Graduate Architectural
portfolio Kinjal Vora
selected works ‘14 -’19
art. design. learnings.
art. design. learnings. works from academic period 2014 -19.
Hello, I’m
Kinjal Vora Passionate. Creative. Diligent. young architect always striving to improve . I’m exploring, learning and growing with every project that I do. This compilation of my works is a representation of my skills at design development, sketching, model making and graphics.
kinjal.vora24@gmail.com +91 9619255480 A/1003, Sonam Heights CHS Ltd, New Golden Nest Phase-XV, Bhayander-East, 401105, Mumbai, India. April 24th, 1996. Rachana Sansad’s Academy of Architecture, Mumbai, India.
‘Urban Voids’ unutilized under utilized or abandoned land or areas and premises which exist in urban areas due to outdated or defunct uses. (Perera, 1994: p.130)4
Research Question?
Typology of Urban Voids
Cotton Textile Mumbai
Mills
of
Girangaon, is the erstwhile industrial neighborhood of Mumbai consisting of a number of now derelict and abandoned cotton textile mills of Mumbai.
1. To create a sense of ownness
and pride amongst the public towards the city spaces. The intervention would lead to creating a renewed presence of the site within its context and leave a resonance of its potential.
2. It would shift the flow of capital
from a private developer to public and public-private development agencies.
3. Identifying the potential of
such spaces and developing such areas with public activation and interest in mind would add to the city’s vibrancy.
hysical
Macro
Micro
N
Neighbourhood The site is located in the Ghodapdeo neighbourhood in Byculla, Mazgaon.The area is surrounded by prime Residential Neighbourhoods which used to house mill workers working in the mills in the neighbourhood but now has largely become a mix of cultures.
Railway Line Railway Station Arterial Roads Site Connectivity These mills are located in the central part of the island city with a really good connectivity with the Western Central and Harbour Railway Lines. The two artery roads - Ambedkar Road to the west & G.D. Ambedkar Road to the east of are the source of vehicular traffic that flows into the internal streets of the study area. With defunct mills standing idol for years, this region has less active streets compared to other streets in the city.
Compound Wall Edge Mill Boundary Wall Edge Vehicular Pathway
Active Spaces Active Nodes
Passive Spaces
Pedestrian Traffic
Vehicular Traffic
Pedestrian Pathway Districts Nodes Landmarks
Kevin Lynch analysis The site is located in a highly permeable neighbourhood where newer developments in the form of gated communities have led to the formation of non-permeable edges. The streets that are really vibrant in the rest of the neighbourhood are deviod of activities in the Mill district. All these factors have contributed to the formation of a non-coherent urban fabric.
eritage
ultural
ocial Religious Festivals: Ganeshotsav Shiv Jayanti Navratri
Cultural Sports Competitions Events Competitions Gatherings Community Lunches
The Site including the three mills is a Heritage Precinct. Few of the structures on site are suitable for adaptive reuse. Proposed DP Plan 2034 The proposed Development Plan of 2034 reserves the plot of India United Mill No 2&3 as an RG cum Textile Museum. The rest of the mills in the area are up for redevlopment given that the development is according to the DCR i.e. dividing the land equally for open space, MHADA housing and Developer.
Mandal
Projections and Opportunities With the mills up for redevelopment, the area has the potential of becoming a prime residential neighbourhood. Also, the sproutings of Co-working/ Rental office spaces in mill compounds have grown over the years. Hence, this area provides a unique opportunity where work and living can co-exist. A dense neighourhood like this also requires open spaces for a healthy urban fabric. The mill district provides an opportunity for an integrated development plan that makes larger sense with the overall fabric of the region.
Educational Social NGOs Medical Facilities Workshops Public Exercise -Yoga Medical Camps Earlier,the aggregation of Mill workers increased the social and cultural involvement of the workers in the community. It is still a home to diverse cultural practises like the akhada, plays, competitions, gatherings. Various religions have bound communities together. As a result, large number of people participate in all kinds of Religious Festivals.
Blood donation drives Scholarship programs Talks Lectures
Although the place has witnessed change, the community groups called the ‘Mandals’ in the area have remained constant throughout the years. These Mandals have a major role in the Social, Cultural, Educational and Religious activities on the region. It is a strong force and was identified to be used as a medium to communicate with the people of the area.
