RESOURCES, FLOWS AND SYSTEMS

DESIGN BRIEF:

The project is to design Artists residency addressing the concerns of resource consumption and management within the built form along with the spatial logistics in the urban context of Mumbai. Total built up area of the project will be between 1200-1500sqm for a total no of 30 occupants. Minimum 2 user groups are to be chosen (from neighborhood) and generate comfortable inhabitation conditions in addition to the housekeeping requirements for the project. Activities like work studio, workshop, sleeping spaces, exhibition space, common shared space, discussion space, storage and archives arriving out of the user profiling shall be included in the program and area derivation.

The questions to ponder upon are as follows:

What is the nature of spatial configurations that reduces the demand on resources to build and operate the building?
How does space get generated through alternative building systems?
How does space become a derivative of building services and systems?
How do you start structuring space such that the harnessed resources become a part of the experience of life and living?

There is a very stark class segregation seen on the opposite sides of the site i.e., along the Powai lakeside promenade and the Hiranandani Estate of Powai; but there is one thing which brings all of these people together: Food available on the periphery of the site.

My user groups are: 1) Culinary Artists

2) Musicians

My idea is to create a social space which unites people together irrespective of their class and caste through the architecture of pavilions which can afford to hold large numbers of people within them and at the same time respond to the climatic flows of the city of Mumbai with the help of locally available materials like bamboo and brick which are a part of the environmental flow and also contribute to the environmental flow. The artists coming here thus become catalysts to this process and also individually benefit from it.

SITE ANALYSIS

The design process started by first mapping the existing flows on site such as the windflow, the sounds in and around the site ,etc. This question generated by mapping the various flows on site. I also started closely looking at the historical practices of cooking and music in India where these spaces were usually courtyard like spaces which welcomed people and created a celebratory space for working.

DERIVING THE FORM

I thus started mapping the densities of the flows of people that would possibly enter the site. The form starts generating through this curve. Giving this curve thickness creates ribbon strip like pavilion spaces with in-between open spaces. Tweaking the curve a bit opened up the residual spaces into more celebrated gardens. I further overlapped the form with various flows of the site to check how efficient the design is. Next was to develop the internal space accordingly. These are the plans for the same with the arrows which show the flows of the site.

PLANS

PLINTH PLAN

One can see the stagger in the plinth levels. These staggers are specific to the programs in those areas. It also creates a play in the space instead of just being a plain hard edge surface to walk on. The plinth has a finishing layer of PCC to smoothen the floor surface and is made up of locally available Malad Stone of Mumbai.

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

One can enter the site from all sides:

1) The southeastern side from the music performance space. Placing the music space here benefits as there is lesser vehicular sound into this zone and this would allow the performance to create an impact rather than the vehicular noise.

2) The other entry is from the JVLR road side through the footpath, skywalk, etc. From the west, one can enter into a large space with the kitchen being the closest allowing easy accessibility to the people and the placement also ensures good ventilation for heat escape.

3) The dining is towards the north which looks into the kitchen garden to the east. The dining also spills into the common space between the cooking pavilion and the music practice pavilion spaces to create visual connection for the people.

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

The first floor has resting spaces for the culinary artists towards the western side with a terrace garden on the northern side. Along its southern edge is a balcony which helps in cutting down the harsh southern sunlight of Mumbai. The staff resting spaces are towards the southern sides with openings on the east and the west sides.

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

The second floor plan replicates the artists resting spaces of the first floor without the terrace garden. The second floor southern sides start holding the gabled roof of the staff resting spaces and admin offices.

ROOF PLAN

The roof is a gabled roof whose angle is calculated and chosen according to the rains and winds of Mumbai. The roof framework is made out of bamboo and cladded with Mangalore tiles. Curved Mangalore tiles are used to achieve the smooth curve of the roof.

SECTIONS

Section A-A shows the staff quarters and the music practice spaces along with the landscaping around which makes it a garden like space to walk by.

Section B-B cut through the dining till the music practice shows the modulation of the roof, the terrace and the flows working through it.

Section C-C is cut through the toilet area. The entire toilet space is constructed in brick as bamboo is known to have poor response to constant wet areas and requires maintenance very frequently.

ELEVATIONS

VIEWS

Inside View of Staff Resting space

View from the JVLR roadside

END WALL SECTION

JOINERY DETAILS

Bamboo Floor Slab Joinery

PLUMBING LAYOUTS

GROUND PLUMBING PLAN 28 JUL 21 WED A1 1-150.pdf

FIRST FLOOR PLUMBING PLAN 28 JUL 21 WED A1 1-150.pdf

SECOND FLOOR PLUMBING PLAN 28 JUL 21 WED A1 1-150.pdf

DIGITAL MODEL VIEWS

SITE AND ITS IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS:

NOTES FROM THE PROCESS

APPROACH TOWARDS MATERIAL CHOICES:

Is there a need to bring back certain ways and forms of living in order to now work consciously with the environment?

How does one then redefine the idea of recycling?

At the same time, I think whether the building can contribute to the idea of reusing and recycling?

Here by these terms, I mean, can the building keep growing till the time it stays there?

Looking at the current situation of the building practices and the rapid changes in climates and these flows when such practices start becoming extensive with the constant urbanization taking place in a city the new ways of buildings need to respond to these repercussions and at the same time be able to adapt to these ever-changing conditions and also be careful enough not to contribute to this vicious cycle.

Here is where I start questioning the material of the building more extensively.

To start off with an example where I try to compare two materials extensively used in building practices around the world:

- Brick

- Bamboo

When one starts building a structure with bricks, which have a life span of around 60-80 years, there is an idea of permanence which inherits in the structure. At the same time, it becomes quite unreasonable to rebuild such a structure within a short span again and again as it will in turn contribute to the number of debris creating a landfill which blocks the earth from breathing.

When there are changes in certain flows (one such example is, in today’s times the sudden arrival of rains apart from monsoon anytime of the year which is a new change in the cycle of flows caused because of the repercussions created by the constant mishandling of the flows and resources around) it becomes very difficult for a structure with permanence to respond to it.

Whereas using bamboo as a construction material brings in the idea of constant change. A change which could adapt to the ongoing flows and systems and at the same time hold a position for itself within these flows. The flexibility to change its form over time helps the form of the structure to constantly negotiate and respond to the flows and resources. At the same time, the changing of the bamboo after a period of 2-3 years also contributes to the cycle of flows.

Bamboo after usage goes back to the flow of nature and helps the cycle go on.

Thus, it becomes important for us to start negotiating with these flows, resources and systems simultaneously with the urbanization and technological developments around. We are in a big loop of economy from where we cannot escape and this is why it becomes very important to start negotiating and constantly try to find a balance between these flows. Buildings become one of the main aspects to respond and negotiate as they stay and thus leave a mark.

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