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A RESEARCH PROPOSAL Title: Amphibious architecture in the context of

Kerala Floods

Research Proposal · June 2020

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.33064.19208

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 A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
SRR 782 Research Methodology

Student Name: Agnes Sara

Student No.: 218424835

Course: Master of Architecture

Research Title: Amphibious architecture in the context of Kerala

Floods
I. ABSTRACT/SUMMARY:

Kerala, the southern state of India experienced devastating floods in the year 2018
and 2019. The global climate change is cited to be the cause of the flooding and the
Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences predicts that the flood is likely to return during
June-September 2020. Several studies in the field have predicted the cyclic nature
of the floods and it is expected to be an annual phenomenon. Since the state never
had the history of floods in the recent past, there is no policy framework or
developmental guideline towards flood mitigation strategies or resilient buildings in
the state. There are several projects around the world where amphibious buildings
were successfully used to mitigate floods. This research is aimed at studying the
scope of amphibious structures as a flood resilient strategy and the importance of
including it in the development planning of the state. To demonstrate the feasibility of
the amphibious architecture, a comparative analysis of similar projects around the
world has been carried out. A policy framework for the adaptation of the technology
in the flood affected areas has been proposed in the light of the findings.

II. THE PROPOSAL

A. An Opening Statement:

Have you ever thought your house could have been a Noah’s Ark, which will
protect you from the floods by rising above water? Well, there are many
people in the world in places like Louisiana, Dhaka, Bangkok, Jakarta or
Kerala, who would think so, where floods are becoming one of the recurring
events.

Over the time, however, from passenger boats to house boats and from static
elevation houses to floating buildings, technological advancements have enabled
humans to cope up with water and floods.

Amphibious architecture refers to that set of buildings which responds to our call
to live with the cyclic deluge. These structures sit on the ground throughout the
year but are capable of floating above water in response to the rising water
levels. The low weight of the structure and special elements like buoyant
foundation or a watertight basement helps the building to float on the surrounding
water and the vertical piles along the sides hold it in place and vertically regulates
(Piątek, 2016). Amphibious structures will allow people to keep their family and
belongings safe from flood without damage and will help to continue much of their
daily activities.

This research is aimed at looking closely into the socio-economical and

geographical aspects of Kerala, where the floods are now a periodic
phenomenon, to evaluate the concept of amphibious architecture as a viable
flood mitigation strategy.

B. Research Significance & Scope:

Kerala, the southern state in India, which experiences a humid tropical wet
climate, was not prone to floods before the year 2018. The major flood that had
occurred in the past was in the year 1924 (Hunt and Menon, 2020; Sharma and
Sharma, 2019). Hence the existing building typology of the region was not
adaptable to the rising water levels and the state suffered a huge loss of lives,
infrastructure and economy. Most of the affected houses and buildings were load
bearing structures with strip foundations made of random rubble masonry, and
the superstructure constructed using either laterite bricks or concrete blocks
(Johnson et al, 2018). The lack of tie beam to hold the walls together resulted in
wall collapses eventually leading to damage the roof and further collapse. Many
of the flood damage buildings had low plinth heights resulting in inundation for
days. The main reasons for housing collapses were high current of flood water,
inundation of building for several days causing differential settlement of the
foundation and flash floods (PDNA, 2018).

Kerala survived the flood and reconstructed the state by taking up repairs and
flood mitigation strategies under a $ 250m government scheme named ‘Resilient
Kerala Program’ (also known as ‘Nava Keralam’). Kerala State Disaster
Management policy put forward guidelines for the reconstruction of the buildings
that were damaged in the flood.
The policy framework stated that:
“the physical construction must take into account the hazards of the
particular location, resources, and capacities of people involved in
rebuilding, and the adoption of designs that offer resilience against
floods, cyclones, earthquakes, and droughts”.
Besides these, for designing “green buildings” to make Kerala a green state, it
needs to capitalize on its experience and capacity to deploy alternative
construction technologies with low carbon footprint (Amrutha and Latha, 2019).

As the state was slowly picking up, another flood followed in the year 2019 and it
was also catastrophic. Millions of people were stranded, and thousands lost their
homes (OK, Vineesh, 2019). Despite formulating policies to investigate the
advanced resilient building technologies (Amrutha and Latha, 2019), the
reconstruction of the state ended up with repairing the damaged houses and
providing rehabilitation to the families who lost their houses with newly
constructed ones. Most of them were built with the traditional construction
techniques (Johnson et al, 2018). A few exceptions were the efforts of non-
governmental organizations and private architectural firms who built static
elevation houses as pilot projects (Mongabay, 2019).

