Urban Design Portfolio by Divya Rampal

URBAN DESIGN PORTFOLIO Divya Rampal

Work Experience Intern at Everyday Citylab Bangalore

Intern at CSE- Centre for Science andEnvironment Delhi

Contents

01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Rebel Bodies Rebel Cities Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tomb, Ahmedabad The Living Heritage Ambli, Ahmedabad Urban Inserts : Making of a Shared Space Anand, Gujarat Summer Winter School (I) Jaisalmer, Rajasthan Summer Winter School (II) Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka Urban Porosity Navrangpura, Ahmedabad Miscellaneous Projects

Rebel Bodies Rebel Cities This is a view from one of the stretches of the external area of the tomb. The image shows one of the corners of The entire passage is full of storage the periphery that is currently inhaband clothes hanging. Even though ited by a family of 4. All of their daily this the main entrance, the condition of the same is not taken care of.activities are carried out here. Right

from storage, cooking, sleeping to carrying out commercial activities like making of Tazias.

QUEENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOMB Ahmedabad

In the contemporary world, Big Data, economic profit, and digital surveillance seem to be the main strategic process that govern political and spatial decisions. But beyond this rational and Machiavellian controls that generate rigid design where the human uncertainty and its deepest feelings are overlooked and ignore, emerge the figure of the REBEL BODIES.

This image shows a lady sleeping on a khatia right outside the entrance of the Hajira. image shows a lady sleeping on a khatia right outside the entrance of the Hajira. The Gate The GateThis generally locked and she keeps the keys isis generally locked and she keeps the keys with her and asks for money if there is a need to go with her and asks for money if inside the Tomb. Even though it is a public place. there is a need to go inside the Tomb. Even though it is a public place.

The image shows one of the corners of the periphery that is currently inhabited by a family of 4. All of their daily activities are carried out here. Right from storage, cooking, sleeping to carrying out commercial activities like making of Tazias.

Not just on the periphery, but the unlicensed vendors have now started occupying the monument too. She lives in a neighbouring house and comes and sets up this shop in the monument whenever her family is in need of money.

This is a view from one of the stretches of the external area of the tomb. The entire passage is full of storage and clothes hanging. Even though this the main entrance, the condition of the same is not taken care of.

Majority of the families living there have a sesaonal business of making Tazias for Muharram (islamic new year). Rani no hajiro is famous for these Tazias. Suppliers from different parts of the cities come and give huge orders in bulk. These orders are then fultogether. Be it male or female.

This shows how the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;inhabitedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; corner During lunch time, the shopkeepers from the surrounding shops, gather at the Hajira to have together. The image shows the shopkeepers eating along with one of the members of of lunch the is used in the day time. the familytomb living on the periphery. During lunch time, the shopkeepers from The children are studying, the mother the surrounding shops, the is washing utensils in agather chowkdiat while Hajira to have lunch together. The image the father is sitting on a khatia.

Non-compliant individuals and communities who claim their own identities, aesthetics, and patterns of behaviors through radical spatial practices that emerge as counternarratives and counterspatialities, giving shape to the REBEL CITIES.

shows the shopkeepers eating along with one of the members ofthe family living on the periphery.

Not just on the periphery, but the unlicensed vendors have now started occupying the monument too.She lives in a neighbouring house and comes and sets up this shop in the monument whenever her family is in need of money.

Location of the homeless on the periphery of the Tomb

Cartography depicting the usage of the priphery of Rani no hajiro during the day and the night.

These show how one family living on the monumental periphry, occupy the space efficiently while utilising the already existing infrastucture

Existing Plan

This map shows the chaotic scenario in and around the Queens tomb. Much of the area outside is occupied by storage, parking and unlicensed vendors. Many houses in the periphery are touching the monument and some private properties have extended plinths that occupy the public realm. Inside the tomb, many spaces have been occupied by storage and one of the corner space has been occupied by a family of 4 members, who claim it as their space.

