Old Men & the Sea: Village Commons at the Portal to Sea

Aarati Binayak

1540

Sea faring people have lives so deeply interwoven with the sea, yet the situation at Zai demonstrates a stark contrast to this, with the fishermen community having accepted the scenario. (Re)establishing a connection between the people and the water becomes the underlying thread of this proposal which also acts as a portal to the sea and its community.
The old fishermen and abandoned boats observed on the site- those who have come to the end of their life at sea. These remnants of the past are woven in- to narrate stories and build the landscape – to make a future.

Report Content

Natural and sociocultural layers that make up the fabric of this rural region was studied as a group. As an individual approach, points of interest along the coastal belt were identified from the memory of the place. The fishing settlement of Zai was then chosen for the design intervention of a village commons.

Dahanu- Bordi road (Coastal Highway) that runs along the coast is an unavoidable route by the tourists as it acts as the major link from Mumbai and Valsad. Sites or pause points are identified along this coastal belt which also has entrances to villages and access roads towards the hills.

Choosing the fishing settlement of Zai as a portal point with the potential of a design intervention. Zai acts as a portal to the sea. A study of the settlement and its context was carried out for an understanding to identify a design intent.

The selected site is the point of contact between the fishermen and the sea, also acting as a gateway to the sea. The site presents a scenario where a huge concrete mass has been inserted (as a solution to waterlogging during monsoon) into what existed as a continuum from land to sea. Zai’s waterfront- its portal to the sea- has become an abrupt change, creating a disconnect visually and ecologically. The proposal aims to acknowledge the existing activities, modify the undesirable sharp ed

Old fishermen and abandoned boats are predominant elements observed on the site- they are remnants of the past, those who have come to the end of their life at sea. The underlying idea is to use these remnants of the past- to narrate stories and build a future landscape. In addition to tying the fragmented site together to create a village commons that provides a setting for the villagers' activities and functional requirements, redefining the harsh concrete expanse and seawall also becomes

How the spaces transform through the year to accommodate various requirements, from festival celebrations to occupational activities. The design draws nuances from the cultural context of the villagers, in addition to creating appropriate settings for their activities.