BUILDING ECOSYSTEM LANDSCAPE
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VAJRESHWARI, MAHARASHTRA
How can the interaction of natural systems influence architectural
interventions?
How is landscape shaped by the culture of building?
Can spatial relationships achieve better/softer/
poetic connections with a dynamic environment?
What are the methods and techniques to achieve healthy
ecosystems?
What practices and agencies would be involved?
What must an ecologically active building be responsible for?
Agrarian ecological development​
7000 sqm
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The edge between the natural and built environment is an opportunity to redefine perspectives and practices that could lead to building an interface, an environment that is: shaped by sensitivity and appreciation for nature; an ecosystem of give-and-take; and landscape as a spatial agency to structure future development.
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The villages of Vajreshwari, along with Ganeshpuri and Akloli in Bhiwandi Taluka lay in a “Green Zone”, subservient to Mumbai and its peri-urban for water, agriculture, building material (including cheap labour) and eco-tourism. The presence of geothermal hot springs and popular spiritual trusts has lead to it being earmarked as a “Recreational and Tourism Zone”. Besides, it also lies on the edge of rich forested lands.
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Looking at changing patterns of land use and ownership, changing perception and practice of “nature”; links with topography, flow of water, ground cover, soil conditions, the forest, river, erosion and land use and conservation leads to an ecosytem of use and abuse. In order to create a sound ecological network to address issues of watershed management, wildlife, geothermal energy conservation, seed diversity, farmer knowledge and eco-tourism. The programs proposed include Krishi Kendra, Farmers’ Co-op., Biodiverse Farm, Seed Bank, while a Farm School, Agroforestry ICAT, Agro-meteorology, Centre for Public Watershed Management, Centre for Balneology are situated across the site.
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The project was born out of a design dissertation that was used to find ways to explore an architecture suited to an ecologically rich zone and relationships of natural systems with respect to human interventions, in order to create architecture that is responsive to its immediate and larger natural surroundings. To access the dissertation report Building Ecosystem Landscape, kindly contact me.​
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The exploration started with the question:
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What is man's place in nature? Classic, I know.
In the architectural realm, a building is a clearing in nature. How, then, can one build with the hope that it could do some good to its environment: how can the building become a generator of an ecosystem that could become a vital part of the landscape?
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I looked at what a planner does when the building is perceived as a different system from a natural system (and rightly so, what kind of apocalyptic image would the present day building provide in a place of rambunctious nature?) The land is divided into parcels demarcating residential, mixed use, industrial zones and so on along with "green" zones. These parcels are regulated for building activity and certain types of enterprises aren't allowed to operate. While it does create a necessary barrier to (intentional or unintentional) destructive building practices, it also doesn't necessarily create different architecture. The build technology is almost the same as urban areas, if not poorer in quality and execution owing to lack of resources and engineering. Another question that comes to mind is what happens at the edges of these arbitrary lines (and, consequently, planes) in space? Does ecology get lost and abandoned in administrative translation?
This is the region of Vajreshwari, Akloli and Ganeshpuri, skirting on the edge of a "green" zone, a reserved forest and Tansa river, which divides two talukas. The three predominantly agrarian villages are really beautiful and have become tourist-frequented over the years due to the presence of various religious and spiritual centres and geothermal hotspots. The presence of nature is magnified in such a context, where the ways in which humans make material and philosophical connections are so varied. This led me to explore and understand the context further and create a study framework for the design dissertation.
The frameworks gave all-rounded perspectives on the ecological settings and characteristics of the area, the way natural systems were perceived, the kind of practices that were linked to these narratives, economies and resources involved and the various ecological conflicts that would arise due to the linkages and connections.
This understanding of site gave way to a list of conflicts, which were identified as potential points of intervention for the site. No building yet, well aware, but the aim was to bring in a layered understanding of the site to arrive at a program and building requirements and, consequently, a site.
The predominant strategy for selection of sites for the programs was to place buildings in control of the most important catchment areas, emphasising on the challenge and role of a building (representing an institution) in being the agency for ecological development. In order to create a sound ecological landscape to address issues of watershed management, wildlife, geothermal energy conservation, seed diversity, farmer knowledge and eco-tourism. The programs proposed include Krishi Kendra, Farmers’ Co-op., Biodiverse Farm, Seed Bank, while a Farm School, Agroforestry ICAT, Agro-meteorology, Centre for Public Watershed Management, Centre for Balneology are situated across the site.
The masterplan would be immensely ambitious to conceptualise, design and detail to the level of contentment, so I went ahead with detailing only a few programs located on the site marked in the masterplan. The way of coming to design through the landscape narrative continues to the site, wherein the built mass is in a natural, non-hierarchical structure. The buildings "find" space and as explained in the drawings above, create an ecology, working with the ground and the material volume of the building itself.
Massing and design process
That was the short or long of the project Building Ecosystem Landscape.