Abridged Elements of urban Design
Charu Kumari I PG190229
CONTENTS
1. 2. 3.
Preface
Elements of Urban Design 2a. Building Types 2b. Streets 2c. Open space 2d. Urban Blocks
Workshop- Urban Design Intervention The Ring
4.
Design of Public Place
5.
Learnings
‘Abridged’
1
Preface
This portfolio is the culmination of works during the Element of Urban Design studio over a period of 4 months and explores, as the name suggests various components of Urban design through various tools. The studio started off by analyzing and illustrating the existing urban elements- buildings, streets, open spaces, and urban blocks- both in the context of India and abroad through large urban design drawings. The second part of the studio comprised a week exercise of identifying an urban issue in the neighborhood and proposing an intervention for the same - collaborating with French exchange students. The studio was concluded with a design proposal for a public space in the area of Vastrapur, Ahmedabad with an objective to address a variety of complex issues and propose conceptual strategies to improve the public spaces. The proposal delves into the issue of isolated and dysfunctional public spaces around us and attempts suggest a solution by creating a foreground for these spaces to interact with each other.
2
Elements of Urban Design 2a. Building Types
1. Residential Apartment
Building Name :
Sangath IPL Diamond Tower, Ahmedabad
Building Name :
Karamyog Apartment, Delhi
Building Name :
4370 Kissena Boulevard, Newyork
Ground Coverage :
800 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
500 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
1370 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
9600 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
5000 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
31510 sqmt
Residential Apartment
10 0
N
50 25
100
m
2. Hotel
Building Name :
Hyatt Regency, Ahmedabad
Building Name :
The Piccadilly Hotel, Delhi
Building Name :
La Quints, Newyork
Ground Coverage :
1640 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
2000 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
800 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
19680 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
14000 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
4000 sqmt
Hotel
10 0
N
50 25
100
m
3. Civic
Building Name :
University Convention Center, Ahmedabad
Building Name :
India International Center, Delhi
Building Name :
Jacob Javits Convention Center, Newyork
Ground Coverage :
17700 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
4000 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
60400 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
35400 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
12000 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
181200 sqmt
Civic
10 0
N
50 25
100
m
4. Institutional
Building Name :
Sanskar Kendra, Ahmedabad
Building Name :
Triveni Kala Sangam, Delhi
Building Name :
Museum for Jewish Heritage, Newyork
Ground Coverage :
2500 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
400 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
2600 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
10000 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
850 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
16000 sqmt
Institutional
10 0
N
50 25
100
m
5. Multi-storey Parking
Building Name :
AMC Multilevel Parking, Ahmedabad
Building Name :
DLF South Square, Delhi
Building Name :
1111 Lincoln Road, Newyork
Ground Coverage :
2500 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
3000 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
2800 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
13000 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
21500 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
19600 sqmt
Multi-storey Parking
10 0
N
50 25
100
m
6. Hospital
Building Name :
Solar Hospital, Ahmedabad
Building Name :
RLKC Hospital, Delhi
Building Name :
Harlem’s General Hospital, Newyork
Ground Coverage :
256 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
630 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
3600 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
1280 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
3780 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
28800 sqmt
Hospital
10 0
N
50 25
100
m
Elements of Urban Design 2b. Streets
16th Street Mall, Denver, USA
Matia Mahal Road, Delhi, India
Elements of Urban Design 2c. Open Space
Praca Do Rossio, Lisbon, Portugal
pace
Edge Type
10 0
40
Porous 57%
m
N
Access to street Access to building
Legend Partially Porous 43%
80
20
Total building edge = 475 m Total no. of entrance = 25 No. of entrance / 100m = 4
Visually
Physically
Opaque Partially Porous Porous
The building edge of the public plaza is mostly porus and partially porus due to the shopfronts. The plaza promotes these public fronts and encourages people to engage with it, thus keeping the space thriving and vibrant.
Ground Floor Building Use
10 0
Residential Commercial C1 Retail C2 Hotel/Restaurants
Hotel 15%
Institutional 10%
Retail 75%
40 20
80
m
N
Office Religious Institutional Open space
The street is predominantly commercial with major ground floor use being cafes and restaurants. The plaza serves as a spill out to the cafes and contribute in the publicness of the space. The buildings are residential on upper floors with three to four storeyes.
Faculty of Planning
Elements of Urban Design 2d. Urban Blocks
Cadiz, Spain
21
Urban Blocks
Building Footprints
Block Perimeter Smallest 76 m Largest 500 10 40 N m 0
80
20
m
180 m
Block Perimeter
15 0
60 30
120
mts
60
15
Building Footprints
0
30
120
220 m
96 m
Built space Public open space Private open space
45% 49% 06%
mts
06%
Building Footprints Built v/s Open Building Footprints
6.5 m
12 m
245 m
20 m
76m 500m
21 m
Smallest Largest
49%
45%
BuiltAhmedabad v/s Open Jama Mosque complex, Built Space 55% Public Open Space 35% Private Open Space 10% 10
0
15 0
60 30
120
mts
55% 35% 10%
0
60 30
5m
12 m
96 m
220 m
120
mts
06% Built v/s Open Built space Public open space
45% 49%
m
N
Built space 55%
Public open space 35%
15
Building Footprints
80
Private open space 10%
Built v/s Open Built Space Public Open Space Private Open Space
40
20
49%
45%
3
Workshop : Urban Design Intervention near Vas The Ring
strapur Lake area
The Ring, Vastrapur The proposal addresses the issue of unorganized vending and parking at the edge of the Vastrapur Lake. The Vastrapur lake has opaque physical boundaries which reduces its interaction to the immediate context. The road experiences regular traffic congestion due to encroachment by local vendors and irregular parking. The proposal intends to open up the edges and organizing vending/ parking by providing dedicated shaded space. The shade can double as an elevated walkway for better movement and view.
