Reviving social engagements: The case of Ahmedabad
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Other Title
Authors
Sachaniya, Dhruvi Anilbhai
Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)
Degree
Master of Architecture (Professional)
Grantor
Unitec, Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology
Date
2024
Supervisors
Patel, Yusef
Pretty, Annabel
Pretty, Annabel
Type
Masters Thesis
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
Ahmadābād (India : District)
India
Pol housing
residential design
social connection
Indian architecture
Gujarati architecture
architecture and space
India
Pol housing
residential design
social connection
Indian architecture
Gujarati architecture
architecture and space
ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
Citation
Sachaniya, D.A. (2024) Reviving social engagements: The case of Ahmedabad (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional)). Unitec, Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6697
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION
How can architectural interventions in the Pols of Ahmedabad contribute to reviving its social life?
"Pol: Entrance to self-contained and self-sufficient traditional housing clusters, where narrow and long houses are closely packed along narrow streets, typically inhabited by members of the same community"
ABSTRACT
The walled city of Ahmedabad, a UNESCO-nominated World Heritage city in India, has grown organically, like other Indian historic cities where history is deeply rooted. Streets act as a stem, connecting traditional neighbourhoods (pols) seamlessly, and cultural expression and social interaction have bloomed through chowks, cultivating a strong sense of belonging. However, in the wake of urbanisation and the commercialisation of these historic districts, the residents, who nurture the spirit of Indian culture and heritage that sets it apart from the world, have been neglected. The pressure of developing infrastructure, high commercial activities, traffic congestion, changing demographics, and the inability to meet the evolving needs have threatened the residents' quality of life, forcing many residents to migrate outside the walled city.
Residents in the pols are losing their attachment to the community as changing demographics have diminished the concept of self-contained community living, where each resident used to belong to the same caste or from an extended family. With the original residents of the same caste and community migrating outside and various communities from different castes, including lower castes, migrating into the walled city, social relationships have been disrupted. The project aims to create a facility that invites and encourages residents to interact, regardless of their caste or economic background, helping to revive the social life and maintain the living heritage legacy of the city while accommodating modern needs.
The research follows five steps to revive the diminishing social life of the pols: Attract, Engage, Educate, Empower, and Uplift. Architectural and urban theories guided the research to create a welcoming and modest environment inspired by traditional architecture and the community's collective memory. Rather than an overpowering structure, the study proposes medium-scale architectural interventions in the dense fabric of the pols, with a modest nature that welcomes people from various backgrounds.
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