Projects | Studio
UG - BUD - Studio - 4 | Spring 2021 | The Water Laboratories
  • Student Srushti Ravindra Rahigude
  • Code UG180595
  • Faculty Planning
  • Unit L2 Studio Unit
  • Tutor/s Nishant Mittal,Dhara Mittal
  • TA Vaishal Patel

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The project starts by looking at city scale where the traditional water infrastructure of Ahmedabad was closely looked at. From a place to relax to a structure that supplied water for more than centuries, the traditional water infrastructures of Ahmedabad have played various roles. Ahmedabad itself houses 45 stepwells and 138 water bodies. The same way, if seen in the world many such infrastructures exists in the arid regions. In 2021 where water is getting carried from Narmada miles away from Ahmedabad, water has gained a very crucial prize. What if this bleakness of water is understood and water is cultivated in the stepwells and other traditional infrastructures? What if stepwells become laboratories and people the water makers? Water laboratories is a project that redefines the role of such water infrastructures in 2050. 

City Scale: The projects starts with looking at the history of Ahmedabad. The timeline is divided in three categories namely ruler, water and calamities. Different traditional water infrastructures have been seen in detail through an interactive game called the Elixir Tales. The idea of the project is to make the stories related to not only infrastructure but about water known and fun to everyone through this interactive game.
This game is of a curious traveler now roaming in the mystic city of Ahmedabad collecting power cards in the different elixir checkpoints that are the traditional water structures of Ahmedabad. To consume the elixir, the traveler (Banjara) has to choose one power card to unveil and relive one of the many symbolic stories of the stepwell. The more he collects the stories, the more he gets interested that keeps him motivated to move forward in his journey.
In 2021 where water is getting carried from Narmada miles away from Ahmedabad, water has gained a very crucial prize. What if this bleakness of water is understood and water is cultivated in the stepwells and other traditional infrastructures? What if stepwells become laboratories and people the water makers? Water laboratories is a project that redefines the role of such water infrastructures in 2050.
These labs are situated in the city of Ahmedabad run by water enthusiasts like historians, designers, sociologists, environmentalists and everyone who is interested in looking at water as a civic expression. They call themselves the Freaks. Their philosophy is to reimagine the existing water cycles, both natural and manmade, to provide water in the bleak as well as everyday scenarios, to the neighbourhood. Each lab has a specific apparatus that works with water. It either stores, supplies water or treats it. All the apparatus are patented by the Water Laboratories.
Lab 102: The crying infant replaces the now existing sewage treatment plants, it is a machine that treats sewage and storm water. A mobile tank with filters and suction pipes attached to each household draw out the waste water. The run off waste water seeps through the pavements and gets collected in underground cisterns inspired from a traditional water infrastructure in Jordan. The water now collected in drainages is filtered and called the tears of the crying infant.
Lab 104: The lovers are the infrastructures responsible for collecting water from air through condensation. The lovers roam in the atmosphere to collect moisture and their unions are responsible for formations of small water ponds in the sky. The early morning dew drops are harvested on the roofs of the residential area. The mornings become magical with rooftops shimmering with pearl like water droplets and grass needles, swinging on the sounds of wind. The different flowering plants and host plants attracts many butterfly as well as other insect diversity, helping in pollination.
Lab 103: The stupid teenager replaces the existing hydroelectric water systems and are responsible for providing electricity to the lab through turbine systems installed on trees. Each tree has circular water turbines that produces energy for the lab. The turbines become active when the crying infant waters the trees and when it rains. The funnels and rain channels direct the water towards the turbines. This lab also houses two experiments that have gone wild in the neighbourhood. The mobile lemonade and beverage makers that have now adapted to the streets serving to the community. The chay tapri is always busy making the stupid teenager the most loved lab.
Lab 105: The second childhood lab is run by the most experienced people of the community. This lab looks after the stored water in Asarwa lake. It receives the water from water treatment labs like the crying infant and the lovers. With this the lab has also started community clubs like fishing circles, bird homes and bonsai gardens all looked and grown by the elderly people of the community.
Finally, the water cultivated in labs is brought to the stepwell and stored there. The crying infant lab recharges groundwater daily as water passes from filters from the walls of the stepwell. The daily collected dew drops are stored in water pots and traded for fresh vegetables cultivated from the stepwell water. The stepwell has now become the cultivator and producer of water.
The complete system of water labs is implemented in Ahmedabad tying all the traditional water infrastructure and giving them a new purpose to celebrate water. The once abandoned infrastructures have now become the centre for cultivating, producing and storing water.