CASE STUDIES

ZONE 3
TEAM INFRASTRUCTURE
WEST BERKELEY PUBLIC
LIBRARY
( A C A S E S T U D Y O N Z E R O - N E T E N E R G Y D E S I G N)
OVERVIEW
o Project Owner: City of Berkeley
o Location: 1125 University Ave.
Berkeley California 94702United States
o Submitting Architect: Harley Ellis Devereaux
o Project Completion Date: December, 2013
o Project Category: New Construction
o Project Site Context/Setting: Urban Previously
Developed Land
o Project Type: Public Assembly Library
o Building or Project Gross Floor Area: 9,400 sq. ft.
o Total project cost at time of completion, land
excluded: $7,900,000.00
o Occupancy: 252 occupants
INTRODUCTION
■ The West Berkeley Public Library is the first verified
zero net energy (ZNE) public library in California.
■ Completed in late 2013, the 9,400-square-foot
library produces as much or more energy than it
consumes on an annual basis.
■ To reach its zero net energy goals, designers used a
variety of innovative technologies and passive
strategies. To ensure the proper integration of all the
systems, the design team partnered with Pacific Gas
& Electric (PG&E) to access resources from the
statewide Savings by Design program that provided
funding for simulations which were key to the designs
success.
■ The library is also one of the first projects to take
part in the PG&E ZNE Pilot Program
ABOUT THE PROJECT
■ As part of a bond program to renew its four public branch libraries, the City of
Berkeley sought to update its undersized West Branch Library and to enhance its
role as a community hub for its culturally diverse neighborhood.
■ The first design challenge was to build consensus on whether to expand and
upgrade or replace the existing library building. After extensive assessments and
a series of architect-led community workshops, the city embraced the creation of
a new library, with a strong civic presence to draw in the neighborhoods diverse
populations.
■ Library amenities including book drop-off, bike parking, and places to meet or
relax are composed within a large frame that reinforces the street front and
creates a sheltering alcove leading to the front entrance. The faades large
expanse of glass attracts passers-by to visit the reading room and the resources
beyond.
■ Inside, the main space includes stacks, computer stations, seating areas, a
children's area and circulation desk. A multipurpose room, teen room, meeting
areas, and staff and service areas round out the program.
■ An integrated and collaborative design process resulted in a building rigorously
tuned to the geography and climate as well as to its public mission.
SITE PLAN
FLOOR PLAN
DESIGN AND INNOVATION
■ In 2009, the City of Berkeley published its
Climate Action Plan, seeking to reduce its
Greenhouse Gas emissions. During the
interview process, the architect demonstrated
that a Zero Net Energy (ZNE) approach to
the new West Branch library would establish a
prototype for compliance with the Climate
Action Plan.
■ PG&E, the local utility, became a partner
supporting the analytical work. The ZNE vision
was instrumental in gaining broad public
support for the proposed building early in
design.
■ To achieve ZNE status, the design team
minimized the buildings energy footprint
through integrated passive and active
strategies for a high performance building
envelope, daylighting and natural ventilation.
DESIGN AND INNOVATION
■ Carefully coordinated strategies for
natural ventilation, daylighting, and
photovoltaics led to an innovative
wind chimney that provides cross
ventilation while protecting the
library interior from street noise. At
the same time, the wind chimney
increases the faade height,
reinforcing the civic presence of the
library along University Avenue.
■ Despite the limited budget of the
public bid project, the design team
achieved zero net energy
performance, with spacious, daylit
interiors, building the first certified
Living Building Challenge ZNE public
library in California. The Library
was LEED Platinum certified in
2016.
REGIONAL/COMMUNITY DESIGN
■ The West Branch Library serves as a
critical safety net and social network
for new arrivals to the community,
providing crucial services such as ESL
classes and the Berkeley READS
Adult Literacy Program. The design
solution advertises the library
presence on the street, drawing in the
neighborhoods diverse populations to
its reading rooms and array of
programs and resources.
■ The library layout offers flexible
spaces to accommodate programs for
all ages and incorporates large
collections of Latino, East Indian,
African American, and Asian material.
Improved program space for Berkeley
READS has allowed the program to
more than double in size.
REGIONAL/COMMUNITY DESIGN
■ A flexible community meeting room is
available for use by local organizations, while
doubling as additional reading space at
other times. A dedicated teen room allows
teens to feel at ease.
■ Its glass doors minimize any acoustic
disruption while allowing sightlines in for
supervision. Children have a protected zone
with views to the back garden.
■ Located in close proximity to public
transportation, with adequate space for
bike parking, no auto parking was provided
on site. Rather the building encourages
patrons to bike or walk, while it enhances
the streetscape and the pedestrian
experience.
■ Estimated percent of occupants using public
transit, cycling or walking: 50%
LAND-USE AND SITE ECOLOGY
■ Two landscaped oases are tucked into the tight urban site.
■ In space carved out of the building, the trellised entry court overlooking the sidewalk is set back sufficiently to
accommodate an accessible path, climbing vines, flow-through planters, benches, and bicycle parking.
LAND-USE AND SITE ECOLOGY

