Urban Interventions in Informal Housing

Architectural Design Studio: Housing (10110701)

Reinvigorating Urban Pockets through its Housing Precincts …......A Case of Vijayawada

Description

Course Objective/s

• To expose the students to the complexities of providing shelter for people from different socio-economic background in close proximity to each other, in urban areas.
• To sensitize the students about land scarcity and expose them to different typologies of high-density housing.
• To expose the students to the challenges of bigger scale site planning involving a group of buildings.
• To enable the students, apply theoretical knowledge learnt in previous semesters in architectural design exercise.

Overview 

This Studio combines analysis and observation of urban morphology and culture with Housing Design project comprises of the context/s: 1. On / Through the River, 2. Trade, commerce and Religious precincts (One Town) of Vijayawada, 3. Automobile Industry Precinct, 4. Commercial Precinct of Besant Road, 5. Yenamalakuduru precinct.  The Studio goals are to equip the students with the skills to see and interpret Housing / Shelter as they develop processes for designing city components that reflect concern for both physical form and the human activity that form contains.  The Studio also seeks to enable designers to communicate their ideas through graphic and verbal means understandable and compelling to project stakeholders, architects, developers and public agencies who will determine the outcomes of the design process.

The semester consists of the following activities:

• Research and analysis of project site area
• Identifying precedents and design themes
• Developing the design project

Background

Is House just a shelter or something more? When Housing is provided what dynamics come to the fore?

To answer this, one needs to understand how apart from shelter, housing provides a platform through which essential utilities and services can be accessed, how direct an impact on an individual’s employment and income generating capabilities it has. A proper housing has a positive impact in terms of improved habitat, living, education, social and cultural standards leading to Human capital formation and boosts productivity. Improved productivity leads to enhanced incomes, savings and repayment potentials on Sustainable lines.

As at the year 2013, India accounts for one-third of the poor population world wide of which about 30% are living below the $1.9 per day [Sic] as per a World Bank report. If India can create policies and implement them effectively with the help of appropriate professionals over the next two decades to raise living standards, the nation can turn the tide to the better.

Shelter deprivation comprises an important part of multifaceted poverty experienced by the poor in our towns and cities. The National Housing Board (NHB) estimated a need for 20 million houses in 2017. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MHUPA) has estimated 99% of total shortage in Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and/or Low Income Group (LIG) housing in Urban Areas, while as per a working group report of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) it is estimated 90% of shortage in BPL Households in Rural Areas. A large part of this housing need is primarily for LIG and EWS in the Metropolitan and other urban areas due to in-migration from semi-urban and rural areas residing in the core of the city where most of the activities occur. As per the 11th Five Year Plan Technical Group report on Estimation of Housing Shortage, we have shortage of 99% in EWS Housing, 10.5% in LIG Housing and 0.2% in Middle Income Group (MIG) / High Income Group (HIG) Housing.

According to the Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines 2015, the land use of a large urban center is as follows:

 

It is observed from the above that a larger part of a city is earmarked for Residential purpose. Hence, it can be inferred that one needs to understand its Residential pattern so as to understand a city. In other words, study of residential envelope (continuous or layered) greatly helps in characterizing a city, for the better and to work towards a progressive future. According to Kevin Andrew Lynch, in his book Image of a City, the city is defined by the elements of its built environment creating an image for itself which can be either optimistic or otherwise. As a corollary, improving the qualitative and quantitative standards of the residential area can directly improve the Image of the City.

To better understand this, let’s look at a few examples where the Housing scenario has a direct impact on City’s image - Housing in Singapore City demonstrates its efficiency, culture and the organized pattern. Public Housing in Hong Kong, which is about 46% of the total housing stock, indicates the Government’s priority in providing adequate facilities to its civilians. But since the population ingress is more than what the city can accommodate, the image we get with respect to housing scenario is negative. Houses with no doors in Shingnapur village, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra depict the mutual faith within the community and also showcase the immunity to crime in the region. The large, organized housing in Lutyens’ Delhi, explains the organized city' formation. Similar other conclusions can be drawn about a city, by studying the respective Housing pattern, typology and scale.

Anticipated Learning Outcomes

The students are expected to carry out detailed analysis, study the existing schemes and policies and propose adequate designs and/or solutions in the current scenario. The students should be able to demonstrate their understanding of structures and services and coordination of the same through their design project.

Content

Issues related to housing shortages, basics of housing finance, incremental housing, sites and services schemes, slums and squatter settlements are to be tackled. The students are expected to design in a climate responsive and environment friendly way. They are especially expected to apply the appropriate technology for low-cost housing, Landscape Design, Disaster Resilient Buildings, Quantity Estimation & Specifications, and Construction Management along with the knowledge learnt in the previous semester.

The Project

Vijayawada, popular for performing arts, pilgrimage, education, transit, textile, automobile, literature etc., has been a home to a large group of communities of people from various parts of India who moved for trade and business opportunities. The newly carved state of Andhra Pradesh invited in-migration of people by its new employment opportunities and regional development occurring due to the formation of the new capital region and added to the already existing large population here. On the other hand, nearly 65% land in Vijayawada is under Hills, River, Transport lines etc. limiting the available land for development to just above 30%. Consequently, the land value and demand had only spiraled. In quite a generic sense, the said scenario is one of the vital reasons for housing shortage in general and proliferation of Slums ‘n’ Squatters in particular. This puts Vijayawada on a similar gut as that of mega cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi etc. whose core problem may be different though.

