Mazar

In a globalized world architects ought to act as anthropologists and philanthropists, building upon past tradition while putting forth an image that identifies with aspects of current life. In countries such as India, such culture is being threatened by a growing trend of globalization in architecture. The holy city of Varanasi, India, a place where religious history permeates every aspect of the built environment, holds perhaps the strongest potential to merge old and new and to actively bring about social change for its people. The project utilizes two vernacular typologies - the bazar and the monastery - to address the issue of sex trafficking in Varanasi's suburban district of Shivdaspur. Human rights organizations that fight against the sexual exploitation of girls rescue victims of sex trade, yet they have not the means necessary to reintegrate back into society. The thesis project aims to give these rescued women and children sanctuary to live and establish a livelihood selling traditional crafts.