SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING: ANNA UNIVERSITY

CHENNAI 25
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

AR 7911 – Architectural Design VII 1 September 2021 – 21 December 2021

SEMESTER IX

Course Faculty : Dr. P. Meenakumari Visiting Faculty: Ar. Amita Gupta

Mr. S. Navin Rajkumar Ar. Udhayaraja

Project: URBAN SPACES (Built and Unbuilt)

Duration:
Weightage: 100% (90% + 10%)

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Semester Course Title PO1 PO2 PO3 PO4 PO5 PO6 PO7 PO8
IX Architectural ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Design VII

PO1 – Ability to gain knowledge of Humanities, Sciences and Architecture.

PO2 – Ability to understand elements of Architecture and apply basic principles in Architecture Design.

PO3 – Ability to identify social, ecological and cultural issues in Architecture Design.

PO4 – Ability to analyse and apply theoretical knowledge to achieve Architectural Design solutions.

PO5 – Ability to understand ethical and professional responsibilities.

PO6 – Ability to review, comprehend and report technological developments.

PO7 – Ability to understand real life situation of Architectural Practice.

PO8 – Ability to communicate effectively and work in interdisciplinary groups.

1. DESIGN BRIEF

1.1 Aim:

To enable students to perceive built spaces and spaces between buildings as part of
urban fabric towards making architecture inclusive, both in ideation and in reponse from society.

1.2 Objectives:

• The overall objective is to examine the key issues and experiences in urban
spaces – built and unbuilt spaces to promote the appropriate ecosystem that
is stable and sustainable for the present and for long term.
• Understand the implications of physical planning decisions on human
health and well – being.
 • To explore and establish the priorities for regeneration of the urban
environment considering the economic, social, community pulse of the
people and the city.
• To come up with design strategies / prototypes / solutions that are
sustainable and resilient, adaptive or mitigating in approach for the given
study area.
• To understand in particular aspects such as spaces, physical infrastructure,
socio – cultural aspects such as heritage, gender, class, dynamics of urban
growth.

1.3 Introduction:

Urban space provides a unique conduit to witness socio-spatial manifestation of

urban history, critical events of cultural, political, and economic life spanning from early
civilizations to the present day and also the notional evolution towards the future. For the studio
we will consider environmental factors, social factors, urban structure, local and regional identity
and urban quality and discuss the characteristics of good urban within the context of a major
junction in the city of Chennai..

It involves conceptualization and visualization through consideration of contemporary

urban design issues, and includes documentation and analysis of urban form and process,
understanding site context and urban design, with an emphasis on the public realm. Issues of urban
morphology, local and regional identity, and sustainability inform the approach of the studio. The
exercises and major studio will enable students to explore various aspects of urban form and
process and to gain experience in addressing contemporary issues through an urban design
approach and methodology. The final output will involve students in framing and understanding
urban design framework for their precincts and understand the phasing aspects of the same
culminating in sensitive interventions in the precincts.

2. SITE CONTEXT

The Postal code for Park Town still exists, but is a far cry from what the British designed
in 1859. The People’s Park was established in 1861 and had 12 lakes, five – and – a – half miles of
roads and a bandstand. One of its waterbodies, the Victoria Lake, was used for boating. The 116
– acre park was created, keeping in mind “ the health and pleasure of the middle class population”,
wrote S. Muthiah. He has referred to the park as the largest green lung space in the city at that
time. Today, the people’s Park exists only in the archives, it has since given way to sports stadia,
a concrete multi – storeyed structure for the railways and more recently, the swanky Chennai
Metro.

3. THE DESIGN INTENT

The intent is for the students to propose a design deliverable responding / reciprocating to
the context of the given urban node considering the economic, social, community pulse of the
people and the city. The students shall propose a built environment ecosystem that is stable now
and can endure for a long term by design approach which are adaptive, mitigating and responsive
for the given study area.

A student team of 3 no’s shall work together to submit an area level design proposal. The
design proposal will be two levels – master plan for the site and micro level design of projects
within the proposed master plan. To start their work, each team should examine the entire area,
its design challenges and derive specific design aims and objects within the canopy of stated overall
aims and objective of the studio.

4. CONSIDERATIONS & STUDY REQUIREMENTS

4.1. Aim and objective of the proposed design proposal by the team.

Based on the teams aim and objective, to analyses and infer the given site on the
following aspects.
 4.2. Studying and analysing the physical characteristics of the site

a) Understanding the ecology and biodiversity of the river, flora and fauna in the
project area.
b) Issues and status of flooding in the site area.
c) Documenting the physical characteristics of the neighbourhood.
d) Land use mapping
e) Residential: Housing boards, independent houses, slums
f) Institutional: Government, private, educational, corporate
g) Commercial: Business sectors, shops and hotels
h) Transportation transists
i) DCR – Building heights, FSI, Plot coverage
j) Figure and ground analysis of built and open spaces.

4.3. The Mobility Aspects: road network, traffic patterns, bridges, other transportation
facilities, Para Transit modes, NMT Opportunities.

4.4. Documenting the Administrative / Governance system

a) Understanding the divisions based on governance system, administrative

boundaries.
b) Identifying the different government stakeholders and documenting their roles
and responsibilities in the identified area.

4.5. Documenting socio economic character of the settlement

a) Demography
b) Occupation, livelihood analysis
c) Economic status

4.6. Understanding the government policies, strategies, development plans

a) Schemes / projects proposed in the study area.

b) Funds allotted status for development of the study area.

6. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Review Date of Evaluation Requirement Assessment and

Stage Weightage
1 15 September Study Assessment 1 – 15%
2 5th & 8th October Design intent/ Scope Assessment 1 – 15%
3 18 & 22 October
th nd
Concept / Master Plan (Group) Assessment 2 – 15%
 1 (TP) 2nd November Time Problem (individual) Assessment 2 – 10%
4 9th & 12th November Sub group (individual) Assessment 2 – 15%
5 23rd & 26th November Sub group (individual) Assessment 3 – 20%
6 7 & 10 December
th th
Master Plan (Group) Assessment 3 – 10%

7. ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE AS PER UNIVERSTIY CIRULAR

S.No Assessment Period Test Period

1 01.09.2021 to 06.10.2021 28.09.2021 to 06.10.2021
2 07.10.2021 to 16.11.2021 08.11.2021 to 16.11.2021
3 17.11.2021 to 21.12.2021 10.12.2021 to 20.12.2021