Library as a People's Workshop - Portfolio Studio 6

Portfolio

Building Anti-building Divolka I UA 2317

CONTENTS 1. SITE 1.1. The Site 1.2. The Non-Physial Site

2. OBJECT 2.1. Vision for the library 2.2. 3-D Translation 2.3. Process Models 2.4. Grid and Form Exploration 2.5. Functional Allocation 2.6. Scenarios for Taking Over 2.7. Making of the Object 2.8. Final Drawings 2.9. Effects of Building on Site 2.10. The Core & the Plug-ins 2.11. The Future

3. MOBILE LIBRARY

Architecture should not determine human behaviour but rather enable possibility

THE SITE In the midst of the urban fabric , a part of the walled city, lies a place linked in its purpose yet strangely disconnected, depleting its potential by fragmenting itself

THE SITE

The site is located in University Area of Ahmedabad (Opp. CEPT University) surrounded by academic campuses

What does the wall say?

1.1. The Site

As large compound walls surround the site, they become barriers to access what lies beyond them. In such a case, the impression of what is behind the wall is made by what is on the wall.

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THE NON-PHYSICAL SITE

The University area of Ahmedabad comprises of universities offering various courses to students

What if there was a place they could all come together?

1.2. The Non-Physial Site

The students don’t talk to each other making their activities a set of broken communication links

A place that could house their integrated activities

The project aspires to become a place that would bring students from various specializations together so that they could plug-in their knowledge into a system that would enable them to meet and collaborate with other fields

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THE OBJECT An alien placed on its ground hoping to invoke the curiosity of its surroundings, with defined boundaries yet always seemingly incomplete.

VISION FOR LIBRARY The library should be a launch pad , a place solely fueled by the activities of the people inhabiting it – questioning the existing knowledge , adding to it , exploring, collaborating –it would become a People’s Workshop

A place solely fueled by the activities of the people inhabiting it

The breakdown of knowledge because of human intervention

2.1. Vision for the library

The strengthening of one’s ideas due to collaboration

Launch pad

Knowledge is seen as a pure form but constant adding on and taking away would make it an organism constantly being subjected to change 06

3-DIMENSIONAL TRANSLATION

The fabric of knowledge is kept in tension by people constantly questioning and adding to it

The pure form of knowledge being subjected to human intervention

2.2. 3-D Translation

A dynamic system, change in entropy of one activity affects the entire system

Plugging in and taking away from knowledge

In order to ease the process of plugging in , this knowledge would take up the form of a framework enclosing an imaginary volume from which knowledge can be taken away or plugged into.

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PROCESS MODELS

Follies

Incomplete completeness

Working Core

Core and plug-ins Core and plug-ins is the basic system that is employed.

The aspiration of the library is to allow the users to take over the place.

In order to advocate that degree of flexibility the library should have the nature of incomplete completeness and a grid where the servant spaces are moved to the periphery so that the central served space can be operated flexibly Adjustable Grid

Matter of materials : Bamboo

Grid- Served & Servant 08

ANTI-BUILDING The library advocates the idea of ‘LEARNING BY DOING’ by utilizing secondary sources of knowledge

In a place which predicts to house a multitude of activities, the architecture cannot enforce itself as the built manifestation of them.

The building becomes a mere system that enables people to manipulate their own built environment by plugging into the system.

Matter of materials : Bamboo

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PROCESS MODELS

With the program and the services acquiring fixed positions on a grid, the volume inside and the outside becomes the area where the plug-ins are used by the people to create their own spaces Matter of materials : Bamboo

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GRID AND FORM EXPLORATION A module dimension of 5m was fixed and arrangements of grids and forms were tested out giving different spatial configrations

The closing up of the form as a box creates a large volume from which one can ‘SEE & BE SEEN’ that would encorage people to engage in a number of activities by seeing other people being indulged in them

LINEAR

PLUS culminating to a central space

LINEAR BUT STAGGERED forming a common corridor

L-SHAPED

2.4. Grid and Form Exploration

RANDOM

The box grid is segregated into two parts- the known (which contains the functions) and the unknown which is the volume that is taken over

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FUNCTIONAL ALLOCATION The functional allocation comprises of placement of services , circulation devices and program

The toilet and services exist as singular shafts. The shafts can be placed anywhere but placement on the corners gives most efficiency.

The vertical circulation has been broken into parts to increase movement. More the movement- more the engagement.

The density of functions increases while moving towards the top

2.5. Functional Allocation

The program has been placed in such a manner that the terraces of lower levels can facilitate circulation on the upper levels

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SCENARIOS FOR TAKING OVER

2.6. Scenarios for Taking Over

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MAKING OF OBJECT

A framework

Programmtic areas are filled while leaving gaps inbetween

2.7. Making of the Object

Service shafts at corners

Breaking vertical circulation

INFORMALITY

DENSITY

A grid segregating the nature of activities

Density increases while going towards the top and informality increases while going towards the top

The terraces of lower levels facilitate circulation on the upper levels

The coming together of the periphery forms the core

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2.8. Final Drawings

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2.8. Final Drawings

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2.8. Final Drawings

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2.8. Final Drawings

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KIT OF PARTS

2.8. Final Drawings

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EFFECTS OF BUILDING ON SITE

ATTRACT: The scale of the building and digital screens attracts the passers by

ENCOURAGE: The unused site becomes a plaza to encourage people to inhabit it

FACILITATE

ENCOURAGE: The building becomes a thoroughfare for the passers by

2.9. Effects of Building on Site

EXPAND : The concentration of the building on one corner lets it expand

The elements of the building expand beyond it and get adopted as various urban elements facilitating the processes in the city 20

THE CORE & THE PLUG-INS

SCENARIOS FOR TAKING OVER

View showing how the users have taken over the building by using the system of plugging-in

2.10. The Core & the Plug-ins

Segregated Activities

Case of a Concert

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2.10. The Core & the Plug-ins

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2.10. The Core & the Plug-ins

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Click the link for the animation https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dsKOEyApqNi8gDUpLBl2Md1CYQRUeKUi?usp=sharing

2.10. The Core & the Plug-ins

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The given framework is just the beginning . The plug-ins will expand above and beyond it and get intertwined with the surroundings 2.10. The Core & the Plug-ins

2.10. The Core & the Plug-ins

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WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? With the rise in population and advancement in technology the age of prefabrication is upon us.

As our eyes overlook the city that keeps building up every instant the humans concentrate themselves into rising towers The potential of the library lies in its system, and with time it interweaves itself with this instant city However as concentrations of work and living grow there is a need for the co-existence of a place where people would come together A place where they can see and be seen indulging in different activities to evoke someone’s attention constantly continuing the spirit of the

People’s Workshop

2.11. The Future

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MOBILE LIBRARY A trolley that bridges the gaps in illiteracy. Education is on wheels and spaces are what you want them to be.

3. Mobile Library-

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MOBILE LIBRARY Types of Modules

Exploration Spaces

How does one design for the people they have no knowledge about?

In order to facilitate a changing space and enabling people to make their own setting, the mobile library comprises of a set of modules which can be assembled together to create a variety of settings. Essentially made for supporting the function of a library one could use them for other activities- playing, discussing etc.

3. Mobile Library

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