Life along the greens

Master Plan Studio Shela - Bopal, Ahmedabad V Sri Mallika Vyshnavi | PG181051 Masters in Urban Design | Faculty of Planning

Studio 3: Master Plan Studio Instructors: Brijesh Bhatha, Vipuja Parmar, Purvi Chhadva, Rajiv Kadam Teaching Fellow: Mariana Paisana Teaching Assistant: Pranav Meghani

The studio is aimed at learning the key aspects involved in preparing a large scale urban design master plan. The emphasis of the studio will be on exploring the design process through various concepts and approaches, achieving a detailed design resolution, evolving an appropriate development model and to prepare a persuasive communication and representation strategy for the master plan. The studio uses the Township Policy as the basis for initiating the development.

Through the studio, the students will prepare a three – dimensional urban design proposal for this area with proposed massing, height, densities, orientations, grids and blocks, movement routes both for pedestrians and vehicles and the location and role of public open spaces in the plan. The studio will have underlying concerns focused on the creation of liveable neighbourhoods, imageability of a place along with the issues of land economics and development mechanisms.

CONTENTS Site Context Vision Strategies and Design Process Master Plan Details Guidelines & Phasing

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13 23 27 41

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

Site Context & Vision 7

Site Context Located 1.85kms from the SP Ring Road, the site is well connected to the city and is adjoining the Shela Gam.“Majorly flat, broad Horizons and agricultural fields�, best describe the physical features of this 564 acres site. Shela comes with an existing need (advantage) for residential and commercial development owing to the proximity from two major industrial areas of Ahmedabad (Sanand and Changodhar).

Analysis and Key Features

Bopal Sanand

Changodar

Triad

The Site forms a major link between Shela, Telav, Gibpura and Kaneti

Anchor Point - Identity

MICA, a renowned institution lies on the neck of the site creating an identity

Development Projection

The site falls in the projected growth zone of Bopal, Sanand and Changodar.

RAH

Gamtal

Narmada Canal

The canal divides the site, yet creates an opportunity for recreational space.

DP - 2021

45m-ringroad cuts through the site makingitaprimelocationfordevelopment

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

Farmlands

Gamtal

RAH Zone

The site falls under affordable housing zone according to DP - 2021 9

“ To create neighbourhoods around a public realm.

The design aims to integrate all the zones with a series of activities along the central spine spread across the site.�

Public Places in the city of Ahmedabad The map highlights all the recreational and public spaces of the city. It intends to show the concentration of these spaces in the core, while there is a lack of public spaces in the fringes where the city is gradually but steadily growing.

Objectives The master plan has evolved in different layers - Green, Infrastructure and Built form. Strategies have been used for each of these and were prioritized based on the scale of the space. It intends to make the plan walkable, active and to human scale.

Central Spine

Road Network

Built Form

Establishing the Central Axis

Framing the Central Axis

Creating a Sense of Enclosure

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

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Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

Strategies and Design Process 13

Orienting the Axis Owing to the irregular shape of the site, the possibility of awkward dead spaces has been countered by giving them the priority. Inaccessible points of the site were identified and “Green Rings� were used to connecting them. The overlap of these rings was the origin point of the axis and decided its orientation.

Public greens - 23%

CentralAxis

Flow into all corners

Final Axis

These rings further evolved into an axis with arms extending into all corners of the site. The nodes would create an important public space while the trails lead to them. This idea was further refined creating more importance along the trails and bring that to the centre stage.

This idea was translated into the final axis. The central part formed the spine while the arms were envisioned as part of an extension or a continuous stretch of parks. The fluidic shape of the axis has been chosen to create the experience of a natural trail. A more rectangular and regular version of private greens ensured a visible contrast and highlighted the axis.

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

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Framing the Axis After establishing the axis, the next priority was to connect it to city level infrastructure to make the space more accessible and create a pull factor for the township. Taking advantage of the proposed DP road, a loop was created around the axis to frame it and connect it to the city.

