The Annual NASA Design Competition 2011

Man in Nature and Traditional learning

The unity of man and nature

“Human beings live in the realm of nature; they are constantly surrounded by it and
interact with it. The most intimate part of nature in relation to man is the biosphere,
the thin envelope embracing the earth, its soil cover, and everything else that is
alive. Our environment, although outside us, has within us not only its image, as
something both actually and imaginatively reflected, but also its material energy and
information channels and processes. This presence of nature in an ideal,
materialised, energy and information form in man's self is so organic that when these
external natural principles disappear, man himself disappears from life. If we lose
nature's image, we lose our life.” 1

We coexist in our surroundings/ environment and without each other there is no

existence of one, so as an integral part of it, Man has greater responsibility to
perform in the sustainance of natural environment and in having a harmonious living
with not only to one’s self and others but to all life on earth.

“Men through the ages, through popular wisdom, philosophies, religions,

and sciences have tried to understand their place in nature, their linkage
with the universe.” 2
All traditional societies have gathered great
learning and wisdom about our surrounding, our
environment, which further collected and passed
Natural Environment,
A Habitat on from generation to generation as a knowledge
system, through various practices in life. At the
Society & same time traditional societies create a specific
Traditions
system, a way of living, which gives a sense of
Man one’s own environment while celebrating life. In
this process of passing on the knowledge,
everyone and every group have a role to play in
Figure 1 Man in Nature (Relationship between the continuity of the system.
man and surrounding environment)

1
Man in the Realm of Nature, Chapter 5 -On the Human Being and Being Human,Dialectical
Materialism, By –A Spirkin, 1983
2
Man in Nature, Introduction, By –Baidyanath Saraswati
 The Annual NASA Design Competition 2011

Environment
Adapt and harmonize change to accommodate and provide habitat to all life on Earth
(various spices)
Society
Gather learning (on effect of individual’s act on environment) and incorporate that in
the knowledge system as values for continuity (future generation to act upon),
create and monitor values for harmonized living between all elements of Habitat, act
responsively to any wrong doing by any individual(s).
Man
Adapt and rationalize the values of society and act upon it as an individual for an
idea of development, occupy and be a part of nature as and when required, keeping
the chain alive.

Man in Nature rather man and/against nature

Our traditional system of living gives great sense of environment and an
individual’s role in habitat. In various traditional practices we learn about
environmental elements (like birds, animals, plants, planets etc) and environmental
events (like rhythmic movement of changing seasons, planet positions, process and
pauses of seed sprouting, growing, flowering, fruiting, decaying and renewing,. etc) ,
these celebrations of environmental phenomenon generate experience and
association of one’s self with nature.

Our understanding of the whole manifest, in parts or small divisions of totality,

reflect many times in our art forms (wall painting, music, dance etc) crafts,
architecture, rituals and thus celebrating life. These practices of traditional societies
and association to environment, do not allow an individual to remain indifferent to
his/her surroundings, which we are missing in the ever fast changing urban life
today. It is high time for the modern society to institutionalize these learning(s) for
continuity. “In modern discourse this is understood as the need for man to live in
harmony with the environment for an evolution of socio-cultural systems and
methodologies for ensuring the maintenance of ecological balances.” 3

3
Kapila Vatsyayan
 The Annual NASA Design Competition 2011

At the same time, this exercise will help us to find relevance of our craft form in the
contemporary time.

The Neighbourhood Hub

The aim of the exercise is to bring these rich traditional practices and distinct
living back into the fold, into today’s scenario, not only in terms of Architectural
gestures but it also has to enlighten the perceptional sense of people. In continuity of
above, people dwelling in the city, need a space today which becomes a platform for
emotional sharing and learning and at the same time becomes a shared facility for
common good at a more intimate neighbourhood scale.

Objective
• To study various traditional practices, its roots, evolution, cultural values and
its relevance in the contemporary time.
• To identify a neighbourhood in one’s close vicinity and study its socio-cultural
aspect and the needs of people of all age, gender, religion, etc.
• To identify a space (site) within the studied neighbourhood and develop a
program for the chosen site and the people there.
• To design a place which becomes a platform for people to come together, a
place which creates a sense of habitat, a place which serves the existing
neighbourhood as a shared physical facility, a place which connects
individuals and individual dwellings to habitat and at the same time a place
which manifests traditional learning, to one and all, towards the environment
by generating sensitivity amongst the general mass there.

