Selected works: 2019-2023

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacob

Dastur Meher street, Pune, India’ 17

Contents

1.

‘Re-imagining De-wallen’ Master thesis

2.

RWTH campus as a livinglab, Aachen Germany

3.

Re-purposing quarry regions in Istanbul, Turkey

4.

Tribal school and skill development center, Gujarat, India

1. ‘RE-Imagining De-Wallen’ Climate neutral strategy for the historic centre

Master thesis

Individual work

Softwares used: Qgis, Adobe CC & ArchiCAD, Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop

The imminent project for retrofitting of the decaying Quay walls presents the opportunity to rethink the the under-ground and above-ground assets of the protected ‘De Wallen’ area in Amsterdam. The project will focus on Mobility, Built Environment and Energy strategies to sequester carbon footprint for reducing the impacts of climate change for people and heritage. Implemtation of these strategies are shown in the focus area where streets and squares are ‘RE-imagined’ for the carbon neutral centre of tomorrow.

Rijks museum

Vondelpark

Current Scenario (2022)

Roads along canals

Roads between buildings

Roads along squares

Narrow roads between buildings

Ongoing construction

Construction on bridges

3.

1.

Central station

museum

18% of the total carbon emission is from the Mobility sector. Thus the strategy for ‘De Wallen climate neutral 2050’ is based on 3 modes:

Avoid the need for motorised travel

Improve otheer tranport modes

Shift to sustainable models

Metro stop

Tram stop

Car sharing districts

Car as ‘guest’ design

Limit city streets

Surface parking limitation

Bike & Pedestrians first

Logististics via waterways

Charging point

Car sharing points

Avoid

Rail connection

Bike priority lane

Single Bicycle connection

Improve Shift

FLEXIBLE MOBILITY STRATEGY

Currently, the streets of UNESCO core area value is depleting because of surplus of cars and high-carbon emitting mobility.

Surface car parking ban on canal streets; reclaiming the street. ‘Car as a guest’ design implemented in the core area.

In the part closest to the urban quarter, the car parking is transformed into green residential parking or into a communal space.

Noordekerk Neighbourhood Transformation

The project commences with the planned renovation of Leidenstraat in 2026, a pivotal moment for the community. Underground infrastructure upgrades ensure futureproofing with fiber and electric cables, linking the street to sustainable energy sources within the district. Embracing a car-free ethos, the neighborhood embraces various transportation sharing initiatives.

In the subsequent phase, Westerstraat transforms into Westermaarkt, a vibrant hub for community gatherings. Events like yoga day, in partnership with the Dancing Monkey Gym, and weekly second-hand clothing and food markets animate the space. Westermaarkt evolves into a bustling center for retail and communal activities.

Meanwhile, residents of Leidengracht embark on a green initiative, expanding their community gardens into a charming pocket park. Now equipped with bicycle accessibility and logistics support, it serves as a verdant oasis for locals.

In a bid to enhance ecological and social engagement, the municipality takes action to remove surface parking near religious and cultural landmarks. This repurposed space fosters experimentation in ecological practices and community initiatives. Additionally, the integration of Noordemarkt with green houseboats, maintained by residents, adds to the neighborhood’s unique charm and sustainability efforts.

WesterstraatTheoThijssenSchool

Gym

2.

Albert Heijn

2. Campus as a Living lab, Nature based solutions, Aachen

Academic project

Group members: Mariia P, Safiya R, Shivani H, Wasila P, Zainab C Softwares used: Qgis, Adobe CC, ArchiCAD, AutoCAD, Grasshopper

This project opens an inspiring new chapter of how RWTH could lead by example in the global race of sustainable university campuses by adopting the framework of a Living Lab. This Living lab, a hub for co-creation and real life experimentation can solve our complex societal issues and improve the validity of our outcomes. In turn, allowing us to replicate and upscale the solutions. It brings together stakeholders from various fields of study, research, and industry to co-work on urgent issues in specific addressing the issue of sustainability we all face today.

The tools used to tackle this are Nature Based Solutions. The project has identified the problematic areas at Campus Mitte that are in urgent need of interventions. Through an extensive research, analysis, and the process of trial and error, we have proposed design solutions for the selected sites. This is followed by the development of a Toolkit, an essential part of a Living Lab, that aims to guide other campuses in creating a sustainable university campus.

Uniclinik

Campus Melaton

Campus Mitte

Campus West

Uniclinik

Regarding this analysis we selected 4 cells of was identified that still Mitte is the most each part of the RWTH, that represent 4 different accessibility level (from the most accessible to the least).

During the comparable analysis it accessible area, but has the most dense and complex structure, big amount of parking lots and less vegetation.

NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS: Campus Mitte

TOOLKIT:

Building scale Intervention

BSI01 Green roofs

BSI02 Green walls

BSI03 Urban rooftop farming

BSI04 wetland roof

BSI05 Vertical farm

BSI06 Living walls

Public scale Intervention

PS01 bioswales

PS02 pocket parks

PS03 Car parked with green layer

PS04 Eco-furniture

PS05 Garden beds

PS06 Twitter tree

PS07 Facilities for birds and fauna

PS08 Community Garden

Intervention for blue infrastructure

BI01 Gutters

BI02 Ditches

BI03 Water ground infiltration

BI04 Porous Paving

BI05 Aquaponic

BI06 Rainwater harvesting

Intervention for transport infrastructure

TLI01 Green roof canopy

TLI02 Green noise barrier

TLI03 Green corridor

TLI04 Turf mounds

TLI05 Green bus shelter

TLI06 Plant e-technology

Intervention for habitat biodiversity

EHB01 Beehive Gardens

EHB02 Hotel for insects

EHB03 Butterfly park

EHB04 Gardens of worms

EHB05 Bird sanctuary and gardens

Refer Catalouge fo NBS, Energy & Urban Planning Design Studio at the Politecnico di Milano (2017-2019)

MASTER PLAN

The Master plan is a general plan of all connected nature-based solutions interventions, that are located on six areas of interventions:

1) Mensa Academica;

2) C.A.R.L. Auditorium;

3) Talbot Parkplatz;

4) Miscellaneous;

5) Karman Auditorium;

6) Maschinenbau Plaza.

By connections in this Masterplan are considered pedestrian, bicycle, green and blue connections, which create the holistic pedestrian- and eco-friendly urban system.

Section through Mensa crossroad

Roof top of Sparkasse bank

BSI01 Green roofs

BSI05 Vertical farm

BI06 Rainwater harvesting

PS05 Garden beds

PS06 Twitter tree

Rejuvinating spaces around Mensa

BSI01 Green roofs

PS05 Garden beds

PS04 Eco-furniture

TLI02 Green noise barrier

TLI04 Turf mounds

BI06 Rainwater harvesting

PS06 Twitter tree

NBS at C.A.R.L

PS04 Eco-furniture

TLI02 Green noise barrier

TLI04 Turf mounds

RECLAIMING TALBOT PARKPLATZ: Campus Mitte

Urban Hives designed by Natahlie Harb in Beirut in 2018, seeks to reintroduced the urban garden into these parking lots, and potentially into other public, hard-surfaced spaces. Urban hives is conceived as a module that raises above 2 cars.

Modules can be multiplied or reduced to suit the site and easily assembled and disassembled for maximum flexibility. Thus, the parking lot retains its commercial use, but is also transformed into a site for communal gardening and food growing activity.

Talbot development is planned in 4 phases:

In Phase I, Reiff Museum is connected to Seminar Building. Urban hives are added on one side, while other side has surface parking.

In Phase II, One more connection is created between Reiff Museum and Seminar Building. Followed by green lawn and gentle reduction of car parking.

In Phase IV, Talbot parkplatz will be transformed into a recreational space for social interaction and for multiple activities. Vertical car parking is also proposed. Phase I Phase II Phase III Phase IV

In Phase III, addition of more green space and urban hives. Also, temporary study rooms are shifted on the roof of Aerodynamics institute and a new space for surface parking.

3. Re-purposing quarry regions

Istanbul, Turkey

Academic project

Group members: Shivani H, Wasila P & Said K Softwares used: Qgis, Adobe CC, ArchiCAD, AutoCAD

Destructive landspaces is an evident issue across globe. This project focuses on such landcapes in Istanbul, Turkey. Mining activities are very prevelant in Istanbul and has become a part of urban sprawl. The project here discusses about peri urban and rural landscape’s tranformation into a resilient and community oriented space. Landscape Resilience is an interconnected network of several sectors including social, ecological, economic and infrastructural resilience. The goal here is to shift profit driven economy by redevloping quarries of Cendere, Cebice and Catlca regions to a people ecological centric growth.

The goal is to shape the transition from a profit driven economy to a people ecologic centric growth.

Curret trend Profit minded Strategy resillience thinking Vision Evolutionary resilience

Quarries impacting green-blue and cultural landscape

SDV Loop

New metro routes

SDV stops

Metro stops

B i o Farm oCliving C e eredn C e ecib

ParkourA r e an Ç a talca Farmi n g Farmer ’ s tekraM Health c e retn C ommunity retnec

Improve Food supply | Empowering Farmers Farming innovation center

C o-working

Empoweringyouth

Istanbul is a part of the global green belt connected to the rest of the Turkey and other European countries. Mining activities are declining the quality of green and blue infrastructure. Wherelse, cultural landscape are far away from the urban centers and it’s density decreases as we move towards urban fringes.

