Introduction to Exchange The sites selected for the UBC-KRVIA Exchange, 2018, are both water bodies that form a strong relationship to their surroundings, and in turn to the cities they exist in. The nature of these relationships have changed over the years because of urbanisation and industrialisation, and our studies sought to analyse the current conditions of both sites. Mumbai’s Oshiwara River, with its source in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, has become more of a gutter because of concretisation and pollution from the sprawl it flows through. It’s failing biodiversity is a major concern. Vancouver’s False Creek, which has dramatically changed in the past century with its man-made harbour, is a significant part of the city’s topography. It is a terminus for major roads, which in turn indirectly connects it to other areas of Vancouver.
Oshiwara River , MUMBAI
False Creek , VANCOUVER
Faculty In-charge
Kevin King
Manoj Parmar
A graduate from the School of Community and Regional Planning at UBC, Kevin has seven years of experience working at DIALOG. He has worked for 3 years as a Senior Planner – Urban Design in the Development Services Division at the City of Victoria.
holds a Bachelor and G.D. Arch degree from the L.S.R school of Architecture, 1986 and a M.Arch degree from the University of Miami, Fl. He has been teaching at KRVIA since 1992. He has also been in private practice of interior, architecture, urban design and project management since 1992.
Kevin’s project experience is broad and includes master plans, facility planning, design guideline development, site planning, rezoning applications, downtown revitalization plans, and streetscape improvement projects.
He has worked on numerous private and public housing/ institutional commissions across the country. He has been actively involved in redevelopment projects across the city of Mumbai. He has been part of Urban Design Team for tourism development plan guidelines for Baticulao, Srilanka & Development guidelines for Slum redevelopment in Northern Suburb of Mumbai.
Vikram Pawar
is an architect from Pillai College of Architecture, Mumbai University. As a designer, Co designer, design consultant and assistant he has worked on several projects. As a design consultant for Central Control Centre- Utility Building in Jamnagar, for Reliance, PEB structures for RGTIL (Gas pumping station), Residential Apartment at Carmichael Road, Mumbai. Presently, he is teaching at KRVIA since 2006. He is involved with subjects of construction. He is currently pursuing his Masters in Architecture from Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture.
Matthew Thomson
has a background in landscape architecture and fine arts. He has worked on a broad range of projects, from large scale master planning to smaller scale detailed site designs, working locally, nationally, and internationally. Matthew was a Principal with Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg where he worked as a Senior Landscape Architect. There he led the designs on a number of projects, such as the TELUS World of Science Outdoor Science Park, the Oakridge Mall Redevelopment and numerous UBC campus improvements projects. Since joining DIALOG in 2013, Matthew has been an integral part of our urban design project teams.
Ronald Kellett
Cynthia Girling
His work focuses on issues of environmental quality and urban form and the development of form-based tools for urban design. He is co-author, with Cynthia Girling, a web application of case-based data for urban design. Their work, through the elements lab in the Centre for Interactive Research for Sustainability, creates sustainability-oriented urban design tools, plans, codes, standards, guidelines and prototypes.
Her work focuses on sustainable urban design, the public realm, and tools for urban design. With Ronald Kellett, she co-directs the elementslab, a research group in the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and housed in the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability. The lab develops methods and tools of measured visualizations for public engagement in community planning and design.
teaches in the landscape architecture and environmental design programs. She has practiced landscape architecture in British Columbia and taught landscape architecture at the University of Oregon and the University of British Columbia. She is a registered Landscape Architect in British Columbia and a Fellow of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, and the American Society of Landscape Architects.
is the current director of SALA. He has practiced architecture in British Columbia and taught architecture at the University of Oregon until 2004, when he joined the landscape architecture program at UBC. At SALA, he teaches design studios and a lecture course in environment and urban form, and supervises graduate students in related topics. From 2010–12, he was a University Sustainability Initiative Teaching and Learning Fellow and received a Killam Teaching Prize in 2011.
Students Involved: Sara Steven is an architectural and urban historian with a professional degree in architecture from Rice. Her interests include the history and theory of architecture and urban design, urban history, economic theory, and the history of infrastructure. Her research focuses on the relationship between architecture and capital, looking at American real estate developers of the twentieth century and exploring the cultural economy of architectural practice, risk, and expertise. Before coming to UBC, Sara has taught in the schools of architecture at Rice, Columbia, Princeton, and Yale. In 2012/13 and 2013/14, she was Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the Humanities Research Center at Rice University. Previously, she taught in Columbia’s graduate urban design program for three years. She has co-organized conferences on the history of urban infrastructure at Princeton through the Center for Architecture, Urbanism, and Infrastructure.
