Bohemian Soul: REHWA - the timeless weavers

WEAVERS OF MAHESHWAR – THE REHWA SOCIETY

(MAHESHWAR, MADHYA PRADESH)

The fortified town of Maheshwar has been known for its weaving since its inception in the 15^th century. In the recent past, however, this traditional activity had become unsustainable due to exploitation by middlemen and poor marketing. In response to the need to revitalize the weaving tradition of Maheshwar, the heirs of the royal Holkar family established REHWA society in 1979.

https://www.google.co.in/search?q=maheshwar+fort+photography

The aim of this project was to redesign and set up looms in the abandoned buildings of the fort, in turn developing community infrastructure and housing.

The project consisted of a study of the existing architecture of the fort and its buildings (the architecture of the temple complex). Its influence on the design of buildings; sustainable functioning of the community through the architectural intervention and the evolution of forms along the sloping terrain of the fort.

This study also discusses the appropriateness of traditional architecture and its evolution in a newly emerging socio-economic context.

Areas of study within the fort:

Community centre (present day café)

Weavers work space

School for children of the community (The Ahilya School)

Weavers housing

CONTEXTUAL AND SITE STUDY

GEOGRAPHY AND LOCATION:

Maheshwar is a city in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located 13 km east of National Highway 3 (Agra-Mumbai highway) and 91 km from Indore, the commercial capital of the state. The Holkar fort lies on the north bank of the Narmada River.

The main approach to Maheshwar is from Indore. The Holkar fort is nestled in a terrain that slopes towards the Narmada River. Hence making the northern part of the fort highest in contours.

The town of Maheshwar is well connected with national and state highways, mostly due to the trade and tourism.

https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/Maheshwar

CLIMATC INFLUENCE:

Maheshwar experiences subtropical climate. Hot dry summers, cool - relatively dry winters and heavy monsoon is the basic climatic condition. In summer the temperature ranges between 20 ^OC to 40 ^OC and in winter it ranges between 12 ^OC to 21 ^OC.

The climate within the fort however, is highly influenced by the Narmada River, the premises is hot during the day and extremely cold during the night.

CULTURE OF THE FORT AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE BUILT SPACES WITHIN:

The temple complex rests on the terrain in a stepped form, along the river banks. There is no evidence of the forts first construction, but it was later redesigned by craftsmen from Rajasthan. Therefore the great Rajasthani architecture influence.

The buildings within the fort have core design elements that are derived from the temple and fort architecture.

Courtyards

Corbelled arches

Oriel windows

Stone Chajjas

Balconies

Geometric patterns for jalli

SPATIAL AND BUILT FORM ANALYSIS

COMMUNITY CENTRE:

This community centre in the Maheshwar Fort houses a small library, a crèche, a clinic for a visiting doctor, and a courtyard for community gatherings, plays, lectures, film screenings, and the occasional wedding.

FORM:
The building is transparent so as to make its activities a part of the street, and yet it creates a sense of scale and centeredness within itself through a balance of solid and void (open and closed spaces). The plan forms a narrow building wrapping around the existing trees. The building is surrounded with green planter beds which act as noise buffers between the street and the space. A vertical shaft at the main transition point brings in immense daylight and ventilation for the seating area.
It is at very close proximity to the main entrance gateway of the fort, making accessibility easy.

Seating inside the cafe

CONSTRUCTION:
The construction technology was kept to a basic, integrating existing site levels, local building skills and local materials. The building is made of brick construction with slate stone ceilings. Its roofing is a mixture of both flat and sloping roofs (curved clay tiles based with aluminium sheets).

The large fenestrations along the street give the building a sense of transparency. The detailing of the building is mainly derived by the architecture of the fort.

The continued use of these construction details also ensured that the traditional skills of the masons and craftsmen (such as the potter making clay roof tiles) could evolve in a contemporary setting and these skills could be applied to other buildings that they built.
Today, the building is being used as a cafe for tourists. It functions better as a café due to the lack of space for a community centre (the population inside the fort has increased from the time of construction).

DESIGN ELEMENTS:

The major design elements have been derived from the fort and the temple complex, therefore making the entire structure look like its blending into the vocabulary of its context.

· Corbelled brick arches for passage ways and entrances.

· Jalli patterns inspired from the geometrical murals on the temple walls.

· Fenestration influenced by the friezes on the fort wall.

· Niches derived from oriel windows.

WEAVING CENTRE (WORKSHOP):

The weaving centre is an informal setup that is sited next to the temple complex. This work space allows the weavers to gaze through the magnificent view of the temple complex and the Narmada that flows beyond. It houses a small retail store, the administration office, storage and leisure spaces along with the working space.

Courtyard in workspace

FORM:

The building is a series of simple cubes that are placed along the terrain of the fort, giving the entire structure a staggered effect. The concept of courtyards is implemented in this space mostly to enhance interaction among the weavers. The courtyards make the entire space informal and spreads a homely environment to work in. It also serves best for natural lighting and ventilation – basic elements of a workspace.

