Engagement & Outreach

Best practice of heritage conservation often talks about education, outreach and community development. Sharing and learning from each other has always been the epitome of our work and we inculcated this into this project from the very beginning. This project taught us more than text books ever could have and we had to pass this message on to others.

One of the most important learning from this project was the preparation of the "lime mortar". There are many books and many workshops that happen on lime mortars, but working with the material "hands on" is an experience at a whole new level. We did a lot of research from international and Indian reference books and texts on how to make the perfect mortar, we interviewed the veterans, our fellow professions who were practising in the field as well as multiple craftsmen and the more we researched the more confused we got. To be honest, it turns out that making lime mortar is like making the perfect "dal" each recipe is good in itself but different from the next, similarly each craftsman has his own "recipe"  someone used udad dal or lentil, someone suggested adding gud or jaggery, another suggested methi daana or bel fruit. We decided to try each and every one and made multiple samples to see which suited our building the best and then decided the final proportions. It wasnt like we struck gold in the first go, we had to do a lot of trials and experimentation. The bottom line was that the "craftsman knows best" and if we can scientifically corroborate then we have a good mortar. Having gone through this "R & D" process of setting up the mortar mill and getting the right mortar mix, a process that took us around 2 months, we were elated when we finally got it right! 

We were keen that other young professionals and budding architects should also get to learn about this process and we wanted to share this newly acquired knowledge with them. Thus was conceived what we called " The Lime Workshop", what started out as a small workshop for the students of Sunderdeep College of Architecture in Ghaziabad where Shilpa our contractor was teaching architecture. In this virtual world, with a facebook page and an online post, we had almost 120 applications from enthusiastic students that we had to send refusals since we couldn't accommodate any more in the small space we had. On a nice Saturday morning in March, we conducted back to back 3 batches each of almost 30 students a lecture and practical demonstration and hands-on work for lime mortar. We hadn't realised that there would be so many people interested in this and more wanting us to conduct more.

On a Saturday morning in March 2014, we opened the doors of the haveli to the first Lime Workshop

We started the workshop with an introduction to the project and the journey so far

Shilpa introduced lime as a material and the benefits of using lime to the young audience

The construction site became a make-shift audio-visual theatre with the rough cast plastered walls and freshly lime concreted floors further enhancing the experience

The next step was demonstration of the theory into practice

Some of the students had seen the material for the first time in their lives

Most observed the process intently

Shilpa demonstrating the correct usage of the tools for pointing

We patiently answered most of their questions

And cleared the basics of building materials and construction

And urged them to try their hand at this themselves

Many enthusiastic ones came forward

And got their hands dirty

And realised it wasnt as easy as it looked

The remains of the workshop still retained on the haveli wall

Through the summer we couldnt really do much, but now the weather is better again and we are now opening the doors of the project to any enthusiastic visitors and students for a guided tour of the project by pre-booking by dropping us an email at studio.ata.delhi@gmail.com. Being mindful of the fact that the owners family lives in the same house, the number of visitors has to be limited and pre-planned. Our first bunch was a group of students from the Apeejay School of Architecture and Planning, Greater Noida.

Sept 2014 Students from the Apeejay School of Architecture & Planning pay us a visit

They are thrilled to see a real conservation site in progress

Baglaji our client has become empowered to use lime by himself that he has decided that he doesnt need the services of a professional contractor anymore. Here he teaches the students how to decipher how the lime has slaked properly or not. Its  red letter day for me that after four years of fighting with me over the benefits of cement he has finally been converted into a "lime man". I consider that the success of my project, empowering a common man to use a material which till now was deemed to be "elitist" where in actuality it was the most locally available and sustainable material a couple of decades ago.

The students are amazed at the workability of the lime mortar and try their hand at it as well.

In the month of October we welcomed two researchers from the University of Cologne, Germany who have been working on cultural governance for Old Delhi along with a newspaper reporter from the Times of India who wanted to visit the site.

We welcome the visitors and introduce them to the project

They couldn't believe that a haveli could have a modern kitchen like this

Explaining the architecture of the street facade

We had never realised that our small little project in the walled city would generate so much interest, we are overwhelmed by the requests from leading Indian and International Journals and Channels wanting to cover the project.

Journalists from the Wall Street Journal visiting the haveli 

Joanna from the Wall Street Journal interviewing Baglaji

Baglaji patiently answers all the questions

The Haveli was featured in the Art Talk with Jhujhar Singh on News X in December 2014

A PhD student from France Sylvie Dominique working on the havelis of Delhi visited us and was thrilled to see the real world of the people who live here

Another year goes by and the popularity of the Haveli Project is on the rise, the local MP Shri Vijay Goel who loves the heritage and havelis of Shahjahanabad, visited the haveli to see what all we have been up to.

Awaiting the visit of MP Vijay Goel, the orange attire was coincidental

In October 2015, we received a random email from a British photo journalist Daniel J Allen, who was doing a piece on the havelis of old delhi and wanted to feature our haveli for stories in the Guardian UK.

The doors of the haveli are always open

He was fascinated by the way we were doing things here so unlike the UK

Capturing the work in progress: Daniel J Allen

 We are almost at the closure of the project now, after 5 .5 years and the Class of 2015-16 studying Masters of Urban Design at the School of Planning & Architecture became the lucky ones to see the live project in progress.

Orientation to the project for the SPA Urban Design Students

They listen and watch with interest

 There were some very important lessons mostly life lessons we learned over the last 5 years at the Seth Ram Lal Khemka haveli

1. Be patient and persevere towards what you believe in, no matter how irrational it may seem at the time.
2. There are no short cuts in life and hard work is the only way to achieve success.
3. One may be a great designer but to be a good conservation architect, you need to be a people's person, listen to what they want and have to say.
4. Respect and trust your craftsmen and learn from them, because your designs are only figments of imagination unless someone gives them actual form.