School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi Bachelor in Architecture 2012-2017
CONTENTS
Master of Urban Design 2019-2021
Greenyard City
Residential Township / Masterplan / Public Realm
3rd Semester, 2020
Urban Sync
Local Area Planning / Transit Oriented Development / Public Space 4th Semester, 2020
Urban Design Composition
Elements of Urban Design / Street / Open Space / Illustration 2nd Semester, 2020
‘Abridged’- Reconnecting the City’s public spaces
Public Space Design / Urban Intervention / Place-making 2nd Semester, 2020
1. GREENYARD CITY
People living in Urban areas often do not have access to usable open spaces- which causes long lasting negative effects on health and psychology. Through the Township, the intent of the design is
to be able to provide small clusters of development adjacent to a system of public open spaces not only to the residents of the residents which may be difficult to experience in the core city center.
A people centric urban environment, integrated with community, nature and mobility with emphasis on active public spaces.
Objectives
Neighborhood greens- more usable and accessible Site level greens- Local ecology enhanced by recreational spaces.
Promote walkability and the idea of people over cars. Presence of vital public spaces along it to render it active and vibrant.
Well distributed public amenities to achieve self sufficient neighborhoods. Encourage community vitality + diverse urban layout.
Spatial Strategies
Hierarchical Green
NMT/ Pedestrian Loop
Mix of Uses
Central Green as breathing space for Township and City
Expansion of green towards peripheryOverlap between open and green
Vehicular loop along periphery and Central Green with diagonal connections
Walkable blocks of 400 meters separated by greens
View of NMT/Pedestrian Loop and its extended public plazas.
Residential Township at Naroda, Ahmedabad
The Masterplan addresses the issues of lack of quality open spaces for both the residents of the township and the city dwellers by providing open spaces of various size from neighborhood level to site level.
Commercial Towers along the NH8 to harness the maximum real estate value of site and generate revenues for maintenance of public facilities.
National Highway48
High Rise Apartments with smaller block sizes with primary road and Central green on either sides.
Proposed45MDPRoad
Cultural Center and Sports Center as value edition to site to promote variety of activities and foreground for interaction
Lake Garden as the extension of the Central green and a gateway for people entering the site through the DP Road. Will also be accessible for the people of Limbadiya to take benefit from recreational space
Urban Forest in the center of the site with other recreational spaces like sculpture parks, Botanical Garden, picnic gardens, play areas etc.
Blocks tied together by the proposed Pedestrian spine limited to pedestrians and cleaner transportation modes to promote walkability.
Mixed Use towers along DP road with active retail and public plazas to activate the street.
SEWS Housing and Bungalows at the southern side of the site away from the hustle bustle of DP road, yet close to public amenities with green buffer from the functioning railway line.
There are neighborhood level open spaces of various scale and sizes to accommodate variety of activities and events.
There is a foreground in form of plaza for the mixed used towers along the DP road, to sort of maintain a continuous dialogue with the street and the built form on the other side of the road.
Isometric View of the Residential Urban Block
The pedestrian/ NMT loop which runs throughout the Township plazas, public buildings like the art and learning center and residential buildings with retail along it to activate the space and enhance the public realm.
The NMT loop and its extended plazas will be activated by public buildings and retail frontage in the apartment buildings. In terms of landscape features there are variety of public seating, play areas, open air theaters etc which will contribute in making the space engaging.
Building setback proportional to the width of the adjacent road to expand public realm
Porous ground floor with flexible retail uses and colonnade to maintain active frontage and dialogue with the street.
Building step back of 6 meters to accommodate public use on Podium
Urban Design Guidelines
Section through Pedestrian Spine
Section through the NMT Loop
The extent of central green begins across the road which is where the Cultural center is located as the Social Magnet of the site opening up towards the large public green. The oat facing the green is part of the cultural center to enhance the usability of the entire space.
Open spaces in form of botanical garden, lake park, spaces for congregation, playgrounds etc. would contribute in rendering the neighborhood active and vibrant.
2. URBAN SYNC
Local Area Planning at Naranpura, Ahmedabad
Due to constant urbanization and exponential construction over the years the open spaces of cities have merely become leftover or residual spaces.
The delineated site stretches from the Naranpura charasta to the Gharda Ghar road and is part of the larger LAP site. The 700 m long site has part of Gujarat housing board stocks and mostly privately owned residential plots.
Similarly, the thoroughfares are heavily dominated by vehicles and there is no proportional open space to balance out the chaos and provide breathing spaces in the streetscape.
