Interweaved Lines by Haiya Dalal

PORTFOLIO HUMANIZING URBAN S PACES BUD L3 STUDIO FACULTY OF PLANNING, CEPT UNIVERSITY

L3 studio HUMANIZING URBAN SPACE Tutors: Rajiv Kadam November 2020 This portfolio is prepared as a part of the L3 Studio, Humanizing Urban Space, Bachelor of Urban Design, 2018, CEPT University. All photographs, text and drawings are by the author, unless otherwise mentioned.

Humanizing Urban Spaces

BACHELOR OF URBAN DESIGN CEPT UNIVERSITY

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INTERWEAVED LINES Social Production and Speculative Design of Neighborhood Place Haiya Dalal | UD0917

HUMANIZING URBAN SPACE Speculative Design Intervention for Neighborhood level existing urban space Case Study 1.0 | ‘Vijaynagar’ | Ahmedabad (India) Tutor: Rajiv Kadam | TA: Shreya Gambhir 3

Studio brief There is a loss of quality and character in current Indian Urban space in cities. They fail to respond to the life of the community as they are purely reduced to quantitative defяnitions and enclosed by dead urban edge. To Humanize urban spaces, the production of qualitative aspects need to be derived from the social and cultural patterns of the community life and its integration with a more interactive urban edge. The studio will use the place making theories of Christian Norberg Schulz and Jan Gehl to construct the character of the place. The studio will decode the every day life and events, as manifested in a neighborhood level existing urban space. The students will then defяne strategies to construct a speculative design intervention plan for the urban space and contemporary interactive urban edge exploiting the potential of land. The intervention will attempt to create an ideal place to enhance the new human experience, by designing the space and redeveloping the massing and built edge while retaining the existing community and exploring potential densifяcation. Speculative Design Intervention for Neighborhood level existing urban space to create a community place in new urban development of Ahmedabad city. The design intervention will be humanizing and redeveloping the urban space and the built edge using the place theory approach.

Humanizing Urban Spaces

Studio Structure

-01- Theoretical Framework: In this part, Study of the place making theories and formulating the framework for documentation and analysis or urban life - Christian Norberg Schulz’s ‘Genius Loci’ and Jan Gehl’s ‘Cities for people’

-02- Defяning Social Patterns: In this section, Study of The Phenomenon - Experience and Human Dimensions (Lively / Safety / Sustainability / Healthy) and constructing the abstract diagrams of activity patterns: Social and Cultural Patterns

-03- Case Study: Documentation and analysis of the physical form – Urban space and Built Form (Based on Google map and secondary source data).

-04- Concept and Programs: In this part, students will formulate Program Listing for the activities and a Narrative for Humanizing Urban Space along with Conceptual ideas and strategies

-05- Proposed Master Plan: In this part, students will work on redevelopment strategies and proposed FSI calculations and restructure a Master Plan for the site.

-06- Urban Space Detail Design: In this part, Building a Narrative for Humanizing Urban Space, activity abstraction patterns, Spatial Configuration and Space details in the ground.

-07- Urban Edge: In this part, Building a Narrative for Humanizing Urban Space, activity abstraction patterns, Spatial Configuration and Urban Form on the edge on the central ground, Integration with open space and speculating the vertical built edge. ***

Site – VIJAYNAGAR, NARANPURA, AHMEDABAD (India) Vijaynagar Site is located in the West Zone, Ward - Narangpura (9). Vijaynagar society is filled with 99 blocks with the same building typology and moderate-income housing community. There is an evolvement in the building typology of the houses according to the people’s requirements and these extensions have worked as a way for increased interactions and created a more lively neighborhood. There is a presence of mix cultural community on site with the majority of Jains. In regulating these, the everyday confrontations and socio-cultural patterns were studied and analyzed to understand the diverse background and their everyday interactions. These “encounters” were further made visible by these clearly defяning dimensions. To grasp the perspectives of both the inhabitants and interactions dictating their life, students analyzed the urban life and constructed nature of space through ‘Place-making Theories’. For this purpose, Vijaynagar Site is a perfect starting point because the current urban policy on residential redevelopment of old existing neighborhoods provides opportunities for the studio exploration of the critical issue of humanizing urban space.

Neighborhood : Vijaynagar Zone : West Zone Ward : Naranpura (9) Ward Area : 3.21 sq. km

Rupal Park

Shri Verai Mata Mandir Vijaynagar Ground

Vijaynagar Derasar

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People shifted in 1972

Vijaynagar School 1975

Vijaynagar Derasar 1980s increase in jain population

2017 Vijaynagar central space Gated and was termed as a ground

Humanizing Urban Spaces

Kidzee Preschool

Built By GHB in 1971 600+ units (2 BHK 85 sq.m.)

EXERCISE 1

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK In this part, Study of the place making theories and formulating the framework for documentation and analysis or urban life _Christian Norberg Schulz’s “Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture” _Jan Gehl’s “Cities for people”

Humanizing Urban Spaces

_Amos Rapoport’s “Human Aspects of Urban Form: Towards a Man-Environment Approach”

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‘HUMAN ASPECTS OF URBAN FORM’ Amos Rapoport

‘GENIUS LOCI’ Christian Norbert-Schulz

‘CITIES FOR PEOPLE’ Jan Gehl

- He questions relating to the relationships that must exist between man and his urban realm

- A speculative framework with phenomenological approach in landscape and architecture

- Delineates an important exuberant for urban life

- He questions the influences of the built abode on people’s correspondence between the built form and the human and he searches for the specific ambiance that each people or each coterie can bring to an urban setting.

