MASTER THESIS: 2012

2012 Master’s thesis was a one stride up of its precedence by virtue of its urban concerns and representation. The intent has been varied significantly but everyone remained subservient to the methodology that frequelty has been emphasized. Thesis topic varied by intention on:

- TOPOGRAPHY & URBANISM

- MOVEMENT SYSTEM & URBANISM

- TRANSFORMATION OF SALT PAN

- MRT & URBANISM

- EVERYDAY URBANISM

- RITUALS & URBANISM

- INNER CITY TRANSFORMATION & URBANISM.

I think the diversity of varied intent created a matrix of multiplicity of contextual understanding. All the thesis are worthy of mention as issues are very relevant and at the same time morphing into an academic research forum. If practice assumes to be identification of technological tools for space engagement than academics is identification of questions on psychological, philosophical & phenomenal content of space engagement.

NANDED HOUSING SEM: II.

NANDED HOUSING STUDIO; SEM II

The studio was a collaborative exercise between resident communities and KRVIA. The RESULT was seen as a process of interaction between these slum dwellers and the Nanded Municipal Corporation. Thus at various stages in the studio there was planned to have interaction between these agencies.  

The first part of the project methodology was entail going to site, documenting the slum and then analysed the data collected. The urban design studio assisted in the first part of the study and helped in formulating the various aspects on which data were collected. The next stage of the studio was where the students organized and analyzed the data using the digital media to document and generate patterns. The final objective for this studio was to create a public interface like a website where the material can be published.  

The next stage, primarily in urban design was to simulate scenarios for intervention in these slums through the study of the patterns generated from the first part of the study. This stage led to the creation of the Urban Design scenarios. These scenarios was given spatial and formal manifestation in the studio. Also various processes of intervention right from a conservative incremental approach to a complete redevelopment of site was formulated as a part of this studio. Simultaneously the students were introduced to other case studies in similar such conditions.

The students then created ideas for the master plan, as well as various possibilities for the dwelling unit and transformation on them if required. These ideas and processes were explored through the digital media, drawings and models.   

IUDI: 2012.

The first day began with the Urban Design Thesis presentation from all six institutes. The nature of projects varied as far as context concerned but the quality of inquiry remained fairly uniform throughout. The nature of intervention always remained suspended or left ambiguous. The discussion resulted into larger domain of Urban Design i: e values of design in urban to policy formation. The various components argued out but to my mind they may remain unarticulated or unattended from design point of view.

Involuntary Settlements

Equal rights as liability

Spatial Justice

How much incremental

Frontiers of Urban Design

Discipline of Design in Urban Design

Agency of Urban Design

Analysis as system that impedes the expansion of Urban Design frontiers

Statistic and Policy are like holding dog’s tail & allowing him to bark.

Development finance as an attributes

Generic principles of Urban Design

Virtual topography

Land contour vs. natural contour.

Morphing phenomenon of public to everyday

Structural device vs. empirical device.

Command principle of planning

Social engineering

Both the thesis of KRVIA students evoked some sense of reaction due to its very nature of being Mumbai context specific, which would refuse to fit into pre-conceived notion. Atul thesis has been direct conflict with the MHADA rules vs. Production type. He challenged the policy structure and entered into design phase with phenomenon as Urban Design Principle. Although it appeared to be traditional ones but has direct impact on what we really see vast changing reality.

Mayuresh thesis attempts to articulate that urbanization of surplus is imperative reality. In such circumstances the first victims are natural resources & natural system in our context. The very often the natural system as an asset becomes the backyard of the city. The issues of built vs. natural system creates discord or disconnect. The design intervention demonstrates the method to make the asset as face of the city.

The second day began with the presentation of an individual institute with their experiments with the elective course:

KRVIA master’s hinges on idea of city of Mumbai as a laboratory, enumerating or delineating its own complexity and paradigmatic paradox. City transform much faster than pace of academia comprehension and conceptualization. The argument that we posed was articulated as:

What is theory?

What to theorize?

Is it theorizing assets & value system?

Is it theorizing outcome of surplus & exploitation.

It brings the fundamental question of construct of knowledge or structure of knowledge. The epistemological structure is an imperative condition to construct what need to be theorize?.

SPA HOSTEL

KANVINDE HOUSE

STUDIO-X: ERSICE.

As part of Rosa Cerveras studio came to Mumbai where studio X organized a review of the work they have done on Mumbai under theme of "Recycle Mumbai". The Columbia workshop exhibition got extended into the new interactive session with students from Spain. The KRVIA Masters students got to meet them and talk about the work as well.

The theme resulted into micro-urban insertion projects at various locations. The overall work was good exposure to KRVIA students mainly in the realm of theorizing and representation as urban researcher. The KRVIA students also presented the Nanded Studio work by going through all four site study and intervention.

KRVIA-TU (TAIWAN) EXCHANGE: 2012

It all began with the theoretical idea of space & syntax analogue aided by software to understand & represent the urban mat based on its phenomenal properties. It began to look tentative initially since computer parameter deciding the urban phenomenon seems far from even perceptional questions. As workshop started with the site visits & bringing the data back to the studio, it gave complete new dimensions to our ignorant perception. The map began to appear with complex web overlaid along with gradation that supposes to connote the visibility & accessibility criteria. The line thickness and gradation became the representational tool for understanding complex urban phenomenon. One can change the parameter and bring in the new values or coordinates which may become subservient to the nature of research one want to carry out. It is possible to bring in the new coordinate system which is incongruous in nature and perhaps that incongruity may be an important attribute for carrying out the accord surgery. It perhaps allows the discord attributes to morph to have urban form accord.

The joint workshops with TU always have been an experience to cherish. More than any reason It’s perhaps the social & cultural seamless condition that we share. KRVIA Master’s students are definitely benefited with the exposure however It has been intellectually profiting on both side.

MASTER'S THESIS: 2011

URBAN MATRIX

Urban design is traditionally rendered with western academic forum. Its role is very often predetermined in abstraction of historicism on one hand while iconic & ideality on other hand.

Urban design, architecture & Indian cities.

A city is a palimpsest, a document with many layers of accretion & imperfect erasure, many glosses & comments and marginal notes. It is often called as collaborative art work, a strange collaborative partnership of people, civic policy makers, democratic political - legal system & socio-cultural & regional hegemony. The matrix of lattice system is an abstract idea of theoretical discourse within urban design context of Indian city. It represents the complexity of various realms seeking sense of locus & alignment to the vast reality of perceived urban order. The Thesis work perhaps demonstrated the nature of context & nature of responses are far detached from the value system that we are attempting to promote. Owen's work is perhaps takes the step forward the issue of representation and response more than iconic delineation.

TRAGEDY OR BESTOWISM

It is an interesting chapter in Indian history to see how English authority in India drew their authority from 1600-1765 by virtue of charter act of the British crown, parliament, & declining power of the great moguls and other native rulers of India.

The western countries already had their trade route via Constantinople to Asian countries. After the annexation of Constantinople by Turks, the new trade route was discovered by Portuguese via a Cape of Good Hope. They commanded the Indian Ocean and established the strategic key points. The Britishers also felt ambitious in their trade aspiration and began to relish the dream of the trade association with India.

During 1600, the meeting was held by mayor of London with the merchants and resolution was passed to form an organization or association to have direct trade with India. However within such formation of association there was no assumption of sovereignty over newly discovered lands or trading ports. By virtue of Royal Charter, company/organization was authorized freely to develop the trades with the various parts of Asia and Africa. It also gave them authority and privileges to govern themselves and their servants. The small body of merchants received the royal charter from queen and constituted the English East India Company.