Projects | Studio
UG - BUD - Studio - 4 | Spring 2021 | Untapped
  • Student Zankhna
  • Code UG180709
  • Faculty Planning
  • Unit L2 Studio Unit
  • Tutor/s Nishant Mittal,Dhara Mittal
  • TA Vaishal Patel

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“Of more than 5000 million litres per day of sewage water that is generated in Gujarat, less than 50 mld is treated and reused. This means that Gujarat which is currently battling acute water scarcity reuses hardly 1% of the sewage it generates.” Ahmedabad, its commercial capital is one of the cities cited as water-stressed. It receives approximately 1485 mld water daily, out of which 80% gets converted into sewage water. Figuratively speaking, the city lets go of 1188 mld daily. A figure that could potentially change consumption patterns particularly in times where the climate is uncertain. Untapped is about taking a closer look at this figure. It is a project that speculates on the cities relationship with the wastewater it generates. The speculation begins at the Amraiwadi ward. Working with its system of scales, the speculation deploys contextual inserts to reuse the wastewater generated, ensure easy flow of waste, and absorb emergency shocks. The network works not only to deal with waste but also celebrates its conversion into water that is recycled and reused back into the system. 

"Going, going, gone!" shows how at the end of each day, water that could have been collected and saved, drains away to the sewers with the rest of the waste. The elements which lead to water waste are those which are generally ignored by the residents. They do hamper the daily activities in some ways, for instance, the person passing through the entrance often gets wet from the water dripping from balconies and people usually have to tiptoe due to the water overflowing from the tank in the morning, but as these are minor inconveniences, no one bothers to brings them to attention.
The speculation tries to address the issue of water wasted by constructing a water bank. It is an apparatus that sheds a spotlight on this everyday wasted water - which we encounter daily but do not care for. It collects and distributes this water in a way that both turns it into a resource and allows for people to engage with it. The collected water is stored in the water tank (above ground).
The tank acts as an interactive space, account indicator and collector of wastewater and freshwater (from the selected few). After collection, the water travels to the underground reserve where it gets stored, filtered and compressed into water crystals.
The project is divided into two parts. The first part maps the wastewater generated in the city of Ahmedabad. Its sewage network, pumping stations, pipelines through which it is transported to the sewage treatment plants where it gets accumulated, treated and disposed of. The second part of the mapping focuses on the negative impacts of reusing treated wastewater for irrigation in downstream villages.
The map shows the sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, cetps and the sewage network of Ahmedabad. The next map shows the sewer sheds and their piped networks and also highlights the Amraiwadi ward where the speculation takes place.
The speculation is organized around the three zones described earlier. This is a purifying pillar. It is inserted in the unorganised settlements in the upper sewer shed. It is a vertical tower treating sewage waste of the neighbourhood consisting of 10 multifunctional elements.
The spanning filter is inserted in the row/pol houses in the upper sewer shed. It has the same elements as the purifying pillar but is arranged in a different manner to be more in sync with the context. The inserts in semi-detached houses and apartments follow a similar pattern, the only difference being that these structures only convert the wastewater to be used for flushing or irrigation purposes as the scarcity of water here is still manageable.
There are 4 elements consisting of a floater, a hopscotch area made of manhole covers, a wire loop mirroring the complexity of water treatment and the grassland for greenery and open space. The map holograms and waste pumps are inserted into the mid network system. They prevent clogging and show any illegal or new connections to the pipelines on the holographic projections from the manhole covers.
The plugins and deploy stages at the sewage pumping stations in the lower sewer sheds try to counteract the problems of odour, clogging, corrosion, regulation, providing the upper sewer shed with structures and forming places such as the mist area for people to engage with. The final stage or the stps are the end zones for wastewater treatment. They consist of the manufacturer and launcher that produce and deploy upper and mid-level structures, the waste maker which treats and transports dry waste to villages, the purifying fountain which treats the water till tertiary level and is an aesthetic element and finally an elevated walkthrough illuminated throughout by lights powered by biogas and a sitting area made of mounds facing the fountain.
Finally, one perspective view is kept of the downstream river speculating the better conditions it will have due to the wastewater treatment being done in the city. Saptasangam - the confluence of seven rivers. In reality, only the Sabarmati and Vatrak rivers meet at Vautha but as these two rivers formerly meet the Hathmati river at Sabarmati and the Khari, Meshwo, Mazam and Shedhi rivers at Vatrak, hence the name. The scene highlights the activities of the villagers, the fair in the full flare with its religious practices, fun rides, multiple tents, animal tradings and many more.