3H Summer School Publication 2019

www.agpworkshops.com
July 14th - Aug 3rd, 2019

www.agpworkshops.com2
Urban Furniture
& Place making
“THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH ONE STEP.”
-LAO TZU
Auroville Green Practices
July 2019

FOREWORD
This workshop, aimed to shape a small urban
corner of Auroville, was based on the concept
of “placemaking”. This is an idea prevalent in
the world today where one can see a glimpse
of sustainability manifest in city¬shaping by
enabling a small community of people take
responsibility for shaping their needs, and if
possible, the outcome.
A hands-on approach for improving a
neighbourhood, placemaking inspires small
communities of people to collectively reinvent
spaces, small or big. Enlivening the connection
between people and the places they share and
allowing people to actually think about their
needs, placemaking refers to a collaborative
process by which our negative spaces can be
shaped. Along with promoting better urban
design, placemaking allows improved patterns
of use, and honours the physical, cultural, and
social identities that define a place and support
its growth.
The Summer School by Auroville Green Practices
provides a platform for young professionals in
the making and enable them to participate in
these experiments and to be momentarily part
of the challenges that an intentional community
like Auroville faces in shaping itself.
-Sindhuja Jagadeesh

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
3H Summer School is the result of the dedicated work of Auroville Green Practices. We
would like to thank the ACUR team for providing us an intervention area at Townhall and
Sindhuja Jagadeesh for guiding the students during the design and implementation
process. A special thanks to SAIIER for allocating funds for the materials used in the project,
Auromode Guesthouse, Ecoservice and the Auroville Security Service. Many thanks to the
countless Auroville resource persons that interacted with the participants and shared
their expertise.
List of contributing resource persons:
Annemarie, ACUR
Audrey Wallace-Taylor, CREEVA
Ayyappan, Auroville Earth Institute
Balu Ramalingam, Auroville Consulting
Debabrata Sahoo, Kinisi
Elke Vankoert, Theatre Games
Eric Clapton, African Pavilion
Glenn, Auroville Forest Group
Hita, Auroville Consulting
Ipshita Das, Auroville Consulting
Kiran Kamal, Capoeira
Laxmanan, ACUR
Lucas Dengel, EcoPro
Manu Gopalan, Sacred Groves
Martin Scherfler, Auroville Consulting
Nivetha Annamalai, Auroville Consulting
Priya Bose, Auroville Consulting
Palani, EcoService
Samuka da Índia, Capoeira
Sanata Prakash, Auroville Consulting
Shiv Vembadi, Auroville Consulting
Sindhuja Jagadeesh, Imago
Tejaswini Mistry-Kapoor, Auroville Town Development Council
Tom Gerard Gablier, Auroville Water Group
Victor Catrib, Auroville Consulting
Vijay, CSR
Vimal Bhojraj, Auroville Consulting
Vinayagam

Introduction
Auroville Green Practices (AGP) 3H Summer School program is
an initiative using Auroville and its outstanding experience in
sustainable living and cultural diversity as a platform for learning
and personal growth for students from around the world.The 3H
Summer School program serves as an experimental and cross-
disciplinary design laboratory connecting core human values,
design theory, ideation and hands-on application around the
selected theme.
The program is designed and based on the 3H (hands, head and
heart) approach, which attempts to actualize participants’inner
strength, to activate critical system thinking and to work on
students’ technical capacities of designing and implementing
projects. Besides working on the design, implementation and
documentation, each participating student designed and
wrote a project of his/her choice, which aimed at bringing
environmental and social justice and wellbeing. The aim was to
trainanewgenerationofenvironmentalandsociallyresponsible
leaders that are capable of connecting hands (capacity), head
(system thinking) and heart (personal strength) while working
on system change for a more socially and environmentally just
future.
Like the previous year, the theme of this year’s summer school
was “Urban Furniture and Place Making”. Urban furniture are
objects and facilities located in urban community spaces that
provide various services and functions to the community. It
is one of the essential elements of the urban environment -
although comparatively small in scale, it determines the quality
of life in the urban environment and has the closest contact
and interaction with humans. Urban furniture design involves
a wide range of concerns which include function, meaning and
the environment it is being built in.
While keeping these principles in mind, this program was
designed to create an urban furniture in Auroville. The objective
of the students was to try to design and build a cohesive unit
that creates greater value than just the sum of its parts in order
to enhance the community’s quality of life.

