CHAWLS IN MUMBAI Chawls in Mumbai is a unique housing typology evolved during end-19th century / early 20th century similar

to the industrial townships in the UK mushroomed in mid-19th century. These were primarily developed to accommodate migrant labours employed in textile and logistics industries in Mumbai. These are high-density tenements stack-piled horizontally as well as vertically with shared utilities passage, bathrooms and toilets. Chawls are typically ground plus three / four floor structures. Typically, a building has 10-15 rooms each on both side of the corridor on all floors. Each room has a nahani and a kitchen area with storage loft above. The room size is 120-150 sqft. Toilet blocks, separate or combined for women and men, occur at one end of the corridor or in the centre, many-a-times besides or within the staircase block. The main staircase is located in the middle of the length of the building, with a direct access from outside. On each floor, the passage is either central or peripheral on the exterior periphery or on the internal periphery of a central courtyard. The passage is a community as well as utility space and acts as a lobby for each tenement. Folding cots are laid in the passage for sleeping and clothing lines are stretched in the passage for drying clothes. The passage also provides space for shoe racks, extra furniture, play space for children and gathering space for women. SITE Chawls are a phenomenon in multiple areas in Mumbai. Despite minor differences in their layout and sizes, major principles in terms of access, height, tenement sizes, internal passages, utility services, etc. remain generally the same. Their structural and physical conditions have seriously deteriorated. Lack of adequate infrastructure has resulted in unhygienic conditions. Besides, there is a serious lack of community facilities for social and cultural interaction. A typical location / layout is considered for the current design intent. While a representative location has been identified as shown in the adjacent Google Image, the design intent can be replicated in numerous locations as can be seen in the image itself and in many such locations in Mumbai. REDEVELOPMENT OF CHAWLS END OF A SOCIAL PHENOMENON? Due to the size / spread of Mumbai in the end-19th / early-20th century, the mills and the chawls are located in the central part of Mumbai today. With increasing land values and development pressure, there are proposals for redevelopment of these chawls so as to provide existing occupants better housing and also to optimize the development potential of the land. However, the social fabric of the chawl residents is a closely-knit phenomenon. The physical closeness and sharing of utility services among the chawl residents have eventually led to a social cohesion and mutually caring behavior among them. Due to these, any redevelopment proposal may cause a breakdown of this system. Further, there would also be multitude of legal, structural and infrastructural problems that would need to be resolved at local as well as area level before successful implementation

of such proposals. Hence, it is of utmost priority to solve the more important problems immediately before any long term solution which may evolve through social as well as physical upliftment. NEED The important problems which need to be solved for the chawl residents are about the social and physical infrastructure. For the current design intent, social infrastructure is emphasized. Typically, the men in the chawls work in industries or at the ports sea or land, that too in shifts. Women are generally employed as domestic helpers in the affluent areas in its surroundings. Children and elderly are generally left to themselves. While many informal spaces and opportunities are available for their interaction, there is a serious lack of physical space to organize and facilitate this. Thus, there is an emergent need for the recreational activities and educational activities for the children and elderly. Similar activities are also essential for women for their upliftment. CONCEPT The design intent presented here serves the emergent needs as stated above. The usually narrow space between the chawl buildings are usually poorly lit and are dump-yards for solid as liquid wastes of all nature, full of filthy smell. However, this is also the only space available for any activities which has not been encroached upon as yet. The poor and unhygienic condition of this space would only be corrected by using this space for common purposes. There may be a perceived loss of light and ventilation for the tenements, but these were any way non-existent due to the filthy smell and narrow space. Describe design concept access, circulation, functions, consideration of existing passages central / peripheral, levels / protection of windows / openings, structural solution steel for foundation convenience and construction.