ARCHITECTURE AS BUILDING SYSTEMS

THIS MODULE WAS ABOUT THINKING OF ARCHITECTURE AS MORE THAN JUST FORM,  AND UNDERSTANDING HOW DIFFERENT BUILDING SYSTEMS COME TOGETHER TO SHAPE BOTH SPACE AND EXPERIENCE WHILE USING RESOURCES WISELY. WE LOOKED AT THINGS LIKE WATER HARVESTING, SOLAR ENERGY, VENTILATION, AND LIGHTING, NOT JUST AS TECHNICAL ADD-ONS BUT AS PART OF THE DESIGN ITSELF. THROUGH THIS, WE STARTED SEEING HOW THESE SYSTEMS OVERLAP AND INFLUENCE EACH OTHER, HELPING US DESIGN SPACES THAT ARE BOTH FUNCTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIVE. OVERALL, IT HELPED US THINK ABOUT HOW BUILDINGS CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, AND MEANINGFUL AT THE SAME TIME.

THE SITE IS LOCATED ALONG OLD KABRISTAN ROAD IN JOGESHWARI EAST AND FUNCTIONS AS A SHARED COMMUNITY GARDEN AND SPORTS COURT. IT SITS BETWEEN TWO ADJACENT COMMUNITY GARDENS, WITH AN LMTI COLLEGE GARDEN SITUATED RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. THE SITE IS ENCLOSED ON ALL SIDES BY INFORMAL AND FORMAL SETTLEMENTS, MAKING IT ONE OF THE FEW ACCESSIBLE RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACES FOR THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBOURHOOD.

SINCE THE BASKETBALL COURT IS CONSTRUCTED IN EXPOSED CONCRETE AND LACKS ANY SHADING, IT BECOMES UNUSABLE FOR MUCH OF THE DAY DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. THE INTENT WAS TO REACTIVATE THIS UNDERUTILISED SPACE WITHOUT SEVERING ITS PHYSICAL OR VISUAL CONTINUITY WITH THE EXISTING GROUND PLANE. THE APPROACH WAS TO CREATE A SUBMERGED FORM RECESSED INTO THE EARTH WITH AN ACCESSIBLE ROOF SO THAT THE INTERVENTION PRESERVES THE SITE’S SPATIAL CONTINUITY WHILE INTRODUCING A SHADED, CLIMATICALLY EFFICIENT ENVIRONMENT BELOW.