Design Strategy Current condition of Vastrapur Lake Edge
1. Encroachment of Vendors on Footpath 2. Traffic congestion 3. Vendors as obstacleInefficient use of Footpath 4. Stringent boundaries of the Park- Opaque 5. Disconnection between Road and Park Edge
Organizing Vending and Parking
1. Providing dedicated space for Vending and Parking at selected spots 2. Opening up the edges of the Park- Porous
Providing Shaded space by elevated Walkway
1. Elevating the Ground plane for shaded space. 2. Elevated Walkway for better view of the lake and city.
Masterplan
The vending and parking have been proposed along the major arterial roads with intermediate seating and relaxing spaces. The overhead walkway would continue throughout along the lake periphery to provide an uninterrupted experience for the visitors. Ramps have been proposed at regular intervals to access the walkway.
Typical Plan and Section
Section through the Elevated Walkway
Typical Plan
Plan at Entrance Plaza
4
Design of Public Place ‘Abridged’
Isolated Public Spaces of Vastrapur? ISSUE- Existing Public spaces are thriving, popular and celebrated yet disconnected from the context and function as an urban oasis. REASONS-
Lack of transition spaces: There is no buffer space between the vehicular roads and public realm.
Heavy traffic movement: Heavy and unorganized traffic movement restricts the pedestrian movement and isolates the public spaces.
Discontinued footpath: Footpaths are either broken or encroached which reduces accessibility to public spaces.
Vision To provide a thriving foreground where all the existing public spaces can function as one larger public realm for richer public experience.
Site Identification
Alpha Road can be pedestrianized and designed as a public space. Thus, all the isolated and disjointed public spaces like the Vastrapur lake, Adventure Park, and Khaugali can function as one space. The public space design can be extended as the design of the Khaugali as well.
Design Strategies
1. Existing Condition The existing 2 lane road has broken footpath of varying width, irregular parking and inactive edges.
2. Breaking the Linearity Carving niches and increasing the permeability of the edges would give a feel of a larger space.
3. Connected Multi-use plazas Plazas as not just a place for congregation but adaptable for other uses as well.
4. Spaces of different scale and size Large plazas bifurcating into smaller and better usable plaza for Khaugali.
5. Cluster of shops with courtyards Cluster arrangement of shops will encourage people to explore the space. The courtyards can accommodate the spilled over activities.
Masterplan
2-wheeler Parking
Service Yard
Khaugali
Drop-off +00 Event Plaza -750
Ce
Vastrapur Amphitheater
entral Plaza +00
Amrapali Lakeview
Vending Plaza -450
Adventure Park
Drop-off +00
Detailed Part Plans- Event Plaza and Khaugali A service lane with a service yard has been provided at the periphery to easily access all the shops. Some two-wheeler parking with row of trees has been proposed on the northern edge to provide a buffer for the existing Sanjivani Hospital
c
rvi
Se
ne
a eL
2-wheeler Parking
Courtyard
Courtyard
The drop-off plaza is acting as a transition space between the road and the public space, with sculptural features to render the space more inviting.
Drop-off +00
S
Event -75
UP
Vastrapur Amphitheater
Ser
vice
Courtyard
Seating
Lan
e
Service Yard
The cluster of shops are overlooking the green courtyard which can accommodate the spilled over activities like sitting, eating or even temporary haats.
Courtyard
Toilets
Stage
Plaza 50
Anchor Store UP Central Plaza +00
This sunken plaza can be utilized to host small scale events in the evenings. The steps towards the Khaugali can double as seating.
Detailed Part Plans
Toilets
Anchor Store
The Central Plaza is the nodal point of the space. Being the main congregation area, all the public spaces are accessible from here- Amphitheater, Adventure Park, Khaugali and Amrapali Lakeview.
A La
Plaza +600
Central Plaza +00
Amrapali akeview
Multiple access points to the Amrapali Lakeview would open its plaza. Vending Plaza -450 Vendors
Adventure Park
Drop-off +00 UP
The Vending Plaza would accommodate the local vendors mainly for the Adventure Park visitors.
Site Sections
B’
A A’
B B’
Keyplan
Isometric View
5
Learnings
The primary goal of the studio was to understand the components of Urban Design which are buildings, streets, open spaces and urban blocks and how urban design can be used as told to create an efficient and sustainable composition with these. The final exercise which was the second important part of the studio provided the opportunity to apply the learnings from the previous exercises into an existing situation in order to physically improve the public environment. What I have learned from the studio is: 1. Efficiently conveying the design idea through simple and legible drawings is as important as the idea itself. 2. Urban design decision should always be made empathetically towards the context and the aspirations of the users. 3. Design should not be stiff or stringent but rather flexible with plenty of scope for the users to transform it as per the changing times and needs. 4. Public spaces must be designed for multi-use especially in today’s times of limited space and resources. It is one of the keys to a successful and celebrated public space.