architecture A time space "ISSUE NO. 01] MARCHarchitecture time space & people Editor Habeeb Khan President, Council of Architecture, India Publisher Raj K. Oberoi Registrar, Council of Architecture, India As.Editor — Pranati Satti + Designer Contributing Writers Akshat Bhatt Rahul Kadiri Gauri Gore Ruchi Saxena Medha Kulkari Ayadi Aishwarya Kulkari Kritika Juneja ishra Cover Photo Key Monastery, ‘Samantha Hentosh Photo Credits Annie Spratt Laura Meinhardt OFFICE Council of Architecture India Habitat Centre, Core 6-A, 1st Floor, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110003 Architecture Time Space & People , the bi-monthly magazine of the Council of Architecture is published by Raj K. Oberoi and owned by the Council of Architecture. To subscribe: [email protected] www.coagov.inFROM THE EDITOR Dear Friends, Ithas been two years since our team took over in October 2019. Ina few months, the ‘world experienced the largest pandemic in recent history. With lockdown, life came to a halt and nations faced unprecedented economic distress. Architecture as a profession suffers the worst in such situations as itis not considered an essential service. The devastation of this situation became a boon when we communicated with you via online platforms and social media. Never before has the Council been so accessible and never before has an attempt been made to unite our fraternity on such a large scale. (Our profession is going through tumultuous times with radical changes. High standards of deliverance, technical and creative competency, and adaptability to changes will have to be ingrained in all of us. We will need to rise to the challenges thrown at us from various quarters. In this regard, in an attempt to re-unite the fraternity, we are pleased to announce the return of the Council of Architecture's magazine ‘Architecture Time Space and People’. In the first issue, we have focused on the effects of the pandemic on architectural production, education, culture, professions, the environment, and technology. We share stories of success and learning of a time when hope was scarce. ‘Architecture, Time, Space & People’ is open to all sects of the architectural community and we look forward to your valued contributions to upcoming issues. We extend deep condolences to all our fellow citizens who have lost loved ones to the pandemic in the last two years. Our nation will become stronger and healthier as the future unfolds! With best wishes ee Habeeb KhanVICE PRESIDENTS NOTE The goals of the Council's Executive Team are threefold: inclusiveness, accessibility, and transparency. Our team has achieved these goals through outreach programmes—until the Covid-19 pandemic struck. In the wake of this disaster, we switched toa new online platform, COA Social, to continue toreach out to people across communities to raise awareness about the role of architecture and architects in enriching lives. Amidst all the changes and chaos, we saw scope for new beginnings and reliving memories. ‘The thought of reviving Architecture, Time, Space & People’ fit like aglove. With the first issue, themed ‘reacquaint’, we have gathered thoughts from aspiring and established architects all over the country to know more about their journey through the pandemic. In the process, we unveiled countless stories and gained perspective of a plethora of public and private spaces all over India. True to the nature of the former ‘Architecture, Time, Space & People’, we hope that this, issue will make you feel connected to the fraternity, inspire you through stories of unexplored territories and leave you positively charged on contributing to the future of Architecture. ‘Ar SapnaArChitecttire: | archi Bay afelge It Eta) MUTE Ce a CURSE architecture LCDR | oad PCH ra LOR ondSule yale as reacquaint Architecture Time Space & People’ has been a platform for the architectural fraternity to collaborate, converse and exchange innovative, offbeat and revolutionary ideas, stories and projects since time immemorial Revival of the magazine is seen as an opportunity to ‘reacquaint’ and reestablish a dialogue between architects across the country. Curated in the aftermath of the pandemic, the intent ofthis issue is to also ‘reacquaint’ ourselves to the history and the contemporary with a vision for the future.INSIDE THE AMPHITHEATER 01 ‘THE FUTURE OF LIVING Akshat Bhatt Designing self-sufficient homes Changing patterns of consumption with Net-Zero Homes. 09 MULTIFUNCTIONAL HOME DESIGN, Gauri Gore Pandemic gives rise to a new typology. THE PLAZA 21 WASTE CITY, FOOD CITY Ayadi Mishra “Earlier | thought cleaning was just about dusting the place up..Everyone would only call out for our 56 Dukaan, assuming the root of the problem was only here..we made up our minds to flip this - to make an example and a solution of this place.” ‘THE COURTYARD 29 INTERVIEW WITH AR.LOVE CHAUDARY Kritika Juneja Architect Love Chaudary on the site, the situation and sustainability. 05 FORMALISING THE INFORMAL, Rahul Kadiri ‘The Potential of Self-Development of ‘Slum Communities. 13 WHO ISTHE ‘PUBLIC? Ruchi Saxena 3 Es govern good city design, the 3 Es of sustainability: Economy, Environment and Equity. 25 WHAT WOULD ANON- HETEROSEXIST CITY LOOK LIKE? Aishwarya Kulkarni Anon-heterosexist city would not strive towards being'smart’ but being ‘embracing of change, kind to all fellow beings and metropolitan ints truest sense. Itwill finally realise and reflect ‘love's love, and human is human’.33 KASHISAAR Atwo-day architects meet organized by the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Faculty of Architecture, AKTU incollaboration with the Council of Architecture. 35 WALK FOR ARCAUSE ‘Walk for Arcause is designed in collaboration with Ethos as a campaign for awareness on the role good design can play in changing lives and how ‘200d designers can help towards nation building. 