Soundscape of Water

by Pranjal Sancheti and Radhika Malekar

Phenomenon

Walking on wet ground. A damp wetness hanging in the atmosphere

Every step, every breath feels moist

Hearing nothing but the sound of drops. Drops of water which are falling off the edges onto the ground, onto the body

Hearing nothing but the feet splashing through puddles

Hearing nothing, but is it something?

Pausing somewhere to just observe, hear, feel

Just to be there.

Be there for a moment or two

Understanding the Principle

The idea of the sounds of water was explored by understanding the various ways in which water produces sound and how this sound can be transmitted. This process included making several sketches, experimenting with sections and 3d modeling. While doing this, the focus was on transmitting the sound of dripping water. The form of the water dictates the quality and intensity of sound it produces.

As the water drops fall into the gutter, their sound is captured by a pipe which travels up to a cone embedded in the wall. This cone amplifies the sound into space. The water which is collected in the gutter, further collects into the underground water tank. From here it travels up through a pipe with the help of a motor pump and ultimately drips down back in the gutter through controllable nozzles.

Apparatus and Pavilion

The apparatus is a long tube which has several conical punctures which amplify the sound of the drip happening inside the tube. The drip irrigation nozzles fitted into the pipe facilitate dripping . These adjustable nozzles allow the water to drip at a certain speed causing a certain kind of sound intensity to generate. Once the water gets collected and reaches up to the level of the overflow pipe, it directs towards the underground water tank which again pumps water up to the pipe at the top.

The apparatus then evolves into a network of multiple such tubes and platforms which meander through them at different levels forming a Pavilion. This creates a sensorium of various sounds of water dripping at different levels and intensities.

Form Development

The form of the pavilion further developed into an amorphous grid which would hold the water tanks and the platforms. This idea then evolved into the form of the building to be a monolith out of which the water tanks and human circulation spaces would be carved out. Here, the conical modules then turned into pipes which would transmit sound from one place to another. The method followed to work out the monolithic form was to imagine a block on the site and first place all the water tanks as voids into this block. Once the tanks were in place the rest of the spaces would then be carved around these.

Site

The site is a water supplying unit of a town called Ghoti near Nashik. It holds 3 storage tanks on ground and one overhead tank with a filtration unit towards north-west. The terrain is such that the site is at a higher plane as compared to the rest of the town, this allows water to flow with the help of gravity. The site sensorium drawing talks about the varied intensities of sounds of water on the existing site through the method of stippling and the daily activities happening around these sounds.

Design

The intervention lies at rethinking the existing community water tank as a space where people would gather and experience the sounds of water. The way the walls carve in and out create interesting pockets and niches which can afford for people to have conversations and chance encounters. The building has been designed by keeping the human scale in mind, allowing large gathering spaces as well as intimate spaces.

The building situates itself on the north western part of the site which makes it easily accessible. Although the site can be accessed from here, as this part of the site lies close to the highway, another access point lies at the other end of the site. The building has been designed to have multiple levels which overlap each other creating several overlooking conditions, open spaces, terraces and closed intimate spaces too. The position of the existing circular tank on the site informs the edge conditions of the building on the south-eastern side of the site. Not only is the building modulating at different levels but also the plinth which makes the experience of walking on the ground dynamic.