- “The environment coerces human beings”

- By conceptualizing a city and the hypothesis of Man-Environment Studies - What denouement does a physical environment have on an individual? - A physical locus impedes or expedites a human propensity but it does not determine or stimulate activities. - There is a need to bridge many arbitrarily defined extremities - Individuals perceive and apprehend their domain through their senses in their own way - The role of culture in ‘variability’

- Described as an cognizance of the sense people have over a place as well as its symbolic meaning - ‘The spaces where life occurs are ‘places with a distinct character’ - Spirit of place as an analytical endeavor of his phenomenology of architecture - Facilitating the true character or an ambiance of urban place - The co-operative relationship between the humans and the nature, urban space is what brings out the emotion / quintessence of the space.

- Metamorphosed in shaping cities and changing the way we think - Observing how people use public spaces in cities - They purvey a perspective on the developing cities into how contemporary planning - Jan Gehl presents a cogent proposal for how to make these solitary isolated urban vicinities attractive enough for and by people or the human dimension’ - Cities are realizing the value of putting humans first in order to create more lively, safe, sustainable and healthy cities

- Nature can live without Man, but Man cannot live without Nature

- All these four principles can be annealed fathomless by increasing our concerns for pedestrians, cyclists and community life in general

- Place – as a possession of significance and an expression of what is remarkable and locally attainable.

- These ingredients increase activity and the feeling of security in and around burg purlieus

INFERENCES 7

- Human culture is very strongly affiliated to places - It is ’Place’ which gives man his identity or individuality. - “Identity” of a place is associated with its distinct character. Although the character changes as “life takes place”, the identity of a place as a geographical entity doesn’t change. - ‘Place’ is bridged with recreations and functions through people - It exists at an individual level at the same time it coexists with all the community’s experiences and multiple people relating the experiences. - Public space is associated with “sociability”, with the potential for encounter and communication between strangers. It implies that people come to public space and stay there to encounter one another, to use the space for gathering and as a stage to perform particular social interactions. Emphasizes that human individuality springs from the ‘Identity of Place’. - Socio-cultural framework that determines the nature of associations between cultural “variability” and physical, social surroundings created by these various sets of people. - “The environment coerces human beings”. - Not only has it related to place, but also its ecological context where Rapoport clearly amalgamates man and habitat as two divergent entities that go hand-in-hand - “Modernization” is described as a cognizance of the sense people have over a place (physical attributes also) as well as its symbolic meaning. - A space could be both a physical object and a cultural icon at the same time. The public realm planning might undertake in more modulated and socially inclusive ways - Concept of ‘livability’

FORMULATED THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 8

EXERCISE 2

DEFINING SOCIAL PATTERNS In this part, Study of the Urban Life (literature study) : 01 Essay writing : Describing the phenomenon of a place you experienced _Descriptions of the experience of everyday activities _Description of a experience of a event _Abstractions of activity patterns : diagrams 02 Mapping of your neighborhood and urban space _Identifying activities _Tracing the pattern and experience _Abstracting into a diagram 03 Interviews of your family members / neighbors / others (Virtual) _What is the experience while using the place every day and why _What is the feeling of safety in the place _Is the place lively or not _Is the place sustainable _Does the place give benefŃ?t to healthy or not 04 Analyze _The human experience _Activity pattern Humanizing Urban Spaces

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Stone’s throw from the Himalaya Mall, Where the hawkers and laari vendors haul, Lays Gurukul Road, bustling, bumbling and vibrant. The air here is laden with a mouth-watering scent, Belonging to Gwalia and chaat ‘n’ sandwich vendors. On both sides, it is lined with lively shopping centers. Among parked cars and stalls, pedestrians wind their way, For the road is choked with traffяc through the day. The edges are flanked by bright shop fronts and food stalls, The odd tennis academy, banks and ATMs awaiting footfalls. Although the road is busy and its edges tingling, It is tucked between quiet and sleepy dwellings. ”The magic of the street is the mingling of the errand and the epiphany.” – Rebecca Solnit, wanderlust: A History of Walking.