37 DESIGN COMPETITION FOR CENTRE (OF EXCELLENCE BENGALURU Council announced a design competition for architects and institutions for the COA’s Centre of Excellence at Bengaluru, 37 FROM THE COUNCIL News, announcements, notices and Updates from the office of the Council.Ree HEEL aU people sasennees = a a tf aD eeHT in teeta t beter pees per eet eS ttt rie - — steer te 7 ye FEE ce eet tet tet a ot :a | im UU THE FUTURE OF LIVING DESIGNING HOMES FOR SELF-SUFFICIENCY Akshat Bhatt CChanging patterns of consumption with Net-Zero Homes he pandemic has forced us to rethink our patterns of consumption as a civilisation. The only way for architecture to remain relevant longer than its period of conception is by creating buildings that are self-reliant. | believe that treating our own waste and generating our own energy is the miracle we need to save our planet. For the post-pandemic age, | envision modular, flexible, off-the-grid buildings that reimagine the way our homes interact with the outside world, These homes reduce functional dependency on the city minimise resource consumption. Inthe last few decades, development has largely been governed by economic. criteria. The global pandemicis a welcome change in that it might just catalyse more considered paradigms of development. tis time we seriously rethink our patterns of consumption as civilisation ~~ alter the way we live, ‘work, commute, and consume ‘Over the past two years, since the advent of the pandemic, we have been forced to stay indoors under lockdown with our homes being re-emerging as sanctuaries ~- places of safe and ‘socially-distanced’ work, leisure, and ‘engagement -- and our verandahs, balconies, and terraces as thresholds from which we've stayed connected with the world, ‘The fundamental way we live, how we interact with our families or move within our homes, hasn't changed much (apart from repurposing rooms for quarantine or creating a dedicatedquiet zone for work) and | don't believe itwill.| think that what was always important has been reaffirmed the need for space, natural ight, air, access toclean and inspiring surroundings, and proximity to loved ones. | do hope, however, that this pandemic and the current human condition become markers in our collective history as the forbearers of change ~~ of a push towards minimal resource consumption and sustainable living (Our value systems and design sensibilities need an urgent re~ evaluation and architecture has the power of affecting and controlling the behaviour of people who engage with it, This must start with an understanding of what is essential for sustenance and how our homes connect to the outside world for the delivery of these products or public services. Where does our food, water, and power come from? Where does ‘our waste go? What if our homes could bbe completely off this grid? Where does our food, water, and power come from? Where does our waste go? What if our homes could be completely off this grid? For the COVID-19 age, | envision low- rise residential developments that would be three to four storeys tall and navigable by foot. When compared to igh-rise apartment buildings with high densities and large numbers of elevator banks and common spaces, this scheme would allow for easier and more efficient isolation and as a result, control the spread of the contagion, Each dwelling unit (or a sector with 3-4 dwelling units) would have independent administrative control and access points serviced by small, autonomous public travel capsules, Which would frequently ply with flexible routes right to the traveller's destination limiting physical interaction with others, These vehicles would also reduce our current dependence on the high-density public transport model, providing amore efficient transit solution while ensuring social distancing, Zooming in, the architecture of the units would be based on modularity and create open-ended frameworks for flexible dwelling systems. An adaptable framework with well-serviced and well~ lit spaces that can be used for multiple activities in the short term also offers the possibility of a longer life span for a building and a variety of possible long- term uses. As work, leisure, and domestic activities become increasingly interchangeable, these buildings will act like evolving landscapes. Open plan. studio apartments with collapsible partition walls and roofs and flexible storage systems will allow residents to reconfigure their homes, enclosing and ‘combining spaces or lending them to the greens, as needed. Within the unit, istinct zones would be created based onthe degree of sterility -- from ‘community spaces such as arrival courtyards, foyers, and formal living rooms to host guests, to spaces for the family to engage, to private rooms for individual inhabitants -- which could be easily sealed off with movable partitions when needed. Isolation wards could be housed in the basement with direct access to the outdoors via sunken green courtyards for fresh air and light. ‘The only way for architecture to remain relevant longer than its period of nis by creating buildings that are self-reliant ~- buildings that can function with minimum resource consumption. Hence, these homes ‘would be entirely self-sufficient and off the grid, They will ely on groundwater tomeet their potable water needs and generate their own power with solar panels or PV arrays. Thermal massing will reduce heat gain and light wells will double up as wind tunnels and enhance passive cooling; the reduced ‘mechanical cooling requirements could bemet with geothermal energy through earth air tunnels and displacement ventilation (conditioned air supply with diffusers near the floor and exhaust from ceiling height level to reduce mixing as opposed to