DESIGN THESIS 2019-

2020
HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION
CENTRE

SHRUTI AGARWAL
16041AA108

SRI VENKATESHWARA COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

86, Madhapur, Hi-Tech City Road, Hyderabad 500 081
 DESIGN THESIS
on

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENRE

prepared by

SHRUTI AGARWAL
16041AA108
under the guidance of
PROF. PRATHIBHA

is submitted for the award of the degree o f

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
by

Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University

for the year 2019-2020

SRI VENKATESHWARA COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

86, Madhapur, Hi-Tech City Road, Hyderabad 500 081
 JAWAHARLAL NEHRU ARCHITECTURE
AND FINE ARTS UNIVERSITY

SRI VENKATESHWARA COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

86, Madhapur, Hi-Tech City Road, Hyderabad 500 081

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this Design Thesis, Handicraft Collaboration Centre

carried out by Miss. Shruti Agarwal, Roll No. 16041AA08,
currently in Fourth Year B.Arch., in the academic year 2019-2020, in
partial fulfillment for the award of the Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture
from Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, is her
bonafide work to the best of our knowledge, and may be placed before the
Examination Board for its consideration.

THESIS GUIDE THESIS CO-ORDINATOR

Prof. Prathibha Prof. Chandana

EXTERNAL EXAMINER PRINCIPAL

Prof. Kamini Singh

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to sincerely thank my thesis guide Prof. Prathibha, for the immeasurable
guidance and support he / she has rendered upon me throughout the thesis
program. I am very grateful to him / her for having confidence in my vision and
constantly pushing me towards it.

I would also like to express my gratitude to our thesis co-ordinator, Prof. Chandana
for organizing the entire thesis program. I would also like to thank Ar. Samar
Ramachandra for having helped me navigate through my thesis. I would also like to
express great appreciation to the faculty at Sri Venkateshwara College of
Architecture for guiding me through the last four years, allowing me to present a
work such as this. I cannot begin to express my gratitude and appreciation for my
friends for the criticism and support they have shown for my work. Last but not the
least, I would like to thank my family, my parents for supporting me throughout the
project.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I : Exploring the Topic

Synopsis ……………………………………………………......4

Part II : Design Investigation

CHAPTER 1
Social Condenser ………………………………….…27
History of housing in urban India …………………...29
Conclusion …………………………………………....34

CHAPTER 2
Precedent study ………………………………………37
Desktop Study 1 ……………………………………...41
Desktop study 2 ………………………………………45
Case study 1 ……………………………………….…49
Case study 2 ……………………………………….…53

CHAPTER 3
Design Program ………………………………………58
Data Study …………………………………………….60
Comparative Analysis ………………………………..64
Guidelines and Area Statements …………………...66

CHAPTER 4
Site study ……………………………………………...69
Site surroundings ……………………………………..70
Climatological studies ……………………………......71

Part III : Design Translation

NOTE : WRITE THE PAGE NO’S AS PER THE DRAFT REPORT IN THE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SYNOPSIS
NEED FOR THE STUDY –

The Handicraft sector plays a very important role in the country’s economy. It forms a part of
the Indian heritage and illustrates the richness and diversity of our country and the artistry of
the artisans and weavers.

Indian states reflect the diverse history and religion. The crafts of each state in India show
different cultures and traditions. The materials utilized in the product are natural, industrially
processed or maybe recycled. The products are ancient, revised traditional or fashionable.

The dire state of the handicraft industry due to inaccessibility to funds, low penetration of
technology, absence of market intelligence and poor institutional framework of artisan groups is
a great matter of concern. The livelihood of artisans across India is taking a hit due to low
demand, lack of market opportunities and exploitation by middlemen.

A large share of the art and craft products made in India are sold in local or regional markets.
Artisans get very few opportunities to sell on retail platforms such as departmental stores and
shopping malls.

The production and influx of duplicate items in the market makes it difficult for consumers to
differentiate between traditional handmade and machine-made products. This affects the sales
of artisanal products which are made with hard work and care.

