Community Steps

Argumentative Question:

The excavation site has become a man made lake which holds water during monsoon. The village gets flooded during monsoon and therefore it is very inconvenient for the villagers to move their belongings constantly from one place to another. After the flood they do minor repairs to their houses and get on with living again. The school on is just below the slope of the mountain and though it is a recently built RCC structure it is affected by floods and it lacks activity spaces for the students as well. How can the water flow of the reservoir be controlled and be used efficiently by the villagers? What can be done to make the situation better for the students? Can a refugee space be thought for the people during monsoon? Can the school also become a community space for the villagers to come together during festivals like Navratri etc. and have meetings for gram panchayat? How can the path to the lake be made more convenient for the villagers as well as the cashew harvesters?

Site photos

Program 

-Extension to the existing school for multiple activities during non monsoon periods.

-Community spaces for the villagers to come together for various activities.

-Extension as refugee area for people of the village during monsoon for temporary living.

-To make the path of the lake more convinient for all the people of the village.

Design

After a few iterations our final design looks like this. Identifying the path to the lake through no vegetation patches we made steps which can be inhabited by humans and other species comfortably. Programs such as school extensions and community spaces are integrated within the path. Also a viewing deck at the end of the path which is at the edge of the lake is designed. The existing school which had just 5 classes for 5 grades is extended for extra curricular activities like workshops and genreal meetings. Also the community space used for functions and gram panchayat meetings. Shades and seating spaces are provided for tourists and also a trading space is placed within the design. A water channel on both side of the stairs connected to the lake going downwards creating ponds on some dug up sites. The school extensions are connected to the existing school via a ramp which will work as connector during flood time for the villagers to transport their belongings and themselves to a safer place i.e. the high raised school extensions. A very busy path as cashew harvesters will pluck and sell the cashew on the midlanding. Lake eventually becoming a viewing spot. Area of this project is around 720sq.mt.

Materials