tidal negotiations

The high tide brings water into the settlement twice a day, the rising and receding water leaves back textures, residues and various other traces. Spatially, these traces are negotiated as follows.

Some of the houses of fishermen open straight to the water, make fishing activities easier and have their courtyard covered with soil and not concrete so as to allow the water that comes in during the high tide to seep inside the ground and prevent waterlogging. The ground is also covered with gravel and jute mats that help prevent soil erosion by the receding tides.

Other houses that have mangroves between their boundary walls and the water, have higher parapet walls to prevent water from entering the house. The veranda too is at a higher level than the rest of the house. The furniture in the house is such that it can be moved around easily in cases of emergencies related to extreme high tides. On its roof, the house has a framed structure that is used for drying fish during the summer season. Due to its proximity to the water edge, traces and residues also manifest in the form of salt encrustations on the walls.

Houses that have mangroves on three sides, usually have the plinths raised to prevent the water from entering the houses. As the veranda at the back of these houses are open to the mangroves, water enters the houses during the high tides. To prevent this, a parapet wall around 300mm high is usually built. The form of the houses have stone bricks paved across the stretch of their verandas and loam soil slathered evenly in their front yards as it absorbs water into the ground and prevents the water clogging during high tides.

As this house is surrounded by mangroves on three sides, is exposed to highly moist air and that is reflected on the damp moss-grown walls, though the owner takes care of the moss and services the built form every year.

Some houses are prone to flooding every day during high tides. The landscape of such houses are on the same level as the backwaters, and hence water accumulates on all three sides of them throughout the day. Though the plinth is at a height of 300 mm from the ground. The outer wall, due to its constant exposure to the water, has a thick layer of moss and salt growing on the damp concrete walls. The houses have 7-8 stone blocks paved at the plinth level (raised above the accumulated water) from the main gate to the house that acts as a walkway towards the house (the only path from where u can enter this house). The inside of the houses have stone flooring and detached metal-finished furniture which could easily be detached or stacked upon one another during high tides. The mangroves act as a fence to the backyard of such houses.

Houses that open directly to the water usually have a few steps going down into the water. Water comes in during the high tides almost everyday, as a result the part of the house towards the water remains mucky and has a built up of moss over the walls. Most of the furniture is very light making it easy to move around, the house is also usually lived in during the summers as the tides are calmer.