From UBC :
Camila Curi, Elahe A, Harry, Iris, Jaldhi Gohil, Jericho Bankston, Luna, Maryam Ahmadi, Ramneek Bajwa, Rebecca, Urshi Khan, Wen Wen
From KRVIA :
Aishwarya Pradhan, Ankush C, Aakansha, Dishant, Disha Parekh, Harshika Seth, Jaynee Kariya, Maria Talib, Palash Gandhi, Sanskaara Lalwani, Tasneem Gabajiwala, Varun Gulavane, Vinita Kuhikar
VA N C O U V E R
CONTENTS
Workshop Intent Site Map : False Creek
Site Map : Oshiwara River Workshop Overview : KRVIA Students Work Group 1 : Landuse and Public Spaces
M U M B A I
Workshop Intent
Group 2 : Formal and Informal Settlements Group 3 : Formal and Informal Workspace Group 4 : Urban Ecologies Group 5 : Water Shed and Flooding
Workshop Overview : UBC Students Work Group 1 : False Creek, Georgia Street
Group 2 : Carall St from Gastown to False Creek
Group 3 : False Creek and Waterfront
Group 4 :Pacific Boulevard
Workshop Intent
The culmination of the KRVIA – UBC workshop at KRVIA, Mumbai, India that involved the study of The Oshiwara river. The workshop sought to implore the conditions of the River Oshiwara (now an open drain) and its relationship with the formal and informal aspects of Mumbai. The study dives into topics such as Landuse and Public Space, Formal & Informal Housing, Formal & Informal Work spaces, Urban Ecologies and Water Shed and Flooding. Post analysis and the site study methods and ideas were developed to approach the site keeping in mind the context and the themes. The project explored alternative prospects that could revive the river and bring in economic as well as ecological solutions.
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Site Plan : Oshiwara River
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Workshop Overview at KRVIA (From KRVIA Newsletter)
The third session by Conservation Architect Vikas Dilawari gave a historic overview of Mumbai, its cultural richness and diversity and the challenges faced by the city to conserve its cultural as well as ecological heritage. The sessions by UBC’s, School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture (SALA) faculty Ronald Kellett and Cynthia Girling introduced the works
KRVIA hosted the KRVIA - UBC exchange workshop between 12th February to 21st February. It was conducted by faculties of both institutes. The workshop sought to implore the conditions of the Oshiwara River, now an open drain and its relationship with the formal and informal aspects of Mumbai. The lecture session introduced the context of Rivers in Mumbai, the potentially rich biodiversity in the city, the historical background of Mumbai and the river’s contemporary relationship with the city; the study was based on landuse and public space, housing and workspace typologies, urban ecologies and the water shed.
done at SALA as well in “elementslab” a web application of case based data for urban design ideas and approach. The other session by UBC faculty Kevin king and Matthew Thomson introduced the works of “DIALOG” an integated design firm based in Vancouver and their approaches to the new urban challenges.
The introductory session by KRVIA faculty Vikram Pawar gave an overview of Oshiwara River as well as the citizen movements associated with the Revival of the Rivers in Mumbai. Its was based on the works done by the faculty of the school as part of their social engagement through Water Environ and InHAF for citizen movement called “River March” The second session on Urban Ecologies was presented by Anand Pendharkar who is an ecologist and gave insights into the richness of the biodiversity which exists in Mumbai and if nurtured has a potential of contributing to a better Urban Environment. 21
The participants were also guided by the KRVIA faculty conductors Manoj Parmar and Vikram Pawar, on Historical site visits to Kahneri caves and Dhaisar River and the informal settlements of Dharavi. In the concluding session the students of both institutes presented their ideas.
The students were also guided around various locations along the Oshiwara river on the first day and the next two days saw them working on their respective themes and the sites.
