Geologies of Extraction: Jodhpur Sandstone Pits

Jodhpur's iconic "Blue City" is built from Sursagar stone, yet the extraction sites remain toxic ecological voids when exhausted. This research maps the physical geometry of quarry scars and drafts an architectural taxonomy for their rebirth.

Sursagar quarry belt, where sheer 30-meter vertical cliff cuts expose dramatic stratification of pink sandstone, shale, and fractured aquifer veins.

Inhabiting the Void. Rather than backfilling pits with municipal waste, the research reimagines deep quarry cuts as subterranean amphitheaters, rainwater storage vaults, and geological museums.

Extensive on-site drone survey, lidar point cloud analysis, photographic documentation, and interviews with stone-cutting artisan unions.

Cataloging five types of quarry voids by depth, acoustic quality, and water-table intersection, formulating tailored tectonic insertion typologies.

A publication and exhibition containing detailed orthographic surveys, stratigraphic sections, and vision masterplans for civic reclamation.

Architecture must accept responsibility for the landscapes it consumes. Documenting the origin of materials makes one an infinitely more conscious designer.