Communal Infrastructure & Workspaces 

At the edge of the settlement, closest to the sea, a storage space owned by one of the residents of the settlement takes on a role larger than its legal boundary. Though private in ownership, it functions as communal infrastructure, holding the fishing nets used by several families. The courtyard beside it operates as an informal extension of this storage; an open working surface where fishermen gather intermittently to mend and sort their nets.

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Opening directly onto this courtyard is a small house belonging to an elderly couple. The house is composed of a single multifunctional room, an inner verandah, a verandah, a toilet, and the courtyard itself. The verandah functions as the kitchen, where the grandmother spends most of her day, while the inner verandah accommodates a cot where the grandfather rests. Having retired from fishing due to declining health, his presence in the courtyard is occasional and assisted by his son who helps him sit in the sun on a chair placed just outside.

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Family connections extend beyond the house. One son, an auto driver, lives next door.  This dwelling is modest in size and consists of a multifunctional room, a kitchen, an inner verandah, a verandah, a toilet and a courtyard. During the afternoon hours, women from nearby houses gather here to talk and play games such as Housie and cards. The courtyard and enclosed edges create a sense of privacy, allowing the house to function as an informal social space.  Another son, a small boat owner, lives at the opposite edge of the settlement and visits frequently, often accompanied by his children.

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 As fishermen repair their nets and the old couple occupy the edges of daily activity, the courtyard becomes a layered communal space. Children run through it, adults work quietly within it, and conversation occurs intermittently without dominating the atmosphere. Despite the number of people present, the space remains calm, structured more by routine than by noise.

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Its location shapes its character. Positioned at the first row facing the sea, the courtyard receives strong coastal winds directly. The sound of the sea is constant and clear, acting as an ambient backdrop to work and rest. Thick vegetation along the edge facing the sea and piles of unused fishing nets form a soft boundary, defining the space without enclosing it. These porous edges allow the courtyard to remain visually connected to the larger landscape, reinforcing its role as a lived-in, working space shaped as much by occupation as by construction.