Architectural Graduation Thesis : Rethinking Malek Saban Lake as a multivalent public open space by Karan Solanki

Rethinking

malek saban lake

as a multivalent public open space

© 2018 All Rights Reserved This is a text document written for a Bachelor’s design thesis at Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture. Karan Solanki Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture. Rajkot 360005, Gujarat. India.

APPROVAL

UNDERGRADUATE DISSERTATION V.V.P. SANCHALIT

INDUBHAI PAREKH SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE RAJKOT

The following study is hereby approved as credible work on the approved subject, carried out and presented in a manner sufficiently satisfactory to warrant its acceptance as a pre-requisite to the degree for which it has been submitted. It is understood that by this approval, the undersigned does not necessarily endorse or approve of any statement made, opinion expressed or conclusion drawn therein and approves the study only for the above purpose; and satisfies him as to the requirements laid down by the thesis committee.

Title: Rethinking Malek Saban Lake as a multivalent Public open space

Studio Co-ordinator: Prof. Hakimmudin Bharmal

Guide:

Signature: Signature: Date: Date:

Karan Solanki, A 2913

iii

PREFACE

The architecture practice should lead to the betterment of user. Every architect would agree but more often than not in the process of designing we forget the very fundamental layer we need to respond to; Nature. As a Designer tries to understand an individual client, relates to him, understands him and designs a home for his needs. In similar fashion, many over the period have designed spaces by understanding the needs of the user. The user being the humans that dwell into that place, the trees that grow on that land, the birds that fly over them, and the eco-system that maintains the life. While designing at any certain place, I was always told by my mentors that the study of the surrounding context is what gives the driving factors of the design. In simplest terms, as much as a user dwells into a place, same way the place dwells into a larger fabric. The effects of a place on its surrounding is as much as the effects of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surrounding on the place itself. This wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a question unanswered but a certain way of thinking process that one needed to follow to understand why have we defined spaces in complex yet singular terms of: built and unbuilt.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT There are innumerous people who might have knowingly- unknowingly helped me in my venture. I thank all of them if at all I have missed out to specifically mention the names.

“To All The Intellectually Ardent People”.

Figure 1. The Opium Smoker, Chitrashala, Bundi

Foremost, I would like to thank Prof. Devang Parekh for his invaluable guidance and helpful criticism during the study. I would like to express my gratitude to our thesis commitee for putting faith in me. I would eternally be indebt for all the things that I have learned from my seniors and my juniors along the way. I sincerely thank Prof.Jayesh Shukla, Prof. Hakimmudin Bharmal, and Prof. Hitesh Changela for being a mentor to me in the times of need. I would also like to thank IPSA ‘13 for being a wonderful company and keeping alive a healthy criticism and learning environment during this five years. I would like to thank Zenil Jiwani and my Parents for always believing in me, pushing me and accepting my failures. vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Approval iii Preface v Acknowledgement vi Chapter one - Curiousity & Aspirations 1.1: Background 1.2: Introduction 1.3: Aim 1.4: Objectives 1.5: Methodology 1.7:Rationale & justification 1.8: Expected results 1.9: Use of study

1 2 4 4 4 4 5 5 5

Chapter two - Literary research 2.1: Etymology 2.2: Summary of literature reviewed

6 7 8

Chapter three - Research design 3.1: Approach 3.2: Data to be collected 3.3: Methodology 3.4: Method of data presentation 3.5: Method of analysis for case study 3.6: Site selection criteria 3.7: Introduction to ahmedabad

26 27 27 27 27 27 28 31

Chapter four - Architectural research 4.1: Site location 4.2: Site analysis 4.3: Site photos

38 39 44 52

Chapter five - Brief, case study, programme 5.1: Interpretation of research findings into design brief 5.2: Case studies 5.3: Interpretation of design brief into programme

54 55 56 69

Chapter six - Conceptuals & design development 6.1: Design philosophy & concepts 6.2: Design development

73 74 78

References & bibliography 82 Endnotes 83 List of Figures 84

Appendix 88 vii

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tiny forest

chapter

one viii

CHAPTER ONE

CURIOSITY & ASPIRATIONS In 2015, during an architectural design studio the following site was selected to justify a programme consisting of an art and craft center at the race course ring road, the heart of Rajkot. Throughout that studio, I visited the site and realized the micro-climate it created amidst the busy context. The rich flora invited biodiversity and an ecologically favourable micro-climate for fauna surrounding the city. During design stages, I was motivated to preserve this diverse environment. Such design criteria suggested a sensitive approach when designing on certain site conditions which I came to acquaintance with later. However, came 2018 and the land owned by Akashvani was cleared off for the construction of it’s extention, which is yet to be started. The treatment has affected the natural environment in a very adverse way. The fauna no longer exists on the location and the vegetation has been greatly affected too. Witnessing such a drastic change quickly grabs one’s attention when belonging to the fraternity of architecture where we are asked to preserve each and every tree on site. To question this scenario, one mustn’t ask, ‘what can be done?’ but rather a more rational question would be ‘How can it be

done?’

Figure 2. Akashwani site on Race

course

Figure 3. The Micro climate in 2015

Figure 4. The Barren land in 2018

CHAPTER ONE

1.1: BACKGROUND In early history, When men started understanding the art of building shelter, he drew his inspiration from nature. Nature was a dominant force, powerful enough to withstand other forces & provide shelter to then meek men. As men grew, culture grew accordingly, as we moved towards a civilization throughout the worlds in different forms & different names. Nature was/is an integral part of our rituals, beliefs, mythology and ourselves. This reflection is also observed in evolution of architecture in our history. The palaces of Babylon, Temples of ancient india, Galta Kund of Jaipur, Vernacular architecture and Falling water of Frank Lyod Wright. In terminology, they talked about a dialogue between nature and built. An existent bond between human and nature and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reflection in architecture. A philosophy of architecture which promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world. This is achieved through design approaches that aim to be well-integrated with a site, so buildings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of a unified, interrelated composition.

Figure 5. Hanging Gardens of Babylon - 600 BC According to one legend, the Hanging Gardens were built alongside a grand palace known as The Marvel of Mankind, by the Neo-Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II (who ruled between 605 and 562 BC), for his Median wife Queen Amytis, because she missed the green hills and valleys of her homeland. This was attested to by the Babylonian priest Berossus, writing in about 290 BC, a description that was later quoted by Josephus.

CHAPTER ONE

Looking towards the current approach towards nature and environment, shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t questions be asked about the way one sees the intent of making? Shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we advocate an approach for protecting our environment by shaping according to it, not manipulating or destroying it for our needs.

Figure 6. An Existing Environment

How does a built environment relate with living fabric of nature?

Why architectural interventions should take from the environment and not give back? As public places of cities are the representation of the thoughts and culture of the city, an intervention in public realm which is environmentally relevant and engages to the user of the city can be a little step to awake the idea publically.

Figure 7. Right Architectural Intervention?

CHAPTER ONE

1.2: INTRODUCTION ‘Architecture is invariably associated with that which is ‘built’ but a city is almost in an equal measure defined by that which is ‘unbuilt’. Cities are the sum of its multitude of spaces and people’s interactions in them as a reflection of their culture. Same as a user that dwells into a place, the place dwells into a larger fabric, making an ecosystem. An active and vibrant public space is an integral part of the city. It replaces and to an extent also substitutes for the traditional idea of community. Where cultures are allowed to breathe and intermix.’ 1

In between this singular definitions, public spaces are lost and neglected in favour of land they occupy. Public spaces are a medium to not only connect humans to one another but also to connect them with the environment, ecosystem and in a metaphysical aspect-to an idea that represents their culture. While seeing the examples of some of the efficiently working public spaces like Central Park, Sayaji Baug, connaught place, Pompidou centre, they seem to accommodate valuable functional activities aside or within them. Serving as a space where recreational activities are overlapped with public building/s comprising of cultural activities that blend within the nature of a public space, without disturbing the environment of it. Functions like library, archives, temporary galleries or music events, are some of the activities observed to achieve such relation with the values of open space.

Public Open Space ‘Public - By its very definition, the word public is understood by its relationship to the word ownership - the important question here to be asked is if the word ‘public’ implies owned by “all” or owned by “none”. A Public space is generally considered a social space which is open and accessible to all people in the city. So, “Who Owns What” is generally understood as an important predetermining factor of the public space in a city. They are usually defined by equal access to users across all sections of a society, irrespective of economic and social status.

1.3: AIM: To Rethink Malek Saban Lake as a multivalent public open space by integration of built environment within it’s existing nature. 1.4: OBJECTIVES: • To understand the nature of public open spaces in urban context • To understand how a built environment can be in co-relation with nature. • To study the relation between built and unbuilt with respect to public spaces • To understand the influence of cultural context on city’s public spaces • To reinvigorate a built environment with elements of nature for recreational purposes.

Space - A popular statement by the Dalai Lama Space is that where we have not built - is the simplest definition that there is of this complex phenomenon. In a city this is usually defined by the absence as much as the presence of the built component. Though it is “empty” it is critical to remember that in a city this is never synonymous with “unused”. It is where a multitude of activities and functions occur and it is multivalent in nature. It can accord to its function and location. Many names - parks, plaza, squares, maidans, etc. In every space, there is an inbuilt definition of limits. Region, culture and its people define different limits and the limits eventually define the space and function.’ 1

1.5: METHODOLOGY: • Exploring various mediums like reading literary text to understand city accupuntures. • Mapping the site and analysing its context to identify the cultural activities to be incorporated into the program.

Types of Public open spaces in Indian context: Maidans - Maidans are large open spaces generally used as a parade ground or for events such as public meetings. It is utilized by fun fairs, mela, children playing cricket and other cultural activities. Park/ Gardens - Parks and gardens are utilized by people of the nearby neighbourhood for morning walks, for children to play and to connect.

1.6: SCOPE & PARAMETERS: • This Thesis aims to find a relevance between a public open space, it’s context and the existing environment. And how the co-relation itself finds the answers to revitalize the lake; both naturally & culturally.

