COMMUNITY CENTRE

LIBRARY STUDY
SUBMITTED BY:-
● ABHISHEK(44)
● HARMANJIT SINGH(48)
● AAYUSH BAWA(60)
● AVREEN KAUR RANDHAWA(65)
● BIKRAMJIT SINGH(78)
What is a community centre? COMMUNITY CENTER

Community centres range from small

community halls and meeting rooms
available for use by the community to
large multipurpose centres that
incorporate a wide range of services
and facilities.
Address community needs and
promote social outcomes

• A community centre should address the social needs of the

particular community in which it is located in order to contribute
to residents’ and workers’ health, wellbeing and quality of life.
• Programs, activities and services offered should respond to the
needs and interests of the people that live and work around it.
• Programs, services and activities should foster long term social
benefits for the community.
• The planning and design of a community centre should reflect
the potential programs, activities and services envisaged.
IDENTIFY LOCATION:

COMMUNITY CENTRE SHOULD BE LOCATED AT:

• Are central to their catchment area and provide equitable access to all potential users. It
is important to remember that the catchment area does not necessarily correspond with
development area/local government boundaries.
• Are accessible by public transport (i.e. public transport stops within 400 metres walking
distance).
• Have good pedestrian and cycling connections.
• Are on a main street with ground floor street frontage for optimum visibility and
accessibility.
• Are clustered with other facilities, such as shops, schools and public libraries to promote
convenient access and help create a focal point for community activity.
• Are not sited to conflict with neighbouring uses.
• Have room to expand and adapt as needs change.
• Are near open space, to allow for related outdoor activities and community events, such
as festivals and markets, where possible and appropriate.
• Are near sporting, recreation and leisure facilities, to create a health and activity focus,
where possible and appropriate.
 Consider the functional and design features
● Consider symbolism that
communicates history, community
values and future aspirations,
expressed through public art and
architectural elements.
● Provide a range of spaces suitable for
a variety of activities and user groups.
● Be designed so that different
functional areas can enhance social
interaction, but also minimise
potential conflict associated with
privacy and noise impacts.
● Provide a safe and secure
environment
● Have the ability to lock down different
components to provide managed
access at nights or on weekends.
● Have the potential for separate
entry/exit points for particular facilities,
such as youth activities room.
● Have adequate parking, including
parking for a community bus and
bicycles, within safe walking distance
and which is well lit at night.
● Provide safe drop off/pick up areas and
pedestrian access for centre users.
● Provide a safe and secure environment
1M wide clearance on outside of turning
area provided for rear overhang of
vehicles

TURNING RADIUS OF A CAR

Parking spaces for disabled should be 3.5M wide
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 PARKING
45°oblique parking |
90°oblique parking
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● For one way traffic only | ● For two way traffic.
● Angle to access road |
| ● Right angle to road
● Good entry to parking bay and |
● Small area needed
exit |
| ● Ideal for compact parking
● Relatively small area parking |
|
layouts
a space
| ● Area 19.2
● Area 20.3 |
| ● Possible no. of spaces /100m
● Possible no of spaces /100m | sq=5.2
sq=4.9 |
| ● Possible no. of spaces /100m
● Possible no of spaces /100m | road=31
road =37 |
Basic Accommodation unit
UNITS SIZE AREA

Stage/Multipur 10’*18’ 180 sq ft

pose Room 12’*24’ 288 sq ft

Office 8’*8’ 64 sq ft
Rooms/Stores 10’*12’ 120 sq ft

Meeting Place 30’*30’ 900 sq ft

50’*50’ 2500 sq ft
 Kitchen 8’*12’ 96 sq ft
10’*18’ 180 sq ft

Enclosed 12’*15’ 180 sq ft

courtyard 12’*20’ 240 sq ft

Village level 9’*12’(LIving) 108 sq ft

worker 9’*9’(Multipurp 81sqft
Residence ose) 32 sq ft
4’*4”(washroo
m)
 POST OFFICE
Minimum land area required

Post office counter without delivery 85 sq.m

(1 for every 15000 population)

Head post office with delivery office 750 sq.m

area (1 for 250000 population)

Head post office and administrative 2500 sq.m

office area (1 for 500000 population)
 BANK
There are 2 basic types of banking buildings

● High street clearing bank - mixture of administration offices and

customer services.