There is a balance between working and leisure spaces. Every main working platform opens out to a leisure space, which is also used for dying the fabric.

There is a balcony that looks into the temple complex.

CONSTRUCTION:

The construction technology was kept to a basic, integrating existing site levels, local building skills and local materials. The building is made of brick construction with sloping roofs(curved clay tiles based with aluminium sheets).

DESIGN ELEMENTS:

The major design elements have been derived from the fort and the temple complex, therefore making the entire structure look like its blending into the vocabulary of its context.

Courtyards from temple layout

Wooden columns inspired from the stone columns within the temple

Jalli patterns inspired from the geometrical murals on the temple walls.

on site photography

THE AHILYA SCHOOL:

This school was built when the resident weavers at the Maheshwar Fort felt the need for a middle school in the vicinity of the housing, workspace and the community centre.

Built on the land adjacent to the weaver’s workspace, the Ahilya School lies in a rhythm with the traditional urban fabric of Maheshwar, establishing a continuum with the town.

The school began with 60 students and today has 240 students supported by 16 teachers.

Programmatically, apart from the typical design brief for a school, there is an eating space accompanied by a kitchen to serve meals to the children, and a crèche for day care as well.

FORM:

The building is transparent so as to make its activities a part of one single schooling unit. It creates a sense of scale and centeredness within itself through a balance of solid and void (open and closed spaces). The plan is just a simple addition and subtraction of a basic cuboid and the building is wrapping around the existing trees. It is a 2 storey building with large fenestrations along the street and towards the ground, making the building transparent from all sides. This emphasis on interaction, visual contact, ventilation and natural light within the building. The concept of vertical shaft at the main transition point is used even here.

It is at very close proximity to the main entrance gateway of the fort, making accessibility easy.

CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN ELEMENTS:

The building is characterized by a composition of

Brick corbels for archways and corridors.

Steel trusses are used to support stone ceilings and form the main framework.

Brackets supporting stone roofs and chajjas.

Slate stone for jalli and seating platforms along windows

Slate slabs used for staircase; gap between each step lets in light for the staircase unit.

Combination of sloping and flat roof.

Slate slab for ceiling and curved clay tiles based with aluminium sheets for the sloping roof.

Vertical shafts.

on site photography

WEAVERS HOUSING:

This participatory housing design project was for members of the traditional weaver's community in the town of Maheshwar. The housing scheme was a part of the overall adaptive reuse and planning project undertaken for the Maheshwar Fort. The project was designed to encourage the weavers to move into abandoned areas of the fort. Families of weavers discussed their individual needs with the architects to arrive on a design incorporating local construction skills and materials, the traditional architectural vocabulary, the current needs, and the socio-economic aspirations of the families.

FORM:

The residential zone is sited on the highest region of the fort with the terrain sloping towards the river. Hence all the housing units are built on high platforms (plinth) along this natural slope.

The dwelling unit is a simple cube form with a combination of both flat and sloped roofs. Although a single bedroom unit, each house has a separate work space dedicated for weaving. Two of such units are staggered in a row to make a group and the 2 units rest on a common plinth, which is an ideal platform form at the entrance. Enhances interaction between residents. Each of these units also have a private backyard space, which collectively opens into a common larger open area (pedestrian access only). This forms one cluster of the weavers housing. Every element in the planning of these spaces contribute to the sense of a community.

Separate entrances for the main house and the working space.

CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN ELEMENTS:

The housing also strongly follows the vocabulary of the fort and its elements.

Brick construction

High cement platforms

Basic fenestration

Geometric jalli patterns

Arch shaped niches

Slate stone ceilings

Sloping roof - curved clay tiles based with aluminium sheets

Flat roof with terrace

Houses are painted white – reflects the heat

Main roads are cemented (vehicular access), secondary roads are mud roads(pedestrian access).

on site photography

CONCLUSION

ZONING OF FORT-

The main tourist attractions are concentrated at close proximity to the main entrance, making accessibility easy. The residential zone is at the highest contour, prevents flooding during monsoon. Separate entry gates for each zone, making access easy and automatically creates a hierarchy of spaces.

BUILT ALONG THE TERRAIN-

The method of cut and fill is not applied for any structure. The natural terrain of the fort is maintained. This is a very economical for redeveloping a community. The terrain gives the built form a staggered appearance, both horizontally and vertically. This creates visual interest.

SHAPE OF THE BUILDINGS-

The form of the buildings are all achieved by a simple composition of geometric shapes. They are all sited on the natural terrain and follow the profile of the existing trees.

DESIGN ELEMENTS AND MATERIALS-

The core design elements for all four space are the same and they are all derived from the architecture of the fort. This not only makes the built forms appear visually as part of the same community, but also allow them to blend into the vocabulary of the fort. Thus maintaining the authenticity and culture of the fort and the community within, as a major content.