1. Human and wateredge

1.1 Dependency 1. Human and wateredge

The relationship between water and humankind is as old as the story human evolution

Water covers 71% of Earth‘s surface and sustains every life form on and around it.Our bodies are 70% water and we are biologically dependent on water. To satisfy that biological dependency, humans needed to locate near the water’s edge in order to sustain life. Consequently, it affected a choice between the nomadic lifestyle to sedentary lifestyle Thus, man is believed to have first settled by the water‘s edge Since ancient times, water has been given a unique status in the social and religious traditions of India. Water is referred to as ‘source of life’, ‘cleanser of sins’, ‘generator of prosperity’ and so on. In the mythological descriptions water was considered to be divine and hence worshipped as goddesses-for its use for daily rituals and ablutions, and its ability to create an environment favouring spiritual peace and contemplation (Sharma 2009)

Figure 2 / source of life / Source - Author

Figure 3 / edges as cosmological and mythological fronts / Source- Author Rationally, the pattern of flow of water, the location of local goods and the productivity of the basin area played a role in deciding the location of the settlement (Kostof, 1991). On the cosmological and mythological fronts, water also played a significant role in the urban life of the ancient world. (Wylson A. , 1986) In ancient Egypt the settlements were located on the east of the Nile, the west was considered the necropolis. In India the Ghats (the steps) on the Ganges River, the holy river of the Hindus, were the progenitors of many contemporary cities (Samant, 2004).

In India, cities were built to the north of the rivers, never to the south due to cosmological beliefs. Indians have different gods for every form of water that was reflected through the value of water in their everyday life. Water’s edge thus becomes an attractive factor where people choose to live. Later, humans have chosen to live close to water’s edge for domestic and agricultural water supply as well as for navigation purposes, which has led humans to follow the courses of water bodies during migrations and locate in proximity to rivers when establishing settlements.

1.2 Catalyst

“Throughout history human settlements have been shaped by wateredge to a great extent. From the start, civilizations have flourished, declined, and revitalized on wateredges”. lakes, canals, and on the more than 850,000 kilometres of coastline that mark the edges of the world’s continents and islands. (Cunningham, 2016) The wateredges have been shaping up on how the region appears be it be the division or the unification of a region Even at the time of Indus valley civilization, towns like Harappa and Mohanjodaro were in existence.On the basis of their evolution in different periods, Indian towns may be classified as: 1. Ancient towns.

2. Medieval towns.

3. Modern towns.

Ancient Towns - Most of them developed as religious and cultural centres on the edges of the waterbodies Varanasi is one of the important towns among these. Medieval Towns – During the medieval period. There were fort towns which came up on the wateredges itself. Among them are cites like Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Agra and Nagpur. Modern Towns - The British and other Europeans have developed a number of towns in India. Starting their foothold on coastal cities, they first developed some trading ports such as Surat, Daman, Goa and Pondicherry extending their domination either directly or through control over the princely states. They established their administrative centres, hill towns as summer resorts, and added new civil, administrative and military areas to them. Towns based on modern industries also evolved on wateredges after 1850.

1.3 Emblem – Formation of a region’s character

Water, known as “elixir of life” is fundamental sustenance of life.

Water has multifunctional roles, it can enhance and enrich a place by its mere presence. The aesthetic quality of water, which includes the visual, audial, tactual and psychological aspects, adds vibrancy and excitement to a space,

which may lead to development of the region’s character. (Timur, 2012) Even though the fundamental role of water and its edges has always been the same, its use patterns have changed through history. Above all, the unique environment generated by wateredges has become significant as symbolic spaces making the waterbody its emblem for recognition that satisfies people’s socio-cultural needs. In India, the mother river Ganges/Ganga has given birth too many cities, of which Varanasi/Kashi/Banaras has always been prominent in terms of its history, religion, culture and commerce reflecting various cultural symbols.

Figure 4 / Source AR.Jhanvi Parikh

India’s wateredges are extraordinarily diverse-ranging from lakes and ponds to marshes, mangroves, backwaters and lagoons. Cities like Udaipur, Kolkata, and Allahabad etc had a rich legacy of water bodies. Which are marked in the map. All these cities have an identity achieved due to the dominance of water as a core element. So, it can also be said that the city’s core as a whole responds to the waterbody in a certain manner.This subchapter is concerned with setting out the historical context of the wateredges. At the outset, it defines the wateredge as a contemporary phenomenon and goes back in time to illustrate its roots. The subchapter highlights the pivotal historical phases of the phenomenon and what paved the way for current wateredge identity through timeline within Indian culture.

Sustaining life Commerce/trade Industry/shipping Social, Cultural

Natural Landscape Urban Infrastructure Urban Cultural Public Domain

2. Historic association with wateredges

The association with the wateredges of varied scale from micro to macro scale generates different characteristics of the wateredges. The macro-scale wateredge i.e. (the seafront and riverfronts) that run through the city creates different forms and contains larger functions influencing larger contexts Compared to micro-scale i.e. the wells and the lakefronts

1. Wells

2.

