B. K. Swastik

s e l e c t e d w o r k s o f

A R C H I T E C T U R E

In architecture my effort has always been very simple. I copy the lo-cal architectural elements and compose it with the requirements as beautifully as possible. In this way I try to make my designs dissolve into the local context and the character.

B K Swastikarchitect & urban designer

M.Arch in Urban DesignC.E.P.T. University

bkswastik@gmail.com I +91 972641625253, Pawani complex, Jagmohan nagar,

Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, INDIAPin:751030

Introducing New Typology to The CityOften architecture is super imposed from top-down. We architects study, analyse and try to design from the inferences of the context. But is it enough?

What if we can simply copy the existing architecture, the architecture which has evolved and created by its user? Then may be we don’t have to make users compromise with their old life styles. But we can enhance their lives by only solving the present problems and fulfilling their future needs with the new, rather than forcing something alien on them.

Site: Dhoraji city, Gujrat, India.Climate: Very Hot & Dry, Built up 250 sq.m.

Residential with a small commercial unit like tea stall or grocery etc.

How can we preserve the essence?

The arc, the ornamented door, the ottlas (platforms to sit) are the useful elements, which can be simply copied but with a fresh-er and modernistic way, which would allow people to dwell the same way as they used to.

A n a l y s i s o f e x i s t i n g t y p o l o g y

When we add something new. Then what & how should it be?

The ladies of Dhoraji city are all housewives. They spend most of their time inside the house, busy in household works. Here the ottla at the interface provides an amazing platform to get connected to the outside street without leaving their houses. They use this element to chat and enjoy the view of the street life while they are still connected to their homes.

In the new typology, where you have an extra floor height, which gives the advantage of better view and better wind. In the new typology, the ot-tla has been combined with a very wide balcony, which opens out to the street completely at the first floor level.

T h e D e s i g n o f I n s i d e

The basic spatial configuration has been kept same but by adding more functions and by enhancing it with more elements like trees, multi lev-el ottlas and better visual connectivity, where it is necessary.

T h e D e s i g n o f C l o s e E n v e l o p

In most of the cases the sites are closed by 3 sides by their neighbors. So there is no option for providing ventilation from these sides. And also because of its cli-matic conditions (hot & dry) the inside spaces need to be shaded. So the closed enveloped design also allows to repeat the typology like row houses without bothering light and ventilation. All the light & ventilation has been managed by the courtyard and by the cut outs from front and from top.

F a m i l y r o o m

T h e s h o p o p e n f o r p u b l i c

F r o m i n s i d e o u tThe transition from inside to outside goes through dark & cool spaces, which also protects the privacy of internal courtyard.

This is a space where you want to be informed by having a peek on the street and the tea shop below, but also keeping your privacy.

HOUSING at rawet, Pune, India. (4th year B. Arch)

guided by Gauri desai

Effort is to create a group of housing where every unit is connected differently to each others spaces. Every open space is connected in a hierarchy followed by private to semiprivate and semipublic to public, which invites people to each other’s spaces to comunicate.

Section at AA’

A’

A

A Pedestrian friendly campus with peripheral vehicular movement.

The Street profile is inspired from village street profile, where it goes through different hierarchy; sometimes it becomes narrowly shaded to grand-ly open.

The streets are also designed to maintain a visual connectivity throughout the campus. The public grand open spaces are connected through very narrow and shaded streets.

The underground parking allows every unit to have ve-hicular accessibility, at the same time they are connect-ed to vehicle free open spaces.

There are more than 60 art and craft villages in Puri and Khurdha district of Odisha state, India. These villages are responsible for rich produc-tion of arts and crafts in the country.

In 2000, after a two-years research and docu-mentation project by INTACH, starting 1998, Raghurajpura and Pipili village were chosen to be developed as heritage villages. Soon the villages got proposal of amenities like schools, markets, museums, libraries, workshops and amphitheatres. There are many NGOs and or-ganizations like INTACH and OTDC which are

working and funding for the development of so-cial and economic status of these villages.

Odisha theme craft complex will be comprised of amenities like exhibition galleries, museums, shopping complexes, workshops etc. The aim of the centre will be to document and to preserve the traditional spiritual crafts of the state. Anoth-er main objective will be to promote it by market-ing and making it available to the visitors. Most importantly, it will serve as a major attraction point to 6 million tourists, who are coming to Puri for worship and recreation every year.

