Ujjvala Krishna

AR2018

Karkhaana

The patriarchal nature of Mandvi ni Pol dismisses the idea of women of the Pol engaging in ‘earning work’. Due to the social and cultural factors prevalent in the Pol, this stigma of ‘work’ is strengthened and perpetuated through citing the aspect of safety as well. This stigma is internalised– the women themselves dismiss their work, skills, and abilities, even though they may engage in many activities that help them earn and make their livelihoods. The aim of the intervention is to create a network that provides easy accessibility, in one case - to a central node of activity that houses a ‘karkhaana’ and a working space to increase the validity of the work that the women engage in, as well a permanent exhibition to increase the visibility of the skills they possess. The alleyways and terraces form a network of connected spaces in the Pol, that can be utilized to create a private space for the women. The intervention connects through a series of micro-infrastructural inserts that make a network that in one case, ends in the central node which houses the ‘karkhaana’ and exhibition. This network follows a similar spatial language, which makes it exclusive for the women of the Pol.


Report Content

Mapping the Skills in Mandvi ni Pol - many women of the pol are engaged in part time work and small cottage industries, like making rubber bands, packaging rakhis and cooker rings, as well as engaging in tailoring work

Creating storylines of various women of different age groups in the Pol, and mapping their daily schedules

Creating a Design Strategy, based on the daily schedule of the women and where the intervention could materialize

Developing a programmatic approach for one part of the intervention

A view of the intervention connecting to the surrounding buildings in the Pol creating a physical network

An exploded view of the levels of the existing AMC school building, with the modifications shown

Top: Street View showing the AMC school building Bottom: A section cutting through the existing building and showing the modifications in the existing structure

Creating small micro - infrastructural interventions at multiple points in Mandvi ni Pol

Developing the design through photo-montages

Designing every small intervention or micro-infrastructural insert in Mandvi ni Pol