Maitreyi Phansalkar_Urban Design by Maitreyi Phansalkar

Urban Design Portfolio Maitreyi Phansalkar.

Social Permaculture .01 Studio Mexico, Spring’ 20 Guide: Juan Miro Team: Jorge Diaz, Lucas Strzelec, Maarten Janssens, Maxwell Hunter Institute: School of Architecture at University of Texas at Austin Type: Academic, Urban Design, Planning

Greens of the Grays .02 Studio Interbay, Fall ‘19

Guides: Dean Almy, Maggie Hansen Team: Cheng Xie, Tabitha Tattenbach, Sean Scaff Institute: School of Architecture at University of Texas at Austin Type: Academic, Urban Design

Urban healing .03 Research, Fall 19 - Spring’ 20 Guides: Dean Almy Institute: School of Architecture at University of Texas at Austin Type: Research, Urban Design

Viva - el - Barrio .04 January’ 20

Team: Jorge Zapata, Erasmu Cantu Institute: School of Architecture at University of Texas at Austin Type: Competition, Urban Design

05. Chaos and Control Team: Sanket Kamdar, Saurabh Jain Institute: World Research Institute, Mumbai Type: Professional, Urban Design, Planning

06. Urban Play Fall’ 18 - Spring’ 19

Team: Sanket Kamdar, Nikita Sharma, Neha Panchal Institute: Academy of Architecture, Mumbai Type: Research, Urban Studies

07. Social Condensor 2.0 Team: Akshay Aditya, Smit Patel, Kunal Mokasdar Type: Competition, Urban Design

08. Media playground Team: Akshay Aditya, Smit Patel Type: Professional, Competition, Urban Furniture

01. Social Permaculture | Planning and Urban design Social Permaculture is a manifesto that helps develop a language at various scales of design and planning to intervene in an industrial site like Marzo Oil Refinery. The approach is divided into seven dimensions: transects, transitional spaces, agriculture, verticality, density, readapting the industrial fabric, and zoning of the commons. Combined with the existing and future projected users, these parameters result in a social tool kit that helps create interventions with overlapping objectives. The project advocates for community ownership and views the neighborhood as the first unit of production building a self-sustaining localized economic model. Transects and transitional spaces focus on making streets diverse and public by being more reflective of the adjacent programs and defining ways to distribute them. Agriculture is seen as a means of readapting industrial units, owned both by the community and individuals. Density in the project is calculated beyond the number of residents of the neighborhood. The density of food produced and consumed, the density of recreation, the density of the living, the density of education, and the density of the dead helped gauge a real understanding of the supply and demand of the resources creating holistic spaces focusing on sustainability. Verticality, like density, does not focus on residential and commercial ownership only. The project proposes six programs that use vertical language to create new spatial typologies for the community. Example: A vertical cemetery. This aims at reducing the monopoly of the elite and private over vertical built and introducing community-owned activities in that direction. The project is community grown.

