In the process of uncovering the history of development plans in the Maximum City through 18 case studies, the architect says he has learned a lot from the residents of Mumbai.
In the process of uncovering the history of development plans in the Maximum City through 18 case studies, the architect says he has learned a lot from the residents of Mumbai.
Six years ago, Mumbai-based architect Sameep Padora was approached by a developer to design an affordable housing project, for which his firm conducted several field studies. He says that through this project, he found many beautiful examples of housing types responsive to the need for light and ventilation.
“This study was published as a book in the name of residence, The next question we asked ourselves was why some of these elements that make up a sensitive living environment were no longer possible from a physical or social health standpoint,” says Padora. Reasons for Seeking Answers to (D) Coding Mumbai is an ongoing research exhibition by his firm’s research initiative, Spire in Mumbai, which analyzes the last 100 years of regulations for housing in the city that have influenced its housing and urban development. shape has been shaped.
Since housing constitutes much of a city’s built form, building codes and development plans that regulate housing consequently determine its built form, explains Padora. Addressing his goal with this exhibition, the architect hopes that a study like this will be able to provide important insight into the history of development plans and regulations in the city, their implications and pinpoint some of the major concerns for consideration . A Development Control Regulation (DCR) for the future.
“Mumbai’s megacity is on the verge of another paradigm shift in the way its urban form will be produced and this will have a serious impact on the city’s living and functioning. One of the key actors in this transformation, we believe, will be DCR and development planning.
Modified IFBE Location
inside the ice factory
Case study aside, (d) the coding of the Mumbai venue – the revised IFBE – also mirrors Padora’s research. The newly opened site at Mumbai’s Ballard Estate previously housed an ice factory in one of the city’s oldest dockyards. “IFBE Space admires our research as it seeks to bring to the fore the city’s current challenges – specifically questions of how to deal with the city’s old built-up stock. IFBE demonstrates that demolition and reconstruction are the only forms of development Should not happen, we need to consider alternative, more sustainable models of development through repair and adaptive reuse,” says Padora, Kamal Malik and Arjun Malik, architects and owners of Ice Factory Ballard Estate by Sarita Vijayan. In addition, it offered to host research as the first exhibition to be held at IFBE.
Nearby Padora in the top 3 building laws…
…that he wants to cancel
Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) regulation that enables the distance between buildings to be reduced
Podium rules need to be revisited and the way they connect with the street and the city
Common building elements (generally considered under fungible FSI) also need to be remodeled to make housing projects more livable and livable
…wants in force
privately owned public space
Frame-Based Building Regulations
Regulations that take into account the living and cultural dimensions of the neighborhood
Given how Mumbai’s building and development regulations have evolved over the years, was it a challenge to document it through 18 case studies – one involving public participation? Padora explains that while it took two years, it took years of the pandemic to reflect and refine the studies. “The residents were forthcoming and engaging. We learned a lot from their experience, especially in today’s redevelopment driven landscape in the city. We tried to be the students of the city,” says Padora.
track timeline
In the exhibition, two points in Mumbai’s timeline are benchmarked: first, when, after the plague of 1896, new sets of laws were written to enable better lighting and ventilation for the city’s residents, and second, doctors. Report from For You 2018, the poor health of residents of the three colonies due to poor planning of the buildings in which they lived. The city, they say, came full circle. “The pandemic has only brought to light a situation that has existed for some time. Any rules regarding the distance between buildings, lighting, ventilation, etc. are important to the quality of life that we experience. With climate change and the imminent threat of flooding, resilience planning is also important,” explains the architect.
near padora
The study is structured around three distinct planning phases in Mumbai after 1896. Phase 1 (between 1896 and 1933) is regarded as the moment of urban explosion, or a moment when rapid measures were taken to expand the city to the north. Phase 2 (between 1964 and 1991) is regarded as the moment of urban sprawl, when the ambition to move the city into the Salsette region, or the New Mumbai plan. Phase 3 (between 1991 and 2020) is envisaged as an urban transplant. This is the moment when development regulations turned into rules for the redevelopment of existing buildings and different types of neighborhoods.
better plan
So, is India’s urban planning in need of a radical overhaul? Padora says planners in India have a wide range of approaches designed to take more grounded, participatory and softer measures. “There is often a disruption where urban planning principles are at loggerheads with granular conditions at the neighborhood scale. Housing solutions need to be guided by looking at the whole structure as an ecosystem, from home design to ranging from the location of affordable housing projects, to the transportation network etc. To achieve universal home, we need to separate the notion of housing from the speculation of real estate.”
(d) A snapshot from Coding Mumbai
Along with the exhibition tour, there are also a number of lectures, panel discussions and workshops for visitors. Ask Padora about their top picks and they include panel discussions, Mumbaikars (on June 22) that bring together residents and residents of projects that have been documented in the book; Housing Futures (June 25) aims to discuss future ideas for housing in Mumbai with six experts from diverse fields.
(d) Coding of Mumbai continues till 25th June at IFBE, Ballard Estate, Mumbai