Odisha Theme Craft Complexat Jagrnath Dham,Puri, India

guided by Meenal Markad

1 - Ticketing Counters ( danda )2 - Toilet3 - Shinga Dwara ( lion gate )4 - Vender’s Court ( bhoga mandapa )5 - Boutiques Court6 - Showrooms7 - Multi level showroom8 - Repairing workshop9 - Food court10 - O. A. T ( natya mandir )11 - Mukha Dwara (mask gate)12 - Exhibition Galleries ( jagmohan )13 - Museum ( garvagriha )14 - Open air sculpture gallery15 - Administration16 - Library

The entire campus is built around an axis which is vi-sually connected and follows the concept of space dynamism through height, distance and movement. Sometimes the buildings are half underground because of site topography. It also helps in keeping the buildings cool, from the very hot & humid climate.

Exercise through models

The different combinations of height, plinth, and distance through our movement creates the dynamism in form and spaces. And the objects which are placed in between changes their scale of perception.

H

MM D

H (hight ) Vs D (distance) Vs P (plinth) Vs M (movement)

In situ Slum Rehabilitation Scheme for Urban Poor Under BSUP, JNNURM. Yerwada, Pune, India

Under Prof. Prasnna Desai

Professional Work

The Government of India, has initiated a housing scheme, BSUP (Basic Services for the Urban Poor) under JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission), to find housing and slum development strate-gies for over 1,200 households. A housing subsidy of 3,00,000 Rupees (90% funding is from the Government and 10% comes from the benefi-ciary as a contribution) has been granted PER HOUSE that will help up-grade 7 high density slum areas in Yerawada, Pune. Through the efforts and vision, the long term goal of the Pune Municipal Corporation is to achieve a “sustainable slum less city”.

Pune Municipal Corporation has received JNNURM funds for undertak-ing in-situ slum up gradation for 4000 units in Pune. These slum rehabil-itation works will be implemented in separate packages of slum clusters with temporary hutment structures of about 250 to 500 numbers each. This is a unique opportunity evolved through the efforts of the PMC and interest of the Central and State governments to identify appropriate housing alternatives for the urban poor. With this perspective, it is pro-posed that this unique opportunity in slums on the local government lands in residential zones is implemented with due thought to the community aspects and not in the manner of a contract for infrastructure construction projects.

SITE A : 330 unitsMother Teresa Nagar

SITE C : 134unitsWadarwasti

SITE E : 94 unitsNetaji Nagar

SITE B : 87 unitsSheela Salve Nagar

SITE D : 142 unitsBhatt Nagar

SITE 7 : 138 unitsYashwant Nagar

Patterns that have evolved during time are preserved and existing social networks are respected. Neighbors remain neigh-bors, local remains local. The housing designs being presented give a variety of options that are chosen and arranged by the beneficiary themselves. The design is to construct the rehabilitation unit/s as individual or multiple house/s, single or multiple storied in-situ on the same footprint coverage or rearranging the hutment structures in the same cluster (with slum families consent). The design of a 270 sq ft carpet area is with two different housing topologies, having the possibil-ities of grouping to share walls, having individual homes or mixing options to fit the individual demands or situations and are flexible enough to adapt to most cluster arrangements.

INVOLVED PARTIES

1. BENEFICIARY

2. LOCAL REPRESENTATIVEIntroducing the scheme to peopleFacilitator between people, NGO, Govt.Transit conflict resolution

3. NGOsAPPOINTED BY MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

SPARC + CHF + MAHILA MILAN

Survey : Plain table survey, biometricsurvey, socio economic survey.Identification of temporary and permanent structures.Preparing list of beneficiaries. Appointing architect and consultants. Approval of design - from beneficiary and Municipal Corporation.Financial strategy, estimation and people contribution.Transit, conflict resolution. Managing demand and supply. Construction supervision. Negotiation.Documentation.

CENTRAL GOVERNMENTGovernment of India, New Delhi

30% funding

STATE GOVERNMENTGovernment of Maharastra, Mumbai

20% funding

LOCAL GOVERNMENTPune Municipal Corporation

20% funding

4. ARCHITECTS (PRASANNA DESAI)APPOINTED BY SPARC

STAGE I:Verifying surveys.