Street through the industrial fabric: present day

Tool kit for an industrial masterplan

Street through the industrial fabric: proposed

Masterplan for Marzo Oil Refinery neighborhood, Mexico City

Farm

China

mpas

Farm

Wate rc

anal

Mark

Far m

Farm

Wate r

Pavil io

Shop Eate s ries

Farm

Chin

stora

Dead

Fuan W teerracl ah no alm

rise 2

amp

as Wate r

Water, canals

Farm

cana

Transitional spaces

Exist

ing C

eme

tery

Plazas

Kund

Spac

e for

prot

est

Parq u

e Bic

Spac

ente

nario

e for

prot

est

Resta u

rant

Food

Exhib

its Chin

stora

amp

Labo

ur un

Rete n

tion

pond

ion

Farm

Chinampa

Market

Farm

Farms

Greens, farms

High rise

Mid rise

Built: Residential, high rise, mid rise and low rise

Parks, plazas, canals, water

Transects transitional spces

and

02. Greens of the Grays | Urban design The studio looked at Interbay, an industrial area in Seattle. The fishing and other industries on-site contribute to 24% of the city’s tax base and more than 73,000 jobs. According to the latest city’s zoning plan, the area comes under MHA (Mandatory housing affordability). The site has multiple railway lines cutting through, some connecting to Vancouver. The city has proposed to use 4 lines for light rail. Surface parking occupies more area than the industrial footprint on site. Interbay acts as a land barrier between the surrounding neighborhoods, Magnolia and Queen Anne, with only two road crossovers with no pedestrian infrastructure. Our project focused on introducing affordable housing, green infrastructure, pedestrian networks, fishing industry campus, and retail while maintaining the industries + industrial jobs. Housing was the densest area of the project, with high, mid, and low rise typologies. We used highrises as strategic markers for people while walking and driving. The central green trail connected Elliot bay trial and Burke Gilman trail, completing a pedestrian trail network from downtown to the University of Washington. The green trail also connected important parts of the proposal to other neighborhoods.

Interbay wrt Downtown Seattle

Area occupied by industries

Area occupied by surface parking

Railway lines

Major roads

Dead ends

Existing walking trails

Potential connections

De-hardening of land + toxic control was done with 6 staged defense: bioswale, water treatment runnels, large filtration strips, retention ponds, industrial stormwater curbs, and constructed wetland The campus aimed at promoting and teaching sustainable fishing practices as the current fishing industry is expected to cease in 50 years due to the depleting fish population. Retail was positioned on busy pedestrian paths. This was aimed to push to enhance local shopping for all the daily needs without using delivery or car services. The industrial lands were unzoned with public spaces, housing facilities, services to reduce the isolation and inhumane working conditions. Since the industry was located in between other programs we designed special roadways with different materials to reduce the noise and air pollution truck and made them pedestrian friendly. Nonfunctional rail lines were removed, from 20 lines of storage to 6, for both local use and intercity connection. The industrial rail had a stop near the industry to load and unload.

Interbay, Seattle

Train stations

Road networks

Housing

Fishing Campus

Retail and commercial

Industries

Green corridor

Water networks

Industry

Surface parking

Industry

Surface parking Industry

Train tracks

Before and after comparison of the industrial block

Road Industry

Section a: through a industrial block

Park

Light rail

Park Industry

Road

Trail

Safe streets

Industry

Safe streets Industry

Industry

Park

Train tracks

Retention pond

Trail

Retention pond Industry

Trail Industry

Safe streets

15th Street

Existing

Project: Softscape Road network Highway

Moll de fusta, Barcelona

Madrid rio, Madrid

Freeway park, Seattle

Seattle waterfront, Seattle

Reconnect Austin, Austin

The Big Dig, Boston

Chongae Canal, Seoul

Kogaencho Center, Yokohama

Project: hardscape

03. Urban healing | Research and publication Urban healing refers to initiatives that help in reviving parts of the city and beyond that have historically or in the recent past been subjected to interventions which lead to spatial, social, ecological degradation of the city. Several projects have been instrumental in creating segregated and privileged spaces. The research looked at projects across the world, and they were categorized as shown below. The projects ranged from the 1950s to currently in the proposal stage. Within the categories, the research focussed on highway infrastructure, narrowing down to 10 projects. Each project had a different challenge with the highway, in terms of its scale, form, spatial integration, and degree of effects. Hence, they exhibited varied approaches, from partial to complete removal, which changed the social fabric of the place.

Mobility

Street

.Public Transportation

.Streets .Boulevards

.Highway infrastructure .Flyover .Underpass

.Railway yards .Railway tracks

Water systems

.Creek

.Squares

.Coast

.Promenades

.Buildings/Built

.Parks

.Aquifers

.Water fronts

.Plazas

Green cover

.River

.Junctions

.Malls

Land and Built

.Industries

.Wetlands

.Landfills

.Mangroves

.Dumping yards

.Forests .National parks

.City Green Cover

By demolishing an elevated freeway and uncovering a section of the historic Cheonggyecheon Stream, the Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project created both ecological and recreational opportunities in the center of Seoul. The project has proven catalytic, spurring economic growth and development in an area of Seoul that had languished over the last several decades.

