NID devises solutions for Bhadra hawkers

With the conclusion of a project  called 'Design for Space' at the National Institute of Design (NID), students of the country's premium institute have come up with multiple solutions that could improve the functioning of the informal business sector in front of Bhadra Fort in the city and solutions that would add value to the heritage around there.

While many students have come up with various designs of collapsible shops for better portability and protection from the scorching sun, others have designed ways to restore the essence of the heritage constructions and sites.

A student of the team, Akki Prakash, is aiming to add value to the oldest chabutra that stands in the area. Prakash said, "The AMC had restored the chabutra some time back but they failed to restore its functionality. There are no birds landing or eating there.

They have not even installed a ladder to climb and put bird feed and water on the tall structure." Prakash is designing a net around the chabutra so that it could provide a space for the birds to perch and also store seeds and water for them.

Another student, Pratap Rana, has come up with the idea of self sustaining power supply for the area through a system called Piezo Electricity where the pressure exerted by the pedestrians on the strategically laid slabs on the footpath is converted into electricity. Anannya Patra has devised a special canopy that will spread between Badshah no Hajiro and Rani no Haziro to attract the attention of the visitors towards the heritage monuments that are otherwise hidden behind the market.

Several students have made prototypes of collapsible stalls that the vendors could used to protect themselves from the sun and easily fold it and carry it back home at the end of the day.

Speaking about the four-week long project of Textiles Design department, visiting faculty at the institute, Sachin Soni said, "Apart from the design exercise, the project also attempts to give special and architectural understanding to the students. They are attempting to provide design solutions to the problems of the vendors that they have observed and also add value to the heritage in the area. In heritage, we have not only considered the structures and buildings, but also the life in the area."

Talking about the interesting characteristic of the informal market there, Sachin said, "The vendors do not work on the basis of competition against each other. They succeed in their functions by jointly pulling the crowd."