However, a holistic flood mitigation strategy was not formulated. The existing
disaster management system in the state is largely response centric (Shaharban,
Rathnakaran, 2019). The enquiry to new technologies failed to find a place in the
state’s planning and policy frameworks. Chandran and Paul, 2019 notes that
“Kerala needs bold and dynamic policy choices”.
Even though the flood mapping has been carried out by various organizations
using different methods such as satellite mappings and GIS approach (Vishnu et
al, 2019; Joy et al, 2019), it is noted that Kerala has not rolled out a development
framework for the flood affected areas.
“Widespread flooding in urban and semi-urban areas of Kerala has
reaffirmed the absence of risk-informed urban planning, non-compliance
to building design standards, and non-inclusion of resilient features in
urban infrastructure”, Dr. Shaharban and Rathnakaran, 2019 states.

In the post disaster needs assessment report by the United Nation’s

Development program (2018) states that:
“In the long term, it is proposed to review the existing building codes and
bylaws for urban and rural areas. Kerala could emerge as the pioneer
state to develop separate guidelines for construction on highlands and
slopes for inclusion in the National Building Code.”

In the recent research titled “The 2018 Kerala floods: a climate change
perspective”, Hunt and Menon predicts that the flood is likely to recur. Sharma
and Sharma, 2019 inference a cyclic nature of the flood from the study of rainfall
 in the previous years. Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences predicts the possibility of
floods during June to September,2020 and in the coming years. It has alerted the
government to take necessary precautions (Mathrubhumi, 2020).

However, the built environment of the state remains the same and the people in
the regions that were affected by the floods live in the fear of another evacuation
during the deluge and living in the relief camps until the water recedes. In the
November 2019 research by Mathai, G.P reports that thousands of people from
the previous floods remains stranded. But in the Kerala’s densely populated
landscape (2200 people per square mile) and the circumstance of privately held
lands, it is very difficult for the government to find another land for the
rehabilitation of the people (Chitra, 2013).
“Building on water is financially feasible at locations where building on
land is expensive and where there is little of no alternative space on land”
(Anderson, 2014).
Hence, it would be much more convenient to find an appropriate technology to
help the affected people to retrofit their damaged houses or build a new one
which will enable them to live in their own land. However, retrofitting is not
feasible in the Kerala context because of the significant self-weight of the existing
structures contributed using heavy building materials such as laterite/ concrete
block walls and RCC slabs.

Literature review in to the existing and recent advancements in the technology to

survive floods in the similar geographical contexts has revealed the use of
Amphibious architecture as an active intervention.

In the Ambica and Venkitaraman’s structural and floatation analysis of an

integrated floating house to develop an indigenous technology in the Indian
context note that:
“Due to the new concept of construction technology of integrated floating
house, most of the knowledge and ideas have to be obtained from the
overseas researches and experts. It will be an obstacle to gain the
reliable resources and ideas from overseas experts and match to our
country’s situation and local requirements.”
This emphasizes the need for further research with focus on the selection of
local materials in consideration to the density and strength to determine the
practicality of its construction method.

C. Aim & Objectives:

The aim of the research is to enquire into the feasibility of amphibious

architecture as a resilient strategy in the pretext of recurrent Kerala floods.
The objectives of the research are as listed below:

Objective 1:
• To evaluate whether amphibious architecture is an adaptable technology
for the extreme geographical and climatic context of Kerala.

Unlike many other parts of the world such as Louisiana and New Orleans in the
US, Netherlands or Dhaka in the Bangladesh as case studied by (English, Klink
and Turner, 2016) or (Anderson, 2014), Kerala is geographically different
(Amrutha and Latha, 2019) and the cyclic flooding is a recent phenomenon which
started in 2018 (Johnson et al, 2018). Certain materials and construction
technologies that were used in other countries might not be available in the state.
Moreover, the culture of Kerala is entirely different, and it requires a tailored
solution.
 Objective 2:
• To achieve sustainable and affordable way of implementing amphibious
architecture in flood prone regions of Kerala.

It has been made clear in the Rebuild Kerala Development Programme’s policy
framework that the state is looking for a sustainable, green and resilient
designing and value engineering techniques to reduce overall impact on
environment and ecology during recovery and rebuilding. The cost of the
construction must be kept low because there is a limited consideration of disaster
risk within social and economical sectors, partly because of competing demands
on limited financial resources and inadequate capacity (RKDP,2018).

Objective 3:
• To consider the possibility of modular structures to develop amphibious
architecture.

The PDNA policy framework states that:

“Over 1700 houses will be reconstructed and 2.17 lakh dwelling units
repaired over a period of 3 years.”
Considering the scale of the rehabilitation and reconstruction works to be carried
out, it is advisable that the intervention has modular and prefabricated elements
so that it can be rapidly built and easily replicated in all the flood affected areas.

