Understanding Public Life Portfolio | Urban Design Work
Yash Siroliya . PG191177
Disclaimer The information presented in this portfolio has been studied and collected by the author as a part of the Elements of Urban Design Studio, Faculty of Planning, CEPT University. Any omissions and errors are deeply regretted.
Cover Page Credits: Vector art by Oksana
Source:htt ps://stock.adobe.com/in/image s/ different-isomeric-people-vector-set-isolated-onwhite-male-and-female-characters-flat-isometricvector/225454936?prev_url=detail
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Acknowledgment I would like to express my gratitude towards CEPT University, Ahmedabad and Faculty of Planning for conducting Elements of Urban Design Studio over developing the basic understanding about design elements in urban domain. I am grateful to Prof. Mariana Paisana, Prof. Brijesh Bhatha and academic associate Aarzoo Samani who have constantly been active in imparting the best of their knowledge and skills to us.
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Contents
Disclaimer Acknowledgment Contents
Preface
Elements of Urban Design 2a. Building Types 2b. Streets 2c. Open space 2d. Urban Blocks
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Workshop
Design of Public Place
Urban Design Intervention near Vastrapur Lake Area
Development of Vastrapur Lake Periphery
Learnings
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Preface
The first module intends on methods of effectively capturing and communicating the spatial qualities of the urban built environment. While the second module involves design problems in everyday public places such as streets, neighborhood open spaces, public infrastructure etc. Learning outcomes for initial exercises were therefore focused on to prepare design drawings so as to graphically communicate the key spatial characteristics of an existing urban built environment with a focus on its elements and ability to propose specific urban design solutions for everyday urban places. While for the latter exercises the intention was to intervene urban domain through projects that develop a clear understanding of what is private and public, thus propose a solution relating to nearby context. The publication is thus designed in a manner to graphically communicate the elements that form the basis of public life in public spaces and also showcase the capacity to identify an urban problem in everyday city practices while propose a solution to the same.
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Elements of Urban Design 2a. Building Types Project type : Individual
1. Independent Bungalows
Building Name : Tower House, Ahmedabad Ground Coverage : 100 sqmt Total Built-up area : 400 sqmt
10 0 20
10
N
40 80
m
Building Name : Ground Coverage : Total Built-up area :
Lattice house, Jammu 125 sqmt 495 sqmt
Building Name : Ground Coverage : Total Built-up area :
Villa Cook, France 135 sqmt 350 sqmt
2. Apartments
Building Name : Ground Coverage : Total Built-up area :
10 0 20
Amphi Ivory, Ahmedabad 465 sqmt 3255 sqmt
Building Name : Never Apartment, Hyderabad Ground Coverage : 300 sqmt Total Built-up area : 1048 sqmt
Building Name: Primose Street Apartments, Israel Ground Coverage : 320 sqmt Total Built-up area : 1280 sqmt
N
40 80
m
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3. Healthcare Buildings
Building Name : Prathama Centre, Ahmedabad Ground Coverage : 280 sqmt Total Built-up area : 1260 sqmt
10 0 20
12
N
40 80
m
Building Name : Prajna Institute, Bengaluru Ground Coverage : 330 sqmt Total Built-up area : 1110 sqmt
Building Name : Avenida health centre, Mexico Ground Coverage : 145 sqmt Total Built-up area : 400 sqmt
4. Educational Buildings
Building Name : Ground Coverage : Total Built-up area :
20 0 40
AMA, Ahmedabad 1690 sqmt 3380 sqmt
Building Name : Ground Coverage : Total Built-up area :
British School, New Delhi 6900 sqmt 27600 sqmt
Building Name : Paula Souza Center, Sao Paulo Ground Coverage : 6200 sqmt Total Built-up area : 29450 sqmt
N
80 160
m
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5. Office Buildings
Building Name : Maple Trade Centre, Ahmedabad Ground Coverage : 2315 sqmt Total Built-up area : 14420 sqmt
20 0 40
14
N
80 160
m
Building Name : DLF Building no. 7, Gurgaon Ground Coverage : 3370 sqmt Total Built-up area : 9420 sqmt
Building Name : Ground Coverage : Total Built-up area :
Seagram Tower, New York 3090 sqmt 55100 sqmt
6. Commercial Buildings
Building Name : Ground Coverage : Total Built-up area :
10 0 20
Dena Bank, Ahmedabad 1420 sqmt 5240 sqmt
Building Name : Ground Coverage : Total Built-up area :
Wolkem Office, Udaipur 1210 sqmt 4000 sqmt
Building Name : Metrovacesa Offices, Madrid Ground Coverage : 1650 sqmt Total Built-up area : 3970 sqmt
N
40 80
m
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Elements of Urban Design 2b. Streets
1. D.P. Road, Pune, India
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Edge Type
620 m Total building edge = 68 Total no. of entrance = No. of entrance / 100m = 12 Opaque 20%
Porous 15%
25 0
100 50
200
m
N
Access to street Access to building
Legend
Visually
Physically
Opaque Partially Porous Porous
Partially Porous 65%
The building edge along Dhole Patil road in Pune is a well designed and inclusive street. It provides an active spillover space for the commercial shops along the streets. Parking for 2 and 4 wheeler is well crafted on the edge.
