RBANISM
SUMANTH SUBBA RAO Selected projects 2014 - 2017
CV
Cover image by author
PROJECTS
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Keywords, Resilience planning, Risk and vulnerability, socio- economic processes, sustainability components
Variable Vulnerability
Adaptation to Climate change by comparative understanding of different socio - economic systems - San Francisco bay region Graduation Thesis | September 2016 - June 2017 | Delta Interventions Research studio
Sea Level Rise , San Francisco Bay area The following research dealt with Climate change and its future scenarios where Sea level rise and extensive rainfall events can possibly increase the flood risk in the case of Delta cities. San Francisco Bay situated around an estuary and the edge of a delta faces threat of Sea level rise inundation and inland flooding. This thesis started with the observation that the bay consist of typologies of Land – water transitions that is bounded by several socio – economic systems which leads to a varying vulnerability to flood risk. The process develops a methodology to understand and compare the socio- economic processes of two urban cases and arrive at comprehensive design strategies that increase the capacity to manage flooding and guide developments towards a resilient future.
This comparison portrays how socio- economic systems evolve in a similar regional context of San Francisco Bay based on several externalities that mould its unique social systems. The important element of study is the strong contrast between its socio- economic systems and the ‘variable’ vulnerability that it faces due to flood hazards. Looking towards a specific outcome for comparison the two cases chosen are East Palo and Foster City which is located on the south of the bay.
Risk Transects To understand the elements at risk and to access them, a risk line is established as a guideline to understand the factors of vulnerability and risk elements. The build-up of risk line is not only to understand the flooding potential of the area but also to understand the adaptive capacity of elements towards this flooding. The risk also arises due to the build of economic activity or economic value in the area due to changing economic conditions East Palo Alto
San Francisco
Alviso
Foster city
Oakland
Redwood City
Martinez
East Palo Alto
Foster City
Hydrological Boundary conditions in both cases. It is important to understand the Land water transition in each case.
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East Palo Alto Risk management
Different probability of flooding and type of flood protection determines the Level of protection provided in each case
Socio - Spatial characteristics - Low income , Spatial quality , Cultural Landscape in this case the ecological character of marsh along with the historic presence of agriculture Understanding the systems in terms of Sustainability components To build an integrated approach towards resilience, the two urban system are de-constructed to understand in terms of sustainability components, People, plane, prosperity. The synergies between the various elements shows what do these socio- economic systems value. Comparing the evaluation reveals the missing element linkage between each component and corresponds to a vision that is developed by integrating existing qualities.
Synergies and systems - by developing a transect that includes a schematic of its urban morphology determines the system linkages
Foster City
Socio - Spatial characteristics - Walkability, High spatial quality with value towards living next to water, Mostly high income population. Although the city is a new town built in 1960, the cultural identity by its Lagoon living. Adaptation design principles The vision corresponds to the existing cultural Landscape quality that has to be enhanced by building projects (the fourth component) that balances sustainable development. The visions are specific to its case and is an outcome of a process of learning from each other which builds robustness into both the systems. The design principles mostly aims at utilising nature based approach of building a Landscape Infrastructure that combines engineering and defines a new urban morphology
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Spatial Vision for East Palo Alto and Foster city The vision focuses on revitalizing the identities of the specific socioeconomic processes in order to increase the robustness of the system. The design methodology is dictated by the narrative of the vision which is derived from the existing cultural landscape and the comparative evaluation based on components of sustainability. The design strategy aims at a holistic approach that builds resilience with multiple systems as well as utilising the opportunity to enhance its urban systems.
Retrofitting exisitng water system to boost urban agriculture
Slow mobility to in provide sustainable networks
Water and economy East Palo Alto The strategy aimed at infill development of vacant plots by a system of self building programs to provide new housing and urban facilities. The strategy is then coupled with existing agriculture plots that act as temporary public space during off- seasons. Utilising water system to create a network of slow mobility that connects important urban functions a sustainable water management practice is designed that supports communities during dry seasons.
