Post- earthquake reconstruction in Gandhi Nu Gam, Ludiya (Gujarat)

Rebuilding Rural Kutchchh

Rehabilitation through partnering with people

Story of

Gandhi Nu Gam, Ludiya

Challenges of Development in Indian context

Harmony With TraditionPluralism

Resource Conservation

History versus Tradition

History as a ‘dead’ Tradition Tradition as a ‘living’ History

Overlays of Time... India lives in three time zones

Moorings of Pastand Aspirations of TomorrowCo-exist today

Pluralism of Existence

Multiple Truths / Diverse Values - FAITH


Multiple Truths / Diverse Values - FOOD


Multiple Truths / Diverse Values - ATTIRE

agumbe manali

toda West bengalkutchch chennaiPluralism of Existence

Multiple Truths / Diverse Values - ARCHITECTURE

Notions versus Reality

Paradoxes

The sense of Collective – Shared values

Interactive Interface between the Built and the Unbuilt

Humane scale and Sense of belonging

Space-Activity Symbiosis

Aping

Adopting

Glocal- Contextually Appropriate- Effective

Indigenous- Contextually Appropriate- Creatively Effective

Contextual norms rooted to the place and its realities

Progressive and performance based norms

Story of 2001


26th January, 2001

Scenario 2001

Gandhi-nu gam - Ludiya

Bhunga as earthquake resistant structure

1 . Circular plan form

2 . Low slenderness ratio

3 . Stiffened - widened base

5 . Small openings

7 . Conical roof – Ring & Radial braces

6 . Wooden Jamb Bracings

4 . Monolithic homogeneous material

-Continuum of tradition

-Introduction of New

-Holistic development

-Redefining Vernacular

-Participatory Process

Participatory Site Planning Process

Stage – 1 Rapport Building

Interactive Decision Making Process

Stage – 2 Layout Simulation Architect’s Proposal

Stage – 3 Re-laid Plot sequencing by Users

Stage – 4 Site Layout as per Users’ Feedback

Stage – 5 Verifying Layout Model on Site

Stage – 6 Confirming Layout by pegging plot boundaries

Stage –7 Relationship diagram converted into a site layout

Self-help Production Process

Stage – 1 Production of Adobe Blocks

Laying the units on the plot

Stage – 2

Stage – 3

Building

Foundations

and Walls

Adding Windows and Plaster

Stage – 4

Stage – 5

Building the Thatch Roof

Additional coats of Plaster and Plinth

Stage – 6

Stage – 7

Painting and Personalization – Exteriors

Personalization and Décor – Interiors

Stage – 8

School

Shrine

Smokeless Stove Solar Panels

Rain-water Harvesting

Agriculture

Craft

Scenario in 2013


Post Occupancy study - Methodology

Post Occupancy Studies, 2013The team: Footprints E.A.R.T.H - Personal rapport

- Questionaire- photo documentation- measured drawings

Study Methodology Field Survey, Interviews, Measure Drawing

Measured drawing documentation

Measured drawing for internal systems

Documentation of changes over timeAdditions

AlterationsAdaptations

Personalization

Socio-cultural surveys and changes over time

House no. 1

Gandhi nu Gam, 2013

Gandhi nu Gam, 2001

Gandhi nu Gam, 2013

Range of Variations by House-Forms

Range of Personalization through Internal Décor & Accessories

Range of Variations by Building Components Roofs

Range of Variations by Building Components Doors

Range of Variations by Building Components Windows

Continuum of Tradition

Continuum of Tradition Built-Form

Continuum of Tradition Craft

Continuum of Tradition Construction Skills

Continuum of Tradition Ways of Life

Continuum of Tradition Ways of Life

Continuum of Tradition Social / Neighborly Bond

Continuum of Tradition Social / Neighborly Bond

Adoption of the New

Introduction of New Amenities

Introduction of New Water Harvesting Pond

Introduction of New Agriculture

Introduction of New Door to Door Sanitation



Introduction of New Solar Lights

Introduction of New Smokeless Stove

Introduction of New Marketing

Introduction of New Marketing

Introduction of New Craft – Product Design

Introduction of New Craft – Product Design

Income Generative Activities

Home Based Economic Activities Paying Guests

Supplementary Economy Home Building

Home Based Economic Activities Paying Guests

Attached Toilet

Attached Toilet

Bhunga

Bhunga

House no. 1

Home Based Economic Activities Embroidery

Home Based Economic Activities Carpentry

Home Based Economic Activities Sewing

Supplementary Economy Agriculture

Nature of Changes

Changes Additions

Changes Alterations

Changes Omissions

2001

2013

2001

2013

Settlement Spaces

Settlement Spaces