Existing Section

The clear lack of space in the periphery has resulted in children occupying the thresholds to play in the sacred spaces of the tomb. This project wants to address the above mentioned issues and create areas of play, storage, provide legal houses to the residents of the tomb and create good public realm in the periphery of the tomb. The aim of this project is to separate the private realm with the public and to decentralize the activities happening inside the tomb at present and utilizing the already existing open spaces (in the form of internal chowks) that go unnoticed because of excessive storage and parking

Proposed Section

FATHER

STORAGE

ELECTRICITY

GATHERING

MOTHER

WATER

COMMERCIAL

KIDS

STORAGE OF THE FAMILY

S SHOPKEEPERS

L LADIES

CHILDREN

NOTE- more the concentric

circles, more time spent.

DRYING CLOTHES DRYING CLOTHES (FAMILY) SHOPS

HOMES(LADIES) HOMES(CHILDREN)

Proposed Plan Activities Playing Football Woman Sleeping Men Gathering Two- wheelers Bicycles Storage Sleeping Cooking

Illegal Extensions Otlas Shop fronts

Dilapidated houses Completely Abandoned Facade Broken

Utilising the inner priphery of the Tomb as a Madarsa that would not only bring the community together but also incubate an exchange of knowledge

Illegal Infrastructures Toilets Clothing lines Shops Spaces Occupied by Family Occupied by Storage Occupied by vehicles Dirty spaces

Cartographies

Rehabilitating the families living inside and on the periphery of the tomb to dilapidated and abandoned housing around the tomb H

G G

M M

G B

M M

B B

H B

B B B

B B

B 3

B B

H B

D D

The Living Heritage

AMBLI

Ahmedabad

This studio reflects on the associations between people and place that contribute to their identity. Against the backdrop of rapid urban development and transformation, there is a growing concern for reviving the identity of our places: the harmony between a dynamic physical context and its inhabitants and events, in an integrated and distinct manner. In this context, this studio is concerned with two major questions: - How can designers address the growing issue of detachment between people and their places and the loss of identity that follows? - How can designers employ residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; collective and in-depth knowledge about these spaces in order to arrive at effective and rooted responses? The studio critically questions the notion of identity: Identity is defined by associations between people and places, it evolves through time and varies from person to person.

Understanding the community-wise spatial divide

A comic style storyboard made with an intention of understanding the history, social structure and the origin of Ambli Gaam.

An in-depth socio-cultural analysis was carried out in order to about the communities, their origin, their spatial organis

Community Perception Mapping

COMMUNITY-WISE MOVEMENT AND SOCIAL ATTRACTORS

COMMUNITY-WISE EVOLUTION

SOCIAL STRUC

COMMUNITY-WISE MOVEMENT AND SOCIAL ATTRACTORS

e and the thresholds

COMMUNITY-WISE EVOLUTION

o gain a better understanding sations and their history.

PATEL THAKOR PRAJAPATI

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Scale 1:500

Chowk 2

Site Identification

AMBLI

Ahmedabad

The elderly represent the identity of the village. They are in direct link with the history, evolution and the emergence of the Gam. But currently, due to the spatial and the community-wise divide, the association is scattered. My model aims to bring all these scattered stories and parts together that would strengthen the identity and association of people with Ambli Gam.

Chowk 1

Chowk 3

Reviving three of the chowks that the elderly have deep association with, which got faded away due to the increase in urbanisation and the vehicular movement. Providing the chowks with functions that were there previously but got lost with time like seatings, shade and un-hampered pedestrian movement.

Chowk 1

Chowk 2

Chowk 3

Plans

Chowk 1

Chowk 2

Chowk 3

Sections

Views

The chabutra at the entrance of the Gam, has always been a major source of association for the seniors and the residents of Ambli Gam since it marks the onset of the Gam as well as due to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical identity. But as there is an increase in the vehicular demands, the periphery of the Chabutra is mainly occupied by vehicles parked. As a solution, I propose to clear up the area by utilising the dead spaces as parking and reviving the periphery of the chabutra and the chowk by pedestrianising the acceses.

This chowk inside Thakor Vas is more of a private one. Since, at present, the space is underutilised and is filled with unrequired things which makes the space inaccessible. My proposal is to reviving this chowk and activating the space by providing patches of green areas, which is not present in the gam at present. Such that it allows the children to play while their grandparents can gather and keep an eye.