Section through the

Side walk + Built

Chongae canal before: Highway construction and use

The ChonGae River Restoration Project is located at the important source point of this seven-mile green corridor that begins in the central business and commercial district of the city. The goal was to restore this highly polluted and covered water-way with the demolition of nearly four miles of at grade and elevated highway infrastructure that divided the city. The outcome is the creation of a pedestrian focused zone from this former vehicular access way that brings people to the historic ChonGae River while mitigating flooding and improving water quality. This winning proposal defined the eight provinces through the use of local materials and eight sources of water.

Section through the

Side walk + Built

Chongae canal after: Restoration of the canal

Two l

e highway

6 Lane - Overpass

3 lane - Drive

Side walk + Built

4 Lane - Underpass

e restored Chongae Canal

lane drive

Side walk

Chon gae Canal

Two lane drive

Side walk + Built

Chongae Canal: Ac

Temperature: Reduced the urban heat island effect with temperatures along the stream 3.3° to 5.9°C cooler than on a parallel road 4-7 blocks away.

Air pollution: Reduced small-particle air pollution by 35% from 74 to 48 micrograms per cubic meter. Before the restoration, residents of the area were more than twice as likely to suffer from respiratory disease as those in other parts of the city.

Floor line: Provides flood protection for up to a 200-year flood event and can sustain a flow rate of 118mm/hr.

ctivity mapping.

04. Viva - el - Barrio | Urban design Wynwood

has

become

synonymous

with

commercial

density

the

trans

with art galleries, hip bars, and nightlife.

model station. The design lifted the fret

However,

economic

tracks, which was in continuation of the

rendered

Miami

the

renaissance property living long

the

values

recent to

Wynwood

residents.

The

development

for

neighbourhood

area

has

skyrocket, difficult project fast Miami

making for

life-

speculated growing through

Downtown

system,

freeing

the

ground floor. The design was anchored by

preserving

the

graffiti

walls

Wynwood which were triggers of social space,

movement

and

organisation

site. To sregthen the community identity,

suggestive TOD for the city. 6 blocks of

Miami

was

Every community building was situated

helped by the addition of Tram on the

next to a green void, easily accesible

ground. V-el-B proposed fifty percent of

affordable housing which was subsidised

democratic space.

were

pedestrianised

Library

Section through the project

which

Co-op

Latino

the

civic

center

neighbourhood,

Arts civic center

was

intriduced.

making

an Scale

Int

of public space: The Courtyard

ter-model station

Scale of public space: The Green Corridor

YMCA

Hostels

Roofs Built Street Parks, open spaces Station Programmed ground plane Community spaces

Axonometric view of the project

05. Chaos and Control

| Urban design

Growing volume has led to our city’s infrastructure being built primarily for the automobiles. On an average, streets in Mumbai have 87% of the space is dedicated for vehicles. However only 9.8% of trips are conducted by cars (Comprehensive Mobility Plan), while 46% of all trips are made through non-motorized modes, such as walking and cycling. Even then, space for pedestrian movements and cycling is diminishing due to increasing dependency on automobiles. Footpaths are in an extreme state of disrepair, or have been encroached upon by other uses. In other places, footpaths have been removed to create additional space for motorized traffic. Over the years, automobiles have contributed to tremendous negative externalities including air pollution, chronic congestion, traffic crashes, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and social exclusion. These challenges have pushed our city to a tipping point, compelling a need for a paradigm shift! Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety, which is a 5-year long project focuses on making streets safer in Mumbai for all road users. Critical traffic intersections across Mumbai were chosen and studied. Traffic and road user interactions at these junctions were analyzed in order to determine the safety risks. The study included documentation and analysis of traffic movement, road user behavior (including street vendors), infrastructure gaps, inventory mapping, traffic signal characteristics, road function hierarchy, impact of adjacent land-use, site surveys, as well as interviews with road users, local shopkeepers and residents.