Ground Floor Building Use
25 0
Residential Commercial
C1 Retail C2 Hotel/ Restaurants
Residential 35%
Retail 65%
100 50
Office Religious
200
m
N
Institutional Open space
The street has Retail shops along both the side of the road followed by residential typology on the upper floors. These commercial activities along with major pedestrian movement makes DP road a shopping street and functions as an active edge.
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2. High Line, Manhattan, New York
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Edge Type
640 m Total building edge = 6 Total no. of entrance = No. of entrance / 100m = 1 Partially Porous 15% Porous 10%
25 0
100 50
N
m
Access to street Access to building
Legend Opaque 75%
200
Visually
Physically
Opaque Partially Porous Porous
The edge along the highline is visually permeable as the high line is elevated it gives a clear view across the streets and is a distinctive feature of this elevated park. The overall stretch of the highline is around 2.6km
Ground Floor Building Use
25 0
Residential Commercial
Utility 50%
C1 Retail C2 Hotel/ Restaurants
Retail 50%
Office Utility
100 50
200
m
N
Institutional Open space
Highline is mostly used as a public park thus it has only few certain and specific uses pertaining to the need it has a public utility at the beginning and few eateries under the buildings from where the highline passes
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Elements of Urban Design 2c. Open Space
Lincoln Centre, Manhattan, New York Lincoln Center Bandshell
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center South Plaza
David H Koch Theatre
Josie Robertson Plaza
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Philharmonic hall
Edge Type
Public Library for Performing arts
20 0
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
Total building edge = 600 m Total no. of entrance = 23 No. of entrance / 100m = 4
Porous 15%
Hearst Plaza
80
Partially Porous 30%
m
N
Access to street Access to building
Legend Opaque 55%
160
40
Visually
Physically
Opaque Partially Porous Porous
Ground Floor Building Use
20
Institutional 100%
0
80 40
160
m
N
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a 16.3-acre (6.6-hectare) complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The edge condition is primarily partially porous and opaque towards the building edge while porous on the plaza edge. Lincoln center is surrounded by roads across the plaza and thus effectively connects with the city providing multiple access points.
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Elements of Urban Design 2d. Urban Block
Flatiron District, Manhattan, New York
Flatiron Building
Metropolitan Life Clock Tower
New York Life Insurance Building
Madison Square Park
Flatiron Public Plaza
Worth Square
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Urban Blocks
N 30 0
120 60
240
m
35 m 300 m
90 m
300 m 80 m
Smallest Largest
35 m
Block Perimeter
Building Footprints
N 30 0
120 60
240
m
Built v/s Open Private open space 14% Built space Public
54%
open space 32%
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Workshop
Urban Intervention near Vastrapur Lake Project type : Group
Social Life Around Intersections In Indian context intersections function in diverse ways they are dynamic and are great supporter of public life within the city. The project here identifies one such intersection in vastrapur neighbourhood of Ahmedabad. The intention is to understand how intersection function and what are the challenges that hinders them to become a quality public space for the city. And propose ideas of what the public intersections could potentially become.
Promote Public Life
Activity Generators
City Identity 32
Economic Development
Supports Market Informality
Public Safety
Social Cohesion
Challenges on Intersections in Vastrapur Unsafe Crossings & Neglected City Identity
Unorganized Public Life
Undefined Edges & Indistinct Community Pockets
Categorizing Intersections
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Re-imagining Intersections The Intervention here intends at providing multifaceted activities in and around intersection so as to make them a quality public space for the city.
