COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN

For the computational design module, my site is Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a well-known tourist spot situated in Borivali, right next to the Western Express Highway. The park witnesses a steady inflow of people every day, ranging from tourists and joggers to trekkers and cyclists, resulting in continuous movement and activity. Alongside, several hawkers occupy the stretch, adding liveliness to the space while also causing congestion. Altogether, the park emerges as a bustling and densely used public area. 

SITE PLAN

SITE PHOTOS

OBSERVATION DIAGRAM

The space carries a palpable sense of anticipation: people arrive, gather briefly, and then fan out toward the park. Movement concentrates along the central spine from the entry gate, where the first large pause occurs. Flows split into three distinct desire lines: the red lines capture walkers, joggers, and runners moving deeper into the park; the green line marks the waiting route for those relying on buses; and the blue lines trace the cyclists’ entry paths toward the inner trails. The red circles highlight the density of waiting across these flows. The largest circles occur at the entry gate and ticket zone, where people pause the longest. Mid-sized clusters appear at the junctions, shaded edges, and bus stop, while smaller but frequent circles mark the hawker edge where short pauses accumulate. The red jogging/walking flow encounters the most intermittent halts, the green bus line shows a concentrated waiting pocket, and the blue cycling routes reveal lighter, more continuous movement with pauses at junctions. Overall, waiting is not uniform but occurs in pulses: long-duration clusters at the gate and bus stop, medium pauses at the plaza junction and corner turns , and quick stop-and-go moments along the hawker edge. This rhythm of move–pause–move reinforces the suitability of this area for a waiting-space intervention, positioned to ease the bottleneck while enhancing the natural gathering nodes mapped in the diagram.

Idea of Waiting: The intervention is located at the edge of the entry zone, where movement begins to disperse into the park. Here, an amphitheater-like seating structure is designed which is hollow from within, allowing people to inhabit both its inner and outer surfaces. It works as a flexible pause point: a place to sit, stand, or casually gather. Positioned strategically, it diverts crowding away from the corner and distributes density more evenly, while still sustaining the sense of anticipation that characterizes the site.

Additional Program: The design also includes a reflexology pathway for walkers and joggers, offering a health-oriented pause. A spiral staircase wraps around the tree, creating a vertical movement and lookout point, while a rock-climbing feature between the staircases adds a playful and active dimension to waiting. Together, these elements enrich the act of waiting, turning short pauses into opportunities for relaxation, activity, or engagement.

Inference from Observations: The ticket office and entry edge act as a visual frame, orienting visitors toward the park. Movement here is layered: walking and jogging flows, bus waiting, and cycling routes. The chosen site sits at a natural pause-point, shaded by trees and close to circulation junctions. Inserting the amphitheater and additional programs here works with this rhythm of move–pause–move, transforming waiting into a more inhabitable and engaging experience.

LOGIC DIAGRAM