TABLE OF CONTENT
DESIGN BRIEF - 12
PARTICIPANTS PROFILES
& FUTURE COMMITMENTS - 18

COLLABORATORS - 38
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
-Leonardo da Vinci

Design Brief
Materials available
Glass bottles
Plastic bottles (PET)
Thermocol blocks
Tyres
Hose pipes
Tetra Packs
Indicative purpose
Feature walls
Building blocks by filling non-biodegradable materials
Crushed thermocol combined with cement to make building blocks
Landscaping elements, swings
Landscaping material
Walls, roofing
Apart from this, the participants are encouraged to use other innovative ideas and techniques to shape the grass field
into a Field of Play.
Field of play
Problem Identification
The main administrative building of Auroville,
the current Town Hall, often houses children of
working parents, between the age of 3 and 10.
There are 2 main issues in this regard:
• the building has not been designed for
children, therefore safety of unattended
children is a cause for concern
• no space for children care; therefore working
parents cannot focus on work
Aim and vision
A dedicated space for children, outdoor but
with some simple structures providing adequate
shaded spaces for interactive play, will be the aim.
The site for our intervention is in the Town Hall
campus, at the eastern entrance, inside the
existing fence. Being at the entrance and close to
the walking path, the space must be aesthetically
appealing, welcoming, and symbolize Auroville’s
future intent of child-friendly public spaces.
Innovative use of material and technique is
encouraged to create interesting structures for
children to play in, or build on. Lastly, the area
should be somewhat cordoned off, with either
a fence or landscape interventions, for safety of
children and for the ease of the caregiver.
To summarize:
• Importance to aesthetic appeal
• Innovation to create interesting structures
• Area to be zoned off, access restricted on to
one or two entry points
Theme
The theme of the workshop should be “Field of
play”; the phrase brings to mind a number of
images; for example, of things to climb, things
to crawl into, things to move, dig, build, destroy,
clean. It must be a multi-use zone that promotes
creative and interactive play, with minimal
supervision. It must also support children
between age of 3 and 12 and should be able to
capture the attention of this wide range of ages.
Materials:
The built forms will be of semi-permanent
nature.
The ferrocement shells from the previous Last
School building are available to be used in this
area. These are an excellent resource, as they
are pre-done, playful shells, designed by Roger
Anger and can have quite a versatile use for this
project.
The following list of available materials gives
an idea of the different structures that can be
created:

PARTICIPANTS
PROFILES & FUTURE
COMMITMENTS
Participants voluntary projects
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
-Gandhi

