290912

LINKING ROAD,SANTACRUZ-W

URBANABRAU

URBANSUBURBAN

MASTER THESIS: 2012

2012 Master’s thesis was a one stride up of its precedence by virtue of its urban concerns and representation. The intent has been varied significantly but everyone remained subservient to the methodology that frequelty has been emphasized. Thesis topic varied by intention on:

- TOPOGRAPHY & URBANISM

- MOVEMENT SYSTEM & URBANISM

- TRANSFORMATION OF SALT PAN

- MRT & URBANISM

- EVERYDAY URBANISM

- RITUALS & URBANISM

- INNER CITY TRANSFORMATION & URBANISM.

I think the diversity of varied intent created a matrix of multiplicity of contextual understanding. All the thesis are worthy of mention as issues are very relevant and at the same time morphing into an academic research forum. If practice assumes to be identification of technological tools for space engagement than academics is identification of questions on psychological, philosophical & phenomenal content of space engagement.

NANDED HOUSING SEM: II.

NANDED HOUSING STUDIO; SEM II

The studio was a collaborative exercise between resident communities and KRVIA. The RESULT was seen as a process of interaction between these slum dwellers and the Nanded Municipal Corporation. Thus at various stages in the studio there was planned to have interaction between these agencies.  

The first part of the project methodology was entail going to site, documenting the slum and then analysed the data collected. The urban design studio assisted in the first part of the study and helped in formulating the various aspects on which data were collected. The next stage of the studio was where the students organized and analyzed the data using the digital media to document and generate patterns. The final objective for this studio was to create a public interface like a website where the material can be published.  

The next stage, primarily in urban design was to simulate scenarios for intervention in these slums through the study of the patterns generated from the first part of the study. This stage led to the creation of the Urban Design scenarios. These scenarios was given spatial and formal manifestation in the studio. Also various processes of intervention right from a conservative incremental approach to a complete redevelopment of site was formulated as a part of this studio. Simultaneously the students were introduced to other case studies in similar such conditions.

The students then created ideas for the master plan, as well as various possibilities for the dwelling unit and transformation on them if required. These ideas and processes were explored through the digital media, drawings and models.   

IUDI: 2012.

The first day began with the Urban Design Thesis presentation from all six institutes. The nature of projects varied as far as context concerned but the quality of inquiry remained fairly uniform throughout. The nature of intervention always remained suspended or left ambiguous. The discussion resulted into larger domain of Urban Design i: e values of design in urban to policy formation. The various components argued out but to my mind they may remain unarticulated or unattended from design point of view.

Involuntary Settlements

Equal rights as liability

Spatial Justice

How much incremental

Frontiers of Urban Design

Discipline of Design in Urban Design

Agency of Urban Design

Analysis as system that impedes the expansion of Urban Design frontiers

Statistic and Policy are like holding dog’s tail & allowing him to bark.

Development finance as an attributes

Generic principles of Urban Design

Virtual topography

Land contour vs. natural contour.

Morphing phenomenon of public to everyday

Structural device vs. empirical device.

Command principle of planning

Social engineering

Both the thesis of KRVIA students evoked some sense of reaction due to its very nature of being Mumbai context specific, which would refuse to fit into pre-conceived notion. Atul thesis has been direct conflict with the MHADA rules vs. Production type. He challenged the policy structure and entered into design phase with phenomenon as Urban Design Principle. Although it appeared to be traditional ones but has direct impact on what we really see vast changing reality.

Mayuresh thesis attempts to articulate that urbanization of surplus is imperative reality. In such circumstances the first victims are natural resources & natural system in our context. The very often the natural system as an asset becomes the backyard of the city. The issues of built vs. natural system creates discord or disconnect. The design intervention demonstrates the method to make the asset as face of the city.

The second day began with the presentation of an individual institute with their experiments with the elective course:

KRVIA master’s hinges on idea of city of Mumbai as a laboratory, enumerating or delineating its own complexity and paradigmatic paradox. City transform much faster than pace of academia comprehension and conceptualization. The argument that we posed was articulated as:

What is theory?

What to theorize?

Is it theorizing assets & value system?

Is it theorizing outcome of surplus & exploitation.

It brings the fundamental question of construct of knowledge or structure of knowledge. The epistemological structure is an imperative condition to construct what need to be theorize?.

SPA HOSTEL

KANVINDE HOUSE

STUDIO-X: ERSICE.

As part of Rosa Cerveras studio came to Mumbai where studio X organized a review of the work they have done on Mumbai under theme of "Recycle Mumbai". The Columbia workshop exhibition got extended into the new interactive session with students from Spain. The KRVIA Masters students got to meet them and talk about the work as well.

The theme resulted into micro-urban insertion projects at various locations. The overall work was good exposure to KRVIA students mainly in the realm of theorizing and representation as urban researcher. The KRVIA students also presented the Nanded Studio work by going through all four site study and intervention.