Additions

Additions Verandah

Additions Otla/Plinth

Additions Built - Rooms

Additions Built - Kitchen

Additions Built - Kitchen

Additions Built - Toilets

Additions Built – Work spaces

Additions Built – Work spaces

Additions Built – Shops

Alterations

Alterations Organization

Alterations House-Form & Organization

Alterations Form



Alterations Technology

Alterations Technology

Ommisions

Ommissions Lack of Maintenance

Personalisation and Adaptation

Personalization through Exterior elements

Personalization Spaces

Personalization Semantics

Changes Personalization


Personalization through External Décor

Personalization Building Components

Personalization Accessories

Personalization Accessories


Personalization Spaces



Forces Influencing Changes

Forces for Change Socio - Cultural

House no. 1

Forces for Change Environmental

Forces for Change Environmental

Forces for Change Economic

Forces for Change Economic-functional

Forces for Change Functional

Forces for Change Technological

Forces for Change Technological

User Perceptions

User Perceptions

Geetaben liked the concept of being able to choose her neighbours which helped her to stay close to her son.

The bhunga helped to alleviate extreme conditions of the outdoors and the semi-open spaces which are used by the sons to work.

The wide open expanse beyond the plot made way for extension of activities for the children and women. Also air flow was more due to lesser obstructions beyond the plot.

Based on Interviews & Discussions

User Perceptions

The comparatively larger precinct, and the larger inner as well as external spaces, help them increase their activity area, and make the accommodation more comfortable.

The fact that they are able to stay near the place where their ancestors grew up.

They like the open airy spaces where they can spend their time in leisure during hot days of the year.

The new economic prospects presented, like tourism is pleasantly welcome.

Other Feedbacks

Having a mixed community near the border, has helped considerably to notice any movement in infiltration activities.

India

Pakistan

Border

Ludhiya

National Security Forces

Impacts

Implications Environmental

Implications Environmental

Implications Replication and Spin off

User Satisfaction

Acceptance & Adaptation

The site selection was done on mutual understanding of the beneficiaries, so they could create their own community there, and this new location benefited to them through proximity to dam, road and lake which they enjoy the most.

They had a choice to choose their neighbors and therefore social engineering was respected thus a healthy bond between the neighbors and community has been preserved.

Continuing with traditional built form as suited to the lifestyle and its implication are obvious that, what was given has continued and even the new ones built in the same manner shows their preference and they were living in the same pattern has helped because these form were socio culturally, technologically, functionally, associationally, physically, economically, environmentally and emotionally suited to their notions of home.

Every compound was given a toilet for the convenience and individual ownership for its maintenance and the users have accepted and very well adopted the same, even in the new additions the toilets remain the same as given.

Addition, Modification & Transformation

Post disaster housing was very minimum and immediate and therefore the allowance for growth and change for changing need over time was consideration while planning. Almost all the units have been benefited by this idea and have grown from what was given and have added semi-open spaces, workshops and other areas as per their changing need and growth of the family.

Some spaces have been differently used as they were flexible and modular in design to allow the same space to be used for different functions as required.

With the availability of industrial products, some technical changes in the construction method have been adopted, but being sympathetic to the given unit structure.

Addition of temple by the people confirms their inclination & acceptance of their own belief, decision in the participatory process

Health

Services such as toilets which were not a part of traditional house type before the earthquake and in post rehabilitation this was introduced based on the study and its need and convenience for the community.