SHELTERS FOR THE HOMELESS
My name is Archana and I’m pursuing my Bachelor's
in Architecture in Bengaluru. I stand for sensitivity, humility
and wisdom. I was exposed to a lot of different activities
growing up, which included art, swimming, martial arts
and trekking. I have an avid interest in photography, music
and travelling. At the Auroville 3H summer school, we
learned how to design, understood a project’s lifecycle
and experienced a cross cultural exchange amongst
ourselves, all of which has been enriching and has given
me a good direction within the sphere of architecture. As
a keen observer, I learned and unlearned a lot from have
become a better person and professional. I also enjoyed
the hands-on work as it connected me to nature. We were
also exposed to sustainable practices, becoming sensitive
towards the environment and humankind. It has intrigued
me to explore and learn more ways of placemaking while
using our native resources that respect and understand
our surroundings. I believe this moto of practice and way
of life has a deep rooted spirit inherent to India which is
the path I want to take. I'm grateful for this three-
week journey - meeting and working with the mentors
and fellow participants, cracking challenges as a team and
learning construction techniques on site. Experiencing the
lifestyle of Auroville has been peaceful.
ARCHANA RAGHU
I feel development means catering to everyone’s basic
needs and not an insensitive urbanisation of the already
developed areas. Bengaluru, where I live, has become
a concrete jungle from the garden city it once was. It
provides endless objects that people desire but doesn’t
cater to the basic needs of people who can afford to buy
them. The homeless shelter themselves under the metro
bridges, pedestrian footpaths and garbage dumping yards.
On the other hand large open lands are used for dumping
untreated garbage that deteriorates the environment.
To address this problem, I would like to propose a
collaborative approach to private entities who can jointly
execute projects that address multiple aspects. For
example, waste from dumps yards - tetrapacks, bottles,
tires - can be upcycled as construction materials along with
construction waste to create basic shelters. In this social
setting, I believe all of us need to be sensitive to important
issues and development itself needs to be looked at as a
whole and needs to be approached through sustainable
practices. This will help public wellbeing including those
that are currently homeless.
My name is Apurv Jain. I study architecture in Sushant
School of art and architecture, Gurgaon. I live in Delhi, a
diverse city which has grown with time. I stand for humility,
perseverance and truth. I have studied architecture for
3 years now and my interest lies in research and urban
development. My purpose for joining AGP workshop
was to gain a hands on experience, working on a site
from design process to execution and also to explore
and experience Auroville as a community, participating
in their activities and also to see its architecture. While
participating in the workshop, I have learned about the
practical aspects of architecture, how one develops a site
responsive design, budgeting and the nature of materials.
When it comes to architecture, I prefer to take a non-
contemporary approach, develop a concept and ideology,
solve the current issuein a hyper-realistic way. This
methodology is based on mass prototyping and extensive
research. Ideally I’d like to see a paradigm shift towards this
approach and spread awareness about it. Apart from this
I’d like to see and make a change in the urban context of
Delhi, making the city more liveable and adaptable to the
changing needs and wants of people. I understand that
such changes are hard to implement, but small actions
can make a big difference. Therefore I am committed to
taking responsibility to do my part, in making an effort to
make the city more liveable, in working on the project of
houseless households, using the means of upcycling for
homeless people.
APURV JAIN
Houseless household include people who do not live in
buildings or census houses but live in the open, on the
roadside or pavements, in hume pipes, under flyovers and
staircases, or in the open in places of worship, mandaps,
railway platforms. The focus is to identify these interstitial
spaces and analyze their existing condition patterns of
growth.The purpose of the research topic is to understand
the spatial aspects that are used by the homeless for
shelters, and to find solutions that would create a better
impact. The next phase of the research would be to study
the formation of the Nagar colonies in Delhi, how they
are formed and what is the impact on the society in terms
of social value, economics and other parameters. The
study aims on decoding the urban pattern in which Delhi
hasevolved.TheNagarcoloniesarebuiltinprimelocations
but because of certain flaws, such as water/waste issues
and non-fertile land, they are not considered a high class
colony. As a result they are occupied by the urban poor,
mainly because of the prevailing job opportunity, hence
a Nagar is formed. I would like to spread awareness on
sanitation in these colonies and would also like to make
the shelter homes more livable.
HOUSELESS HOUSEHOLDS

