Academic Portfolio

SELECTED

CONTENTS

RE-THINKING GOVERNMENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING

600 Units of housing apartment // Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India January 2021 // Design Thesis

EXTENTION TO ATIRA CAMPUS

Campus Design // Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India December 2019 // Design Studio

HOUSING AT KOLIWADA

260 Units of housing apartment // Colaba, Mumbai, India June 2020 // Competition (Group of 2)

INTERNSHIP AT PUNE

Chaturshringi Temple // Pune, Maharastra, India June 2019 // Practical Training

INTERNSHIP AT AHMEDABAD

Landscape and Urban Pockets Design // Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India January 2021 // Part-Time Internship

RE-THINKING AFFORDABLE GOVERNMENT HOUSING

Academic Thesis (Individual Project) Semester - 10th (February - July 2021)

Site - Science-city, Ahmedabad Low-Cost Housing Supervisor - Rachna Mehta(mehtarachna9@gmail.com)

In the national agenda of India, affordable housing is quickly taking center stage. With housing recognized as a fundamental need, governments are discussing means of providing access to affordable housing at every level.

Strong pressure to hold down the costs of these projects is due to the limited supply of funding for affordable housing and the growing demand for it. These pressures can lead to design decisions that produce short-term cost savings but significantly reduce long-term benefits.

To resolve these issues, it is critical to examine the current living conditions in affordable housing and to design strategic solutions. It is imperative to approach housing design with strategies that make the process sensitive to needs of the people and provide optimum comfort for them. For the growth of all residents, A strong sense of community life must be fostered through housing.

Background on Affordable Housing in India

India is projected to have the fastest growing urban population in the coming decades, due to the influx of people migrating from rural to urban areas in search of better life.

According to government estimates, the shortage of housing in 2015 was about 40 million – that includes the homeless, and substandard houses without basic amenities (OECD, 2019).

With the constitute of 95 percent of total housing shortage Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Low-Income groups (LIG) are prominent across Urban housing shortage. Other 4.38 percent is estimated because the shortage amongst Middle Income Groups (MIG) (Rekhy and Raheja 2012).

Unavailability of Urban Land

Demand for urban land is triggered by the high population density in the urban areas. There is a need to revaluate the conceived government regulations that has created and artificial land shortage to push up land prices in India (Rekhy and Raheja 2012).

Delay in Approvals from Multiple Local Authorities

For the approval of an affordable housing, developers are required to pass the approvals through 150 tables in about 40 departments of central, state governments and municipal corporations (Rekhy and Raheja 2012).

But... Despite a severe shortage, government funded houses in Indian cities are lying vacant

Status of centrally sponsored housing under government policies in Urban India

As of May 2016

Occupied 7,93,995 Vacant 2,38,448 Total Constructed 10,32,443 % Vacant 23.1

For the beneficiaries to actually move into the housing the quality of housing is extremely important. Demand of such schemes is to create quality housing at low cost which poses a challenge for developers.

Major issues in these low-quality houses have water leakages, improper sanitation etc. while medium quality fulfils basic needs still lacks in providing proper daylighting and ventilation. As the quality of the housing decides the acceptance rate, creating poor quality housing leads to inefficient outcomes for the scheme. Resulting in abandonment of housing and beneficiaries returning to live in slums. Therefore, ensuring the quality of housing is an important consideration.

The conditions were not always so bad for houses produced by the government. Before 1989 affordable housing was well thought and implemented for the needs and development of the people below the poverty line but, in Mumbai, Slum Development Authority (SDR) was put in place, which developed housing facilities in existing slum areas so, came the situation of vertical slums. As they were cheaper to construct using low-quality materials and did not need to occupy the valuable places in the city center they were quickly accepted throughout India. Therefore, changing the face of affordable housing forever.

Lack of Skilled Manpower

The issue of manpower shortage in real estate sector is something India still struggles with. It can have an adverse impact on the delivery and cost of affordable housing projects.

Rising Construction Costs

Costing of affordable housing is primarily driven by the cost of construction. Unlike luxurious residential projects, where the costing is heavily guided by the cost of land. Cost of construction in the past decade has gone up to 80% (Rekhy and Raheja 2012).

Financing constraints for Low - Income groups

Financing Constraints for Low-Income GroupsThe households falling under LIG and EWS category find it difficult to secure formal housing finance due to the current financing mechanism in the country that is tilted towards servicing the MIG & above segments (KPMG-CREDAI 2011).