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New Edge conditions In both the cases a new edge condition is created increasing its capacities to build resilience towards sea level rise. The design builds a nature based infrastructure that provides ecological quality as well access to the edge which was non- existent in the case of East Palo Alto. The sections reveal the new land water transition with new urban morphology that is integrated with the water system. A new quality of public space is provided for its residence which in-turn increases the living quality of East Palo Alto.
East Palo Alto new edge condition
Water and ecology - Foster City The Vision aimed at increasing the ecological character of the city b by introducing more informal land- water gradients, thus increasing sensitivity of existing socio- economic character that steers the process of urban developments. The edge condition had the potential to induce more natural processes that provides protection from bay waters. Built on reclaimed land, Foster City had an advanced planning system and water management. Introducing nature based infrastructure thus adds resilience to the existing engineering system.
Foster City new edge condition
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Keywords: Sustainable development, room for the river, social cohesion, Urban morphology, Decentralized water management The treatment of the Ahogado Basin, is one of the biggest challenge as a territorial scale solution, affecting 5 Municipalities of Guadalajara, among which San Pedro de Tlaquepaque is one of them. The solution includes landscape study, environmental impact, Sanitation and ecological recovery, as well as the proposal to incorporate future urban growth. The proposals must reconcile two unavoidable facts; Urban and population growth, with the risk of flooding and overflows of the Ahogado Basin during high rainfall periods. The objective therefore was to propose new housing areas, which are sensitive to the geological and ecological reality of the basin. The solution implied includes providing room for the river that integrates with the local economy and provides recreational facilitates towards its neighbourhood. At a juncture of Urban and rural development, the project aims at a cohesive solution that uplifts economy, control flooding and provide strategic points for water treatment for domestic and urban use. The Solutions can only be optimized when the entire region of Ahogado Basin is covered with a sustainable development,whose basis of understanding is the respect to the functional logic of each one of them.
Aqua Terra
Social cohesion and water management for equitable life in the Ahogado Basin, Guadalajara, Mexico International Urban design workshop , Mexico | June 2016 | Group assignment Team consists of students from TU Delft, UNAM- Mexico
Water system in large scale. La Cuenca del Ahogado is part of a larger water system. Water in this area will in the end be discharged in the river, which derives from lake Chapala.
Ahogado basin
Tlaquapaque Hydrology and Sub-catchments To understand why Cuenca del Ahogado is flooding, it is important to know where the water comes from. The water in the project area is part of a bigger system and could be contained at the source already in order to reduce flood risk in La Cuenca del Ahogado
Water structure as a main actor for new urban structure. Water structure can be a main actor of new urban sturtructure, giving the area an independent system for local condition, in terms of economy, social and ecology The vision is to complete the ring structure of water and roads with new axis to prompt local industry, housing, mobility for future developments in the site.
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Sustainable and autonomous
Brick-industry, chinampa Agriculture and water retention cycle - Building sustainability
Landscape is subject to transformation, through excavation. The Required volume or retention of Water is created along with the agriculture system of Chinampa as a diversifier of Crops. The Earth is utlised for the brick industry which is used for densification thus creating Communities Sustainable and autonomous
Through the autarkic management of water, the selforganization of communities is motivated with the revaluation of public space and agricultural production as a method of self-consumption and attracting foreign resources. The organization of neighborhood collaboration initiatives in conjunction with public and private initiative can consolidate a large project that not only fulfills the recreational functions, but that incorporates the economic activity, the quality of life and the care of the environment.
Relocating some blocks
Excavation for water Management
Public space inside blocks
Housing Densification
Canal and river system Commmunity water storage Reservation area New housing Re-densification Neighbourhood centers New connections Connections Industries Chinampa
Housing densification
Existing condition of the water system
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Quality of life
Urban water system
From understanding the abundance and the cycle of some local resources such as water and land, and its link with productive activities such as the agriculture, existing communities are integrated and new inhabitants are aware of the environment around them thus enabling a sense of protection and care towards a sustainable living.
