Elements of Urban design | MUD - CEPT University | 2nd Semester Work

1

Preface

The studio was structured as an introduction to urban design representation and how it is used as a means of design thinking. The premise is that urban design is best understood and expressed through the study and representation of the built urban environment. Hence the studio will focus on the study and representation of the key urban elements in cities and will be structured in multiple modules running through the semester, each culminating with an exhibition of the outcome. These modules will significantly focus on effectively capturing and communicating the spatial qualities of the urban built environment.

Module 1 involves perceiving and representation of the key elements of urban design. The premise is that building types, urban blocks, streets and public open spaces form the key elements that come together to make any functional urban space. The exercises in this module will enable students with methods to study each element and how they contribute to the scale, form, character and their relationship with the larger urban context.

Module 2 final exercise which will involve the application of the abilities and skills developed in the first module through preparation of a framework plan for an urban intervention. This module focuses on preparing and representing site analysis, design strategies The culmination of this module will be to prepare a set of effective communication representation drawings for the design and the analysis.

2

Elements of Urban Design 2a. Building Types

1. Hotel

2. Hospital

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Rivera Sarovar Portico, Ahmedabad

J W Marriot Sahar, Mumbai

The One Barcelona GL, Barcelona, Spain

Shalby Hospital, Ahmedabad

Yatharth Hospital, Greater Noida

Weiss Memorial Hospital, Chicago, US

Ground Coverage :

500 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

9200 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

670 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

900 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

1800 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

4900 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

4550 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

54200 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

5700 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

9000 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

13100 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

36200 sqmt

10 40 0 20

N m

80

10 40 0 20

N m

80

3. Library

4. Shopping Mall

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

AMC Bodakdev ward Library, Ahmedabad

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh

Macquarie University Library, Sydney

Shree Balaji agora mall, Amedabad

V R Mall, Surat

Istanbul Cevahir Mall, Istanbul

Ground Coverage :

200 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

1750 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

3180 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

5660 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

14000 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

24000 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

400 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

5000 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

9540 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

15680 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

42000 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

96000 sqmt

10 40 0 20

N m

80

N 20 80 0 40

m 160

5. School

6. Independent Bungalows

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Building Name :

Best School, Amedabad

Vidya Kunj School, Navsari

Silverland Middle School, US

Residence near Sindhu Bhavan,

Pool House, Delhi

Villa Mairea, Finland

Ground Coverage :

1260 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

1830 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

1650 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

418sqmt

Ground Coverage :

1830 sqmt

Ground Coverage :

1650 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

4680 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

8410 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

3970 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

418 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

8410 sqmt

Total Built-up area :

3970 sqmt

20 0

40

80

N m 160

10 40 0 20

N m

80

2

Elements of Urban Design 2b. Streets

Dudhiya Talav Ring Road, Navsari Edge Type

Ground Floor Building Use

Navigli Street, Milan Edge Type

Ground Floor Building Use

2

Elements of Urban Design 2c. Open Spaces

Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, US

Edge Type

A

Ground Floor Building Use

View from Point A B

View from Point B

2

Elements of Urban Design 2c. Urban Block

Hammarby allĂŠ, Stockholm Urban Blocks

166m 898m

319 m 260 m

34 m 75 m

Block Perimeter Smallest Largest

Building Footprint

Arterial street view

Chart Title

Built Space 21% Public Open Space 50% Private Open Space 29% Public open space view

Private open space 29%

Public open space 50%

Built space 21% 1

2

3

3

Workshop Vastrapur A park in the City | A City in the Park

Vastrapur

Site Conditions

A park in the City | City in the Park

A potential public space with multiple activities lacking of organized spaces.

Project Description This project was a part of an exchange program with the French students. The project was to identify an urban issues in the Vastrapur neighbourhood and providing design strategies to solve the same.