In order for government policies to succeed, decent quality housing and timely redevelopment are essential. In considering the following factors, a design proposal was developed by examining an existing affordable housing site and proposing solutions.

The Design -

Existing ConditionsDe-centralized network of green spaces which are not maintained by the community which results in dead spaces.

The distinctiveness of this design lies in reinterpreting the idea of a single common space. Instead of having all the activities in one place, they are spread throughout the floor and the site. This provides easy access, a lively atmosphere, and encourages interaction across the building. Each of the floors has one activity center which is visually connected across different floors through a central open space. So the chance of these being maintained well is also much higher since residents would pass by them on a regular day-today basis. The climate is addressed via staggered corridors, which provide cross ventilation through each unit while also vertically ventilating the community/corridor areas. Ground-floor residential units are outfitted with shops to help residents generate income, and part of the ground floor has been converted into a community kitchen garden so residents can grow some of their vegetables. The diagram below illustrates different type of activities that can be provided for these type of community housing.

InterventionRe-arranging housing blocks to create more central open spaces for the interaction between the members of the community.

Existing ConditionsMany government houses lack proper ventilation of the housing blocks which results in dead and dark passages.

InterventionIntroducing a central courtyard for better ventilation througout the block. Eliminating an apartment on each floor to create common spaces for the community.

Existing ConditionsWith minimum or small windows, the individual houses as well lack proper lighting and ventilation.

InterventionInstalling large windows in individual houses to maximise ventilation to improve the quality of life.

Well-Lit Houses Amphitheatre Cycling Track

Gathering Areas Community Kitchen Garden Playing Areas General Stores

EXTENSION TO ATIRA CAMPUS

Design Studio (Site-Planning in Group of 4) Semester - 8th (February - July 2020)

Site - University Area, Ahmedabad Multi-functional Campus Supervisor - Roma Almeida(roma.almeida@sal.edu.in)

The Ahmedabad Textile Industry Research Association is a non-profit textile research organisation based in the neighbourhood of Navarangpura. It is India’s largest textile research and allied industries association. The program is to design a multifunctional campus on the existing site of ATIRA that includes teaching and workshop areas for the enthusiasts who are interested in pursuing and learning more about the Textile Industry.

As the site is already has a large footfall and is centrally located in the city, designing a self-sustaining building with different sustainable technologies would help create awareness about climate change and conservation of the ecology.

Phase-1

Analyzing the existing contour of the site, and finding ridges and valleys by slope analysis method.

Phase-3

Paths were created alongside the water channels for circulation throughout the site.

Phase-2

After understanding the flow of water through the site, water channels were created to collect the surface water during monsoons.

Phase-4

Building blocks were organized along the water channels and each of them had its own water reservoir for the storage of water which acted as the source of passive cooling.

Roof Plan

Module - 1 Location - Cental Atrium and Administration Block Size - 5m X 5m

Third Floor Plan

Module - 2 Location - Cental Atrium Size - 5m X 5m

Second Floor Plan

Module - 3 Location - Cental Atrium,Administraton and Classroom Block Size - 10m X 10m

First Floor Plan

Classroom Block

Central Atrium

Admin Block

Ground Floor Plan

Module - 4 Location - Cental Atrium,Administration and Classroom Block Size - 10m X 10m

Module - 4 Location - Classroom Block Size - 15m X 10m

Seminar Hall

Curtain wall Transom with Plantation

Fixing to the Slab-edge

Typical Classroom-2

Hopper Window

Joint Classroom Research Classroom

Curtain wall Mullion

Typical Classroom-1

Hopper Window

Wooden Window Frame

Louvered Window

Curtain wall Transom with Plantation

Building Structural Elements

HOUSING AT KOLIWADA

Student compitition (Group of 2) Semester - 9th (June - January 2020)

Site - Colaba, Mumbai

Low-Cost Housing Supervisor - Zubin Choksi(choksizd@gmail.com)

Colaba Koliwada is one of the prominent settlements in the city. The ‘koliwadas’, which essentially means “a home that opens to the sea” houses - The Kolis, a traditional fishing community in Maharashtra, were the natives of Mumbai.

There are numerous drawbacks to the site, including congested clusters of housing. This makes it difficult for people to carry out their daily activities and to carry out their fishing routine due to inadequate open space. Furthermore, it is a flood-prone area with no protection measures. Design proposal was made after throughly understanding and analyzing their daily activities and existing housing conditions.

