Generate Resilience \ জন্মা সহনশীলতা
Majuli, India \ মাজুলী, ভাৰত
2018
Client: Government of Assam, Office of District Magistrate, Majuli
Partners in Charge/ Lead: Sarvesh Singh, Alisha Raman, Priyanka Thakur, Vicky Achnani
Collaborators/ Team: ACS Achyut Baruah, List
Location: Majuli, India
Status: Built/ Occupied
Publication: Architecture in Development
Tags: disaster resilient structure, craft systems, rapid prototyping
How can a school withstand heavy earthquakes and floods?
We conducted a Design + Build Resilience Workshop in May 2018. Through this initiative, we built a full-scale resilient architectural model that responds to the local context of floods, soil erosion and high intensity earthquakes, in the river-island of Majuli, Assam in India.
The place serves as a government school during most of the year, and as a community shelter during annual floods. To foster a sense of spatial familiarity for 30 children in the school, cues were taken from the Mishing Tribe’s traditional homes.
As per the Global Risks Landscape Survey 2018 issued by the World Economic Forum, Natural Disasters fare as a problem with the 2nd Highest Odds of Likelihood and Impact, after extreme weather events due to climate change. A novel pedagogy catalyzes an interaction between students, the village community and craftsmen – a hands-on approach to learning that nurtures the free flow of ideas and techniques.
During this period, the team involved confronted all forms of disturbances and uncertainties, including a low-intensity earthquake and the onslaught of floods. The model is built with bamboo, cane, timber, concrete, burnt bricks and steel, all constituting a locally-sourced, regenerative material palette.
