THE CHALLENGE
1Identify a Village
The Government, through the Ministry of Rural Development, has identified villages under the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (see
Annexure A) which can be benefitted immediately. Select a village of 10,000-20,000+ inhabitants that falls in this list and
is geographically accessible to be studied in earnest. A thorough study of its facilities and drawbacks, will be an eyeopener
but will also provide the basis on which to propose the intervention. The process will require identification of
at least one unique feature of the village - structural or environmental, and one pressing architectural, planning or
infrastructural issue, the solution of for which will form the basis of this competition.
Refer to Annexure A: List of Villages by Area and Population
Download Annexure A.
The village population is indicative and any variations will be accepted without penalty. The intent is to study a real village with real problems and that reality may not fall perfectly within the neatly demarcated size of village.
The project could be representation of a built house but which had the same intent, but represented as a design idea (replicable).
2Generate the Design Brief
The village study will provide a blueprint for building a brief. A substantial portion of the brief should enumerate the
spatial, social, structural and economic nature of the village. The analysis will be critical in determining how well the
design solution works. Delineate a brief for a house, community structure or an infrastructure facility for the village. The
participant is also free to look beyond these three identified aspects and focus on a new issue; in which case the criteria
for selection, the challenges and the implied impact of design should be clearly mentioned.
The brief should address the area under consideration, the immediate context in which the design is proposed and any
planning and infrastructure factors that may be critical input in the design direction proposed.
Articulate the design brief within the given parameters.
Refer Annexure B for Design Brief for the House
Refer Annexure C for Design of Community Space
Download Annexure B.
Download Annexure C.
3Respond to the Brief
The design intervention should be one that improves the quality of life of the individual householder or a community. The design is for a buildable structure but should have the potential to be replicated or form the basis for a prototype.
The design has to have a real-time feel but may be futuristic in intent. The idea of this competition is to indicate a willingness to partner the government and industry to actualise the vision that is Village 2047. Certain assumptions maybe made based on the study made by the participant and these must be clearly enumerated in order to be read in conjunction with the brief.
These assumptions should encompass the current aspirations of the village dwellers as well as keep an eye on
international trends on environment, sustainability and economic models.