Nitya Patel

UR2008

Landscape In transit

//PARASITIC CO-EXISTENCE  and Symbiosis is a study of how over the years CEPT has changed physically and its effects on the water seepage into the ground. The idea is to see and compare the surface materials of  campus in year 2000 when it was had more natural ground and the water could seep into the ground and stored. However with increase in pavements/non porous materials this natural seepage has been disrupted.////THE SHAPE OF WATER  “Water has achieved an invisibility in our lives that is more remarkable given how central it is.” - Charles Fisherman, The Big Thirst. We believe that all water problems are local, but the consequences, the damage and the costs are anything but local. The project aims at taking a step towards comprehensive data collection at city scale as well as spreading awareness among citizens about their impact on the overall consumption of water by generating a unique water footprint for each individual that represents an abstraction of how much water you carry with yourself.////LANDSCAPE IN TRANSIT is a future speculation where due to submergence and increase in dam like infrastructure has resulted into loss of landscape and forest. As resources continued to deplete, the dam and its accompanying infrastructure became defunct. Ironically today, this mechanism of resource extraction and a symbol of environmental destruction and cultural displacement has become an experimental lab for resource conservation and regeneration. Set in this context, In- transit is a fictional tale that visualizes the repurposed Sardar Sarovar dam. The project is inspired by Klaus Littmann’s project ‘For Forest’ an adaptation of the work of Max Peitner. It tries to show dream-like visions that offer a discourse on future habitats reminding us of our past actions. It is an attempt to bring to the forefront a discussion on the impact of large scale development projects. By visualizing familiar landscapes as lost monuments, and situating them in unusual settings the project reinstates that if we take natural systems for granted, the only way we might experience them in the future would be through created sacred exhibits.


Report Content

Different materials are mapped according to the porosity and the unit of water falling on it. The two models shows different porous (negative peaks) and Non porous (Positive peaks) of section across campus. While comparing them, we come to know of change in materials and its effect on water seepage into the ground. Due to increase in paving the water runoff and wastage due to that is increased. These changes over the years and its effects on simple things are not realized but when you scale it u

The learnings from mapping were taken forward where the positive peaks where water could not seep into the ground were made to do so by introducing elements which would take the water from the non porous surfaces and release them into porous surfaces so it seeps into the ground and the water is not wasted in run off.

The drawing machine- shape of water, is an interactive tool to generate an abstract form of water footprint that is unique to each individual. Each rotating disk is a parameter which represents the average amount of water one carries in a day. Aduino circuit is used which is then connected to Grasshopper. This goes inside the base of the machine where the rotating disks are connected to motors which reads the information fed in Grasshopper.

Overall information regarding the water consumption values are given which are used in the program. The flow of functions show how the process works in calculating the water consumption by a person and also geolocating to generate maps.

The drawing machine/model

The loss of forest and land due to submergence is massive. Moreover the three dams caused thousands of people to move from their homes. The floating forests from the speculation moves along the canal through different settlements and situating themselves as a part of settlements.

Different types of forests of Gujarat are mapped and a part/sample of it as a lost landscape is kept on exhibit in the backwaters of Sardar Sarovar dam.

The major types/combinations of the lost forests. Different species of plants and trees are grown in the conservatory. They are then transported through canals to different parts of Gujarat.

The inside view of the conservatory where plants and trees are grown and experimented with before it can be replanted in a floater. The view of the lost landscape on display with a viewing deck.

The Landscape in transit where the floating forests are on the move to different parts of Gujarat. The floaters arriving in Ahmadabad and situating themselves as a part of the city where people can come in and enjoy the lost.