Case Study
Sr no. Description
1 Location and context
2 Design concept
3 Site Planning
Sitting of the building
4
with reference to site
Allocation of the site
5
for various functions
Zoning pattern of
the
6
building/cluster/cam
pus
7 Service Planning
8 Spatial Planning
9 Access
10 Circulation
1(Living and Learning Center)
705, Bhuj -r is a
The context of the site comprises of a village Ajrakhpur, indigenous ecosystem restored, and is proving a popular place for
Farmlands, Industries. A secondary road runs outside the visitors to appreciate and learn about their natural environment.
site that connects the Bhuj- Bhachau highway.
Design strategy was to create a thermally stable
structure.
2 ( Wasit Wetland Center)
Sarjah, United Arab Emirates.waste dumping ground has had its
Concept was to take advantage of the site’s natural topography layer of that structure.
to minimize its visual impact by making it appear submerged into 2. Response to user requirements
the ground.
the structure divides the programme up into three areas, and
creates long slender volumes for each. Each volume overlaps its The formal aspects constitute an important feature of the project. the site.
neighbor, creating a huge H-shaped plan that frames
different zones.
Interference
3( Mapungubwe Interpretation center)
The Limpopo Valley may be one of the most remote and
isolatedplaces in South Africa.The huge Mapungubwe NationalPark
is located at the onfluenceof the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers.
Thispark is a property of the South African National Parks authority
(SANParks) . The Interpretation Centre is located past a pond, on
the side of a mesa that sisters the main mesa of the Heritage Site,
the ceremonial centre of the Mapungubwe civilisation, one
kilometre away, close to the entrance to the park.
Waste land/ Barren land converted to
useable land by restoration of native flora
and fauna.And making people aware
about the site by interpretation of the site
and ecology present in and around the
site.The site basically present near the
protected area.
1.Response to physical constraints
The design started with an equilateral triangle that defines a route
climbing through the buildings to the top of the hill.
The vault system was made of several layers of thin earth tiles
assembled with mortar gypsum. Stones were used as a covering
Spatial organization is very simple. Design concept is derived from context,
3. Purely formal aspects climate, topography, physical features of
At no point does the Interpretation Centre look like a “building” in
this context. It is basically designed like “another stone hill” within
a context of stone hills.
4. Landscaping
The natural environment is the landscape. Therefore, the
architect decided to respect it and to integrate the building into the
dramatic existing landscape of stones and hills.
Site planning done considering
the site constraints and climate.
The integration of the masses to the site environment, the
structural response to the construction constraints, the articulation
of inner and outer spaces are all of very high quality.
Zoning done according to site constraints,
sun-path, wind direction, context, user
psycology analysis, user needs.
Sercvice planning on the site is
done according to site constraints.
The Interpretation Centre is composed of a museum, including an
introduction hall where the general history of Mapungubwe is told
with information on the context,
different rooms hosting exhibits of the artefacts found in
Mapungubwe, the history and social organisation of the kingdom
and a sacred place dedicated to remains found in the area.Facilities
were developed for the visitor (coffee bar, restaurant, shop, etc.).
Offices for SANParks are included within the complex. The building,
of course, had to take into account the climate of the region and
the arid conditions. An outdoor amphitheatre and facilities for
researchers are included in the programme. Spatial planning done according to user
needs, user physcology.
Circulation done according to
different user psycology
 Volumatric arrangement done
Volumetric
11 according to site constraints, climate,
arrangement public-semipublic-private zones.

Natural lighting is ensured through windows and oculi that give to

each space a particular type of lighting in relation to its function.
Heat control is essential in this area and it is performed here with
great efficiency.
Use of natural light and ventilation for all
12 Light &ventilation the spaces to reduce the carbon footprint
of the structure.

Stored rainwater cools the structure: Rainwater All provisions for lighting, climatic performance, heat control,
harvesting tanks were integrated in the design of the acoustics and other systems are achieved through natural
foundations to collect about 7 lac liters of rain annually. control.Primary building components come from local quarries that
The building plan attempts to reduce thermal gain and will be reclaimed. Transport is minimized. Construction is planned
creates shaded zones that are inherently cool and can without fuel-powered machinery, relying entirely on labor-intensive
depend on passive cooling to reduce operating costs. Use methods. Materials used in construction are integrated in the final
of cooling pipes (radiant cooling) on terraces is planned building. Embodied energy is low and high thermal mass, natural
as a way of using insulating the roof from the heat, to light and natural ventilation ensure that operating energy will be
attain stable temperatures through out the minimal.
Climate year.Decentralized wastewater treatment system Climatic stratergies used according to the
(DEWATS) is designed to handle all the wastewater from
13 compatibility/ the site
particular climatic zone where the
sustainability structure is located

A cantilevered steel truss roof over the viewing gallery avoids the These vaults are footed on thick sandstone walls stressed in
need for peripheral columns, allowing seamless glazed façades. compression. Barrel vaults are used as formwork for the horizontal
slabs. The stress in compression is very low. The parabolic forms
allow this stress to be transferred vertically to the walls. Horizontal
thrust is, of course, much higher and is resolved on the largest
vaults with steel tension ties embedded into buttresses.

Structural system used is

according to traditional architecture used
14 Structural system in the surrounging as well as considering
the constraints of the area.

Electricity is provided on site as well as water. The sewerage system

is an individual one, specifically designed for the project. It is
notable that, in addition to the thermal characteristic of the
building developed through the architecture and the nature of
materials (thermal slowness), the architect designed a specific
evaporative cooling system for the project. This system uses a
specific feature of thermal exchanges in construction that is called
Building services maximal evaporative capacity of the air.
15
layouts

Specific
16 functional/equipmen
t details/requirement

Skylights provided to let in diffused light and cut out dust.
Shaded passage ways to keep out summer sun and create
warmth using winter sun.
Material used for construction is fly ash bricks as it is a bi-
product produced by the nearby industries.
For plaster lime plaster is used which is manufactured on
site using waste carbide lime slurry.
The façade glazing is slightly tilted, to enhance reflections of the
landscape for the birds while minimizing reflections for people
looking out. To counter the very hot desert climate, the roof is
well insulated and the glass is shaded by its overhang. Some
fabric shading is also provided over the aviaries. Rainwater
harvested from the roof is discreetly directed to specific areas of
the landscape via carefully placed spouts that are camouflaged
by landscape elements.
The tile vaults at Mapungubwe are doubly-curved structural
masonry shells that were built with minimal formwork. The
museum complex includes ten free-form vaults, the largest of which
spans 14.5 meters, and a number of regular barrel vaults and
domes used as permanent formwork for floor slabs.

Architectural Use of sklights, shaded passages,

17
detailing well ventilated spaces.

Meticulously details windows and cutouts on the west

and south allow the winter sun to warm the interiors
while keeping out the summer sun.
A simple strategy to ensure ventilation without effecting
thermal gain.Duct provided at the entrance for any
services to run up to the terrace and also acts as a façade
treatment.

Façade treatment is done considering the

context, climatic response of the
18 Façade Treatment structure, and converting non-usable
spaces into usable.