Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

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Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

Information

  • Project Name: Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness
  • Student Name: Jacob Alappatt
  • Awards: Winner of the Kerala awards for thesis in Architecture 2022 | Honorable mention for Architerrax design of the year award 2022 | Honorable mention for Architectural thesis awards by Mango architecture 2022 | Best thesis award, Avani Institute of Design | Participation for Charles Correa gold medal awards | Thesis project exhibited at the hybrid horizons conducted by CAADRIA 2023 at the CEPT University library | Thesis publication in the DSGN archive, Singapore
  • Softwares/Plugins: AutoCAD , SketchUp , Adobe Illustrator , Adobe Photoshop , Lumion
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Excerpt: ‘Architecture with Uncertainty and Certainty: Change in Wetness’ is an architecture thesis by Jacob Alappatt from the Avani Institute of Design that explores floating architecture and seeks to reimagine the architecture of wetlands by giving the community the infrastructure it needs and encouraging dialogue between land and water to help people better adapt to change. Architecture is used as a tool to enhance people’s ability to adapt to the ambiguous and uncertain conditions caused by a shift in wetness.

Introduction: There have been noticeable shifts in recent years in terms of intensity, seasonal and natural variations in rainfall, rising sea levels, warming temperatures, and an increase in the frequency of floods. The exponential rise in economic expansion and swift urbanisation are making its actions more erratic. Its effects on both human and non-human life are becoming more frequent and severe. For instance, the 2018 and 2019 Kerala floods, as well as the most recent flash floods in Uttarakhand, resulted in the loss of life, livelihoods, and significant financial and infrastructural losses.

These uncertainties also affect built environments designed with tropical or vernacular architecture in mind. This raises the question of whether tropical architectural forms will always evolve or adapt to the Change in Wetness. How can flood and rain resilience be incorporated into the design of built forms while accommodating uncertainties and enhancing people’s ability to adapt to changing conditions that will ultimately result in a safer future?

The thesis reimagines the architecture of wetlands, a water landscape created by the tropical monsoon, by giving the community the infrastructure it needs and encouraging dialogue between land and water to help people better accept and adapt to change. Architecture can be used as a tool to enhance people’s ability to adapt to the ambiguous and uncertain conditions caused by a shift in wetness.

Architectural design should adapt to the site’s and the environment’s needs by promoting duality in programming and taking into account the shifting conditions of the water landscape, which are centred on the requirements of the lost or damaged public infrastructure. The research and study must take place in an area where changing precipitation patterns could result in natural disasters that affect people’s lives and livelihoods or leave them vulnerable. Here, Kainakary village in Kerala serves as the micro context, with the Kuttanad Wetlands serving as the broader context.

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Site Context

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
The macro context – Kuttanad Wetlands
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Satellite images acquired on February 6th, 2018, a normal month before the monsoon and the flooded condition of the same areas on August 22nd, 2018, during monsoon

The macro context – Kuttanad wetlands

The choice of site has been incorporated into the seasonal water landscape, which is ephemeral in terms of wetness, occupation, built forms, and socioeconomic structure, a place where the community’s livelihood is dependent on the transient state of the waterscape.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Fig 01: Pre-Holocene – Shallow Embayment, Fig 02: Middle-Holocene – Land Reclamation 1850-1945, Fig 03: Late-Holocene – Closed Lagoon System, Fig 04:19th Century – Backwater System
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Fig 05: 1850-1945 – Land Reclamation, Fig 06: 1954, 1976 Thotapally Spillway & Thaneermukam Barrage, Fig 07: 1980’s AC Road and Other Road Infrastructures, Fig 08: 2050 Flood Mapping

Located in the lush low-lying regions of Vembanad Lake, Kuttanad is predominantly a deltaic formation made up of five river systems: Meenachil, Pamba, Manimala, Muvattupuzha, and Achencovil. It covers the districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta in Kerala and is a crucial component of the Vembanad-Kol Ramsar site. A significant portion of this area is between 0.6 and 2.2 metres below mean sea level, which results in year-round flooding during the monsoon season and saline water ingression during the summer months.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Isometric Sectional Landform from Western Ghats to the Arabian Sea
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
The micro context – Kainakary

