Towards a sustainable re-construction method for seismic-prone heritage settlements of Gujarat, India based on advanced recording technologies

Post-earthquake reconstruction of housing in heritage settlements confronts challenges such as inadequate damage assessment and replacement, displaced population and loss of heritage significance. Recording the built fabric and ways of life within heritage settlements are key for conserving their historic value, which is increasingly possible with the evolution of digital technologies. This paper presents an ongoing research project developing a novel methodology for heritage conservation and post-disaster reconstruction using state-of-the-art 3D-laser-scanning (LiDAR) technologies to enable comprehensive damage assessment and design of solutions for repair, retrofitting, reuse and disaster risk mitigation, facilitating community empowerment, while virtually preserving the living heritage of vernacular settlements in Kutch, Gujarat. Through the development of a scalable method of reconstruction , the aim is to break the unsustainable cycle of buildings' replacement, dereliction and subsequent loss of heritage, advancing from previous research in Chile. Key aspects of vernacular architecture in Kutch are presented alongside the critical evaluation of previous experiences of post-earthquake reconstruction in the region, introducing the challenges from the LiDAR data capture done so far. The early findings show the potential of the record as fast and accurate documentation of complex living settings, incorporating the technical information required of each house within the contextual information of its surroundings-even when working remotely-where complementary social, archival and historical information can be placed and analysed

અદ્યતન રેકોર્ડીંગ ટેકનોલોજીનો ઉપયોગ કરીને ગુજરાતની ઐતિહાસિક વસાહતોમાં ધરતીકંપની આકારણી, પુનઃનિર્માણ અને ઈમારતોના જોખમ ઘટાડવા માટેનું માળખું

આ દસ્તાવેજ એક માળખું રજૂ કરે છે જે આપત્તિ પછીના નુકસાનની ઝડપી આકારણી અને ધરતીકંપના કિસ્સામાં અસરકારક પ્રતિભાવની શક્યતાઓને સુધારી શકે છે, હાલના માળખાની પુનઃઉપયોગની શક્યતાઓને વધારી શકે છે તથા સ્થાનિક સમુદાયોમાં સજ્જતા અને સ્થિતિસ્થાપકતામાં વધારો કરી શકે છે, જે ટકાઉ પુનઃનિર્માણ તરફ દોરે છે. અદ્યતન રેકોર્ડીંગ ટેકનોલોજીનો ઉપયોગ કરીને તે ગુજરાતના કચ્છમાં બેલાના પ્રાયોગિક અભ્યાસમાંથી પાઠ રજૂ કરે છે. તે ગામના ઐતિહાસિક વિસ્તારના બિલ્ટ એન્વાયર્નમેન્ટને 3D લેસર સ્કેનીંગ-જેને LiDAR તરીકે પણ ઓળખવામાં આવે છે, તેનો ઉપયોગ કરીને ૫ દિવસમાં કેપ્ચર કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું, જેના પરિણામે મિલીમીટરની ચોકસાઇ સાથે માપી શકાય તેવા 3D પોઇન્ટ ક્લાઉડના રૂપમાં સચોટ અને વ્યાપક ડિજિટલ ડેટા સેટ તૈયાર કરવામાં આવ્યો હતો. બેલાનું ઉન્નત ડિજિટલ મોડલ બનાવવા માટે ફોટોગ્રાફ્સ, એરિયલ ડ્રોન કેપ્ચર, ઐતિહાસિક પૂછપરછ અનેસમુદાયના સભ્યો સાથે મુલાકાતો દ્વારા સામાજિક જોડણો સાથે જોડવામાં આવ્યું હતું. આ હેરિટેજ વસાહતોના ડિજિટલ દસ્તાવેજીકરણને સક્ષમ કરે છે તથા સિસ્મિક જોખમના મૂલ્યાંકન અને ટૂંકા ગાળામાં ઇમારતોની માળખાકીય સ્થિતિના મૂલ્યાંકન માટે પ્લેટફોર્મ પ્રદાન કરે છે. આ માળખું શૈક્ષણિક સંસ્થાઓ, સરકારી સંસ્થાઓ અને એનજીઓ વચ્ચે વ્યૂહાત્મક ભાગીદારી દ્વારા સંરચિત કરવામાં આવ્યું છે જેથી જોખમમાં આવેલા વારસાના સંરક્ષણમાં યોગ્ય પગલાં લઇ શકાય . આમાં સ્થાનિક ક્ષમતાનું આયોજન અને નિર્માણનો સમાવેશ થાય છે, જે તેની સંભવિત માપનીયતા અને અન્ય સમાન સિસ્મિક-પ્રોન હેરિટેજ વસાહતોમાં લાગુ પાડવામાં આવે છે. નેશનલ રિસ્ક ડિઝાસ્ટર મેનેજમેન્ટ (DRM) અને હેરિટેજ મેનેજમેન્ટને લગતા વર્તમાન કાયદાઓ અને નીતિઓમાં મુખ્ય પડકારોને ઓળખીને, આ દસ્તાવેજ ભલામણો સૂચવે છે જે સૂચિત માળખાના સંભવિત અમલીકરણની માહિતી આપવા માટે ઉપયોગી થઇ શકે છે