(i) Rail network: trams and metro network

(ii) Rail network: trams and metro network

As analysed from the maps related to Rail connectivity we can see the network is more dense in the historic areas of the city. Also from the accessibility map we can see that there are areas above golden horn where only 2/3 of the tram and metro stops are accessible in 1200 mt range. Also, there are less tram stops then metro stops across the city. From the maps we can see that the road network is dense in Istanbul compared to Railway networks. So thus, the bus connectivity is more accessible than trams or metro in the city. More number of stops are accessible in the city center. Also, from individual quarry areas the bus stops are accessible for pedestrians within range of 400 mt. But because of the traffic issues in the city it takes more time to access places via bus.

VISION: Strategies and Toolkit

Sustainable resource usage

Knowledge economy

Autonomous vehicles

Local economy

Employment Opportunities

Multi functional landuse

Lansdscape Resilience

Integrated blue-green network

Ecological Economical

Smart Urbanism

Socio- cultural

Welness for all

Health tourism

Climate adaptation

Biodiversity Conservation

The vision of this project is to create a resilient and sustainable future of stone mining areas after 2030 in Istanbul European Peninsula. Our focus is on socio-cultural, ecological resilience, sustainable transportation and energy at a landscape scale. Hence we define landscape resilience as the ability of a landscape to sustain desired socio-ecological functions, robust native biodiversity, and critical landscape processes over time, under changing conditions, and despite multiple stressors and uncertainties.

FOCUS AREA: Cendere mining area

Strategies for the area

The focus here to transform the industrial landuse to something that is available and useful for all. Shutting down the mining activity and replacing it with humancentric spaces. The first quarry will be developed into spaces for work and play. Co-working spaces, offices and warehouses can be accomodated in this area with open amphitheatre and research centers. While Quarry two due to it’s proximity to residential project can be adapted into experimental housing project itself. The remaining quarry areas can be camoflauged with the context and the creek can be developed more.

Mixused development with green edges Quarry 01 Quarry 02 Quarry 03 Quarry 04

Final phase will include the fully developed outdoor park and research centers. A green layer is developed in the entire destructive landscape with the help of experiments in Biomes. A nature trails is carved out leading visitors from parking areas to visitor’s center then to amphitheater and outdoor parks.

Section AA’

The slopes of the terrain is treated using nature based solutions such as living smiles, wattle fence and gabions. A connection from between 2 biomes are made which gives an elevated pedestrian access to citizens.

BIOME 02

OUTDOOR PARK

RECLAIMED LAND

AMPHITHEATRE

PARKING

RESEARCH CENTER

VISITORCENTER

Kemerburgaz Rd.

BIOME 01

4. Tribal School and Skill development

............center, Makadamba, Gujarat, India

Architectural thesis

Project guide: Prof Mira Jobanputra, ar. Sujit Kothiwalle

Softwares used: Adobe CC, ArchiCAD, AutoCAD, Lumion, Sketchup

Aim of this project is to create an educational set up for all age groups in a tribal village.

Education is a powerful tool to uplift the living conditions of a community. Intervention at the root level can bring significant improvement in an economically struggling society. The thesis examines this concern for a (Dungri Bhil) tribal village in Narmada District of Gujarat. The objective is to provide better educational infrastructure solutions within the precinct not only for students but also for the villagers. All the interventions are in the scale of the present rural area and serve the adjacent villages too.

The proposals here aims towards development of farmers in the tribal district through an institute which focuses on the vocational and skill-based learning for all age group. Also developing the prevailing skills of craftsmanship in the community further provides a progressive growth pattern to a village.

QUALITY OF LEARNING SPACES

Flexible learning spaces

Covered playing area

Exclusive shared spaces for students

Learning Landscape

Plaza used for village festivals

Plaza used for sports event

On ground research was conducted to observe community and children’s lifestyle in th hamlet. These drawings are a spatial representation of a typical family household’s look like and how the livestock share the common spaces along with the family inside of the house. The architecture style here is very vernacular and tactial.

CASE 1: Mud house with Bamboo and wood structure

CASE 2: Concrete, brick and mud house

While climbing up towards the academic block there is an amphitheater facing the sunken plaza. As we enter the block, we are greeted with a multi-purpose area. Space can be used as an exhibition area, for performances on an annual day, morning gatherings, etc. The classes are set along with the slope of the site. There is an open farming space connected to each class. And above each class, there are spaces for recreational activities which are made out of bamboo (from the workshop). The layout of the workshop is similar to the academic block.

Typical unit of a classroom

The hostel block is divided into 3 parts. Canteen, girls block, and boys block. The house parent room is situated at the entrance for security. The parent house rooms are connected to the common room and entrance for the same reason. The Rooms overlook the common courtyard for the block. The rest of the space is left for future development.

SUNKEN PLAZA: Multipurpose space

VILLAGE FETE

MARKET DAY

ANNUAL DAY/ EXHIBITION DAY

Email: shivani.handa@rwth-aachen.de