Block level management of Grey and rain- water
Infiltration
Collective tanks
Neighbourhood center with water retention and new recreation spaces
Collective water system on streets
Creating sub- catchments with brick industries
Diversification of Crops with chinampas
Low- technology irrigation system and dams on farm lands
Agricultural water system
Decentralized water treatment is initiated through Separation of water systems, drainage and rainwater and use of responsible domestic water at the block level and providing collective septic tanks at neighborhood level. New Neighborhood centers are integrated with use of water. Rainwater harvesting and retention is made within several communities in the basin who have a variable capable of holding rainwater,thus achieving autonomy
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Pinheir ous Riv er
Hydrology Sub - catchment under consideration Urban tributaries
Re-defining Urban structures
Urban Functions Industrial Low - density housing High Density commercial High Density housing Low - income housing Open areas and recreation Horizontal and Hydrology
Mobility Infrastructure Strategies Storm water management and Urban planning strategy
Hydro corridor
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New Urban nodes
Green Connecti
Sao Paulo , rain proof, Social porous ,
Creating green and blue perpendicular infrastructures Sao Paulo , Brazil Studio Assignment | May - June 2016 | Group
2 1 Sub- Catchment -1
The tributaries cuts across different urban fabric and programs as it conveys storm water into to the Pinheriros. The design site is located in the line of 2 tributaries consisting of 2 sub- catchment areas. The axis chosen represents a clear division between the various Urban Fabrics and programs.
Keywords: Green- Blue Infrastructure, Hydrology, Ecology, Urban nodes, Resilience The project provides an insight into a method to provide water safety by retaining storm-water, while establishing new urban and ecological relations. The system design is based on a network of interventions in sub-catchments based on grading the level of risk per micro- catchment. From this classification of micro-catchments a similar ring structure has been established. These rings actually overlap certain borders found in the ring structure of the city as mentioned before. Along these rings, the tributaries and on the overlap is where interventions shall be applied. This method turned out to be not only applicable for water retention, but can also be used to establish urban and ecological improvement. As an example, one sub-catchment has been research and the method for establishing the retention interventions has been used. The result is a grid of interventions over this site coming from three different angles (hydrological, ecological and urban). This method proved to be applicable from these three angles on this site’s specific characteristics and still have the aimed result for water retention.
Intersections and Ecology
Sub- Catchment -2
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The Sub- Catchment chosen for implementation of Planning strategy
The Island part of the City of Sao Paulo
Multi- scalar Approach
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The water ring structure and the large scale hydrology
impact on its water system. The implementation of new planning strategy due to these changes is dealt with two of the smaller tributaries inside the island which also acts as a test case for design.
Hydrology Analysis
The project involved understanding the systems at different scales. The Proposed water ring provides a new hydrological connection that involves change in land-uses along the inner island which has a direct
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Hydrology
Watersheds
The ring of water structure
Floodplain Ridge Ridge Vally+Tributary
Roads overlapped with tributaries and ridge
Roads overlapped with watersheds
Floodplain
High-rise residential buildings for high income people Road
Low-density housing for middle class
Commercial programs
Commercial area along the tributaries and ridge
Industrial area on flood plain
High rise residential next to commercial area
Urban Analysis
Industry
Pararelled programs create barrier between areas River Industry
Run-off direction
Commercial area High-end residential area Middle class
Refering to the structure of the city, there are different programs layered in a ring shape. It creates invisible barriers between neighborhoods, depending on the social class of residents. In this case, there will be limits of future developments, as new programs will only works in the exsiting frame, and as a consequence it will reinforce the barrier. Therefore, it will need the spatial mediator to reduce the disparity in terms of spatial condition in the city, which can be developed as encountering space for residents.
Storm water management
Urban planing strategy
Storm-water management along tributaries combined with urban planning strategy
Current Structure of the island
The Project integrates water management with planning to generate more social cohesion by networks of green- blue connecting different urban programs and setting pathways for new developments
Aim of design interventions
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Strategy -2
New Urban Nodes
New Urban Nodes - This strip creates the connection between important facilities in the city. There are the airport in the North, Park, and Sports facilities in South on the line. If you extend it further to the North, it can even reach Av. Paulista Augusta. Basically, on this ground level of “the island’, all sort of programs for the city center are located. For this reason, the objective of this line should be not only creating a linear shape of the water management strategy, but also planning the stripe in terms of urbanism for future developments.