Gurukul road which stands among us since so many generations is fClled with hyper intense life and movement. The corridor buzzes with liveliness and is used as a main transit road for the on-going traffic. Though the face of Gurukul road has changed so many times in the past yet it thrives to be even stronger framework in my neighborhood. Some important landmarks it holds are SGVP Swami Narayan Mandir, DriveIn cinema, Himalaya Mall, Navneet, Sterling Hospital etc. All through my childhood, this place has been a constant aid when one wants to go for shopping, food or just a casual outing. Surrounded by residential, this road with a strong commercial edge caters to everyday needs and requirements. The most entertaining expression I have on this road is having food at this lahris selling chaats, Pani Puris, sandwiches, snacks, coffee, ice creams and the list goes on. It also is a local passage for the neighborhood residents surrounding it seemed almost as a secluded lane with inhabitants knowing each other. This ubiquitous urban space is defCned by the informal wholesale market. It is a generator of economic activities, social hubs, also act as a platform for civic association. It breaks socio-economic divides between people along with foster social cohesion amongst the sellers and the customers making it safe plus secure even during night. All throughout the day, the street remains active with shopping parades, food vendors, fruit/ vegetable vendors, clothing stores and shops, banks etc. There are informal stalls/lahris selling chaats and other edible sellers who mainly put up their stalls near the junctions especially those places where the intake for pedestrian is more. Since these lahris are portable they usually shift their position throughout the day. These vendors and hawkers make the site more vibrant by increasing activities, making it safer ensuring flow of people not to mention reduce the speed of the vehicles. It makes it even more inclusive making it congenial for the context residents. These neighborhood societies are a mix of different communities of varying cultures, religion, age, genders, purposes, visits yet they all accumulate in addition to engage for buying their daily requirements. The site depicts a multiplicity in character as well as plurality of life and experiences. The commute patterns and the nature of transit are interesting to study. The sense of individuality and collectively of community is distinguished nonetheless integrated. The vigorous activities on edge condition are what defCnes the pathway. The propinquity of the site makes it even more yearned for-bye consolidated.

DELINEATION OF GURUKUL ROAD - Essay 10

This activity is in relation to the ‘identity of a place’ where human individuality springs out from a character of a space through one’s own conception. A dead space that transforms throughout the day by an informal vending activity. The activity abstractions capture the happenings on site at various intervals of the day by various age groups of people. One’s character is a conception of his identity which in term transposes the place’s identity. Afternoon (2-4)

Morning (11-1) + Evening (5-7)

01 IDENTITY OF A PLACE // INFORMAL STREET VENDING 11

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sociabilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; phenomena which springs out from the playing activity where an academy or a public park acts as magnet for bringing people out to encounter with the potential for communication. Social activities apart from the captured abstractions that allow people to experience are walking, washing clothes, feeding birds and animals, resting under a shade, festival celebration etc.

N +3.30

Whole day (6 am-8 pm)

02 SOCIABILITY // PLAYING 12

A peepal tree and a Hindu temple situated in the middle of a residential cluster attracts many communities surrounding it and possible encounters. Sociability springs out because of the ‘Praying’ activity bringing the community together. The activity abstractions capture the informal communal cultural experiences that are planned or unplanned and behavioral patterns are formed when one person’s activity crosses other’s path.

Evening 7 pm

03 SOCIABILITY // PRAYING - RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY 13

Pan shop near a tree shade has men occupying the junction throughout the day who enjoy the private space that forms due to these physical barriers. ‘Individuality’ of a space of physical form always corresponds to the activities and life pertaining around it. This then influences the behaviors of the people and nature of the space surrounding it.

Morning 10 am + Night 9 pm

04 SOCIABILITY // INDIVIDUALITY 14

Change of residential to a commercial complex has stopped the activities that the space was enabling between the communities and neighborhoods but now has completely prohibited it. The activity abstractions apprehend the changes in social and behavioral patterns of individuals and community due to a physical structure being replaced by a commercial concreted building.

2015

2020

05 MODERNIZATION // CHANGE IN LAND USE 15

Rameshbhai Sureshbhai Patel 35 years Evening: 6:30 pm

Kishnadevi Prasad 40 years Afternoon: 2 pm

Prashantbhai Shah 56 years Morning: 10:15 am

I am live nearby in Neel Kamal Society which is 1-2 km away from where I stand every day. I have a tea stall near Janta Ice cream Parlor. There is one pan parlor that my friend owns and we have a joined business which is set for the past 6 years. Before having this spot to ourselves we used to move and hawk accordingly. I come daily at 9 am in the morning where the rush has just started for their morning teas. It gradually continues for the rest of the day and more customers arrive post evening around 6-8 pm or come late night somewhere near midnight. The place where I sit nowadays is amazing since people need not worry about not having proper shade and it’s just round the corner! Although my business is really small and I hardly earn for a living, this spot brings me more customers than where i have been before.

I live in Sonal Apartments that are beside Sonal Char Rasta. My family is here since I was born. So, I have known Gurukul Road my whole life which is pretty good since I get everything I want without needing to go far. We have a nearby hanuman temple where I go in the mornings and start my day and I work as a preschool teacher 20 min away from home. Although, I don’t spend my entire day home doesn’t mean we don’t interact with out neighbors. Also, the society I live in is old and we are close to everybody. We go out for food together to the stops and sometimes to the lahris. DIwali shopping in gurukul is the best time that I love during the year. The street buzzes with such vibrant colors that we enjoy it so much. There’s Diwali celebration too that my society and a neighboring one celebrates together along with Navratri. It is a great time of the year!

I live in Sahjanand Apartments beside Maharaja Agrasen School where my grandson goes to study. I started my day today by having a 30-min morning walk on the periphery of my society. I then meet my friends everyday and we sit on the bench and talk and have breakfast. The breakfast is from a stall that sells puri-chaat, fafda-jalebi etc. My part-time work place is Pantanjali Store not far from my house. My grandson also goes to SRAG Academy for learning sports. I visit the Jain Derasar everyday and just sitting on the quiet bench, it seems peaceful. My society together celebrate festivals and have events regularly.

