Goa really should be considered as a series of networks of habitats – towns, cities and villages that are connected via waterways and roads and inhabited by highly mobile populations. These have always shaped how local and regional markets emerge and expand, connecting villages and urban hubs in very dynamic ways.

The idea is to consider bird conservation and architecture as one, especially in the light of the habitat loss that each new construction brings with it.

To try and understand how it feels to be an avian being.

Look at how birds navigate and move through space.

Then spatially articulate the experience.

To address inclusive mobility and urban flooding in Panjim, several strategies were conceived to be implemented in a phased manner through a participatory process. Street design using universal design principles would ensure greater social inclusion (for persons of all ages, gender and differently-abled), while encouraging activities that create a vibrant space for tourists and locals alike.

Participants identified certain need gap areas after spending time visiting sites and observing collection systems in operation. Their diverse backgrounds enabled the selection of unique problem areas for action from vastly different points of view. Several solutions emerged which serve as a brief for any ensuing projects, all fitting broadly into two themes.

# EMPOWER waste collectors and build a sense of # OWNERSHIP, allowing opportunities for social mobility.

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# ENGAGE with the public and generate AWARENESS of waste management practices.

The intent was to generate a ‘pattern language’ – a set of design principles to create an ideal environment for a child-friendly Anganwadi. It organized and described six patterns on location, space, programme and communication. 

Through the workshop at aSDF it was understood that craft and its processes were central to what makes us human.

Craft is a timeless activity, predating disciplines like Architecture and Design, with a lot more to offer in our current time of need. The interaction with the traditional weavers at Cotigao stressed the peaceful and meditative aspects of craft, an artefact for personal use only, not for sale. This aspect was brought to focus in our touch starved world, where craft could be seen as a means of therapy or meditation to increase concentration, mindfulness and engagement with the self while also providing a digital detox.

The coastal settlement of Panaji offers an important opportunity to develop such mitigation strategies, where land and water are not seen as a duality – where the water is restricted and contained from the land – but as a more interrelated system.

Traditional settlement and land management patterns of the region where water is allowed to expand, spread and finally be absorbed within the land system are important frameworks to understand, revive and adapt to meet current development challenges.