Although middlemen are necessary to enable effective market linkages, they often, exploit
artisans by paying them only a fraction of the fair wages. This may be due to a lack of
awareness about the true manufacturing costs. An approach to cut down all these aspects to a
certain limit is needed.

AIM –

To create a public space where artisans can work together; learn and get trained; sell products
and collaborate with designers. Others can learn more about the Indian heritage from the
workshops conducted by them.

OBJECTIVES –

Study Objectives –
• To revive old Indian textile and crafts of Telangana.

• To bring business and opportunities to craftsmen, weavers and artisans and improve their
financial situation.
• To allow clients and public to have their customized products using these handicrafts and
increase sales.
• To gain customer’s trust and increase sales through demonstration process.

• To allow tourists and public to have hands on old and skillful techniques.

• To learn about the process of making these from raw materials.

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENTRE PAGE NO 16041AA108

Design Objectives –
• To have interacting and working spaces for artisans and public.

• To have a platform which gives an essence of village to the people living in urban areas.

• To have shopping spaces and public plazas.

• To have climate responsive structure.

• To use locally available materials for construction.

SCOPE –

Indian handicrafts are demanded and appreciated widely for its traditional and regional arts.
India is holding the tag of developing country since quite a long time and is the largest exporter
of handicrafts among all the developing countries.

A platform which can increase the scope of old authentic handicrafts of Telangana like –

Nirmal painting and toys

Batik painting Cheriyal scroll painting and masks

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENTRE PAGE NO 16041AA108

 Silver filigree Bidri craft

Pembarthi brass Banjara needle crafts

Pearls Telangana handlooms

LIMITATIONS –

Structural aspects of the building will not be dealt in detail.

The cost of the project and detailed estimates will not be included.

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENTRE PAGE NO 16041AA108

METHODOLOGY –

NEED FOR STUDY AND

FINALISING THESIS TOPIC

FORMULATION OF AIMS AND

OBJECTIVES

LITERATURE STUDY AND DATA

CASE STUDIES AND DESKTOP
COLLECTION
STUDIES
Collection and analysis of literature
Study of existing facilities and projects
and
related to the topic.
data relevant to the topic.

DESIGN GUIDELINES
Formulation of design brief based on
the aims and objectives;
Analysis of literature and data
collection; Inferences
from desktop and case study
comparison.

AREA PROGRAM AND

REQUIEMENTS
Formulation of spaces required their
areas.

SITE SELECTION AND

JUSTIFICATION
Selection of site suitable to the
project.

SITE ANALYSIS
Analysing the existing features of the
chosen site.

DESIGN CONCEPT
Deriving the basic idea for designing
the structure.

PRELIMINARY DRAWINGS
Development of basic schematic
drawings

FINAL DRAWINGS

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENTRE PAGE NO 16041AA108

LITERATURE STUDY
INTRODUCTION

The crafts of India have been valued throughout time; their existence today proves the efforts
put into their preservation. Crafters transfer an area of their cultural heritage in ideas, forms,
materials and work ways, similarly as their own values, philosophy of life, fashion and self-
image. Craftspeople, conjointly known as artisans, possess technical data of materials and
work ways. They’re skilled employees whose profession relies on manual skills. Handicraft is
about processing materials by hand with hand tools.

In today’s changing global economy, the ancient art of handloom and handicraft is instable.
Threatened by demographic shifts and economic stresses, young weavers and artisans in
India are abandoning their inherit talents and migrating to urban centres in search of better
livelihoods.

INDIAN HANDLOOMS

The Indian handloom industry is one of the oldest and largest cottage industries in India with a
long tradition of excellent craftsmanship, representing and preserving the vibrant Indian culture.
Indian artists are appreciated globally for their hand spinning, weaving and printing elegance.

The centuries old handloom industry alone is responsible for providing employment to as many
as 13 million weavers in the country. Millions of looms across the country are engaged in
weaving cotton, silk and other natural fibers. There is hardly a village where weavers do not
exist, each weaving out the traditional beauty of India's own precious heritage.