INTERVIEWS 16

EXERCISE 3

EXISTING SITE STUDY Documentation and analysis of the physical form : Urban space and Built Form (Based on Google map and secondary source data). 01 Study of the secondary data of context _Area, Density _Built open _Land use/ bldg. use/ public amenities _Community maps/territories _Road networks _Elevations and sections 02 Analysis _Open space system / open space classifications / open space percentage _Road hierarchies / road percentage _Form and Space â&#x20AC;&#x201C; proportion/scale/structure _Accessibility

Humanizing Urban Spaces

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The use of pedestrian and vehicular roads is major parking throughout the day and there is few to none social patterns emerging out of the neighborhood. The site is divided into three societies - LIC Colony, Patrakar Society and Vijaynagar Society that is bounded by territorial restrictions like gates, walls, fences. It is a mutual agreement between the particular clusters for parking private vehicles.

The Central space is physically bounded by a compound wall on all four sides restricting entry and interaction from the edge. Due to presence of boundary walls the semi-open spaces within the clusters are underutilized and are disconnected from each other making it diffŃ?cult for interactions. Lot of marginal open spaces on ground floor are gated / fenced.

EXISTING CONDITIONS ON SITE 18

T H E 9 9 B U I L D I N G U N I T S C A N B E B R O A D LY CLASSIFIED INTO 8 TYPOLOGIES BASED ON THE TYPE OF EXTENSIONS THEY HAVE. THE BLUE SHOW THE EXTENSIONS FOR A SINGLE FA M I LY A N D T H E Y E L L O W S H O W A P U B L I C EXTENSION COMMON FOR HTE BUILDING.

The presence of a vehicular loop around the site makes the central space seem like an island inside the neighborhood breaking any connections with the adjoining row of buildings. The roads are paved but are insufficient and not pedestrian friendly. There are few benches on the periphery of the open space which are the only gathering spots for the whole neighborhood.

S E M I P R I VAT E E X T E N S I O N

P R I VAT E E X T E N S I O N

The society is divided into 99 blocks with the same building typology which gets metamorphosed into 8 classifŃ?cations of types of extensions according their needs. Such extensions have acted as mediator for interactions between the inhabitants making the neighborhood more livable. More the openings in the facade of the building the more encounters it will permit.

EXERCISE 4

CONCEPTS AND PROGRAMS 01 Program formulation 02 Conceptual ideas and strategies _Redevelopment idea of residential block : Social patterns – diagrams : Cultural patterns – diagrams 03 Urban space idea _Defяning the proposed experience and human dimensions _Proposed social patterns – diagrams _Proposed cultural patterns – diagrams _Vertical space exploration ideas

Humanizing Urban Spaces

04 Narrative for Humanizing Urban Space _With the context of the new residential block and the interactive and integrated urban edge. _Defяning the Experience and the Human dimensions.

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CHILDREN GOING TO SCHOOL

Children going to school along with their parents, grandparents or with other kids give opportunities for various interactions on their way. From different houses the kids and parents come on time, 3-4 different movements meeting up, chat for some time and then collectively go together to the designated bus stop and or school van indicating different social interactions. The mothers have time for their daily chat while the elderly who drop their grandchild have time for their morning walks. PEOPLE PRAYING

The temple brings out people from their houses in the mornings and evenings when there is a puja. The different age groups of people come together for praying when the temple opens and the whole space is activated. Not only the people praying inside the temple, but due to aarti playing through the speakers the people who are sitting on the benches also to experience this tranquil environment.

PROPOSED ACTIVITY ABSTRACTIONS - GROUND AND VERTICAL 21

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY ON EDGE

The impact of commercial forefront on the edge acts as activity catchers. This commercial frontage includes utilities like clothes stores, cafe, restaurants, clinics, kirana stores, dairy and other amenities and people generally visit on a daily basis. The informality of selling daily necessities is accessed by the people in the neighborhood. Two experiences one encounters when going for shopping at the same time where a person is choosing where and what to buy from and also enabling people to spend more time to move from one spot to another all in the walkable distance from their houses. FEEDING BIRDS AND ANIMALS

This activity corresponds to the other activities previously discussed where people feed animals and birds whilst doing these different activities. A designated spot for feedings the birds (a chabutra) and also dogs and cows wherever they fŃ?nd food.

VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENTS

Presence of vehicular movement is disrupts the active presence of street activity as it hinders other movements. So the vehicular access is only restricted to only connecting the ends of the site with the central space for maximum accessibility and allowing the internal streets to be completely pedestrianized. Also providing parking amenities for he residents and outsiders for ease of use of space. COMMUNAL ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE CLUSTERS

PROPOSED ACTIVITY ABSTRACTIONS - GROUND AND VERTICAL 23

4 4

11 66

33 33

1 3

3 3

After mapping and spotting of activities through dots, interviews and proposing abstractions for the neighborhood, these set of activities were then taken to collate and systematize them into 8 such possible scenarios. These scenarios depict the possible formation patterns of these various activities to form a larger picture. It was to also see the patterns emerging out by placing the activities and movement lines in their respective places.

