your instructors.
Gauri Bharat
Architectural Historian
Saatvika Pancholi
Conservation Architect
Zeus Pithawala
Conservation Architect
The Heritage Experts
with stories to share
Gauri Bharat is an architectural historian, who teaches, writes books, and generally dreams about history most of the time!
She will be joined by Saatvika Pancholi, a conservation architect and educator. After masters from CEPT University, Saatvika ran her own design firm and worked with local artisans. She also has experience in working with sustainable materials and aspires to communicate ideas through illustrations.
Zeus Pithawala is also a conservation architect who is interested in the notions of authenticity and integrity of heritage sites, and the facets of interpretation of cultural heritage through design interventions.
In association with The Hive, The YHEP (Young Heritage Explorers Programme) is organized by the CHC (Centre for Heritage Conservation, CRDF - CEPT Research and Development Foundation), which conducts pioneering research and advises on historic buildings and cities in Ahmedabad and other parts of India.
“the more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
theodore roosevelt
After two successful series of workshops, the Young Heritage Explorers' Programme is back with the best of the old and the new. Series 3 of YHEP once again takes explorers into the ramparts of Ahmedabad's old forts to talk of tales of the city's historic origins, and discover its ethnic and architectural richness through a sort of "treasure hunt." Participants can also embark on a time travel on paper, as they connect the dots between the city's development through maps of the earliest centuries to now.
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And to keep history relevant to the present and the future, YHEP brings an all-new programme on the role of 3D Laser Scanning in conservation through the case study of an old timber mosque in Tankshal ni Pol.
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The 3 workshops offer a chance to dig into the past for a well-poised future. Because history isn’t writ in books alone, but is woven in the monuments, designs, and people of a place that can be better discovered through an exploratory ramble, or hands-on activities.
Join Gauri Bharat and team from the Centre for Heritage Conservation (CEPT Research and Development Foundation) to explore Ahmedabad’s rich and glorious past. Prepare to go on a journey of discovery of the city’s endowments.
Note: Participants will be accompanied by workshop facilitators and volunteers. Resources for hands-on fieldwork activities (along with some goodies) will be provided.
Workshop 1: FORT-IFIED! (Sat, Jan 21 | 10 am – 12 pm) INR 1200
Stories of Ahmedabad's walls and gates
Do you want to know why Ahmedabad had a wall around it? And why it was broken? Or why the gates are named after places? Join us as we take a walk along the historic fort walls of Ahmedabad and discover fun facts about the past of the city.
Highlights
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Hidden tunnels under the wall
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Staircases on the wall! Why does a fort wall have a staircase outside?
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"Mason's marks" - hidden signatures of the wall builders
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Gates as entrance to the city but also markers of pathways to other places - like signages for the highway
Activities + takeaway goodies
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Jigsaw puzzle of fort wall visited during workshop
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Poster of fort wall details -- builders' signatures
Site: Fort wall near the riverfront
Drop off/Start point: Entrance to Ravivari market
End point: Manekburj
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Workshop 2: Digital Twinning: Case Study of Tankshal Mosque
(Sunday, Jan 22 | 10 am – 12 pm) INR 2000
Role of Laser Scanning Technology in Conservation
How can we preserve our cultural heritage for future generations? Heritage monuments, though exquisite, are often fragile structures. Hence, it is important to measure them with precision and high resolution without damaging the original construction or environment.
“Digital Twinning” or 3D laser scanning opens the door to document, study, and monitor places of artistic or heritage value. Point clouds can be converted into 3D mesh models, which can be used to understand the possible risks faced by a monument, and data can also be archived for future use, in case structures are damaged and need restoration.
This workshop gives participants an opportunity to review up close, the scanned data of the rare, old, timber mosque in Tankshal ni Pol. Through a computer and projector setup, and 3 hands-on activities, participants will be able to pan and interact with the point cloud data or enter mirror balls to see panoramic photographs. They will be able to identify details in the model and then find them on site. By tinkering with different output settings of RGB, thermal intensity, elevation, point cloud density, et al participants will get an opportunity to understand their uses for different purposes. And finally, learn about the uses of 3D laser scanning beyond heritage conservation.
Highlights
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Historic background of the Tankshal mosque
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Tinkering with the point cloud data of the mosque through a computer & projector setup
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Exploring the role of laser scanning technology in conservation
Activities + takeaway goodies
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Activity 1: Is this an XRay or Picture? - Introducing 3D Laser Scanning
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Activity 2: Playing with Clouds and Mirrors - Interacting with the 3D model
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Activity 3: Why do we Draw/Visualise? - Understanding Outputs
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Takeaway kits:
- Puzzle of 3D Tankshal
- Postcards of scanned Tankshal visualisations
Drop off & pick up: At The Tankshal ni Pol entrance
Workshop 3: Map-ematics (Sun, Jan 29 | 10 am – 12 pm) INR 1200
Knowing about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’ll go
A map is a city in the palm of our hands. Historic maps help us put our geographical origins in context, and comparing them with the current helps us connect the dots between then & now. Maps are also a key to organizing the future. A lot of urban planning & development is based on a good understanding of how a metropolis will translate in real life from how it looks on a piece of paper. Let’s learn about the language of maps. How about beginning with our own city?
Highlights
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Understanding the language of maps
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Exploring maps from previous centuries
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Exploring how Ahmedabad grew
Venue: The Hive
TAKEAWAYS
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Time travel into the past as you explore Ahmedabad with a team of experts
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Pep up your knowledge of local history without the aid of boring textbooks
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Interact with 3D Laser Scanned information in a never-before-had experience
WHO IS THE PROGRAMME FOR?
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Children 8 - 98 years of age
faqs.
1. What resources will I need to bring for this programme?
Curious minds and willing-to-walk legs (especially for workshop 1). Sunglasses, a hat, and a waterbottle would help too. The rest, such as an activity kit, will be provided by us.
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2. Will there be fieldtrips? What would be the logistics like?
Of course, explorations cannot be complete without visiting sites of interest, right? In workshops 1 & 2, we shall congregate at designated assembly points 15 mins ahead of the session. The fieldtrips will be on foot, but for workshop 3, we will meet, review & discuss maps and more at The Hive. All sessions will begin with an orientation.
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3. Are the workshops interlinked? Do I need to register for all three?
The workshops are not inter-related, except they are all about the history and heritage of our city. You may opt for one or more as per your choice.
4. What safety precautions will be taken by the organizers?​
We will be working in small groups. Our instructors and staff are fully vaccinated, and masks are recommended when indoors or within close proximity. However, the participants are responsible for their own health & safety.
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the schedule.
2 WEEKENDS OF LEARNING WITH FUN
Sat, Jan 21, 2023 Sun, Jan 22, 2023
Sun, Jan 29, 2023
Fort-ified
Digital Twinning
Map-ematics
10 am - 12 pm
10 am - 12 pm
10 am - 12 pm
INR 1200
INR 2000
INR 1200
Cancellation Policy: In the unlikely event of The Hive cancelling any of its workshops for any reason, registered participants will be refunded the entire amount within 15 business days. Course dropouts by participants will be eligible for refund as follows: 30+ days before the event - 75% refund; 15-30 days before the event: 50% refund; less than 15 days - 0% refund. Attendee changes can be accommodated up to 14 days prior to the event.