■ At the rear of the site, a garden court under a specimen Cork Oak tree is seen throughout the building inviting the
native plant greenery to be part of the experience within the library. The landscape improvements make an overt
connection with the underlying natural ecological system of the site.
■ An oak landscape with native understory plantings, typical of natural uplands near stream courses, is re-established
consistent with the pre-disturbance character of this site.
■ Gardens strategically located for visual impact and stormwater management feature a colorful mix of species that
provide a natural habitat for native butterflies, hummingbirds, pollinators, and local wildlife.
■ They, in concert with the buildings zero net energy design, expand the ecological educational opportunities of the
library.
BIOCLIMATIC DESIGN
■ To achieve Zero Net Energy, solar
access analyses determined the site
capacity for renewable energy
generation, establishing the buildings
energy budget.
■ To reduce building loads, early
modeling, including Daysim,
Radiance, Skycalc, and
computational fluid dynamics, was
used to determine optimal roof
configuration and building height to
maximize natural ventilation,
daylighting, and energy production.
■ These studies led to the buildings
most innovative feature: the wind
chimney, designed to use the steady
ocean breezes to draw natural
ventilation through the building.
BIOCLIMATIC DESIGN
■ Due to heavy traffic noise on University Avenue,
opening windows directly onto the street was not
possible. Instead, the front facade is extended
above roof level to create a continuous wind
chimney.
■ Prevailing breezes create negative pressure
behind the faade where louvers draw air
through the library from windows at the opposite
end of the building. Additionally, skylights
automatically operate to support airflow.
■ A radiant floor system and window radiator
grilles connected to solar thermal panels provide
heating and cooling.
■ A building management system tied to a roof-
top weather station coordinates the systems,
switching modes from natural ventilation to full
cooling for comfort control. There is no additional
HVAC system in the facility.
LIGHT AND AIR
■ Given the function of a library, proper
daylighting was a primary goal.
■ The south-facing front faade
received a large window-wall over the
full width of the main library space,
with a horizontal solar shading
system.
■ Skylights face north to minimize glare.
■ At the north wall, a reading nook in
the children's area is generously
glazed towards a small garden.
■ Interior glazed walls and clerestory
windows allow internal spaces to
connect to the natural light.
■ As a result, the library is 97 percent
daylit, with views of the outdoors
from 95% of occupied spaces.
LIGHT AND AIR
■ The natural ventilation system provides excellent indoor air quality - no conventional air handling system is needed,
with heating and cooling provided by a radiant floor and pre-tempering radiators at the north windows.
LIGHT AND AIR
■ A small garden at the north side of the
building forms a micro-climate from
which the fresh air for the natural
ventilation is drawn.
■ A series of transfer ducts and ceiling
fans within the building facilitates the
flow of air throughout the various library
spaces.
■ The building management systems CO2
sensors connected to window motors
ensure windows are open when fresh air
is needed.
■ Daylighting at levels that allow lights to
be off during daylight hours: 97%
■ Views to the Outdoors: 95%
■ Within 15 feet of an operable
window: 18%
WATER CYCLE
■ The building occupies over 82% of the site, presenting a creative challenge to balance all stormwater management,
landscape restoration, public use, and accessibility goals.
■ On this fully developed urban site, stormwater runoff is filtered, cleaned, and detained before discharging to the
City's storm drainage system and the San Francisco Bay.
■ All roof runoff is collected in Flow-Through Planters integrated into the base of the building. In these planters,
vegetation and specially designed sandy soils filter and clean the water. At-grade planting beds also filter runoff from
the paved surfaces before leaving the site while providing some ground water recharge.
■ In addition to mechanical and biological cleaning of the water, the planters are designed to detain both routine and
major flood flows before the runoff enters the City's storm drainage system, thus mitigating serious downstream
flooding problems.
■ All plantings are selected for their drought tolerance and ability to survive in a healthy condition in the local climate
with minimal water-efficient irrigation and seasonal pulses of rainwater.
■ Potable water use is reduced by 58.2% from the LEED baseline through these irrigation strategies and through low
flow plumbing fixtures.
■ Percent reduction of regulated potable water: 58%
■ Percent of rainwater from maximum anticipated 24 hour, 2-year storm event that can be managed onsite: 98%
ENERGY FLOWS AND ENERGY FUTURE
■ To minimize the buildings carbon footprint,
the design included both operational energy
reductions and embodied energy savings.
Due to natural ventilation and extensive
daylighting, the building can be used even
when there is a power outage.
■ Lighting loads are reduced by extensive
daylighting, skylights and glazing balanced
