View of the Langs Garden Road slum. This slum was the subject of my thesis and was also home to nearly 5000 people.

The Cooum River is dotted with nearly 36 slums along its banks once it enters Chennai city limits. There are other landmarks along the river, the above photographs are of thefamous Napier Bridge and of the mouth of the river meeting the Bay of Bengal.

View of the Cooum River. The river runs through the heart of the city, with some of the prime acticities along its banks

The Cooum River is one of the three rivers running through the city. Like many other rivers around the country, the Cooum River is also heavily polluted and is dotted all along by medium to large slum settlements. The slums are also one of the main contributors of also one of the main contributors of pollutants into the river. As the slums along the banks of the river are encroached on Government land, they are illegal and therefore are not entitled to any basic facilities such as water, supply or sewage lines. The Cooum River originates from about The Cooum River originates from about 60 Km west of Chennai city and ends when it meets the Bay of Bengal near Napier Bridge in the city. The average width of the river outside city limits is close to 60 m, but is reduced by more than 20 m as it enters the city. This is mainly due to the encroachments along mainly due to the encroachments along the entire stretch. The narrowing of the river has lead to a drastic reduction in the flood carrying capacity of the river and also severe silting of the river bed.The longitudinal slope of the river is also very gradual which keeps the flow of water at a very slow speed.water at a very slow speed. The vegetation all along the river is mainly wild and is of no purpose. The quality of water is very poor and there are no possibility of any aquatic life in it due to its high pollution levels. The Cooum River during the colonial era used to be one main transportation era used to be one main transportation routes into the inland areas. Goods from the port used to be loaded into smaller ferries, which used to carry them deep inland areas through a series of well connected canals and rivers. However due to continuous negligence over the decades the entire water transport decades the entire water transport network has collapsed and the river is mainly used for carrying garbage.

The existing plan shows the manner in which the slum has developed.The houses are packed up in a very small area minimal space between them. There is a common path shared by the houses that leads to the river. Even though the entire settlement is illegal, they seem to be well organized in the manner in which it is constructed and planned out in a linear fashion. Most of the houses are made of Thatch and a few of them in metal sheet. The approach to each cluster is directly from the Langs Garden Road. There are hardly any public utility facilities except a few hand water pumps and a couple of public hardly any public utility facilities except a few hand water pumps and a couple of public toilets. The bathing areas for the people are in make shift walls on the river bank. These bathing units are shared by the people of each cluster which could be around 5-6 families.There are a few temples along the entire stretch vconstructed on the road and within the slum which are only a few decades old and hold no historic importance. The slum has been growing in a linear fashion over the years along the banks of the river by cutting down the wild vegetation.

The above pictures clearly show the extremely poor conditions in which the people of the slum stay in. the lack of space has led to houses being built next to each other with very little space for circulation. Also the nature of construction means that there are very poor lighting and ventilation levels within the dwelling unit. The absence of any utilities means that the sewage and garbage are directed into the Cooum River increasing its pollution level.

WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT OF COOUM RIVER - CHENNAI

The Lang’s garden slum is located in Chintadripet right on the bank of the river and runs for a length of 1.5 Km covering an area of 1.75 Ha. The locality is known as Komaleeswaranpet due to presence of the Komaleeswaran temple on the road. The slum falls under the Mylapore taluk and Chintadripet village. The ownership of the land is by the government and the area comes under the Chennai Corporation.government and the area comes under the Chennai Corporation.The slum is around 12 years old and home to nearly 1180 families with a population of 4724. The type of dwelling unit found there mainly Kutcha type (Semi Permanent), either made of mud wall with thatch roof or tin roof. Due to its illegal status the slum does not have any accesses to facilities such as water supply, sewage & sanitation or electricity. The slums location right on the banks, thereby reducing the river’s flood carrying capacity and making the houses vulnerable to flooding during the carrying capacity and making the houses vulnerable to flooding during the monsoons.

People of Langs Garden Slum

With a population of above 5000 people, the Lang’s garden slum is one of the largest slums in the city in terms of population along the Cooum River. The people living there are of 2nd & 3rd generation and have made Chennai as their home. The minimum size of a family is around 5 persons and can go up to 8 persons.and can go up to 8 persons. A broad based survey shows that 38% of the population is of family size of 5 persons/family, 36% of family size is 6 persons/family and 26% of 8 persons/family. Due to the increase in awareness in child control and breaking up of joint family system the family sizes are much smaller compared to the earlier days.The people of the slum depend on the timber trade industry on Lang’s garden road right opposite the road. The men work there as daily wage labor earning anywhere between 150 - 300 rupees/ dalabor earning anywhere between 150 - 300 rupees/ day. They are used as porters to load and unload all the timber stock from trucks. Some of the men own cycle rickshaws are used for transporting the timber to close places. The women folk work as domestic help for the nearby housing apartments Some of the women also make an earning by providing lunch for the people working in the opposite side of the road, some ladies have also opened petty shops right outside their homes to make a living. These shops are only found along the road and not in the insides of the slum.shops are only found along the road and not in the insides of the slum. The kids in the slum attend one of the two schools in the area. On a weekend most of the men and are found playing on the road without much concern for themselves or the motorists.

