AGARAADHI 

From an Epoch Bygone to a Habitat Redefined

CONCERN

Mahabalipuram – an UNESCO world heritage site in Tamil Nadu, India is considered the epitome of Pallava kingdom’s mastery in the art of stone sculpting and architecture. Today the place stands as a hotspot of tourism and leisure. Apart from the town’s tourism and historical layer, it has a rich eco-geographical layer too as it’s located in between the Bay of Bengal and backwaters. Hence, agriculture and many other occupations have been prevailing here for centuries. But today, there is decline in this eco-geographical layer as well as the socio-economical layer.

There are 6 villages within a 5km radius from Mahabalipuram. And, their livelihood seemed to be based on agriculture, fishing and its allied fields, and building construction. Lime manufacturing was done on a large scale due to abundant supply of calcareous shells from the sea. Two vernacular were building styles were observed – Madras style houses that has extensive usage of lime and terracotta, and mud houses that use clayey soil and palm timber extensively.

Today, the increase in land value of this region after the tourism oriented development of Mahabalipuram has led to the loss of many common lands that supported the region’s livelihood to various external parties. Agriculture declined. Constructing vernacular buildings wasn’t possible anymore, as gathering local materials from the then common lands were not allowed anymore. A survey was taken to 86 families to consolidate these facts into numbers. 65% of the farmers have changed their occupations due to loss of lands, and 60% of the families know mud building construction while only a small 20% still stay in such houses.

APPROACH

Since the loss of commons lands have played a major role in the deterioration of the region, its reclamation and the reassurance of their own culture to the people was prioritised for devising a programme:

1. People’s Organisation – to monitor and discuss policies for the social and ecological welfare for the region.
2. Building Science Institution – for the local masons to earn and teach their ways of building to students from outside.
3. Food Court & Farmers’ Market – to support the local farming and cooking practices.
4. Unschool – for this will and knowledge to be transferred to the future generations.
5. Seed Bank
6. Cafeteria
7. Library
8. Auditorium
9. Residences
10. Dormitories
11. Lime Kiln
12. Agricultural Land

This envisaged campus to function efficiently, had to be in the vicinity of all these villages, hence, Mahabalipuram core itself became the best choice. The chosen 24.9 acre site happens to be just 200 meters away from the Pancha Rathas of Mahabalipuram. From east to west, the site’s soil condition change from sandy to clayey. There’s around 12 acres of abandoned agriculture land, a one acre large monsoon generated pond, and in overall, the site accommodates around 380 trees – mostly neem and palm.

Public functions such as the Food Court, Farmer’s Market and the Lime Kiln are placed up front, while the Building Science Institution and the Unschool occupies the core. The Residences and Dormitories come on the back. Out of the 12 acres of abandoned agricultural land within the site, 8 acres have been revived. 

Site planning took several aspects into consideration. For instance, the particular road network designed was based on the natural vegetation – to make pathways, certain palm trees alone were cut, which were used for building construction. They were once again planted in a 1:3 ratio. On a social level, the Unschool and the Residences were designed facing each other to promote interaction between local children and non-native residents. A mango plantation has been designed to attract pollinating agents and promote biodiversity.

Firstly, the structural and aesthetic qualities of the Madras style houses was tried on the Cafeteria. Located in between the institutional and residential zone, it meets the food requirements of the users from both zones. It is designed with a long seating area that expresses variety in levels, scale, proportion and roof form. The structure’s foundation is kept continuous while the walls and roofs are discontinuous, so that it becomes easier to make structural additions and subtractions in the future.

Coming to the building science institution, which is a set of multiple small buildings; it takes inspiration from the vernacular mud buildings. It consists of an admin block, a material museum, lecture halls, construction yard, etc. The spatial connectivity is achieved by having the construction yard – a void, placed at the centre surrounded by solids of relatable scales and functions too. 

Other building designs were also done deriving inspiration these two vernacular to express their aesthetic and structural qualities to villages and non-locals.

‘AGARAADHI’ – means dictionary in Tamil. The case of Tamil’s agaraadhi is the same as these documented villages. They do hold a lot of value but we don’t consider or much less know them anymore. Taking inspiration from what’s lost to restore a habitat is what this thesis is about; and hence the name.