at the north and south. Task lighting and
book stack lighting reduce light power
density.
■ Highly insulated walls reduce air conditioning
loads. The ratio of openings to solid wall
balances heat losses with daylighting gains.
■ Energy star appliances and an efficient
laptop charging station reduce plug loads.
An energy use dashboard kiosk in the lobby
and on the web educates patrons on the
impacts of their energy use decisions.
ENERGY FLOWS AND ENERGY FUTURE
■ Due to these strategies, actual energy use is
reduced from the AIA 2030 baseline by
76%, exceeding AIA 2030 energy
performance targets.
■ To balance these energy loads, solar
radiation provides renewable energy through
photovoltaic panels (electricity) and solar
thermal panels (hot water). Over its first
year of operation, the library was net
positive.
■ With loads substantially reduced, and offset
by solar energy, the building contributes little
to peak energy demands on the utility.
■ Percent Reduction from National Median EUI
for Building Type (predicted): 83%
■ Percent reduction actual: 76.00%
■ Lighting Power Density: 1.70 watts/sf
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
■ Building materials were carefully selected for
durability, optimum indoor air quality, minimized
impacts on the environment, and minimized
embodied energy.
■ 100% of adhesives, sealants and coatings
meet LEED low emitting materials criteria.
■ 100% of flooring systems meet LEED low
emitting material criteria. Shaw Ecoworx carpet,
Forbo wall base, Dal Tile, Forbo Marmoleum
sheet flooring.
■ 88% of all wood products meet low emitting
criteria. Glulam's, wood doors, casework.
■ Rain screen details were developed to decrease
the complexity of installation, minimize waste
and minimize furring channels required. Swiss
Pearl Panel; FSC DreamDex (resin-
impregnated FSC pine): water, mold and pest
resistant, chemically inert, with no off-gases.
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
■ Wood-framed building, 97.1% FSC
certified. Renewable resource, not a
thermal bridge.
■ Advanced wood framing with larger
than usual stud sizes: 3x8 wood studs
at 24 OC, for better thermal
efficiency and less milling waste.
■ Mineral wool insulation: R-30 exterior
walls, R-41 roof assembly. Mineral
wool: high R-value, moisture, mold, and
fire resistant, chemically inert, does
not sag.
■ Materials achieved 31.2% Regional
Materials Content, sourced within
500 miles of site.
■ 90.53% of construction waste
diverted from landfill, Waste comingled
and tracked using Green Halo
CENTRAL LIBRARY OF IIT
BOMBAY
( R E IM A G IN ING A L I B R A R Y A R C H I T EC T U RE
IN T HE D IG ITAL A G E)
OVERVIEW
- Name of project: Central Library of IIT Bombay
- Location: Mumbai
- Built-up area: 90,000 sq.ft
- Architecture Firm: Sanjay Udamale Architects
- Interior Design: Sanjay Udamale Architects
- Landscape Design: Sanjay Udamale Architects
- Plumbing: Sanjay Udamale Architects
- Structural Engineering: Dwijendra Kane &
Associates Epicons Consultants
- Mechanical & HVAC: Chandar Ramchandani
Consulting Engineers
- Electrical Engineering: Cutech Consulting
Engineers
- Security & Fire fighting: Epsilon Design
Consultancy Services
INTRODUCTION
■ The Central Library of IIT Bombay is one of the India's
largest libraries of Science, Engineering and Technology.
■ Located in the heart of the campus it is surrounded with lush
greenery.
■ The requirements consisted of horizontal & vertical extension,
entire renovation, repairs and interiors with furniture.
■ The 90,000 sq.ft building accommodates over
500,000 excellent collections of books, journals and non-
book material in science, engineering, technology, humanities,
social sciences and management.
■ The Library is core of Knowledge in this Academic Campus.
■ So architecture is designed for inspiring environment and
creates a vibrant place of learning.
■ Natural light is used to make pleasant ambiance in the entire
building.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
■ Designed by Sanjay Udamale Architects, the
architecture and interiors of the Central
Library of IIT Bombay, is a continuous
dialogue between the inside and the outside
with its ample natural light, coordinated
white and pastel shades, textures and
materials, and unobstructed views of the
green landscape
■ This Library project addresses several
issues & ideas together right from designing
with reference to site and context, sensitive
additions, repair and renewal, learning in
midst of green and openness, using light for
inspiring & interesting environment to saving
of energy, climate and place informing
design, sustainability, connecting users with
architecture of inside and outside and re-
imagining the library and its architecture in
the digital age.
FEATURES
■ The building is in pristine white in lush green surroundings with solar
protection fins like a piano
■ The display racks for new books in circulation hall with comfortable
sitting alongside.
■ The digital knowledge lab with windows towards central courtyard as
well as external side.
■ Circular columns are washed subtly in white with indirect yellow light in
ceiling creating warmth in the reference reading hall. The tables in a
leaf shape built around the sequence of circular columns.
■ The reference reading hall has book racks on one side with reading
tables in the centre and other side. It is filled with natural light wherein