On the fourth day, members of the citizen groups were invited to interact with the students and share their experiences and travails about restoring the River system of Mumbai which presently is reduced to Drainage and Sewerage. 23
Land-use and Public Spaces
GROUP 2: Disha P, Jaynee K, Tasneem G Elahe A, Maryam A
The Mumbai part of the Exchange was a quick analytical and conceptual excercise, studying the degenerated Oshiwara river system. Three nodes were chosen along the river, that dealt with varying scales of Land Use and Public Spaces. The existing conditions were mapped, compared to the Development Plan and ELU, and master planning strategies involving policies, building codes and creating a relationship between the water and the city were proposed. This also included landscaping, creating programs around the river edge, and understanding current housing problems and ideating solutions that would not only help regenerate the river, but change its perception from a problem to an opportunity
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GROUP 2: Varun G, Sanskaara L
Formal and Informal Settlement
Rebecca, Wen Wen
Our group was assigned to study the lacunae in the functioning of various government organizations responsible for mitigating the problem of floods and pollution of the Dahisar River system through the lens of Formal and Informal Settlements.
Change without displacement
The group found out that due to a lack of affordable housing in the city the economically weaker migrants were forced to illegally settle in informal settlements along the river in ecologically sensitive regions. Hence, the strategies suggested later, focused on countering all the problems above with a holistic approach. Later, through public participation, we proposed strategies to mitigate these floods while maintaining or improving the socioeconomic or political status of the concerned communities.
Traditional settlement happens far away from Mumbai
At the same time, in order to conserve space, we proposed how program and space could be dynamic with changes in ecology.
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Formal and Informal Workspaces
GROUP 3: Ankush C, Vinita K
Jericho B, Luna I
Oshiwara River flows through a very congested part of the city hence a lot of formal , informal activities are taking place along the river. The river flows through Arey area which is famous for its dairy farms ends which flushed down its waste through the farm. A lot of slums are placed along the river which do not have a proper drainage line and hence the dirty water ends in the Oshiwara river. Laundry shops and chemical factories are also placed along the sides which add to the poor condition of the river. Festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi are celebrated by immersing the idols in the water which make the situation worse. The study looks at tackling these issues on a smaller scale by adapting certain strategies which help the river clean step by step. example Step farming , Filteration pits etc.
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Urban Ecologies
GROUP 4: Harshika S, Aishwarya P, Urshi A, Jaldhi G
We were tasked with studying and researching about the existing conditions of the Oshiwara river and the ecology that it is a part of. It was found that even though the river for the most part runs through a heavily urban context, there is a large interdependence of flora and fauna in the river ecosystem. Three major nodes were selected to study, and it was clear that the river’s natural conditions were gradually altered from its source point to the estuarine region. This was physically due to concretisation of the river banks, and chemically because of dumping all manner of waste into the river (both domestic and industrial). As a proposal, the edge condition of the river bank is made more natural depending on the context along the river. In the areas closer to the source, the river is widened and given a stepped bank, held in place by jute coir mats that allow vegetation to grow through them. Native trees are also given a place to grow near the banks. In the dense urban areas, stone retaining walls with weepholes are suggested as a more porous alternative to concretised banks, reducing the imminent danger of flooding. 37
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Watershed and Flooding
GROUP 5 : Maria T, Palash G Harry , Iris
River vs Gutter , the Oshiwara river originates within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and drains out into the Malad Creek. Increasing urbanization along the edge of the river due to formal and informal settlements, industries and other developments has resulted in the contamination of the river. Even though the original watershed is in the National Park an artificial watershed is formed by all the effluents being dumped into the river. Over the course of time the perception of people regarding the river has changed. The once clean water body is now perceived as a gutter into which waste is disposed.
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Workshop Intent
The culmination of the KRVIA – UBC workshop at UBC, Vancouver, Canada that involved the study of the North East False Creek. The creation of the North East False Creek Park on one of the vast undeveloped parcels around False Creek sought to resolve a disparate set of urban, social, cultural, environmental and infrastructural conflicts. Students attempted to and adeptly responded to and critiqued the sites history as well as the city’s plan for the site against a set of analytical themes. Performed a transect analysis that illustrated the natural, human and technological forces at work on the site, including topography, hydrology, land use, economics, public policy, and culture. Represented graphically, the analysis of the site with compelling representational techniques that communicate the complexity of the site explicitly.