Note
Chosen area as site should be at a walk able distance for every person
residing in that neighbourhood and should not be larger than 500 mt2 or the built
program may be attached to some existing public facility in that area. Regarding
study of the regional traditional practices, students can conduct the study first hand
and/or can take reference/help from secondary sources.
 The Annual NASA Design Competition 2011

Submission Requirements
The outcome of the above mentioned programme is expected to come out in four
major parts:

1. The study of the regional traditional practices: the salient features extracted
from it, the learning(s) from it, the reason for choosing a particular area for
studying, etc.
(MAXIMUM ‘4’ A3 SIZE SHEETS)
2. The Program layout: The selection of a particular neighbourhood (reasons for
such a selection), contextual analysis supporting the conceived program, the
choice(s) of the “site” in that neighbourhood (what, why and how?) and how
will the study of any regional traditional practice(s) be relevant or helpful in
that particular neighbourhood?
(MAXIMUM ‘3’ A3 SIZE SHEETS)
3. Gestures at the conceptual level : Taking the last point from the previous
criteria further in terms of design-all the conceivable options regarding the
designing/re-designing of the thus chosen site in any particular selected
neighbourhood and how will it affect the neighbourhood in order to bring that
system of ‘sound’ living back into the fold?
(MAXIMUM ‘3’ A3 SIZE SHEETS)
4. Conclusion: Detailed concrete outcome of the whole process in terms of how
each and every element is giving an impetus to the objective of the whole
idea, how is the thus designed ‘place’ answering to all the fundamental
programmatic concerns and also to all the specific concerns pointed out
during the individually customized program layout.
How does it bring about a transformation in the neighbourhood from
‘Man and Nature’ to ‘Man in Nature’?
(MAXIMUM ‘5’ A3 SIZE SHEETS)
 The Annual NASA Design Competition 2011

Other Information
• Choice of sheets , scale is left to the discretion of the participant(s) to the
condition that the scale should be in metric system and all the drawings
should be clear and legible.
• The Submission should be restricted to a maximum of 15 A3 size sheets (420
mm x 297 mm or 16.53 in x 11.693 in) sheets (no panels), comprising of all
the Architectural, Landscape and Structural Design, Concepts, Location plan,
Site plan, Plans at all levels, Elevations, Sections, 3-D Views (exterior and
interior), Details, Photograph(s) of model(s), etc. Demonstration of the design
through model is expected.
• All sheets should be opaque unless they are used as overlays. Each overlay
(not bigger than A3 size) will be counted as a separate sheet.
• The format of the sheet should contain a square box of 25mm x 25mm at the
bottom right hand corner, next to the NASA India logo of size 20 mm x 35 mm
which should contain the unique registration number given after registration.
• NASA Logo can be downloaded from the website, www.nasaindia.co.in
• Sheets should be numbered properly.
• The format shall clearly mention “THE ANDC 2011”.
• Data supporting the proposal shall be included in the report which will be an
integral part of the submission. Two copies of the report, maximum 20 A4 size
sheets accompany each entry. One copy should not bear the name and/or
any identity of either the participant(s) or the participating college(s) in any
manner and shall be returned with the entry.
• The second copy shall clearly state the college name on the first page, NOT
ON THE COVER. Both copies shall be necessarily HARD BOUND and shall
carry the NASA India logo as per the above mentioned specifications on the
cover page.
• Reports and/or Sheets not following the submission guidelines including
incorrect NASA India logo shall not be considered and submitted to the jury
for judging purpose.
 The Annual NASA Design Competition 2011

• For any queries regarding the competition (the ANDC 2011), please send it to
the email address – theandc2011@gmail.com
• Multiple entries from one institute are permitted. Each entry should be mailed
permanently.
• Each entry should be accompanied by a letter from the competent authority
on the college letterhead, authenticating the work.
• For registration, all colleges participating in “The ANDC 2011” should send the
registration form duly filled to register.theandc2011@gmail.com stating
the details i.e. no. of entries, name of college, etc. latest by July 2, 2011,
18:00 hrs.
• All the entries should be posted/ couriered latest by 23rd July 2011, on the
following address:
“The ANDC Coordinator,
The ANDC 2011
Department of Architecture,
Malaviya Institute of Technology (MNIT),
Malaviya Nagar,Jawaharlal Nehru Marg,
Jaipur-302017.Rajasthan
INDIA.”
Details of the post/courier with tracking number, date etc( scanned copy of the
booking receipt)should be mailed to submit.theandc2011@gmail.com
latest by July 23,2011. 18:00 hrs
• The organizing institute shall not be responsible for any entry
posted/couriered after the said date and will not consider any entry after that
as the jury will be held immediately.
• Participants outside INDIA should contact the organising institute for
submission details on theandc2011@gmail.com
 The Annual NASA Design Competition 2011

IMPORTANT DATES

Release of the ANDC 2011 Brief: April 21, 2011

Registration for The ANDC 2011 starts April 25, 2011
Registration for The ANDC 2011 ends July 02, 2100, 18:00hrs
Last Date of Submission (Sending/
Dispatching Entries) July 23, 2011, 18:00hrs

Queries the andc2011@gmail.com

Registration register.theandc2011@gmail.com
Submission of details submit.theandc2011@gmail.com

Submission address
The ANDC Coordinator,
The ANDC 2011
Department of Architecture,
Malaviya Institute of Technology (MNIT),
Malaviya Nagar,Jawaharlal Nehru Marg,
Jaipur-302017.Rajasthan
INDIA.”
 The Annual NASA Design Competition 2011

REGISTRATION FORM
(to be duly filled and submitted on or before July 2, 2011, 18:00 hrs)

Name of the Institute:

Address of the Institute:

Contact Details
*these contacts would be used for communication purpose during the competition

Name:
Mail Id:
Contact No:

Name:
Mail Id:
Contact No:

Entry Details

Unit Secretary Principal/HoD