● Special or central bank - without public access

ATM DISPENSER

height 1.3 - 1.6 m

width 0.4 - 0.6 m

depth 0.8 - 1.0 m

weight 800 - 1000 kg

CLIMATIC CONSIDERATIONS
Hot,Humid And Rainy

Ensure Good Cross Ventilation

Check Prevailing wind direction

and position window openings
accordingly

Plan for adequate large cover from

rain and sun
Such cover should be
semi-Permanent
Roof should be sloped on all four
sides.

Roofs to have deep overhanging

eaves.

Buildings should sit on high ,

stable and permanent plinth
 Hot,Cold and Dry
Orient the buildings to minimise
solar heat gain in summer and
maximise solar heat gain in
winters.Window openings on north
and south faces are preferable.

Summer sun is high is high in the

sky and will not penetrate north
and south facing openings. Winter
sun is low in the sky and will
adequately penetrate south facing
openings
Provide good thermal on roof.
Ensure good Cross Ventilation for
quick cooling during summer
evenings.

Roofs can be designed to collect

rainwater and store it for use in
the dry season.
 CONSTRUCTION OPTION
PLINTH ON FOUNDATION 1.1Bamboo or timber
post with cross species
1.Floor finishes : at bottom and Anti
Timber planking termite treated.
(Tongued and
grooved) with grass
mating on top.
1.2Timber post on
concrete shoes.
2.Floor finishes : Mud
plaster or flat clay tiles or 2.1 Stone Masonry
local stone slabs or in mud or lime
cement plaster finished mortar.
neat (with colour).

· 2.2 Brick masonry

in lime or cement
mortar on lean
concrete bedding.
ROOMS
Walls of bamboo or · Light roofing on
timber frame, mud light structure.
or matting infill roof
of bamboo or
timber frame with
covering of Thach
or Palmyra leaves.

Walls of packed · Light roofing on

Earth or sun dried heavy structure.
bricks plaster of
mud or lime roof of
timber framing
covering of clay
tiles or AC sheets
or GI sheets.
Walls of kiln
bricks or stone
masonry with
plaster of lime
surkhi or cement Heavy roofing on
roof of stone heavy structure.
patties with lime
concrete finish or
brick tile or stone
slab on Timber
rafters and lime
concrete finish or
RCC slab + brick
tiles.
VERANDAHS
Roof to be sloping Sloping roof
and supported on
attached to one
wall of room and
columns, columns
side of room.
of timber or
masonry roof Of
thatch or Palmyra or
AC sheet or GI
sheet or clay tiles.

Roof to be flat or Continuation of

sloping. As for roof form of
adjoining rooms. rooms adjoining
Roof supported on 2 sides.
on wall of rooms.
Roof material to
be same as for
rooms.
 MEETING PLACE
Walls of enclosing · . Peaked roof on Polygon
rooms or verandas to plan form of enclosing
walls.
support roof
framework of bamboo
or timber , roof
covering of thatch or
AC sheets or clay
tiles flooring on
proper plinth.

Walls of enclosing Temporary fabric roof

rooms or verandas to suspended between
support suspended walls of enclosing
roof of fabric or rooms.
canvas or shamiana.
This roof can be
removed during good
weather. Flooring on
proper plinth.
 PLANNING GUIDELINES

● Place small rooms to enclose

meeting space.
● The meeting space should be
capable of extension for very large
gathering, exhibition films,
demonstration programs, etc.

