Ecological Mapping and Arch Making Workshop at Malvan With Rachana Sansad Architecture College

This workshop was conducted with Foundation Year architecture students from Rachana Sansad, Mumbai, in collaboration with Samyantak - University of Life, and was rooted in direct engagement with the coastal landscape.

Students explored mangroves, sticky coastal soils, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity, developing an understanding of how ecological systems inform material choice and construction practices. Stepping outside the classroom, participants worked peer-to-peer to observe the site, collect found materials, and experiment with building arches directly on the landscape.

Through repeated trials, failures, and rebuilding, students demonstrated strong problem-solving abilities and creativity, ultimately constructing load-bearing arches without the use of mortar.
The exercise offered hands-on insight into balance, compression, and structural logic, grounding architectural learning in ecology, material behaviour, and collaborative making.