Remodelling Residences

The focus of this studio was space planning and organization. The students were required to - understand the users and stakeholders - to respond to an actual site and its context - to respond to climate - identify and choose an appropriate structural system Prototypical pol houses were studied to understand and appreciate the traditional vernacular house and utilize and incorporate its wisdom in the new design. The task was to design a residence for a family including five people. The site was located in the pols of the old city of Ahmedabad, selecting a house in a dilapidated and broken state Some elements such as windows, doors, wooden columns, beams, joists, staircase etc. have been salvaged. These salvaged elements were to be reused in the new design. The task was to design a residence for a family in the given site, keeping in mind the individual needs of the family members while responding to the site context and the climatic conditions. The students were required to make an overall proposal which reused salvaged elements from the old structure, propose a structural system and plan the interior spaces along with furniture layouts.