The studio exercise aims to understand the housing (need) scenario in various locations of Vijayawada and address them in a manner that it reflects the image of the city. Various areas of the city need to be studied and observations may be made by the students in two-three stages, namely, area level, city level, preceding which a generic study of Cities per se needs to be undertaken.

After preliminary study of the city, Students are required to identify different case-areas with housing needs and present the same for review. Accordingly and on further analysis, suitable context(s) will be allotted to the Students for academic / design intervention.

The following five contexts have been shortlisted as the representative examples of the rest:       

1. On / Through the River
2. One Town / Old Town
3. Autonagar (Housing through Automobile Industry precinct)
4. Besant road
5. Yenamalakuduru Hutments 

Requirements

The studio focuses on Housing scenario and its need in the five contexts chosen. Detailed requirements will be drafted progressively through interaction in the Studio classes.

Site / Precinct Location

To be proposed by each group based on their understanding of the context received. Students are to document the site and its surroundings as well document the site details before analyzing their respective sites.

Execution and Delivery 

Owing to the varied contexts and complexities of the proposed Studio, ten groups having six to seven students each will be created. A lottery system is to be done in allotting the context to the groups wherein two groups will work on a single context.

Literature Study

Students are encouraged to undertake Literature studies as and how required in terms of existing / upcoming similar projects, technical details required from time to time etc. Students are to study the following basic topics essential to develop a better understanding of a project of this nature:

Vijayawada Master Plan

Study different policies applicable like Bharat Nirman Program, PMAY, AMRUT, 2 Million Housing Program, URDPFI Guidelines, National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy, etc

Development Control Regulations (G.O no. 119) and its amendments

National and International Case Studies

Building Services (IT based, technical and non-technical) like -

Lighting (natural means and devices)

Ventilation (natural means and devices)

HVAC (components, location of equipment, size of space)

Electrical services (components, location of equipment, size of space)

Mechanical services (components, location of equipment, size of space)

Water (plumbing components, location of equipment, size of space – like potable, non-potable, recycling of water, RWH)

Sanitation (components, location of equipment, size of space – like collection and disposal points, recycling, STP)

Fire safety (components, location of equipment, size of space – like emergency exits, fire rating of materials, fire tender movement)

Live Studies

Students are allowed to visit accessible project sites during their free-time, in consultation with the Studio Faculty as required.

Design Focus and Diversity

As land in Vijayawada is capital intensive and scarce resource, the government / developer may wish profit maximization by utilizing maximum built potential so as to unlock the land value to the fullest extent. Students may bear this real-time aspect in mind while evolving the design scheme, without compromising on the functional and qualitative aspects of Architectural Design 

Design can focus on Passive Design methods/techniques to make the entire development energy efficient. Students are encouraged to adopt a theme in terms of technology or design approach (incl. Site planning), grouping of units, mix of low-medium-high rise etc. so as to ensure exclusivity/uniqueness of each group’s design as well as to promote a variety of thoughts related to one design project. E.g. Cluster planning, row housing, stepped / pyramidal towers, green building concepts, energy efficient design etc. can be a few of the key approaches to add value to the work done by respective groups. Students are also encouraged to explore the rationale behind income group classification, percentage allocation of built up area for various uses etc. so as to substantiate their design outcome.

Studio Organization

The Studio will require individual as well as teamwork.  Pin-ups and reviews will be frequent, as often as weekly, depending on Studio progress.  Whenever possible, stakeholders, decision-makers and other practicing urban designers and planners will be engaged in the Studio’s discussion. 

Studio Phases

The work will be executed in the following broad and overlapping phases:

1. Identification of research needs and design themes combined with analysis of Precinct and site
2. Articulation of design goals and preliminary concepts
3. Design development
4. Design resolution
5. Design presentation

The course will focus on the study of vulnerabilities in informal settlements in hill slopes, role of local governments in providing facilities and services, community participation and existing conditions. This will help in detailed understanding of settlements from micro level dwelling unit to macro (settlement) level with urban conditions, levels of vulnerability and resulting conflicts within the settlements.  The main focus area is to undersatand the role, involvement and interventions in creating a sustainable living for the settlements and how they overcame the problems and issues from the past. The course includes lecture/studio hours along with Primary and secondary surveys on site to have a better understanding  of vulnarability , government Intervention and derive at design solutions/guidelines.

Student Workload:

Contact Hours : 12  (05 on Monday + 05 on Tuesday + 02 on Wednesday) for one semester i.e 16 weeks excluding the external jury/viva-voce

Credits: 9

Attendance: 75% Minimum

Course Structure [frequency, duration, format, etc.]

Prerequisites: The students of all IV Year, i.e VII Sem students will be part of the programme for one semester. 

Assignments: The course has internal and external assessment/evaluation criteria. The internal evaluation is a continuous process of evaluation throughout the semester at regular intervals through internal reviews, submissions and presentation which will cater for 250 marks (marks will be submitted to the examination department based on 3 phases) and the external evaluation is at the end of the semester and external and internal reviewers will be evaluating the complete semester work, which is for 250 marks.

Internal Assessment: 250 Marks

Externals Assessment: 250 Marks (Jury)

Grading [assessment criteria and their weight]

activities	percentages
Internal assessment- periodical reviews, submissions and presentations (250 marks)	50%
External assessment - Final external review (250 marks)	50%
Total - 250+250=500 marks	100%

Course evaluation

The quality of course is evaluated based on the output and the final design solutions given by the students. The series of reviews and work progress in monitored by the studio co-ordinator, Head of the Department, Dean-Academics and also Director.