Earlier people use to go outdoors for defecation and created more health, social and other issues with the community specially for the women and that is where when introduced, even a variation of the typology has something new, they very whole heartedly welcomed, adopted, maintained and have added in the new additions of the house. The toilets now have become part of the traditional house.

Amenities such as well & lake for water harvesting with dam, provided ample fresh water for drinking, cooking and other activities throughout the year which was a major issue in a desert region like this for them before rehabilitation.

Income Generation

The houses gave ample opportunities to the residents with access to spaces provided for work and occupations. They have added workshops for their carpentry works

Also on the community level, a common market place called otlo was provided to give everybody equal opportunity of exhibiting and selling their art and craft work. A craft centre was added later for selling their craft, carpentry products, embroidery products etc which gave them a platform.

Home building activity, as people were involved in construction with of course their prior skills, in this case it helps in becoming their income source as a construction expert through traditional craft continued with contremprorization of pattern and application and marketing as home based activity again have been an added economic activity.

The uniqueness of built form coupled with its location potential has led to home stay opportunity as a very healthy and lucrative income generative activity. They rent out bhungas to the tourist who visit Kutch, and that helps in their income generation. This activity had led them to built/add spaces in continuation to the traditional typology with attached toilets as per guest requirements.

Their traditional crafts such as embroidery, weaving, carpentry are conserved, encouraged and supported with designer and market help for its wider dissemination and stronger economic base.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure & amenities like toilets in each house compound, a well, lake, dam, otla, craft centre, school, guest house, were part of the planning process.

Temple was built by them as part of the design process, to bring sense of belonging & responsibility and ownership.

School provides primary education to the children of the residents and gives them opportunity to uplift their life.

Lake with dam to harvest rain water gives them ample water for agriculture which was a dream in a desert region like this. Many residents are involved in farming and agriculture along with carpentry and other occupations.

Beneficiary Targeting

All the original residents still occupy the houses without any confrontation as they at the first place chose their location and thus understanding and consensus about neighbors is present. They have occupied the house, personalized it with their craft, artifacts both in interior and exterior walls. The motifs and selection of colors are unique and give identity to each house.

The uniqueness of built form coupled with its location potential has led to home stay opportunity as a very healthy and lucrative income generative activity. They rent out bhungas to the tourist who visit Kutch, and that helps in their income generation. The otla and craft centre provides them a common platform to showcase their art and craft, and thus helping them in income generation.

Some spaces have been modified and differently used as they were flexible and modular in design to allow the same space to be used for different functions as required.

Replication

The houses were built by community through participatory process. The residents with their technical knowhow and traditional wisdom of construction systems and methods build their own houses. They were taught techniques like stabilization of earth blocks to be used as building blocks, roofing techniques etc.

Mostly the families have used the same methods of construction with some variations and improvisations in them. Some of the new construction includes new materials and techniques evolving the traditional system into new methods. The users have been funding their own expansions as and when required and when they could afford to.

Fourteen other villages were rehabilitated using the same participatory process but of course with different site layouts, unit layouts, materials and technology.

Technical Performance

The houses can be called sufficiently durable with maintenance needed every three-four years.

The design of the settlement was done keeping in mind the flexibility and larger space as the original house post disaster was provided to be the minimum shelter in view of the immediate need as well as funding resource.

It was provided with a larger ground plane and this has helped and contributed in allowing for future growth and adapting it for the newer needs of the changed time and circumstance and this part offer flexibility for growth and adaptations.

LivelihoodOriginally all the labor for construction of the houses was carried out by the inhabitants. The people have mastered the art of construction over the years. Presently many of them go to other places as well to construct bhungas, which increased their income and economic well being.

The provision of a small lake to retain water at the end of the road to the southeast of the village has made water more accessible. Hence the women have to travel less to fetch water, which relatively reduces the workload of women

The project had a great role in balancing power on the basis of gender. The textile work of the women has caught attention of the tourists from around the world. It has helped the women to gain financial security, which encouraged them to be more bold and outgoing. Now females have almost equal hand in the income generation.