Drawing focusing on typical daily conditions at the junction/roads

Amongst others, Worli Naka - Annie Beasant Road - Poddar Naka was a set studied in detail and redesigned to make it safer by streamlining traffic movement, providing adequate and safe infrastructure for all users, eliminating blind-spots, and controlling excessive speeding. Later, Poddar junction got an approval from the local government authority for execution. The trial run spanned across 15 days whose results were studied and incorporated in the design proposal.

HOUSING

S S S HOUSING

BANK

S S

HOUSING

S ROAD B

ROAD C

HOUSING

S S HOUSING

S S

S HOUSING

S S TEMPLE

SHOP HOUSING

HOUSING

SHOP

HOUSING

INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS

SHOP

SHOP ROAD A ROAD D: SINGLE LANE ROAD F

SHOP

S S

S SHOP HOUSING

HOUSING

S S

ROAD E

ING

S S

HOUSING

USI

US IN G HO

HOU

SING

S S PETROL PUMP S S

Drawing showing design interventions at the junction

at 6.30 pm

Existing: points of failure

This turning between the traffic island and footpath is rarely used. The gap causes confusion making drivers take a unauthorized left turn

Broken divider allows pedestrians to cross the roads at various points. The lane widens at the junction allowing vehicles from others lanes to encroach

The width of the lane tapers and broadens constantly creating spots for illegal parking and bottle neck for moving traffic.

A generous junction gives leeway for pedestrians to cross from either sided of the inaccessible refuge island

Since the junction is not tight, it allows bikers to skip their turn at a signal and join another lane

Irregular crossing and island positions/ sizes create margins for pedestrian indiscipline across the carriageway

Proposed design: testing on site at podar junction

Aerial photograph of the junction during testing depicting a base condition

Street views

Footpath demarcation

Geometry correction

Providing strategic refuge islands

Appropriating crossings and refuges

Types of play Informal

Formal

This is a form of play with no prescriptions

All formal plays prescribe and conform to rules or exist within defined setups

Self

Universal

All informal plays manifest in individuals. They conform to no rules. The moment more than one person gets involved, rules need to be defined, thus formalizing the play

When an individual sets their own rules for the act

When an individual or group of individuals conform to rules set by someone else

With object

Without object

Game

Tapping with a pen on a wooden table

Swinging feet over the edge of a bench

Balancing on a road divider

Playing card games

Object

Freestyle Skating

Playing with the Rubik’s cube and Jigsaw puzzle

Informal // Self // With object Tapping a pen on a table top

Informal // Self // Without object Swinging of the feet

Formal // Self // Game Balancing on the divider

Formal // Universal // Game Playing cards in a group

Formal // Universal // Object Playing with Rubik’s cube

Formal // Self // Object Freestyle skating

-An Actor can choose the degree and the duration of the engagement. If the actor chooses to cease their engagement, it will have a consequence on the play.

Actor

Spectator

Play Work *

A Spectator can choose the degree and the duration of the engagement. If the spectator chooses to cease their engagement, it will have no consequence on the play. An Employee cannot choose the degree and the duration of the engagement. If the employee chooses to cease their engagement, it will have a consequence on the play. (Employee: An actor playing for commercial gain)