Kuttanad is classified into six agro-ecological zones according to factors like topography, proximity to saline water intrusion, floods, and more. The districts are Vaikom Kari, Purakkad Kari, Kayal Lands, North Kuttanad, Upper Kuttanad, and Lower Kuttanad. Salt water entering Kuttanad is regulated by the Thanneermukkam salt barrage in the north. Monsoon water flows into the Arabian Sea with the help of the Thottappally Spillway in the south. By 2050, over 75% of the Kuttanad region is expected to be submerged by 2 feet or flooded, based on flood mapping from that year.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Kainakary Site Analysis
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Kainakary Site Survey and Images

The micro context – Kainakary

Kainakary is an island village in the Kuttanad Taluk of the Alappuzha District of Kerala, India. At the tip of Kainakary, five rivers flow into the Vembanad lake from the Western Ghats, one of which is the sacred Pamba River. Agriculture and fishing are the primary sources of income for native people. Recent years have seen a notable advancement in inland water tourism, which includes resorts, homestays, and small boats.

Design Process

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Minipod Iterations
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Minipod Iterations

The idea: “FLOATING AND MOBILE PLATFORMS” – Modular, Resilient, Buoyant, Stable, Mobile, Prefabricated, able to dock with other pods

The meaning of mobility within architecture needs to be refined, rather than providing unchangeable structures with one constant function situated in a permanent location. This new type of architecture that floats on a body of water additionally provides room for movement whenever required. Moreover, floating, mobile-built forms have the ability to migrate or adjust to changing weather conditions by following the water level.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Minipod Iterations
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Minipod Iterations

The need of the occupants to engage in multiple activities in a single space will be met by this collection of dual/multifunctional architecture that is mobile, adaptive, transformable, and able to disengage and reassemble. In addition to reducing resource and energy waste, it supports economic stability. It consequently turns into an independent service facility that sustains itself and establishes an interface between land and water, expanding the ground plane to the sea to provide flexibility and accessibility.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Form Development

Form development: The built form’s dynamic quality is integrated into its functional features and its actual movement within the water medium. Flexibility is taken into account by accommodating the most functions possible in a given area and through the flexibility of the furniture (MINI PODS). Pods can be adapted to serve multiple functions because of their modular design. A few iterations lead to the formation of community pods, service pods, and connector pods.

Final Outcome

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Flood Shelter Iteration Plan
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Different Pod Iterations

The pods: Three different kinds of pods comprise the system. The 17.5 square metre community pod encourages people to meet, learn, eat, play and sleep. It is a space that enhances social interactions and activities. This pod uses external AI agencies to move and navigate through water. 

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Structure of the Pods

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

The 17.5 square metre service pod serves as a platform for the activities taking place in the gathering pod. The service pod could be a washroom, kitchen, storage, or toilet pod. Functions like a classroom or office could be set up along with the service pod and gathering pod. Solar energy is a viable source of power for service pods.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Anganwadi Iteration Plan
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Anganwadi Iteration Section

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

The service or gathering pods are connected to the mainland via the connector pod. To make it easier to connect with various angled terrain, the rectangular pod could be further divided into triangle pods. With these three pods, larger functions like that of a school/ market space could be fulfilled. Additionally, pods are capable of gathering rainwater from their roof and storing it through the drain canal.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Panchayath Office Iteration Plan
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Panchayath Office Iteration Section

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

The configuration of the gathering and service pods can be modified in a number of ways because of the pods’ flexibility. After serving its purpose, this iteration can be used to create the spatial layout of a flood shelter and be separated from the rest of the system. With the help of the mini pods and their ability to be customised for various uses, this platform can be used for any kind of architectural function. These same pods could be re-connected in another space for a completely different purpose, such as an Anganwadi.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Flood Shelter Iteration Section

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

Flood shelter Iteration: The community pod and the service pods can be combined and permuted in an infinite number of ways due to the pods’ flexibility. Once its intended purpose is achieved, a larger function, like a flood shelter, may be disassembled and removed from the overall structure. These same pods could be repurposed for entirely different purposes, such as an Anganwadi, Panchayath office, temporary market space, or even cultural and seasonal events that draw visitors and locals.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

The move: Through the canal, various pods converge to form a temporary marketplace or public platform that can be utilised for seasonal or cultural events. Once the purpose is fulfilled it then disengages and transforms according to the need based on infrastructure that could be flood shelter during the monsoons or a platform for varied activities in need.

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

Conclusion: This project provides much-needed infrastructure that strengthens people’s ability to adapt to change by establishing a dialogue between land and water, thereby serving as a model for the architecture of wetlands under the tropical monsoon.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]

Site Context

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

Design Process

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

Final Outcome

Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture
Architecture with Uncertainty & Certainty: Change in Wetness | Design Thesis on Floating Architecture

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