1. Gupta, Archana, and Anshuman Gupta. Celebrating Public Spaces of India. Mapin Publishing, 2017. Print.

CHAPTER ONE Open Space 1. Open space is defined in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as land laid out as a public garden, or used for the purposes of public recreation, or land which is a disused burial ground. open space should be taken to mean all open space of public value, including not just land, but also areas of water such as rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs which offer important opportunities for sport and recreation and can also act as a visual amenity. 2. The following typology illustrates the broad range of open spaces that may be of public value: i. parks and gardens – including urban parks, country parks and formal gardens; ii. natural and semi-natural urban greenspaces – including woodlands, urban forestry, scrub, grasslands (e.g. downlands, commons and meadows), wetlands, open and running water, wastelands and derelict open land and rock areas (e.g. cliffs, quarries and pits); iii. green corridors – including river and canal banks, cycleways, and rights of way; iv. outdoor sports facilities (with natural or artificial surfaces and either publicly or privately owned) – including tennis courts, bowling greens, sports pitches, golf courses, athletics tracks, school and other institutional playing fields, and other outdoor sports areas; v. amenity greenspace– including informal recreation spaces, greenspaces in and around housing, domestic gardens and village greens. vi. cemeteries and churchyards; vii. civic spaces, including civic and market squares, and other hard surfaced areas designed for pedestrians; 3. Local authorities should also recognise that most areas of open space can perform multiple functions. They should take account of the various functions of open space when applying the policies in this document. These include: i. strategic functions: defining and separating urban areas; better linking of town and country; and providing for recreational needs over a wide area; ii. urban quality: helping to support regeneration and improving quality of life for communities by providing visually attractive green spaces close to where people live; iii. promoting health and well-being: providing opportunities to people of all ages for informal recreation, or to walk, cycle or ride within parks and open spaces or along paths, bridleways and canal banks. Allotments may provide physical exercise and other health benefits; iv. Havens and habitats for flora and fauna: sites may also have potential to be corridors or stepping stones from one habitat to another and may contribute towards achieving objectives set out in local biodiversity action plans; v. as a community resource: as a place for congregating and for holding community events, religious festivals, fetes and travelling fairs; and, vi. as a visual amenity: even without public access, people enjoy having open space near to them to provide an outlook, variety in the urban scene, or as a positive element in the landscape.2

• For designing such a city scale of public space, many parameters affect the design decisions and the outcome as the final result. The study limits itself to the design intervention of Malek saban lake focusing on the architectural parameters and not on the other parameters of urban planning and urban design. Any space can be looked at with various aspects. But this study will be limited to the natural and cultural landscape of the region. The design demonstration will give approaches to revitalize malek saban lake as an active cultural and recreational public space. Not all interventions will be done in detail. 1.7:RATIONALE & JUSTIFICATION: The Malek Saban lake precinct comprises of 29 hectare of large open land. Out of which only 30 percent is available to public access. Be it encroachment from slums, the dense flora or the unclean water or the unmanaged land used for the preparation of materials for nearby road constructions. In a city like ahmedabad where per capita open space is 0.37 m2, way below the standard of UDPFI; 8-10m2, specifically eastern ahmedabad where the lack of open space is evident even without the need of statistics, a open space of such large scale is already available, waiting to be treated in the right manner.

2. The UK National Ecosystem Assessment Technical Report, Edition: 1, Chapter: Urban [Ecosystem Services Assessment] Chapter 10, Publisher: UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, pp.50 (pp361-411)

1.8: EXPECTED RESULTS Public spaces are not only the need of the city but are also the image of the city. It represents the culture of generations. As ahmedabad is growing to become a so called smart city, it also needs to represent a positive response towards it’s natural landscape. The accessibility to this open spaces will not only affect sub-urban areas of Bapunagar and Rehmatnagar in the immediate context but also represent city’s attempts towards lake preservation. The Malek Saban Lake/ Lal Bahadur shastri Stadium will regain it’s importance as a recreational place in the eastern ahmedabad. 1.9: USE OF STUDY This study aims to understand and respond to the sensitive influences of the surrounding context on its public spaces and how they play a role into revitalization of the space. It can be referred to when dwelling into the direction of site specific response.

Figure 8. Aroma Essencial

“the earth isn’t blind and the mountains aren’t foolish.”

chapter

two 6

CHAPTER TWO

LITERARY RESEARCH:

2.1: ETYMOLOGY:

Figure 9. Origin of the word Nature

Nature, in the broadest sense, is the natural, physical, or material world or universe. “Nature” can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general

Figure 10. Origin of the word Integration

CHAPTER TWO

“Science can “make us masters and possessors of nature.” - Rene Descartes9

“Nature must be tortured for her secrets.” - Francis Bacon10

“The idea of nature as external has worked so effectively because capital must constantly locate natures external to it. Because these natures are historical and therefore finite, The exhaustion of one historical nature quickly prompts the “discovery” of new natures that deliver yet untapped sources of unpaid work.” - Jason Moore11

2.2: SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEWED • INTEGRATION WITH NATURE If we are to design for a sustainable world and a more integrated lifestyle with nature1 - we must first look at the current crises of the world with optimism. To create a new piece of architectural culture and a new method of practicing, it is important to explore the global, urban and individual contexts in which architecture is currently being practised.

• ENVIRONMENT Modernity has distanced ourselves from nature, to the point of not only a fragmented global society, but a fractured self-understanding of the individual6. Modernity saw nature as an object to be controlled and used. It was ignorant or oblivious, both to our dependence upon it and to how nature’s ceaseless creativity can alter our climate. Humanity has secreted itself into every corner of the earth and for controlled environment of the city7. Nature and the contemporary city seem at odds with each other, even putting them in the same sentence feels jarring. The contemporary city makes humanity feel in control, with hermetically sealed offices and distanced extractivism8 we can control the temperature and light in a space with no effort or thought for the violence involved in the fuel’s extraction. To further abstract our view of nature, infrastructures of power and food coming into the city are made invisible, as with the cities excretion of waste to a distant land. The illusion at play in the city is that life is linear, resources come in, they are used and then they disappear as waste. In the natural world however, there is no waste: all matter exists in cycles, all matter is absorbed then transformed. • CULTURE The city is the embodiment of culture. Our economy, politics, social structures and ethics are all globalised. The culture in which we live is still trapped in an anthropocentric arrogance, and nature, most notably through climate change, is starting to suffer irreparable damage. In the building of our cities we squeezed rivers and concreted over floodplains to build densely, we removed nature and created monocultured farms and we erected glass towers reliant upon fossil fuels. In Peter Buchanan’s Big Rethink12 he labels this age as the ‘Petro-chemical era’ of urbanism. Here, cities are both founded and dependent upon an abundance of oil, rendering them inherently fragile. The dominantly economic vision of the city is limited to practicalities and aesthetics. The feasibility of building a tower in the city is a question of capital practicality and investment: the glass tower seem like an obvious choice. If we were however to measure the feasibility of the structure with an ecological value system, where the materials were measured by their damage to ecosystems and the number of years it took to create the fuel consumed for those materials, we would start to see a very different feasibility.

This manifesto begins with a critique today, and progresses into synthesis, where the theoretical framework for Vibrant Natures is link between nature and culture2, which have been seen in isolation for much of the industrial era. Only now are they starting to collide and make visible their entanglement3. However, we are approaching connecting nature and cities potential vitality of the relationship. Guattaris4 believes that the current crises are not only the decay of the environment but all three of the Self. The divide between cultural progress and nature has been named The Metabolic Rift by Jason Moore5. Vibrant Natures is in response to the rift between nature and culture, and wishes to reconnect them through architecture and Landscape Design. 8

CHAPTER TWO

Figure 11. Richard Tornas - Cosmic and Psyche These diagrams are representing the ontological shift from being connected to nature to being se[erate from nature. In part due to urbanization and industrialisation.

Figure 12. Vibrant Natures We need to progress beyond the idea that nature and human beings are seperate and understand that cities and culture are interdependent with nature. Through integrating biodiversity into the city we can begin to reconcile the seld and nature.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The city gives a definite direction to nature.â&#x20AC;? - Martin Heidegger13

CHAPTER TWO

• SELF The understanding of the individual is changing, Brian Swimme believes “our consciousness is shifting from valuing individualism to embracing interdependence on a vast scale14. In the hope to remove nature(other), the New Materialist movement takes interdependence even further. Jane Bennetta15 suggests that there is no individual self only an interconnected web of vibrant matter, both human and non-human. The transition from individual self to interdependent self will challenge our view of nature, and how we design with and for it. Modernity understood nature as the object to be viewed and controlled. Ecological postmodernism being defined by New materialists and Ecological philosophy see human beings as of and ‘in’ nature. This strand of thought can be traced back to Henry Thoreau’s concept that human beings need to understand the world as ‘nature viewing nature’?16 The title of the manifesto has grown out of an ontology which sees human beings as ‘nature viewing nature’ Equally, as the materialist Bennett suggests, we must not divide the world into “dull matter (it, things) and vibrant life (us, beings) [as these] quarantines of matter and life encourage us to ignore the vitality of matter.17 I hope that by altering the lens through which I view the city and nature, I will be able to create a cultural product which enjoys the complexities and contingencies which taking place when collaborating with nature. Vibrant Natures is founded on interdependence and entanglement, between city and nature, and between human beings and nature.

CHAPTER TWO

Figure 13. Paul Klee - Ancient Sounds In this abstract painting Klee is showing the relationship between the soil and the flower. but also between nature and ourselves. Klee states that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the artist is a man. himself nature and part of nature in natural space...But the ways that this man pursues both in his production and in the related study of nature may vary. both in number and in kind, according to his view of his own position in the natural space.â&#x20AC;? Could we design cities in the way Klee has represented the ecology of soil unfolding into a flower?