The project has also led to the equal distribution of facilities amongst the dwellers, which has brought them to an equal platform.

A guest house was introduced to invite tourists into the village. Also a school was started, the infrastructure mimicking the traditional styles.

Lessons Learnt

Lessons we Learnt Social Engineering for Neighbourly Bond

Lessons we Learnt Socio-Cultural appropriateness



Lessons we Learnt Adaptation of newer Amenities

Lessons we Learnt Amenities as a binding factor

Lessons we Learnt Preference for Semi Covered Spaces

Lessons we Learnt Preference for House Form and Typology

Lessons we Learnt Holistic & integrated development

Participatory Approach

a. Participatory design process in choosing site locationSite selection was done on mutual understanding, so they could create their own community there, and this new location was also benefited to them to proximity to dam, road and lake.

The amongst community barter meant that no legal or government process were involved

The Muslim group has traded the new land while these people gave their old houses.

b. Participatory design process in creating the site layoutIn participatory process the user get choice to select their neighbors and therefore social engineering was respected so healthy bond between the neighbors and community and placement of amenities

c. Participation in building housesThat means every house is unique, sense of belonging and personalization of each house

Continuing with Traditional Built form

Traditional architecture having evolved out of the place and having perfected over time, have responded the local forces the best, including the traditional architecture of earth construction here have withstood the earthquake even though built in mud through its form and construction detailing and therefore we learn from the vernacular and traditional house forms of the region, the wisdom over time and of built form responses of the place can be better understood and this has been aptly demonstrated here in Gandhi nu Gaam where new construction in recent past has given its way while the traditional house form has survived.

Continuing with traditional built form as suited to the lifestyle and the implication of that are obvious that what was given has continued and even the new ones built like that shows their preference and they were living in the same pattern has helped because these form were socio culturally, technologically, functionally, associationally, physically, economically, environmentally and emotionally suited to their notions of home.

Local Material & Technical know how

Use of local material and technical knowhow of construction made these houses affordable, cheaper than any other alternative with their traditional wisdom, appropriate to the place and they could build on their own without depending on anyone else, so that brings in flexibility to built.

Elements of Change

The introduction of intermediate technology is always an ongoing process and addition of new things in traditional forms if sympathetic will always be accepted and adopted.

Toilets - Every compound was given a toilet for the convenience and individual ownership for its maintenance and this has been very well adopted.

Block making machine- While continuing with the local soil blocks, a new technique was introduced to make stronger stabilized earth blocks using compression block making machine, as mass production, which is in use even today after 13 years

Solar panels – the introduction of solar panels or house has failed because of the maintenance needs and they do have uninterrupted power supply, so they don’t require it.

Building craft - Not only the building and building craft, their traditional crafts such as embroidery, weaving, carpentry were conserved, encouraged and supported with designer and market help for its wider dissemination and stronger economic base.

Sense of belonging

House becomes home when people associate and relate to their intimate way and therefore to generate that sense of belonging, the house must in every way fulfill their notion and here that personalization by each one doing their own that was achieved by uniqueness and particular to allow individual family and the sense of personalization both inside and outside has made this very strongly identified with the community group sot therefore instead of mass replication there should be enough variation in house form to allow personalization and individualization.

Flexibility & Incrementality

Post disaster housing is typically minimum and immediate response for shelter while the house is generation long commodity and therefore the allowance for growth and change for changing need over time is an important consideration and right from open land as well as modular unit construction allowed for growth over time and this must be considered or kept in mind.

Home as a center of economic activity

House often remains to be a centre of economic activity and in more than many ways it can further help in maintenance, upliftment of the house as well as the improved quality of life of the people. For e.g. home building activity as people were involved in construction with of course their prior skills, in this case it helps in becoming their income source as a construction expert through traditional craft continued with contremprorization of pattern and application and marketing as home based activity again have been an added economic activity.

The uniqueness of built form coupled with its location potential has led to home stay opportunity as a very healthy and lucrative income generative activity.