MENSTRUAL HYGIENE
My name is Keerthi Giridhar. I am a third year Architecture
student from Bangalore. I stand for equality, courage and
inclusivity for myself and everyone else. I was immensely
attracted and impressed by the atmosphere, design
approach, construction techniques and also the support
and encouragement we received at every stage of our
project. The practical and theoretical training was an
opportunityaswellasaplatformtolearnthedesignprocess
and how it is being translated into reality, sensitively, also
focusing on our inner strengths and weaknesses. Glad to
say that this Summer School has helped me improve my
professional on-site skills, presentation skills, confidence
level and also to be dedicated and remain focused
throughout the workshop. We were also introduced to
a lot of new techniques and a variety of materials that
could be used for construction to make a structure more
sustainable without the depletion of natural resources.
KEERTHI GIRIDHAR
Issue: environmental and health hazards of plastic sanitary
napkins
Project value: equally responsible for the cause and to take
measures inclusively
Menstrual hygiene is something the nation is concentrating
broadly on in terms of women’s health. Menstruation is a normal
biological process and a key sign of reproductive health, yet in
many cultures it is treated as something negative, shameful or
dirty. The continued silence around menstruation combined
with limited access to information at home and in schools results
in millions of women and girls having very little knowledge
about the impact on the environment and also the health by
the use of sanitary napkins which are made out of plastic.
Most of the chemicals from these pads reaching the soil cause
groundwater pollution and loss of soil fertility. The napkins are
made from plastic. Each conventional sanitary pad contains the
equivalent of about four plastic bags. A thorough scientific study
about the ingredients involved in the creation of disposable
napkins is alarming. Better attention needs to be paid for the
elimination of hazardous pads causing a threat to both the
environment and women’s health.
India states that 45% of the menstrual waste collected across
the country primarily consist of sanitary napkins. Menstrual
waste is disposed along with routine household waste and
ultimately floats in the sea. These wastes are non-biodegradable
and remain unattended. 89% of urban women haven’t searched
for new menstrual products in a year! India has a messy deal
with napkin disposal.
At present, a menstrual cup and a cloth pad are the best
available solutions. But menstrual awareness programmes often
fail to speak of them. Of course, the market sells bio-degradable
napkins, yet most women find them too expensive. Better
environmentally-driven menstrual awareness campaigns, which
I plan to undertake, need to be created to bring attention to
menstrual cups and cloth pads. As this serious issue concerns the
nation’s health, the system must not pander to the corporates.
We need to start promoting the right products before it’s too
late.
My name is Harshini. I’m from Ranchi in Jharkhand and
I’m currently pursuing architectural studies in Bangalore. I
stand for perseverance and humbleness and I’m a curious
explorer and passionate artist. I believe Architecture is
beyond designing buildings but creating spaces which
evoke emotions. The 3H summer school has changed
my perspective towards design and sustainable living.
It helped me to understand new materials, building
techniques and team management skills. The hands-
on experience further helped me to understand the
construction methods and design execution. The
experience I gained from Auroville will further help with
my research on vernacular and sustainable architecture.
VRSJ HARSHINI
WATER MANAGEMENT
Negligence and reckless use of water resources have led
to an acute shortage of fresh water in Jharkhand. The
state is majorly dependent on ground water, seasonal
lakes, ponds and check dams for the storage of water.
Lack of strict water management policies have led to the
depletion of ground water. I live in a public township or
community in Ranchi, the state capital. The source for
most of the water supply is groundwater. Because of the
poor water management practices and no firm policies
for rainwater harvesting there has been a shortage of
fresh water. I would like to engage with the township,
which has been developed by a company and which
also has a school where I studied. I would like talk to the
senior alumni of the school and the higher authorities
of the company to implement firm policies on rainwater
harvesting, to shut down valves of the unoccupied houses
and to reuse of grey water for gardening. I would also
like to spread awareness about rainwater harvesting and
water management to other members of the community.
Ranchi is a developing city, rich with minerals and a
beautiful landscape. There is a need to take firm measures
to save our water resources and recreation of lakes and
ponds so that future generations can
continue enjoying its beauty.

