INTERWEAVING ARCHITECTURE AND ECOLOGY

A THESIS SYNOPSIS
Submitted by

DEEPTHI T
Reg. No: 11RBAR011
Enr. No: COA-016745
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

For the Award of the Degree of

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
August 2016
5

Faculty of Architecture

KARPAGAM UNIVERSITY
(Established under Section 3 of UGC Act 1956)

Karpagam Academy of Higher Education

Pollachi Main Road, Eachanari Post, Coimbatore
Tamilnadu-641021, India

INTRODUCTION
Ecology is the study of living systems and their relations to one another. A living system is an
integrated whole whose properties emerge from the relations between its individual parts. Each part
reflects the whole but the whole is always different from the mere sum of its parts. Through this basic
definition of a living system we can begin to identify the main difference between living and non-living
systems. In a non-living system (in our case buildings) the components together form the whole
through a hierarchical structure of construction each part of the system has its own function and is
built specifically to perform this function. The interaction between the components serves the whole
but we cannot say that the whole emerges from the interactions between the parts.
Experience architecture (XA) is the art of articulating a clear user story/journey through
an Information architecture, Interaction design and Experience design that an end user navigates
across products and services offered by the client or as intended by the designer.
Ecological design is as "any form of design that minimizes environmentally destructive impacts by
integrating itself with living processes. Ecological design is an integrative ecologically responsible
design discipline.
Ecological Building is both a design process and the structure that is a result of such a design process.
An Ecological Building is a structure that is designed to create and sustain mutually beneficial
relationships with all of the elements of its local ecology.

ILLUSTRATION
A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it
takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands
from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to
the unique hydric soil.
ROLE OF WETLANDS
Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, principally water purification, flood control,
carbon sink and shoreline stability. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all
ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life.
THREATS TO WETLANDS
The wildlife Institute of Indias survey reveals that 70%-80% of individual freshwater marshes and lakes
in the Gangetic flood plains have been lost in the last five decades. At present, only 50 percent of
Indias wetlands remain. They are disappearing at a rate of 2% to 3% every year.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What can architecture learn from ecology?

2How will Ecological design and ecological building benefit the ecology?
Need of incorporating Experience architecture in a design?
Can architecture be a solution to the problem of the ecology?

RATIONALE AND JUSTIFICATION

The reason for the preoccupation with this subject was the importance of the wetland and its
inevitable role in shaping the ecosystem. The restoration of wetland and developing a design will also
enhance the Culture, Tradition, Environment, Nature and Identity of the site and its neighbourhood.
NATURE IS THE FIRST AND BEST ARCHITECT

AIM

To study the analogy between ecology and architecture that can benefit architectural design
through the concept of wetlands.

To use Architectural as a tool for the nourishment of the land and to mutate into something
new; something different and purify and heals the site.

OBJECTIVES

Introduce architecture and human activities that could reinforce the active protection of the
specific ecosystem in accordance with the surrounding environment.
Proposed activities will be in accordance with the surrounding environment which adds to the
designation of the original characteristics of the scenery.
Designing structures that minimizes negative environmental impacts of building by integrating
itself with living processes of the ecosystem.
Exhibiting the possible symbiosis architectural and ecology
Studying the structures of the Wetlands
In depth analysis of the site and its surroundings
The physical and intrinsic qualities of the site will be studied in order to inform the design.
Understanding the physical and biological elements and their interactions.
Conservation of the existing site.
By the selection of materials that adjusts with the existing image of the site.
Developing a project for the community in a Wetland while the restoration process is taking
place.

SUB-OBJECTIVES

To create a close proximity to water and in direct contact with water.

Intends to set an example for a potential public place.
Constructing artificial wetlands for waste water recycling.
To have a management process developed in phases thorough time to understand the process
that had happened and happening in the site at present.

METHOD

STAGE 1

study of several topics

synopsis
selection of a topic

STAGE 2

research investigation
literature study and live case study
analysis and inference

STAGE 3

site selection
site inventory
site analysis

STAGE 4

programme formulation
design development
schematic drawings and master plan

STAGE 5

analysis of the output design

final presentation
3d model

SCOPE

Relation between architecture and nature interpreted.

Ecological design and ecological building
User based design Experience architecture
Incorporates documentation and deep analysis of the site.
Concern for the conservation of the site
Multi functionality design. i.e. ancillary functions.
Incorporates landscape design
Design and Details of construction techniques.
Incorporates the study of materials and its characteristics.

LIMITATION

The depth of the study of the wetlands is limited to the type of the wetland in which the site
is located.

LITERATURE CASE STUDY

National Wetland Park Hangzhou, China

Hong Kong Wetland Park China
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Singapore
Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park Japan
Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre Canada
London Wetland Centre UK
Qunli Storm water Wetland Park Hong Kong

LIVE CASE STUDY

Freshwater Biology Regional Centre (FRBC) Hyderabad

Marine Biology Regional Centre (MBRC) Chennai
Western Ghats Regional Centre (WGRC) Kozhikode
Keoladeo National Park / Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary - Rajasthan

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~bezbarua/em/casestudies.html - Deepor Beel

wetland (Assam)
http://www.ramsar.org/ - Official RAMSAR Website
http://zsi.gov.in/ - Zoological Survey Of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/75-acre-wetland-park-plannednear-Rajarhat/articleshow/4061334.cms - Proposal Of Wetland Park at Kolkata
http://www.ekwma.com/ - East Coast Wetland Management Authority
http://envfor.nic.in/division/national-wetland-conservation-programme-nwcp
http://www.wetlandpark.gov.hk/en/index.asp
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/in/see-do/great-outdoors/nature-parks/hongkong-wetland-park.jsp
http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/types_index.cfm
http://www.personal.ceu.hu/students/03/nature_conservation/wwddetail/Types_cl
assif.htmlA
Wetland Design - Robert L. France
Detail in Contemporary Landscape Architecture - Virginia McLeod
Wetlands - Greg Reid
Form and fabric in Landscape Architecture Catherine Dee

SITE SELECTION CRITERIA

RAMSAR
The Ramsar Convention (formally, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance,
especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable
utilization of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their
economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. It provides the framework for national action
and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. It
is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971. The Ramsar
Convention works closely with five other organisations known as International Organization Partners
(IOPs). These are Birdlife International, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Wetlands International and WWF
International.
WORLD WETLAND DAY FEBRAUARY 2nd

RAMSAR SITES IN INDIA

South Asia is home to many wetlands. In India alone there are 25 Ramsar sites.

Potential wetland loss [%] (India, 2m SLR)

http://cigrasp.pik-potsdam.de/maps/potential-wetland-loss-india-2m-slr

The above map displays the area of wetlands (in percentage) that may potentially be lost due to a 2m
global mean sea-level rise under the assumption that no protective measures are in place. This means
that wetlands, which are currently only temporarily flooded, may be permanently inundated due to
sea-level rise and the vegetation in those wetlands will be affected by salt intrusion. This may change
present vegetation composition and also alter or hinder the provisioning of ecosystem services
presently available. The map displays the area of wetland loss based on second level administrative
units.
The darker the legend colour in the map is, the larger the total wetland area or wetland area lost is
relative to the administration units.