Students of B.Arch_II-Semester-4, B.Arch_III-Semester-6, B.ID._II-Semester-4, D.ID.-II_Semester-4 along with a team of six Faculty members Prof. Vahhbiz Engineer, Prof. Vishal Mashruwala, Prof. Nikunj Patel, Prof. Zeenia Engineer, Ar. Sagar fitter and Mrs.Sangita Gamit has visited Nainital from 15th to 21st December-2022 for a Study tour which is situated in Uttarakhand state. Nainital is also known as Jewel of Kumaon region. Day: 1 & 2 (15th & 16th December-22) Departure from Surat at morning 8:30 am by Bandra-Ramnagar weekly superfast train and reached to Ramnagar railway station around 8:30 am next day. The entire Nainital study tour groups were transfer from Ramnagar railway station to Harshikhar Hotel, Bhimtal by buses and reached around 11:45 am on next day. After having delicious lunch at hotel around 2:00 pm, the leaders of all 11 groups along with some students started journey as to identify and to understand unique features of various buildings, streets, cafes, houses and village settlement of Nainital The final study areas like Urban street (Bada Bazzar), important institutes like St.Joseph’s college, D.M. office, 2-villages (Manovra & Patwanagar), 3 cafes (Himalaya café, Café lakeside, Let Me Dine café) , an old houses were identified for in-depth study and documentation. These study areas were specially documented as they had a distinctive British Architectural building style, characteristics, construction techniques and building materials & typology. The villages were also identified based on the unique settlement pattern. All villages are situated in the valley surrounded by hilly tracts. The students studied clusters, individual housing units and the settlement pattern. Day-3, 4 & 5 (17th, 18th, 19th December-22) Detailed documentation of identified study areas have been carried out throughout the day on basis of following parameters. 1. General study: o Basic study/History/evolution/importance(past & present) of Nainital & identified villages o Introduction of the identified study areas with key map o History and past context o Present context and status o Demographic study (population, casts, religious,..) o Climate study o Natural resources study o Religious places o Commercial places(occupations, economic activities) o Educational places o Public places o Identification of Important landmarks 2) Architectural Aspects study: • Village level: o Settlement pattern(village map) o Total area(in sqkm) o Contour map o Landuse analysis o Locating important buildings with its detail o Streetwise analysis(identified) o Built v/s open area & ratio o Public spaces with its detail • Housing level: o Street identification for study o Street analysis & Settlement pattern (plan, width, length, total houses, density, cast, religion, occupation, street elevation, orientation,…) o Response of houses towards street o Activity mapping (time wise, age wise) o Locating important buildings with its detail o Built v/s open area & ratio o Public spaces with its detail (temple, garden, gathering space, play area,…) o Kachcha & packka house(with construction materials) o Landscape & climate analysis (shadow, orientation,..) • House level: o Identification of house o Detail study of house (typology, family structure, occupations, floors, activity mapping,..) o Plan, sections, elevation with furniture o orientation, Climate, wind direction o Construction & finishing materials o Relationships: - Building to context - Inside to Outside (Building and site) - Plan to section (Spatial planning, Activity layering) - Circulation to use (Movement pattern in horizontal and vertical) - Unit To whole o Ordering Ideas: -Symmetry/Balance -Grid/Geometry -space Hierarchy -Layering o Expressions: -Massing -Construction & joinery detail -Natural light -Structure -Services o Use of materials(construction & finishing) o Construction Technology o Architectural elements: -Column -Wall -Floor -fenestration -Stairs -Roof -supporting elements -façade The faculty members also visited these study areas as to give guidance, suggestions and inspect to the students working in the groups. The visit created an opportunity to study the organic settlement pattern in Urban & rural areas and to understand linkages between human livelihood and biodiversity in culturally rich areas. Day 6 & 7 (20th, 21st December-22) The entire study tour group was departed at 9:30 am for return journey to Surat from Hotel Harshikhar, Bhimtal by bus to New Delhi railway station and then New Delhi to Surat by Swaraj express train. The group has reached Surat at 12:30 pm on 21/12/22. It was indeed a great experience to enjoy and study the Jewel of Kumaon, Nainital. The students are currently working on documentation of the study on the various aspects covered during the study tour.