CHAPTER TWO

• ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE To shift from the general issues of modernity and the decaying ecologies of environment, culture and self, how do these affect the architectural profession? Architecture is currently being practiced in an era of doctrinal self-belief. As the architectural profession is seeing modernism and postmodernism maturing, through the Starchitect we see an unapologetic pursuit of style and identity. Their individual ideas and styles are often acontextual or ambivalent to the damage done to the nature of the site. The particularities of a place mean than building need to be designed as pieces of city, no longer just objects.

to address the needs of sustainability, with the drive of capitalist market economies and the needs of clients-how then can they create a building which is culturally relevant on top of these issues? As mentioned previously, our value system is shifting from the individual to the interdependent community. Brian Eno recently labelled this shift from “genius to scenius”, as we move away from the “solitary genius towards a community of individuals each inspired by the other”. In Open Source Architecture, Carlo Ratti and Matthew Claudel18 define a new role of the Choral Architect, whose job is less a polymath but rather a strategist who can put the right profession in the right place within a project.

Modernism and Postmodernism have categorised architecture into separate subjects splitting the masterplan, the landscape, the building and the interior. In the same way as the Ford assembly line divided large complex tasks into smaller controlled tasks, architecture today is practiced as an assemblage of individuals. In Buchanan’s terms, this has not only distanced architecture from nature but created a crises of the imagination. Architects are struggling 12

CHAPTER TWO

SHIFTING AWAY FROM INDIVIDUALISM

Figure 14. Individual to Communal The role of the designer is becoming increasingly interdependent. The boundaries between disciplines are shifting and the platforms are there for collaboration to take place. Practice is becoming a complex web of agencies.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Solitary genius to a Scenius: a community of individuals each inspired by one another.â&#x20AC;? - Brian Eno

CHAPTER TWO

• SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE The environmentalist movement as we know it today began in the 1970s. Yet rather than presenting nature as something with the capacity to improve human wellbeing and to enjoy, the same rhetoric of nature as enemy remains. The environmentalism movement is returning to mainstream discussion out of fear for the environment destabilising our controlled cities. It has taken Climate Change for us to realise that we are a part of nature and now it is scaring us into action. Environmentalism, when born out of fear will always have a negative and reactionary lens. This is in part why in architecture, sustainability principles have been reduced to a technical process. Michael Braungart and William McDonough propose Cradle to Cradle19 as an alternative which “goes beyond the environmental chorus saying that growth is wrong and that it is virtuous to prune the pleasures we take in things like cars or shoes until there is no pleasure left.”. “The problem20 with architecture currently, Cedric Price argues is that “architecture lacks an authentic connection to nature.” While the problem is deeply complex and has taken generations of abstraction and

objectivity, the solution states Price, is simple: “We must bring nature back into architecture, we are made of nature in nature. We miss rhythms, we miss hot and cold, the lack of isolation from fossil fuels, the human beings need that. Just like it needs smell and taste.” Price is asking for a more authentic sustainability, which takes into account the poetic and romantic aspects of nature. He asks that architects pursue the subjective, experiential and phenomenal relationships between architecture and nature. I too tread the line between a technical and romantic interest in nature. I believe that for sustainability to be elevated beyond a stale technical issue, it must be infused with richness. If architects are to build public relation of nature and integrate it into appreciate the city, they cannot be mere technocrats but phenomenological urbanists who seek to integrate ecology, materialism and lyrical narrative into their work

CHAPTER TWO

IS ENVIRONMENTALISM THE ANSWER?

Figure 15. Experiential Sustainability Architects and Urban designers need to find new ways to make sustainabiity more enjoyable. We need to bring in the emotions, The senses and the meaning back in the way we design environmentally Restoractive architecture.

“Environmentalism still makes it difficult for a public convened by labelling, animals, vegetables, plants and minerals as a passive environment for humans to alter, rather than a vital materiality which at once human and non-human collaboration.” - Jane Bennett21

“Sustainability is about making people happy so they consume less.” - Gary Lawrence

“Cradle to cradle goes beyond the environmental chorus saying that growth is wrong and that it is vitruous to prune the pleasures we take in things like cars or shoes until there is no pleasure left.” - Michael Braungart, William McDonough22

CHAPTER TWO

CONTEXT

Figure 16. Cradle to cradle This diagram shows the levels of ecological success in design often it is hard to achieve the middle: socio-ecologic-economic.

CHAPTER TWO

ECOLOGICAL POSTMODERN

Figure 17. Ecological Postmodernism Chart

CHAPTER TWO

Intervention at different scale Public space

Figure 18. Singapore gardens by the bay- supertree cloud forest

Private space

Figure 19. Pennsylvania, Fallingwater

CHAPTER TWO

Small

Figure 20. Town Hall - Alvar Alto

Temporary

Figure 21. Serpentine Gallery-Pavilion-Peter Zumthor

CHAPTER TWO

Neighbourhood

Figure 22. Portland - The De-Pavers This activist group has had enough of concrete and tarmac in their city. They volunteer to tear up car parks and playgrounds and re wild the city. This may seem small but it has the potential t revitalise the soils ecosystem in the city and encourage the return of local flora and fauna.

Medium

Figure 23. United States - Bateson Building The Bateson building was one of the earliest ecological and environmentally sustainable designs in the United States. Sim Von Der Ryn has been at the frontier of ecological architecture since the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. The Bateson building mixed rational concrete grids with trees, Canopies and awnings which make the building energetic and in a process of change.

CHAPTER TWO

Large

Figure 24. London Masterplans East Architects have been instrumental in creating ecologically focused public spaces in London. Their urban design is pursuing ecological and social diversity and is often created with subtle insertions into the urban fabric. The Dalston Curve garden awwakens you to a possibility of wildnerness in the city.

Urban

Figure 25. Mecannoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s masterplan - Netherlands Government The Netherlands has always been in careful balance between urbanisation and water, therefore ecology has always been integral to their urban development. The country is in pursuit of a complete zero emission cities by 2030 and has employedstrategies which fully integrate the seasons, ecological maps and tidal heights into their growing cities.

CHAPTER TWO

Public Space Public or collective space is seen as a platform for ‘social and political mobilization. The focus of designers and planners is on creating spaces that ‘act as flexible frameworks for the multiple opportunities and possibilities for social, political and cultural change. In both urban as well as rural environments, public space is seen as an integral element of sociocultural interaction.1

According to Places Journal (Characteristics and Guidelines of Great Public Spaces), a designer must ask him or herself the following questions when designing a public space-How does the public space • Capitalize on building design, scale, architecture, and proportionality to create interesting visual experiences, vistas, or other qualities? • Accommodate multiple uses? • It is accessible via walking, biking, or public transit? • Use, protect, and enhance the environment and natural features? • Reflect the community’s local character and personality? • Foster social interaction and create a sense of community and neighbourliness? • Provide a sense of comfort or safety to people gathering and using the space? • Encourage use and interaction among a diverse cross section of the public?

When engaging with community and the city, both groups architects, urban planners and other creatives as well as the community in question- must aim to learn as from one another. Though designers create with specific intentions, it must be kept in mind that’the concepts of public space, democracy and citizenship are ultimately redefined by people through life experience’2 The public realm in not limited to built form and landscape, art and temporary structures all form a part of it as well. For the purpose of this study, built form is the focus. However, more important than the stylistic language or building structure, are the experiences such projects make possible.3

1, 2, 3. Klanten, Robert. Going Public: Public Architecture, Urbanism and Interventions. Die Gestalten Verl., 2012.

CHAPTER TWO

Space for Engagement The ‘Centre for Community Development’ is an intervention in the public realm that specifically, aims to be a ‘space for engagement’, to strengthen community ties. It is believed that the more people get a chance to interact with each other, the more community spirit will be fostered For these processes to be set in motion, according to Burte(2008), the space must possess the following qualities• Occupiability • Penetrability • Legibility • Sociability

Figure 26. The second image shows a more occupiable space,

owning to increase in comfort

Occupiability The affordance offered by an environment for pause and durable occupation is known as occupiability. In order to occupy a space, one must feel safe from perceivable threats. Apart from the obvious threats such as traffic, the scale and size of the space, as well as the organization of seating entrances and exits may also affect the perception of safety. It is important to understand that the identity based on gender, age, class, ethnicity and religion may also affect the perception of safety. Often, design of the space may have limited impact on this experience Comfort is another factor central to occupiability Environmental Comfort is achieved by protecting the users against climatic conditions that hinder pause, like extreme heat or cold, rain, snow etc. Physical Comfort must be taken into consideration- the need for facilities for physical rest. Figure 27. First image shows visual penetrability and the second

image shows existential penetrability

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Penetrability The manner in which an environment allows itself, its spaces and its barriers to be penetrated by the dweller, is known as Penetrability. Burte (2008) writes that penetrability may be of two types- Visual and Extensional. Where visual penetrability refers to the way in which oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gaze is allowed to penetrate spaces and barriers, extensional penetrability refers to the physical act of moving in or through a space. Legibility The manner in which an environment presents itself for perception and comprehension, is known as legibility. The term was introduced by Kevin Lynch in The Image of the City (1960). Legibility in the built environment can be understood on the basis of- the ease with which a building and its parts can be discerned as objects. the ease with which an environment can be mapped mentally the manner in which the environment and its parts offer a balance of accommodation and challenge our basic cognitive tendencies- provide stimulus to our sense Sociability The manner in which an environment affords social contact, is known as sociability. An environment that induces a desirable nature and level of co-presence and that catalyses social interaction, is deemed sociable (Burte 2008). Community formation is possible when people are co-present. Here copresence is seen as an opportunity for encounter (Hillier in Burte 2008)

Figure 28. First image shows an illegible space an the second

image by virtue of its articulation, is legible

Figure 29. A decrease in space available for movement will lead

to an increase the chances of encounter

CHAPTER TWO

a). Children Playing

b). Public Speeches

Types of Public Activities Typical activities observed in public spaces include recreational and cultural activities. commonly used for refreshment, exercise and recreation. While all the cultural activities include mela, parade and public speeches.

c). Sports

d). Parade

e). Cycling

f). Refreshment

g). Recreate

h). Jogging

i). Family Time

j). Exercise

k). Mela

l). Eating

j). Walking

Figure 30. Activities in public spaces in indian context

escape from the labyrinth

chapter

three 26

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN

3.1: APPROACH To understand the relation between built environment and open spaces, the design approach could have been of two types. Either to find an environmentally sensitive site and integrate function into it without disturbing it’s original nature. Or find a existing functional built and treat it with necessary nature adaptive architecture. It would best serve the purpose of this thesis if integration is done with already built structures. However to first learn how the integration between built & nature works, this thesis leans towards the approach where already a rich biodiversity and environment exists, then analysing the functional needs of the context and realizing the idea of integration.

