Media Student Architecture & Design Award 2018
First Award | Category: Landscape Design
Architect: Rahul Arora
Country: India
Meditation is an art of focusing the mind to a state of consciousness to achieve and realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content, or as an end in itself.
The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in any life activity.
Meditation is performed to achieve
Spiritual goals – to connect with oneself and bring attention to believe in one flow of energy in
life
Religious worship – worship god keeping in mind specific culture and religion.
Physical Healing- to perform yoga and pranayama which acts as a catalyst to the meditation and achieve great physical and mental health.
Religion
Spirtuality Health
Various natural elements are linked to meditation and act as stimulant to attaining focus, such as sound
specific chant of words, ringing of bells, may evoke certain vibrations in body which relaxes the mind.
Another example may include light, the lighting of candle in a dark room helps gaining attention to one single place.
MINDSPACE MEDITATION PARK
INTRODUCTION
Meditation Park provides a time away from our normal activities to spend time getting
reacquainted with oneself, to silence mind and develop emotional strength in our selves. A
Meditation park can help people to connect to god in spiritual and religious ways. It also give
common ground to people to collaborate and perform activities like yoga and pranayama to achieve
physical health. For many people a meditation park can help awakening to the presence of God in
their lives. All the great spiritual traditions are about discovering ourselves in ways that help us to
grow in happiness and love.
AIM
The aim of the project is to design a meditation park that gives a retreat to the visitors, a resting place out of the humdrum of busy street life, a center for the community providing a palette of different atmosphere of meditation spaces for varied religious and spiritual beliefs to serve the huge cultural diversity.
OBJECTIVES
To utilize the natural elements air, water, earth, sound, and space in meditation
To exploit the resources present on site to its maximum potential, the site being rich in
flora and fauna.
To design spaces and zones which connect man and nature, and creating an aura of peace
and tranquility to help in meditating.
NEED AND VALIDITY OF THE PROJECT
Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation have
proposed a biodiversity park and the iconic
meditation Centre will be a place for city dwellers to
escape the humdrum of urban life and sit with their
families amidst nature,
Source – Times of India, News Article
METHODOLOGY
Primary Literature Study
Physics of elements Air, Water, earth, sound, and space, their integration with human mind. Psycology of mind The science and spirtuality of meditation. Secondary Study Architectual Works In relation to the physics of
elements and their effects on psycology of mind. Internet Studies Analysis of site Case studies Topography, surrounding, Live case studies of et meditation centres Analysis Relevant studies of different meditation centres all over the India, considering different cultures and diversity.
literature and case studies and driving the inference and conclusions from eachstudy. Formulation of Spaces and the areas Design concept Ultimate Design Proposal Formulation of Design Guidelines.
SITE ANALYSIS
Site Location – The site is located in the city of Ahemdabad, Gujrat on the riverfront between Ambedkar Bridge and Vasna barrage. The Site Barren land with a combination of dense and scattered vegetation Sabarmati riverfront and Vasna Reservoir Cleared out Barren land with loamy soil type Approach Road from the city and pedestrian walkway along Sabarmati Riverfront Nearby Buildings Site Surroundings- Sabarmati River Vasana Barrage
Climate Hot and dry climate Mean average temperature is 28.3°C with mean maximum temperature of 34.8°C and mean minimum of 22.0°C. Average relative humidity recorded was 34.5% with mean maximum humidity of 42.0% and mean minimum of 22.2%. The prevailing wind is from ENE.
Site Area – 24.3 Acres Nearby to the site are housing, green land and Vasana barrage.
SCOPE AND LIMITATION
The scope of the project is to work out different meditation spaces, recreational spaces, including restaurants, food courts, etc., library to impart spiritual knowledge to the people, and a short stay habitat for visitors wishing to experience the space for longer span of time along with the
necessary support spaces.
As per the proposal guidelines for a Meditation Centre and biodiversity park. The scope of the project will be limited to the meditation park giving less emphasis on the Biodiversity Park with the approach of minimal intervention and maximum utilization of the resources.
BROAD REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROJECTS
Meditation Zones Residential Cottages Library Support space
Recreational facilities