Placemaking and water management: architectural catalysts for the incremental development of disenfranchised communities in Bangalore, India

Abstract

The thesis investigates the current water crisis that Bangalore, India, is facing, and particularly how architecture can help alleviate some of the negative effects of water-related issues on the everyday lives of disenfranchised communities. While water conservation policies and technical solutions are discussed and implemented at the national and municipal level, the effects of water scarcity and lack of infrastructure on more impoverished communities are often forgotten. The thesis is making the argument that a placemaking approach, which builds on an in-depth analysis of current community status and assets in order to create gathering spaces that tackle both environmental and social issues, can serve as a catalyst for flooding mitigation and self-development. This question was explored through a mapping investigation of key water issues in Bangalore, a review of the literature, precedent analysis, as well as on-site observations. The resulting project, Vegavardhaka, transforms an underused public space by integrating water security strategies with the design of a gathering space, a washing area, a playground and an Anganwadi (women and children care centre). Thought in different phases, the project acts a guide to a responsive design process that aims at breaking the walls of segregation, both physically and metaphorically, by supporting local initiatives.