3.2: DATA TO BE COLLECTED 3.3.1: Open space comparison chart 3.3.2: Introduction - Ahmedabad 3.3.3: Ahmedabad - public open space 3.3.4: Ahmedabad - Mapping 3.3.5: History ahmedabad 3.3: METHODOLOGY 3.4.1: Observations 3.4.2: Interviews 3.4.3: More Literature Review 3.4.4: Questionary survey 3.4.5: Photographic survey 3.4.6: Map Making 3.4.7: Case study method 3.4: METHOD OF DATA PRESENTATION Architectural drawings Tables and Charts Infographics & Sketches Photographs 3.5: METHOD OF ANALYSIS FOR CASE STUDY • Figure Ground • Design Philosophy • Hierarchy of spaces • Built form organization • Open Spaces • Climate Study • Required spaces • Circulation • access

built environment = Open spaces

Figure 31. The image shows an abstract form of site to be selected

CHAPTER THREE

3.6: SITE SELECTION CRITERIA On basis of the aim of the study :

Environmentally sensitive

Scale of the intervention

An urban context

Need for a public open space in a dense fabric

Figure 32. Diagrams of Site Selection Criteria

Accessible to the city

CHAPTER THREE

STUDY OF OPEN SPACES: NEED Vs. REALITY Comparison of open spaces & green spaces in different cities.

WHO - 8m 2

VIENNA - 125m 2

UDPFI-8-10m 2

Green Space per capita:

SINGAPORE - 66m 2

AMSTERDAM - 45.5m 2

LONDON - 25m 2

TOKYO - 4m 2

MUMBAI - 1.1m 2

AHMEDABAD - 0.37m 2 Figure 33. Chart comparing per capita green spaces of cities

Figure 34. Per capita open spaces

CHAPTER THREE

... ..... ....... ............. ............ ............. .......... ....... .......... ....... .......... .......... .............. ............... ................. ..... .................. ....... ................... ....... . ....................... ........ .............................. .. ......... ........ .................................... ........................................ . . ..... ........................................... ..... .............................................. ..... ............................................ .... . ................................................ ............................................ . .................................................. ..... ........................................ ..... ..................................... ..................................... .................................... ................................. ................................ ............................... ............................. ........................... ......................... ........................ ..................... .................. ................. ................ ............... ............... ............... .............. ............. ........... ........... .......... ........ ....... ..... ...

... ..... ....... ............. ............ ............. .......... ....... .......... ....... .......... .......... .............. ............... ................. ..... .................. ....... ................... ....... ............................... ....................... .. ........ ........ .................................... ........................................ . . ......... ..... ........................................... ..... .............................................. ..... ............................................ .... . ................................................ ............................................ . .................................................. ..... ........................................ ..... ..................................... ..................................... .................................... ................................. ................................ ............................... ............................. ........................... ......................... ........................ ..................... .................. ................. ................ ............... ............... ............... .............. ............. ........... ........... .......... ........ ....... ..... ...

Figure 35. Location of Ahmedabad on the map

CHAPTER THREE

3.7: INTRODUCTION TO AHMEDABAD On basis of the aim of the study : Ahmedabad is the 7th largest city in india. It spreads on both banks of Sabarmati river, and its urban areas extended into the city of Gandhinagar, Als located along the west banks of Sabarmati to its north. LATITUDE : LONGITUDE : CLIMATE : SOIL TYPE : VEGETATION : GEOLOGY : TEMPERATURE : HUMIDITY : RAINFALL :

2304’ N 72034’ E HOT & DRY BROWN SANDY & CLAYEY DRY DECIDUOUS TYPE COVERED BY RECENT & SUB-RECENT FORMATIONS MONTHLY MEAN SUMMER - 41C; MONTHLY MEAN WINTER - 18.8 C MONSOON MONTHS R.H. 80% ; NON MONSOON MONTHS R.H. 30% 800MM PER ANNUM

LOCATION: The city is surrounded by extensive agricultural area. Kheda district to thesouth east of the city is one of the prime agricultural regions of the country. Ahmedabad is a vital centre connecting various parts of the state: Kutch, Saurastra, North Gujarat, East and South Gujarat. COMMUTATION: Mumbai-Delhi national highway 8 passes through Ahmedabad. Most of the state’s industrial estates are located along this highway. The city has excellent rail and air connectivity to important cities in the country. Local connections within the region are surveyed by the meter gauge railways and good quality road corridors. The city act as a hub connecting important ports in Kachchh and Saurastra

Figure 36. Satellite Imagery of Ahmedabad - 2018

CHAPTER THREE

HISTORY OF AHMEDABAD:

Figure 37. Growth of Ahmedabad city INCEPTION Existing villages in the region include a. Karnavati to the South b. Ashaval to the East c. Asarva to the North 1411 AD - Sultan Ahmed Shah lays the foundations of Ahmedabad on the banks of the sabarmati river.

WALLED CITY CITY IS built along the extended axis of the Bhadra fort and the jumma Masjid.

BRITISH EMPIRE

1487 AD - Construction of Fort wall is completed by Md. Begada. 1573 AD - Ahmedabad is caputured by Akbar and annexed to the Mughal Empire.

1413 AD - Construction of Bhadra Fort is completed.

1753 AD - Ahmedabad under Maratha empire.

1423 AD - Construction of Jumma Masjid completed.

City becomes center of textile trae and commerce.

1818 AD - Ahmedabad is inducted into the British Empire.

INDEPENDENCE 1918 AD - Mahatma Gandhi established the Satyagrah Ashram.

POST-INDEPENDENCE All development plans undertaken by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

1824 AD - Cantonment is established North of the walled city.

1930 AD - Ahmedabad is a major financial and political stronghold for the INC.

1915 AD - First town planning scheme in Ahmedabad.

1861 AD - First Textile mill opened by Ranchodlal Chotalal, Shahpur Mills.

1947 AD - India Gains Independence.

1864 AD - Ahmedabad is connected by railway to Mumbai. 1870 AD - Ellis bridge opens.Development on West bank.

ROAD NETWORK - AHMEDABAD:

Figure 38. Auda - Existing Road network of Ahmedabad

1950 AD - Onwards, multiple institutions have been set up in the city. 1960 AD - Ahmedabad is named the capital of Gujarat. 1970 AD - Capital shifted to Gandhinagar.

CHAPTER THREE

MAPPING OF PUBLIC SPACES:

Large Open space on the western side held by institutions. Most public open spaces in the new city are in he form of small t medium sized parks, while those in the old city are in the forms of chowks and streets. Unlike the old city, where hierarchy of open spaces is evident, the nodes in the contemporary city are merely intersections. These nodes donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help in lending image to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structure.

Figure 39. Map showing the existing public spaces in Ahmedabad

OPEN SPACES - AHMEDABAD:

Figure 40. Existing Gardens, Water Bodies & Other Open Spaces

CHAPTER THREE

SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY: The water supply needs of Ahmedabad city are presently met from three sources. Surface well in Sabarmati River French well in Sabarmati River By intake well constructed in River Sabarmati (Narmada canal water is released in river which is pumped through intake well) 83 percent of the water is supplied to the residential area, 11 percent for institution, commercial an industrial needs and 6 percent to public stand posts. There are altogether 2158 public stand posts in the city.

Figure 41. Water Supply Map

STORM WATER DRAINAGE: Storm water drains in the city cover only 23% of the roads in the city. These storm water drains discharge storm water into River Sabarmati at 42 locations, of which currently only 27 locations are functional. Storm water drains in the city are poorly developed and many parts of the Western and eastern zone experience water- logging problems during the rainy season However, the Walled City area does not have any problems of flooding water logging In the periphery the system is yet to be developed in most parts. CITY Projects • For overcoming of water logging & flooding problems, it is proposed to provide storm water drainage system of adequate capacity in the remaining AMC area; so as to dispose off flood water, safely to the • 70 Lakes Rejuvenation Plan • Periphery: 41 Lakes connected with storm water drains, • Slum relocation, greening, linking with Narmada Canal

Figure 42. Storm water drainage Map

CHAPTER THREE

Water Resource with Topography: The image shows the natural water reservoirs with respect to topography of ahmedabad.

Figure 43. Water Resource Map

Figure 44. Satellite image with selected area for further study

CHAPTER THREE

TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL FEATURES

Figure 45. Mapping of Natural features

Sabarmati River is an important resource of the city, surrounded by several lakes in and around it. The settlements have developed along these water bodies. Such as Vastrapur, Kankaria etc. Ahmedabad city has mild slopes, sloping towards the river.

POPULATION DENSITY

Figure 46. Map of Population density

The density is high along the old city area near Sabarmati River and reduces as one moves towards the ring roads. This shows us the potential for development along the peripheries. There is a contrasting density along the western and eastern side of the city. The eastern side has high density closely knitted fabric where railways and mills being the trigger for people to settle whereas western side of Ahmedabad is quickly developing and reflects a modern phase of city.

LAND USE

Figure 47. Map with identified land use

The landuse map shows a strong distinction between Eastern and Western side of Ahmedabad. The western side has institution zone and major commercial and recreation spaces such as S.G Highway, C.G Road etc The eastern side has majorly industrial areas and transit systems such as railway station, S.T Bus stand. The people constantly keep moving from eastern to western part or vice versa

Source: Base map from Google Earth pro - Redrawn on base map by CEPT, Planning Dept.

