Placemaking Manawala
Project Site: Community space near Government Primary School
Location: Village Manawala, Amritsar, Punjab
Year: 2019
Surrounded by rice fields, some 250 feet from a government primary school, lies the site.
Accessible by a 10 feet wide road, just enough for one car to pass through at a time, the space is built as a community space that enables the inhabitants to live a more diverse, happier, and inclusive life.
Research on site highlighted a key issues faced by the community:
1. Punjab is fighting an infamous war with drugs. The site research highlighted how the young adults find easy access and veer off because of a lack of alternate outlets and teenage angst.
2. The government school nearby had no playground.
3. The residents of the community, especially women, have no formal places to gather and interact. This leads to social stigma arising from the act of 'loitering aimlessly'.
The place-making project at Manawala village brought together these community groups by making a playground for the children using upcycled material; sitting spaces and walking pathways for inclusion of visually under-represented groups such as young girls & elderly; and a leveled playing field for the youth as a productive outlet to redirect energy towards sports.