Alefiyah
Merchant
Repairs
and Reappropriations: Examining Cultures of Care, Production, Agency in
Bombay/Mumbai Chawls
Alefiyah
Merchant
Repairs and Reappropriations: Examining Cultures of Care, Production, Agency in Bombay/Mumbai Chawls
Repairs and Reappropriations: Examining Cultures of Care, Production, Agency in Bombay/Mumbai Chawls
→ ARCH 692
About
This
thesis is driven by unravelling the intricate dynamics of ‘marramat’/repair as
a tactic in the Worli BDD Chawls. It is an endeavour to shift the focus from
the monumental to the mundane, from the novel to the enduring, from the
singular authorship to the collective agency.
Chawls,
or chaalis as vernacularly known, were originally constructed as tenement-style
housing for the working-class in colonial Bombay. Not only have these buildings
persisted through time amidst neglect and lack of maintenance by top-down authorities,
but they also continue to subvert claims of being obsolete. Today, many of
these buildings sit on prime land that developers are targeting for
redevelopment. Despite this, we see visible adaptations and modifications-
being framed as repairs in this work- by inhabitants to suit their needs or
reflect their aspirations. These inhabitants, often from lower socio-economic
backgrounds and traditionally pushed to the societal margins, tactically play a
pivotal role in shaping their spatial realities.
There is
much to learn as architects when examining non-western spatial ideas behind
repair and mending. I then ask, “How can the cultures and practices of repair
and reappropriation undertaken by inhabitants within Mumbai/Bombay chawls
inform an alternative approach to sustainable design futures, potentially
challenging traditional architectural and planning paradigms?”
About
This
thesis is driven by unravelling the intricate dynamics of ‘marramat’/repair as
a tactic in the Worli BDD Chawls. It is an endeavour to shift the focus from
the monumental to the mundane, from the novel to the enduring, from the
singular authorship to the collective agency.
Chawls, or chaalis as vernacularly known, were originally constructed as tenement-style housing for the working-class in colonial Bombay. Not only have these buildings persisted through time amidst neglect and lack of maintenance by top-down authorities, but they also continue to subvert claims of being obsolete. Today, many of these buildings sit on prime land that developers are targeting for redevelopment. Despite this, we see visible adaptations and modifications- being framed as repairs in this work- by inhabitants to suit their needs or reflect their aspirations. These inhabitants, often from lower socio-economic backgrounds and traditionally pushed to the societal margins, tactically play a pivotal role in shaping their spatial realities.
There is much to learn as architects when examining non-western spatial ideas behind repair and mending. I then ask, “How can the cultures and practices of repair and reappropriation undertaken by inhabitants within Mumbai/Bombay chawls inform an alternative approach to sustainable design futures, potentially challenging traditional architectural and planning paradigms?”
Chawls, or chaalis as vernacularly known, were originally constructed as tenement-style housing for the working-class in colonial Bombay. Not only have these buildings persisted through time amidst neglect and lack of maintenance by top-down authorities, but they also continue to subvert claims of being obsolete. Today, many of these buildings sit on prime land that developers are targeting for redevelopment. Despite this, we see visible adaptations and modifications- being framed as repairs in this work- by inhabitants to suit their needs or reflect their aspirations. These inhabitants, often from lower socio-economic backgrounds and traditionally pushed to the societal margins, tactically play a pivotal role in shaping their spatial realities.
There is much to learn as architects when examining non-western spatial ideas behind repair and mending. I then ask, “How can the cultures and practices of repair and reappropriation undertaken by inhabitants within Mumbai/Bombay chawls inform an alternative approach to sustainable design futures, potentially challenging traditional architectural and planning paradigms?”