To
Integrating Jaymangal BRT station with surrounding through engaging public realm and responsive built form
The continuous retail front to keep the public space activated and anchored with the BRT Station. The multi level public space would have functions like events area, vending plaza with spaces for dedicated and mobile vendors, children’s play area, public seating, wide crossovers etc. with podiums accessible to the public for recreational purposes.
There’s a limited high paid public parking on street and most of the parking requirements are accommodated In the basement.
By having these plazas abutting the public road it would help in dispersing the chaos and the noise of the road.
Vending Plaza
Basement Parking Ramps
Jaymangal BRT
Jaymangal BRT
Isometric View of the Jaymangal transit Plaza Plan of the Jaymangal Transit Plaza
View of the Jaymangal transit Plaza Keyplan
Reimagining the CP Nagar Road as a neighborhood level pedestrian oriented street with series of public spaces.
Currently the CP nagar road is a 18 meter wide vehicular which connects the site to the rest of the GHB apartments. There is scattered retail which is happening on the ground floor and the pedestrian movement is affected by discontinuous footpaths
Being a public level road, the idea is to propose public open spaces on it in form of garba ground or green plazas while the open areas which are further inside will be more private in nature.
The ceaseless retail front on the ground level would give the street more active and robust character which is broken in between by these open spaces as breathers.
It’s also an attempt to extend the public on the 132 feet ring road further inside the residential district.
Garba Ground/ Event Area
Jaymangal Transit Plaza
132’ Ring Road
Eat Street
Community Center
Parasnagar Mall Street
Section through the Cultural Center on the reimagined CP Nagar Road
Isometric view of reimagined CP Nagar Road
Keyplan
b. Reimagining CP Nagar Road
3. URBAN DESIGN COMPOSITION
Elements of Urban Design
Urban Design can be perceived as a collage of its various elements like the buildings, streets, open spaces and urban block. The study focuses on analyzing and demonstrating these urban elements- and how they interact with the larger urban context through illustrative isometric drawings.
Matia Mahal Road is located perpendicular to the gate no. 1 of the Jama Masjid and is popular for some of Delhi’s ,most loved restaurants and bakeries. The street presents a vibrant and active character bustling with people at all times.
Matia Mahal Road, Delhi
Isometric View of Matia Mahal Road, Delhi
Street Edge Condition
Street Built-Use
Located in the heart of Lisbon, its one of cities oldest public squares. The plaza is surrounded by wide pedestrian areas with various cafes, restaurants and shops. The square is bustling with people socializing or simply meandering at all times.
Praca Do Rossio, Lisbon
Isometric View of Praca Do Rossio, Lisbon
Street Built-Use
16th Street Mall, Denver
16th Street Mall is a mile long pedestrian promenade surrounded by shopping, restaurants and attractions for visitors. The street is accessible to public buses and pedestrians with restricted entry for private vehicles. The Street character is porous, active and vibrant with active retail and central promenade.
Isometric View of 16th Street Mall
Street Edge Condition
Street Built-Use
Reconnecting City’s public spaces to activate Vastrapur Lake
Isolated public spaces of Vastrapur?
The existing public spaces on the Alpha One Road are thriving, popular and celebrated yet disconnected from the context and function as an Urban Oasis.
To provide a thriving foreground where all the existing public spaces can function as one larger public realm for richer public experience.
The project has proposed to pedestrianize and design the Alpha One Road as a public space.
Thus, all the isolated and disjointed Adventure Park, and Khaugali can function as one space. The public space design has been extended to propose the new model for Khaugali (Street food market) as well.
Existing Condition
The existing 2 lane road has broken footpath of varying width, irregular parking and inactive edges.
Breaking the Linearity
Carving niches and increasing the permeability of the edges would give a feel of a larger space.
Connected Multi-use plazas
Plazas as not just a place for congregation but adaptable for other uses as well.
Spaces of different scale and size
Large plazas bifurcating into smaller and better usable plaza for Khaugali.
Cluster of shops with courtyards
Cluster arrangement of shops will encourage people to explore the space. The courtyards can accommodate the spilled over activities.
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.
Central Plaza
Amrapali Lakeview Plaza Public Convenience
Souvenir Shop
This sunken plaza can be utilized to host small scale events in the evenings. The steps towards the Khaugali can double as seating.
Event Plaza
Vastrapur Amphitheater
Khaugali Seating
Khaugali Stalls
Service lane
The cluster of shops are overlooking the green courtyard which can accommodate the spilled over activities like sitting, eating or even temporary haats.
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.
The Vending Plaza would accommodate the local vendors mainly for the Adventure Park visitors.
