The theme for AYDA 2023 by Nippon Paint was CONVERGE: Championing Purposeful Designs, and I was shortlisted under the Architecture category. I got the opportunity to present my ideas at the national level to esteemed architects from across the country. This experience enabled me to engage with them directly, share my ideas and receive their invaluable feedback.
My project, The Cooum Conundrum, explores how we look at ecologically sensitive and vulnerable zones like river edges in rapidly urbanising cities like Chennai, and the role of architecture in this context. I started out by studying the current state of the Cooum, which got me thinking about the river’s associations with the city in earlier decades and if it had always been like this. This led me to understand that the way we perceive rivers has a huge impact on the way we treat and manage them, and that architecture can influence the way we perceive rivers.
Eromitha Ramesh | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Ideas for change
The project, inspired by Urban Wild Ecology, aims to create a culturescape along the Cooum in Egmore and endeavours to reconnect the river with the city through what can be described as “controlled localised interventions” that are thoughtfully placed at strategic trigger points along the river’s course. It provides an opportunity for people to experience and manage the river edge through a series of six different interventions.
Some of these interventions include a cultural centre, pedestrian bridges and event streets. These programmes act as extensions of the urban fabric not just physically but also programmatically. The architectural realisation of the idea happens through a series of interventions of both built and landscape. Within the architectural framework itself, spaces are designed to be adaptable to changing climate conditions over time and are strategically configured to create zones that facilitate interactions with various species, emphasising the role of architecture in fostering a harmonious relationship with Nature. In select areas, architectural interventions serve as mediators between pre-existing structures and the natural environment.
AYDA gave me the opportunity to learn of inspiring ideas and from people from across the country. Winning the gold in Architecture has given me the opportunity to represent India at the international level and I’m really excited for the learning it will provide.
The writer is a student of R V College of Architecture, Bengaluru.
