21

DESIGN STATEMENT

Resilient Transformations

During Covid-19, many questions have been raised regarding public space design. How the public should be changed? What is our relationship with public spaces? And many more...

For this project, the site selected is from one of the previously designed project of a housing community in Bahria town Lahore in front of Eifel tower replica. This project initiated with a detailed analysis of the community, which resulted in selecting a block comprising a commercial zone to be redesigned according to the idea of resilience, as it is important for our basic needs of everyday life. Also, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the green areas of our city were the only public spaces that were mainly used, so, along with commercial zone, I am also questioning the way we design our green areas and their impact on our built environment.

The major concept of this project is to design these spaces in a way that they can be resilient. Designing adaptable spaces which can be used according to the need of the time and situation.

Objectives of this project:

• Organize the density

• Dividing people

• Placemaking

• Social interaction but having hindrance in physical contact.

• Relation with nature

To fulfil these objectives the keywords which are defining the concept for designing these spaces are.

• Dividing functions

• Visual connection

• Wayfinding

• Confining specific function to specific space

• Placemaking

• Relationship with open space, the impact of open space on built space.

• Role of Landscape.

The commercial zone is designed to provide convenience in wayfinding and every space is visually connected. Every space has a specific function associated with it and the overlap of the functions has been reduced. The circulation of people and the arrangement of the shops has been designed to organize the density, dividing people. As the person enters this building there is a void in between which visually connects spaces, helping people to know where they have to go. This open space provides an opportunity for people to breathe in and also in the time of pandemic these spaces can be used by the shopkeepers to add more space to their display if needed. Also, the landscaping is designed by keeping in mind the concept of placemaking, trees are planted at the spots which can provide shaded spaces. Open spaces are provided at different levels to enhance the relation of built with unbuilt. The physical contact with surfaces is reduced by the use of ecology.

The green area between the houses is also designed by keeping the same keywords into consideration. Specific spaces are provided for a specific function and the role of ecology has been kept in mind while designing. Along with the green areas the terraces of the houses are also treated to create a connection between built and unbuilt.

In the design of this whole block the circulation of a person is kept in mind and it dictates the journey of a person from his/her house to the commercial zone.