Hemostasis of Land - First Stage of Healing

Project idea

Hemostasis of land is a proposal designed for a Nuclear Blast Memorial situated in Rajasthan, India. In 1974, India conducted it’s first nuclear test a called Smiling Buddha, and the second test was conducted in 1998 which was a series of five nuclear bomb test explosions, called Indian Nuclear Test site. Unlike other nuclear sites, the sites tested here are not isolated and very close to 2 villages called Loharki and Khetolai. The villages are inhabited by people both during the time the tests were conducted and currently. The villages and nuclear sites are well connected to cities Ramdevra and Pokhran. The proposal is designed to remind for the destruction that took place and offer a solution of its aftermath.

Project description

The Design intention for the Nuclear Blast Memorial involves 2 elements:
One that designs for the destruction that took place during the nuclear tests and serves as a reminder of the dangerous blast that occurred and its menacing aftereffects.
And second that responds to the destruction by healing of the land affected.
The proposal is designed using nature as a primary force to represent both destruction and healing.

Technical information

To design as a reminder for the blast that occurred, the process of steel rusting over time as a representation of the menacing aftereffect of the blast was taken as an inspiration. Hence, Corten steel was used in the proposal. Different materials employed to construct the wall, such as a tiled Corten steel and a lead wall that protects from radiation and this side faces the craters. The apertures in the wall are created using Corten steel pipes and have protective lead glass on either end.

To design for healing the landscape, flowers such as mustard, flax seeds, sunflowers marigold euphoria and celostia are used. These flowers through the process of phytoremediation flush out contaminants and pollutants

from the soil of contaminated soil and act as mitigator of soil pollution.
Flax seeds exposed to radiation produced different amounts and types of protein than seeds from unexposed plants. The proteins protected the seeds from radio-contaminated environment. and produced one-third more of a protective protein known to protect human blood from radiation damage.

Furthermore, plants such as wheat and soybean are used that can grow in radioactive soil, once the soypods are grown and harvested they are reacted with oil and the presence of a catalyst for the production of biofuel.

The final element of healing is the use of solar arrays. The solar array makes use of mirrors called heliostats to concentrate the sunlight on a central tower. The solar arrays are used to provide electricity to the 2 villages and also used for the irrigation of the crops. The water for irrigation is obtained from a nearby canal and stored in tanks.

Documentation

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