Rehabilitation - an opportunity

Rehabilitation can be perceived as means of continuation of traditional virtue and extension of knowledge gained and retained over generations.Rehabilitation is also an opportunity to introduce a change sympathetically as an excuse to ignite thinking towards needed changes in the mind sets of communities. It can help instill a trigger for growth not only in physical form but also economic, social and cultural development. Rehabilitation is an opportunity to bring collective changes as temple, otlo, school, dam, well, craft centre, etc

Each place is unique chemistry of the people and its each habitat is a unique chemistry of place and people and therefore even though in physical proximity they tend to be quite unique and vary and this must be respected and identity must be maintained as seen in the fourteen villages we worked on. Even though in the same district of Kutch each one has uniquely resolves site plan, unit plan, and material as well as construction technique for each.

Post disaster housing has many implications that come as responsibility for one involved in the process. Beneficiaries, who generally seem to be gathering strength to re establish their lives, have a sense of uncertainty deep in their minds. Thus dealing with this kind of special cases in terms of housing can be seen as an opportunity to connect them back to their normal life by providing a place that is able to involve them from the very beginning and give them total freedom of their choices for the coming life.

Housing process which is public participatory in nature allows the user to be part of entire story. Users start with negotiations and adjustments with their fellow neighbors thus starting and taking interaction on a whole new level. Choosing their own neighbor gives them the much needed feeling of security especially when the disaster has left them in an adverse situation.

Involving users through Self Help construction process helps bind them with their houses in an unprecedented way. It gives them a unique Sense of Belongingness which starts with the time of laying the foundation to their own house and continues to deepen while building comes up step by step. It also helps them become self confident of accomplishment by letting all the family members be part of the process.

A feeling of pride comes in people when they do their own help, without being completely dependent on outsiders for their basic necessities.

In the process where users become designers for their own dwelling places, a response from their deep rooted culture and traditional way of life brings value additions to their own houses.

Socio-Cultural appropriateness of house form and spaces developed brings continuity to the value of traditional lifestyle incorporating minute details of their needs and necessities thus rendering a vibrant household life.

In the process of rehabilitation, an opportunity comes to instill the much needed change in certain cases, as explained in the former case regarding addition of toilet in the dwelling.

Adaptation of newer amenities surprises the outlook about communities which are traditional; this in turn helps create a Healthy and Sustainable community life.

A bond that develops while working together for one’s own house as well as contributing in the common amenities for neighborhood involves a great level of Social Engineering helping create a sound neighborly bond in the targeted communities. This further assists in co operative ventures by the people from community themselves.

In redevelopment in rural context, needs of the people stays different than those in urban areas.

In re-development projects, where the community has lost all its assets, it becomes of utmost importance to start providing them common Amenities which also act as a binding factor for the social and economic development of affected people. Provision of basic amenities as needed for education and health helps the community stronger and gives them courage to grow.

Reconstruction should become a beacon of hope for their resurgence.

YoginagarNarayannagar

GunatitpurSrijinagar

GariyaModparkhavda

NironaDagalaModsarRajsitaparNavalgadhVrajparKhambda

Inventory

Community Participation – Site Planning

Clustering Pattern

Dwelling Units : Earthquake Resistance, Flexibility & Growth

Living Environments

Settlements

Neighborhood Clusters

Streets & Squares

Dwellings

Plantation

Schools

Schools

Schools

Aesthetic (timelessness)Socio cultural (appropriateness)

Environmental (resource management)Economic (affordability)

Structural (Strength & stability)

Perspectives

Glamour Beauty

Appliqué Integral

Temporal Timeless

Inspired by Yesterday , Aspired for Tomorrow

to Resurrect past

to Reform future

Walking together

YATIN PANDYA

FOOTPRINTS E.A.R.T.H.Environment Architecture Research Technology Housing

Milan bunglow, sargam flat lane, Ishvarbhuvan to stadium road, navjivan post, Ahmedabad 380014 India

Cell: +91 9825005049 Res: 079 26447460

[email protected] [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Post- earthquake reconstruction in Gandhi Nu Gam, Ludiya (Gujarat)

Education