The site has a courtyard space forming in the center due to the presence of a TATA tower. The tower isn’t functional but causes obstruction while moving in and out of the space. The six houses surrounds the courtyard space in pairs. There is a light and ventilation problem in between the lanes whereas the courtyard space is well lit and ventilated but is not being utilised. The lanes have broken and open gutter lids making it difficult to walk through.

The houses in the site are made using steel frame structure. Four of the houses are owned while the other two are being rented. House 1 has one household occupying the ground and the first floor, while the second and third floors are being rented by 3 households. The other 5 houses have one households each. Two of the houses ae G+1 storey high, the other three are G+2 storey and one is G+3 storey high. There are two wholesale shops in the site, three of them practise shoe making while one is into service jobs. 

Major vulnerabilities include the staircases being steep and the only way to move up and down the structure. Due to this, it becomes difficult for the elderly as well as impaired to traverse through the space causing them to remain insides at all times. 

Through the example of the current situation, a both leg amputee living on the 1st floor of his home is unable to ever go out of his house due to the staircase. He is unable to access the common toilet as well.

Strategies were:

• To create disabled & senior citizen friendly space.

• Add toilets where possible.

• Make the central open courtyard the means for good light and ventilation.

To achieve this, the design intent was to create small toilet blocks with light structure, connect the toilets through a bridges or common corridor and add an elevator to make the space disabled & senior citizen friendly.

A small sitting space around a tree was added in the center of the courtyard to make the space active and introduce some green cover.

The existing structure of each of the six houses hae cantilevered toward the courtyard and towards the lanes wherever possible, resulting in less light in the lanes. In the design intervention, the cantilever towards the lanes have been removed to provide better light and ventilation in the lanes.

The cantilever towards the courtyard has been used to make the common corridor so as to leave the courtyard area intact. The toilet blocks have been fused in three of the existing structures. The corridor has been extended to one of the lanes as well to make the lanes and the houses well lit and ventilated.

By means of keeping the elevator connected at all levels, two terraces have been interconnected creating a possibility for small gatherings in the open space. A common staircase was also added to provide another entrance to the corridor spaces and hence the homes. 

After configuring the corridor in plan, while building it in the 3d model, it came into notice that all the floor levels are not at a constant height resulting in the corridor to include small slopes/ ramps to connect the levels while maintaining wheelchair accessibility.

A hydraulic elevator with steel structure was used due to the lack of space for a regular  elevator. Sliding doors were used for the new entrances of the upper levels from the corridor to maintain illumination and circulation of fresh air inside the houses. The aim was to make the corridor space as an area to be occupied for fresh air and sunlight.