Local and foreign student join hands to facilitate flood victims
Text & Photos: Syeda Komal Fatima & Syed Zeaghum Ali Zaidi
Moon soon spells engraved itself on the face of the worst humanitarian disasters. The damage in terms of infrastructure and human displacement is far more than documented. Many areas in Pakistan especially Sindh, Baluchistan, and Punjab were adversely affected by floods. Geographically, mostly agricultural lands these areas suffered losses on huge levels.
People were displaced, and women and children were at higher risk of exploitation and neglect. Necessities like clean water, food, shelter, and clinical treatment were inaccessible. In these testing times, many humanitarian organizations directed their efforts to flood-affected Areas. Both local and international organizations sought out ways to reach and help flood affectees. University of Lahore and Vienna university of technology also grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Both universities were invited by heritage foundation Pakistan to visit PONO village a flood-affected area developed by the latter as part of their post-flood efforts.
Yasmeen Lari founder of heritage foundation Pakistan with a vision of 1000 homes gathered INTBAU Pakistan, and Heritage Foundation Pakistan Under One Umbrella to work towards the goal. Her modular designs provided multiple spaces flexible in their usage and functionalities. With the help of Spiritual Chords and other organizations of such sorts, the organizations came together to establish villages.
The University of Lahore from Lahore Pakistan and the Vienna university of technology from Austria visited the PONO VILLAGE with a delegation of 12 members each. The plan was to invite a large sum of global communities to visit the place and get to know the villages, their struggles, and their evolution after the floods.
Pono village relatively a newer setting amidst Sindh areas was adversely affected by floods. flood-stricken land 2 months ago now carries the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. People with Traditional attires and humble attitudes received a delegation from the university f Lahore and Vienna university of technology with warm hearts.
Both the university brought a good mix of faculty members and students. The University of Lahore with its delegation headed by Ar. Syeda Komal Fatima, Ar.Syed Zeaghum Ali Zaidi and Ar. Zeeshan Asim brought 9 students from 3rd and 4th years. The Vienna University of technology had its delegation consisting of the Dean of ARCHITECTURAL AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT OF ARCHEOLOGY Andrea Reiger Jandl, and Senior Lecturer, Christine Lechner. They brought 10 students from their master years for a very unique experience of getting to know communities built on zero-carbon architecture in Pakistan.
Student delegations were able to explore multiple avenues during their stay of 5 days in the village. Starting from 2nd of Dec 2022 till 7 Dec 2022 the workshops allowed students to take turns and learn from different task.
A workshop on the double Octagreen Log structure was offered by the heritage foundation Pakistan for the students to explore materials like bamboo. The structure built was to be used as a schoolroom for the nearby villages. The event started with Naheem shah explaining tools to the students while Ar. Syeda Komal Fatima and Ar. Zeaghum Ali assigned tasks in three groups.
School workshop lead by Ar. Zeaghum Ali was a field experience for students. Students went through the process of site selection to phases of construction. They demarcated the land by marking the orientation of the school room, then with the help of labor dug out foundations. Students got to know about Bamboo as a material. With the help of trained artisans’ students experienced bamboo cuts in different shapes as well as joinery of different parts to make a rectangular module. With the workshop, the participants realized how site experience shape design solution more often. University of Lahore and Vienna university of technology donated a solar panel as well as a Led for the school which was up and running soon after its construction.
Team leads were also of the opinion to have an outdoor design studio in PONO VILLAGE. Ar. Zeeshan Asim directed the student on the matter. Students were given design margins to explore spatial structures of accommodations provided for the delegates. Given the opportunity, They designed accessories like a bench, multifunctional shelve, soap and tissue holders as well as a garbage basket. All things entirely made up of bamboo were an extended workshop in bamboo along with the trained artisan.
Pono village and villages nearby were developed from mere ground levels. It was astonishing to see families living and earning livelihoods from crafts they became familiar with only a month ago. Thus the team leads also formulated a team to document the whole process. Ar. Komal Fatima, Ar. Zeaghum Ali and Prof Andrea structured the whole documentation process. Live interviews were taken while the villages were mapped out with measuring tapes.
The documentation team not only documented Pono village but also went to other villages. To have a closer look into the development process the team went from one village to another in small groups. Recalling it as an enlightenment period they named the whole workshop a thorough learning event. They came to know how the octa-green is being adapted by the villagers as a residential place. From the housing unit to the layout of the village, design interventions were adapted and laid out along with features like a veranda, chulah as well as recurring plaster on walls via traditional techniques. Heritage Foundation made sure every household came with a layout of octa-green rooms (3-4 in a housing unit) a chulah, a bathroom as well a water well for the families living there. Every housing unit consisted of three to four families sharing facilities and room spaces. villagers skilled in traditional housing techniques became skilled in new ones as well. it’s heartening to note artistic touches by the villagers via the color application on walls as well as landscape elements of every scale and matter to the village houses.
Pono village accumulates a large sum of residences. The modular development along with traditional signatory elements gives insight into materials like bamboo mud lime plaster, mud dunk plasters as well as reed matting, and cane matting. Mud lime bricks and lime concrete were also the main parts of the construction process. Courtyard spaces were also finished with lime mortar for a smooth and eco-friendly surface.
Villagers were keen to interact with their guests. they were quick to throw smiles and embrace new opportunities. university of Lahore and Vienna university of technology attended the festival in the Pono villages compound on Sindh cultural day. The interaction become suitable for a showcase of a cultural setting where singers, performers, and jewelry artist displayed their craft. The space organized by heritage foundation Pakistan had circular podiums encircling a large central one: a space designed purposefully for the festivities.
The accommodations provided to the delegates consisted of 12 units clustered in groups of 2 having 6 each. Each room space was an octa-green modular structure with an attached bath. Toilet spaces working on fertilizer extraction mechanism add to the moto of the natural setting. Laid out at the back of Pono village the accommodations were adjacent to dining areas. Dining areas were defined by 4 conical spaces with built-in podiums. The kitchen and open-air setting nearby the dining area was the Pakistani chullah. Open air kitchen was provided with a large counter space to prepare food. The hospitality of the villagers was heartening. To see a society standing on its feet after much calamity was inspiring. The union in Pono village gave the University of Lahore and Vienna university of technology many avenues to collaborate and make way for global communities to join hands. We are moving forward intending to teach others institutes via Lecture series, Seminars, and workshops. For this purpose Research projects as well as design collaborations are lined up as part of a solid collaboration program. The whole effort is focused on the betterment of society facing the challenges of global climate disasters.
Pono village and many more villages across Pakistan need volunteers, in the faces of Design Leaders, anthropologists, site Gurus, and hydrologists alongside human beings. They need fresh minds to contribute and play their part. Ar. Yasmeen Lari ‘s vision is now amplified to 100 million homes from mere 1000 shelters. Nothing can come to par with team efforts and visionary leadership joined together. it is the need of the hour that architects from the educational field as well as a professional field come and join for a noble cause. To end this with a note
Zara nam ho tou ye
matti bari zerkhaiz hai saqi
