Written by : Parth Agrawal, Kankana Choudhary
This specialization module, developed in conjunction with Hunnarshala, a foundation established following the 2001 earthquakes in Kutch, sought to complete a design and material experiment exercise in Bhuj, Kutch. When we arrived at the designated sites in Bhuj, we examined the value chain dynamics of several merchants. We also reviewed the Town Vending Act and conducted a thorough analysis of the DP (development plan) of the zones given to us, which aided us in our design process. We conducted interviews with many stakeholders (vendors, chagda drivers, the mayor, traffic police, and customers) to learn about the history, people, and the city of Bhuj. This design approach required a lot of attention to the demands of the stakeholders, as well as constant discussions with them. We presented our design suggestions for the individual locations to the local town vending committee to mobilize the ideas into a more tangible proposal.
While designing, we used a process known as participatory design, in which stakeholders (mostly vendors and chagda drivers) are asked to provide feedback on how they want their space designed. We observed numerous stakeholders’ (vendors') everyday routines to gain knowledge of their lives. This entailed rising up at 5 a.m. to get a feel for the morning market, visiting the sellers' homes for lunch, and spending the entire day at the site with them. We were working closely with Mammad Bhai, who was representing the National Hawkers Federation (NHF). Mammad bhai assisted us in knowing many aspects of Bhuj and our respective sites. The entire procedure included meetings with the mayor, several adhyakshs, political leaders, and ward leaders.
Apart from this, we also explored and experimented with materials along with Hunnarshala which mostly included mud-based architecture during a whole-day hands-on workshop at the campus. With a collection of clay from all across the Bhuj district, we learned the making of rammed earth, adobe bricks and clay bricks. Understanding and experiencing these helped us in designing and getting a more hands-on approach towards the process.
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