An Alternative Approach Towards Flood Resilience

The effects of the flood are catastrophic, and they are being exasperated by human intervention in Calicut. Specifically, the 2035 Calicut corporation masterplan proposes the development of the Kottooli Urban wetlands into a tourism resort which will dramatically decrease the city’s capacity for infiltration of flood water. My project provides an alternative masterplan as a resistance approach to the 2035 masterplan, reimagining the wetlands with 3 core values.

Environmental: Protecting the wetlands from encroachment, mitigating flooding, and increasing biodiversity.

Agricultural: Providing socio-economic sensitivity for the current residents of the area and providing them with agricultural opportunities which are economically viable.

Civic: Providing green public space and walkability opportunities to Calicut’s residents Crescent shaped terraces designed along the residential settlements redirect water within the wetland and protect the residential areas while also providing fertile agricultural land.

The placement of boardwalks along the edges of the wetland together with the planting on terraces act as natural barriers which prevents encroachment of the wetland. The boardwalks also connect the communities within the wetland and breach the barrier which the wetland ones

The new masterplan is facilitated through a catalyst project which engages the community to act as ‘wardens of the wetlands’ to ensure the protection of the wetlands from encroachment. Its programme follows the masterplans 3 core values. It aims to provide a ‘Gateway to the wetlands’ as a safe to flood space with labs for research towards efficient and suitable planting for the new terracing. Additionally, it features a strong visitor element which partially satisfies the government’s desire for profit. The concept for the design is based on creating a linear gateway to the wetlands which mirrors Calicut’s latierite alleyways, shaded by a lightweight roof. A journey is created through the gateway which showcases the programme, with private spaces which satisfy the agricultural part of the brief such as labs and plant nurseries being directly visible to the public while public spaces such as exhibition are open plan and merge with the public corridor. The roof forms are inspired by Calicut’s gable roofs and lightweight covers used for public streets like SM and Big bazaar as well as ship building in Beypore. The offsets and large overhangs allow the gateway to remain shaded but open and naturally ventilated.

The materiality and form of the catalyst are designed to anticipate the flood with raised foundations and the use of moisture resistant granite for the lower part of the walls and laterite for the top parts mirroring the traditional Calicut alleyways. The design was driven by the sensitivity of its location, its visual impact was minimized by ‘hiding’ the building under green roofs.