PHYSICAL MAPS >

Aging Map: Categorizing buildings based on their age into five distinct categories/ Height of Buildings: Classifying buildings by the number of floors they possess/ Streets and Connections: Delineating peripheral roads, main, secondary, and tertiary streets to visualize the village's connectivity/ Open Spaces and Intersections: Identifying chowks, gathering spaces, and plazas to understand the village's communal areas/ Singular Buildings: Highlighting unique structures such as religious edifices, community spaces, and shops/ Solid/Void Map: Depicting the distribution of dense fabric and open plots to portray the built environment's density/ Topography and Pavement Condition: Mapping intuitive contours and pavement types, showcasing the village's landscape/ Green Areas and Vegetation: Identifying areas with vegetation to showcase the presence of green spaces/ Categorizing Houses 1: Grouping houses by size (small, medium, large) in square meters/ Categorizing Houses 2: Analyzing the number of people and families living in houses, categorized by age groups/ Categorizing Houses 3: Differentiating between houses owned by residents and those occupied by tenants/ Water Management: Mapping toilet and cleaning areas, along with drainage systems/ Parking Areas: Identifying spaces for bicycles, motorbikes, and cars/ Transparency/Opacity: Indicating the degree to which facades are open or closed to streets/ Street Lights at Night: Mapping the locations of lamps and measuring their luminosity distances/ Shade During the Day: Observing how building shadows change throughout the day due to sun movement.

SOCIAL AND INTANGIBLE MAPS >

Map of Different Communities/Castes: Visualizing community boundaries and highlighting unique characteristics/ Public/Semipublic/Private Spaces: Delineating the distribution of public, semipublic, and private spaces/ Meeting Points: Identifying areas of communal gatherings during different times of the day/ Garbage Map: Pinpointing trash collection points and assessing sanitation conditions/ Speed Map: Illustrating the time it takes to pass versus stay in different areas/ Time Map: Mapping walking times between points to showcase accessibility/ Economy Map: Visualizing wealth distribution and economic conditions/ Education Map: Depicting the educational levels of residents/ Activities Map: Listing professions by gender and location to understand economic dynamics/ Smells Map: Portraying changes in smells across different areas, similar to contour lines/ Sounds and Noise Map: Indicating areas with varying noise levels and acoustic environments/ Flow of People Map: Tracing movement across different age ranges/ Flow of Animals Map: Mapping animal pathways, including cows, dogs, cats, and birds/ Fear/Happiness Map: Reflecting perceptions of safety and happiness in different spaces/ Memories Map: Documenting local anecdotes and historical memories/ The mood of Locals Map: Highlighting areas with differing social reactions.

AMBLI SUMA is not just a workshop; it's an intellectual endeavor that redefines the concept of mapping, elevating it to an art of comprehensive documentation. With a fusion of static and dynamic elements, AMBLI seeks to transcend traditional boundaries of representation and data collection. By layering information in diverse ways, it aspires to deliver an all-encompassing understanding of a specific ecosystem.

Nestled on the western outskirts of Ahmedabad, Ambli derives its name from the very lake around which the village flourished, a historical thread connecting it to numerous settlements on the city's periphery. Embedded within the 1st-year curriculum of the IDEA Department at Indus University, AMBLI goes beyond theoretical confines. It immerses students in the pulse of the village, allowing them to assimilate local customs, explore its streets, plazas, and traditional dwellings, interact with the community, and develop a meticulous observational approach.

The mapping exercises in AMBLI encompass both physical and intangible dimensions. Through physical maps, aspects ranging from building ages, heights, and street layouts to open spaces, vegetation, and water management systems are meticulously recorded. The village unfolds in layers of information, revealing the intricacies of its built environment. But AMBLI doesn't stop at the tangible. It delves into the social tapestry, portraying intangible dimensions like the distribution of communities, meeting points, economic structures, education levels, activities, and even emotions. Each map is a brushstroke on a canvas that captures the essence of Ambli, transforming it into a multidimensional artwork of insights and narratives.