conventional ACs that supply air from the side). Individual pockets of greens and open spaces on ‘multiple levels will not just aid ingress of natural light and fresh air but also house grow-rooms for farming food through techniques such as hydroponics and aeroponics. All dry and. wet waste generated will be treated on- site, with the compost being utilised as feed for farming, while al outgoing waste to the grid will be taxed to incentivise responsible resource ‘consumption, the amphitheater | 02Let’s not destroy forests and consume more water. Treating our own waste and generating our own energy, and reducing consumption is the miracle we need to save our planet. | think this time has taught us to be more critical; we must be more appropriate in what we build and not just build for the sake of it. It also ‘makes us realise how little we really need to coexist happily. Design is about reduction and optimisation; we need to be more appropriate in what we build and not just build for the sake of building. There is a strong need to revisit the essence of design and start removing all the unnecessary embellishments that result in waste and clutter. We need to champion the cause of the built environment, and, we must do so in an appropriate manner. This is going to be the century of recuperation. So, let's not destroy forests and consume more water. Treating our ‘own waste and generating our own energy, and reducing consumption is the miracle we need to save our planet. Bibliography: ‘+ Allopinions are of the author. ‘+ Alldrawings and images are produced by Architecture Discipline. Akshat Bhatt Akshat Bhatt is the Principal Architect at Architecture Discipline, a New Dethi-based multi-disciplinary architecture practice he founded in 2007. Architecture Discipline aspires to create environments that foster happiness and a sense of optimism for the future, bringing value to the lives and work of people. Its work is centred around context-driven, rational approach of ideation, which is then defined and developed by a highly technical outlook with a focus on longevity and flexibility. Bhatt's notable projects include the hotel Mana (Ranakpur, 2013), the Discovery Centre town hall at Bhartiya City (Bengaluru, 2014), the India Pavilion at Hannover Messe (Hanover, 2015), and the Corporate Headquarters for The ‘Oberoi Group, Gurugram (2019).‘the amphitheater | 04FORMALISING THE INFORMAL THE POTENTIAL OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT OF SLUM COMMUNITIES Rahul Kadiri rhe coronavirus outbreak has shined a spotlight on the often overlooked underbelly of India's ‘City of Dreams' -- the slums and other informal settlements where about 49 percent of its population resides. While the number of infections seems to be in control at the moment (Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums, was a COVID-19 hotspot a few weeks ‘ago but has under 100 active cases currently) the risk of spread continues to remain high within these neighbourhoods where unusually high population densities (up to 350 families per hectare against the city average of 38 as per data from the 2011 Census) and poor, communal drinking water and sanitation facilities mean that social distancing is virtually impossible. ‘So what isthe future of slums ina post- COVID-19 world? Can we formalise the informal? City Dreams Cities are envisaged as the hub of economic, social, and technological advancements and opportunities, ‘which brings in an incessant flow of migrants to them. This ‘urban pull’ is, driven by the perception that the expanse of the material infrastructure of acity narrates the improved quality of social ife that one may attain on relocating from smaller towns or rural areas. However, widening gaps between growing city populations and physical and social infrastructure required to accommodate them is leading to a lopsided pattern of urban development accompanied by an increasing number of urban poor. For instance, while Mumbai grew spectacularly as an urban centre in theidependence, the geographical constraints of the island city have caused serious problems today. With a premium attached to limited land and space, land and building stock prices have skyrocketed. This pushes incoming migrants, who make up the majority of the city’s population, to seek hot within low-cost, poorly designed shanties and tenements in informal settlements with extremely poor living conditions. 49.38 percent of Mumbai's population, accounting to around 4.6 million people, lives in slums that occupy barely 7.5 percent of the city’s area, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) city survey data Evolving Perspectives Ione looks at the chronological framework of government policies implemented to alleviate the plight of people living in slums,a model of Clearing the ‘encroachments’ and rehousing slum dwellers in subsidized rental housing can be observed. The "Subsidized Housing Program’ of 1952 was the first nationwide program that provided subsidies and introduced loan schemes for economically weaker sections of the society to purchase land for construction of houses. The archaic "Slum Clearance Scheme’ introduced in 11956 targeted the removal of sprawls and slums to’clean’ the city but failed ‘owing to shortage of resources to build and maintain housing stock for the relocated occupants. In 1970, the "Housing and Urban Development Corporation’ (HUDCO) was created as the government's nodal agency for promotion of ‘sustainable habitat development’ by providing home loans to lower income groups (LIG) with longer repayment periods. With the initiation of more novel programs such as the ‘Bombay Urban Development Program’ (BUDP) of 1984 and the ‘Prime Minister's Grant Program’ (PMGP) conceived in 1985, there was a shift in the policy paradigm from slum demolition to