Does apply to Does not apply to May or may not apply to * Entertainment

Employee

06 .Urban Play

| Urban research and Publication

What is play? Play is an immersive and meditative state of being, wherein the self serving actor is indifferent to all that is outside the context of the act. Here, the context may refer to space, time, objective, rules, co-actors and outcomes. Play is not spectatorial. For instance, in field games the rules of play are applied within the boundary. Play taken off the field does not hold the same relevance. In Cricket, a catch on the ground is out, where as, beyond the boundary it is considered a six. Similarly the boundary affects the relevance of the actor, thus differentiating between players and spectators. Play is anarchical. In no form, does it have to adhere to any set notion, making it individualistic. While football may have an objective, fidgeting with one’s hair might not. Yet both continue to be forms of play. Play is indifferent to its outcomes. Their probability is dependent on the course of play. The rules of play are impartial. In games with opponence, both sides are equally probable to win. Often territories are swapped so that the advantages and disadvantages (if any) are negated by the alternative exchange. However, factors like capabilities, perseverance, tactics, physical conditions and experiences of the players help in determining the winner. Mumbai’s urban scape is intertwined with complexities of human density, distance, economy of travel, working hours and work culture. Hence concepts like leisure and self care are a privilege. Although research shows that play has cognitive benefits for all ages, for urban adults, it is not a priority. While there are public spaces and provisions for recreation, instead of being a part of the everyday commute, they get rendered as destinations. This means that even a working adult who may be inclined towards it needs to go out of the way to incorporate play in their lifestyle. For an average Mumbaikar, the existing forms of play like gymkhanas, dance classes, clue hunt, etc, are time bound, costly, restrictive, few and far between. Making play a public social amenity (like transport,markets) would be step toward it being a part of the everyday.

Studio Methodology Step 1: Observation of play at major public spaces in the city In order to study play as a social amenity, existing forms of play in the public realm of the city were observed. Places observed: Markets, transport hubs, water front, institutions, residential zones, religious precincts, open grounds, parks, main roads and internal roads. Step 2: Study of various Formal plays in the city A preliminary list of various formal plays in the city was formed(not exhaustive) based on the observations and experiences of the research time. Step 3: Each formal play was decoded and diagramatized under preset lenses Out of the many observations, for the sake of standardization and uniformity, only nine observations were noted for each form of play. Step 4: The logics derived from individual play became triggers for generating the intervention In order to devise a new PLAY, logics for four such plays were pooled together. Logics defined fundamentals for site and design. Having multiple logics from varied plays allowed for large set of combinations, each having their own fundamentals. Site: The logics give principles of the site. Manifestation of the same in the city could be done at any environment which adheres to those principles, thus providing ideal conditions for the PLAY to exist.

Examples demonstrated below : Chess

A. Objective of the play The progressive or conclusive purpose and aim of the play

A. To protect your king and checkmate

B. Pre play Initial set up, movements or postures before commencement of the play

C. Rules of the play

D. Course of the play

E. Roles of the play

Set of sacrosanct guidelines that set order, logic and challenge to the play.

Implicit and explicit conditions, acts and responses that occur during the play

Responsibilities of the actors defined by the play that govern its course

B. Form an imaginary territory

C. White side plays the first move

D. To attack the opponent’s king

E. Moves allowed for each player

Two sided interaction

a) Two way street and b) Up and down flights of staircase

Kabaddi

Site logic: Physical environment

Point a to point b

Progressive Objective: Move an element from point A to point B Conclusive Objective: To be the first player to move all elements from point A to point B

Ludo

Design logic 1: Objectives of the game

Movement pattern

Chowsar

Obstructions

Football

Design logic 2: Preplay, rules, course and roles.

Logics manifesting into a new game

Logic derivation from individual play The logics derived from individual play became triggers for generating the intervention. In order to devise a new PLAY, logics for four such plays were pooled together. Logics defined fundamentals for site and design. Having multiple logics from varied plays allowed for large set of combinations, each having their own fundamentals.

