Transmogrifying Special Development Zone, Gandhi Ashram

The studio is focused on the design aspects of urban transformations within the existing urban areas. Indian cities are growing rapidly in terms of population and therefore expanding physically. Increasing urban population and the growing urban incomes are affecting the demand for more and more built-floor space in cities accompanied by a demand for infrastructure. Urban areas within these cities are dealing with unsustainable levels of stress on infrastructure, resources, and public services and are becoming unlivable. To address these concerns, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoUHA) has initiated various schemes such as AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation), SMART CITIES MISSION, and HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation). These schemes enable planning for developing infrastructure in the brownfield areas through mechanisms such as Local Area Plans (LAP) and Town Planning schemes (TPS). Students work on the projects emerging out of these initiatives defined by studio tutors. The individual projects will emerge within the premise and have a strong design focus on the physical setting, however, issues of private ownership and social equity, land economics, planning models, project finance, and implementation strategies are also addressed.