UNDULATING GROUNDS

Community Unit at Goregaon, Mumbai
Building Making
Prarthna  Shah l Semester 6 l 2023-24

-- Course Outline

The course introduces the process involved a in building making and identifying its various stages. 

 -- Site, Site Forces and Context

The site is a playground, Ganesh Maidan, present in the context of an residential space of Bimbisar Nagar, Goregaon transit camp buildings. The playground had existing facilities of a stage, a non-functional vachanalay, an office space and a baalwadi. The playground has its three sides open to the road at specific entry points and a school at other. A street market happens on on east side of the ground. 

Looking at the morphology of the space, various volumes, heights and levels were observed across. 

  1.  Layers of spaces with increasing heights and volumes.

  2. Multiple levels formed by furniture and existing infrastructure, to craft a shop.

  3. Low seating, almost touching the ground.

  4. Series of levels allowing for porosity, while also affording specific activities.

  5. An intimate, small scale space formed between two tall trees. 

 -- Design Intent and Spatial Views

Intent - To create a Community Centre, which acts as a focal point for the neighborhood, offering a retreat from the everyday and an opportunity for interaction between the residential building households and transit camp residents, by forming a terrain of horizontal planes which move up and down. These levels craft specific experiences forming spaces above and beneath each plane.

View of  Hawking Space, Shops and Community Hall

View of  Nursery, Play Area, Baalwadi, Gymkhana

 -- Pragramme

 -- Conceptual Design

Plinths forming a terrain

One plane leading to another

Plinths forming nursery and walkways in between

Low height seating around trees

Diagram highlighting plinths and undulations of ground, which form a continuous scape

 -- Design Development and Detailing

Exploring forms to create gradual flow of planes

Steps crafting dradual increase in volumes of spaces, where initial plinths form hawking space

Forming double height spaces and balconies which overlook from one program onto another

Floor plates shift in plan, which increase the reach of daylight to each space

Iteration 1

Iteration 2

Iteration 3

 -- Design Drawing and Model

Ground Floor Plan


First Floor Plan


Section


Elevation


Views of Model

 -- Construction Process

 -- Construction Management and Planning

Site Management


To efficiently manage the Site during the process of Construction. desired zones are planned for ease of flow of work. The Site Office and a supporting Parking near the entrance, provision of Rest space, Dining Space and Medical Facility for the workers with adequate drinking and sanitation facilities. The plan tries to make minimal use of the site for construction.

Construction Process Planning


To ensure timely completion of the project, Critical Path Method (CPM) Diagram and a Bar Chart is used to identify the necessary steps required. 

CPM Diagram identifies the critical path of flow of activities/ events which cannot be delayed along with other events. 

The Bar Chart highlights the sequence of events in which they need to occur so that the process ends at the desired time ie. after Week 47

 -- Construction Documentation

LIneOut Plan


Datum Points are marked with the help of existing locations, which help in further setting out the structural grid.

Foundation Plan


Isolated footings, 4.5M deep are utilised with combined footing wherever necessary. Shallow foundations for extended  p

Ground Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

Roof Plan

Sections AA' and BB'

Elevations East and South

Spatial Detail

The scale of the builtform gradually increases while one moves forward in the space, where often one level leads to another forming a playscape. Spaces formed under, above, adjacent to the horizontal plane craft different experiences. Each plane provides a different experience from other in terms of its scale and height and views. The low heighted space formed below a mezzanine floor allows for intimacy, and thus forming a silent space for people to occupy. While the mezzanine floor allows for interaction with the surrounding spaces. These various planes at different heights, create a terrain to walk and also allows for vertical interaction between levels. 


Staircase Detail

Toilet Detail

Door Schedule

Window Schedule

 -- Estimates, BoQ and Rates

Prarthna Shah_S016_BoQ.pdf

BoQ - Bill of Quantities and Estimation