Studio Co-ordinators:- Dipti Bhaindarkar, Dushyant Asher, Prasad Khanolkar, Rohit Mujumdar
Gargi Somani
This settlement study was conducted in Divar Island, an environmentally sensitive area with a focus on understanding the relationship between natural factors (terrain characteristics, climatic factors, flora and fauna) and practices (built-form and routine). The study focused on transformations and shifts in natural factors and connected practices through time.
Divar island is dis-connected from Old Goa on the south-east side, Ribandar, on the south-west side and Naroa on the north side, all by ferry. The island is accessible through ferry points which becomes the starting point for the three walks - Navelim, Goltim-Malar and Narao. The walks all ended at the Divar center observing different landscapes through different peripheries of the island.
The first step revolves around identifying an element on site which can be something physical, sensorial, a particular species which contributes to the formation of the environment . One follows this element throughout the day to observe changes and rhythms at different times, to interpret observations and information to seek inquiry. The next day, the observer interrogates the accumulated observations and identifies the patterns discovered. Simultaneously, engagement with the local communities and archival data adds a layer of negotiation between contemporary information and historical data resulting in a more detailed understanding of an element.
Each walk - Navelim, Goltim-Malar and Narao followed a similar procedure, leading to documentation of sounds, smells, settlements, bund walls and much more.
The archived website can be found here.
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