preservation. Ideas that emerge from observable site studies and reflect the underlying concerns of empathetic, and considerate design become cornerstones for discussions. Whether about vernacular techniques or objectives of achieving energy efficiency, positive impacts on well-being, comfort and improved liveability for inhabitants, or about conservation efforts that are not detrimental to the surrounding ecosystem or communities, it creates for a spectrum of design strategies.

RESPONSIBLE ARCHITECTURE In the burgeoning issues that urbanisation and the world faces today, there is an urgent realisation to check the consequences of what the discipline of architecture does. An idealistic focus on intentions and serious engagement with discussions will create a community and discourse of spatial concepts and contemporary recourses we can take at the scale of a building or neighbourhood. Architecture and urban design have the ability, by using techology and rationale, to inculcate a sense of pride, belonging and shared ownership in our cities. It can co-create mutual influence, fulfillment of needs and shared emotional connection by designing interactions and awareness. The emphasis is on inclusivity, and developing a shared vision for a space.

167

PRINCIPLES

THE WAY FORWARD 2020 onwards

REAL SITES

An annual cycle, The Drawing Board will announce the problem statement every year around June.

Every year, the curatorial agenda aims to look at sites that contend with real issues and habitation, to enable students to view opportunities of imagination and representation rather than indulging in problem-solving approaches.

It intends to expand in scale and presence, over India and internationally. The idea is to influence participation of interest and vigour in projects of academic exploration and critical thinking about people and places. The attempt is also to sensitise students about core issues and values that are emerging about the built environment. In growing strength and expertise, selected jurors will address the crits in a discursive format, extending the dialogue beyond being a mere evaluation.

MENTORSHIP The competition invites the students to participate in groups guided by mentors of their choice so as to partake in an ‘apprenticed’ way of design. The goal of the programme is to expose students to aid in the development and expansion of the students’ capabilities.

As a platform, it will continue to curate a conversation with professionals, students, and the fraternity, that offers a chance of a revelation about pluralistic contexts, revivals and design concerns. Applications and suggestions are welcomed from students around the world.

INTERACTIVE JURY AND DISCUSSIONS Rather than a closed jury format, the final round of the competition open to a panel of reviewers, is inclusive and interactive. It becomes a platform for the students to present to their peers and respected professionals of the fraternity.

EXPOSURE Each programme consists of renowned architects and practictioners who take an active role in the evaluation. The event features segments where they present on their work in the field of architecture and occasionally, even an exhibition on their work.

ARCHIVE The ideas become part of an ever-evolving repository of knowledge which is accessible to students in terms of documentation and discussions. As the years progress, the format of the competition will expand to create a holistic network of students and information on issues critical to architecture and the experience of education.

168

WHY PARTICIPATE?

The Drawing Board intends to play a motivating role for students of architecture across India to excel and offer a gratification beyond a prize incentive. With a progressive approach, the objective is to make possible an opportunity for students to gain substantial exposure, showcase their ideas to eminent architects and evaluate the multiple outcomes realisable for a single site. The competition encourages the students to adopt individual convictions and develop their personal aptitude.

A PLATFORM It is an alternative forum where a student can showcase their ideas without the traditional application criteria that is often based on the level of academic excellence. The criteria of evaluation rests on the impact, context and live presentation of ideas. It is an inclusive, interactive and a live-judged event. TEAMWORK & COLLABORATION

OPPORTUNITY

The options are well-structured, and consciously designed to foster collaboration and team-work. Participants can apply in groups and in tandem, while creating the design, allocate specific skills and cohesive efforts that work well with one another.

Sites that the competition addresses are canvassing opportunities for the students to engage with ground realities within a short span of time. A student gains the opportunity to challenge oneself. It serves as an extension to their academic environments and to present a chance to apply their abilities to complex, societal and architectural questions of our time.

PEER NETWORK The platform facilitates beneficial peer comparison and creates a sense of community where the students can get together on the review day and gather multiple perspectives.

ACADEMIC EXPLORATION & MENTORSHIP The themes of the competition are directed at issues of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contemporary contexts and concerns. Concerted thought has been put to design a process that allows the students to have additional strands of knowledge and supports them to reach out to inspiring mentors who become part of their exploration. Integration of this resource helps the students place value on educational dialogues outside of their studios, and to strengthen their concepts.

IMPETUS The competition is incentivised with a cash prize for three commendations. It also receives exposure from media coverage featured in newspapers, social media channels and interdisciplinary websites. JOIN THE CONVERSATION

EXPRESS YOUR CREATIVITY

These are just a few of the broad spectrum of benefits that students can achieve in the process. The Drawing Board is a continuous process that grows and refines itself with each edition. Every year, the competition grows into this unique format with a new experience, new site and new jury. We welcome all students of architecture in India to be a part of this journey. The details of the annual cycle are available on the website â&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.thedrawingboard.in and social media platforms.

With no restrictions on conceptual exploration, the competition evolves from a simple brief and programme. The students can indulge and test their ideas in formats conducive to their preferences and representations. EXPOSURE In a worthwhile effort, the students go through three sessions of submissions and shortlisting, a sequence that outlines an experience for a totally diverse form of learning. An experienced panel of jury provides a critical analysis and review for the finalists and a student is able to collect viable feedback. It becomes a source of exposure and self-evaluation for students to help nurture their confidence and learning further. With lectures given by eminent architects, a student gets desired inspiration.

169

www.thedrawingboard.in

thedrawingboard.in

Rohan Builders India

Rohan Builders

â&#x20AC;&#x153; We are only as big as the questions we address. And this, to my mind, is the central riveting fact of life for architects in the Third World. Not the size or value of the projects we are working on, but the nature of questions they raise - and which we must confront.â&#x20AC;? - Charles Correa

170

171

172

173

Designed and Published by MATTER. ISBN: 978-81-933936-4-2

174