Design question

Daman has varied biodiversity due to its different soil conditions in different parts.  The construction of the coastal road and the built promenade alienates the people and the ecology that once flourished on daman’s beaches.  The porosity of the unbuilt edge, the biodiversity of the area, the quality of shade, the practices of the local people on the edges of the beaches, and the ease of access are all lost when a promenade is constructed on Daman's beaches. Can the promenade be negotiated or reimagined so that the porosity,  wetness, soil condition and quality of shade of the existing ecology are maintained whilst also giving a space for the locals to continue their practices?

Location

edge of Jampore beach, Jampore, Daman

Site identification

Conceptual models 

(figuring out the form)

Program 

To create a biodiversity park that highlights the different flora that grows in the different soil conditions of daman. These would create pockets of shade where activities like 

• leisurely public spaces, 

• spaces for hawkers, 

• walkways, 

• galleries with local flora and 

• sensoriums of smells, sounds  of the beach, etc. can all take place.

The movement of people between these pockets will in turn create a softer, porous promenade that would line the edge of the beach

Brief

• art gallery and information center 315 sq.m

• AV theater and video gallery 38 sq.m

• reception and admin block 52 sq.m

• cafeteria and kitchen 55 sq.m

• toilet 20 sq.m

• total 480 sq.m

Iterative sketches

The intervention offers a gateway to the people to access the beach through the typology of a pavilion and the familiarity of locally sourced materials. The gallery space helps acclimatize people to the edge with the help of installations and direct access to the sand and bio diversity offered by the different soil conditions at Jampore.

Design logics

Design model