● Rooms to be connected through

verandas which can also serve as
entrance lobbies to meeting space.
● Consider future addition of extra
rooms as need arises.
● Roof over meeting space
according to need.
● Living quarters to have privacy
plus the possibility to monitor
public areas.
● Latrines should be separated
from habitable spaces.
● Level differences on a site can
be resolved not by levelling the
whole site, but by varying the
floor levels of different rooms.
CASE STUDY
VIKAS COMMUNITY
CENTRE
About Vikas community center
Architect -Satprem Maïni

The Vikas Community was built in

Auroville from 1991 to 1998. It
includes 23 apartments and communal
spaces like a community kitchen, sports
grounds, and landscaping
incorporating rainwater catchment
systems. The buildings were built
using Compressed Stabilized Earth
Blocks (CSEB), ferrocement elements
and other appropriate building
technologies
LOCATION
India / Auroville,
Tamil Nadu
Type of project New Building Project

Number of Floors 2 and 4

Year of completion 1998 for the last building

Year of occupancy 1993 for the first building

Number of units 23

Net floor area 1448 m²

CLIMATE ANALYSIS
Vikas Community is located in Auroville, an
international township in the southern
Indian state of Tamil Nadu, close to the city
of Pondicherry. The climate is hot and
humid, with the bulk of rain coming during
the North-East Monsoon
(October-December) and to a lesser degree
during the South-West Monsoon
(June-August). The town is located close to
the sea, on a plateau. Significant
reforestation efforts have created large
swaths of forest throughout Auroville,
which has significantly improved the
micro-climate of the area during hot
seasons. This allows passive ventilation
strategies to be a very effective mode of
cooling.
DESIGN APPROACH
Site integration
The natural layout of the Vikas site informed its design, maintaining
existing greenery and topography. Solar and wind energy were harnessed
through photovoltaics and a wind pump for water infrastructure

Building design
The buildings were designed to respond to environmental factors such as
wind direction and heavy rains, but also to reflect the spiritual aspirations
of the community through the communal features and the incorporation of
Sri Aurobindo's symbol in the dimensions of the buildings.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Natural Lighting
Large windows for light and ventilation
Water efficiency
Landscaping incorporates rainwater catchment systems and
decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) for reuse of
water for gardening purposes.
Passive heating/cooling
Windows with sunshades and pronounced overhangs; improved
ventilation with the increased velocity of wind through pier walls; a
solar chimney that creates a natural stack effect draft inside the
apartments through the temperature differential inside the chimney.
Cost effective features
Earth building technologies & ferrocement used extensively
throughout the buildings, soil from the site excavation used for CSEB
block production
BUILDING MATERIAL
Structural material
Load-bearing masonry with Stabilized Rammed Earth
Foundations and Compressed Stabilized Earth Block
Foundation
Stabilized Rammed Earth (5% stabilization)
Walls
Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB) (5% stabilization)
Flooring
CSEB, terracotta, or ceramic tiles
Finishing
Lime stabilized earth plasters (on selected walls)
Roofing
CSEB vaulting with waterproofing & ferrocement channels
Others
Composite CSEB ring-beams, lintels and columns
VIKAS SPIRIT
1. The community was built in several steps, from 1992 to 1998.
2. First the community kitchen was built, so as to emphasize the
communal aim.
3. Then a first block of 4 apartments was built and later on a second
block with 5 apartments. The third block with 13 apartments was
built on four floors: a basement floor with three floors above it.
4. The concept of this building was such that it should be
self-sufficient for its soil needs.
5. The soil was dug from the basement floor (1.20m below the
original ground level) to produce compressed stabilised earth
blocks for building the structure of 819m2, carpet area, on 4 floors
● The foundations were done with stabilised rammed earth and
the 13.40m high walls were done with CSEB of 24 cm thick.
● All floors and roofs were made of very flat vaults and domes
for the living rooms.
● These vaults and domes were built with CSEB, by using the
“Free-spanning” technique. All stabilisation used 5 % cement
by weight.
● The experiment of Vikas found its roots in Auroville’s ideals.
● Nonetheless, its material developments could be implemented
elsewhere in the world. Vikas community was a finalist for the
World Habitat Award 2000.
 FIRST BLOCK

