Foundations 19 – Infrastructure Space

Highly Commended – Wits, South Africa

YANTRA: Infrastructures of the Sacred and Profane, Varanasi, India

The project by Vedhant Ma- haraj , a student of the Univer- sity of the Witwatersrand (Wits, South Africa), explores new methods for water-purification infrastructure along the Gan- ges River in India. A treatment plant on the Varanasi water- front combines various water purification processes, from mechanical cleaning to natural filtration, to reduce pollution of the holy river. The buildings fit into the sociocultural, religious, and aesthetic context of the region and provide traditional washrooms and swimming pools – and they respond dy- namically to the yearly mon- soon flooding.

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