Density Studies

Studying the density of a particular feature or facility in a city helps inform planning and policy decisions. For example, study of location of nursing homes in a particular region to know availability of health facilities. Kernel Density tool in GIS studies density variations of a given feature within a specified search radios.  The images below show a quick study I did for the density of Fire Hydrants in a particular area of my city. Each of these images has a different  search radius applied to it viz; 1500, 1000, 500 M.

1500 M Search Radius

1000 M Search Radius

       

overlay of streets to locate deficit area  

500 M Search Radius

Urban Concepts Exploration

My short term blog on urban design seminars and discussions at the university

Urban Character

Villiers Street eye level view for the proposed scenario 3 which maximizes terrace spaces for occupants with the desired solar access  


Villers street eye level view for the scenario with ecological corridor

The Possibilities

We developed three scenarios from our rule set by varying different rules to achieve a desired urban form and character. Using the physical model we modelled each scanario and refined and tested it for environenmental performance. By varying the rules we were able to achieve a scenario that creates an ecological corridor through the interior blocks the focus being on integrating green space and making it a public amenity that becomes the dominant character of this scheme. Another scenario focused on making for a vibrant public realm through a midrise and tower form typolgy. In  the third scenario we developed a staggered form that allows for maximum private green open space and sunlight to maximum facades of residential units.
 All the three scenarios explore different ways of integreating green space into the waterfront developement through green roofs, terraces, interconnected blocks and thus designing for an active physical, visual and psychologial connection to nature. Different schemes try to balance between rules to achieve a high density devlopment, environmental performance and sustainability goals.

Density Study..

Modelling FAR's from 8 till 5, we concluded 5 gave the maximum flexibility to play with our rule set. It also resembled the density proposed.

                                                   and The City Assembled !

Grand Urban Rules

As a team, this week we set up our rules for the precinct.. each prioritizing a different parameter in design. They were set up with regard to ecology, density and vibrant urban realm. Our next task is to generate three different scenarios from these which reflect these different priorities in design. Below is a study of one of the rules within these depicting different massing and their behavior in sunlight in context of Toronto.

Climate, Human Comfort and Urban Spaces

Good news.. here's what we discovered .. new soft-wares to aid our design!...
first one..Ecotect: analyzes the performance of a built form with respect to day-lighting, natural ventilation etc. It can also do analysis on urban scale, simulating solar access on streets and facades, wind movement patters and possibly view shed analysis. 
second one : Climate Consultant that can give us all climate related data with respect to human comfort zone and corresponding design guidelines.

We have split up for two different tasks; physical modeling and digital modeling.
One task is to model the solar envelope of the proposed project.Scanning Bosselmann report for Toronto 1990(found on UCLA website) reveals how sun and wind conditions effect human comfort in urban spaces and how built form needs to be regulated to achieve optimum micro climates on streets and in parks. This is done with design of urban form sensitive to solar access and wind movement. Hence its important that we know the sun and wind movement patterns and analyze their role in our design. The task to understand the solar movement in the sky and finding the plane of solar radiation that will give us the required amount of sunlight hours in urban spaces, took me through several geometrical calculations,diagrams and a mock model of sun's path before i could grasp it.
Following is the sketch of study conditions to analyze solar access taking form from the study:
1.chosen time period of the day 11am to 2 pm, 11 am to 4pm and 10 am to 5 pm respt.
2.chosen time of year; spring(3/21) /fall(9/23) equinox and probably winter solstice 12/21
3. plane where solar access desired; streets/parks/facades
Below is a diagram for solar envelope for blocks adjacent to Keating channel promenade. This allows for solar access for min 3hrs to all streets, 5 hrs to streets with retail and 7 hrs to parks (based on Keating channel report).

Massing Strategies

Following week...


As the studio is oriented towards evolving new Urban Forms, the first task we took was exploring various types of massing strategies at block level that have been proposed/developed recently. These were studied from dual perspective of sustainable practice and density. Two of Steven Holl's projects; linked Hybrid and Porosity block were quite distinct with their multi level public spaces with access to green space,deep geothermal wells that provide passive heating/cooling to the buildings and massing that could accommodate high density with a social connectedness. Other examples displayed different block configurations that could create a dynamic pedestrian space in the interior of the block, ranging in nature from public to semi public while allowing green scape or community facilities like sports fields or a wider urban program of retail interwoven through the block space. Ecological district at Saint Denis is a precedent for creating spaces that provide varied experiences along water's edge from natural to very public.

Introduction

All right..

This blog is dedicated to my summer studio. I hope to be able to share the progress of this amazing studio exercise we are about to start with anyone who is interested in sustainability and what it would mean for a future city.. how it will influence the form of a city and what will it actually mean to live in a Eco -City.

To give a brief intro of our studio composition and actors... We are a group of 5 students from 3 different countries of the world; namely America, China and India in masters of Urban Design program. This is our last studio where we have picked up an international city(outside USA); a growing metropolitan and will be exploring sustainable urbanism in its context. Its interesting to note here that right now half of world's population lives in cities and by 2050 more than 2/3rd of world will be living in urban areas.(check out the link: www.192021.org). How the cities grows is very crucial at this point in time to be able be accommodate this enormous growth wisely and safely for environment.Our last studio which focused on controlling sprawl and accommodating high density/concentration in a cohesive way was an important exercise in this regard. The current studio will delve deeper into the question of what a truly sustainable city with a need to absorb huge population will mean. Since this is a question what a urban planner/designer is ought to face in near future,i believe this studio will provide us a great stepping stone in the journey of this quest.

Our chosen metropolis is Toronto, Ontario in Canada. For the purpose of studio , we have picked up a proposed waterfront project by Michael Van Valkenburgh's firm. The project has already won many accolades for its environment sensitive approach and an sustainable solution to accommodate growth. Taking on the proposed plan , we will test and explore performance based zoning for the project. Our task will be to define a sustainable form at level of block, a couple of blocks and may be the entire neighborhood.We'll explore massing strategies, block layouts to allow for nature (sun, wind,vegetation) be part of the project. Our studio professor, who has set up this innovative studio exercise has invited two of sustainability phd students to assist us in testing the different scenarios.

I hope this gives an idea of what we'll be doing over the summer.I will keep updating the progress over the project right here.