Despite the fact that the Koli group was the first to settle in Colaba, it has poor infrastructure because of which it is currently classified as a slum. As the land is bordered by high-rise dwelling complexes with no space for recreational activities nearby, creating a recreation area on the site itself could help the community generate additional revenue. The reconstruction plan calls for the building of multi-purpose facilities that may be used for both daily activities (fishing, drying fish, and market) as well as recreational activities. The design hopes that by making these changes, there will be an increase in the living standards of the kholiwada as well as the neighborhood.

2. Boat-Parking 1. Water-Breakers

Water-Breakers

Hexagonal Wave-breakers on different heights along the edge of the site is proposed to minimalize the force of waves, In addition, it will help in providing spaces for Docks and recreational spaces. People can walk and enjoy the light waves during low tides.

3. Fish-Drying Areas

Boar-Parking

Docks are also provided for the fishermen where they can unload their fish and then proceed to park their boats under the bridge. The specific corner of the site was selected because of the natural triangular shape that helps reduce the current. Space for Boat parking is designed with a bridge over it that shades the boats so that the fishermen can repair and maintain their boats during the day. The bridge above the parking is used as a recreational area and a viewing deck with sitting areas and cycling and jogging tracks.

Fish-Drying Area

A Drying Pavilion is also provided which acts as a multi-purpose space, which can be used for drying fish during the day and for recreational activity at night with this the design makes sure that all the spaces provided are used throughout the day. Open structures are placed at different parts of the site, Which can be further modified and used according to the end-user like informal market area for the street vendors or maintenance and repair shops for the boats.

Housing Blocks

The government of Maharastra has classified half of the land as a flood zone, and during the monsoons, the tides are so high that individuals living on the site have their homes filled with water. With this in mind, no housing units are built on the ground floor.

The housing design is based on working-class families’ traditional mass dwelling. With large and welcoming shared areas, providing the required personal space. The blocks are positioned in such a way that maximum wind circulation inside the unit is allowed due to the hot and humid climatic conditions in Mumbai. The identities of communities are sometimes overlooked during the creation of these housing units. The vibrant elevations are a part of the Koli community’s identity that we want to keep. As a result, the apartment blocks are painted in hues that reflect the community’s culture. The colour references were derived from the paintings of the natives.

Units

Units are designed to give users the most freedom possible. The various options shown below illustrate the various configurations that can be made within a single device. It maximises floor space and is tailored to meet the demands of users. Users can use the balconies to expand their homes if they need to in the future. Louvered windows allow for air circulation throughout the unit.

Between the Housing Blocks

Between the blocks, different types of activity areas for the community are designed, the space acts as a courtyard for People of the community who prefer to gather and talk about their day during the evening. Sitting areas are provided between every alternative block. During the daytime, the area can also be used for setting up the nets for fishing, the informal market for the people of the community, etc. The conceptualization of the space was inspired by the way the streets of Koliwada - where a lot of activities happen in the same space which brings the whole place to life.

Building Structural Elements

Louvered Window Sliding Window Colored Glass Railing

Wooden Window Frame

Section CC

INTERNSHIP AT PUNE

Narendra Dengle and Associates Semester - 7th (June - January 2019)

Site - Pune, Maharastra

Re-designing Temple Supervisor - Narendra Dengle(narendradengle@gmail.com )

The Chaturshringi Temple is a Hindu temple in the Maharashtra state of India, in the city of Pune. On Senapati Bapat Road, the temple is situated on the slope of a hill. It is said to have been constructed during the reign of Peshwas, a Maratha kingdom.

Because the temple is historically and culturally significant, it was necessary to preserve the original characteristics while also modernizing it. assisted in the development of sections and the detailing of plans.

INTERNSHIP AT AHMEDABAD

Fether - The Design Studio

Year - 2021 Location - Ahmedabad, Gujarat Landscape & Urban Pocket Design

Supervisor - Dhwani Pokar(fether.thedesignstudio@gmail.com)

I had the opportunity to gain valuable experience as an intern in Ahmedabad with a rising firm specializing in Architecture and Landscape. As part of my involvement with the project, contributed to the conceptualization of the design as well as the presentation and working drawings.

The following design is a plaza amids a congested urban area surrounded by shops. It is a prominent attraction in the area. The redesign is proposed with a variety of landscape elements incorporated to enhance the user experience. The design’s principal goal is to create an urban refuge in the midst of a bustling commercial and office area.

The section depicts the various types of experiences that a visitor will have when walking in the plaza. Ahmedabad has a hot and dry climate, therefore the space will stay cool during the summers thanks to a major water body and a number of smaller water channels.

Isometric-View of the Plaza