My name is Muskan Naulakha and I am a third year
architectural student at School of Planning, Architecture
and Design, Mody University in Lakshmangarh, Sikar,
Rajasthan, India. My family is from Bikaner, Rajasthan. I
stand for determination, adaption and peace. Ever since
I was young, I have had a desire to craft and design. I
want to create buildings that are not only aesthetically
pleasing and functional, but those that have a small their
carbon footprint both during their construction and
maintenance. With my time in Auroville, I have learned
the importance of sustainable work, team work and
have experienced peace. With this knowledge, I can go
above and beyond to further innovation and technology,
making everyone’s lives better and more energy efficient.
MUSKAN NAULAKHA
PASSIVE COOLING
Issue: In the summer, many of us can’t bear to live without
an air conditioner (AC). ACs that are not maintained
properly, whether at home, in the office or in a vehicle,
can become contaminated; they can be potentially
harmful and can infect us with contagious respiratory
diseases. Sitting in an AC room all day is known to causes
weakness and decreases our stamina and level of fitness.
Even so, as it gets hotter year after year, the sale of air
conditioners in India rose by an estimated of 17% over
the past three years. With the increase sales, electricity
bills also increase.
Thus using passive cooling while designing buildings can
minimize the extensive use of ACs in every household.
Shifts: the body can tolerate a higher temperature when
asleep than when awake so by reducing the usage to only
the hottest hours of the day i.e. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; electric
bills can be kept low.
Better maintenance of ACs also helps in this case. In
residential buildings, the government has put forward an
amendment to optimize the ACs temperature (preferably
to 24 degree C). Even though this is a good option, we
can eradicate the use of ACs in residential buildings
altogether by using passive cooling systems.
My actions: As an architect, I pledge to include passive
cooling systems in my buildings while designing in a
hot and dry climatic region. For example in Rajasthan
evaporating cooling techniques can be used planning
a courtyard and natural ventilation can be opted for
through brick jalis and reflective roofs.
MRUGAJA KARANDIKAR
PORTAL FOR ORPHANAGES
Pune has over 50 orphanages, of which 70-80 % are
known, well-funded and associated with charitable trusts.
But other 20-30 % are small-sized orphanages. The 3 basic
needs of human beings are food, shelter and clothing. In
the smaller orphanages, food and shelter are provided for
but needs like clothes, access to books, involvement in
extra-curricular activities are not looked into. Hence the
children often feel neglected.
The behavioural shift that I would like to see is cultural.
Actions that I would like to engage in:
• Create and set up an online portal through which
people can gift clothes and books
• Carry out workshops that enhances the children’s
skills in co-curricular activities, which they can take
up as a profession
• Teach them how to make creative and useful products
out of waste. This will help them understand that
books and clothes, which they may have received as
gifts, can be repurposed to bring additional value.
My name is Mrugaja Karandikar and I studied architecture
at the Pune University. My family is from Pune. I stand
for empathy and responsibility. Ever since I was young,
I have had a desire to create and design. I developed a
strong passion in sustainable architecture and urban
design while writing my thesis during my B.Arch. I found
that the summer school in Auroville was an amalgamation
of both. It is my first visit here and I learned a lot about
vernacular architecture, sustainable materials and their
use in construction, the approach towards designing in
an environmentally-friendly and cohesive way. I definitely
got a chance to excel in all paths as an individual. I grateful
to Auroville, as it helped me widen my outlook in terms of
environmental consciousness.

SEX EDUCATION AND
MENTAL HEALTH
BICYCLE SHARING
My name is Pawandeep Singh and I am from Bangalore.
I am currently pursuing my bachelor of Architecture
degree from Dayananda Sagar Institutions, Bangalore. I
stand for authenticity and equality. Staying in Auroville
for three weeks has made me realize how sustainability
can be incorporated in our daily lives and design; also,
how living in a metropolis has brainwashed our minds in
following the crowd and in not focusing/exploring within
ourselves. I work on things until they are perfect: quality
over quantity. This workshop has helped me in realizing
my strengths and weaknesses, teamwork, empathizing
with people, and prioritizing needs over wants.
My name is Nikita and I graduated in 2015 as an architect.
I stand for equanimity, courage and generosity.
In the last couple years, I have been involved in projects
ranging from urban design to interiors and architecture
that are sensitive and context driven. I wish to design
buildings that are true to the environment we live in and
in response to it.
The program has helped me express myself by looking
deeper within. The nature of the project was a lot of fun to
work on and very helpful in connecting with the smaller
elements of design and construction. Interacting with
people of various age groups and different interests in
architecture itself created more excitement and joy for me
during the design process.
The program and Auroville as a whole has given me a
deeper insight into different methods and materials of
construction. From observing and understanding the way
of life here, I’m taking back values with me that will enable
me to live gently.
PAWANDEEP SINGHNIKITA SHAHDADPURI
Sex education and mental health are one of the most
important issues that has been neglected in the society
for years. Even though people are aware of these issues,
they are not open to talk about it in public or with family.
With the present and upcoming generation these issues
are much more prominent, but due to social stigma, they
are not able to talk about it.
According to a 2015-16 survey by NIMHAN’s (BLR),
approximately 13% of the Indian population suffer from
mental health issues. Around 150 million people are in
dire need of help for mental health, and only 30 million
people have access to it.
According to a survey, India is ranked 3rd amongst the
countries watching porn. This is due to lack of awareness
about sex education, and porn is the last place where one
can learn about sex.
Schools are places where concerns about sexual identity
and behaviour regularly arise. Such concerns have a
variety of mental health implications. Sex education
courses are logical venues for discussing mental health
matters related to sexual identity and behaviour.
For schools, the core aims related to sex education are to
• Teach about sexual health
• Engender responsible sexual behaviour
• Promote personal well being
Such teachings include a focus on cognitive development,
emotional development and behavioural development.
I would like to engage in conversation with the
government’s educational and health boards to
• include sexual education as a part of the curriculum
• encourage mental health as a profession and a field of
study and stress on the need to communicate openly
about these issues in order to bring about a cultural
shift
Issue: traffic congestion, pollution, lifestyle-related health issues,
lack awareness about cultural richness of the neighbourhood.
In the last 5 to 8 years, the number of vehicles used for short
distance has increased. On an average, about 10 cars of people
staying at a distance of 5 km are parked near eateries and stores.
Children are spending more time playing games on computers
and mobile phones than outdoors which was not the case till a
few years ago. Children also do not own a bicycles due to these
congestion-related issues. Because of all the reasons they do not
know their neighbourhood and do not value its diversity and
richness.
Shifts:
• increase in awareness regarding health issues due to poor
lifestyle and less activity, environmental impacts and also
awareness about one’s neighbourhood
Actions:
• research and gather more knowledge about the
neighbourhood to be able to curate guided/self-explorative
tours
• work with residents groups and local ward officer to organise
outdoor activities/events on weekends or on certain days
• set an example myself
• collaborate with student bodies/younger people in the area
to encourage them to choose better commute options
Committed requests:
• local governing body/ward incharge promoting cycling
and helping creating a safe environment for the same by
allowing for events/ days where in certain streets can have
restricted vehicular movement
• increase in outdoor activities in the area
• local traffic police helping with creating a safe environment
for cycling and helping maintain discipline