Objective 4:
• To investigate the commercial use of amphibious structures to boost the
existing tourism in Kerala.

Kerala is an International tourist destination and the places of interest like Cochin,
Alleppy and Trissur were severely affected by floods. Houseboat tourism is a
major attraction in its backwaters and lakes. It would be interesting to investigate
the possibility of building amphibious houses along the backwaters that could be
the new skyline and tourism attraction and can bring revenue to the state. One of
such existing examples is the Amphibious homes near Maasbommel in
Netherlands (Ambica, Venkitaraman, 2015).

D. Methods:

The approach of this research is an Integral Research method. The theory of

Integral research method can be summarized as:
“It uses two primary frameworks: 1. The four perspectives (quadrants),
which arise from fundamental distinctions of value, and 2. Levels of
complexity which arise from the unfolding sequence of development in
human individuals, cultures and physical systems” (Dekay and
Bennett, 2011 XXIII).

This approach is ideal for this project because it draws from the experiences of
the users and aimed at providing an architectural intervention which could their
problems.
“The Integral approach is especially well-suited to application in
architecture, which is also concerned with drawing upon a very wide
range of disciplines and with subjective experiences and meanings as
much as objective physical reality” (Peter Buchanan, 2011).
 According to the theory of ISD, the research methods have been evaluated as
quantitative and qualitative and is classified into quadrants.
“ISD suggests that four simultaneous perspectives on a problem can
be represented by quadrants each of which takes a different view of
the problem” (Roetzel et al, 2015).

The categorization of the methods is as stated below:

INTERIOR EXTERIOR
Occupant Experience Performance
• Qualitative survey of individuals •
Performance of the building
who will benefit from this project o Buoyancy performance
• Comparative analysis of the old o Structural performance
house and the new house of the o Services performance
current occupants o Thermal comfort
o Lighting
INDIVUDUAL

Method: o Moisture and dampness

• Quality and Durability of materials
• Individual interviews
• Cost analysis
• Surveys
• Sustainability
• Research on self-identity
o Carbon footprint analysis
o Embodied energy
o Energy and water usage
Method:
• Scientific studies
• Case studies
I IT • Empirical enquiries

WE ITS
Community Experience Contextual Integration

• Qualitative survey of the • 3-dimensional analysis of the

community who will benefit from community
the project • Analysis of how well the
• community integrates to the
COLLECTIVE

Aesthetical survey of the location

• Comparative analysis between the existing social fabric
previous settlement and the • Performance of the building during
current and new settlement the flood
• Study of cultural integration
Method:
• Surveys Method:
• Interviews • Ecological assessment
• Stakeholder roundtables • Statistical data
• Socio-structural analysis

(Source: author)

Other methods of enquiry can be added to this table as the project takes
shape.
“One important insight gained was that the current framework of
Integral Theory does not give guidance as to what the ideal level of
depth vs breadth of investigated parameters should be and whether
this ratio should be similar for all investigated buildings or change
depending on the project” (Roetzel et al, 2015).
 All the evidences for this project will be gathered from both primary and
secondary sources. It will involve collection of data from various government
sources, United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC),
United Nations Disaster Relief Organization (UNDRO) and other non-
governmental sources. It will follow of a positivist approach of enquiry involving
recording of data using various scientific apparatus and results derived from
scientific experiments.

Summary of the proposed project implementation as scheduled for a time

period of 100 days is as stated below:

(Source: author)

To suggest amphibious architecture is well suited for the circumstances in

Kerala, a reference of existing technologies must establish. This can be found
in precedent researches. It has been observed from the literature review that
most of the researches undertook a qualitative method by taking up case
studies to understand the flood resilient strategy of various deluge affected
areas around the world. The researchers tend to propose a design solution for
their site under study. The research by Anderson, 2014 studies various
precedent projects from the U.S. (California and New Orleans) and
Netherlands (Maasbommel, IJburg) for his response to the rising water crisis
due to the climate change in the San Francisco bay. Similarly, Nilubon
et.al,2015 studies the Sponge City Programme in China for their proposal of
flood resilient strategy in Bangkok. English et.al, 2015 studies the buoyant
foundation project of New Orleans for their proposal of rehabilitation for the
flood affected First Nations community of lake St. Martin and proposes
retrofitting strategies involving buoyant foundation.

All these studies follow an anti-positivist approach and rely on qualitative

analysis of the flood mitigation strategies. Many of the materials and
 technologies used in other parts of the world may not be available in the Indian
context (Ambica and Venkitaraman, 2015).

