The drawing illustrates the shift in house forms, livelihood, and economy in the life of Mrs. Devi Mergu, shaped largely by climate change and environmental disruption. It traces her life through three houses she has lived in, each reflecting a critical transition in family structure, location and means of survival.

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Originally, a joint family of nearly 25 members lived together near the coast, relying primarily on fishing as their livelihood. Following the cyclone of 1995, increasing environmental vulnerability forced the family to move closer to the village. Alongside climatic pressures, the expansion and eventual division of the family led to changes in the house form, transforming a shared collective dwelling into more fragmented living arrangements.

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As repeated flooding and changing coastal conditions made fishing increasingly uncertain, Mrs. Devi was compelled to explore alternative sources of income. These economic shifts influenced her housing choices, introducing rental arrangements and altering the relationship between ownership and occupancy.

 

The drawing highlights how these changing dynamics between renters and owners reshaped domestic space affecting room divisions, access, and everyday use. Through these three houses, the drawing reveals how climate change, family fragmentation, and economic adaptation collectively influenced both the built form and the lived experience of a fishing household over time.