Territoriality

Scoring

Multiple scoring options

Balance

Team game

Players may move around the table

Single player and multi player versions

Collaboration

Non conflict

Edges used to direct the ball

Time limit set in exchange of coins

Body posture

Basket ball

Snooker

Arcade games

Yoga

New play: infinite conflict

The Design

Infinite Conflict is the amalgamation of Basketball, Arcade games, Yoga, Snooker. It is a two player game that draws the players to engage in a short-lived and competitive interaction.

On either sides of the separator is a track that facilitates the movement of a common handle. The start and end points on either sides are contradictory creating an exactly reverse path on Side B as compared to Side A - engaging the users in a brief rivalry.

Derivation: An object (line) that divides an area into two opposing/competing sides. Location: The game can be installed at places in the city according to the subscribed logic, for example, within existing compound walls and at train station platforms making it an easily accessible daily challenge.

The aim is to move the handle from the respective start to end points on either one of the sides. Different patterns created on the wall require the human body to take various stances, the logic of which is derived from Yoga, where the body is required to hold its form in particular postures.

Aerial View // Play in context 1: compound walls in the city

Eye level view // Play in context 2: public transit areas

Hostel

Studio

Family studio sing

Hou 6

Sea

link

Fisheries

SOHO sing

rt y Po Ferr

Hou

Spin

SOHO

sing

Hou

Pisciculture

sin Hou

Family home

sing

Hou

2 e Spin

Lagoons Worli Fort

y Ferr

Chawl

t Por

1 ing

s Hou

Pol

Drying grounds Towards Koliwada

SOHO

Masterplan of Worli Koliwada

07. Social Condensor Mumbai over the years has suffered from a severe housing crisis, with over 40% of the city’s population living in informal housing, and another 30% in dilapidated buildings. Currently, housing in the city is designed, built and sold in a commodified format based on economic segregation: Economically weaker section, low-income group, middle-income group, high-income group. This manner of segregation creates exclusive communities bordering on a ghetto-like condition; as an opposition, the project aims at creating housing based on the type of user and designing with the primary goal as rental use. Homes are divided into, SELF CONTAINED, CLUSTERED & SINGLE DWELLING types, each type of unit then ranges from a scale of XS, S to M. The homes are then clustered into small blocks with common amenities, kitchens, and bathrooms. The project

Part view of the housing cluster

| Urban design

proposes a new manifesto for housing in the city. Nine housing clusters borrow from the existing Kohli fishing village and are created around communal spaces of movement and stacked to create multiple paths of approach and usage. The site has a fishing economy heavily dependent on the water’s edge. On the bayside, four lagoons are created to control the sea-level rise and provide for pisciculture and fishing activities, on the opposite edge jetties and drying yards are created to support the existing fishing network. The housing then opens up towards the lagoons in the form of event spaces, public spaces, and amenities. Together, the site and housing strategies create a new, socially condensed urban environment that is inclusive, active and equitable.

08. Media Playground | Urban installation

The Media Playground is composed of an array of picture-perfect objects laid out on an elevated grid of cubes. The installation is then cut, carved, and deformed to create spaces, axes, nooks, and crannies. Each time an action is performed on the layer of cake-like cubes, a color gets added. Elements of the play-ground are placed to create conditions for ideal shareable images. It looks at public behavior under the layer of social media which now is inseparable and the urban installation acts as a social commentary. It is designed to function not as a flat backdrop but rather as space. When occupied, it creates multiple conditions for viewing,

interaction, experiencing the city fabric and simultaneously provides a setting for the social media dream. Clicking pictures of the installation is not an independent action but a pivotal part of the installation. A study was done to analyze top ‘click-worthy scenarios’ on social media and few of them have been incorporated through the form of objects placed. It was a part of the NH7 Weekender, a 4- day music festival that travels the country. Placed in the center of all 5 stages amidst the food and drink arena, the installation acted as a seating, relaxing, and gathering spot for the crowd. It was also displayed at the Kala Ghoda Festival in Mumbai.

The flatlay

The house

The tree

The bench

The raise

The scoop

The lime

The cut

The canopy

The flatlay

The seater