My name is Pooja G and I am pursuing architecture in
Bangalore. I stand for equality and self-confidence. I am
a person who loves travelling and exploring different
cultures. Being in Auroville for three weeks, I have learnt
to cater to my needs over craving for my wants, and it has
been a wonderful experience. Being an amateur learner
about sustainability, it helped me learn how we can
integrate sustainable living into our lives. Through this
3H summer school workshop I improved my abilities to
express myself and overcome my fears. This experience of
cross culture, independent living and learning leadership
principles has evolved my personality. Having learnt how
to work in a team has helped me widen my perspective
and strengthen my thinking as an architect. As an active
learner, the hands-on experience helped me to learn
about building techniques and to overcome challenges
as a team. It helped me connect with a lot of people from
all over the world and will cherish this experience for a
long time to come.
POOJA G
RAINWATER HARVESTING
Issue: Water shortage in major cities
Bangalore is one of the top cities which is going to run
out of water soon. Years of rapid urbanization, increasing
population and poor water management have led to the
depletion of ground water levels. It has changed from
being the Garden City to a concrete jungle. Now the only
way to survive is harvesting the rain and recharging the
ground water as they are the only resources we have. But
changing Bangalore’s dysfunctional water management
is unlikely to improve. To prevent depletion of our
reserves we need to start small, by concentrating on small
dwellings which did not harness rain water harvesting
systems. By focusing on these houses we can recharge the
ground water and save the water levels from depleting.
This system will be made of upcycle or recycled materials
found in the dwellings, which reduces the investment.
This solution, if adopted by many neighborhoods can
solve the water crisis in major cities and it is this that I
would like to campaign for
My name is Raj Patel. I stand for dedication and
determination. I come from Vadodara, a city with a long
history, which is reflected in its many palaces, gates and
avenues. I recently completed my studies in architecture
and I was looking for an ideal that I could follow throughout
my carrier as an architect. I was glad to come across the
workshop designed by Auroville Green Practices where I
found I can learn Architecture in its essence. Through this
Summer School, I learnt how to work as a team, believing
in others and also allowing others to get to know me.
Exploration has become a part of my life now and I will
try to continue exploring at every stage of my life. The
workshop also helped me to work on my fears, to play to
my strengths, to continue working on things until they’re
perfect and that it’s okay to let go and stop when required.
It was a great experience for me to work with different
people. I felt very well and peaceful staying in Auroville
and exploring the better version of me.
RAJ PATEL
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
PREVENTION
Human trafficking in India, although illegal under Indian
law, remains a significant problem. Even so, people are
frequently trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation
and forced/bonded labour. Although no reliable study
of forced and bonded labour has been completed, NGOs
estimate this problem affects 20-65 million Indians. More
than 50% of people involve minors and close to 90% of
them are girls. Human trafficking results in both mental
and physical suffering. Mental issues include PTSD,
depression and anxiety.
Architecture plays a large role in determining how people
feel. Architectural psychology is a branch of architecture
which deals with the psychological processes that come
about when people are interacting with their environment;
they include:
• enlightens the atmosphere when appropriate
architectural components are used whereas
inappropriate use does the opposite
• good design heightens the consciousness of the users
and the building becomes a part of people’s lives and
how they generally feel
A lot of NGOs build safe havens and sanctuaries for the
victims. I would like to be involved in designing them
using the principles of architectural psychology which
along with the benefits that generally come from
Objectives:
• generate the feeling of hope in order for them to use
the tools at their disposal to make the most of their
lives
tools include education and vocational training
that would help them find other livelihoods and
eliminate second generation prostitution
• set up interactions with the community to stop the
discrimination in the name of HIVS/AIDS and eliminate
negative cultural attitudes and practices towards sex
workers.

