Designing interactive Landscape for roundabouts

I thought of sharing this. Sometimes we design amazing architectural landscapes for challenging spaces like Traffic islands; roundabouts etc., when we think of such places, instantly what comes to our mind are words like Safety, sit-outs, maintenance of place and safe movements for pedestrians.

Things to keep in mind:

1. Study transportation and traffic movements - if required sort out safe movements.
2. Take pedestrians till the safe zone within protected area
3. Play of water and color for landscape/lighting
4. Textures of finishes
5. Height restrictions of elements of design and plants
6. Focal points for design
7. Most importantly scale and proportions
8. Safe Approach

Image above is an example of the same downloaded from some good website.
Below image is my own creation that keeps in mind list above.
I got good design commendation for the same.

Further to this I share internal courtyard done for a corporate office keeping it simple and serving as 'Think tank ' and for refreshing 'breaks' from work environment.

Its a 'Space within a Space '.

How to play Chopat ( An ancient Hindu game )

Game set-up

A 'Chopat' is traditionally an embroidered cloth in the shape of a cross. ('Cho' means 4 and 'Pat' means area/territory ). Each 'pat' is divided into three columns and each column is divided into eight squares.The “dice” are seven cowry shells - 'kodi'. The “men - pyadu” or pieces are usually made of wood. Each player has four men.

How to play:

A maximum of four players play this game, each sitting in front of an arm of the cross.The centre of the cross is “ghar" or home for all players.The center column on each arm of the cross is the "home column" for each player’s men after they cross the flower motif. The starting point for each player is the flower motif on the column to the left of his home column. Each player is required to enter his four men into the game from the starting point. The men travel around the outer perimeter columns (17 squares per arm of the cross) in a clockwise direction. Before a player can bring any of his own men “home”, he has to knock out at least one man of another player. This is called a “tod”. Only the player’s own men can enter the home column of each player. Once the men cross the flower motif, they are played by laying the pieces on their side to indicate they are in their final home stretch and are safe now from any further attack.

Point system for chopat: All seven cowry shells are used in each throw. Point system as below:
All 7 facing down – 8 points
1 facing up, 6 facing down – 11 points
2 facing up, 5 facing down – 2 points
3 facing up, 4 facing down – 3 points
4 facing up, 3 facing down – 4 points
5 facing up, 2 facing down – 25 points
6 facing up, 1 facing down – 30 points
All 7 facing up – 16 points

 

Point of Entry

To start, each player takes turns throwing the cowry shells. The player with the highest score starts first.
A player can only enter a man into the game if he has a “high” throw - 8 points or higher. The starting point for each player is the flower motif on the column to the left of his home column.

 

Playing

The men travel around the outer perimeter columns in a clockwise direction from their starting flower motifs.
For each high throw, a player gets an additional throw. If he has three consecutive high throws, they “burn” up - "beli jaye" and he loses a turn.
If a player has multiple throws in a turn because of a “high” throw, he is allowed to move different men for each of the throws.
Once all four of his men have entered into play, any further throws of 11, 25 or 30 points by the player results in the granting of one additional step or point called “peghedu”. This is a bonus point. This peghedu (single step) may be used to move another man, separate from the man moved for the throw itself.
At any point in the game, if a player has no men who can move the amount of a throw, that throw is forfeited.

Safe Squares

The squares with the flower motifs are “safe” squares. Two opposing players’ men can both land on the same square with no harm to either.
If two men of the same player rest on a single square, they are safe. Men of other players can move past this square on their turn although they cannot land there.

Knock Out

Each player has to knock out at least one man of another player – do a “tohd” or "hit" - before he can bring any of his men home.
This is done by landing his man on any square other than one with a flower motif, occupied by a single man of his opponent. The knocked out man is taken out of play and has to be re-entered into the game the usual way.

Counting Strategies

Each arm of the cross has 17 squares for moving so:
1. "aanth ghar pacchees" - move 8 for throw of 25 - count 8 squares forward and move to the corresponding square on the next arm of the cross.
2. "tehr ghar trees" - move 13 for throw of 30 - count 13 squares forward and move to the corresponding square on the next arm of the cross.

