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aditya barve
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ADITYA BARVE SELECTED WORKS
www.asbarve.com asbarve@mit.edu 734-604-8580 Massachusetts Institute of Technology SMArchS (architecture & urbanism)
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URBANISM OF DIS-ASSEMBLY
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METAMORPHIC INFRASTRUCTURE
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TRANSI(EN)T URBANISM
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FORM-GIVING INFRASTRUCTURE
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TYPOMORPHOLOGIES
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HOUSE | LAKE
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RE:PROVIDANCE
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NEW SCHOOL OF PLANNING+ARCHITECTURE
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Urbanism of Dis-assembly SMArchS (urbanism) Thesis Advisor : Miho Mazereeuw Reader : Brent D. Ryan
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Basic tools of shipbreaking with a half broken hulk of an oil tanker in the background
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A Worker supervising furnace that will eventually turn steel plates from the ship into reinforcement bars
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“When transported to the right spot an industrial waste will often form the raw material for some secondary industry or manufacture” - John B C Kershaw (1928) Waste is an integral part of our contemporary civilization based on consumption and material culture, from an empty coke can to spent nuclear fuel. Waste is simply matter without immediate use, rotten, broken, or unwanted. The notion of waste is also geographic, waste is simply matter in the wrong place and thus with no value. One defining feature of globalization is the flow of waste to the places that extract value from this otherwise worthless matter
Situated on the western shore of the Gulf of Cambay in India, Alang is one such place. Alang owes its existence to the global maritime industry. With an average lifespan of 25 to 30 years, most of these ships, often full of hazardous waste at the end of their working life, end up on the beaches of south Asia to be dismantled for their steel. Taking advantage of its unique geographical conditions, cheap migrant labor, and lax environmental regulations, Alang recycles half of the world’s scrapped
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ships. It is the epicenter of a scavenger economy that turns obsolete vessels into reusable steel for a rapidly developing economy. With example of Alang, this project asserts that, due to their intricate connectivity to the global networks, places of resource extraction acquire an extra-territorial urban character. Only by acknowledging the urban nature of such places, we can start to design for these flows of migration, waste and resources. This thesis aims to explore the potential for urbanism to tactically intervene into a monocultural industry like Alang to develop a regional strategy of urban metamorphosis INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY AND SHIPBREAKING Activity of shipbreaking is as intricately related to fluctuations of international markets as It is related to the production of ships. With the economic obsolescence of 25 years we are currently scrapping ships that were built in 1970’s
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Comparing Alang with industrial cities
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PROCESSES OF SHIPBREAKING Output from the process of shipbreaking comes in two forms rerollable steel and salvaged goods. Hundreds oh shops, workshops, reenginering yards line the road to Alang. These shops sell everything that is salved from the ships, it ranges from kitchen equipment to specialised marine parts. machinary from ship like compressors engines are repaired and exported to be reused.
Main product of shipbreaking is the plate steel that comes from the ship hull and structure. It is cut into roughly equal sized plates into cutting yards and then sold to re rolling mills situated 50 kms away in Bhavnagar area. These mills produce re-bars for construction industry and various profiles from the steel. A coal fired furnace is used to make steel workable.
Current process of distribution of this material is based on daily treading and controlled by agents. This proposal aims to make the process of shipbreaking stable and transparent thus linking the speciality of manufacturing to the economics. With agglomeration of related industries shipbreaking can be secured as a base from which new industrial phase can start.
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Existing situation at Alang
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Industrial Ecology of Waste
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Metamorphic Infrastructure Strategies for Detroit
Urban Design Ideals and actions workshop Instructor: Brent D. Ryan MIT Spring 2012
The problem of shrinking cities is not unique in history. Cities were victims of plagues, agricultural crisis and collapse of empires. Yet, they were usually resettled, as they offered concentration of opportunities. The case of the contemporary city is quite different. Relocating to better-off urban centres within the developed world is easier and physical proximity is not critical. Regaining population is the most common reaction towards urban shrinkage; However, In case of Detroit, the most challenging aspect is the scale and magnitude on which shrinkage has occurred. In 1950’s, the population of Detroit was at its peak of 1,850,000. Today it stands at just over 700,000; a drop of 65 percent. The city today is at a critical juncture. We must acknowledge that the city cannot regain all of its lost population; at least not in immediate future, however, we can make it a better place by adapting its physical condition to its actual needs. The goal of this proposal is to design a strategy for Detroit to adapt its physical condition to its current population by reducing infrastructure and using this process to strengthen its communities. We are proposing a three-pronged approach, starting by the creation of a system to facilitate transfer of properties, which will serve as land bank. Followed by reducing infrastructure, freeing up more land, and in turn allowing a space for community and neighbourhood development.