66 1

1 1

4 22

33 4

Activity 1 : Children going to school Activity 2 : People Praying Activity 3 : Commercial shops Activity 4 : Bird / Animal Feeding Activity 5 : Vehicular Movement Activity 6 : Communal Spaces

PROPOSED ACTIVITY SCENARIOS 25

55 3

3 4

33 1

5 6

1 1

These scenarios also helps to understand how activity takes a form and how it is affected by physical / non-physical barriers and entities and how the nature of activity changes with the change in location. These then propounds a set of possible behavioral and socio-cultural paradigms when engaging with different species. These variations is what is important to diversify in the neighborhood.

22 6

6 6

66 3 1

Activity 1 : Children going to school Activity 2 : People Praying Activity 3 : Commercial shops Activity 4 : Bird / Animal Feeding Activity 5 : Vehicular Movement Activity 6 : Communal Spaces

There is slight movement of autos in the vicinity for youngsters going to work. An auto drops 2 passengers and then they walk by It is 7:26, A rag picker passes by with her trolley At 7:30, TVS Star city 2006 3 boys going to school 7:33, 4 activas go racing past - late for school At 7:34, birds accumulate near the main chowk for eating grains 3 women comes walking, stops and chats and goes away at 7:39.

DATE: 12 SEPTEMBER 2020 TIME: 6 A.M. LOCATION: BENCH NEAR VIJAYNAGAR GROUND WEATHER: A LITTLE COLD, WINDY, CLEAR SKY

Outline of some structurally visible things: -Ground: asphalt roads -Stone: Mandir, Bungalows, Apartments -Trees: leafy green -A rather small chunk of sky (mostly being covered by buildings in It is now 7:40, All of a sudden 2 dogs come out of nowhere and starts barking my Vision) A women comes and collects garbage -A flight of pigeons that fly always in groups A resident comes and opens the doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clinic -Vehicles (heavy traffic during some time of the day) At 7: 45, 5 old women come and sit on the bench waiting for the -Human beings aarti to begin. Colors: Green trees Grey buildings Blue tempo

It is 7:47 and workers are leaning over the compound wall. They have tools in their hand and are waving them frantically in the air.

At 6 in the morning, it is a silent place, hardly any people walking. It is 6:10 An auto passes by Wind blowing At 6:30, everyone is sleeping A dog is awake barking randomly at passersby.

They are chatting. 2 girls passes me. A girl is learning to drive a car. Now it is 8 am in the morning At 8:01, an AMC garbage truck passes to collect the non-burnt waste. A vegetable vendor goes by Honda CBR 150R Hero Splendor Plus Auto passes by at 8:06

It is 7 in the morning and no shops are open. An activa honda passes by It is 8:15. Song starts playing from the speakers in the mandir. At 7:02, A Hyundai accent passes by Children have come out with their parents from their houses to go Aarti is starting. Old women have gathered in the temple and are praying. to the school. 3 autos passes by The place is starting to fill robustly. At 7:07, A priest opens the Mandir door 2 carpenter goes to a houses carrying their tools 3 girls went by on Activa It is 7:10 At 8:20, Younger women are coming to join the aarti. A cow walks by A man on his bike comes to sell his milk in cans. Women have gathA person is opening his shop. He is carrying 3 boxes of the goods ered around him demanding milk At 7:13, a person is burning waste on the side of the road and simul- in his hands that he is going to sell for the day. A woman is sweeping with a broom taneously feeding the cows and dogs. A Mahindra Gusto It is 8:30, Pause. A lot of vehicles are passing by 7:20, At 7:23, 3 cows goes

NARRATIVE ON EXPERIENTIAL QUALITY OF SPACE 28

2 DATE: 13 SEPTEMBER 2020 TIME: 9 A.M. LOCATION: OUTSIDE A PROVISION SHOP WEATHER: SUNNY, LESS WINDY

At 9:39, A cow is drinking water from a puddle. A group of old men came to sit by me on the bench and started chatting.

It is now 9:50, 2 school girls are buying gopal packets from the provision store. The group of people are coming back with the ‘pan’ in their hand. A woman comes back from the shop to buy milk The other people are following. At 8:36, aarti stops but the song is still blasting from the speakers. 9:47, A vendor (boy of young age) comes for selling red chillies on a lahri. People take the aarti and the prasad and return home. At 9:54, A hawker comes to sell vegetables. Three ladies comes to buy tomatoes. 3 more people crowd around him. He goes away to other chowk at 10. At 11 am, 4 children come out of their houses and starts playing. A game of ‘chor police’ and they start running of in different direcPause... tions with one child in black t shirt catching the other 3. What a It is now 9 am, 3 more rag-pickers come and collect garbage near great sight to see! They play with no tension and carefree. the street corners. At 9:02, A lahri walla comes selling food items such as different At 11:04, a person arrives in tempo bringing drinking water cargo bottles with him. He then does to 2 shops with each bottle and 4 types in biscuits. houses. More shops are opening at 9:03 He goes back at 11:08. There is a old man carrying his granddaughter in his arms. At 11:10, more shops are opening. A scrap vendor comes and collects from the shops open At 8:41, the person is still feeding the cows A school van passes with primary school children.

At 9:06, a person is setting up his shop and the packets outside. There are formal commercial shops on the periphery of the area The song stops from the speakers. It is 9:10 am. There is marriage in 2 days in one of the house from the residential clusters.

Pause. Everything is same as before. There are care moving on the roads, people walking. It is 12 am. A TVS Scooty Zest 110 passes by. There are no vendors.