Roads - 20%

RoadNetwork

Walkable Urban Blocks

Road network

To proceed to the lower hierarchy of road network a basic grid of 100 m X 100 m has been overlapped on the site. Since the diagonal of the site measures up to 2.0km, the vision was to break it down to a walkable unit size of 300m X 300m.

The further refined road system made way for urban blocks ranging from the smallest at 250m X 120m to the largest at 450m X 500m. These roads further continue to impact the built use and the kind of development adjoining them.

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

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Sense of Enclosure The vast central axis and its organic nature have been taken advantage of and built form strategies were used to break it to a more approachable scale. The buildings add a human scale, create a sense of enclosure and frame the views for the visitor.

Total Built - 23%

BuiltForm

Footprints to invite the green

Introverted private greens

To sustain the importance of the public activity in the core of the township, all the buildings surrounding the axis have been designed to create a seamless transition between the private and public spaces. The footprints have been designed to invite the public greens and extend the user experience.

As a contrast to the vast sprawling central axis, the neighbourhood level greens were imagined on a human scale as introverted release spaces. This ensures a hierarchy of open spaces for the occupants and creates a variation in the user experience

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

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Impact zones of the city level infrastructure The map shows the impact of the road network on the site. These include the Sanand- Sarkhej Highway, DP road and the loop network created. All these major nodes where the city enters have been capitalised on and the built form inside the impact zone has been designed to reflect and compliment the same.

50

100

200

400 m

Building Use

Building

Use&Density

The building uses follow the impact diagram and all t been zoned to have maximum accessibility. As per the site sits along the Sanand - Sarkhej highway. Th appropriate to design the big box offices with their de Residential

Mixed Use

Commer

Building Heights

the public buildings have the existing connectivity, his zone has been found esignated release spaces.

rcial

Institutions

The impact of the road network creates a distinct zone in the south with major roads surrounding it from all four sides. This has been looked at as high intensity and the heights have been assigned accordingly. Along the fringes and away from the central axis the heights grade down to low rise detached typology blending the township into the context.

G+2

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

G+4 - G+5

G+6 - G+8

G+12 - G+15

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Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

Master Plan

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10 3

10

60

120

240

480 m

Global FSI - 1.59 1.

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4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Central Public Spine Canal Front Development Public Spine Extension integrating Canal front and Central Axis Public buildings along the spine to shape and activate the greens.

Cultural Center adjoining the central axis and MICA to build on the existing institutional value.

Auditorium and theatres at the neck of Canal front and Central Axis.

Central spine blends into the neighbouring development Mixed-Use Residential buildings with an activate frontage along the Canal front.

Corporate office and pure commercial buildings on the Sanand - Sarkhej Highway Detached housing on the fringes to accommodate the irregular edges Economically Weaker Section Housing

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1

11

5

7 6 3

2 8

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Details

The analysis attempts to highlight the aspect of walkability that has been integrated with the master plan. The diameter depicts the maximum distance to be travelled to reach a city level public space or other social amenities. These distances vary with the scale.

Reference : Cyriac, T. A. (2018, November). CEPT Portfolio.

Retrieved from https://portfolio.cept.ac.in/fa/ud-urban-

The township-leve the central axis a of 5min walk from any n

extension-planning-design-studio-1591-monsoon-2018/ vision-dumas-monsoon-2018-pa105317

Walkability

- 600 m D Township Level 75

150

300

el map shows at a maximum king distance neighbourhood.

The neighbourhood level map shows the distance from every doorstep to the closest release space.

Diameter

- 200 m Diameter Neighbourhood Level

600 m

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

25

50

100

200 m

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Urban Block-1 Along the Central Spine

Keyplan

Character Envisioned : The detailed view of the urban block highlights the idea of the central axis, active built form along with it and the residential neighbourhoods. It displays a distinct hierarchy of green spaces as they transform from a private space to public. The built form creates a sense of identity and improves the imageability inside the sprawling green trails. Buildings have a spillover zone onto the axis adding to the activitiesandmaintaininformalsurveillancethroughouttheday.Theextensionofthegreenspinetointegrate the axis and canal front is fitted with a retail plaza that can host weekly farmers markets and invite the city to it.