CHAPTER THREE

ROAD NETWORK

Figure 48. Map with major road network

The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth is radial due to its road network. The city is connected through several ring roads and radial roads. The first ring surrounds the old city, the second ring encompasses the urban village and the developing Ahmedabad. , the third ring road is connected through the radial roads where the new developments are taking place

OPEN SPACES

Figure 49. Open spaces of ahmedabad

Sabarmati river is a major potential open space for the city. The stretch has several open space such as Kankaria , Vastrapur Law garden etc. Certain unused open space are also seen in the western part. These are major areas for development.

SLUMS

Figure 50. Map with slums location

Most of the slums are located along the eastern side of the city. The slums are located along the Sabarmati River edge and along the railway station Several slums are also seen in and around the G. I.D. C area. These show a large amount of migrants settling in the eastern Ahmedabad and further densifying the areas.

Source: Base map from Google Earth pro - Redrawn on base map by CEPT, Planning Dept.

culture is the articulation of nature

chapter

four 38

CHAPTER FOUR

ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH

4.1: SITE LOCATION Malek Saban Lake

Figure 51. Location of Malek Saban Lake in East Ahmedabad

Figure 52. Malek Saban Lake

CHAPTER FOUR

SITE PLAN

Figure 53. Site Plan & section

CHAPTER FOUR

N.T.S.

CHAPTER FOUR

Figure 54. Infographic about the History of Malek Saban Lake

CHAPTER FOUR

4.2: SITE ANALYSIS Evolution of the area over the years 2000-2017

Figure 55. Satellite image of site - 2017

Figure 56. Satellite image of site - 2010

CHAPTER FOUR

Figure 57. Satellite image of site - 2005

Figure 58. Satellite image of site - 2000

CHAPTER FOUR

SITE OBSERVATIONS:

Existing Trees on site: Gulmohar tree Sapan wood tree Kanchnar tree Neem tree Yellow Gulmohar Badam Banyan Peepdo Bawad Junglee vel Figure 59. Existing trees on site the structure of the stem of a leaf is divided into two types. Simple and compound. Simple structure has one leaf on one stem while a compound structure is further divided into two parts. Pinnately compound and Palmatelly compound in pinnately the leaf grow from one stem in either opposite or alternate patterns. The Palmately compound has more than one leaves growing from one stem.

summer

different trees have different effects of seasons on to them. some shed leaves and are left with only branches during autumn and some stay green throughout the year.

color of flowers

some common trees of india :

monsoon

palm tree

evergreen trees

‘or fruit..or cone it all works.’

obovate

copperpod tree

silhoutee

LEAVES

rounded

Imli tree

‘the insides of a tree’

‘the outline of it’s shape’

‘food factories’

deltoid

badam tree

olive tree

Bark

‘They are simple or compound’

Champa tree

kachnar tree

leaf structure

star shaped

guava tree

‘tells you when things happen to them’

opposite

oval

ashok tree

Seasons

FLOwer

eliptical

gulmohar tree

palmately compound

decidious trees

peepal tree

decidious trees

ovate

banyan tree

mango tree

pinnately compound

alternate

nilgiri tree

autumn

size of fruit

neem tree

how The

co m m o

inent n trees in indian subcont

to id entif

large canopy

conical

palm

small foliage

a tree

light foliage

Figure 60. Infographic on how to identify trees

dense foliage

CHAPTER FOUR

Existing Context of site: • Residential Zone • Occupation Based Users a). Industrial Workers b). Small Businesses • Surrounded by Slums, Chawls and MIG Residential on northen and eastern side. • Roads on two sides with a 800 m distance connecting to Norala highway.

Figure 61. Context of malek saban lake

Figure 62. Important landmarks around malek saban lake

CHAPTER FOUR

SITE MAPPING

Figure 63. Built Vs. Open Map

Green spaces Open Spaces

Figure 64. Green Cover & Open Spaces

CHAPTER FOUR

Residential Mixed use Industrial Institutional Commercial

Figure 65. Land Use map

Hindu Caste based Communities Mixed Muslim caste based Communities

Figure 66. Community Maping

CHAPTER FOUR

CLIMATE & TOPOGRAPHY MAPPING

Figure 67. Sun path diagram on site

Figure 68. Summer winds on site

CHAPTER FOUR

Figure 69. Topography on site

Figure 70. Winter winds on site

CHAPTER FOUR

4.3 SITE PHOTOS:

Figure 71. Site

Figure 72. Current entry to the Lake Figure 73. Existing garden being used by public

Figure 76. The island in the centre of the lake

Figure 75. Existing garden

Figure 74. Encrochment of slums from southern side

CHAPTER FOUR

e Panaroma

Figure 77. The lower water level during summer

Figure 78. Lush green spaces on the island

Figure 79. Production from raw materials for ongoing construction of roads nearby

Figure 80. Railing surrounding the lake precinct

Figure 81. Key plan for views

N.T.S.

a hope to regenerate harmony

chapter

five 54

CHAPTER FIVE

BRIEF, CASE STUDIES, PROGRAMME

5.1: INTERPRETATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS INTO DESIGN BRIEF â&#x20AC;˘ DESIGN BRIEF Malek Saban Lake is situated on the large open land of 26 Hectares in east Ahmedabad. It is surrounded by residential area on all sides & currently is an unused to minimal use for public activity. The surrounding has two very peculiar slums(Basti) which deals with trauma of communal riots. Community of Hindu & Muslim have had built a virtual boundary between them which reflects on the influence of this empty to minimally used Malek Saban lake which suffers from encroachments from both community. With a hope to regenerate harmony, give the space back to public and to revive the natural environment of malek saban lake, A Centre for communal harmony and development along with a food bazaar, Indoor sports facility and other programs are to be executed within the public nature of Malek Saban lake. This will create a sub urban neighbourhood lake development programme which will help this communities to come together, talk to each other, understand each other & live in harmony. Rethinking Malek Saban Lake as a public park along with other functions will also help create an opportunity for people of ahmedabad to recreate.

CHAPTER FIVE

5.2: CASE STUDIES Acupuncture of the City - Zawalna, Wroclaw

as a Sub-Urban social catalyst for the neighbourhood

Section A-A’

Site plan

N.T.S.

Activity plan

N.T.S.

Section B-B’

Axonometric

Figure 82. Site drawings of city acupuncture - Zawalna

CHAPTER FIVE

The project creates a subtle framework for all of the activities listed, zoning the area to the entrance square with the cubature, the park and the Odra river meadows, combining them with a walking and cycling route with the structure of the entire city. Working also in the social dimension strengthens neighbourly bonds and enables the arduous building of civil society, residents aware of their place and identifying with it as an alternative to anonymous block-rooms - bedrooms. This multiplicity of mutual interactions, obtained with very modest architectural means, finds recognition in the eyes of the Competition Jury as a model solution for this type of degraded urban areas. “

The project received the first prize in the competition “Acupuncture of the City” of the Association of Polish Architects SARP as part of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław ECC 2016 for the development of urban and architectural concept of land development between Zawalna Street and the Różanka Canal in Wrocław. From the Jury’s justification: “Work in the most appropriate way has read out the values o f the currently neglected place and the possibility of using them. The space has been treated as a universal background for various forms of activity. The creation of this attractive space is based on creating a framework in which social life develops. Quoting the authors, “public space is not a derivative of walls and floors, but rather a solution to a complicated equation, which all its users are unaware of and the result - the whole of events at a given moment”. The authors, thanks to the design of the necessary facilities, propose the participation of residents in the formation of space, consisting in making a choice, from a variety of activities included in the project - from everyday use and rest in the park proposed to the nearest residents through fairs, fairs and festivities with the possibility of barbecue for mass events and concerts, in the zone of embankments and floodplains.

The competition within the framework of the project “Acupuncture of the City”, implemented as part of the architectural program of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 and co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, whose dispatcher is the National Forum of Music. The project is carried out in cooperation with the Impart 2016 Festival Office, which is the organizer of the celebration of the ECC Wrocław 2016.

N.T.S. Axonometric

Figure 83. Axonometric view representing the public actvities

CHAPTER FIVE

N.T.S.

Figure 84. isometric view representing the play in landscaping Schemetic Diagrams

Tram loop

Direction of action

Pavilions

Place

Extending the square

Park

Program

Bus-stop

Kiosk

Place

Bicycle parking

Parking

Hammock

Fruit Trees

Toilets

Expanding benches

Food truck

Chairs

Rental shops

Tables

Stairs

Fire place

Lighting

Outdoor gym

Warehouse/ Storage

Christnmas market

Foodtruck Festival

Concert

Dance Party

River Day

Scenarios of the functioning of the square

Weekday

Figure 85. Illustration representing the potential of public activities

CHAPTER FIVE

Figure 86. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate

INFERENCES: The project aims to bring the neighbourhood together by executing a programme with functions and spaces designed to create interaction into public realm. The Built environment is hardly closed spaces and because of that expands beyond itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical boundaries providing opportunities for involvement The circulation is from the middle of the intervention again connecting the road to the beach and water acting as a medium of interaction. The Variety in landscaping and flora brings a distinct vibe and breaks the monotony of otherwise dull public parks

Figure 87. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate

CHAPTER FIVE

Hunnarshala Foundation, Bhuj- Kutch, India as an institute promoting skill development .

Figure 88. Images of Hunnarshala

Figure 89. Section aa - Hunnarshala

Hunnarshala foundation brought back to kutch a nugget of building knowledge, a skill and sometimes the artisans themselves from all over the world. The rammed earth walls of the office building were built by a migrant labour called Rakesh who now provides his expertise in earth construction to

N.T.S.

prestigious restoration projects on UNESCO sites in UAE and has helped insurgent returnees in Banda, Aceh, Indonesia, to make their own production centres of stabilized earth blocks for the tsunami reconstruction.

CHAPTER FIVE

Figure 90. Site plan of hunnarshala

Modern societies generate tremendous waste, so the foundation also takes into account how some of this can be used for construction in the cities. Post-earthquake, the city’s debris choked one of the lakes; with technology the architects have begun building homes in the slums and have proposed the building of 10,000 more under the slum-free city programme of the government. Low-cost walls were developed using construction debris. Waste from tile, aggregate and ceramic factories were used for walling.

