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esign
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atra is a socio-architectural
practice that takes inspiration from traditional architecture and experiments to evolve it to today’s needs. It emphasizes on the engagement of local communities, all the while using the kind of natural materials that are more responsive to those local contexts. This not only re-energizes the communities but also helps in sensitizing the stakeholders involved in such processes. This, at times, also promotes the regeneration of natural resources.
Design Jatra runs a social enterprise under the name of Tokar in the tribal village at Murbad, Dahanu — where small bamboo products are manufactured by the local tribal community. Along with this, the Jatra has taken the initiative of local rice seed banking and seed exchange with the help of tribal youth and many student volunteers.
Design Jatra has constantly gone through metamorphoses because of the many interactions as well as brainstorming workshops with students of varied backgrounds. Conducting several architectural workshops in traditional natural materials along with summer volunteering workshops is something that the Jatra actively involves itself in.
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esign
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atra as an architectural initiative began in 2013. Roaming through rural Maharashtra only to realize that traditional built forms were being replaced with insensitive buildings, we were led to an on-ground understanding of the many problems, ranging from broken rural communities to urban migration. As a response to these issues, Design Jatra aims at strengthening rural communities, and helps them reinstate their pride in their own technologies, context, skills and materials. At the same time, it also aims at facilitating the urban-rural dialogue.
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he large team of Design Jatra comprises of architects, artisans and craftsmen, volunteers, architecture students as well as many loving communities. The growth of Jatra is a dedication to all the people who inspire it to continue on this path
AR. PRATIK DHANMER –
Living in his native village of Veti Murbad, Pratik Dhanmer practices Design Jatra philosophy not only in his architectural work and teaching, but also in his day to day routine. Pratik brings the fun and the crazy to Design Jatras designing process and the structures we build with his extraordinary conceptualization of ideas. Since he is the closest to the community of Veti Murbad, Pratik takes up lot of praticipatory initiatives of Design Jatra. He is involved deeply in trying to democratize the village governance of Veti Murbad through various rural policies and Gram Sabhas. Pratik also handles the farming initiatives of Design Jatra and is an integral part of the seed conservation initiative. Pratik loves teaching. He teaches in the IES college of Architecture, Mumbai and SEA, Mumbai. He also routinely teaches kids in the Veti Murbad village. Pratik is a multi faceted personality with keen interest in sketching, theatre, poetry and film.
AR. SHARDUL PATIL
Shardul Patil is architect and an environmental activist with a dream towards having a more participatory, hyper-local and democratic approach to design as well as environmentalism. His keen interest lies in experimentation with natural materials and technologies. Apart from being a co-founder of design jatra, Shardul is also an integral part of the “Save Aarey Movement” of Mumbai and teaches in IES college of architecture.
AR.VINITA KAUR M. CHIRAGIA
Vinita Kaur Chiragia is the punctilious co founder of Design Jatra, one who has been constantly adding greater value to the practice through her vision of detailing in design as well as in processes of execution. She looks at architecture as a craft and it reflects in the projects that she does. She is highly interested in traditional crafts, which is why she is majorly involved in the Tokar initiative of Design Jatra. She has been working with the community of Veti Murbad to come up with beautiful, utilitarian and contemporary products using their tradition skills and native biodiversity. She also has a keen interest in fabric design and natural dying.