Aswin Joshy

UR3005

FROM INTERMEDIATES TO ABSOLUTE

The project focuses on remediating an industrial waste ground in Gandhinagar, heavily impacted by ash (containing arsenic, lead, etc) dumping from the Torrent Power Plant (a by-product of thermal power generation). A 12-meter-deep ash pond, situated 2km from the plant, remains unexplored mainly despite ongoing activities like grazing and other related activities in and around the site. The project unfolds in two phases to address this environmental challenge of industrial waste disposal.
The  Phase one involves creating intermediary structures between the plant and the ash pond. Existing pipelines will be extended to incorporate a system that segregates ash from the slurry before reaching the pond with underground filtration units with sedimentation tanks; each will collect and separate bottom ash for direct truck collection while purifying water through a centrifugal filtration system, channeling it to a new pond. This phase also includes enhancing the site's street network for improved public experience. 
The phase two focuses on remediating the ash pond by using 30% of the existing bottom ash mixed with soil to form island mounds. These islands will undergo phytoremediation, fostering plant growth and transforming the area into a productive landscape. 
The core idea here is to create unobtrusive architectural solutions as intermediaries within the larger landscape, effectively managing industrial waste in alignment with the thermal power plant's waste management. 
Link to Complete Portfolio. 

View Additional Work

Report Content

With the aid of the ongoing site visit, a comprehensive analysis (XL-Scale analysis) was conducted, spanning from the Gandhinagar Torrent Plant to the ash pond. The evidence mapping meticulously detailed activities along the pipeline routes, incorporating a thorough collection of information to weave a narrative layer. This mapping initiative went beyond merely outlining physical activities; it also sought to assess the broader impacts of the ash pond’s presence within the community, including an analysis of air quality.

The process then commenced by constructing a foundational narrative that delineated the role and positioning of the ash pond system within the site on a grander scale. Following this, a sequence of iterations was launched to establish wider linkages, investigating potential spatial redesigns of the system. This method encompassed the assimilation of the site’s inherent characteristics and pre-existing infrastructures, all aimed at the ultimate goal of remediating the ash dumping area.

Recognizing the potential of the pipeline transporting bottom ash slurry from the power plant to the ash ponds, the project unfolds in two phases. Phase 1 involves implementing measures to separate the bottom ash from the water, while Phase 2 focuses on remediating the inactive ash ponds through phyto-remediation techniques.

PHASE I: L-scale Plan | Developing along the existing pipelines for the segregation of bottom ash from water. | Strategies Used.

Exploded Axonometric of the entire water tank system: Structural Analysis with the contextual activities.

Design Detailing: M- Scale detail of the proposed water tank I with the context | S-Scale plans of the proposed water tank I at various levels along with sectional representation of the proposed ROW development along the pipeline.

PHASE II: L-scale Plan and section | Remediating the ash pond.

Design detailing thorugh proposed planting grain [S-Scale Plans] on the mounds along with illustrating the expected Phytoremediation process on the site. | Section illustrating the entrance bamboo pavilion to the remediation mounds.

Speculative view of the ash pond during remediation phase.

View portraying the post-remediation phase of the proposed design -5 to 10years/ aging. | Post-remediation, the mound's planted grains can be transformed into versatile landscapes, serving beyond food production to include wood, flowers, and various other activities that will benefit the carpentry and farming based community around.