Hydro - corridor - Designed along tributary to increase capacity of existing system with the help of Bio- retention swales
Nodes for Open space
Node-1
Green Infrastructure - provision of space for water detention combined with existing built structures to reduce run-off into hydro corridor
Node-2
Re-defining Urban structures - To implement urban water management strategies into urban design in the downstream section, we considered studying the structure of the urban fabric to understand the existing dynamics. There appears to be several pocket spaces in between a colliding fabric where each fabric has its own urban characteristic and functions. The change in structure of urban fabric is mainly due to alignment of fabric along the course of the river. This re- alignment creates an ‘intermediate landscape’ or pockets which does not have a clear definition and thus has potential for development.
Node-3
Strategy -4
Open space High density commercial High density Residential Low density Residential
In this case the strategy is implied to location where there is a transition between two different Urban programs, mostly High density housing and middle income housing. The spaces are designed as pubic parks which attracts both social types.
The following strategy is implies to a fabric where there is a single program and density. The program is mostly commercial and Office or a mix of both. Interstitial spaces are designed as water squares to encourage more public activities
Direction of flow of tributary Direction of flow of tributary
Conveyance of water
Water Management System
New Urban water squares
Squares and play areas
Public parks and Community centers
Urban System
Re-defining Urban structure
Commercial Mix
Residential Mix
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Rotterdam Noord
Oude Nord
Creating space for Artists
Understanding the Socio- spatial processes in the City - Public space intervention, Oude Nord, Rotterdam Studio Assignment | December 2015 - January 2016 | Individual
Keywords: Green- Public space design, River front activation, spatial quality, temporary housing,
Shopping grid
Young communities and Artists housing
Existing Art galleries and Affordable housing locations
SWOT - S+O
The design solution aims at providing a boost the existing Artistic community who face lack of housing and demand due to gentrification and poor community participation in the area. The solution aims at providing a temporary network of spaces for artists and creative community combined with increased spatial quality to encourage local community involvement in social activities. The project aims to create a water front development along the river Rotte which is deprived of any recreational activities. Thus a space for the artist and a new attraction for the neighbourhood is created through research and design.
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Linker rottekade
A graphic representation of the prevailing activity and connections required.
Crooswijksestraat
Zaagmolenkade
Zwaanshals
R O T T E
casas
Gentrification poses a great threat to affordable housing
Limited sharing spaces
Possible connection leading people from the commercial business Existing road structure with pedestrian and road traffic majority movement of people Create a north south axial connection but also reguvinate the river front by improving spatial quality
SWOT - W+T
noordplein
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River front for Artists and local communities
River Rotte
Location-2 shows a more unifunctional space with a public space provided for kids around the community. It also host a flexible floating play area, which could transform into a skating rink during winter season.
Functionality, Flexibility and target groups Loction 1 focuses more for the artist. A sense of temporary spaces are created with the use of shipping containers. The containers act as studios, galleries or exhibition spaces. In terms of spatial flexibility- more number of floating containers could be added to form an extended exhibition space Parklets as public temporary public space Parklet are temporary public space created to add value and spatial qualty. Parklets are placed keeping in mind the program of the facade. The key target groups include the general public and visitors.
Art galleries
Floating cafes
Movie screening - Summer program
Location-3 is tranformed into a high quality community space. It provides space for communty activities like group yoga, a floating swimming pool, community gatherings etc. It also host space for cafeteria and parklets which could act as outdoor advertisment spaces working with the program of the building.
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parklets as public space
Floating Kids play area
Cafes and community gatherings
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Krishna river Existing river front (bunds created with rock and concrete blocks) Koyna river Existing step-well
Preet Sangam (meeting point) Existing urban programs. Schools, squares, Urban park, Ghat.
