The Architectural Design Thesis
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR
'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
Submitted by VISHWA MUKESH PUNJABI (2017-2022)
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
A.A.E.R.T. and S.S.B.
FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE
Sarvajanik College of Engineering & Technology (SCET)
Dr. R. K. Desai Marg, Opp. Mission Hospital, Athwalines, Surat – 395 00
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Vishwa Punjabi has submitted the Final Thesis Report of Under-graduate Thesis on the subject “AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR, 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.” as a mandatory requirement for the completion of B. Arch. V. Sem X, at AAERT & The SSB, Faculty of Architecture, Sarvajanik College of Engineering and Technology (SCET), Surat, for the academic year 2017 – 2022. Her work is found to be satisfactory for the purpose.
Ar. Azmi Wadia Design Thesis Guide
Prof. Bhavna Vimawala
Prof. Mahesh Nagecha
Principal, Faculty of Architecture HOD &Thesis coordinator
Prof. Mehul Patel
Thesis Co-ordinator
Ar. Azmi Wadia Design Thesis Guide
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
Prof. Bhavna Vimawala
A.A.E.R.T. and S.S.B.
Prof. Vishal Mashruwala
Thesis Co-ordinator
Prof. Mahesh Nagecha
Principal, Faculty of Architecture HOD &Thesis coordinator
FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE
Sarvajanik College of Engineering & Technology (SCET)
Prof. Mehul Patel
Dr. R. K. Desai Marg, Opp. Mission Hospital, Athwalines, Athwalines, Surat, Gujarat- 395001
Thesis Co-ordinator
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
A.A.E.R.T. and S.S.B.
FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE
Sarvajanik College of Engineering & Technology (SCET)
Prof. Vishal Mashruwala
Thesis Co-ordinator
Dr. R. K. Desai Marg, Opp. Mission Hospital, Athwalines, Athwalines, Surat, Gujarat- 395001
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
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Academic work done in the subject of “Architectural Design Thesis” during academic year 2020-21 is a combined intellectual property of the concerned student and AAERT & The SSB, Faculty of Architecture, Sarvajanik College of Engineering and Technology, (SCET) Surat.
All the data mentioned in the thesis report/subject including text, photographs, illustrations, graphics, drawings, 3d renderings, details, names, logos, product and conclusions are the property of the institution and are protected by copyright and other form of intellectual property law.
These copyrights or intellectual property rights are in no way transferable to persons who have access to the thesis. Work compiled in this thesis report/subject cannot be reproduced, reused, copied, distributed, transmitted or published by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher and the institution.
For written consent email at: - srdc@scet.ac.in
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
No amount words would ever be enough to really express how grateful I am to my parents for their evergreen support and never-dying belief in their daughter. My mother being a support in every emotional or academic rollercoaster and my father being there for me always, whenever I needed him to help me with any construction details, even in making a model and carrying it to the final jury. My thesis wouldn’t be possible without the presence of my parents. I would also extend my gratitude to my younger brother, Priyam Punjabi and his ‘small architect’s enthusiasm’ for helping me in my models as well as helping me be awake at nights.
I express my sincere gratitude and respect to my mentor and guide (as caring as a mother and as chill as a best friend), Ar. Azmi Wadia, Faculty of Architecture, SCET for her constant guidance, motivation and inspiration to complete the thesis with full enthusiasm.
I would extend my gratitude to Dhananjay Poddar for always being there to help me finish every minute detail in my physical models as well as being a stressbuster whenever I felt low.
I thank, Prof. Bhavna Vimawala, Principal, Faculty of Architecture, SCET for encouraging me and the students throughout the academic year. I also like to thank Prof. Mahesh Nagecha, Head of Department, for his contribution in framing this interesting academic semester. Also, I would like to thank all the faculty members and administration staff at Faculty of Architecture, SCET for all the love and support.
I also extend special appreciation and gratitude to the sheer cooperation of all the rag-pickers in Amritsar, who gave responses, interviews, and their precious time to me and letting me document their house and living environments My whole hearted gratitude to Dr. CMO of Amritsar for taking out time for me and imparting valuable information which led to the ignited spark of the project.
A whole hearted thanks to my family and friends who believed and motivated me for completing this research. Thank you for taking utmost care of me
Lastly, love to all the persons and organisations who have directly or indirectly helped me in the design thesis.