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Site Plan : False Creek
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Workshop Overview at UBC
The next day the students of KRVIA were taken on a site visit along the North East False Creek, experiencing the disparate setting of leisure, housing, environmental, social and cultural dimension, followed by a presentation made by visiting faculty, delineating the history of the false creek and its subsequent transformation over time period  and current development and
The KRVIA - UBC exchange workshop was conducted in UBC, VAncouver between 9th May to 19th May. The workshop was conducted on the relation of various transects to the North east false creek area, which in the future would undergo changes. The workshop began with a UBC campus tour and visit to CIRS (Center of Interactive Research
transformation imagination. Following which in the coming days site visits was arranged to a sensitive eco-systems in west Vancouver & water treatment plant and man-made ecological park at Landsome Road. Along with a presentation by KRVIA faculty Manoj Parmar, in the DIALOG studio
on Sustainability). The visit emphasized the questions related to sustainability and its impact on Architecture and Urban Form. The faculty demonstrated through the presentation and modeling processes that enables transfer of knowledge on sustainability to urban form. The student presented the Oshiwara studio project which was a part of UBC master’s program in Urban Design 55
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Flase Creek, Georgia Street
GROUP 1 : Harshika S, Aishwarya P, Sanskaara L Varun G, Urshi A, Jaldhi G, Rebecca , Wen Wen
This group looks at Georgia Street, a largely hustling bustling, active street and one that is important to Vancouver. Georgia Street houses a number of government buildings, public buildings, corporate offices, churches, restaurants and retail outlets. Due to this diversity in program it sees people from all walks of life and is densely populated along most parts.This study takes an in depth look at the urban morphology of Georgia Street, its activities, activity periods, user experience, terrain and natural systems. Georgia street is easily one of the busiest streets both in terms of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. This is majorly due to the presence of landmarks and major public spaces along the street, such as the stadiaum, BC place and Rogers Arena towards False Creek, and institutions such as the Public Library, Sky Train Stations, and the Art Gallery as one moves west. Georgia Street also forms an important connection between False Creek and Stanley Park, further contributing to the activity level. The streets of Vancouver are mostly planned in a rigid grid, and Georgia street is a major connector for many streets crossing it. Georgia street has six lanes at its widest, and there is a clear boundary between pedestrian and vehicular regions. There are several bus stops along Georgia street and across Downtown Vancouver. Bike lanes are seen closer to False Creek and along the harbour, paired with pedestrian walkways. Most buildings are imposing when compared to the human scale, but this relationship starts to change towards Stanley Park. However public buildings have expansive pedestrian plazas, reducing the overpowering effect at points.
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Georgia and Dunsmiur Viaduct
GROUP 2: Maria T, Palash G, Harry, Iris
Study looks at the public , private and semi private spaces along the False Creak. Comparing the scale of infrastructure and public spaces. View corridors for Snow mountains are maintained in most part of the city. The graph talks about the types of trees and topography of the land also looking at the heights of the surrounding building along the Street. OBSERVATIONS -The scale of buildings as compared to open spaces is too big. -Huse parking lots are places along the main highway near the stadium ,keeping them unoccupied most of the time of the year -Snow Mountain corridors are not maintained everywhere ,the toll structures around the area makes the human scale very insignificant and one feels overpowered by them. - The public spaces are mostly empty due to less shade available.
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False Creek and Waterfront
GROUP 3: Disha P, Jaynee K, Elahe A, Maryam A
The Vancouver part of the program involved documenting and analysing the waterfront of the North East False Creek, and an abstract representation of the same. The site activities, movement patterns, natural conditions and topography, and streetscape were the four broad categories studied. They were further divided into 8 categories as signages, road networks, demographics, urban furniture, scale of the building program (neighbourhood, regional, national), human scale and natural vegetation. 12 nodes were chosen along the water edge, and were studied through these 8 lenses, presented as a matrix that could be read individually and collectively.
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Pacific Boulevard
GROUP 4 : Vinita K, Jericho B,
Luna L
Study looks at the public , private and semi private spaces along the False Creak. Comparing the scale of infrastructure and public spaces. View corridors for Snow mountains are maintained in most part of the city. The graph talks about the types of trees and topography of the land also looking at the heights of the surrounding building along the Street. OBSERVATIONS -The scale of buildings as compared to open spaces is too big. -Huse parking lots are places along the main highway near the stadium ,keeping them unoccupied most of the time of the year -Snow Mountain corridors are not maintained everywhere ,the toll structures around the area makes the human scale very insignificant and one feels overpowered by them. - The public spaces are mostly empty due to less shade available.
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