In order to recommend a change in policies, which is another objective of this

project, it is imperative to find what is missing in the current building laws. For
this, a comparative analysis of the Kerala Building Regulations must be taken
up. Inferences from existing regulations for amphibious buildings in other parts
of the world can be taken up as a trailblazer. Nilubon et.al,2015, proposes an
urban design scheme as flood adaptation measure. They draw on from
existing flood adaptation measures taken by the communities of Lad Krabang
District.

A tailored response for the flood affected communities in Kerala would require
a deeper understanding of the climate, societal values, building byelaws and
culture for its successful implementation. Hence, an approach rooted in the
integral research method would be ideal for this project.

E. Conclusion

This research proposal provides an effective flood mitigation strategy that is

custom made for the conditions in Kerala. It will throw light on to various local
materials that can be made available to construct an amphibious structure.
This study will prove amphibious architecture as an adaptable technology for
the extreme geographical and climatic context of Kerala based on the
empirical studies and analysis. The adaptation of this technology will help the
state to achieve its goal of building a sustainable and green state. It will
provide an affordable way of flood mitigation strategy that will save the
government a lot of revenue that they are otherwise spending to provide a
rehabilitation for its flood prone regions. The possibility of modular building
methods to develop amphibious architecture will catalyze the recovery of the
state and will develop a new skyline along its coast. The study into the
commercial application of this technology will enhance its tourism by
providing more options to enjoy its backwaters and implementation of
guidelines and policies for amphibious structures will help Kerala to emerge
as the pioneer state in the country to develop separate guidelines for
construction on highlands and slopes.
F. Bibliography – References
1. (2018), Post-Disaster Needs Assessment – Kerala, 1st ed., New Delhi: UNDP, pp.6-14.

2. (2018), REBUILD KERALA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: A Resilient Recovery Policy

Framework and Action Plan, 1st ed., Trivandrum: RKDP, pp. 28-40.

3. Ambica, A. and Venkatraman, K., (2015), Floating architecture: A design on hydrophilic

floating house for fluctuating water level, Indian Journal of Science and Technology, Vol.
8(32), pp.1-5, retrieved 25 March 2020, <https://www.researchgate.net>

4. Amrutha, J. and Latha, K, (2019), A Study on How the Concept of Green Economy Utilized
in “Nava Keralam” Project by Kerala Government, Journal of the Gujarat Research Society,
Vol. 21(8), pp. 186–192, retrieved 27 April 2020, <https://www.gujaratresearchsociety.in>

5. Anderson, H. C., (2014), Amphibious Architecture, Living with a rising bay, (c), pp. 1-43,
doi: 10.16526/j.cnki.11-4762/tp.2014.11.051.

6. Buchanan, P., (2011), The Big Rethink: Towards a Complete Architecture, Architectural
Review, Vol. 3, pp. 25-41, retrieved 23 April 2020, <https://www.digitalissues.arplus.co.uk>

7. Chitra, P. K., (2013), Politics of Land acquisition and conversion: with reference to
development projects in Kerala, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, pp.1-31,
retrieved 04 May 2020, <https://www.shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in>

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perspective, Earthscan, London and Washington, pp. 490.

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14. Joy, J., Kanga, S. and Singh, S. K., (2019), Kerala flood 2018: Flood mapping by
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 III. THESIS OUTLINE:

A. Introduction: Amphibious architecture in the context of Kerala Floods

Discussion of:
1. Climate change and frequent floods
2. Advantages of Amphibious architecture as a flood mitigation strategy
3. Aim of the research to enquire the adaptability of amphibious architecture
and other objectives

B. Background, History and Literature Review

1. Geographical and climatic history of Kerala
2. Case study of various flood mitigation strategies around the globe
3. Challenges faced by Kerala in terms of economy, building standards, etc.
4. Challenges due to the lack of a proper policy framework

C. Method or Discovery or Contributions to subject

1. ISD research theory and its application
2. User experience surveys
i. Qualitative: Occupant and community surveys
ii. Quantitative: Analysis of building performance
3. Comparative study of various building laws to find the gap

D. Discussion or Resolution or Outcomes or Findings

1. Results
i. Result of the user experience surveys
ii. Results of the Quantitative analysis of building performance
iii. Analysis of gap in the building bylaws
2. Discussions
i. Discussion whether amphibious building technology can be adapted
to our site in question
ii. Discussion on the impact of the economy, tourism and society
iii. Impact on the lives of people in flood prone areas.
iv. Discussion regarding the implementation of amphibious architecture
to the existing building laws

E. Conclusion
1. Summary of the findings
2. Recommendation for the adaptation of this technology
3. Recommendation to amend the building bylaws
4. Identify fields of further research

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