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
1.1 Background
Urban India currently produces about 70 million tons of waste and this figure is expected to touch an astounding 370 million tons in 2030 given the current spate in the consumption patterns and materialistic lifestyles.1
Half of the humanity now lives in cities and within two decades, nearly 60 per cent of world’s people will be urban dwellers2. In India, although level of urbanization is low i.e. 31.16 per cent as per Census 2011 but, its 377 million people live in cities. This is the 2nd largest urban population in the world. Second half of the 20th century has been an era of urbanization in the developing countries in general and in India in particular. During 1951 to 2011 India’s urban population has increased six times i.e. from 62 to 377 million
Prologue
Popularly known as waste pickers this segment of urban poor is one of the most disadvantaged communities and are the poorest of the poor as also a very vulnerable segment of the population, vulnerable to health hazards due to their scavenging activities as well as vulnerable to exploitation and social stigma. Despite their significant role in waste management in a city, this group enjoys no recognition, no job security or any form of social welfare safety net.
This invisible section of the society is not the target of welfare schemes and policies of the government. Their liveability is a stark reflection of the harshness and the vicious circle of poverty that inflicts them.
1.3 Thesis Question:
1.3.1 Preliminary question:
Can the quality of life and the stability of the rag pickers’ community’s vulnerability of social stigma be uplifted and transformed to a harmonic design solution?
1.3.2 Socio-civic question:
How to provide them with an authentic quality of life which embraces communal and sustainable working and self-sustaining ideals in an environment made of diverse and equal spaces at all scales?
1.3.3 Typology question:
What are the arrangements of the urban architectural elements which specify and fulfil the preferences and capabilities of a rag picker family with respect to the surrounding environment?
1.4 Aim
Intention: Given the context, the design thesis aims to investigate the unidentified important aspects overlooked in humane prospects of the society for this segment4 of urban poor which is one of the most disadvantaged communities and are the poorest of the poor also, a very vulnerable segment of the population, vulnerable to health hazards as well as vulnerable to exploitation and social stigma. Thus, providing them with an authentic self-sustaining life by proposing an upliftment centre which embraces communal and sustainable living ideals in an environment made of diverse and equal spaces at all scales
Proposing a community upliftment centre to promote relationships among people by the organization of space to create interactive spaces to pause, rejuvenate, uplift and empower themselves from their turbulent realities.
Learning: To learn how user-friendly design approach can be achieved for such vulnerable and socially backward communities through participatory design.
4 The waste picker communities
Impact: The proposed architecture design should create an impact on the life of the rag picker communities by providing a holistic design approach and guidelines of participatory living environment, where they could find ease to live freely with dignity and harmony.
1.5 Objectives
• Identify vulnerabilities: To highlight the other dimension of waste collection and management in urban India which is the informal waste collection focusing largely on the role of the waste pickers, identifying their socio-economic issues and occupational vulnerabilities afflicting this community.
• Identify flaws: To address the flaws and the policies which has been overlooking the existence and the role of the informal waste mangers
• Growth: To identify various types of activities of this sector and their economic, social and mental position. Furthermore, transforming these grim realities to a harmonic design solution.
• Community enhancement and participation: To identify the architectural and social conditions needed to encourage a community of individuals to participate together with the shared intention of living truly and simply
• Relationship of man and environment: To identify those factors that are more likely to see patterns and relationships of human, culture and the built environment, which are the most significant things. And then, to establish the presence of such patterns, constancy and change of certain base lines of human behaviour, some of which may be evolutionary.
• Comprehensive sustainable, incremental design: To create solutions that are cost effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly thereby considering an incremental typology of housing which imbibes
flexibility and adaptability according to the needs and concerns of the families
• Fusion: Investigating barriers that restrict engagement and social integration between local communities and rag pickers and identifying the common interests shared by both the communities, thus, proposing a symbiotic relationship of spaces and mindset.
• Reimbursing intervention: To examine how the design can be adaptable to unforeseeable political, social or environmental changes.
1.6 Scope and limitation
• The study relies on the data and statistics available with the MCA5
• The design approach will be justified only in the particular context of the site, it is not a universal design solution.
• The framework will be organised based on the design issues and concerns formulated by the primary interviews of rag picker families.
• The design will be a participatory result of the user and the neighbourhood. The samples will be limited according to the situation on the site.
