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Architects: Studio PPBA
- Area: 1900 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Hemant Patil
Text description provided by the architects. Thought: An idea to build a place to accommodate destitute and women in need under a shelter will help them to grow and nurture with pride and respect. Accomplishing this thought in a remote village called Loni located north of Bijapur, which is geographically a dry and arid zone. T
he Centre is a planned environment-friendly, multi-use facility that will become a support mechanism for the education of women and the support and advancement of the community in the region. It is envisioned as a part community gathering space, part education center as well as a shelter for the needy where women can train and learn new skills, and use services to find employment or start their own businesses. The design program demanded to hold 150 destitute women and girls with the allied staff which comprised 35 more occupants.
Process: Our major hurdle was the careful and effective use of water. Consciously, the entire design approach was all about saving, stocking up and increasing the water table level. The topography had a slope of around 2.0M from the roadside. The site was very tight compared to the design program. The building orientation is north-south. The internal road is strategically placed on the north side so that it is shaded throughout the day with the structure acting as a screen. The grid of 200x1500x200 mm was developed as a space module that can be multiplied and expanded according to space necessity. The space diagram was framed with public activities in the north, and accommodation and welfare activities including the production unit, learning centers, etc. are placed centrally. The service core sits on the south. Wind shafts are strategically located to bring in light and help exhaust hot air, keeping the interiors cooler.
The natural sloping topography allowed us to construct an underground water tank instead of filling the entire plinth. The stored water will take care of the drinking purpose. Acknowledging the water scarcity, the building harvests rainwater from the roof’s spine through water channels designed on the facade that leads water into underground water tanks through the desilting chambers. The grey water goes into the biogas plant which then connects to the underground tanks of 20,000 litres. This water is used for plantation and farming purposes. Water from the kitchen and bathing areas makes its way into the recycling tanks and further filters through the root zone beds and rests in the recharge pits & bore wells to reuse. To encourage the notion of recycling and reusing the available resources, various self-sustainable techniques such as Biogas plant for generating gas for cooking is constructed. Compost pits and fire pits for the disposal of sanitary pads are implemented on-site. These chores are remarkably taken care of by the women staying there.
Respecting the natural topography and context, the overall site development is carefully addressed in terms of levels. An open-stepped seating is developed in the existing contour as a cultural and social gathering space. The landscape is kept subtle and true to its native. Mostly the site is planted with local trees such as Neem, Mango, Tamarind, and other flowering trees which are self-sustaining in the dry climate. We have adopted a participation method of construction that would promote sustainable development and produce social, economic, and cultural infrastructures.
The walls are made with the local basalt stone which helps in heat reduction and maintain a comfortable environment inside. The construction techniques and materials are local and based on traditional techniques to minimize the need for external construction expertise and excessive transportation costs. The program defined was based on the activity and to create a pleasing environment so that women from different origins can cope with the trauma of the past and start a new journey. The center is looked after by Maher Trust, an NGO, and will contribute to the professional and personal development of the young generation and the creative community.