This chowk has a huge open space used for occasional gatherings like Navratri or Diwali. Previously, the elderly used this as a major gathering space wherein, they gathered under the trees, and by the walls. But after the AMC took over, they pavements were changed, physical aspects were altered and it caused a hinderance to the acitivity. Hence, my proposal aims at reviving the lost function by providing shade and seatings.

Urban Inserts - Making of a shared space

ANAND

Gujarat

Indian cities are expanding at a rapid pace with large scale migration and unmitigated real estate growth. Distances between the residence and the workplace is ever increasing causing the commute to become an integral part of the day to day routine and also a major budgetary expense. This has led to an apparent need for Public Transport system which is cost effective and user friendly. Among the available options of modes of Transport, the bus is the most prevalent as it is economically feasible and uses the existing Primary road network in the city.

Module 1

Module 2

Module 1

Module 2

ANAND

Gujarat

But even for the Bus system to work efficientlythere is a need for some physical infrastructure such as waiting areas, signage and other amenities. This physical infrastructure in most cases needs to get built in an existing urban fabric. Hence, these are urban objects that fulfill a certain function but can also facilitate and manipulate the daily activities of people living in the immediate neighborhood.The challenge here is to make a place that functions at both the unit level and the neighborhood level through a back and forth design process.

Summer Winter School (I)

JAISALMER Rajasthan

Inside or Outside? - Peception of the People The movement in dusshera chowk has a pattern when distinguished between usage of space of chowk by locals and tourists. Through our mapping we found that the locals utilized the edges of the chowk. Through the interviews we found the familiarity of the space is what makes it as inside for people hence irrelevant of how large the space may be. The familiar aspects, old spaces, comfort allows the locals to treat the dusshera chowk as inside space. However the same chowk is accessed as outside space by the tourists. This is due to the open space the chowk serves amidst the tangled streets. They utilize the middle space to look around and further move around to know the chowk. This can be concluded through the pause mapped in dusshera chowk. Hence stating the chowk is inside space for locals and outside for tourists.

FAMILIARITY OF CHOWK

MOVEMENT MAPPING

LOCALS

TOURISTS

Summer Winter School (II)

a) Exposed concrete wall

b) Stone foundation with stainless steel bracing at the edges.

HIKKADUWA Sri Lanka

Objectives: To study the vulnerability faced in coastal area of Hikkaduwa, a major tourist hub along the coastline through multiple adverse impacts on urban development, economy, housing and ecosystems environment, life and livelihoods of people due to climate change. Further, to identify the adaptation and mitigation strategies put in place after Tsunami in 2004 and the policies/programs formulated by the government to build-in resilience in Human settlements so that the people are able to coup better with the disasters. -Sri Lanka has total 25 districts with Galle as a famous tourist destination of Sri Lanka. -HikkaDuwa is in southwestern of Sri -Lanka in Galle district. -Coastal line of HikkaDuwa is 24km. It is famous for its strong surf and beaches. The area of the town is 65.Sq.km with the density of 1.5/sq.km.

c) Wood batten structures raised on stilts

Diesel driven boats over the corals renders them vulnerable. Coral debris makes the fine sand beach composition become more granulated.

26th December- Before tsunami Time- 9:00am

Critically vulnerable junction of city drain meeting the Indian ocean near the tourist activity spot.

26th December- Water receeding Time- 9:20am

26th December- Tsunami strikes Time - After 9:20am

06 NAVRANGPURA

Ahmedabad

The studio site is located in the university area of the Ahmedabad city. The site is in Navrangpura and includes all the university campuses in the area like CEPT University, H.L. Institute of Commerce, St. Xavierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College, L.D. Indology Mueseum, L.D. College of Engineering, and others. The larger site was further divided into seven parts to seven groups of two each. Me and my group partner were allocated the site along the street of 500 meters near St. Xavierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College, starting from St. Xaviers college to the street that leads to H.L. College of Commerce.

Urban Porosity

Pedestrian Movement Mapping : Majorly in and between the campuses(not to scale)

Evening

Noon

Morning

Pedestrian Movement Mapping

Mapping the movement of students and pedesrtiand in and around the universities.