Safe in final home stretch

The home column for each player can only be entered by his men if he has already made at least one “tohd”.
Once the men cross the flower motif, they are played by laying the pieces on their side to indicate they are in their final home stretch and are safe now from any further attack.

Each man enters the center cross “home” only with the exact number of steps. If the throw is higher than the required number of steps, and if it cannot be used by any other of his men still in play, that throw is forfeited.

Winning

The first player who brings all four of his men home is the winner.
Play continues for second and third places until one last player has men remaining on the board.

Continue playing

After a player has brought all his men home, he can continue to play with the others.
This is called “gandu kadhyu” - being silly. The player can move one of his men out of the cross center home and enter play in a counter-clockwise direction with the piece played lying on its side. This man can knock out other men but cannot itself be knocked out. This is a source of much hilarity!

Green Building & Sustainability

Green Building is a design and construction process that promotes the economic health and well-being of your family, the community, and the environment. A smart step toward economic rewards, Green Building also has positive social and environmental ramifications that assert commitment to the future and the way we live for years to come.

A green building is designed to conserve resources and reduce negative impacts on the environment - whether it is energy, water, building materials or land. Compared to conventional construction, green buildings may use one or more renewable energy systems for heating and cooling, such as solar electric, solar hot water, geothermal, bio mass, or any combination of these.

Green Design for Sustainable environment

This is a term used in the building, furnishings, and product industries to indicate design sensitive to environmental-friendly, ecological issues.

Sustainability design components towards achieving ZERO ENERGY ARCHITECTURE

Sustainability design components can be broadly described as below:

1.       Regional aspects, climatic response,  Building Orientation and Massing

2.       Site Specific criteria & use of recycled materials

3.       Selection of Spatial Elements and Materials for Distribution centre Ware House Design for Passive Architectural Energy for cooling

4.       Ventilation for indoor Environment

5.       Energy Efficiency/conservation – Lighting

6.       Selection of Construction Materials (Sustainable)

7.       Energy Efficient Landscape Design & Native planting, Pathways, Green roof

8.       Waste Water for recycling & Rainwater harvesting

1.       Regional aspects, climatic response, Building Orientation and Massing

  

For hot humid climate like India, Building orientation and Massing play a major role to achieve sustainability. Building size can be worked out with the appropriate width and length ratio and can be oriented to utilize the natural light and gain of natural energy by producing CAD generated sun path models in software. The exact sun path can be used to determine building dimensions and to work out better construction details of building elements as seen in basic diagrams above. In short, Building form can be worked out with the development of Energy aspects up to fenestration strategies. Building can be modeled on a computer software program that will analyze its basic thermal and day lighting performance and simultaneously act as a design massing tool to assist in the design process. Thus Regional climatic data will set the criteria for the Building design with the help of preliminary simulations, aesthetics and building program criteria for determining an optimal shape for the building and its location on the site.

2.          Site specific criteria & use of recycled materials

Site specific Eco-system that can filter and oxygenate the air supply, retain water and replenish ground water and provide ambient cooling to the building should be studied in advance to work out appropriate Architectural design. Focus can also be given to increase the use the recycled materials in site finishes and furniture for the project. Architectural design can explore the possibility of shaded and landscaped areas to enhance the fresh air ventilation strategies and water reuse/reduction strategies. Green areas can be introduced more and parking/vehicular interference can be minimized.

3.          Selection of Spatial Elements and Materials for Distribution centre Ware House and associated Building Design for Passive Architectural Energy for cooling

Use of spatial elements like courtyards, corridors, pergolas, breathing membrane or screens can be encouraged to achieve sustainable design.  Cluster formation around shaded green areas, Introduction of corridor space towards sun exposed external edge of the building help to keep inside temperature to minimum compared to the conventional model of warehouse design. Courtyard can also be introduced in design as a ‘light well’ to provide natural light to adjoining spaces and can also work as a traditional gathering space. Courtyards also help to stack the ventilation by providing cool air to the adjoining spaces with relieving hot/used air. Wind towers are also in a way transformation of such spaces for the purpose of ventilation. These help very well to ‘catch’ air, reduce the temperature of air by cooling it down as the heavy cool air tends to pass down. This air can be supplied to air handling units that can substantially reduce the load on the HVAC systems. These spatial elements should be introduced in architectural design and detailing with the help of modern technological innovations.  As the Ware house Building cooling load can be determined at design stage itself, architectural mass, size and proper orientation will help to reduce the cooling load by appropriate design options. Passive cooling can be introduced for sustainability.