the ceilings are stepped to get maximum natural light from windows.
■ The periodical hall has low height display racks to allow natural light
through the entire hall. The curvilinear racks display magazines with
various types of seating. The colours are kept minimal and coordinated
from walls, floors, ceilings to furniture to create a warm contemplative
space.
NATURAL LIGHTING
■ Natural light is used to make
pleasant ambiance in the entire
building. Indian Institute of
Technology Bombay (IITB), Mumbai
is world renowned India's foremost
institution of Engineering, Science,
Technology and Research set up in
1958.
■ Its educational & residential campus
of more than 200 hectares is
serene green island in the crowded
dense city of Mumbai.
■ IITB is declared as institution of
national importance and is accorded
the status of a university in India.
■ The extension to building is planned
to seamlessly integrate with existing
building both externally and internally.
NATURAL LIGHTING
■ The entire building is redesigned as open plan and for views across
the various spaces and surrounding greens including the central
courtyard.
■ Easy circulation is organized in the floors aligning the movement
horizontally as a complete loop around every floor of the building (like
a circumambulation path) and the loop is connected vertically at four
corners by staircases.
■ The vertical expansion at the top most floor is constructed
in lightweight metal frame structure.
■ It has external elevations with glazed walls for maximum natural
lighting and external views of the landscape.
■ The glass below roof overhang opens the space from inside to outside
and vice versa in natural landscape
■ Some external areas are clad in metal sheets combining the textures
of corrugated metal with sand plaster finishes of solar protection fins.
■ All library administrative office functions are brought together.
■ A digital knowledge lab, language lab, 247 reading hall, new
entrance hall are added. All the existing trees are preserved,
protected and additions are built around them.
■ Care is taken that the site ecology and microclimate is maintained
and enhanced.
■ The main entrance is designed as large canopy above a glass box
and added as an entry to the great institutional building.
■ The circulation lobby is designed as a welcoming entrance hall.
■ The open central courtyard is provided with caf and landscaping
for informal sitting and discussion on steps.
■ The building except entrance lobby is air-conditioned to preserve the
books and create comfort conditions for the readers and visitors.
■ The architecture & interiors is a continuous dialogue between inside
& outside, between architecture & nature, between users & natural
light, between spaces inside and universe outside.
■ The natural light, coordinated white color and pastel shades,
textures & furniture to create calm, peaceful & refreshing
atmosphere to study in concentration.
■ The library has become core magnet of the campus.
■ Its important since this project brings several ideas together right from designing with reference to site and
context, learning in midst of green and openness, using light for interesting environment to saving of energy, climate
and place informing design, connecting users with architecture of inside and outside and reimaging the library and
its architecture in the digital age
■ We are continuously working to find suitable materials for expressing architectural ideas. For eg in Central Library
IIT Bombay we have used glass for letting in the natural light in all spaces to create pleasant and inspiring
ambience.
■ Glass has allowed us to open views to outside greenery and create
inside outside dialogue with surroundings.
■ As the seasons change the spaces get activated accordingly. Metal
is used for light weight metal structure, roof and wall cladding work
both internally and externally.
■ Both materials are easy for construction and future maintenance.
■ The central courtyard has 3 large trees with garden in two levels
with cafe opening out to lower level.
■ The staircase in granite leading to upper level periodical hall from
entrance.
■ The entrance block is a RCC canopy over a glass box openly
welcoming the visitors in the green surroundings from all sides.
■ Natural Light is used in Library as main design tool which reduces
energy bill of artificial lighting. The green surroundings are
preserved to keep microclimate cool and reduced heat loads. Deep
shaded windows, large overhangs for sun heat and glare protection
is adopted to reduce heat loads and maximum natural ventilation for
lower energy consumption throughout the life cycle of the buildings.
MATERIAL PALETTE
- Faade: Aluminium cladding panels, glass
- External wall finishes: Sand face plaster, pre-coated zinc
- Structure: Galvanized Iron profile sheets, Reinforced
concrete, structural steel, mild steel, brickwork
- Roofing: Pre-coated zinc galvanized iron profile sheets
- Flooring & interior wall cladding: Granite, vitrified tiles, Kota,
rectified glazed ceramic tiles
- False ceiling: Plain gypsum, gypsum tiles, mineral fibre tiles,
perforated pre-coated galvanized steel (metal) tiles,
aluminium un-perforated exterior grade paneling, FRP
- Doors & Windows: Powder coated aluminium sections, glass,
flush doors, FRP
