Slow Water
by Prof. Anne Feenstra with Rabita Shakya
Intro
Le Corbusier demonstrated in the 20th century that his designs dominate nature. He took the position that all natural resources were at his disposal. Chandigarh’s water best function, he reasoned would be to serve as a reflective mirror for his architecture. The sculptural massive spouts function was to get rid of rain water. Corbusier was adored by Prof. B.V. Doshi, but in the arid Gujarati climate, he became far more interested in a dialogue with water. For his 1981 office Sangath, Ahmedabad, he designed a playful route for rain water. From the vaulted roofs, it falls into a series of ponds, each located slightly lower than the previous one. The water ultimately seeps into the stepped garden landscape. He managed to create an inspiring environment with a micro-climate by essentially reducing the speed of water.
Curse and Blessing
For the Delhi 2050 scenario called Urban Harvest, our Indian team arch i platform, scaled up the idea of slowing down and harvesting water for an entire neighborhood. With an annual precipitation of only 615 mm., we argued that Delhi needed to re-think self-sustainability. We demonstrated how sun, wind, rain etc. could be harvested and ultimately make for a healthier and friendlier urban environment with greater bio-diversity.
In a next research-based project, we worked for the Indian Mountain Initiative (IMI) to develop a future vision of the mountain town Mussoorie. The contoured terrain of the Himalaya completely changed the parameters linked to gravity. A different design approach for building mass, urban network were needed and especially water and sewage posed additional challenges. We presented the outcomes to the 45 IMI stakeholders on a snowy day in January 2014. While looking at the massive physical model, everybody understood how water, as the source of life, and the harvesting of water would be a blessing. But with the steep slopes, a downpour of rains can be very destructive. Especially in the mountains, the simple model of linear development, can cause flashfloods to deeply erode slopes. Surplus quantities of water, saturating the soil, ultimately leads to landslides. Slowing down the water, was a part of MUSSOORie2040.
Suntakhan Land
Presently we are working with Sustainable Mountain Architecture (SMA), our sister organization in Nepal, on a self-sustainability vision for a 13,000 m2 contoured land. The Akasha Academy NGO, supported by Long Yang e.V. started this initiative to envision an institute for holistic education and healing arts by Tulku Khyungdor Rinpoche. The land is located in the north-eastern corner of the Kathmandu valley called Suntakhan bordering Shivapuri National Park, which is known for receiving the maximum rainfall in the Valley; 1400 mm. per year. The level difference between top and bottom of the land is 52 m.!
The stunningly beautiful piece of land has several different micro-climates with a colder, moist Northern part and a barren, sun-exposed, terraced southern part. Some patches have a mixed forest, some agriculture and since health & wellbeing are the overarching theme of the future Akasha Academy, our re-wilding/planting proposals will certainly include medicinal plants, herbs and a nursery.
Action
The acreage also faces some serious challenges. As a consequence of linear development on top of land, the terracing attempts on the adjacent property had left the land vulnerable on many spots. The rampant cutting of trees and overgrazing of roaming cattle had the land barren and exposed. On a geological site assessment, Prof. Basanta Devkota from IOE, TU mentioned that the geological formation and lack of plantation (plants/grasses/trees with soil holding capacity) had made the situation worse leaving the land broken.
While monsoon makes for an essential part of local ecosystem, it is also, often the cause of landslides, especially in hilly and sandy areas such as this. The rain water run off had resulted in the erosion of silt and clay from the upper terraces to the lower one making the land vulnerable with an ‘open wound’. It was evident from the results of the sedimentation test we carried out on soil samples collected from different tiers of the land. Our primary objective was to develop a sustainable vision but this demanded immediate action. With monsoon ticking just around the clock, we began the process of healing of land.
Design
Slowing down the water of the upcoming monsoon was going to be a challenge. But we took it head on with a careful and strategically planned design. Three gabion walls were built on top of each other to slow down as well as to redirect the water stream. Each construction was about 12 meters long, consisting of metal wire baskets filled with local stones. We decided on use of gabion box walls because of the ease of their handling and transportation of materials. The materials can be re-used (wire can be opened, stones can be taken out) after the land has been fully stabilized. The system can also tolerate movements and allow water to seep through them but not the soil.
The barren /exposed walls can function as natural steps and allow plantation between them. Several plant species likes Utis trees, Nigalo (Himalayan Bamboo) and grass like Vetiver and lemon grass have been identified as they have great soil binding roots, apart from the existing Harito Bas on the land.
This process of slowing down of water has resulted in an increment in the natural biodiversity on the land and resonates well with our values of designing with nature.
Extro
In the 21st century, destructive linear development is rampant in the beautiful Himalaya mountain range. With the Akasha Academy land in Nepal, there is a chance to demonstrate there is an alternative approach, which is more sustainable, pro-biodiversity, pro-local, pro-people. Once you allow yourself to listen to the land, work with the contours, local people and slow water, it will last longer.