COMMON KITCHEN

W
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P
U
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SITE PLAN
UNIQUE FEATURES OF THIRD BUILDING
● Earth was used, from the first developments of Vikas, in all parts of the
buildings, from foundations to roof.
● The proper management of earth resources was always the first
priority.
● The quarries where the soil was taken from were always planned first.
● This procedure allowed a perfect integration of the excavations with the
buildings and landscape.
● The first and second developments of the collective kitchen and 10
apartments on two floors could integrate the quarries as a garden
reservoir and for wastewater treatment.
● The soil needs for these developments were already exceeding the
outcome of excavations, and some soil had to be supplied from
elsewhere.
● The soil requirement for the third building, which had four floors, was
tremendous and the development of Vikas did not require any hole.
● Thus it was not possible to integrate any earth excavation in the project
and therefore this building was planned with a basement floor, which
was half underground (1.20m below the original ground level).
● The volume of this basement floor was equivalent to the volume of soil,
which was needed to produce the blocks and all the various works of
the third building.
● Thus, the amount of soil generated by the basement was enough to
build 819 m2, carpet area, on 4 floors.
● To protect the basement from the inflow of rainwater a particular
landscape was designed. The immediate surrounding has been shaped
like a shallow crater to drain rainwater into a percolation pit.
● This landscape design generated even more soil than needed for the
building sites at Vikas. It was given to other projects in Auroville, which
could not implement the concept of a basement floor.
MAIN SPECIFICATIONS OF THE THIRD BUILDING
WORK TECHNIQUE

FOUNDATIONS Stabilised rammed earth

BASEMENT AURAM plain blocks 240

PLINTH BEAM RCC plinth beam cast in a block shuttering

with AURAM blocks 240 – ½ size

BASEMENT Walls: with bitumen paint on a stabilised

WATERPROOFING earth plaster
Floor: with a layer of pebbles

BASEMENT DRAIN Underground drainage, (∅ 3” slotted PVC

pipe) sent to an underground percolation pit
Surface drainage with a percolation pit

GALERIES AURAM tiles 240

FLOORING
APARTMENTS The choice was left to people: CEB,
FLOORING terracotta or ceramic tiles

