Afrah Jahan

LA4001

The project is part of the 200 acre Biodiversity Heritage Site proposed by the Government of Kerala, in the city of Kollam - one with historic trading connections and rich cultural heritage embedded throughout the years, under different empires. Bordering the Ashtamudi Lake - a RAMSAR site - and comprising of the 200-year-old British Residency building, the site is 13.50 acres in area. Endangered mangrove species and dense patches of endemic vegetation covers the site on the edge touching the lake, while a large open ground unfolds in front of the historic structure. Situated at the city’s centre, the site sits amidst a cultural hotspot of activities, exhibitions and interactions and is the only green anchor of the highly dense city. 

 The design looks at incorporating an ecological park, a heritage park and a leisure park into the fabric of the surroundings, as one unified fixture in the form of a BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE PARK. The diverse environmental linkages of the ecological edge are seen and respected, as is the impressive architecture that speaks of the history and lineage of the region. They are interlinked through the permeable spaces at their interface, acting as spaces of rediscovery.