*
Opportunities on Site X Derivation of Program
Facilitators
Understanding the socio-cultural activities of the neighbourhood, the site has a potential of becominga facilitator of the temporary and ever changing uses that the area invariably has within it.
*
The site can act as space of freedom to reinvent and create a society that is inclusive and more plural.
*
Mediators
The neighbourhood has two extreme ecologies i.e. gated communities and chawls. The intervention can effectively bridge the gap between the existing and the new developments so as to provide continuity in the urban fabric.
Urban V o i d s \\ a lost resource
Hypothesis
“The existence of Urban Voids in a city is inevitable. The intention is to show that the Urban voids present new opportunities for developing ambiguous and dynamic relationships by allowing the community to appropriate the space according to their changing needs. This approach will lead to strengthening of community spirit and create a renewed presence of the site within its context and leave a resonance of its potential.�
*
Catalysts
The site can serve as grounds for catalytic interventions that leads to the formation of a network of positive urban spaces.
Program
1. Cultural Facility : accomodating the ephemeral and socio-cultural
* Appropriation of space by the Community
The intervention can form spaces that lend itself to be interpreted, appropriated and used by the local populace as per their needs and requirements.
needs of the community.
2. Artist’s Dorm: Stay for artist’s that visit the textile Museum around the year.
3. Healthcare Facility: basic and immediate healthcare for the community and the city.
4. Cafeteria: Provides for the new intervention as well as Museum Complex.
5. Fruit and Vegetable Market 6. Library: for the underprivileged children in the area.
7.Artist’s Exhibition Space: to accomodate art exhibitions of the museum.
N
Site Floor Plan
Installation/Public Plaza
Orientation Centre
Gymnasium
Multipurpose Court
Indoor Sports room
Spill Out Space +5.35M +3.00M +0.45M +0.00M -2.65M -2.95M -3.15M
Cultural Facility
Public Plaza
Site Section through Cultural Facility, Water body & Cafeteria Sectional Perspective
Textile Museum
Rental Spaces
Cafeteria/Restaurant
+9.45M +6.45M +3.45M +0.45M +0.00M -1.70M -3.15M
Cafeteria/Restaurant
Food Court
Artist’s Dorm + Healthcare Facility Artist’ Dorm BU Area: 1,274 sq m Healthcare Facility BU Area: 1,332 sq m Common Space BU Area: 265 sq m The area of the mills became a dead spot in the neighbourhood without human activities throughout the day. The 3- 4.5m wall of the Mills became a physical and visual barrier obstructing access to the site. Hence, it became important to activate the street to encourage human activity within and around the site. The Wall was treated to become an interface. Hence, the structures were placed along the edge of the site, with each structure creating an interface with the street.
Library Library BU Area: 650 sq m The functions like Library, Classes, Workshops and cultural facility were planned on the lower ground level to ensure the activity in the maidan.
Cafeteria / Restaurant Cafeteria / Restaurant BU Area: 1,695 sq m Retail spaces, cafeteria, Market, etc were configured along the edge of the site to generate street activity. The functions like Library, Classes, Workshops and cultural facility were planned on the lower ground level to ensure the activity in the maidan.
Market Facility Market Facility BU Area: 705 sqm
Cultural Facility Cultural Facility BU Area: 7,720 sq m The Cultural facility consisted of movable and sliding wall panels to allow multiple configuration of spaces for various activities that the mandal conducts throughout the year.
Public Space Maidan Area: 10,190 sq m
za
Pla tion a l l a Inst
ed pos o r P
s ace p S tal Ren
The central sloping ground between the structures was dipped down (about 2.53m) to match the level of the heritage tank on site. The water body became a focus around which the public space was configured to be used as a park, spill out space for large cultural events and to create mark a difference between the formal Installation plaza and informal community maidan. This maidan could be accessed from the street level through 3 major points strategically placed to activate the street. The maidan will transcend its recreational role and become a catalyst for building communities.