My name is Shreya Maheshwari and I am an Interior
Design Consultant based in Delhi with an experience
of 5 years. In my experience as a Designer, I have
worked with some esteemed design companies. I did
my graduation in Interior Architecture and Design
from Pearl Academy, New Delhi in 2014. I stand for
determination, manifestation, independence, self
confidence, empathy and creativity. Staying in a
solution based environment like Auroville, where
it’s about building for the society has enabled me to
be more responsible, open minded and self aware. I
would like to focus on creating awareness about the
sustainable and green practices and the methods as
the realisation of the need is calling out on its own.
In the economic wheel that everyone is trapped in,
I would like to take responsibilty of my own actions
towards humanity and find ways to encourage it.
SHREYAMAHESHWARI
REDUCE, REUSE AND
RECYCLE WATER
There has been a rise in ignorance and incomplete
information on green practices, mainly involving
the wastage of water and the acute depletion of the
limited resources. People depend on others to take
actions, instead of conscious usage and wastage.
For example, there have been multiple news articles
coming from different parts of the country and of
the world as well, Chennai being the most recent.
According to a monitoring report by the Central
Ground Water Board (CGWB), ‘Northern India has
registered a critical fall in groundwater levels ranging
between 75 and 85 per cent’.
In order to witness a change on the global scale,
there needs to be awareness amongst the common
user about the ways to restore resources and to save
their future generations. I wish to undertake local
awareness campaigns on the subject. We need to
focus on needs instead of wants; I would want saving
water to become a social status symbol for people. If
people use only their share of water, help the society
to replenish ground water, use empty terraces for rain
water harvesting, try to recycle/reuse the gray /soapy
water, the entire green cycle can benefit from it.
People must also reduce wet waste or stop disposing
waste in water, which usable water not only useless,
but harmful as well.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
-Winston Churchill

My name is Balu Ramalingam, I have been born
and bought up in Auroville. I have been working
with Auroville Consulting for the past 8 years. My
educational profile includes schooling at Auroville
and further studies at Puducherry University, which
has contributed in generating awareness with
respect to my surroundings. I stand for confidence,
determination and sincerity. I aim at providing
a maximum number of students the kind of
exposure they expect to get at Auroville in terms of
educational experiences. I personally like to express
myself through verbal communication. I am good at
organizing and managing workshops. The best part
of the program was that the students were sincere
and hardworking. The Summer School program
has inspired me to evolve my role not only as a
coordinator but also as a participant.
BALU RAMALINGAM MARTIN SCHERFLER
My name is Martin. I stand for integrity, equality and
courage.Iwasborninasmallvillagesettlementatthe
heart of Austria. I grew up playing in the local forests,
running after the soccer ball and supporting my
parents in their daily farm work and their restaurant
business. I hold a master degree in sociology. In
2005 I moved to Auroville, where I have been living
and working since. Inspired by the environmental
and educational work done at Auroville, I chose to
make this my main area of activity. I am passionate
about creating learning programs that contribute to
environmental and social justices. I love to share this
passion with my students, volunteers and interns of
all ages and backgrounds.