Today is the ‘Ganesh Sthapna’. People all dressed have start arriving Sun has started to come up and it is not at all windy now. for the puja. Celebration will be in the evening between 3 societies. A worker again is leaning over the compound wall and watching the scene before his eyes. A young girl eating biscuits. A Hyundai Elite i20 At 12:03, 2 vendors passes by without stopping. Suddenly this chowk becomes more vibrant and lively than ever with At 12:16, a green Mahindra tempo arrives for selling oil. The perwomen dressed beautifully- wearing vibrant saaris, faces with make son gets down and goes to a shop with a can of Sunflower oil and sells it the shopkeeper. up on, Men in Kurtas, Children running past their parents. At 9:21, still cars are coming and going. People are dropping at the Time has passed by. The End. gate of the society and parking their cars in the parking zone. At 9:26, another person opens his shops. It is 9:30, there are dhol wallas and they are playing songs in the speakers with variety of instruments. The whole neighborhood is blasting with music and some people are carrying Ganesh statue for the Sthapna towards the mandir. 64 people are following them and now a long row of people are moving on the streets.

An attempt to record every little activity/physical and non-physical interactions that passes through my fяeld of vision which are not usually observed- “What happens when nothing happens”. It compiles bizarre and oddly touching detailed day-to-day life of this place. You no longer see random, disjointed elements, but integral pieces that keep this place awake and conscious. 29

EXERCISE 5

PROPOSED MASTER PLAN In this part, students will work on redevelopment strategies and proposed FSI calculations and restructure a Master Plan for the site. 01 Conclusion from Study Analysis (existing system diagrams) 02 Conceptual Strategies and Ideas 03 Structuring Master Plan _Area / FSI Calculations - Redevelopment amalgamation ideas _Proposed FSI and Projected population _Vertical space exploration ideas _Massing and volumetric : urban form _Restructuring the street network â&#x20AC;&#x201C; vehicular and pedestrian movements _Restructuring open space system _Restructuring the social patterns and urban life _Restructuring the urban form â&#x20AC;&#x201C; built/open and massing (volumetric)

Humanizing Urban Spaces

04 Aerial massing image

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Men

Women

0 0

50m

After determining the scenarios for activities, the next step was to put these and anchor them to the site. It helped in understanding the possible spaces for these activities to nurture in its best confŃ?gurations and how designing central space after incorporating it with recreation can influence the patterns.

Human Cow Birds Dogs Vehicles Interactions Movement lines

DEFINING SOCIAL PATTERNS ON SITE 31

Old Men

Old Women

0 0

50m

These patterns which were prior disintegrated based on activities carried by the people are in these abstractions diversifŃ?ed based on the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age and gender group. It helps to understand which social group tends to do their actions and the sense of place which gets further influenced by these users.

50m

Children

Amalgamate Activities

0 0

50m

Human Cow Birds Dogs Vehicles Interactions Movement lines

Open Space Network

Vehicular and Pedestrian Road Network

Simultaneously with the connected network, the accessibility of these open spaces was addressed by the emerging pattern of street network.

Activity Generators

Vehicular and pedestrian routes connecting the four corners of the site along with all the open spaces.

Micro Community and Accessibility

Generators of activity within the neighborhood religions institution, bird and animal feeding spots and designated bus stop.

Retaining the idea of small micro community but adapting the building orientation to improve accessibility and instigate more miscellaneous level interactions.

REDEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES 34

Existing Plan

Proposed Plan

Total Area : 95,854 .7 m2 Central Ground Area : 7201.49 m2 Area of each block: 249.8 m2 No of blocks: 92 No of units in each block on one floor: 4

Total Area : 95,854 .7 m2 Central Ground Area : 7201.49 m2

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Vision and Integration (wholeness) Robustness and Efficiency Vitality and vibrancy Richness (complexity) and variety Personalisation Visual order (unity) Enclosure and Accessibility Permeability and legibility (cohesiveness) Appropriateness Incremental and sensitivity to existing context Safety

Existing

Proposed

Open space (Ground)

65,106 m2

65,146.68 m2

Built-Up Area (Ground)

30,738.37 m2

30,707.32 m2

Total Built-Up Area

92,215.11 m2

2,36,575.67 m2

Built / Open

31% - 69%

28% - 72%

Building Heights

G+2

G + 11 - G + 13

FSI

0.95

3.18

Population Density

349.47 people/ha

1330.37 people/ha

PROJECT - MASTER PLAN 35

House Plots Semi-Private Semi-Public Community space Parking Vehicular road Pedestrian road Upper Walkway

The Master Plan looks at place, human scale, built environments (horizontal and vertical), mixed and compatible uses, and to public, semi-public, semi-private and private spaces, building exteriors and the interface between public and private spaces. It focuses on creation and promotion of centers—areas and conditions where people experience meaningful events in their daily lives (vitality, vibrancy). The Block contain 4 apartments (250 m2 area) and are placed in a definite set of orientation which enhances more accessibility and movements within the transitional spaces giving each and every person the freedom of interactivity. To encourage more walk-ability within the site, there are only 2 vehicular roads passing through the central space connecting the extreme sides of the sides and all other streets are pedestrianized. If people learned that walking can be pleasurable with the opportunity to enjoy many sights as one walks and without stumbling into motorbikes and cars parked on the sidewalk — people would walk more and thus congestion, pollution and traffяc injuries would all decline. Moreover, there is diversity and appropriate mixing of land uses (residential, commercial and mix use) to create lively places and at walkable distances to maintain healthy life. Different people have different needs, and different people will use the space depending on the season and time of day. The less structured the space, the more likely it will adapt itself to the needs of the users at any particular moment. The upper walkway connects the public realm on all the residential blocks at 5th floor (15 m). It helps people connect internally rather than with the central space and gives a sense of ‘publicness’ within their private domains.

