Architecture Update

Anagram Architects comprises the architectural design team of Project Samman and, as such, is responsible for providing detailed architectural designs for both Public and Community toilets in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Our role involves understanding the existing sanitation scenario in the two cities and providing innovative design solutions to reduce the prevalent practice of open-defecation.

For this, initial site visits were made to understand the user preferences and reasons behind the failure of existing toilet designs. This was followed by a series of workshops, which helped in evolving a preliminary design framework.

The first phase included construction of Public toilets on 27 sites in Bhubaneshwar. Few conceptual designs were made on the basis of the framework formed. The designs were then discussed with all the partners in order to capture and simultaneously evaluate strengths and weaknesses of initial ideas.

Moreover, to make the design process efficient, we superimposed the 27 toilet sites on the basis of number of toilets in each facility. This resulted in 6 design typologies: 2-seater, 4-seater, 6-seater, 8-seater, and 12-seater toilets. Once the designs were finalised, we started with a rigorous process of preparing tender documents and drawings. This phase was particularly challenging as due to the dependency on various consultants and partners for the inputs under a tight deadline.

Currently, the Public toilets tender is ready to be floated while we have started working on second phase: toilet designs for community toilets in Cuttack (32 sites) and Bhubaneshwar (67 sites). These are now ready for preparing tender documents.

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