Kutch is situated at the confluence of the Islamic and Hindu traditions. To promote and celebrate a syncretic culture, in the early 19th century, the Maharao of Kutch set up a ‘hunnarshala’ in Bhuj. The word ‘hunnar’ is use both in Urdu and Hindi and connotes the ‘arts’ in Urdu and ‘skills’ in Hindi; However, both agree that it is a desirable and respectable attribute in artisans and represents the values embedded in the arts and science of their times. The shala or school contributed richly, integrating the arts and skills from all over the world with the already rich local traditions.

Figure 91. section bb - hunnarshala

N.T.S.

CHAPTER FIVE

Figure 93. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate

Figure 92. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate

INFERENCES: Hunnar shala and Karigar Shala both are built using earthly materials. Materials which respond and respect the environment. The spaces drew their spatial qualities from the language of materials, open learning spaces often extending into circulation area. As kutch is a hot and dry region, the scorching heat waves create a harsh outdoor environment and this has been one of the reason for itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s orientation and massing. All closed spaces open into semi open spaces and thus creates interesting volume.

CHAPTER FIVE

A Community Centre, Ahmedabad, India as an attempt to create harmony amongst the two communities.

Figure 94. A symbol of communal harmony

Similar endeavours can be made in several such settlements across the country. This will inculcate a sense of responsibility in the locals for better usage of common areas, and also promote the causes of literacy and communal harmony.

In terms of maturity and material sensitivity, we used recycled glass bottles and bamboo for screen windows. Retaining the existing buildings, new structures were designed such that the two respect and complement each other.

The sustainability of the project was also addressed appropriately. Keeping the existing building intact, modifications and improvements were made wherever required. This saved the half cost of the building compare to creating new building. Use of local materials, and reusing materials resulted in considerable saving of energy and cost.

The beauty of this project lies in its adaptability; the idea can be replicated in any underdeveloped urban area.

CHAPTER FIVE

Known as Ram-Rahim Tekro which means the hill of Lord Ram (Hindu God) & Allah (Muslim God), the other side of this little hillock faces the river Sabarmati. This settlement has an almost equal proportion of Hindu and Muslim families. Mainly comprising the families of rickshaw drivers of Ahmedabad, and earning daily wages, the womenfolk of the settlement work as maids helping in household chores for the wellto-do homes in the surrounding localities. Children here have hardly any access to schools or any other learning facilities. Hailing from rural communities, and having no means to upgrade their living conditions and no access to facilities, they have faced a lot of hostility over the years. This program, the first of its kind in Ahmedabad, seeks to treat the community with kindness and respect, and to help rebuild their self-esteem.

HPA considers it a great privilege to be the design firm selected for this job. The main challenge was to understand the locality and its interpersonal equations. “The project posed a few serious questions; with ‘how to win the trust of this neighborhood’ being the most significant one. These are hardworking people and most of them are illiterate and many of them are addicted. But as designers we wanted to deliver the best, we held on to this belief and that’s the reason we were able to deliver this beautiful project to community despite facing difficulties. The most satisfying thought is that it could alter the future of the children from the community,” asserts Patel. The once neglected area now has a sense of place, and has become the community’s pride and identity; besides being a symbol of religious harmony.

Figure 96. Use of local materials

Figure 95. blend of the built with existing structures

Working on an urban scale, on a live and complex problem is a huge learning experience; and to arrive at a comprehensive and sustainable solution would be indeed an extremely rewarding feeling.

CHAPTER FIVE

The idea that the children of weaker socio-economic backgrounds deserve the same facilities as those from the higher strata, became a powerful philosophy; driving the architect to create international class of architecture, while also blending with the immediate neighborhood.

The brief was to create a Community Center in an underprivileged urban area. The design concept started from the need to reform and restructure the space, and create one that will dissuade negative usage of it. The typically unhygienic conditions in such urban settlements had to be addressed. In this complex, existing structures were modified sensitively, respecting the fact that they were made by the locals and also keeping in mind their religious significance. A few more spaces were created to be used as a community-learning place for children. With all local constraints posing challenges, the design solution evolved a world-class community space and school for local children, where locals also participated in the process of construction.

While conceptualizing the complex, it was clear that the architecture itself would instil many values in children using the community center; sustainability being the primary one – as a lot of recycled and reusable materials and elements have been used in the building. “The interesting aspect we got to learn while studying the neighborhood is that the houses built by the locals too are quite sustainable, due to constraints of finance and space. We, at HPA faced the same constraints while designing but we had technology on our side, which helped us through the project,” informs Ar. Hiren Patel, who had the vision to see a magnificent opportunity hidden among the many challenges and limitations of the project.

The design concept emerged from an approach that “a child does not know poverty, rather he shouldn’t.’’ This very premise filtered out the possibility of creating a substandard facility.

N.T.S.

Figure 97. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate

CHAPTER FIVE

Figure 98. Sketches representing the quality of spaces

Figure 99. View of the community centre

CHAPTER FIVE

INFERENCES: The programme was dealt with sensitivity, the mosque and temple both creating a common space and the community center was designed to bring literacy and community harmony The use of existing building and local materials to reduce cost. The use of dense trees to provide shade & promote a recreational and peaceful environment.

Figure 100. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate

CHAPTER FIVE

Figure 101. The River by Maaike Bakker

CHAPTER FIVE

5.3: INTERPRETATION OF DESIGN BRIEF INTO PROGRAMME â&#x20AC;¢ PROGRAMME FOR A SUB-URBAN LAKE DEVELOPMENT

Lake Administrative: Garden & Park: Silent Zone Private Zone Sitting Zone Play Zone Landscape Communal Harmony & Development Centre: Educational Zone Food Bazaar: Kiosk Zone Indoor Sports Stadium: Swimming Zone Exercise Zone Yoga Zone Public Amenities: Cycle Track Pedestrian paths Butterfly Garden Bird Watching Pavilion Cactus Pavillion Public Toilets:

CHAPTER FIVE

Communal Harmony & Development Centre: ADMINISTRATIVE Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Administration

Meeting Room

45m2

NGO offices

20m2

Volunteer’s Centre

108

108m2

Information Centre

200

200m2

Audio Visual Room

40m2

Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Entry Lobby

Waiting area + Info Desk

100

100m2

Counsellor’s Room

10m2

Admin’s Offices

36m2

SKILL BUILDING & EDUCATION CENTRE Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Training for Service Sector

Classrooms

65-70

700m2

Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Metal Works

Workshop

250

250m2

Store

18m2

Welding Room

9m2

Workshop

250

250m2

Store

12m2

Workshop

100

100m2

Store

12m2

Workshop

100

100m2

Store

12m2

Workshop

150

150m2

Store

12m2

Wood Works Electrical works Plumbing works Masonry works

CHAPTER FIVE

Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Cooking

Food Lab

250

250m2

Preps Storage

120

120m2

Sewing & Embroidery

Clothes Lab

100

100m2

Domestic

Home Lab

100

100m2

Cosmetology

Cosmetology Lab

150

150m2

Basket-making

Work Area

100

40m2

Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Junk Management

Workshop

100

100m2

Store

30m2

Classroom

80m2

Store

20m2

Classroom

80m2

Store

10m2

Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Library

Study Cubicles

100

100m2

Books Storage

120

120m2

Computer centre

80m2

Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Toilets

Male | Female Toilets

80m2

Gardener Child Caretaker

CHILD DAYCARE CENTRE Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Child Daycare Centre

Satellite Kitchen

24m2

After School Daycare

500

500m2

COMMUNITY DINING & KITCHEN Activity

Space required

Area

No. of units

Total Area

Preparation of food

Kitchen

125

125m2

Packaging & Dispatch

50m2

Dining Hall

250

500m2

Dining

what is built is what is unbuilt

chapter

six 72

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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Figure 102. Interrelation of functions - diagram for massing

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6.1: DESIGN PHILOSOPHY & CONCEPTS SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: • Water itself is a strength in a hot and dry environment like Ahmedabad. Aquatic life in the lake. • Large open space in a dense residential area. • The existing flora on site creates a micro climate in the urban city.

Figure 103. sketches representing strengths

Opportunities: • Potential to become a Public Space in a dense residential city fabric. • Clean environment accesible to user and the ecosystem

Figure 104. sketches representing opportunities

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Weakness: • The site is mistreated by people and AMC which is reflected in the current state of the lake. • The dump collected on the edges of lake in summer. • There is no BRTS connectivity to the accesible roads. The nearest BRTS stop is more than 800 mtrs. away from the entry of the site. • The site is land locked between two communities which faced trauma of communal riots and live with a bitter image of the other.

Figure 105. sketches representing weakness

Threats: • As the land is locked and unaccesible to the needful public of the neighbourhood, the lake is misused as a place for open defecation. This can deteriorate the water and affect the health of the people living nearby. • The unused spaces of malek saban lake is also attracting young members of Chawls into consuming unsafe drugs and alcohol as they find a safe place to hide inbetween this empty land.

Figure 106. sketches representing threats

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DESIGN DIRECTIVES The Lake edge is raised from the road level and thus the lake stays hidden from the road level. Responding to the topography of the site was one of the first design cue.

Figure 108. diagram of design cues - topography

The lake lacks public access. The nearest bus stop was 800m away. The nearest BRTS stop was 1400m away. There is only one entry to the site that is a 9m wide road.

Figure 107. diagram of design cues - public access

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There is only one entry to the lake. Only around thirty percent of the site is accesible by public safely. The zone highlighted with green feels unsafe due to the dense flora and illegal drug abusing youngsters encroaching the public space. The yellow indicates the inaccesible area due to pressure of slum dwellers and the ongoing construction material production area acts as a barrier to help them secure a boundary.

Figure 110. diagram of design cues - area available to public vs. encroachment

The site is surrounded by slums on three sides. This slums act as the generators of enchroachment and encroachment increases day by day. Holding a stop to this was an important issue to address during this design process

Figure 109. diagram of design cues - three generators of encroachment

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6.2: DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Site zoning

N.T.S.