Lakeedge

3. River

Chand Boari

Pushkar lake

Hooghly river 1.As form of art 2.Reflection of beliefs 3.Use of materials 4.Shetler 5.Community interaction 6.Indentity of the empire

1. Pilgrimage 2. Shaping the town 3. Festivals 4. Historic Value 5.Indentity of the empire

1.Fort architecture 2. Economic benefits 3.Culture amalgamation 4.Transport 5.Irrigation 6.Infrastructure 7.City flourished 8.Historic value

levels of contacts

4. Coastline

Mumbai’s coastline

1.Occupation ex- fishing 2.Living 3.Amalgamation of architectural style 4.Transport 5.Amalgamation Of culture 6.Cities flourished 7.Ecosystem 8. Infrastructure

3. Integrity

The necessity of defining any space in the built environment is based on a variety of grounds. That necessity emerges from the need to manage space and to optimize its performance, and to enable each space to fulfil its function as part of the larger jigsaw puzzle of the built and natural environments

Figure 5 (source- author)

3.1 Land forms

When the land meets water, it forms a physical layout. Because of the liquid boundary which entirely confines the extension.

The landform of the wateredge makes the space disconnect from the existing fabric. The characteristics of the land form of water’s edge can be understood by investigating two aspects.

1. The types of geometrical patterns that occur when land meets water. 2. The other is the interrelationship between the water’s edge and the water

The geometrical patterns when land meets water. There are six typical geometrical contact patterns –l) ‘Straight’, 2) ‘concave’, 3) ‘convex’, 4) ‘extension’, 5) ‘enclose’ and 6) ‘island’. The water’s edge is involved in the formation of the degree of closeness - l) ‘one sides’, 2)‘two sides’, 3)‘three sides’, 4)‘four sides’ and 5)‘surrounded’. The above two aspects, how land meets water and shapes the water’s edge, are important elements for designing wateredge space because different geometrical patterns provide the wateredge with different physical qualities and lets the user experience the wateredge differently.

One Side One Side Two Sides Three Sides Four Sides Four Sides watersurround ed

closeness

plan

Interaction

1.One way visual interaction 2.less dynamic experince 1.Linear but dynamic frontage 1.Multidirection al visual interacti on 1.Improve d interactiv e wateredg e 2.More frontage 1.protec t the watered ge from waves 1. Multidimensio nal interacti on between water and the user

1.surroun ded by water on all four sides

levels of

example contacts

sabarmarti

3.2 Facades

The Architectural response to water is not only limited to the built form but also interlinked with the psychological response. Therefore, the responses are in both ways interrelated to the other. Further, the Architectural response can be dependent on an interrelationship that depends upon the building use. E.g. If a public domain is designed, it has to ensure the security of the people along with recreational purposes, and therefore, in most cases water is made accessible physically and visually through the medium of Ghats. Similarly, if private domain it is designed then the architecture of the place would be more inclined towards providing privacy. Hence, it can be said that the change in the type of edge on the water leads to the change in the space and vice versa. The building on the water edge not only responds to water from the edge but it also responds from inside the building.

Movement experienced through the openings of facades

A transition from spaces of different characteristics can trigger changes in the activity and behaviour of the user. Movement from extremely closed to open spaces brings out a feeling of enhanced/ dramatized feeling of openness. Similarly, transitions between light and dark spaces bring change in emotions.

Figure 6 / Source - Pinterest and Author

Exploration through Playing With Facades

The placement of the opening of the facades urges the person to pause,imagine and discover. instead of the paths guiding the user the facades compels the user to explore and experience the water The facades facing lake have been designed in a way that it leads the user to certain predetermined points

Figure 7 / Taj lake palace Most of the windows placed on the lake facing wall to have the view

The placement of walls are not in the same line which the monotony hence create an interesting facade with different elements like chattris,jalis,articulation etc

3.3 Built form

In the built environment, human activities are strongly related to the characteristics of the spatial structure of the built environment and its functional setting. Different spatial structures generate different types of activities. For instance, the notion of private and public space is determined by the nature of the design of the space, which suggests that the two are used for different purposes by different people. The built environment on the wateredge is no exception. Human activities are more diverse and complex because the existence of the

wateredge dramatically influences human activity patterns compared to

inland areas. Moreover, the use of the wateredge in India requires a sensitive approach to meet user’s need. Thus, it is important to see 1) what factors influence the user’s activity patterns and 2) what types of activities take place on the successful wateredges.

Figure 8 / Source - Parshva Palkhiwala

“Forms become a decipherable expressions”

3.4 Inference

The main feature of the wateredge can be said as the physical and visual accessibility to water that also leads to a specific response to the water edge. Therefore, particular architectural elements such as Ghats, Ovara ,step-wells, and pavilions can be said as the evolution of built form with architectural conceptions along the water edge.

Figure 9 / showing the activities performed on the wateredges /source- Parshva Palkhiwala

The users play an important role in animating the wateredge to create a sociocultural ambience. (Gehl, 2009) Argued that “people are the ‘market’ for the city’s public spaces. They provide the interest and the animation for its streets and plazas”.

“Forms are derived from differences of content” . He continues that “there is no form without content. No content without form”. (Lefebvre, July 1, 2005) Thus, it is important to understand the physical characteristics of the wateredge, as a form that contains certain contents

CHAPTER 2

E x p r e s s i o n s

Figure 10 / reflections of Human settlements / Source - Autho