My name is Nivetha. I hold a bachelor’s degree in
Architecture from Chennai. I stand for equality and
inclusiveness. I came to Auroville as a trainee for 6
months to learn about the alternate way of life, away
fromthecommotionofmetropolitans.Theexperience
brought me back to Auroville and I have been
here since 2 years. My area of interest is to provide
educational programs to students and professionals
and to impart the knowledge of Auroville to all
members of society. The 3H summer school program
provides a platform for students and professionals
from different backgrounds to come together to
create something for our Auroville community. I
am glad I was given the opportunity to coordinate
the workshop and be with the participants as they
worked through hardships together as a team.
NIVETHA ANNAMALAI
My name is Priya and I did my graduation in English
Literature, other languages and Integral Education
at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education,
Pondicherry. Thereafter, I completed two courses at
Air India Chennai on Fares, Reservations, Ticketing
and worked for several years as a travel consultant.
At Auroville Consulting, I act as an interface
between workshop participants and I’m involved
in the logistics and marketing for workshops,
seminars and retreats. I’m energetic and ambitious
and have developed a mature and responsible
approach to any task that I undertake, or situation
that I am presented with. During this workshop,
the integration of theory into practical sessions
gave me a good opportunity to learn.observant
and connected to things & people around me and
more in tune with one another. It was a peaceful
experience that helped me be creative.
PRIYA BOSE

My name is Sanata. I stand for happiness,
courage and sustainability. My parents moved to
Auroville when I was a baby and I’ve lived here
ever since. As a kid growing up in Auroville, I
spent a lot of time in nature and with animals
and have developed a deep appreciation for all
things concerning sustainability.
I’m grateful to be in a position that allows me
to spread and share knowledge on sustainable
development and I’m so happy to see that so
many amazing people are interested in learning
about it.
My goal is to help contribute to a greener future
for all!
observant and connected to things & people
around me and more in tune with one another.
It was a peaceful experience that helped me be
creative.
SANATA PRAKASH
I came to Auroville in 2006 as an intern, working
with Andre Hababou. I am currently Principal
Architect of imago, which I co-founded with my
partner, Michael.
We believe that architecture is a service, and
are excited about approaching projects in a
collaborative and inclusive fashion. We have
worked on and built various genres of projects
in India. Our passion is exploring conscious
architecture that goes beyond the word
“sustainability”.
This Summer School program has been a
gratifying experience, to first watch the students
struggle with teamwork, and then later watch
the site come alive with their life-size ideas. What
they have achieved in these 3 weeks is quite
remarkable given the challenges.
I hope this workshop has given them a small
glimpseintoAurovilleandhasbeenanexperience
that will they will carry into future explorations
in their personal as well as professional lives.
SINDHUJA JAGADEESH

COLLABORATORS
ACUR
The Auroville Centre for Urban research
(ACUR) is a unique attempt to combine
studies and investigations in Urban
Development with an actual field of
practical implementation. It is located in
Auroville, Tamil Nadu (India), an universal
township under construction and serves
the dual purpose to constitute the first
administrative nucleus of the emerging
city, a centre for elaboration of innovative
approaches to the development of the city
and a place for exchange of experiences
and communication at the national and
international levels with urban researchers,
civic administrators, city stakeholders and
NGOs.
Auroville Consulting
Auroville Consulting provides
comprehensive consulting and advisory
services for project developers,
manufacturers and policy makers
engaged in ecologically and socially
responsible development areas. Using
a multidisciplinary approach, we create
unique solutions in the domains of
sustainable resource management (energy
& water) and sustainable management
practices.
Auroville Green Practices
Auroville Green Practices aims to bring
together various stakeholders to envision
future townships that offer a habitat that
is ecologically, socially and economically
nurturing. Auroville Green Practices is
managed by Auroville Consulting a unit
under the Auroville Foundation.
Imago
Imago is an architecture studio based in
Auroville, Tamil Nadu. It offers all services
related to architectural design and
sustainable planning; extending to interior
design, landscape design and project
management. Although it is a young firm,
it has completed more than 2,50,000 sqft of
built space which are of various typologies,
including residential, hospitality and
institutional. It offers services nationwide
and has done projects in Auroville,
Coimbatore, Chennai, Pondicherry,
Bangalore and Ahmadabad.

www.agpworkshops.com
AurovilleConsulting
SAIIER
ACUR

3H Summer School Publication 2019

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