Hatch Workshop-Ar Mason Rattray’s response

Initiatives for migrant workers hindered – Hatch Workshop

Hatch Workshop is a team led by New Zealanders who emerged as designers of housing for migrant labourers in Ahmedabad. The duo of principal architects Hannah Broatch and Mason Rattray couldn’t use opportunities in India to execute new housing for the vulnerable, owing to the travel restrictions during COVID-19. Hatch Workshop's current focus is on projects in their hometown of Aotearoa and Auckland, hoping to resume soon in India.
Hatch Workshop-Ar Mason Rattray’s response

How were work opportunities in India impacted for Hatch Workshop during the Pandemic in 2020?

Unfortunately, it has stopped us from being able to work in India completely for the foreseeable future, as we were back here in Aotearoa (New Zealand) planning our next works overseas when Covid-19 changed everything. For the last year, we have had to turn to other types of work to sustain ourselves in Auckland which is a relatively very expensive city to live in, in terms of income and expenses. Although we follow the news and talk to friends in India, we have very little understanding of what the reality on the ground is there now.

We aim to achieve rapid improvement of living conditions whether it be with health, comfort or dignity.

What is Hatch Workshop’s work philosophy and team structure? Share some work processes unique to your practice?

Hatch workshop has a practice model that stems from research started while at CEPT University on the living conditions of migrant labourers and has developed into research, design, project management and also construction practice.

We look for realistic possibilities for incremental change, requiring extensive time-on-site researching inhabitation patterns, materials and construction methods, and collaboration with companies, local NGOs and the labouring community themselves.

We are hopeful that the work we started, and also the pandemic, has brought more attention to the situation of working migrants.

As we can’t know when we will be able to realistically return, for now,  we can just hope that others will create such works.

Share your comments

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent

The Good, the Bad and the Aesthetic - Bhopal

The Good, the Bad and the Aesthetic

This essay delves into how municipal corporations envision creating Western cities (instead of responding to the Indian context) and end up creating cities that only appear to work, instead of actually being more socially inclusive, dynamic and publicly active. The Smart Cities Mission then caters only to the rich and this becomes evident in not just the visuals they use, but also the manner in which they describe their vision of a World Class Infrastructure. This essay by Avani Mittal is amongst the shortlisted essays.

Read More »
Source: Author

Chabutra As Thresholds To Effective Placemaking

The essay discusses the past, present, and future of the Chabutro’s in Ahmedabad from the author’s perspective based on their time spent there. Chabutro’s serve as markers and play a significant role in placemaking. The essay emphasizes the importance of Chabutro, highlighting the connection it holds for a potential future as a new wayfinding tool. This essay by Prakriti is amongst the shortlisted essays.

Read More »

WE ARE HIRING /

ArchitectureLive! is hiring for various roles, starting from senior editors, content writers, research associates, graphic designer and more..

 

PARTICIPATE /