LIVELIHOOD BASED HOUSING DESIGN CASE OF INDEGENEOUS CRAFTSMAN COMMUNITIES OF NORTHEAST INDIA.
Author: Harin Naik
Project Guide: Prof. Niraj Naik
Category: OCEANthoughts (Water)
1 AIM:
The aim of the study and design proposal was to understand the rare and forgotten communities that settled on work basis and later led to development of unique cottages industries which are now on the verge of extinction being affected by the continuously varying geographical conditions and disasters.
BACKGROUND:
CRAFT: Craft, the physical manifestation of design, is an indispensable part of architectural history and an indispensable part of the work of many great architects. It is the integration of this added layer of “craft” - of touch, texture, art, and detail - that adds so much to how a building is experienced.
DISASTER (Flood): Floods are regular and one of the most devastating among other climate related disasters in India. It accounts for more than 50% of all the climate related disasters and around ASHARIKANDI, DHUBRI 60-70% of deaths in the country. The heavy southwest monsoon rains cause the Brahmaputra to distend its banks, often flooding surrounding areas. 9 out of 39 most flood prone districts in the country are in Assam and DHUBRI tops the list.
FLOOD 2019: According to the Assam State Disaster Management (ASDMA), 34,92,734 people in 2,753 villages in 18 districts were affected by the deluge. About 50,470 inmates in 522 relief
camps across the state. "Dhubri and other lower RIVER GADADHAR Assam districts will probably see more severe floods in the coming days." (Revenue and Disaster Management)
2 ASHARIKANDI:
Asharikandi has a unique identity in the field of terracotta and pottery, making it the single largest cluster in India where both terracotta and pottery craft are found and practiced in traditional method. Asharikandi is better known as “Terracotta craft village.” Asharikandi is located 14km away from Dhubri and 230 km from Guwahati on the banks of Gadadhar river and in the low lying plains of the Brahmaputra river.
COMMUNAL SHIFT: There were around 18 families 1. The potters migrated to the banks of river 2. The settlement expanded over the years. when the community migrated to this place of Gadadhar. Asharikandi before independence from Pabna district, West Bengal - present day Bangladesh. The community used to fulfill the earthenware needs of the Zamindar families of the surrounding areas. Over the years, settlement started to expand towards the river due to ease of transportation. At the time of Independence lots of immigrants from present day Bangladesh settled around the potters community leaving them no space for future expansion. Being on the river line the community started to get affected by the floods during monsoons and the severity of these floods is increasing day by day and it was worst hit in the year 2019. 3. At the time of independence immigrants settled 4. The community got affected by the floods, around the potter’s community. whose severity increases everyday. SURVEY INFERENCES: The biggest and one of the most important driving factor for the need of change is the mismatch between the present existing form of the building and the present changed context.
Harmonious Traditional Traditional link form context
Unchanged Change
Mismatch Present Present form 5. Unavailability of expansion space, leads to scattering 2. Resettlement of community, will help give them context of potters better living. 3 The figure ground Contour map Flood inundation
Built Open +38m +25m Flood inundation River River in monsoons Ponds
SITE SURVEY: The site has gentle slopes on all sides except the river edge.The houses on the river edge are the once most affected due to floods. The other areas of the village are also affected but due to the heavy rains causing flash floods and surface runoffs from the higher areas.
BENEFICIARY GROUPS:
The entire Terracotta cluster is divided into 3 zones. The zones are marked according to the danger level from floods, where areas near to the river and exposed to floods regularly falls in Zone 1 which will be resettled to a new area. The other two zones which are comparatively less affected can be resettled later as per the needs. Each zone is studied and observed and the distribution of new the units and plots will take place according to the different typologies and clan sizes. Number of units per zone: Zone 1 = 60 units, Zone 2 = 55 units, Zone 3 = 45 units
The areas left behind after the resettlement will be used as grazing grounds, farming areas and areas for procuring Silt rich clay which is ideal for fine quality terracotta articles. The remaining clusters of the village will be redeveloped under the proposed land strategies to save the village from future disasters. 4 VILLAGE PLAN:
The proposed new cluster is 700m away from the existing site on a Gauchar (Grazing) land owned by the Gram Panchayat. Due to its comparatively higher altitude, it will reduce the risk of flood. The existing roads follow a typical grid where tertiary street divides the area into clusters. The proposed road grid extends and imitates the existing pattern, it further shapes itself considering the natural contours of the area giving it a more organic form and making it a part of the existing village.
Legends : 01. Entrance to the Asharikandi village 02. Market 03. Paul Pada (Potter’s Cluster) 04. Other Clusters 05. Ghat 06. Gadadhar River 07. Railway track 08. Higher Secondary School 09. New Proposed Pottery cluster 10. Space for future expansion 5 MASTERPLAN:
The clusters are in the form of streets so the figure ground is porous with more space dedicated to outdoor activities. The layout encourages outward peripheral vehicular movement while the central spine encourages inward pedestrian connectivity. Activities are densified & Polarised along the peripheral road and internal streets.
Legends : 01. Higher Secondary School (existing) 02. Housing units (existing) 03. Water body / Pokhars (existing) 04. Entrance gate 05. Village square 06. Temple 07. Community Ground 08. Community Center 09. Community spine 10. Community garden / walk trails 11. Potter houses 12. DEWATS 13. Nodes for future expansion 14. Community shops & Open plinths 6 LAND STRATEGIES: EXISTING SCENARIO: PROPOSED SCENARIO:
The proposed master plan aims to safeguard the community from future disasters and floods caused by heavy rains. The site has a natural slope towards the water bodies, using the natural flow of the rainwater the green shallow areas are developed. These green areas will serve variety of functions during normal days like community parks, gathering areas, spaces for cultural events, backyard gardens, etc and as retention channels during monsoons which would channelize the rainwater towards the water body (Pokhar). The green areas are developed using the cut and fill process where the green areas are cut to form a detention channel and the dugout earth is used for filling and leveling of the unit plots and construction of the plinths of the New Units. The pokhar possesses a very significant role in the community, around which activities spill out and act as a retention pond during monsoons, which will fulfil the water needs of the community during non the monsoon months. 7 Community Area (Green Channel) Water Body (Pokhar) during Summers
Detention Channel during Monsoons Water Body (Pokhar) during Monsoons 8 HOUSING UNITS:
Justification and evolution of the basic core house is based on 3 parameters. The way of living which gives the spaces and elements required, technical aspects which justifies the location of the spaces and the economic aspects which justifies the need of basic space and the ones difficult to built. New housing units follow similar planning parameters as the vernacular units, but under a single roof giving it a holistic identity. Different typologies are bifurcated on the basis of the existing plot sizes, clan size and their monthly income range. Proper workspace and storage areas are designed to keep the terracotta art safe during monsoons, eliminating the loss of products and material. Activities spill out on the streets, making the villagers an extended family. The design aims to give the community a greater role in building their own home, with multiple planning options, giving rise to unique and diverse built forms. Settlements are capable of fulfilling the needs of the community, making them self sustainable.
9 CLUSTER DURING MONSOONS:
10 CYCLE OF SELF SUSTAINING DEVELOPMENT :
The cycle of self sustainable, coordinated and integrated development which takes into account the social, ecological, economical and physical factors. This creates a framework for empowering families and developing a true sense of community. The proposal uplifts the lifestyle of the community by giving them better living and working spaces, and keeps the years’ old craft tradition thriving in the modern times as well. It gives an opportunity for the craftsperson and the village fabric to grow and develop.
11 PROPOSED SETTLEMENT:
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