A multi-sensory experience merged traditional stepwell design with modern technology to promote dialogue on conservation and sustainability through touch-responsive elements and soundscapes.

Baori was envisioned as a multi-sensory, immersive installation designed to trigger the senses of sight, sound, and touch. It invited interaction with different facets that depicted various aspects of stepwells throughout history, opening a dialogue on conservation, sustainable practices, and fostering moments of community interaction, exploration, contemplation, and reflection, much like the stepwells themselves.

The installation revisited vernacular design by combining terracotta with proprietary sensor technology to create an interactive experience. Inspired by stepwells across India, Baori integrated traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. The installation aimed to initiate conversations around holistic conservation, broadening the understanding of 'vernacular' beyond form and materiality, to include stories, craft, motifs, and soundscapes.

Touch-responsive 'tac-tiles' were spread throughout the installation, triggering sounds ranging from water to regional instruments such as the Sarod and Ghatam. This created a cohesive experience that blended the physical and the sensorial.

About The Coded Lines Collective:

The Coded Lines Collective was formed as a collaborative effort between three different design studios for Dubai Design Week: The Company of Design from Surat, Anuvaad Innovation Studio from Ahmedabad, and When A Line from Mumbai. The collective aims to present design as a cohesive experience of the physical and the sensorial through material, research, and technology.