Unorganized Parking

Aim of the Project

Active street food plaza

To have permeable central open space in the Vastrapur neighbourhood

Central open space bringing diverse group of people in the neighbourhood

Identifying the Potential Public Space

Unsafe pedestrian movement

Blocked Connectivity

Site Analysis

Site Analysis

Exisiting Condition

Proposed site intervention Existing Site Conditions 1. Enclosed Spaces 2. Seperated Activities 3. Only dedicated visitors

N Existing Plan

10 0

40 20

Proposed Site Intervention 1. Integrated public spaces 2. Acitivites leading to one another 3. Intermediate pause points

N m 80

10 0

Section AA’

40 20

m 80

Section AA’

Conceptual Section through Vastrapur Lake Plaza

A walk through dense greens in the city

A deck overlooking at the lake and city

The Vision

Pedestrian friendly spillover for vending space

Pedestrian Flow

Visual Connections to the City

Clear Vehicular thoroughfare

Pedestrian zone

Walk through the market street

Shaded cycling and jogging tracks

Vending Zone

Cycle Tracks

Parking Lane

Drive in lane with pick-up and parking

Vehicular Lanes

Vision to a permeable lake edge

Drive - in - Lane

4

Design of Public Place near Vastrapur Lake area Vastrapur Public Plaza - An extension of Vastrapur Lake

Constraints

Aim

Physical Constraints

To develop a public plaza which is well connected to the Vastrapur Lake

No appropriate segregation of activities

Inadequate Lighting

Excess vendors encroach walkway

High compund wall - decreases connectivity

Unsafe pedestrian movement

Opportunities 1. Active Food Plaza at night time 2. Large shaded Open spaces

Connectivity to other neighbourhoods & public spaces

Overall Issues of the site

Partially poros edges - Loses Liveliness

Concerns

Design Strategy - Safety

Safety

Liveliness

Versatile Use

Connectivity of the plaza & the lake

Limiting vehicular movement

Efficent usage of the space

N

Proposed Plan 5 0

20

m 40

10

Design Strategies

Raised bottle neck entrance & exit - limiting vehicular access partially Predominantly pedestrian street connection

More activities inside the plaza

Segregation of acitivities

Multiple pause points to reduce vehicular & pedestrians moevment 5 0

20 10

m

40

N

Design Stretegies - Liveliness

Design Stretegies - Liveliness

Food plaza seperated by raising it from the street plaza Segregated functional & gathering activities beneits to utlize the open shaded area efficiently

Informal seating/gathering space becomes the welcoming place to the food plaza

Ease & Safer connectivity for pedestrian because of the raised street level

Design Strategy - Versatile Use

Design Strategy - Versatile Use

Section cut along the street

Section cut along the street

Blow up of the Section, showing Morning activity - Vegetable vending

Blow up of the Section, showing Night activity - Food Plaza

DAY View of the Plaza

NIGHT View of the Plaza

Isometric View

Lowering the high compound walls develops a connection to the existing lake & activates the whole street with ancillary acitvities

4

Learnings

The first module of the studio focused on understanding the relevance of the Urban design elements. This module defined these elements by understanding each element through the means of graphical representation of that particular element. Every building has a different character, which they reflect through their facades and series of such facades gives the character to a street. This interconnection was understood when moved to understanding streets from the buildings. Streets being versatile in nature lead us to the understanding of a designated open space and an informal open space. Urban block is a collective group of buildings, streets & the open spaces giving a character to the neighbourhood. All these elements combine to give the whole city an urban character, which is evolved in any city from time to time.

The first module also focused on the graphical representation of these elements, which tells us that each detail matters, every tine bit of elements matter for any of the elements to define its character to the best. Learning through the method of 3 D graphical representation also taught us about the sense of scale, character of the space and made us focus on the activities that are involved with such special elements.

Thee second module was a chance to showcase whatever we have perceived from the module 1 and it helped us gaining the knowledge to do some projects with some real stakeholders. Solutions to real concerns and issues helped us to relate the detailing of the elements of the module 1. This module helped us gaining confidence to deal with any such sort of intervention.

Nidhi Malani PG 190607