Process

Site Study

Area : Ruikar Colony, Kolhapur

Ruikar Colony is a residential area in Kolhapur city, Maharashtra. Located in the southern deccan plateau of the state the region has an observation of mixed cultures, flat topography and cold sunny climate.

Backside of the COVID Centre - June 2021

In the pandemic most of the hospitals are converted into COVID centers and this was the first observation to look at. The hospital is a multispecialty clinic with the increase in cases people waiting on the road right in front of the clinic.

The Road to the COVID Centre - June 2021

Sketching the observation and noting the details and understanding the flow, people were trying to find their niche under the tree, they started using the other forms around like inhabiting the boundary wall, sitting inside cars, on bikes and other things, the movement of the people was in groups which was accompanied with their friends or relatives of the patient inside the hospital. Noting small groups forming of 4-5 people who found their respective niches along the path.

Looking for changes in activities, people inhabiting spaces and daily routines due to the pandemic on the site and observing people waiting under trees as a note, noting to see people on phone calls, chatting, gossiping, loitering and entertaining themselves watching shows on their screens.

Site Analysis and Movement in the Locality

Site Street Elevation

Utilizing and Inhabitation of Spaces

Waiting Observation in Plan

Street Section

Site Selection and Program

Site Images

Looking at the site and the area of intervention and getting into the realms of waiting spaces and rethinking the idea of boundary wall. The other condition was the very very dense presence of trees along the compound which shaded 4Ms from the wall. This provided the same condition which we had observed on the road, i.e. waiting under trees.

Program List

Waiting Spaces:

1) Sittings (Gossips, phone calls and entertainment) Standing and sleeping Waiting spaces or booths)

2) Eating (Eatery and services)

3) Loitering (Play forms or entertainment)

4) Cutting down the ideas of boundaries for open spaces

Site Plan and Area of Intervention

Initially identifying the levels at which they are habiting the street such that these levels can emerge as a form. With the observation practices the levels of sittings on bikes, walls, sleeping levels, standing and shade. The shade became important because if it weren't there they would have not used the space. Extracting a grid with respect to these levels and incorporating these levels in the design. Also considering the trees on site to give that porosity and inturn eliminating the boundary and becoming a porous space.

Conceptual Models

On Site Installation

Making a conceptual model like the how space can work and can be inhabited with those levels and the same activities can be incorporated and voids can be created. Kind of swirling things and experiencing the quality of space. Therefore, getting that thing on site to see how it works and eliminating those closed boundaries and cloaking spaces.