उन्नत रिकॉर्डिंग तकनीकों का उपयोग करके गुजरात की ऐतिहासिक बस्तियों में भूकंप मूल्यांकन, पुनर्निर्माण और भवनों के जोखिम न्यूनीकरण के लिए एक रूपरेखा

This document presents a framework that could improve the chances of a rapid post-disaster damage assessment and effective response in case of an earthquake, enhance the possibilities of reusing existing structures, and increase preparedness and resilience in local communities, leading to sustainable re-construction and recovery. It presents lessons from a pilot study of Bela in Kutch, Gujarat, using advanced recording technologies. The built environment of the historical area of that village was captured using 3D laser scanning—also known as LiDAR— in 5 days, resulting in an accurate and comprehensive digital data set in the form of a measurable 3D point cloud with precision of millimetres. This was combined with photographs, aerial drone capture, historical inquiry and social engagement through interviews with community members to create an enhanced digital model of Bela. This enables the digital documentation of heritage settlements and offers a platform for seismic risk assessment and the evaluation of the structural condition of buildings in a short period. This framework is structured through a strategic partnership between academia, governmental institutions and NGOs to inform actions in conserving at-risk built heritage. This involves planning and building local capacity, relevant for its potential scalability and applicability in other similar seismic-prone heritage settlements. By identifying key challenges in current legislations and policies regarding National Risk Disaster Management (DRM) and Heritage Management, this document proposes recommendations that could be relevant to inform the proposed framework's potential implementation

Re-construction and record: exploring alternatives for heritage areas after earthquakes in Chile

Reconstruction is the ultimate type of intervention a building can experience, usually contested in the context of built heritage. Records and available remains are used as a way to settle debates around it, primarily associated with monuments, leaving aside other types of heritage such as housing in historical areas. When disasters happen regularly — for example earthquakes — reconstruction processes also occur periodically and are unquestioned, due to the necessity to recover the dwelling space for the affected families. I use the case of Chile as a laboratory since earthquakes occur regularly. Even though changes in regulations have led to safer behaviour of buildings in earthquakes, especially in urban areas, the built heritage has been significantly affected, mainly because of the age of the buildings, lack of maintenance, poor regulations, accumulated damage and overall neglect. The pressure for quick reconstruction has led to a superficial understanding of heritage by offering solutions that ‘look like’ the previous houses but without using actual records and without considering other important aspects of their historical value, such as building techniques and human occupation. As a methodology, I surveyed three heritage areas in Chile — San Lorenzo de Tarapacá, Zúñiga and Lolol — throughout different periods using 3D-laser-scanning complemented by photography and interviews. From this, I explore the potential role of accurate records in what is considered heritage and its reconstruction, understanding the capacity of such technologies to be a virtual database for memory, preservation, demolition, intervention or replica. I also propose a series of alternatives based on using 3D-laser-scanning as a continuous practice of recording, as a post-earthquake assessment tool and as a basis for design, which act as a trigger for speculation and questioning over the nature of rebuilding. With this research, I intend to contribute to a much-needed debate in Chile with further implications for other changing historical environments

'3D for Heritage India' research project. Seminar and workshops

On the 4th and 5th of April 2022, we held three workshops as part of this research project focused on the aspects of knowledge exchange and dissemination, reflections on its upcoming outcomes with Government authorities, and the future possibilities of the data collected. The first workshop was an interaction with the students and studio tutors from the Architectural Conservation Studio of the Masters in Conservation and Regeneration Program at CEPT University. They used the 3D data obtained in Bela to develop conservation and design proposals for houses, the marketplace, and the village’s fortification. During the workshop, the students presented their in-progress work, which was commented on by their studio tutors Khushi Shah, Jayashree Bardhan, and (TA) Deepthi Varghese (from MCR FA CEPT) and members of the project’s research team. The discussions revolved around using, interpreting, and representing the 3D data and the drawings for case-specific design interventions. The second workshop on policy impact aimed to explore possible avenues for implementing certain aspects of the project in real cases using existing funding and policies in Gujarat. Each institution part of this project presented a short brief on its contributions, followed by a discussion. The discussion informed the development of a Policy Brief containing a set of recommendations for institutional arrangements, funding schemes, and overall strategies aimed at governmental and heritage institutions, authorities, and stakeholders in Gujarat. The third workshop consisted of a discussion with colleagues at the Faculty of Architecture and the Faculty of Technology of CEPT University, who gave relevant feedback for the project’s future work, following a summary presentation of the project by Dr Bernadette Devilat and a presentation about its outcomes by Dr Felipe Lanuza

Digital Bela: architectural heritage under a new light

We completed the first phase of our project with this exhibition held on the 20th of November 2021. The exhibition was previously held on the 17th and 18th of November at Bela, Kutch, and was recreated at Ahmedabad for CEPT University’s students. The exhibition consisted of a large plan of Bela at 1 to 100 scale, showing the 18 buildings that were interiorly scanned. For each one of them, a booklet compiling, plus videos, plans and images of individual buildings based on the 3D scan model of the village and the traditional houses of Kutch obtained in June/July 2021. The exhibition also included drone imagery, social survey information, and jigsaw puzzles especially designed for children to play and engage with their environments