- Furniture: Commercial plywood, hollow mild steel sections,
laminate, PVC, leatherette fabric, marine plywood, teakwood,
polyester yarn fabric
- Railing: Stainless steel grade 304
- Paint: Premium acrylic exterior and exterior paint, synthetic
enamel paint
- External floor finishes: Granite, coloured chequered precast
cement concrete tiles, cement paver blocks
JAIPUR BUS RAPID TRANSIT
SYSTEM
PLANNING CONTEXT AND TRANSPORT CHARACTERISTICS
■ Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan, and is a major tourist
destination.
■ The population of the city was 3.07 million in 201115, with a
registered population growth rate of 2.8 per cent per annum during
2001-11.
■ Like many other cities of India, Jaipur has a walled city and a new town.
■ The city has a Municipal Corporation and a Development Authority,
Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Jaipur Development Authority
(JDA) respectively, and the total area of the city is 2,939 sq km.
■ The total road network of the city is 1,500 km, of which 34 per cent
are two lane and 54 per cent four lane roads.
■ In the year 2008, the number of vehicles registered in Jaipur district
were 1,324,624, out of which 74 per cent were twowheelers and 11
per cent four-wheelers.
■ The average annual growth rate of vehicles in the city stands at 13 per
cent (Jaipur Development Authority & Wilbur Smith Associates,
2010).
PLANNING CONTEXT AND TRANSPORT CHARACTERISTICS
■ The city's PT consists of both public and private bus operators. Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation
(RSRTC) runs the city-bus services.
■ The city has a bus fleet of 220 buses, of which 190 are minibuses.
■ The entire fleet of minibuses runs on 28 lucrative routes and the state transport buses run on 28 routes.
■ A modal split survey of peak trips was conducted in the year 2009 as part of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan
(CMP).
■ The data shows that two-wheelers had the largest modal share of 25 per cent, followed by cycles and pedal-
rickshaws (22 per cent) and public transport (21 per cent) (Table 1).
■ The share of NMT trips in the city is 31 per cent, which is the largest modal share. The total share of walking, cycling
and PT is more than half. It would be important to retain this modal share, which is already quite lowcarbon. The
fatality rate in the city is 71 per 100,000 population.
TABLE 1:
PLANNING CONTEXT AND TRANSPORT CHARACTERISTICS
■ The city is planning for a BRT system as well as a metro system for solving its transport problems. The citys CMP
also suggested a Mono-Rail system at a few corridors as well.
■ There is already an operational BRTS Corridor in the city and work on the MRT has already started.
■ However, there is not much clarity in official documents or amongst the officers about how all these different proposed
systems would be integrated. The maps in Figure 3.32 show the delineation of various corridors in the city.
STATUS OF THE BRT SYSTEM
■ It was decided that the BRTS will run along all the major road corridors where the intensity of travel demand is in
the range of 2,000 persons per hour per day (pphpd) to 20,000 pphpd (projected).
■ Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) is the nodal agency for planning and implementing BRTS infrastructure in
Jaipur.
■ The BRTS Project in Jaipur city has been developed and implemented through a SPV called Jaipur City Transport
Services Limited (JCTSL).
■ As per the Master Plan of the BRTS, a total of 138 km have been planned, which will be implemented in three
phases. In-principle Approval of ` 4,690 million (USD 104.22 million) was given by the GoI in August 2006 for
implementation of 42 km of BRTS Phase-I corridor in the city.
TABLE 2:
STATUS OF THE BRT SYSTEM
■ The first phase consists of two main corridors, one goes from Sikar Road
to Tonk Road (North-South Corridor), and the other is from Ajmer Road
to Delhi Road (East-West Corridor).
■ The North-South corridor of 26 km is currently under implementation.
■ Phase-I is divided into three packages. The details are given in Table 2.
■ An elevated BRTS has been proposed between Pani Pench and Khasa-
kothi so as to facilitate connectivity to Sindhi Camp Bus Stand (which is
THE BUS STATION WITH ACCESS RAMP the central bus stand for Jaipur city) and Railway Station, i.e., up to
two major destinations.
■ The elevated road at Durgapura is in progress with provision of a future
metro on Tonk Road. Package-III has also been re-adjusted according
the planning of a metro project.
■ A junction on this phase will have a flyover which will have BRTS at Tier-I
and metro at Tier-II.
■ This is an unexplained overlap of different systems on the same corridor
and there are contradicting stories about the planning decision.
STATION FROM INSIDE
STATUS OF THE BRT SYSTEM
■ A 7.1 km long corridor is in operation in Jaipur, and consists of 21 stations (both sides). It is planned as a closed
system, but currently JCTSL has launched new buses with new routes.
■ Currently the orange route from Harmada to Badi Chaopad uses the corridor. The bus remains in the BRT Corridor
till Chomu-Puliya junction.
■ There are also exclusive BRTS buses using the corridor.
■ Kerb-side bus stations located before the junctions have been chosen for the system.
■ Bus stops are open and airy, and are differently-abled friendly with the provision of ramps.