Cafeteria Exploded Axonometric
Artist’s Exhibition Area Exploded Axonometric
N
Lower Ground Floor Plan
N
Ground Floor Plan
Artist’s Dorm + Healthcare Facility + Library Sectional Perspective
N
First Floor Plan
Cultural Facility The Cultural facility was also along the edge of the site maintaining visual connect with the street. The Cultural facility consisted of movable and sliding wall panels to allow multiple configuration of spaces for various activities like religious congregation, social events, art and cultural events and educational workshops that the mandal conducts throughout the year. The spaces can also be rented out to accommodate large gatherings as well as small workshops. Each space was adjoined by a Spill out space making it adaptable to accommodate larger gathering of people than expected. This gives the facility an informal character of the mandal under a formal space that a Mandal lacks. The ownership of the Cultural facility was given to the mandals of the area, since the cultural facility was planned to be crowdfunded by the mandals. The Large open Space in front of the facility could be used for large public Gatherings/Melas, Open-air Movie screenings, political public addressals,etc.
ess
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Ser
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Mu
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Spa
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W
ium
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Gym
+ ion ulat Circ Offices ck/ Blo
Ind
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t our se C rpo tudio u S ltip Mu + Yoga
a
ace t sp l Ou eights il p S rw nte Cou
Spa
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Sp oor
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yth
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Are
+
N
The existing mill structures on site have a strong visual character in terms of the expressed column vertical members on the faรงade and a fixed visual rhythm. The walls of the mill became a skin to the adaptable and reconfigurable spaces inside the mill building. A similar visual rhythm of vertical members at a fixed distance similar to the mill was adopted in the visual language of the proposed structures on site in this heritage precinct. The faรงade became a skin to more adaptable spaces inside the structures. The faรงade also allowed to maintain the street character on site. The internal spaces could be appropriated by the community.
Cultural Facility Lower Ground Floor Plan
N
Cultural Facility Ground Floor Plan
N
Cultural Facility First Floor Plan
C o n c l
Through this project, the attempt was to effectively re-integrate the Urban effective way was to follow a Bottom-Up approach i.e. empowering the co bourhood hence not displacing the existing community. The strategy becam community ties of the neighbourhood and using them as tools of communi of the site within its context and leaving a resonance of its potential. This the re-integration of other similar voids for a
Steel Bottom Chord ISA 150X150 Steel Struts ISA 75X75 Steel Top Chord ISA 75X75 6mm Gusset Plate Steel Purlins ISMC 125 Polycarbonate Roofing Sheets PVC Gutter Steel Struts ISA 50X50 6mm Gusset Plate Steel Top Chord ISA 75X75 Stainless Steel Pulley Steel Bottom Chord ISA 150X150 Steel Hinge Steel Beam ISMB 150 Stainless Steel Hanger Metal Grating SS Hook Bunge Sound Proof Folding Operable Retractable Wall Partition 125mm thk Stainless Steel Hanger Steel Column ISMB 600 with 8mm flange plates Railing Beam ISMB 150 SS Hook Counterweight Conc. Ball Bunge Sound Proof Folding Operable Retractable Wall Partition 125mm thk Concrete Counterweight Stopper Pavers/Floor Finish Screed 150mm P.C.C.
Adaptable Workshop Spaces with Sliding Wall Partition
A d a p t a t i o n o f S p a c e based on th
u s i o n
n voids in the urban fabric of the region. It became apparent that the most ommunity, allowing them to have a voice in the development of the neighme identifying the strengths of the neighbourhood; in this case, the strong ity participation and through the intervention creating a renewed presence esis is merely a possible and hopeful solution which might lead to a catalytic a more active and coherent urban fabric.
Hollow Circular Steel Beam 200mm dia Stainless Steel Pulley Two ISMC 200 joined at junction by 6mm Steel Plate Hollow Circular Steel Beam 200mm dia Hollow Circular Steel Stanchion 200mm dia Stainless Steel Hanger Railing Steel Plate Band 12mm thk Checkered Steel Plate 12mm thk Angle Cleat ISA 50X50X6 Cantilever Bracket ISMB 200 230mm thick Brick Masonry Counterweight Concrete Ball 230mm thk Brick Masonry work on top of Frame beam Plinth beam Soil Fill 150mm P.C.C. 230mm thk Rubble Soling Compacted Soil Pavers/Floor Finish
Multipurpose Spaces with Retractable Wall Partition
he everyday and ephemeral activities of the area
Spill Out Space