Keywords: Hertiage conservation, public space design, mltifunctional paces, water storage Rehabilitation of step-wells. A source of water and social interaction? Steps-wells or Bawadi are water wells that may be reached by descending a set of steps. They may be covered and protected and are often of architectural significance. The majority of step-wells also served a leisure purpose, as well as providing water. Step wells also served as a place for social gatherings and religious ceremonies, usually women who collected the water. Understanding the historical significance and its local context a design was proposed that integrated neighboring public space as well providing a new landmark to the city by providing access to the river front. The term punarjanma translated to the word ‘rebirth’ which was defined by the aim of the project to rejuvenate and give back to the community.
Punarjanma
Rejuvination of ‘step wells’ , Khard, Maharastra , India Competition project - Group
A Ghat is a stepped terrace that leads to the river mostly utilized for bathing and washing clothes
Considering the site surroundings and context, A new connection is created along the river front that connects the exiting Ghat and the park along with the Step well. The idea also emphasis the existing landmark(the meeting point of rivers). hence a journey is being created with step wells at the destination
Viewpoint
Urban park
Proposed development along step well
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Dance, theatre, music, art, haats... Multifunctional spaces The entire design ideology is based on creating multi functional spaces. Large open pavilions with colonnades are provided to enable the building adapt itself to various functions. Stepped seating provided act as performance centers. Blank walls for display of art, gallery spaces and colonnades creates a sense of Geek agora, in-turn provides space for bazaars and local sellers.
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Keywords: Smart Infrastructure, River front design , water mobility,
West Lake
Quinjiang New town
Hangzhou Historic City
Hangzhou Historic City
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Q Asian games village
Quintang River
Growth upto 1980 - City embracing the Lake, River as edge of the city
Quinjiang Century City
Qianjing New town 0
1.5km
3.0km
Qianjing Century city
The 2022 Hangzhou Asian games set the tone of the workshop which focused on the design of the new Games village, a part of the Qianjing century city located on the South of the Quintang river. The worshop focused upon several Urban design concepts of Walkability, Sustainable communities , mixed used districts and smart infrastructure that provides a new landmark and sustainable urbanisation in the city
of Hangzhou. As part of the team that dealt with Smart infrastrutcure, this project focused on integrating existing and adding new mobility infrastructure. However a larger vision was developed that would guide strategies and design towards enhancing the connectivity of the Asian games village to the rest of the City.
Hangzhou - New centrality Strategies and designs to Embrace water - A new identity for Hangzhou, China Workshop | July - 2017 | Group
Growth post 1980 - City embracing the river - River as center of the city
Integrate Water + Mass transit. Create circular mobility loop. Connections to hinterlands
Existing Mass transit and Road Infrastructure
Existing Water Infrastructure - River and Canals
Mobility strategy Vision The vision aimed at bringing a new centrality to Hangzhou by implementing mobility strategies and Urban design that binds the two new central business districts across the river. The stages of growth of the city shows that the new developments now embrace water and has also crossed the river. The development of the Quintang century city along with the Asian games village is an excellent opportunity to attract communities towards the water front which boasts the historic identity of Hangzhou as a water town.
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Micro scale - Quinjiang century city
Water front along exisiting conditions
CBD Asian games village
Commercal
CBD
Stadiums
Residential district
Urban Design strategy To attract communities to the new center, the strategy aims at providing a destination for commuters that enhances program and provides diversity. This is achieved by creating an attractive water front design that provides quality public space for the city. The design and zoning of the water front is based on the exisitng edge conditions and water levels. The design aims to integrate the Asian games village as well as act as a landmark venue during the games. The design is also integrated with the mobility strategy that connects to other parts of the city
Water front development along games village
Diversified functions The design introduces several pedestrian bridge structures that crosses the canal to reach the edge of the water. Since Quintang river has the largest tidal bore, the river bank is elevated to provide safe access to river edge. A deck structure is designed and provides access to water. It consists of rowing course along with several swimming pools, water sports area and a water village. The banks of the canal provides natural filtration system on one side. The promenade continues to connect the stadium area thus providing a landmark for the games.
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SUMANTH SUBBA RAO +31647589962 Sumanth2091@gmail.com