ROAD SECTION AT 40 M ROW (FIG: 1)

STATUS OF THE BRT SYSTEM
■ The crossroads also have slopes and the bus stops are at the crossroads, allowing for easy wheelchair access to the
bus stations.
■ Bus stops allow for two buses to board at a time in the same direction.
■ The section of the proposed ROW is given in Figures 1-2 and the details of the same are given in Table 3.
■ The space for mixed traffic is much more in 40 m ROW.
■ Footpaths in 30 m ROW are of inadequate width, as they should be at least 2 m.
■ No dedicated space for bicycle tracks is given and cyclists use mixed-traffic lanes with the cycle lanes painted on
the road.

ROAD SECTION AT 30 M ROW (FIG: 2)

STATUS OF THE BRT SYSTEM
TABLE 3

LEVEL-BOARDING PROBLEMS BUS DISTANCED FROM THE PLATFORM CYCLE TRACK

SYSTEM BOTTLENECKS AND POLICY BARRIERS
■ Like many other BRT systems, work in Jaipur also started with much excitement and deliberation, but the project
stalled midway after plans of the metro project were floated. The corridor had to be re-aligned at many places and
the request is still pending with MoUD. The JDA also faced many problems related to land acquisition for achieving
the ROWs.
■ Furthermore, the bus drivers are not properly trained to facilitate level-boarding. People sometimes get down from the
bus stand and then board the bus. There remains a wide gap between the bus and the station, which makes boarding
uncomfortable for some people, and completely impossible for the physically challenged.
■ Facilitation of NMT modes also took a backseat in Jaipur BRTS. Bicycle lanes were not separately made and have
been left as a painted white strip, on the road, causing hazards to cyclists. These lanes are increasingly used for
unauthorised off-street parking, which completely defeats the purpose of the NMT infrastructure.
■ The city of Jaipur had elaborate plans of building BRTS, but the aspirations of building a metro project has derailed
the momentum of the BRT project. The existing BRT ridership is so low that a full-fledged BRT is not justified on all the
corridors. It would be even more illogical to plan the metro system given the road network, densities, and travel
demand along the arterial roads. There is a lack of comprehensive public transport planning in the city.
ARTIST VILLAGE
( B E LA P U R H O U S IN G )
PROJECT DATA
o Year of construction: 1986
o Architect: Charles Correa
o Developer: CIDCO
o Land Area: 5.4 hectares
o Built up Area: 33000 sqmt (approx.)
o Number of Dwelling Units: 550 (approx.)
o Density: 100units/hectare (500
people/hectare)
o Height: Ground+1 storey
o FSI (Floor Space Index) consumed: 0.5 to 0.6
INTRODUCTION
■ The Belapur Housing, generally known as the Artist s Village,
was a project done by CIDCO in Navi Mumbai.
■ It is called the Artist s Village because it was proposed to be
a residential complex for mainly the artists.
■ Being situated so far away from the main centre of Mumbai,
very few artists were interested in buying these houses.
■ As a result the sale of these houses was finally opened for the
public, and not just restricted for artists.
■ Located on six hectares of land, this project attempts to
demonstrate how high densities can be easily achieved within
the context of a low-rise typology.
■ The site plan was generated by a hierarchy of community
spaces.
■ Each of these houses is on its own piece of land, so that the
