Pravah – Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis

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Pravah – Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis

Information

  • Project Name: Pravah — Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment
  • Student Name: Anish Bhim Shinde
  • Awards: Shortlisted For Charles Correa Gold Medal 2025 From College, Entry Selected For Urban Design Lab Thesis Publication 2025
  • Softwares/Plugins: AutoCAD , SketchUp , Lumion , Enscape , Rhinoceros 3D
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Excerpt: ‘Pravah’ is an architecture thesis by Anish Bhim Shinde from the ‘Aditya College of Architecture.’ The project explores regenerative architecture as a means to restore the interconnections between water, culture, and ecosystems in Poladpur. It envisions a multifunctional rural node integrating sustainable water management with community spaces, while reviving traditions, supporting livelihoods, and fostering biodiversity, resilience, and social cohesion.

Introduction: This thesis examines the vital relationship between water, human culture, and ecosystems, highlighting how water influences the identity, livelihood, and rituals of rural communities. Set in Poladpur, Maharashtra, a region characterized by high rainfall yet chronic water scarcity, the project addresses the ecological and infrastructural failures that underline this paradox. 

In response, it proposes a multifunctional rural node that combines water infrastructure, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and runoff management with community-focused spaces for gathering, health, agriculture, and learning. Drawing from traditional systems such as johads, kunds, and stepwells, the design combines indigenous knowledge with sustainable practices. 

Rooted in field research and local engagement, the project also tackles outmigration, declining traditions, and the loss of communal spaces linked to water insecurity. Reimagining water as both a sacred resource and social connector, the design seeks to restore ecological balance, cultural pride, and community cohesion.

Crucially, the intervention creates a space for all villagers, wildlife, livestock, aquatic life, birds, and visitors, fostering a shared environment where water becomes the central unifying force, nurturing coexistence, biodiversity, and an inclusive rural future.

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Site Context

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
A landscape where water sustains rituals, nurtures culture, and connects the community
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
From lush greens to barren lands
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
A naturally rich terrain with streams, waterfalls, and strong village connectivity, offering high potential for water conservation and community development

Poladpur, a small town in Raigad district, Maharashtra, lies in the Western Ghats and is surrounded by natural resources, including the Morzot Waterfall. The site is located within the watershed area of Morzot Waterfall, which receives heavy rainfall but still faces severe water scarcity due to rapid surface runoff and a lack of proper storage systems. Water has always been central to the community’s festivals, occupations, and daily life, making its shortage a critical issue.

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
The map illustrates the site’s topography, which features 2m meter contours, with the highest point reaching an elevation of 142m
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
The map illustrates the relationship between the Morzot Waterfall, the Dhavali River, and surrounding villages, highlighting the site’s ecological and community significance. With a 120 ft waterfall and substantial runoff potential, the area offers opportunities for sustainable water management and tourism while supporting local livelihoods

The project, Pravah, proposes a multifunctional community hub that focuses on water conservation and management while also supporting social and cultural activities. It integrates rainwater harvesting, water storage systems, agricultural support, health awareness programs, and spaces for community gatherings.

By making use of the natural watershed and reviving traditional water practices, Pravah aims to reconnect people with water, restore cultural values, and create a sustainable prototype for nearby villages.

Design Process

The essence of this design draws heavily from India’s rich heritage of water architecture

The design process began with site explorations and an inquiry into the relationship between water, landscape, and community life. Initial sketches mapped natural streams, contours, and village rhythms, highlighting how water shaped both ecology and culture. Inspired by India’s stepwells and ghats, conceptual drawings envisioned water not as a barrier but as a guiding element, structuring social and ecological spaces.

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Structures become conduits, reservoirs, and interactive spaces where water movement is both functional and experiential. The harmonic tension between these elements fosters a dialogue where movement is guided yet unrestricted, and structure is rigid yet responsive. This approach creates an environment where water and architecture exist in symbiosis.
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Beginning with a site featuring a natural stream, introducing cascading reservoir walls, and finally integrating stepped structures and ghats to harmonize with the terrain while minimizing disruption.

Through iterative sketches and diagrams, the form was developed along the direction of the natural water stream, creating a cascading reservoir system. This approach allowed the design to follow the terrain, minimizing disruption while embedding water as the spatial organizer. Digital models further refined the stepped geometry, showing how built functions like markets, schools, and gathering areas could integrate with water-holding terraces.

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Isometric view

The process moved from analogue drawings to digital visualization, ensuring each step balanced cultural symbolism, ecological function, and architectural form—culminating in a proposal where water and architecture exist in symbiosis.

Final Outcome

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Master plan
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Abundant in monsoon, moderate in winter, and reduced in summer, with stepped ghats ensuring continuous access to water throughout the year
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Section 1
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Section 2

The final outcome is a comprehensive master plan that reimagines water as both an ecological system and a spatial organizer for rural life. The campus is structured around a cascading series of reservoirs with a total water-holding capacity of 71,202.45 m², ensuring year-round recharge, storage, and controlled overflow back into the Dhavli River. These reservoirs define terraced levels that host community functions, balancing conservation with everyday use.

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Market Exploded
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Primary School Floor Plans
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Primary School Renders
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Market Space Floor Plans
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Market Space Renders

The design integrates markets, temples, schools, ghats, and gathering spaces, each strategically positioned along the stepped landscape. For instance, the market is located near the village approach to serve as a hub for exchange, while the school terraces align with water channels, allowing education to connect directly with ecology. The temple and ghats occupy the spiritual heart of the plan, reinforcing cultural rituals tied to water.

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Kirtan Ghat
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Surya Ghat
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Lord Vitthal Temple And Kirtan Ghat
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Model

Conclusion: By combining functional infrastructure with cultural symbolism, the outcome creates a shared environment where water sustains agriculture, supports biodiversity, and anchors community pride. The master plan thus becomes a prototype for resilient and inclusive rural futures.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]

Site Context

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis

Design Process

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis

Final Outcome

Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis
Pravah - Harmonizing Water, Culture, and Environment: Regenerative Architecture for Water Conservation and Community Resilience | Architecture Thesis

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