• The thesis will inhabit a detailed design for one upliftment centre but a conceptual framework of the other two upliftment centre.
• Housing and the integrated components would be added or subtracted according to the needs and the programme.
1.7 Theoretical framework
1.7.1 List of probable books and articles:
1. Freedom to Build
2. The structure of the ordinary form and-control in the built-environment NjHabraken
5 Municipal Cooperation of Amritsar
3. The Appearance of the Form: four essays on the position designing takes between people and things- Nj Habraken
4. 3Rs for design
5. How the other half built- Vikram Bhatt
6. Amos Rapoport: The meaning of Built Environment
7. Ekistics- An introduction to the science of Human settlements
8. Culture, architecture and design - Amos Rapoport
1.7.2 List of probable theories:
1. Production of space- Henry LeFevre
2. Maslow- hierarchy of needs
3. Space Syntax
2 PRIMARY STUDY:
The universe of the study will be urban Punjab in general and one metropolitan city namely Amritsar in particular. For the detailed study, basic data will be collected with the help of a modified questionnaire. The questionnaire will consist of modules including socio-economic development, infrastructure, transportation, sanitation and sewerage, housing, environment and governance. The sources of data include census reports, published and unpublished reports of the state and local government. In addition to the above information, residents’ views about the existing conditions of the city will be studied through an interview schedule. Further, some of the information will also be collected from the various stakeholders involved in the city development by interviewing them in detail. After tabulation of data city profile, design concerns and parameters would be formulated. Their existing conditions will be evaluated in the light of existing norms and standards provided by various national agencies and perception of the residents. On the basis of this, the state of Amritsar city quality of life will be determined and strategies for the improvement development will be suggested
3 METHODOLOGY
RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
4. SITE SELECTION AND JUSTIFICATION:
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
The EoLI6 is an assessment tool by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs that evaluates the quality of life and the impact of various initiatives for urban development in the city.
It provides a comprehensive understanding of participating cities across India based on the quality of life, the economic ability of a city, and its sustainability and resilience.
It also incorporates the residents’ view on the services provided by city administration through a Citizen Perception Survey.
Amritsar’s ranking in the Ease of Living Index assessment, a citizen perception survey 2020 released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs blasted through all the efforts that the MC had been putting in, or claiming to, for the past one year for a better infrastructure. In the list of 49 cities assessed in the category of ‘population more than a million’, Amritsar ranked 45th.
6 Ease of living index
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
Assistant Medical Officer of Health. There are currently 1196 sanitary workers, 20 contractual workers, 20 Sanitary Inspectors and 5 Chief Sanitary Inspectors. It is observed that the organic waste based upon its recyclable demand and at least twenty items including plastics, paper, iron, cloth
THE BIGGEST PARADOX
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
3 SITE IDENTIFICATION
There were 3 sites identified where the concentration of the rag-pickers was the highest. All the three sites were of different characteristics; physical, social and geographical.
3.1 Bangla
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
Though there is no formal count available, based upon information gathered from surveys it is estimated that there are anywhere between 3000-3500 waste pickers engaged in informal waste collection and recycling operations in the city and about 5000 people find employment in the informal waste management sector in the city
3.1.1 Formulating the concerns and needs of people
For the detailed study, basic data will be collected with the help of a modified questionnaire. The questionnaire will consist of modules including socio-economic development, infrastructure, transportation, sanitation and sewerage, housing, environment and governance. The sources of data include census reports, published and unpublished reports of the state and local government. In addition to the above information, residents’ views about the existing conditions of the city will be studied through an interview schedule.
3.1.2 Participatory approach
The children and people among every age group had certain needs from the society and those needs were then formulated into the sample stimulations which were then grouped into the hierarchy of needs for contribution of the final programmatic analysis.
3.1.3 Commencing participation
The people felt much involved and respected to overpower their exclusiveness from the whole society, which led to the bigger idea of making them involved and respected through the design.
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
3.2 Ramnagar
The other site had a self-made community which co-existed between other communities and had a vernacular architecture of houses, they used to have small cottage industries as a sidebusiness.
AN UPLIFTMENT CENTER FOR THE RAG-PICKER COMMUNITY OF AMRITSAR 'Transforming the grim realities of the invincible eco-fighters into the veracity of their blurred hopes.’
'Transforming the grim realities of the