VOLUMETRIC EXPLORATIONS OF MASTER PLAN 36

EXERCISE 6

URBAN SPACE DETAIL DESIGN In this part, Building a Narrative for Humanizing Urban Space, activity abstraction patterns, Spatial Configuration and Space details in the ground. 01 Programming and Activity Listing : Activity bifurcation based on age groups and gender 02 Elements of Central Space and Strategies 03 Structuring Central Space Plan and Sections _What are the existing social patterns retained/modifŃ?ed? _What is the human experience you are creating and how many? _What are the human dimension you are addressing in the place making? _What is the main idea of the community place? _How does the place and the social patterns interact with the urban edge? _What are the informal character and quality you are creating? _How are you exploring the vertical space in social patterns and experience? _How are you defining the formal and informal character of place in your design? _Explain part detail sample for human experience and architectural details? 04 Aerial massing image with activity fabric 05 Taxonomy Humanizing Urban Spaces

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LISTING OF ACTIVITIES KIDS (K) 1. 2. 3. 4.

Playing Morning Walks Going to School Chatting after coming from school 5. Walking through their favorite destined paths 6. Group study in the main space 7. gathering and surveying 8. Interacting with other elder people 9. Spending time with older siblings playing cricket 01. Feeding dogs and cats 11. climbing trees 21. hide n seek in the forest 31. festival celebration 41. cycling and racing 51. helping in puja preps 61. dancing singing 71. plucking fruits and vegetables from the trees 81. stepped spaces at their enjoyment 91. indoor club activities carrom, chess, pool 02. outdoor- badminton, basketball, cricket, football

PRINCIPLE STRATEGIES MEN (M)

1. Night walks 2. Going to work 3. Chatting after coming from work 4. gathering 5. playing sports with their friends 6. interacting with their office mates, smoking 7. exercising and cycling 8. reading newspaper 9. feeding animals and birds 01. stepped spaces at their enjoyment 11. indoor club activities carrom, chess, pool 21. outdoor- badminton, basketball, cricket, football 31. festival celebration 41. Buying vegetable and groceries 51. watching people and eyes on street at night 61. individualness 71. praying 81. surveying 91. managing community spaces 02. organizing events and performances

WOMEN (W) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 01. 11. 21. 31. 41. 51. 61. 71. 81. 91. 02.

morning walks evening walks working in afternoons gathering and sitting chatting and interacting playing games within their semi-public spaces exercising reading newspaper personalized gardens buying vegetables and groceries going out to eat communal meals praying prepping for puja in morning and evenings watching their children eyes on street in the afternoon dropping and picking their kids from school festival celebration individualness bird and animal feeding

OLD MEN (O) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 01. 11. 21. 31. 41. 51. 61. 71. 81. 91. 02.

OLD WOMEN (P)

morning walks exercising and cycling gathering and chatting puja in mornings and evenings reading newspaper indoor club activities - chess, carrom, etc watching children play having meals together smoking individualness sitting by the vendors in the afternoon buying fruits and vegetables festival celebration or society functions / events surveying flower preps for puja going to the their elderly association feeding animals and birds eyes on street in the afternoons collective work / book reading space interacting from their balconies

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 01. 11. 21. 31. 41. 51. 61. 71.

morning walks exercising and yoga praying preparing for the puja flower garments, plucking and stitching buying groceries eyes on street and their children playing chatting under shade festival celebration or event picking up kids from bus stop (designated spots) collective work - sewing, gardening, tailoring making meals collectively chopping vegetables individualness animals and bird feeding reading prayers in the community space - bhajans shaded spaces interacting with other ladies stepped spaces at their enjoyment

ELEMENTS OF CENTRAL SPACE 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Plinths (eating, sitting, watching) Kids play area (playground) Stepped seating / play forests trail Braided pathways in a forest for an active walk Animal feeding spots Connecting space - pavilions or promenades new lake-front access Stepped, sunken vegetation park lawns, sport areas, playgrounds and music natural amphitheater for cultural programs plaza (shaded, open to sky) stepping stones colonnade with commercial fronts exercise spaces live-work Inclined pergola (roof) Water Body or a pier Library Bicycle rack

01 Visual Connectivity 02 Seating spaces + Notional Landmark 03 Public utility stores 04 Bird / Animal feeding spots 05 Connecting spaces 06 Semi-open spaces (transitional spaces) 07 Recreational zones 08 Shade and Accessibility 09 Communal Gathering spots (points) 10 Vendors (formal + informal) 11 Extended space for temples 12 Pedestrian and bicycle tracks, Walkways 13 Different communal activity levels 14 Colonnade with commercial fronts 15 Library or reading rooms 16 Outdoor gym / exercise spaces 17 Live - Work activities 18 Lawns

PROGRAMMING

The Central Ground is designed using these elements after careful programming of the space. A forest trail that offers biking track, walkway, benches and birding. A water body to reconnect people by visual experiences and engaging cultural events and performances. A series of stepped, sunken vegetation weaving through lawns for playing, working and communal gathering. A long promenade extending to the grassland to engage more pedestrians and cycling activities. The active landscape occupied by benches, flowering passageway, pause points for star gazing at night. Colonnade of commercial front gives access to people buying their items while enjoying the open space. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playground for encouraging more play, fun activities while dictating social and psychological behavior of children and young adults. A flexible market promoting people to come and spend time. A plaza that offers shaded spaces where one relaxes to rest and watch busier activity go by.