Handloom products from different Indian states –

Phulkari from Punjab, Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh, Ikats from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha,
Tie and Die from Rajasthan and Gujarat, Daccai from West Bengal, Brocade from Benares or
Jacquard from Uttar Pradesh, Madras checks from Tamil Nadu.

India is the only country in the world producing all four commercially known silks - mulberry,
tasser (tussore), eri and muga. The Kashmiri weaver is known the world over for his Pashmina
and Shahtoosh shawls. The shawls are unbelievably light and warm.

Government initiatives –

Handloom sector is an economic activities providing direct employment to over 65 lakhs

persons engaged in weaving and allied activities. As a result of effective government
intervention through financial assistance and implementation of various developmental and
welfare schemes, this sector has been able to withstand competition from the power loom and
mill sectors.

Programmes and schemes like Deen Dayal Hathkargha Protsahan Yojana, Enforcement Of
Handlooms Reservation Act, Mill Gate Price Scheme, National Handloom Development
Corporation (NHDC), Health Package Scheme For Handloom Weavers, Handloom Export
Scheme.
Schemes provide the following benefits -

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENTRE PAGE NO 16041AA108

• Product development,

• Infrastructural and institutional support,

• Training of weavers,

• Supply of raw materials,

• Supply of equipment to respond to the rapidly changing market situation and demands,

• Marketing support, give weavers, workers and designers greater exposure and access to
national and international markets thereby giving them a better livelihood and avenues for
more sustainable development.

Telangana Handlooms –

Telangana is one of the important States in the Handloom Industry and is famous for
Pochampally Ikat fabric, Gadwal fabric, Narayanpet & Gollabama Sarees and Durries from
Warangal.

There are about 17,069 working handlooms. The estimated weavers and ancillary workers
dependent on the industry is about 40,000. There are 336 Handloom Weavers Cooperative
Societies in the State consisting of 259 Cotton, 33 Silk and 44 Wool according to 2019 census.

Types of looms used for weaving –

1. Hand loom weaving

Hand weaving remains today one of the most sparkling of all the textile arts. The quality and
appearance of any hand woven cloth is very much dependent upon the weaver.
The main task of looms is to clutch the twist threads under pressure to enable the progress of
the interweaving of the woof strands.

a. Pit loom

The pit loom is a loom situated on the ground / floor with a

pit having two peddles set in the pit for the weaver to operate.
Pit loom weaving is considered to be better weaving as the
fabric woven retains the character of the fiber and fabric due
to the proximity of the loom to the ground. The ground absorbs
the tension and speed and makes the fabric more breathable.

b. Frame loom

Frame looms almost have the similar mechanisms that ground

looms hold. The loom was made of rods and panels fastened
at the right angles to construct a form similar to a box to make
it more handy and manageable. This type of loom is being
utilized even until now due to its economy and portability.

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENTRE PAGE NO 16041AA108

Two types of looms under pit loom and frame loom are –
• Throw-shuttle loom – It is a loom in which the shuttle is
thrown across the shed by hand. The shuttle is
placed as vertical for the weft and passes through in the
process of weaving. The shuttle contains the prin on which
the weft yarn is wound.

• Fly-shuttle loom – It is an improved type of loom,

which increases three to four times the production.
The flying shuttle employs a race board which runs, side to
side, along the front of the beater, forming a track on which
the shuttle runs. The lower threads of the shed rest on the
track and the shuttle slides over them. At each end of the
race, there is a box which catches the shuttle at the end of
its journey, and which contains a mechanism for propelling
the shuttle on its return trip.

2. Power loom weaving

The application of power to loom operation is making possible continual advances in
productivity and control. The power look is substantially the handloom adapted to rotary
driving. The basic motions of the loom are carried out by mechanical devices that are power
driven. The motions are tied accurately in order to give a high rate of speed and production.

a. Dobby loom

It weaves fancy materials. It can take of many harnesses.

