REINCARNATION OF A BUILDING

Dismantling instead of demolishing could help preserve Mumbai's heritage in a contemporary setting, says MENKA SHIVDASANI

    In a city where redevelopment has become a buzzword and old heritage districts are losing their charm, Architect Samira Rathod (seen above) of Samira Rathod Design Associates (SRDA) and Spade India Research Cell (SIRCLE), has come up with an interesting proposition. What if old buildings are dismantled instead of being demolished, she asks, and various parts reused exactly as they are in a contemporary and relevant setting? In this way, according to Ms Rathod, buildings can be reincarnated to fit within the context of changing times, yet retain the soul and spirit of the building that was. 
    Ms Rathod and her team tested the concept, scouring the city for the right locations, and coming up with what they termed as 'Project Boject: Demolition v/s Dismantling', which was on display at the Kala Ghoda Festival last week. 
    From villas in Bandra to mills in Parel, and the inner city stretch of Bhindi Bazaar, they studied several old constructions until they zeroed in on four buildings in Khetwadi. This area in the inner city is undergoing extreme development and while most buildings here have heritage value, many are in a dilapidated state. Khetwadi is bound on the south by Girgaum Back Road, on the north by Grant Road, on the east by Trimbak Parashuram street and Ardeshir Dady street, and on the west by Kennedy Bridge. The area began to attract residents around 1838, and developed rapidly after reclamation at Chowpatty, and construction of Falkland and Charni Roads, which intersect it. 
    Among the chaotic spaces of this now densely packed locality, Rathod and her team found finely crafted mixed-use buildings belonging to an era that used imperishable materials such as stone and steel - stained glass, ornate railings, teak wood, blue glass and other riches. 
    They homed in on four derelict buildings in the area, Waghla Cooper 1, Waghla Cooper 2, Waghla Cooper 3 and Ishrat Chambers. Waghla Cooper 1, for instance, was a structure that was over a century old, with stained glass windows, Burma teak wood, wrought iron railings and steel members. The plot is slated to be developed into a high-rise. 
    After a detailed inventory of these buildings, the SRDA team concluded that if 70% of the total volume of old material was reused in the building, and debris was turned into debris blocks, it would be possible to achieve an overall efficiency of 90%. 
    As per section 33 (7) of Development Control Regulation applied to the inner city area of Mumbai Composite Redevelopment with different landlords, permissible FSI is 2.5 or FSI required for rehabilitation of existing occupiers plus 60 per cent incentive FSI, whichever is more. SRDA's project envisages available FSI of 8378.35 sqm for the new construction, from an existing total built-up area of 3351.32 sqm - translating into total FSI achieved of 6620.sq m, with 1758.35 sqm available for expansion. 
    Where the old structure had a café, retail and residential spaces, the new construction could include a theatre, art gallery, library, offices, and car parking. Combining the four buildings into one would provide more space and a stronger street presence. Rathod refers to it as 'Celebrating the Notion of the Small Public Space' and Architecture of 'BLIRS' - Beautiful, Local, Indigenous, Recycle, and Small. She also believes that it is possible to reuse the old material and 'upcycle' it, with the help of connectors such as the right polymers and other materials. 
    "Many people see recycling as downcycling and cannibalising," she explains. "For instance, a beautiful door will become the headboard of a bed. But we believe the material can be used in the same way - a door as a door, a window as a window… Dismantling, as opposed to destroying, will help you get 80% back, though it is a slow process, a labour of love, which we have forgotten." 
    Ms Rathod hopes that with effective urban policies, coupled with technological advancement of the craft of connectors, a new form of architecture could be introduced into Mumbai, in keeping with trends and needs of contemporary times, but retaining the respect and charm of Mumbai's heritage. "What is needed is the support of policy and finance; new industry collaborations and research to create the connectors; community acceptance for this new aesthetic and skilled and unskilled labour," she says. 
    The Chief Minister, Ms Rathod adds, has expressed interest in the concept. Whether this translates into a relevant policy remains to be seen, but certainly, it is an idea worth exploring. 
QUICK 
BYTES 
WHAT IS NEEDED IS THE SUPPORT OF POLICY AND FINANCE; NEW INDUSTRY RESEARCH TO CREATE THE CONNECTORS, COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE FOR THIS NEW AESTHETIC AND SKILLED AND UNSKILLED LABOUR 
ROOM FOR BOTH 
HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE CHOICES 
    Apanel discussion to discuss conservation in a rapidly transforming city was held at the Kala Ghoda festival, in conjunction with Samira Rathod's presentation of 'Project Boject'. Participants included Abhisheck Lodha, MD, Lodha Group; Parimal Shroff, a leading lawyer; Vikas Dilawari, Conservation Architect; Sudhir Deshpande, Structural Engineer, Aneerudh Paul, Dean, Kamala Raheja School of Architecture and Pranay Vakil, Chairman, Praron Consultancy. Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte was Chief Guest. 
    The discussion, moderated by Landscape Architect Aniket Bhagwat, focused on issues related to redevelopment, the demand for housing, FSI, and the co-existence of heritage and high-rise buildings, among other things. 
    Pointing out that 40% of India would be living in urban agglomerations by 2030, and that 50% of Indians would be under 25 years of age, Pranay Vakil stressed that in trying to preserve our heritage we should not lose sight of the fact that we need to create more space to meet the increasing demand. 
    There was some discussion on the issue of compensation to owners of heritage properties, prompted by Kunte's comment that many people had objected when the heritage list was expanded in June. There is a cost attached to a building being declared as a heritage property, as the owner cannot then redevelop and cash in on the value of the location; "today, there is no way to compensate this", Kunte said. 
    Abhisheck Lodha observed that while conservation was important, India was still low on the consumption scale and it would not be possible to stop growth. "We have to do a lot of catching up before we can begin to optimise that catching up," he said, adding that heritage preservation and development could co-exist side by side; they need not be mutually exclusive choices. It was a point of view with which many people agreed.