Retrofit an ecosystem

Our surroundings are predominantly made through designed actions that are governed by our need for comfort and capacity to alter natural ecosystems. However, have these actions resulted in an environment that we are willing to accept as a desirable future? Disruptive, innovative thoughts and actions are required to create a future which is convivial. One has to be able to situate oneself within the existing ecosystem and imagine new ways of retrofitting built spaces that recognize the interdependencies between people and the environment. This studio explores how small, personal, designed interventions can initiate a possibility of change, in the way we live and the environments we create. It is based on the philosophy that responsible and prudent consumption of resources and energy can not only create a better living environment but also a better society. Students will immerse themselves in a 1 square kilometre precinct of Ahmedabad and study, observe the existing ecosystem and ideate architectural interventions that can be retrofitted to create desirable futures. They will be encouraged to work on architectural designs for resilience, minimize negative impact and celebrate environmental information.