slum up- gradation, In the 1970s and ‘80s, through various acts and programs and with aid from The World Bank, the government assured provision of basic services such as water, public toilets, electricity, pathways, street furniture, conservancy, primary healthcare and educational facilities. During this time, the leasehold tenure of land was also. transferred to the cooperative housing societies of slum dwellers. The Birth of Vertical Slums With the admission of private sector players, however, lured by the the amphitheater | 08ARCHITECTURE, TIME, SPACE & PEOPLEassurance of FSI (Floor Space Index) and TDR (Transferable Development Rights) incentives in 1995's ‘Slum Rehabilitation Scheme’ (SRS), the needs of slum dwellers were shelved to prioritise profits to builders and developers. SRS facilitates the redevelopment of slums through the concept of land- sharing where open sale of housing. units in the market allows the cross- subsidising of free units for the slum dwellers. However, the full authority and discretion on decisions concerning the quality of construction liesin the hands of private developers, which has turned this scheme into a crooked and ineffective mission. Driven by profit, ‘margins, developers use up to 75 percent of the available land to build units that they can sell, while forcing the existing slum dwellers into the remaining 25 percent, transforming horizontal slums to vertical ones in the name of high-rise development. 3.4 lakh families have been rehabilitated already ~~ registered slum dwellers, sometimes multiple families who lived within single tenements, have been allotted one flat each in newly constructed buildings, which tower to as high as twenty floors. Within these matchboxes in the sky, occupant discomfort and health issues are rife, aggravated by the poor quality of housing units, an abrupt shift to vertical living, cramped living spaces, lack of daylight, thermal discomfort on Upper floors, high levels of noise pollution, and inadequate fresh air exchange and ventilation leading to poor indoor air quality. These buildings also neglect how ‘life on the street’ is inherently tied to the socio-economic fabric of informal settlements; the lack of recreational and community spaces restricts occupants from engaging in community or livelihood activities that were an integral part of their life in the slums. Instead, close proximity of adjacent high-rise buildings results in ‘open spaces being treated as garbage dumps, resulting in publichealth challenges. This incompatibility between low income and the high cost of living in the city, as well as the dissatisfaction with the new rehabilitation buildings, forces distressed residents to move back to slums or to look for new squatter settlements, ultimately falling tosolve the humanitarian crisis of informality and merely accomplishing the capitalist objective of increasing density and optimising land resources. So are there better alternatives? How can slums be redeveloped in amanner that ensures affordability, inclusivity in decision making, improved quality of life and socio- economic wellbeing of the community? Power to the People Soare there better alternatives? How can slums be redeveloped in a manner that ensures affordability, inclusivity in decision making, improved quality of life and socio-economic wellbeing of the community? Self-Development of Slum ‘Communities (SDSC), a process where slum occupants take on the mantle of redevelopment themselves supported by the expertise of appropriate professionals, might provide the solution, SDSC is aimed at accelerating the entire process of redevelopment with the self-intent of the community. With the association of residents as stakeholders in the process, a transparent and inclusive design process could be enabled that directly and efficiently addresses the needs and concerns of the residents, fulfilling their expectations of better living conditions. Such a proposal could be easily incorporated within city development plans by transferring the development rights of land parcels marked as slums to the association of the current inhabitants of that neighbourhood, Permissible FSI will need to be reduced to ensure that ‘vertical slums’ donot take form again. Instead, the government could discontinue levying. the charges that it does to reduce project costs significantly. This would allow residents to fund the construction through personal loans along with liquid capital raised by the sale of new units from the development. The loans could be repaid with monthly EMI instalments with appropriate subsidies, which would be far lower than the unusually high rents that occupants pay for remarkably low square footage. Envisioning a Slum-Free City It’s important to understand that the vision of a slum-free city needs to be viewed through the lens of inclusive development. Elimination and Clearance of slums has to be substituted for up-gradation of living conditions, provision of access to basic services, and participation of the current sium dwellers in policy conception. Only with a multi-faceted approach to redevelopment that incorporates economic, environmental and cultural sustainability, could we conceive self- contained sustainable communities of the future, Rahul Kadri Rahul Kadriis a Partner & Principal Architect at IMK Architects, an architecture and urban design practice founded in 1957 with offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Kadri took over the reins of the practice from his father |. M Kadriin the 1990s after completing a graduate diploma in architecture from the Academy of Architecture, Mumbai, and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan, USA. the amphitheater | 08,Gauri Gore the pandemic has completely transformed our perception of personal and collective spaces. The