Thesis Journal: From Ghosts to Groundwork – My Journey with “Sambhav”

When I began my thesis journey, I set out to revive a ghost village in Uttarakhand—an idealistic vision rooted in off-grid living and eco-tourism. But as I dug deeper, reality struck. The location was remote, inaccessible, and the idea lacked clarity. It felt more like an escape than a solution. I needed to root myself in a real, urgent problem.

That’s when Chennai, a city I’ve long admired for its complexity and chaos, called me in a way I hadn’t expected. As a booming metropolitan city, I was shocked to discover it lacked a formal, integrated waste management system. Curiosity turned to obsession. I started mapping the waste cycle. I visited dumpyards, read article after article, spoke to locals, and unearthed something that shook me—a hidden community of waste pickers.

Invisible yet essential, these people have been working silently, sorting through the city’s filth, with no dignity, no infrastructure, no voice. Among them, the Narikuruvar community stood out—marginalised not just by occupation, but by centuries of systemic neglect. This was no longer about a thesis. This was personal.

Initially, I thought of designing a waste management facility—but I was told bluntly in a crit that "this isn’t a thesis." I took that hit, hard. But it pushed me to dig even deeper. I realised the solution had to be multi-layered—one that acknowledged the urban waste crisis, addressed economic inclusion, and celebrated human dignity.

So, I envisioned “Sambhav”—a regenerative ecosystem on a decommissioned dumpyard that does more than manage waste. It reclaims land, uplifts forgotten communities, integrates public spaces, and becomes a cultural and economic engine. It’s not just a building—it’s a nexus.

The site design is driven by the rhythm of life itself—human movement, the rail network, logistical flows, and social interactions. Every path, every space, is carved like water—fluid, inclusive, open. It invites not just the waste worker, but the everyday citizen. Everyone has a place here.

In the end, I turned a “non-thesis” into a thesis. I turned waste into wealth, exclusion into empowerment, and neglect into narrative. This is more than architecture—it’s reparation through design.