Comfortable Shaded Sitting
Discourage Parking
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Continuous & Unobstructed
Accessibility
Raised Pedestrian Crossing
Supports Informal Economy
Integrated Public Transport
Shaded Walkway
Bicycle Lane
Social Cohesion
Creating Identity
The First Approach (Character Images)
A safe and comfortable public intersection
A pedestrian friendly intersection 35
Design of Public Space
Development of Vastrapur Lake Periphery Project type : Individual
Project Brief The Project Intends to Identify an urban problem in Vastrapur Neighborhood of Ahmedabad and propose a solution for the same. Via developing a cohesive vision for the project and proposing strategies to achieve the intended design objectives.
About Vastrapur
Vastrapur is a diverse neighbourhood in Ahmedabad at local scale and also at city scale because of its mix of land-uses and diverse building use at precinct level. The region also offers vibrancy through its different layers i.e. green vistas, robust vehicular network, busy intersections and different activities that surround the neighbourhood and thus making Vastrapur Lake an important public space for the city. The focus area is defined by lake edge on one side and building edge on the opposite side with a change in level of publicness within periphery, that varies from public that is Vastrapur lake to private that are building edges.
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Focus Area
Robust Vehicular Network
Green Vistas
Diverse Intersection
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Challenges
Busy Intersections
Opaque Boundaries Disconnected Edges Unsafe Pedestrian Experience
Potential Diverse socioeconomic groups
City level public space Vendors act as activity generators City level Connectivity
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Vision Connect People to Public Space The intention is to enhance the visual and physical interface between Vastrapur lake and the city.
Connect City to Lake 41
Strategies
2. Activate
1. Access
Building Edges
Green plaza Pedestrian Network
Amphitheater
Adventure Park
Lake
Pedestrian friendly building edges
Commercial Plaza
Temple
Vehicular Network
Develop pedestrian friendly building edges and a continuous pedestrian network that surrounds the lake.
Conceptual Section
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Activate surrounding edges through different plazas i.e. commercial plaza, green plaza and building concourses.
Masterplan
Community Park
Pedestrian routes
Green Plaza
Commercial Plaza Pocket Park
25 0
100 50
m
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Detail Area Development
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Nehru Park Circle A Disconnected Public Intersection
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Proposed Strategies
1 A continuous public concourse between street and building edges
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2 Network of trees to establish people’s connection with the park
3 Steps for public entry to connect people to the lake
Proposed Plan
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Proposed Scenario Thus the proposed scenario talks about extending periphery of Vastrapur lake to building edges to create a feeling of oneness within the space via providing public concourses, establishing connection to the lake, a continuous pedestrian circuit around periphery and steps & pocket parks to connect people to the lake.
Public Concourse
Connection to Lake
Continuous Pedestrian Circuit
Steps to connect people to lake
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Proposed Section
Pedestrian Path 13.5m
Carriageway 6.5m
Edge Conditions
Food outlet
Steps to Lakefront
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01
Pocket Parks
Carr 1.5m
riageway 6.5m
Shopfronts
Pedestrian Path 7.5m
Softscape 10.5m
02
Upper Promenade 5.5m
Lower Promenade 7.0m
Compound Walls
03
Steps and Pocket Parks
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Edge Condition
01 Edges with food outlets
Along food outlets planters limit the unauthorized shop extension in pedestrian right of way.
Steps to Lake front
Steps to establish connection between city and the lake
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Edge Condition
02 Edges with Shop fronts
Along different building edges the planter always establish the relation between the sidewalk and the existing plot
Pocket Parks
Pocket parks provide an extended periphery of the existing Vastrapur lake Park to the street. 53
Edge Condition
03 Edges with Compound Walls
Planter define the compound wall edge thus creating space’s for people to sit and contribute to existing public concourse.
Pocket Parks & Steps to Lake front
Pedestrian safe edges towards lake periphery with connection to park and steps 54
Character Image
Pedestrian friendly public Intersection
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Character Image
A well connected public concourse that provides the experience of a park.
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Vibrant Vastrapur
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Learnings
Elements of urban design studio imparted the ability to communicate through graphics and effective narratives that describes the idea behind a successful public space. The intended projects introduced critical concepts and strategies associated with present urban scenario. Equipped us with an skill set and a preliminary understanding of role of an urban designer in shaping urban environments. The different modules of the studio provided a descriptive understanding in answering the basics of what can be called as and intervened in public domain. The initial exercises were focused on understanding different celebrated public spaces nationally and globally by graphically conveying the features that specifically attracts the public life and activates that public space. This established the familiarity with work flow and provided the knowledge of various case studies. While the latter exercises were aimed at developing a clear urban problem and compiling a narrative that effectively conveys the complexities in shaping that particular urban environment and develop a compelling formal response with equipped skills as a urban intervention of a systematic nature.
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