Kindness Being with/in Wilderness

The project proposes 136 acres of wilderness park in Gandhinagar at the Sabarmati river edge. Currently, the is isolated from the city. It is overgrown with invasive species such as Juliflora Prosposis. Illegal mining activities in the riverbed have deeply disturbed the riparian edges. However, it holds considerable potential to become a wilderness park if conserved and repaired. Based on the site’s terrain analysis, adding water bodies on the site slows down the water flow and allows recharge—restoring the disturbed riparian edge with grasses (such as vetiver to create a solid embankment edge. Further, new native species (of trees and shrubs are introduced in phases post-removal of invasive species. The central spine in the centre of the site will be the most public route of 5 meters, connecting a variety of social and productive infrastructures such as a restaurant space, material labs, watch towers, theatre, exhibition arena and a water deck towards the river edge.Similarly, secondary trail networks traverse into conserved and open pockets for research; these areas will have seven research pods for up to 15 to 20 people. All these spaces will be equipped with functional and utility infrastructures. To visually connect the different areas, each will have a watch tower that becomes the placeholder. For researchers and tourists, this will be a site that will offer a wilderness landscape to learn from, enjoy and be a part of the habitat of shared species.