CASE A- GPS MAJRA 1

Urban-Dense mixed use neighbourhood

The school is located in Raipur block, Majra cluster in Dehradun, Images from neighbouring context
along the Dehradun- Delhi highway. The campus lies in an
unorganised mixed use sector, sharing boundaries with the
neighbouring commercial and residential buildings. A sudden
boom in commercial activity and rampant construction has led to
congestion, unsafe for student commute at starting and closing
hours of the school. The neighbourhood majorly falls under low
to medium income category.
The socio-economic background of the students is majorly labour
class, falling under EWS as per government norms. The students
walk to the campus from neighbouring localities.
School entrance abutting a busy
highway

Mixed use commercial

development around the school

Numb Girl Boy Teacher Classroo Boy’s Girl’s

er student student m toilet toilet

30 96 4 4 2 2

Ratio Girls to boys Teacher Classroo Boy’s Girl’s

to m to toilet to toilet
student student boys to
girls

1:3 1:26 1:26 1:48 1:15 Highway

Student Data

Name Distance(in
km)
Railway station Dehradun Railway station 4.8
Bus stand Fountain chowk bus stop 7.9
Hospital Government Hospital 0.07
Fire station Dehradun Fire station 4.6
Police station Niranjanpur Police station 2.2 Commercial activities across the
highway in front of the school
Distance from major stations
Immediate context wrt catchment area
Make a map on photoshop/illustrator.

CAMPUS LAYOUT

There are three classrooms in the school. There are two toilet blocks, out of which one is non-functional.
There is one CRC room and a principal office. There are two more classrooms out of which one is used as
a store and the other one has been taken over by the caretaker. The verandahs are used as outdoor
classrooms in winters. Most rooms do not get sunlight from south, hence the temperature drops down in
winters. The kitchen is is set up along the classroom. There are two functional water coolers installed.
The highway outside is very noisy and disturbs the environment of the school.
PHYSICAL SAFETY ANALYSIS
STRUCTURAL STABILITY

The structure is a RCC column-beam structure. rbcThe construction quality is substandard, leading to
dampness, leakage and corrosion of reinforcement all over the building. Also, structural instability
makes the building vulnerable to breakage during hazards. There is a thorough need for repair of the
overall building to avoid risking lives of the persons present. Absence of plinth and lintel beam poses a
threat to the stability of the structure.

The column was added recently to Visible seepage through walls and
support the damaged beam. floor due to poor waterproofing

Sill level being high restricts the amount The plaster is falling off the roof
of light entering the classrooms.

Setback in the rear being too Setback on the side, currently

narrow, is inaccessible in a being used for waste disposal
hazardous situation. is too narrow for access.

Open space available is less as per norms. Availability of limited space poses a challenge during an
emergency situation.
INTERNAL LAYOUT

The presence of a column in the centre of two classrooms out of three, has the possibility of being
an obstruction during sudden evacuation because of an emergency. The tightly packed furniture in
two of the classrooms again can lead to chaos during a hazard.

No furniture is provided in one classroom leading to Office furniture placement provides

thermal discomfort for students during winters. enough circulation space during a
hazardous situation.

The paint on the walls is wearing off Distance between furniture is not
depicting an urgent need of repair in sufficient for evacuation according to
the internal parts of the classroom. norms.
EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

There are electric poles outside the school boundary. There is a possibility of these poles falling inside the
campus during a hazard. This might lead to blocking of accessibility to open space and exit door during an
emergency. The deteriorated condition of the building is also a potential threat to the safety of the
students during an earthquake.

The surrounding buildings are a floor higher than Roofs and beams of the structure are not in a good
the school building creating a possibility of them condition compromising the stability of the school
falling on the campus during an earthquake. during the occurance of a hazard.

Presence of only one entry/exit gate can Availability of limited open space in an emergency
lead to chaos during evacuation of the situation makes the building prone to disorder.
building.
FIRE SAFETY
Due to incompatible land use patterns in the surrounding areas involving numerous commercial
activities, there is a risk of a fire breakout spreading inside the school trading-off childrens safety.

The kitchen placed next to the classroom is a The alley behind the building and the
possible source of a fire breakout. passage connecting the front and rear of the
building are too narrow to be used.

The sweet shop close to the school The high tension wire running above the
premise can be a possible source of a fire school has potential of being a threat.
hazard.
DRAINAGE

The school suffers from poor drainage system leading to water overflow and clogging
inside the building. High water table during rains causes the water to rise from the
ground making the classrooms damp and unfit for use. The internal level differences
results in water blockage in low levelled areas in the campus.

The rain water pipe opens up The drainage inside the school being too narrow, gets
directly into the playground. jammed during the rainy season.

The nala outside the boundary wall overflows Absence of plinth allows the overflowing water to
during monsoon flooding the school premises. enter the classrooms making them unhealthy to
use.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

LIGHT AND VENTILLATION

The school lacks proper light and ventillation inside the classrooms affecting the productivity of the
child. Due to high sill level the amount of light entering the classrooms is restricted. The narrow
setback behind the buidling proves to be an obstruction to light and ventillation.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

The neighbourhood comprises of a mixed use development posing a challenge on

psychological safety of students. Cases of drug abuse and molestation have been
reported by the authorities. There is a lack of support from the neighbourhood due to
minimal involvement and intercation with the school. Theft is not an issue due to
presence of a permanent care taker living inside the premises.

VEHICULAR NOISE POLLUTION

Due to the school being located along a highway, there is a constant noise interference of
vehicular movements inside the school.
SOCIAL SAFETY ANALYSIS

The roof of the school is connected to the

surrounding buildings making it vulnerable to
outside intrusion. The staircase to the roof is
also accessible from outside the campus.

Presence of a permanent care taker on the

The immediate approachable areas from school campus proves helpful in dealing with
the roof inside the campus shows visible security issues.
drug abuse.
Map showing vulnerable areas and potential safe zones
Recommendations