Figure 111. Design development - Master plan & section aaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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Figure 112. Conceptual sketch 01

Figure 113. Conceptual sketch 02

Figure 114. Conceptual sketch 03

Figure 115. Conceptual sketch 04

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Step one

Figure 116. Massing - Initial stage

N.T.S.

Figure 117. Massing - including public spaces

N.T.S.

Figure 118. Massing - recognizing climate

N.T.S.

Step two

Step three

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Figure 119. Ground floor plan for communal harmony and development centre

N.T.S.

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Figure 120. Master plan for the de

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evelopment of Malek Saban Lake

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Road Section One - Entry Gate One

Road Section Two - Lal Bahadur Stadium Rd

Road Section Three - Murgha Farm Road Figure 121. Proposed Road Sections for the Lake

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The Botanical Garden of Malek Saban Lake

Preserving the ecology and the microclimate of the lake is the pioneer responsibility. Celebrating the idea, a botanical garden is pivotal to allow people to understand our role in this ecosystem. 85

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The Amphitheatre of Malek Saban Lake

Malek Saban LakeRomanum hocute, stifecotia constereo, cut prissilin pota rem optim Palego estra, nem, caurnicibus, us, efatius auconstamdi potiemuni in sa dum patiamdiem et; nem. Ris, quam plibessusqui ita ilia num intero, quitia pectusuliu sentides orestrum stracturnit. 86

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The Activity Centre of Malek Saban Lake

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Ghats along the Garden of Malek Saban Lake

The Lake has a elaborate history of 500 years. The Ghats along the edge signifies the cultural importance of the lake. The existing garden is limited in size but well occupied. Expanding its boundaries to ghats-to water allows it to encourage recreation. 88

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The Food Park

of Malek Saban Lake Amongst a tight neigbourhood of Bapunagar and Rehmatnagar, Malek Saban lake is resident to a variety of cuisine. Opening the Lake to the road with a Food park allows to bring in people to participate in recreation activites. 89

CHAPTER SIX

Lake Health Centre of Malek Saban Lake

The lake water is polluted with plastic waste, waste materials, and drainage which pollute the water quality. It becomes a dangerous situation for the marine life, affecting flora and fauna of the lake. The lake administration will play the role of maintaining the life quality of water. 90

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Figure 122. Floating Beds of Biofilter plants made from pvc pipes fell oxigenate the water and the plants absorbes

the toxic nutrients from the water purifying it.

CHAPTER SIX

Communal Harmony Centre of Malek Saban Lake

Communities surrounding the lake were heavily affected by the violence of The Community riots of 2002 and earlier in Ahmedabad. This developed a strong sense of ownership on different parts of the lake. The brief to which evolved into a program of a communal harmony centre encouraging learning. 92

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Figure 123. Ground plan for the

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e Communal Harmony Centre

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100

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101

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The classrooms are accesible from both heights, the ground level and the su reach the insides, without heating up the spaces, maintaining natural ventila in different masses by expanding into a court yet expanding into another.

The promenade brings the public to the lake edge but also creates a visual of the centre. There is only one spine that is connected to the actual groun community dining with natural contours. 102

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unken courts of skill based learning studios. Allowing the natural light to ation to function. The Community dining allows to accomodate people

l set back. As the centre allows public life on the accesible upper floor nd level of the promenade. The one in the section encloses the court of

103

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The Co-existence of a Child day care centre with a library and information o The stair+ramp connects the court to upper deck which also acts as a prome

The building continues on to the lower promenade of the lake dispersing into shaded from the sun while the thick walls on east and west face the direct s

104

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on the other side creates an environment of learning at the south court. enade to the lake.

o water. The topography allows the central spine to remain covered and sun light.

105

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106

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107

108

Brief Presented to the Jury

Same as mentioned under section 5.1:

Questions asked by the jury members 1) Jurors were curious to know more about my initial study surrounding the lake. What kind of information was I able to collect and analyse before deciding the program for the thesis. 2) What was the Enquiry into the public realm? The purpose of this design thesis was to provide a corner for both nature and human creating a space for co-existense. 3) What were the aspects that inspired the design language? Why the materials? The building site was a contoured site and the materials used were earth and concrete, contrasting in nature and yet creating a perfect balance. Avenues for futher research in future: The thesis aims to act as a catalyst to connect and sustain an active public space enhancing the eco system of Malek Saban lake. Further studies can introduce new ways to connect man and nature without disrupting the balance of human sustainability.

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REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY: Published books: • Gupta, Archana, and Anshuman Gupta. Celebrating Public Spaces of India. Mapin Publishing, 2017. Print. • Lerner, Jaime. Urban Acupuncture. Island Press, 2016. Print. • BURTE, Himanshu (2008). Space For Engagement. Seagull Books. Print. • Ahmedabad Chronicle : Imprints of a millennium, Vastu-Shilpa Foundation for Studies & Research in Environmental Design, Ahmedabad, 2002. Online. • Proposal for Sabarmati riverfront development, Ahmedabad, Environmental Planning Collaborative, Ahmedabad, 1998. Online. • Urban Open Spaces as Civic Nodes: Ahmedabad, Yatin Pandya, Vastu Shilpa Foundation, 2001. Print • Idle. Jack. Vibrant Natures - A primer for integrating nature into the city with architecture as the tool, The london school of architecture, 2017, Issuu.com, Web, 07 July 2018. Online. Reports: AMC statistical outline 2006-2007. Urban Ahmedabad cite development plan report. (Trees in Municipal Corporations and Municipalities) Tree counting in urban and sub-urban areas - 2011 Published Thesis: Bhargava, Nikita, Centre for community development, Department of architecture, School of planning and architecture, New Delhi, 2016. Maps and drawings: Ahmedabad Urban development authority Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation CEPT Planning department Websites: “Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA).” Home | AUDA, www.auda.org.in/. “AMC.” Maps www.egovamc.com/maps “A Symbol of Communal Harmony.” The Future Of Design, www.tfod.in/art-design-articles/852/a-symbol-of-communalharmony. “Wikimapia - Ahmedabad.” Wikimapia, wikimapia. org/#lang=en&lat=23.026502&lon=72.646751&z=14&m=w&show=/2935599/ Lal-Bahadur-Shastri&search=ahmedabad. “The School of Visual Arts of Oaxaca / Taller de Arquitectura - Mauricio Rocha” 29 Jul 2011. ArchDaily. Accessed 28 Oct 2018. <https://www.archdaily.com/154485/the-school-of-visual-arts-of-oaxaca-taller-de-arquitectura-mauricio-rocha/> ISSN 07198884 “A Measure of Community.” Google Books, Google, books.google.co.in/books?id=mCKeDAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=p ublic%2Bspace%2Bindia&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6-qO9uMLfAhVWi3AKHa3nAW8Q6AEIPDAD#v=onepage&q=public%20space%20india&f=false.

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ENDNOTES: 12. Heidegger, M., Macquarrie, J., Robinsonm E., Carmen, T. and Carman, T. (2008) Being and time.New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics.

1. Van der Ryn,S. and Cowan, S. (2007) Ecological design, tenth anniversary editin. 10th edn. United States: Island Press. 2. Bennett, J. and Bennett, R.J. (2010) Vibrant matter: A political ecology of things. Durham: Duke University Press.

13. Buchanan,P. (2013) Form follows worldview. Available at: http://www.architecturalreview.com/archive/reviews/form-followsworldview/8654753.article.

3. Bennett, J. and Bennett, R.J. (2010) Vibrant matter: A political ecology of things. Durham: Duke University Press.

14. Swimme, B. (1991) The universe is a green dragon: A cosmic creation story Thackara, J. (2015) How to thrive in the next economy: Designing tomorrow’s world today.

4. Guattari, F., Pindar, I. and Sutton, P. (2000) The three ecologies. New Brunswick, NJ: Distributed in the United States by Transaction Publishers.

15. Bennett, J. and Bennett, R.J. (2010) Vibrant matter: A political ecology of things. Durham: Duke University Press

5. Moore, J.W. (2011) ‘Transcending the metabolic rift: A theory of crisis in the capitalist worldecology’, Journal of Peasant Studies, 38(1), pp.146.

16. Slovic, S. (1992) Seeking awareness in American nature writing: Henry Thoreau, Annie Dillard. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/ king awareness in American nature writing:

6. Buchanan, P. (2014) The big rethink revisited: Becoming earthlings. Available at: http://www. architectural-review.com/archive/campaigns/ the-big-rethink/the-big-rethink-revisitedbecoming-earthlings/8671956.article

17. Bennett, J. and Bennett, R.J. (2010) Vibrant matter: A political ecology of things. Durham: Duke University Press

7. Bennett, J. and Bennett, R.J. (2010) Vibrant matter: A political ecology of things. Durham: Duke University Press

18. Ratti, C. and Claudel, M. (2015) Open source architecture. United Kingdom: Thames & Hudson.

8. Klein, N. (2014) This changes everthing: Capitalism vs. The climate. London, England: Penguin Books.

19. McDonough, W., Braungart, M. and Mcdonough, W. (2002) Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way we make things. United States: Turtleback Books.

9. Rene Descartes: The end of Cheap Nature. Or How I learned to Stop Worrying about “The” Environment and Love the Crisis of Capitalism

20. Gray, M. (2014) The problem with architecture today (and the solution). Available at : http:// www.huffingtonpost.com/monica-gray/theproblem-with-architec_b_4869707.html

10. Francis Bacon quotes: https://en.wikiquote. org/wiki/Talk:Francis_Bacon

21. Bennett, J. and Bennett, R.J. (2010) Vibrant matter: A political ecology of things. Durham: Duke University Press

11. Moore, J.W. (2013) Crisis: ecological or worldecological? 2012. Available at : http://www. jasonwmoore.com/uploads/Moore_Crisis_ Ecological_or_World-Ecological_2012.pdf

22. McDonough, W., Braungart, M. and Mcdonough, W. (2002) Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way we make things. United States: Turtleback Books. 111

Figure Number

Title

LIST OF FIGURES Page no.

