A REPROACH TO GURGAON`S

NEIGHBOURHOOD :
SUSTAINABLE INCLUSIVE HOUSING

WHY? ( ISSUES)

SOCIAL EXCLUSION/ DEPRIVATION : ON THE BASIS OF CLASS, ECONOMIC STATUS, RACE,

ETHNICITY OR RELIGION ; ACCESSIBILITY TO A SELECTIVE FEW BY USING BOUNDARIES, GATES
OR SELECTIVE ADMISSION ; AN EXAMPLE OF ARCHITECTURAL POLICING OF SOCIAL
BOUNDARIES ; LEADING TO UNEVEN DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL POLARISATION.

REDUCED SOCIABILITY : THE INTERACTION BETWEEN DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF A

NEIGHBOURHOOD DECREASING WITH TIME EVEN IF THEY BELONG TO THE SAME SOCIAL
STRATA.

INEFFICIENT PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE : SHORTAGE OF WATER, POWER ; POOR PUBLIC

TRANSPORT SYSTEM ; HEAVY VEHICULAR TRAFFIC AND CONGESTED ROADS ; STATE`S
INCOMPETENCE AS COMPARED TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

STANDARDIZATION : A QUESTION OF IDENTITY ; LACK OF INDIAN-NESS OR REGIONALISM ;

ABSENCE OF THE SENSE OF PLACE OR COMMUNITY ; PRODUCTS OF TRANSNATIONAL
URBANISM OR GLOBALISED CONSUMERIST CULTURE ; FOCUSSING ON THE WESTERNISED
MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASS.

STAGNATION OF RESIDENTIAL MARKET : HIGH PRICES ; OVERSUPPLY IN THE SLOW

MOVING MARKET

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION : EXTENSIVE USE OF ALREADY DEPLETING WATER,

POWER ; HEAVY AIR POLLUTION BY MILLIONS OF AUTOMOBILES ; BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPED
GARDENS OF GRASS IN NEIGHBOURHOODS, LESS OF FOLIAGE ; ENERGY CRISIS ; NO HEED TO
CLIMATE RESPONSE, ALTERNATE SOURCES OF ENERGY OR RECYCLING.

DISLOCATED LIVE, WORK, PLAY

VISION ( PROBABLE SOLUTIONS ) :

SOCIAL INCLUSION : ACCESSIBLE TO ALL SECTIONS OF SOCIETY ; A MORE TOLERANT
APPROACH
INCREASING SOCIABILITY/INTERACTION : THROUGH SPACES THAT ARE COMFORTABLE
TOWARDS TRANSITIONS ; FLEXIBLE ; MULTI-FUNCTIONAL ; INTEGRATED ; SECURE ; INVITING ;
BALANCE OF OPEN-CLOSE, INSIDE-OUT.
REVIVING THE SENSE OF PLACE AND COMMUNITY : SENSE OF PLACE, COMMUNITY,
IDENTITY ; CRITICAL REGIONALISM ; AN APPROACH MIDWAY TO THE AUTHENTIC LOCALITY
MOHALLA (THE ORIGINAL NEIGHBOURHOOD) AND TRANSNATIONAL URBANISM.
SUSTAINABLE : USING ALTERNATE SOURCES OF ENERGY ; REUSE ; RECYCLE ; CONSERVATION
OF WATER AND POWER ; EFFICIENT SEWAGE DISPOSAL ; CLIMATE-RESPONSIVE.
AFFORDABLE : TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO ALL SECTIONS OF SOCIETY, IT NEEDS TO BE
AFFORDABLE ; TO COUNTER THE OVERSUPPLY AND STAGNATION IN MARKET DUE TO HIGH
PRICES.
IMPROVING HUMAN CAPITAL : TRAINING AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT ; COMMUNITY CENTER ;
MICRO CREDIT FACILITIES ; PROVIDING WORK AS SERVICES OR IN CONSTRUCTION ; ACCESS
TO KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION ; WHICH IN TURN RAISES THEIR FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL
CAPITAL
INTEGRATED LIVE, WORK, PLAY

Case studyARANYA A housing project, Indore

Situated 6 km from Indore, Madhya Pradesh is a housing project for the middle and
lower income groups of Indian population. Designed by architect B. V. Doshi of
Vastu-Shilp Foundation, Aranya, was awarded the Aga Khan Award for
Architecture in 1995.

Case studyARANYA A housing project, Indore

The general objectives or ARANYA were:
1- To create a township where a sense of continuity of fundamental
values of security exist and to plan a good living environment.
2. To achieve a settlement character by establishing a harmony
between the built environment and the people.
3. To create a balanced community of various socio-economic groups
encouraging co-operation, fraternity , tolerance and self help
generated through a physical planning process.
4. To evolve a framework within design where incremental physical
development can take place within legal, economical and
organizational framework.

HOUSING PLANNING
Plan initially prepared by
Indore
development
authority which shows a
typical rubber stamping
attitude
without any
concern for open space
hierarchy , circulation
system
,
climatic
orientation or the built
form. Basic grid pattern
envisaged for simple
layout

Initial
stage
proposed plan with
distributed
open
spaces and street
hierarchies. Twists
and
staggers
introduced
to
discourage through
traffic.

 Later stage of
development with
rectified
orientation to
minimize heat
gain and increase
natural shading.
Clear hierarchy to
be obtained.

Proposed master
plan with
interlinked open
spaces, built form
variations,
distributed
amenities, road
network
hierarchies and
climate friendly
orientation

Housing categories
The master plan was
divided into six sectors with
a central spine area of
commercial
and
institutional land use.
The town centre in the
middle part of the spine
consisted of four clusters of
shopping, residential and
office complexes.

Housing categories
The high income group
(HIG 9 per cent), is
along the periphery of
the national highway
and part on the south
east border of the
arterial road in the
south.
The
middle
income
group (MIG 14 %) is
planned
along
the
periphery
of
arterial
roads on north west
side and part on the
south arterial road along
the part of the spine.
The lower income group
(LIG
11%)and
the
economically
weaker
sector (EWS 65%) are
located in the middle of
all six sectors.

DIVISION OF SPACES
Residential : 58 %
Pedestrian : 24%
Open spaces : 7%
Commercial : 8%

SPACE USE

commercial facility; 7%
open space; 8%

pedestrian; 24%

residential; 60%

ANALYSIS OF THE PLANNING

1. Houses have been clustered in groups of ten, separated by open
spaces.
2. Each sector with main pedestrian street.
3. Otta, a transitional zone , is provided in front of each house which is
located between private and public space .
4.Ottas are provided as a meeting place or interactive place.
5. A septic tank was provided for two clusters.

CONCLUSION
1.Locally available building materials used for low cost
housing.
2. Interactive spaces are created e.g. ottas and pedestrians.
3. No parking space provided due to majority consists of
EWS/LIG groups.
4.Extensions such as balconies, open stairs and porches
acts as both indoor and outdoor characters.

COCLUSION
Community facilities grouped in local sub centers
Formal organization
Community facilities distributed evenly
Informality created
Accessibility improved
Lower level Community facilities organized in green spaces
.
The road network, designed according to the topography,
allowed for smooth gravitational flow of water.