Some looms have from 24 to 30 frames in them. A
particular heddle can be lifted as a given moment by means
of metal projections that engage the holes in strips or bars
of metal plates, which are successively present in endless
chain form. Small, fancy and geometrical or symmetrical
designs may be woven on this type of loom.

b. Jacquard loom

It provides for the lifting or rising of individual warp ends

without reference to adjacent warp threads. In the jacquard
head motion there are perforated cards and the needles of
the cylinder in this headstock select the required warp end
or group of ends. These ends are lifted by means of hooks
which form the top part of the shed of the warp in order to
admit the passage of the filing pick through the opening
formed.

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENTRE PAGE NO 16041AA108

Process of weaving –

Handloom weaving is a complicated and labour-intensive process. In the handloom process,

yarn and the fabric are much less stressed and damaged. Hand woven cotton is known for its
breathability as compared to mill made cotton. This implies that it allows more air penetration
making it cooler, softer and more absorbent. It keeps you cooler in summers and warm in
winters. 
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are
interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.

The major steps involved in making handloom fabric are –

1. Cotton

It was traditionally the single largest natural fibre used in clothing.

Today India occupies the second position in cotton production in
the world. Many varieties of cotton were produced in our country,
the majority being the short staple which is ideal for hand spinning.
Raw cotton
2. Yarn

It is a long continuous length of interlocked fibers obtained through

the process of spinning. Standard measure for a length of cotton
yarn is termed as hank. Hank yarn is used in handloom production
and cone yarn is used in mill production.

Spinning also requires immense skill and patience. It can be done

in two ways – Yarn

• Hand spinning – Fibers are drawn out and twisted to form yarn in
hand spinning process. The resultant yarn varies according
to the material used, fiber length and alignment, quantity of fiber
used and degree of twist. Yarn thickness differs depending on the
skill of the spinner. Skilled spinners can spin fine yarn counts. Fabric
woven by hand on pit looms using hand spun yarn is referred to Charkha spinning wheel
as ‘Khadi’.
• Mill spinning – Cotton yarn can also be spun on machines. The
yarn is spun in spinning mills where all the activities of
De-seeding, cleaning, ginning and spinning are centralized and
mechanized. Yarn is spun on to cone shaped holders and is referred
to as ‘cone yarn’. Yarn spun on machines is called mill spun yarn
and fabric woven on the hand loom with mill spun yarn is referred
to as “handloom fabric”. Fabric woven with hand spun yarn on the Mill spinning
handloom is referred to as “khadi fabric”. Today, most of the weavers
are weaving handloom products with mill spun yarn.

3. Dyeing

For handloom production, yarn is colored / dyed in the hank form.

Yarn dyeing for handlooms is a crucial pre loom activity. Although
the handloom sector is decentralized in nature, dyeing with chemical Dyeing yarn

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENTRE PAGE NO 16041AA108

colours has emerged as one of the centralized activities in the
last 50years. Dyeing is still carried out in the village or centres
which are close to the weaving activity.

Colorants, or dyes as they are commonly known, are highly

colored substances that impart color to a wide variety of
materials. Natural and chemical colorants are used to dye hanks.
This process of dyeing is done by hand, in small lots.
For the process, a boiler, dye and water are necessary. After the
yarn is dyed, it is hung for drying in a semi-shaded area. The Drying the dyed yarn
water after dyeing is collected in a tank and purified using slaked
lime. The purified water is then used for landscaping purposes.

HANDICRAFT COLLABORATION CENTRE PAGE NO 16041AA108

 BIBILIOGRAPHY:

https://telanganatourism.gov.in/partials/about/arts-an
http://www.handicrafts.nic.in/themecrafts/ThemeCraft
https://yourstory.com/socialstory/2019/05/artisans-ha
vernment?utm_pageloadtype=scroll
http://www.dsource.in/search/content/INDIAN%20HAN
https://textilevaluechain.in/2020/04/22/types-of-hand