The above plan shows the proposed master plan for the slum. The housing units have been spread out to the entire extent of the site, with proper setbacks and circulation spaces around them. The housing units can be approached from the entire length of the road. Large planned open spaces also act as play and interaction areas for the inhabitants. Site Area 52,293 SqM

Population : 5582Density : 0.1 Person / SqM

WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT OF COOUM RIVER - CHENNAI

Like most slum housing projects, this slum could have also been relocated to some other place in the city far away from the existing location. However I choose not to do so and instead create a better living environment at the very same location. By doing so I’d not only improve the living conditions of the people but also make sure that the people do not lose their livelihood and also the surrounding business establishments do not lose their and also the surrounding business establishments do not lose their workforce. This way the economy of the neighborhood would remain healthy. Another important point to be considered is that after relocation of slum to elsewhere, the chances of a new slum coming up at the same place are high.

Design Concept

As mentioned in the previous sheet about the physical condition of the slum- being cluttered and packed.slum- being cluttered and packed. This physical character of the slum did not promote a sense of community living in the slum. The people living knew their neighbors but never worked together as a community. The main reason for that was the lack of common space for the people to come together and interact.One of the most important aspects of housing projects that I’d learnt during my internship in Auroville was that of Community. This is one concept that I’d experienced in several housing settlements in and aroundI’d experienced in several housing settlements in and around Auroville. The Tsunami housing project that I’d worked on there was also based on the concept of community living. I believe this is one of the main bases that have been missing in the slums in the city and also in the rehabilitation housing. Not only do the slum housing projects not cater to the need of the people who live in them, but also tend to break the sense of community.In this project I’ve designed the housing units have been designed and located in a manner that there is a feeling of interaction between the built located in a manner that there is a feeling of interaction between the built and open spaces. Large open spaces have been designed for people to come together and interact with one another. These spaces also act as play areas for kids that have playing on the road all this while.This was only possible by making the slums go vertical. The new housing units are G+1 or more structures, depending on their design type. This way the entire population of the slum can live in the same place with a lot more common open spaces.common open spaces. The overall density if the entire site is 0.1 person / SqM. Proper circulation spaces have also been created for the movement of vehicles and pedestrians within the slum. The banks of the river have also been strengthened by retaining walls that wouldprotect the slum from any floods.

The above plans and sections show the kind of cluster development that has been proposed. There are adequate setbacks between the units in order for proper lighting and ventilation for the houses. Also proper uniform circulation spaces have been created keeping in mind the safety aspects.

Unit Type 01

This housing unit is designed for families of 5 and 6 persons per family. There are a total of 8 houses in this unit with 4 on the ground floor and 4 on the first floor. The entry to the houses in the ground floor is through a common courtyard, the entries to the houses on the first floor are through individual stairs for each house. Various options have been tried out in designing the interior layout of each house. This is done keeping in mind the main concept of this project. The 5 person dwelling unit is of 30 SqM area, with a large multiuse room which can be partitioned into a kitchen and living area. There are common toilets and bath rooms in the ground flookitchen and living area. There are common toilets and bath rooms in the ground floor. The 6 person dwelling unit is 45 SqM area. The layout is very much the same as the one on the ground floor, except that, each house has its own toilet and bathroom and also a balcony.

This housing unit is designed for families of 6 persons. The size of each unit is 40 SqM, which is inclusive of a large open foyer (7.5 SqM), Multiuse room (9.6 SqM), Kitchen cum bedroom (6.2 SqM), an open wash area and 1 toilet and bathroom. Multiple rooms are provided instead of one large multiuse room in order to privacy to the elders during the nights from the children. Since most of the people sleep the nights from the children. Since most of the people sleep on the floor, the window sill has been brought down to 300mm above floor level. This would help in air circulation while sleeping on the floor. This design also has a large common courtyard for all its inhabitants for any activity to take place. This courtyard could also be secured in the nite.

WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT OF COOUM RIVER - CHENNAI

As mentioned earlier, this project is a prototype for other such projects which would be constructed for the remaining slums in the city. The idea behind this project was to design as many housing unit types in order to do a post occupancy study in order to find out about the comfort level of the inhabitants of the slum and also the changes they have made within the unit to suit their needs.their needs. These changes can then be implemented in the new design for some other slum. The designs that are the least user friendly could be removed and a new prototype could replace it.There are a total of 8 housing units’ types that have been worked out by me. Each unit caters to a different family size. The average family size in the slum is 5 persons / family. However some families have up to 8 persons. The housing units are categorized into 3 main types; Unit for 5 persons/familUnit for 5 persons/family, 6 persons/family and 8 persons/family. Different design solutions have been tried for each family size unit. Large common spaces within the unit have been designed in order to encourage interaction within the neighbors’.

Unit Type 02

Unit 05This unit form is an inspiration from the ‘Swastika’ form. The houses in the units are L-shaped (20 SqM) giving its occupants the freedom of dividing it into two rooms. A courtyard (16 SqM) in the center can be accessed by the people living in the ground floor. A foyer connects the toilet and bath area with the living space. The houses are large enough for 5 persons/family. All houses in this unit are designed for the same number of people. The total built up is 338 SqM.

Unit 04This housing unit is the smallest in size with a total built up of 156 SqM. The housing unit is designed for 6 members/family. There are a total 4 houses in this unit, 2 on the ground floor and 2 on the first floor. Each house has an individual toilet and bath area. There is a large multipurpose room (19 SqM) with beds stacked vertically to make best use of the space. The room can also be partitioned according to the need of the occupants. The ground floor houses are provided with a large foyer (9 SqM) which can be use as an outdoor cooking area. This is common trend in most slum dwelling units. be use as an outdoor cooking area. This is common trend in most slum dwelling units. There is a small open to sky provided which cannot be accessed and only for light and ventilation.

Unit 03This housing unit is very similar to that of unit 02, but for the fact that the entry to the houses in the ground floor is directly from the outside instead of the common courtyard. The courtyard can be accessed from the back door of each house; this gives it more privacy too. There are a total of 8 houses in this unit designed for 5 members/family. Each house is 30 SqM in area with individual toilet and bathroom for each. The houses in the first floor do not have a courtyard and instead have a balcony. The interior layout of each house can be changed according to needs of the occupant.house can be changed according to needs of the occupant.

TRAVEL DIARYDesign has always been my passion since my college days, but there has been another passion that’s been there since childhood. My love for travelling has increased with age. The fact that I get to explore new places excites me a lot and this is an experience I’m always looking forward to. Ever since I’ve moved to Ahmedabad 3 years ago, I’ve travelled to almost every corner of India. India being such a large country, the places to see over here are innumerable. I would love to continue this adventure of travelling when I get to here are innumerable. I would love to continue this adventure of travelling when I get to Europe. This is one opportunity that I would never want to miss. To me the best way to gain knowledge about people, culture, design, politics is only by travelling and experiencing it all first hand.

Dwarka

Colombo, Sri LankaBanks of the Narmada River

Galle, Sri Lanka

Lucknow

Maheshwar

WORK AT HCPDPM

In my more than three years in HCP Design & Project Management Pvt Ltd, SRFDP has been my core project, but apart from that I’ve worked on a few architectural projects during my initial days here. Some the projects are.Safal Profitaire – A multistory office complex in Ahmedabad. I’d worked on the project during the concept and schematic stages. SMC Science Museum –SMC Science Museum – This was a project Science Museum located in Surat. Some of the main attractions of this facility are the planetarium and the large theater. I’d worked on the working drawings of this project.Apart from architecture projects I’ve also been a part of the team that has inked a booked on the development sequence of the SRFD project. I’d worked on this book since its initial stages till the end. The book can be downloaded from www.hcp.co.in/downloads

I’ve also made several scaled model during my 5 years. These arephotos of my Thesisproject.

Apart from working on the thesis, I’ve also worked on several other large scale projects during my college days. Some of the other important projects are Urban Center in Chennai, Multi level parking in T Nagar, Chennai and the Revitalization of Mylapore (Heritage Zone), Chennai.I’ve participated in several extra circular activities in college, like design competitions and also in the annual NASA held in Sec’bad in 2004. I also enjoy playing sports and have been a part of the Soccer and basketball team since my school days.have been a part of the Soccer and basketball team since my school days. This interest has continued even during my college days during which I’d also played for the Architecture department.

This was an Urban Center in the heart of Chennai. This multi storey building houses a multiplex, offices and a shopping mall. Multi level servicing was one of the main issues to be solved along with the enormous parking demand.

This was an Annual NASA Design Competition (ANDC) project taken up by the class on designing a multi level parking in a busy park of the city. The competition required us to do a study of various areas of the city on the parking condition and justify the need of the project in the particular area. The building stands in the middle of a huge park. In order to avoid the parks sanctity from being destroyed, a flyover goes over the park and joins the building from the main road. goes over the park and joins the building from the main road. Minimal area has been used up by the structure withing the park.