top architecture design thesis 2021
MNIT ARCHITECTURE
JAIPUR, INDIA
Design thesis authored by
Satyam Kumawat
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THESIS SPECIFICATIONS
Thesis Title: School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi
Project type: Institute
Year of completion: 2021
One of the essential characteristics of architecture is its intimacy with the outdoors. The building which outs its hands to the exteriors may expect the outside to recognize its presence as well. Without these corresponding voids, a solid has no meaning. In the case of college campuses, this becomes one of the primary routes to arrive at a design that is fundamentally functional and recreational. An open-to-sky area always conditions a mind to relax and breathe in. Moreover, the layout of building enclosures and planned open spaces cast an exciting harmony between the built and the unbuilt. They help set visual balance and therefore define the area as per circulation. Hence, a place to feel comfortable or sometimes monumental, even in an institutional campus, the psyche behind the contextual connectivity of indicative open space planning shall be studied. Often in the case of Institutional Buildings, students’ movement takes place almost throughout the day.
The space enclosed by the built mass generally defines its respective function and form for any building. However, an antithesis of these occupied spaces is unbuilt spaces or voids in a given made fabric. Differently, unbuilt areas remain when built spaces are discounted from a given built form. While the unbuilt spaces refer to the area remaining in construction, an opening is formed by arranging both built and unbuilt and adding more. The conceptual merger of intelligent hardscaping and sensitive softscaping enhances the experience to a whole new level.
Especially in the context of institutional buildings, the built form signifies rigidity of function and formality of organization, hence indicating the requirement of the unbuilt spaces to provide respite through the development of areas of recourse and social interaction. These open spaces are areas of optional usage, and hence their design, location, and organization are of utmost importance and enhance the overall quality of a built environment. Therefore, the built spaces signify the purpose of the built form, whereas the unbuilt spaces signify the spirit of the place.
More importantly, for a sensible design, one needs to be site-responsive. Having a Vasant Kunj site for the SPA college, which is undulating. Use of contours was incorporated. The aim was to design a campus that nurtures and invites all. The best use of the land parcel, conveniently situated in the heart of Delhi, was done by segregating the master plan into four major zones: The Academic Zone, the Faculty residences, the student housing, and the Recreational zone.
These four crucial zones are being built in close proximity to encourage an integrated environment. The correlation between the activities is understood so that the design promotes inter-relatedness among places of social and cultural milieu with those of academic importance yet offers absolute privacy to the residential quarters.
The bio-diversity feature presented in the form of a canyon is embraced and complemented by each zone. The zones guarantee an incubative experience for their spectrum of stakeholders and make the journey an all-inclusive effort. The entry points of each zone are located such that the contemporary lifestyle of a hectic student is accounted for and ease of transitioning from one zone to another is guaranteed. The campus is not supposed to be a maze but a home away from home.
The faculty Residence and Auditorium building is in the starting so that circulation can be minimized on the campus. Centrally placed on the site and oriented along this axis to get maximum north diffused light. Maximum view of front landscaped garden and Bio-diversity Park of the surrounding. The facade makes an attractive grand look as we move forward from the main entry. Hostel block is placed by using canyon as a buffer space from the academic block and connected with a separate entrance near the commercial market of the area. The canyon is developed as a recreational space and connects the hostel and academic zone. Courts/Open spaces of academic block open towards the canyon, making an interesting interactive space and always welcoming for students from the hostel. Zones are placed along the main vehicular spine.
Architecture schools and the students they house have a particularly unique and interesting building-user relationship. Architecture schools are not typical academic buildings, though—the demand for open studio space, critique spaces that accommodate large gatherings, and space for resources like a workshop or digital workrooms make flexibility an essential factor for a successful architecture school. The concept revolves around the ideology that inside-out spaces blend seamlessly and merge into the surroundings to improve learning spaces. Open terraces and double-height spaces eradicate the loss of connectivity. Hence design tends to justify open spaces and their relativity with adjoining activities.
The design justifies the concept of built and unbuilt spaces. The space extrovert ample connectivity between vertical and horizontal spaces Studio units have been arranged to make spaces more efficient and add meaning to the designed layout. The building mass is lightened by adding required punctures between spaces to create an interactive environment. The design focuses on increasing the accessibility of spaces. Spatial segregation among various departments, namely, Architecture, Planning, and Masters, has been achieved. Studios and faculty offices have been arranged to be stacked one over the other for easier vertical circulation amongst each department. Common Library has been stationed on the third floor to receive maximum Northlight.
A centric development model has been followed while designing, with unbuilt spaces acting as social interaction places, transitional buffers in close vicinity, and peripheral open slots to accommodate services. The academic block’s configuration and degree of enclosure affect the scale and proportion. The primary circulation is guided by these unbuilt spaces that influence permeability and accessibility. By arranging built forms around open spaces, maximum functions are kept openly connected without affecting the spatial organization. Pockets of unbuilt space have been configured to be adopted and adapted by the user at their discretion, hence perpetuating the spirit of the place.
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