WALLS AURAM plain blocks 240

RING BEAMS Composite ring beam with AURAM U

blocks 240 and RCC

SPRINGER BEAMS RCC beams for resting vaults and domes

LINTELS Composite lintel, single height, with

AURAM U blocks 240 and RCC

COLUMNS Composite pillar with AURAM round hollow

blocks 240 and RCC

FLOORS AND Flat vaults and domes with AURAM blocks

ROOFS 240, laid without support
Precast ferrocement channels

PLASTERS Stabilised earth plasters for some walls

APPROPROPRIATE
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN
● Energy intelligent
building
● Natural ventilation and
sun protection
● Integration to the land,
according to the existing
nature, trees, etc.
● Adaptation to the
climate, according to main
winds directions, sun, etc.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND
MATERIALS
● Compressed stabilised
earth blocks of various
qualities
● Various stabilised earth
based materials
● Ferrocement pieces in
various parts of the
buildings
Appropriate building technologies
● Stabilised rammed earth foundations with 5 % cement
● Plinths and walls in compressed stabilised earth blocks
● Stabilised rammed earth walls with 5% cement
● Composite beams and lintels and composite columns
● Vaults and domes for floors and roof, made of CSEB
● Paints and plasters with stabilised earth
● Floorings with CSEB tiles, 2.5cm thick with 5 % cement
● Ferrocement channels of 25mm thickness
● Various ferrocement items for different uses
● Ferrocement doors, shelves, etc. of 12mm thickness
● Ferrocement plasters for water tanks and ponds
● Sparing use of concrete, glass, steel, etc.
 Water management
Renewable energy
● Rain water harvesting to aim
sources zero run off during the
monsoon
● Biological wastewater
● Solar water heaters treatments
● Photovoltaic panels for
Earth management
the electricity (12V DC)
● Surface solar pumps for ● Soil for building was
the gardens extracted from the site itself
● Percolation systems to
● Submersible solar pump harvest rainwater
and wind pump ● Wastewater treatment pond
● Reservoirs for garden water
● Basement floor
Protection against water erosion
This type of land conservation became
very effective, but it was adapted to
green works and not for developing a
city. Therefore, the development of
Vikas tried to integrate these principles
into town planning. The typical bunds
to retain rainwater were transformed
into smooth landscape. Gentles slopes
with shallow depressions collected
rainwater and top edges, where the
pedestrian paths were located,
retained water. The lowest part was
sometimes flooded and allowed the
percolation. The top part was always
accessible without paddling. They
were as effective as the original
developments but totally integrated in
the landscape.
Landscaped percolation pits
A percolation pit is just a hole or a depression
where rainwater can accumulate for sometimes and
allow percolation into the ground. The
effectiveness of such a system depends on two
parameters: the water catchment volume and the
percolation area, which should be covered with
grass and landscaped with bushes.
For example, a deep hole with vertical
walls will not be as effective as a shallow
depression of identical volume because the
vertical walls of the deep hole cannot be
covered with vegetation.
BIOLOGICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT BY
LAGOONING
● This system consists of two distinct phases: an anaerobic
decantation-digestion, followed by a macrophyte water treatment and the
progressive re-establishment of aerobic conditions.
● The anaerobic treatment takes place in a watertight pit called the
“decanter-digester”, which is open at the top, and which gets covered by
the accumulated floating matter
● The lagooning system was finally changed for another system which more
resistant and needs less maintenance: a baffle reactor system.
● Along with an ecological approach for this biological wastewater
treatment, the idea was to fulfil technical requirements with a sense of
integration, harmonization with the buildings & surrounding nature.
● Therefore, buildings nearby invited the lagooning system. It tried to
propose an agreeable place, where people can walk, sit and stay for a
while, so as to enjoy a pleasant pond, which is treated as a lake.
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
SYSTEM BY
LAGOONING
LEGAUM HOUSES
● The initial concept was to build moveable houses.
● The need arose due to the housing shortage in Auroville.
● The International city of Auroville is under construction and, at this time,
there was no master plan.
● Therefore, allowing building anything anywhere could have hinder major
developments, which should happen later on.
● The concept of a movable house was born, which can be built in a short time.
● It could stay in place until the time major development occurs.
● It could then be dismantled, without loss of materials, and rebuilt elsewhere.
● A first prototype was built in 1996 and it presented totally new technical
features. Its main disadvantage was an outrageous cost.
● A second prototype evolved into a lighter version and was built in 1997.
● Its cost came down to one third the price of the first prototype and thus was
cost effective.
● Therefore the aims of the concept were fulfilled. But social acceptability
remained one main problem.
● More “rooted” houses were built by
self-builders, who were really happy to build
them and who are feeling at ease inside.
● These people got a three-week training
course and we gave them the basic plans of
the houses.
● They were left alone to manage everything
and they finally developed the original
concept, with additional alcoves, and six
houses were built in a year time.
● For most people a house is a life’s
investment and a dream, even in
Auroville.
● It must fulfil the need of being
rooted to a place and the sense of
property, which is given by a house
rooted in the ground.
● Therefore these moveable houses, as
they had no foundation, were
“un-rooted” and did not fulfil this
psychological need.
REFERENCE
http://www.earth-auroville.com/vikas_community_en.php

http://www.earth-auroville.com/maintenance/uploaded_pics/02-Vikas-comm
unity.pdf

https://www.tropicalbuildings.org/case_studies/65

https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-166076