Landscape development for Biswa Bangla Vishwavidyalaya, Bolpur, Birbhum

Abstract

This thesis aims to develop a university campus plan to create a regional model of planning, design and environmental stewardship in response to the intrinsic character of Santiniketan where the users will experience the charm and beauty of rural environment in integration to the concept of a modern campus. An institutional campus is a place for thousands of students, faculties and co-worker where students spent 1/3rd of their lifetime. The faculties and co-workers are associate with it till age of 60 or more and may as well call it as their 2nd home. Almost in every institution in India, classes are held within the boundary of four walls on a routine basis. This may be associated with various issues like physical and behavioral issues, mental fatigue and depressive or bipolar episodes. Researchers like ‘Kaplan & Kaplan’ has proved that exposure in natural environment, wilderness experience can uplift people peoples mode and enhance their ability to mental focus. This study will attempt to uncover all the planning aspect of an ideal campus through various literature and case studies. It will also try to explain the concept of campus planning, landscape character and environmental stewardship of Tagore’s (Rabindranath Tagore) ‘Visva Bharti’ university through the analysis of different spaces, forms and functions. This will also incorporate the different values of landscape which will be implemented or act as a guidelines for the development of the new Biswa Bangla Vishwavidyalaya (University). The study will be summed up as comprehensive landscape development plan with a welldefined and aesthetically suitable outdoor environment for interaction and rejuvenation of the users on physical, mental and spiritual grounds.