PROGRAMMING AND LISTING 38

Religious Activity

Commercial Shops

Forest Trail Exercise spot Open Plaza

Chabutra Colonnade Food Court Basketball Court

Stepped Vegetation Water Body Inclined Pergola Cycle Track

Community Center

Open Amphitheater Informal Market Library Playground

Undulating Mounds

CENTRAL SPACE PLAN 39

SECTIONS 40

A’

B’ B’

A’

A B

The issues with the current socio-behavioral patterns were addressed by adapting different strategies : more possibilities for walking (room, street layout, interesting facades, freedom from major obstacles, and good surfaces), having an attractive edge for standing/staying (the â&#x20AC;&#x153;edge effectâ&#x20AC;?, where there are small pergolas within the facade), defŃ?ned activity spots, and resting spaces, sitting (including benches, low walls, statues, and so on). Other major parameter was the ability to see into the distance and view unhindered by buildings or other obstructions into the central space, and lighting, ability to hear and talk peacefully while maintaining low noise level, and benches or seating arranged such that people can easily sit in different arrangements that facilitate conversation, more room for play and other activities supported by physical activities including exercise and play; space for entertainment, both day and night, and in different times of the year). Simultaneously maintaining the aesthetic quality and positive sense experiences with good design and detailing, views and vistas; and inclusion of trees, plants and water.

ISOMETRIC PROJECTION 42

Play structure

Water Body + Shaded pergola

Open-air Amphitheater

Food Court + Open Plaza

Exercise + Community Spot

Walkway and Cycle tracks

Stepped Vegetation + Sitting

Lawns

Chabutra

TAXONOMY 43

EXERCISE 7

URBAN EDGE In this part, Building a Narrative for Humanizing Urban Space, activity abstraction patterns, Spatial Configuration and Urban Form on the edge on the central ground, Integration with open space and speculating the vertical built edge. 01 Part Plan Details 02 Structuring Urban Edge Plan _What is the connection you are defining with central open space _What is idea of interaction you are creating on the vertical plane of the edge _What is the idea of a building typology 4. How is public and private space defined _What is the interface of the building and the central space at ground level _What will be the building guidelines in sketches/diagrams 02 Bird eye Views

Humanizing Urban Spaces

03 Guidelines

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PART DETAILS 45

PART DETAILS 46

The design was aimed to create appropriate public spaces, including streets, streetscapes, formal public spaces, informal public spaces and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;forgottenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dead spaces. Integration of realms with people which reflects mutual dependencies whilst contributing towards a sense of community and connection with the place. The natural environemnt was considered to preserve and integrate the natural setting with the built environment.

BIRD EYE VIEW WITH ONE INTERIM EDGE

HUMAN EYE LEVEL VIEW

Face of the front line of buildings should face the central open space

Walkways connected at various levels

For the residential blocks side-end margins is 4.5 m Vehicular road 12 m Internal pedestrian roads connecting two semi-private spaces is 5 m

Ground floor should be commercial or retail - cafe, offŃ?ces, shops

Increased physical and social connectivity from private balconies to the central space Commercial use is only applicable on ground floor in case of road width 9-12 m

GUIDELINES

Permissible Building Height width) 12m : 25m

(road

Social interaction is a dimension of community sustainability spanning neighborliness, social networks within the neighborhood, relationships with friends and walking activities social interaction is a basic building block of social interactions that inspires positive levels of belongingness via the community context of interaction. Neighborhood and communities are thus interrelated via social and spatial features and sustainability of community is affected by the social cohesion of residential neighborhoods. It has been argued that ‘design should as far as possible be used to encourage high levels of social interaction’. The relation between an individual’s emotions and its connection with the physical environment. Indian context is profuse by personal and public encounters. “The food carts and people around them and the simple act of eating made the place appear intimate” (Ahuja 1997).

Humanizing Urban Spaces

The transformation of public spaces into private occupancies is what is aimed at where the space is used by different species and is occupied by the diversity in an harmonious nature. These spaces then become inclusive in terms of providing benefits to the society so people use maximum of it.

The speculative intervention for a contemporary urban space and interactive edge was attempted to provide opportunities for exploration of human and animal based activities. A community place where all communities irrespective of any discrimination be ‘humanizing’. People’s links to community — interactions with family, neighbours and friends — brings a lasting contentment and even happiness. Moments of pleasure and joy can be experienced in the daily encounters on the streets, in parks and in other public spaces. HAIYA DALAL UD0917 CEPT UNIVERSITY ***