A detailed mapping analysis was carried out regarding the open spaces in the surroundings and their classifiatin according to usage. And movement mapping, focussing on the movement pattern of the students and the residents from the neighbouring houses. The aim of my design is to cover up for the lack of open space in the surroundings such that it is accesible by all. My intervention sits on the initial edge of the Xavierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s college such that it is easily accessible by the students, residents of the neighbouring houses as well as the people waiting for bus on the bus stop right outside the college. Understanding space through moulding models

Looking through the varying edge conditions

Miscellaneous Projects Shardaben, age 62 living in Parekh vas says that the people living here live with peace and harmony. Though people usually don’t go in each other’s vas but it does not mean there are any differences between them. Fights happen but people come together and solve it. The people who live here are close knit and live a family.

NETWORKS

FOUNDATION STUDIO II | COMMUNITY | GROUP IV

PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT

Set - Up

340.00

VEHICULAR MOVEMENT

Afternoon 12pm-2pm

340.00

Afternoon 12pm-2pm

Evening 5pm - 7pm

340.00

Evening 5pm - 7pm

SCOOTY 4 WHEELERS

MEN

3 WHEELERS

WOMEN

Remembrance Redifined : As a part of one of my studio projects, i took up Rani no Hajiro, the queen’s tomb as my site. A part of the mapping and analysis involved us carrying out a performance on the site based on our observations. The areas around the Tomb, being conjusted, left the children with no open space to play and as a result used the tomb to play football. I found this intriguing and hence we set up a temporary football court using red tapes and pigeon nets and played along with the kids, CHILDREN

Night 8pm-10pm

CYCLE

Rakeshbhai, 25 lives in the Patel vas and manages small business of ironing clothes. When asked about his business and what people work here he says that there are three people who have come from Uttar Pradesh and live here in a house provided by us. We do not take rent. there a lot of people from UP and Bihar who have come here for work. My business comes from this Paldi gam and other places also. He goes on to say that the chabutra is usually used by us to iron the clothes.

LEGENDS THAKOR PATEL VAGHELA PAREKH

Play!

Wrap-up

Miscellaneous Projects LEGENDS

LAND USE

Bus Stand

Low Income High Rise

ATM

Transportation Terminal

Dustbin

Government Institute

Bench

Mixed Use

Public Toilet

Retail Shops

Parking Area

Supermarket

Electrical Tower

Religious

Kiosk

AMUL

AXIS BANK PANCHAYAT TALUKA

PUBLIC UTILITY AND SERVICES

Low Income Low Rise

VIDHYANAE GHAR

LAND USE

STREET TYPE

TRANSPORTATION

Primary Street

Railway Station

Secondary Street

Bus Terminal

Tertiary Street

Auto Stand Railway Line

A C

D B

AUTO

2 WHEELERS

4 WHEELERS

BUS

LARI

CYCLE

TEMPO

160

AUTO

2 WHEELERS

4 WHEELERS

BUS

LARI

CYCLE

TEMPO

300

250

140 120

200

100 150

80 60

100

40 50 20 0

0 10:15 - 10:25

11:00 - 11:10

12:00 - 12:10

16:40 - 16:50

17:20 - 17:30

10:15 - 10:25

11:00 - 11:10

12:00 - 12:10

16:40 - 16:50

17:20 - 17:30

Urban Inserts Studio- Site Mapping and Analisysis : An in-depth analysis carried out after mapping 5 different sites throughout Ambli. The 5 sites being of completely different natures and contexts, it was very interesting to compare the land use, Public utilities and services, Street Typology, Transportation and Traffic Count.

Urban Inse out propose to redesign t

The village from a child’s lens : As a part of my second foundation studio, in the first exercise we were expected to portray the village from a particular stakeholder/user’s s lens. I took children as my usergroup since their perception in raw and unbiased. Moreover, they are familiar with every nook and corner of the village. In order to built rapport and get their perceptions about the village, i asked them to draw anything that remind them of their naighbourhood.

Perception M people’s perc which heklped

Sections

Elevations

erts Studio- Street Strategy : To place ed inserts on the given sites, we were asked the street, these were the major strategies.

Mapping- Foundation /studio 2: To map ception of spaces, i used the site model d the locals orient themselves- spatially.

Urban Inserts- Site Drawings : Post our initial visits to Ambli, we were expected to come up with sections and elevations that bring out the varying edge conditions, details like road widths, compound wall materials and footpath levels.