Neo-"Jugaad" Urbanism
Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi), India
2023
5,294 m²
Jugaad means “A clever improvisation from the resources we have” Although the definition sounds appealing, it is mainly associated with informality. In India, to the eye of the public, Jugaad has a pejorative connotation. Nevertheless, opportunities to learn from informality in the urban setting unlocks new ways of designing resiliently and anticipate for what can not be anticipated. This project reappropriate the word Jugaad and aim to create an urbanism inspired by informality that complement and preserve heritage historical built form. “Neo-Jugaad Urbanism” means a fostered yet informal approach to urbanism inspired by Indian urban fabric development as a framework to preserve its past and present cultural landscape.
M. Arch Semester 1
Team: Aaron McRoberts, Sydney Sheppard, Sarah Belchkar, Jonathan Kabumbe
The documentation of the physical and cultural aspect was important to understand how movement, programming and life on the street intersected with informality.
Mapping allowed the layout of interventions and important areas of focus where major implementation were necessary.
Point of interest are the Town hall, the Reprogramming of the Mall under construction next to the station, historical Havelis (traditional townhouses comprised of one or multiple courtyard) and terraces. These become a way to alleviate the traffic density, create new point of access in the city and preserve the cultural fabric.
In phase 3, The rejuvenation Havelis (housing typology with one or more inner courtyards), their courtyards and terraces create an opportunity to revive and preserve culturally relevant public spaces and create new streams of revenues for the government.
ACCORDING TO THE INDIAN NATIONAL TRUST FOR ART AND CULTURAL HERITAGE, THERE ARE MORE THAN 300 HAVELIS IN OLD DELHI.
Each Havelis in Dariba Kalan are looked at with the intention of creating a Heritage pathway that would connect the Chowk, the Kuchas, Katras, Gallis and Courtyard
PRIVATE HAVELIS' COURTYARDS ARE OFTEN OPEN TO PEOPLE, THUS BECOMING PUBLIC SPACES.
The palimpsest of material in abandoned havelis have becomes a pragmatic and poetic expression of the structure and tectonic that is a testimony of informalities' resiliency and material resourcefulness. Inspired by this, a material matrix allows for a mindful adaptive reuse.
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