STAGE II:Designing feasible building typology for thescheme.Explaining the design typology to the whole community.

STAGE III:Discussing specific designs with individual beneficiaries.Icorporating suggestions and requirements in final design.

STAGE IV:Preparing required sets of drawings.- Design Drawings- Revised Drawings- Municipal Drawings- Working Drawings.

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT BODIES AND FUNDING MODELIn situ Rehabilitation scheme for Urban Poor under BSUP - JNNURM

Initi

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t Initiating the project. Identifying slum areas.Identifying NGOs to carry out the work. Issuing work orders.Agreement with releasing funds as per stage wise development. Sanctioning the project at individual and slum level.Supervision of work during construction. Infrastructure development.De-notification : a major step towards a slum free city.

SITE B : 87 unitsSheela Salve Nagar

SITE D : 142 unitsBhatt Nagar

SITE 7 : 138 unitsYashwant Nagar

01. Plain table, Socio - economic and biomet-ric surveys of the slum.

02. Classification of houses into temporary and permanent structures.

03. Identifying the beneficiaries for the scheme.

04. Introducing the scheme to the beneficia-ries in community mass meetings held in the slums.

05. Approval of beneficiaries for the scheme.

06. Resolving the design for each cluster of houses in the slum, as per the initial consent from the beneficiary.

07. Opening a joint bank account by the ben-eficiary and Municipal Corporation.

08. On site discussion about individual design with each individual beneficiary.

09. Revision in design as per the discussions and suggestions by the beneficiary.

1 0. Cost estimation with various permuta-tions of specifications.

11. Final approval by beneficiary for individu-al tenement design.

12. Legal Agreement between NGO and ben-eficiary.

13. Compilation of final design drawings, agreement and consent form to submit to the authorities (Pune Municipal corporation) for approval.

14. Commencement certificate from Munici-pal corporation to start off work on site.

15. Transit arrangements for the period of construction.

1 6 . Demolition of house construction of ap-proved house design.

1 7 . Release of founds by municipal Corpo-ration and beneficiary as per the stage wise completion of works.

18. Possession of the house by the ben-eficiary upon the completion of the works.

19. Final payment by Beneficiary.

20. Completion certificate from Govt.

METHODOLOGY OF WORK

Existing survey plan:This survey maps all the structures- residential, commercial, insti-tutional and mixed use; in one slum. Above is the survey of Netaji Nagar slum.

Existing Hierarchy of temporary structures within one wasti.

Existing hierarchy of open spaces & streets:To understand the possibility of creation of open spaces and wid-ening existing narrow alleys.

Till now, for slum rehabilitation projects, the slum community and the people residing in the slum, were given new houses under various schemes by the government. They were fewer options regarding the designs and there was little or no im-plementation of their suggestions.

However, under this scheme, the Community and people are the clients and the deciding factor in the entire process. The design for each and every house is discussed with the beneficiaries themselves and thus is a TAILOR MADE DESIGN. The challenge of the project lies in this reversal of roles of the beneficiaries and government bodies.

The footprint of each individual house is retained and a new, G+1 house is designed on the existing

Design Devlopment of Typologies

footprint. Each level has a carpet area of 135sq ft.

The effort has been to retain the overall fabric of the slum in terms of existing street patterns and ex-isting footprints. Thus, an attempt has been made, as far as possible, to contain the design within the existing footprint of the temporary houses.

After detail discussions with the people by the architectural team and Mahila Milan, it was realized that the people felt the need for balconies and underground water storage tanks. The inclusion of the underground water tank led to the

creation of the ‘Verandah’ : a semi-private interactive space in front of each house, which forms the entrance porch of the house. Housewives could use the space for chatting with neighbors as the kids play in front of the house.

Wherever the existing footprint is far less or the hous-es in a cluster are in randomly placed where individual houses would not be possible to accommodate.

Entire area of 270 sq ft per house is provided on a sin-gle level and many such tenements together form the building type design. The number of temporary houses per building will vary as per the number of existing houses in that particular cluster. There is no need for vertical circulation and hence its comparatively more user friendly.

Plot size

Ground Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Third Floor Plan

Before

After

+91 9726416252 I bkswast ik@gmai l .com