A walk through the central spine

Visual connectivity from residential neighbourhoods

Distinct Built form to improve imageability

Porous and publicly accessible ground floor

OAT’s and other hardscaping to activate the central axis

Activity spill over onto the axis contributing to its publicness

Urban Block - 2 Along the Canal Front

u k v c

Keyplan

Character Envisioned : The sloped landscaping along the canal intends to extend the views to buildings beyond the first layer. This urban block includes the overlap of the central axis and the canal front where an auditorium and theatre building has been strategically planned to accommodate and contribute to the estimated footfall. In contrast to this, the built form along the 45m road is formal and has an additional 2m plinth to create the extra layer of transition from a private building to a high-speed arterial road.

Along the Canal front Public Auditorium and theatre building at the overlap of canal front and central axis

Pedestrian friendly street with informal retail activity

Porous and publicly accessible ground floor

SlopedLandscaping along the Canal

Inside a Neighbourhood

Informal Survaillance achieved with the introverted character of the neighbourhood

Buildings along the Central Axis

Visual connection to the central axis from inside the neighbourhood

Neighbourhood level release spaces with kids play areas

Guidelines & Phasing

ALONG THE CENTRAL AXIS Along the Central Axis

Along the Canal Front

Intent

Linear or Angular staggering after every two floors to create terraces and varied views.

Public activity to repel and extend beyond the first layer of buildings. To achieve this, all the buildings abutting the zones have been designed to be publicly accessible and maintain a visual connection without obstructions.

ALONG THE CANAL FRONT

Guidelines

BUILT MASS

Plazasatevery100mensureabreakinthemasstoextendthe canal front views beyond the first layer

Publicly Accessible Ground floor. Retail activity with a vibrant frontage. Spillover of activities onto the axis

Porous boundary wall to maintain visual connection and allow borrowed views for neighbourhoods.

GROUND FLOOR

BOUNDARIES

Publicly Accessible Ground floor. Retail activity and active frontage.

Porous boundary wall to maintain visual connection and allow borrowed views for neighbourhoods.

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

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Phase 1

Total Built : 25% Features : • Canal Front Development • Central Axis - Phase 1 • Commercial Development along the arterial road • Residential - Apartments

Phase 2

Additional Built : 35% Total Built : 60% Features : • Central Axis - Phase 2 • Public Buildings • Corporate Office Buildings

**The neighbouring context has been projected along with the progress inside the township. This is intended to create an impression of the scale of the central axis and how it is envisioned as a city-level release space after completion.

Phasing

Phase 3

Additional Built : 25% Total Built : 85% Features : • Canal Front - Phase 2 • Central Axis - Phase 3 • Public Buildings • Spine Extension to Integrate Canal Front and Spine

Master Plan Studio | Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051

Phase 4

Additional Built : 15% Total Built : 100% Features : • High Income Residential Development • Private Institutions • Canal Front and Central Axis - Final Phase

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Conclusion The master plan reflects the vision of creating a neighbourhood around the public realm, a public realm that pulls the city to it. This township has been considered as well as designed as a miniature city and functions like one. Starting from the hierarchy in the road network to the varying scales of recreational space, it has been designed to accommodate people of all ages.

Although the Central Spine and the Canal front development take the centre stage, the built form around it has equal importance in both activating and shaping these spaces. The recreational spaces designed in the township have a repel effect that flows beyond the first layer of buildings. The built form along it has been designed to complement and respect the same.

Eyes on the street, inversion of the dead corners into public spaces of an appropriate scale, a mix of building uses to ensure a vibrant space all through the day - are some of the unstated strategies that build the township to be more inhabitable and friendly.

With central spine as the face of the project, residential neighbourhoods are given a choice to their way of life. The proximity from a major public place and other facilities adjoined, these neighbourhoods can either open up and invite the city into them or transition into quite residences.

V Sri Mallika Vyshnavi PG181051 Master plan Studio (Semester -3) Faculty of Planning

Sri Mallika Vyshnavi V | PG181051 | srimallika.PG181051@cept.ac.in