BUILDING CRAFT CENTRE

A craft center in Orissa focusing on upskilling artisans and the practice of craft in the Indian Building Industry. The project allowed for in- depth knowledge of construction processes and material research.

Project type: Architecture thesis

Role: Individual project

Year: 2019-2020

India is an invaluable repository of traditional building practices, practiced by skilled artisans that emerge as a response to its diverse climatic, geological and socio-cultural expressions. This vast resource of building practices and skilled artisans is continuously being threatened by the unprecedented growth of the construction industry and the quest for a ‘modern’ and/ or ‘permanent’ habitat. Many indigenous building approaches and artisanal communities are losing their relevance and are being rapidly reduced to being labour as opposed to being craftsmen, ultimately proving unsustainable, both economically as well as ecologically. While substantial research on traditional building materials and techniques exists and is ongoing, its implementation, specifically for contemporary development, is often contested.

The thesis attempts to look for ways in which craftsmen can be empowered with the industry through upskilling, find out ways to produce architectural spaces combining the indigenous building practices with the contemporary, for modern needs.

UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT

Studying the context of the town I was designing for gave an insight into the local building practices , material usage, space planning and cultural context. The following study also helped understand the climate responsive strategies that needed to be considered in a state like Orissa.

Rapid sketching to derive key design elements to incorporate in the campus

A glossary of design elements were developed during initial sketching sessions.

A central semi open workshop area

Workshop module configurations

Façade details and landscape elements

Lack of research , efforts in documentation, upgradation and upskilling artisans in the state.
New proposal of Odisha Skill Development plan (OSDP) and the indigenous peoples plan, on which the project proposal is based.
Initiatives like the Artisans self help group to give impetuous to the training of craftsman in the industry to form corporations thereby helping the artisans in the state

WHY ORISSA ?

DESIGN PROTOTYPES

workshop area

Design studio

Library

To understand the role and the participation of the craftsman in the industry, I compared the contemporary construction industry with the indigenous. It was clear, that though the indigenous construction was organic it worked well with the Indian conditions of diversity, diverse contexts and kept the artisan at the center of the ecosystem

After studying the settlements three main materials found abundant in orissa were identified. Earth, bamboo, stone, and building waste as a material were studied.

A detailed material study was conducted to understand

The knowledge necessary for an artisans capacity building. 3 key themes derived from this study

Raw material and procurement

Tools and equipment required

Building process

A basic unit o workshops, storage, and design studio was developed.

After studying the settlements three main materials found abundant in orissa were identified. Earth, bamboo, stone, and building waste as a material were studied.

A detailed material study was conducted to understand the knowledge necessary for an artisans capacity building. 3 key themes derived from this study