Fig. 1. The Opium Smoker, Chitrashala, Bundi Fig. 2. Akashwani site on Race course Fig. 3. The Micro climate in 2015 Fig. 4. The Barren land in 2018 Fig. 5. Hanging Gardens of Babylon - 600 BC

vi 1 1 1 2

Fig. 6. An Existing Environment Fig. 7. Right Architectural Intervention? Fig. 8. Aroma Essencial Fig. 9. Origin of the word Nature

3 3 5 7

Fig. 10. Origin of the word Integration Fig. 11. Richard Tornas - Cosmic and Psyche Fig. 12. Vibrant Natures Fig. 13. Paul Klee - Ancient Sounds Fig. 14. Individual to Communal Fig. 15. Experiential Sustainability Fig. 16. Cradle to cradle Fig. 17. Ecological Postmodernism Chart Fig. 18. Singapore gardens by the bay- supertree cloud forest Fig. 19. Pennsylvania, Fallingwater Fig. 20. Town Hall - Alvar Alto

7 9 9 11 13 15 16 17

Fig. 21. Serpentine Gallery-Pavilion-Peter Zumthor

Fig. 22. Portland - The De-Pavers Fig. 23. United States - Bateson Building Fig. 24. London Masterplans Fig. 25. Mecanno’s masterplan - Netherlands Government Fig. 26. The second image shows a more occupiable space, owning to increase in comfort Fig. 27. First image shows visual penetrability and the second image shows existential penetrability Fig. 28. First image shows an illegible space an the second image by virtue of its articulation, is legible Fig. 29. A decrease in space available for movement will lead to an increase the chances of encounter Fig. 30. Activities in public spaces in indian context Fig. 31. The image shows an abstract form of site to be selected Fig. 32. Diagrams of Site Selection Criteria Fig. 33. Chart comparing per capita green spaces of cities Fig. 34. Per capita open spaces Fig. 35. Location of Ahmedabad on the map Fig. 36. Satellite Imagery of Ahmedabad - 2018 Fig. 37. Growth of Ahmedabad city

20 20 21 21

18 18 19

23 23 24 24 25 27 28 29 29 30 31 32

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Source

- http://karenknorr.com/photography/india-song/ - Race course, “Rajkot, Gujarat” maps, google earth. 2015 - Akashwani, “Rajkot, Gujarat” maps, google earth. 2015 - Akashwani, “Rajkot, Gujarat” maps, google earth. 2018 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Gardens_of_ Babylon#/media/ - By Author - By Author - https://in.pinterest.com/pin/463237511656351895/?lp=true -https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-bab&q=nature+etymology - https://www.etymonline.com/word/integrate - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures -http://www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/ancient.jpg.html - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_by_the_Bay - https://www.fallingwater.org/ -https://www.archdaily.com/783392/ad-classics-saynatsalotown-hall-alvar-aalto -https://www.archdaily.com/146392/serpentine-gallerypavilion-2011-peter-zumthor - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures - Jack Idle, Vibrant Natures - Burte (2008) - Burte (2008) - Burte (2008) - Burte (2008) - By Author - By Author - By Author - Urban forests and open green spaces - By Author - By Author - Ahmedabad, “Ahmedabad, Gujarat” maps, google earth. 2018 - Mahendra Kale, Urban transformation studio, Planning dep. Cept.

Figure Number

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Fig. 38. Auda - Existing Road network of Ahmedabad Fig. 39. Map showing the existing public spaces in Ahmedabad Fig. 40. Existing Gardens, Water Bodies & Other Open Spaces Fig. 41. Water Supply Map Fig. 42. Storm water drainage Map Fig. 43. Water Resource Map Fig. 44. Satellite image with selected area for further study Fig. 45. Mapping of Natural features

35 36

Fig. 46. Map of Population density

Fig. 47. Map with identified land use

Fig. 48. Map with major road network

Fig. 49. Open spaces of ahmedabad

Fig. 50. Map with slums location

Fig. 51. Location of Malek Saban Lake in East Ahmedabad

Fig. 52. Malek Saban Lake

33 33 34 34 35

Fig. 53. Site Plan & section 40 Fig. 54. Infographic about the History of Malek Saban Lake 43 Fig. 56. Satellite image of site - 2010 44 Fig. 55. Satellite image of site - 2017 44 Fig. 57. Satellite image of site - 2005

Fig. 58. Satellite image of site - 2000

Fig. 59. Existing trees on site Fig. 60. Infographic on how to identify trees Fig. 61. Context of malek saban lake Fig. 62. Important landmarks around malek saban lake Fig. 63. Built Vs. Open Map Fig. 64. Green Cover & Open Spaces Fig. 65. Land Use map Fig. 66. Community Maping Fig. 67. Sun path diagram on site Fig. 68. Summer winds on site Fig. 69. Topography on site Fig. 70. Winter winds on site

46 46 47 47 48 48 49 49 50 50 51 51 113

Source - Map, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority - Map, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority - Map, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority - Map, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority - Map, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority - Map, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority - Ahmedabad, “Ahmedabad, Gujarat” maps, google earth. 2018 - Mahendra Kale, Urban transformation studio, Planning dep., Cept. - Mahendra Kale, Urban transformation studio, Planning dep., Cept. - Mahendra Kale, Urban transformation studio, Planning dep., Cept. - Mahendra Kale, Urban transformation studio, Planning dep., Cept. - Mahendra Kale, Urban transformation studio, Planning dep., Cept. - Mahendra Kale, Urban transformation studio, Planning dep., Cept. - Ahmedabad, “Ahmedabad, Gujarat” maps, google earth. 2018 - Malek Saban Lake, “Ahmedabad, Gujarat” maps, google earth. 2018 - By Author - By Author - Malek Saban Lake, “Bapunagar, Ahmedabad” maps, google earth. 2018 - Malek Saban Lake, “Bapunagar, Ahmedabad” maps, google earth. 2018 - Malek Saban Lake, “Bapunagar, Ahmedabad” maps, google earth. 2018 - Malek Saban Lake, “Bapunagar, Ahmedabad” maps, google earth. 2018 - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - based on maps, google maps. 2018 - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author

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Fig. 71. Site Panaroma Fig. 72. Current entry to the Lake Fig. 76. The island in the centre of the lake Fig. 74. Encrochment of slums from southern side Fig. 73. Existing garden being used by public Fig. 75. Existing garden Fig. 78. Lush green spaces on the island Fig. 80. Railing surrounding the lake precinct Fig. 77. The lower water level during summer Fig. 79. Production from raw materials for ongoing construction of roads nearby Fig. 81. Key plan for views Fig. 82. Site drawings of city acupuncture - Zawalna Fig. 83. Axonometric view representing the public actvities Fig. 84. isometric view representing the play in landscaping Fig. 85. Illustration representing the potential of public activities Fig. 86. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate Fig. 87. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate Fig. 88. Image of Hunnarshala Fig. 89. Section aa - Hunnarshala Fig. 91. section bb - Hunnarshala Fig. 90. Site plan of Hunnarshala Fig. 93. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate Fig. 92. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate Fig. 94. A symbol of communal harmony

52 52 52 52 52 52 53 53 53 53 53 56 57 58 58 59 59 60 60 61 61 62 62 63

Fig. 96. Use of local materials

Fig. 95. blend of the built with existing structures

Fig. 97. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate Fig. 98. Sketches representing the quality of spaces

65 66

Fig. 99. View of the community centre

Fig. 100. Analysis - circulation, built form organization, open space, climate Fig. 101. The River by Maaike Bakker Fig. 102. Interrelation of functions - diagram for massing Fig. 103. sketches representing strengths Fig. 104. sketches representing opportunities Fig. 105. sketches representing weakness

67 68 73 74 74 75 114

Source - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - http://www.archit.pl/ - http://www.archit.pl/ - http://www.archit.pl/ - http://www.archit.pl/ - By Author - By Author - http://www.hunnarshala.org/hunnarshala-campus.html - http://www.hunnarshala.org/hunnarshala-campus.html - http://www.hunnarshala.org/hunnarshala-campus.html - http://www.hunnarshala.org/hunnarshala-campus.html - By Author - By Author - https://www.tfod.in/art-design-articles/852/a-symbolof-communal-harmony - https://www.tfod.in/art-design-articles/852/a-symbolof-communal-harmony - https://www.tfod.in/art-design-articles/852/a-symbolof-communal-harmony - By Author - https://www.tfod.in/art-design-articles/852/a-symbolof-communal-harmony - https://www.tfod.in/art-design-articles/852/a-symbolof-communal-harmony - By Author - Maaike Bakker - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author

Figure Number

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Fig. 106. sketches representing threats 75 Fig. 108. diagram of design cues - topography 76 Fig. 107. diagram of design cues - public access 76 Fig. 109. diagram of design cues - three generators of enchroachment 77 Fig. 110. diagram of design cues - area available to public vs. encroachment 77 Fig. 111. Design development - Master plan 78 Fig. 112. Conceptual sketch 01 79 Fig. 114. Conceptual sketch 03 79 Fig. 113. Conceptual sketch 02 79 Fig. 115. Conceptual sketch 04 79 Fig. 116. Massing - Initial stage 80 Fig. 117. Massing - including public spaces 80 Fig. 118. Massing - recognizing climate 80 Fig. 119. Ground floor plan for communal harmony and development centre 81 Fig. 120. Proposed Master plan for Malek Saban Lake 81 Fig. 121. Proposed Road Sections 81 Fig. 122. Floating Beds of Biofilter plants 81 Fig. 123. Ground floor plan 81

115

Source - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - By Author - Scroll.in/Ecoworld - By Author

APPENDIX: Flora - Fauna of Ahmedabad: Common Birds:

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118

APPENDIX: Flora - Fauna of Ahmedabad: Common Trees:

Zone-wise status of tree density

Tree population of the main tree species

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