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The Neighborhood of Poletown East has experienced Detroit’s typical population loss and residential abandonments. Located south of the General Motors Hamtramck Plant and about 3 miles from downtown, a once dense urban neighborhood is now a grid of residential blocks with only a few houses per street. The only consistent element is the extensive road system. Such extensive road network presents a large area of unused space that is unnecessary to meet the needs of its current population. This strategy proposes to transform the excess road infrastructure into gardens, orchards, urban farms and reforestation of the neighborhood. The strength of this approach is in the symbiotic relation of citizenry and city government. This will help create clusters of small communities
with unique identities and shared ethos. Willing residents would benefit by expanding their property and in the process improving the physical environment. The neighborhood and city will benefit by lessening the fiscal burden on the city and as they stabilize property value could improve, helping the tax base. This strategy also involves design as an integral element of addressing the shrinking city. This strategy is also potentially useful to other shrinking cities . One of the characteristics of cities in decline is that their infrastructure was built at the time of expansion, and probably at the peak of population with expectations of continued growth. Therefore a large percentage of the infrastructure is simply not needed for essential operations their current population.
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Transi(en)t Urbanism Urban Design Studio : An Architecture of The Territory Studio instructor: Alexander d’hooghe MIT Spring 2012
This project seeks new strategies to create civic nodes in suburban landscapes of northern America by Timesharing Infrastructure that feeds into dominant types: Bigbox and parking lots. It explores the formal, social and disciplinary consequences of urbanization beyond the confines of the compact, historic city. It also acknowledges the building types that are generic to such post urban environment. This acceptance brings up challenges to design the public domain in thinner than ever common density. The site is situated in a second ring suburb of Boston, Quincy Adams. it is connected to the main city by metro rail network and a freeway network. it acts as an intermodal point between Providence and Boston. The design of the transit oriented development node evolved from the use of generic building types of suburbia – Big-boxes and its logistical Infrastructure. It acknowledges the big-box as an evolution of economic optimization in built form. The design explores the possibility of using the existing building types by right sizing their needs and pooling their infrastructure needs to form civic spaces. When plugged in with fright and commuter rail, this development will form a starter kit for creating the islands of urbanity in the suburbs.
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Time Shearing of Infrastructure The time-shared, form-giving aspect of the design is to share the logistical infrastructure of big-boxes as spaces of civic arenas and urban fair grounds. Shearing the logistical infrastructure for the big-box retail also frees the spaces for landscaped connections. A neighbourhood of bog-box retail shares a spine of logistical infrastructure over the week, but on weekends and on sale-days, this space is transformed into a civic realm of urban quality. This civic space and programs in it thus imparts the identity to each node.
Big Box Neighbourhood This exercise acknowledges the abundance of big-box development in suburban area and aims to use it as a strength by deploying its fast and cheap construction as a starting point. Landscape Spine The unique topography of the site needs to be tackled so as to create an ecology around the low lying areas that flood during rains and storm events. This is achieved by proposing a wetland spine that also double up as recreational space and buffer between two big box neighbourhoods.
Logistics Space On weekdays the space between the big-box zone will be used as a shared logistical space. By leveraging the existing rail line in the area movement of goods can be streamlined.
Civic Space The same space on weekends and on sale days will be transformed into a civic area of farmers market, open air theatres and other recreational activities.
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Form-Giving Infrastructure Urban Design Studio : An Architecture of The Territory Studio instructor : Alexander d’hooghe MIT Spring 2012
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This conceptual proposal examines the role of infrastructure as form giving element to generate urbanism in 2 mi X 1 mi territory. Starting with an empty canvas, the infrastructure acts as levers to guides the development. Rail tracks generate cargo hubs; freeways gives rise to autonomous office and cultural district. This channels the dense growth in surrounding areas and then fades into suburban fabric. This urban territory claimed with a megaform raises the question of scales in
urbanism: not as much in the accidental growth of its physical outline, but rather in the awareness of truth that should guide the physical outline against its formal rights/duties. The use of the form as a tool in shaping territories is significant not so much in its morphological precision, but rather in growth pattern of the project. With this process we may derive the process to shape a city, as a civic monument, based on infrastructural flows
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Typomorphologies Urban Design Studio : An Architecture of The Territory Studio instructor: Alexander d’hooghe MIT Spring 2012
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Terrain
Mapping
Abstraction
Zoning
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This theoretical project probes the possibility of shaping urban growth, not by formal tools but using the terrain and development code as a lever. The study seeks to understand the spatial structure and character of a growth using only one building type- bigbox. The aim is to take the project to the extreme edge of urbanism by the process of creatively loosing control. The main form-giving tool here is terrain. Sample points from a Digital terrain map generate voronoi substructure for the development,
setting out the main transport network. Specific development rules like setback and allocation of spaces, guide an inward development of a bigbox ribbon. Due its directionality its growth becomes the parameter of its control. Each cell then performs multiple functions with outer layer as a logistical shell. This diagram is again overlaid by corridors of nobuilding to link the cell cores
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HOUSE | LAKE Architectural Design Workshop MIT + SEU, Nanjing, China Studio instructors : Andrew Scott Adèle Naudé Santos William O’Brien Jr. MIT Summer 2012
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This projects experiments with various meanings of lake edge and architectural character endowed by it. The site is located on Dianshan lake, Shanghai. By creating series of islands it amplifies the experience of living along the water edge. It also is a modern take on ancient Chinese water town. These experiences are then carried foreword in the design of individual house in the way that it approaches the water and forms various micro-topographic conditions.