families can have the advantage of open-to-sky spaces.
OBJECTIVES
■ The project had one overriding principle: each unit would have its own individual site to allow for expansion.
■ The scheme catered to a wide range of income groups, from the lowest with budgets of Rs.20,000, to middle
income groups (unit costs Rs.30-50,000), upto upper income levels with unit cost around Rs.1,80,000.
■ Belapur makes a statement which combines those principles Correa believes to be most important in housing, namely:
Equity, Incrementality, Pluralism, having Open-to-Sky spaces and Disaggregation of spaces to allow for participation
in forming ones own environment, and to facilitate income generating activities. (Khan, 1987).

SITE ALLOCATE
■ The site, a 5.4 hectares land area, in Belapur, is situated 2kms from the centre of New Bombay.
■ It is set in the midst of the Belapur hills.
■ The clusters are arranged in such a way that the neighborhood spaces open to a small stream which runs through the
centre of the site.
■ This stream drains the surface water during the monsoon rains.
DESIGN PROPOSAL
■ The architect, Charles Correa, through this project demonstrated how high densities (500 persons per hectare,
including open spaces, schools, etc.) can be achieved within the context of a low -rise typology.

HOUSEHOLD LEVEL PLANNING

■ As this project catered to a wide range of income groups, the houses were incremental - so that they could grow from
a single lean-to roof (for the very poor) to urban town-houses (for the well to do) (The Urban Design Research
Institute, 1999).
■ Although the range of income groups was of a ratio of 1:5, the variation in plot size was much smaller, from 45 sqm to
75 sqm, a ratio less than 1:2. Each house was sited on its own piece of land.
■ Only two of the sides had mandatory setbacks to follow, the other two sides could be built right upto the boundary
line.
■ Windows and other openings were permitted on any external wall that abutted the courtyard, but none opened onto a
neighboring house.
■ Therefore, each house was freestanding and did not share any walls with its neighbors, making it truly incremental.
HOUSEHOLD LEVEL PLANNING
■ The layouts of these houses were simple,
so that they could be built and extended
by traditional masons and craftsmen, thus
generating employment in the bazaar
sector of the urban economy.

3D VIEW OF THE DWELLING UNIT

PLAN OF A DWELLING UNIT

LAYOUT OF THE HOUSES IN A

CLUSTER
CLUSTER LEVEL PLANNING
■ The low-rise high-density scheme utilized a cluster
arrangement around small community spaces.
■ At the smaller scale, seven units were grouped
around an intimate courtyard of about 8 X 8
metres.

A CLUSTER CONSISTING OF SEVEN UNITS AROUND A COURTYARD

SECTOR LEVEL PLANNING

■ Three of such clusters were combined to form a
larger module of 25 houses surrounding an open
space of 12 X 12 metres (including an additional
4 houses located at the open corners).

THREE CLUSTERS FORMING A LARGER MODULE

SUB-URBAN LEVEL PLANNING
■ Three of such larger modules were interlocked to define the next scale of community
space, approximately 20 X 20 metres.
■ The spatial hierarchy continued till the neighborhood spaces were formed, where the
schools and other public-use facilities were located.

PLAN AT A SUB-URBAN LEVEL

GANESH UDYAN (CHILDREN S

PLAYING PARK)

THE ONLY SCHOOL IN THE

COMPLEX

SITE PLAN OF ARTISTS VILLAGE