Existing waterfront of the site is limited due to the regulations and limited exposure of site to the water. To tackle this series of interconnected canals are proposed. These canals will extend and link the existing water system to the interiors of the sites. The changing relationship of site to the water is used as an architectural tool to shape the houses and common areas around them.
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Decommissioned part of i-95
Re: Providence
Urbanizing downtown providence
Urban Design Studio Studio instructors: Michael Dennis, Alistair McIntosh
CAPITAL CENTRE
MIT Fall 2011
The purpose of this study was to explore compact and humane urban design strategies for the reconstruction of downtown Providence, almost 400 years old city. Providence has a strong urban fabric, which witnessed disintegration in last 50 years. Downtown Providence was split in half due to construction of a freeway I-195. The recent removal of the section of I-195 provides an exceptional opportunity for the renovation of the historic urban core of the city.
DOWN CITY PROVIDENCE
JEWELLERY DISTRICT
This design approach probes the possibility of connecting the Downtown and Jewellery District by creating a strong central growth centre in-between the two. This formal approach coupled with hierarchy of open spaces and vibrant riverfront will help to create a legible urban framework, which will accommodate various programmatic needs. The multi- functional central block with its “urban courtyard� gives the strong sense of identity to entire scheme. The urban design also integrates existing buildings with the new respecting the identity and historicity of the place. The over all concept is then can be repeated with differing programmatic and thematic identities to create multiple growth centres which then can span across the existing I-95 and will be linked with a strong public transport network.
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What downtown providence needs most is the density. Currently with the void left by removal of I-195 downtown has been divided into different archipelagoes. This scheme aims to create a strong civic centre that encourages the growth around it. This aims to stitch the downtown and jewellery district. The civic centre is an internalised space that then opens up to waterfront connected by series of public squares. open space in the new scheme is shaped by presence of built fabric.
The main square acts an anchor to overall proposal, being a mixed-use development. It joins the commercial downtown to residential jewellery district. The interior court forms an cultural hub with shops, offices, a theatre and galleries. This strategy to develop neighbourhood around a strong will be repeated where the cores will be joined with rapid public transit.
Inner court The cultural core is designed around enclosed courtyard for year round use. It will act as hub for recreational and 55 cultural activities with shops eateries and gallerias
Shops
Art Galleries
Library
Restaurants and Eateries
Civic Space The sequence of civic spaces leads to the main square flanked by theatre and art centre. This forms the programmatic bridge between the jewellery district and RSID campus situated across the river
Theatre
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Museum of Design
Waterfront
Ice Rink
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New Campus for School of Planning+Architecture International Urban Design Competition March 2009
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New SPA Campus is an entry for an international urban design competition. SPA is one of the premiere institutes in architecture and planning education in India since 1960s. The site is located in South Delhi in Vasant Vihar area known for its unique topography of canyons created by human mining activity. The site also forms the south tip of the Delhi ridge, a strong ecology created by local vegetation. The site offers a strong context of a existing canyon, it is converted into a water retention lake along with stepped seating ghats around making an community level open space. The
whole campus is designed as one fabric, punctuated with built and unbuilt spaces as a pedestrian town for design studies. The campus is designed with a giant solar parasol that covers the buildings from hot Delhi sun as well as collects solar energy. The design facilitates spontaneous interdisciplinary interaction throughout the campus. Reinterpreting Traditional Forms This projects aims to reinterpret the architectural forms and means of climate control seen in traditional architecture. with innovative sunsheading on the south faces and
closely grouped buildings it is designed to lower the impact of hot summer climates in northern India. The angle of stacking is designed to allow the low winter sun to enter into buildings. Buildings are grouped together around courtyards of various scales that foster the interdisciplinary interaction amongst various academic programs. An existing abandoned mine is converted into a retention pond that collects the rainwater and storm water from the campus. The edges of this water body are sculpted as a stepped terrain.
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Zoning
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The built form of campus expresses the porous urban fabric of built and nonbuilt spaces, connected into one system, while developing builtform and massing of campus the underlying urban design theme was to connect all the buildings into one hierarchical open space system, opening out at waterbody. Broadly campus is divided into academic and residential parts, connected by a bridge over waterbody. all the Academic area are grouped around shaded courtyards.
Courts and plazas All the terraces and courts open out into quadrangles and plazas this mutually shading built form is sheltered by giant solar parasol giving it a unique identity. All the buildings are medium rise with 4 floors high in academic cluster and 5 floors in hostel with only exception of service towers which goes 2 meters higher to form a local landmark. The hostels are designed as a series of towers oriented north south connected by a pedestrian street with solar parasol this street begins at guest houses and terminates at Gymnasium with a major halt at dining court.
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www.asbarve.com asbarve@mit.edu +1 7 3 4 - 6 0 4 - 8 5 8 0 Massachusetts Institute of Technology SMArchS (architecture & urbanism)