4.          Ventilation for Indoor Environment

This is considered to be the key of healthy living. Poor ventilation strategies can result in either too much energy being wasted to ensure adequate ventilation, or on the reverse side, too little air being provided to improve overall building energy performance. Possibility of ventilation options can be worked out at Design stage itself including source reduction options for improvements in indoor air quality and to save on energy. This also includes strategies to improve outside air quality by shaded trees and exterior planting options which help to filter air intake locations. Proper ventilation can also be achieved by proper fenestration details at design stage. Roof aerators can also be used for electricity needless ventilation.

These can effectively reduce difference in temperature inside and outside the Ware house to improve working environment inside and for advance work Efficiency.

  

5.          Energy Efficiency/conservation – Lighting

As the Ware house structures produce a large roof area exposed to sun, this can be fully or partially utilized for Energy Efficiency/Conservation. Use of Solar Cell and Photovoltaic Cell can be introduced for roof Structure for sustainability. As available roof areas are large in size, this will help in great source of energy saving/conservation to take the architectural design towards ZERO ENERGY ARCHITECTURE. Sky light for indoor space should be introduced as per the interior lay-out of ware houses. This will save on required lighting level in a great way. These Solar cells can also store the solar energy which can be utilized for other power operated areas. Moreover, Energy efficient fluorescent lighting can be used to achieve energy efficiency as these indirectly reduce production of CO2. This will reduce lighting load which in turn will reduce both power consumption and cooling requirements. Window/ opening locations can be worked out at design stage along with lighting grid scheme to save on additional lighting. Sensor lighting system can help save on lighting required. Also for site lighting for internal roads and gate house, Solar cell operated lighting arrangement should be adopted to save on power consumption.

6.        Selection of construction materials (Sustainable)

Construction materials and other materials are selected wherever possible to have a low embodied energy, a recycled content and a potential for recycling in future. The interior finishes of the building are selected to support clean air initiatives.

7.       Energy efficient Landscape design & Native planting, Pathways, Green roof

Energy efficient landscape design can be proposed for the purpose of conserving energy. As far as possible native plantation based on the location of site should be encouraged. Trees with more shaded space should be used to reduce the cooling costs.  Trees can create ‘windbreaks’ to slow winds near buildings to prevent heat loss inside the buildings. Where there is a contoured site, Buildings can be positioned to take maximum advantage of natural landforms to work as windbreaks. These should also encourage ‘ Earth sheltering’ for the creation of shaded spaces as per design requirements. Green roof concept can be adopted to cool the buildings with extra thermal mass. Landscape design can include local materials, on-site composting and chipping to reduce green waste hauling, hand tools instead of gasoline-powered and also may involve using drought-resistant planting in arid areas, buying stock from local growers to avoid energy in transportation. Special site features are introduced for their potential to enhance the sustainability of the project. Natural waterways, forested areas and fields may provide cooling, water filtration and fresh air. Introducing filtration ponds can reduce pollution from paved area run off.

8.       Rain water harvesting  & waste water recycling

Rainwater harvesting can reduce potable water demands. As large roof areas can be possible source for the collection of rain waters, this can be harvested and used as an alternate source for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation. This cal also be used for the storage requirement for any proposed on site fire-fighting water tanks. Water sensitive design can also aim to manage storm water by reducing run – off increasing water storage on site facilitating infiltration on to the ground and encouraging conveyance of storm water in a way that more accurately replicates the natural system. This also increases permeable surfaces. Natural ground can also act as a natural filtration medium to store the rainwater. For this, the site slope is worked out by creating artificial ponds on site to act as possible collecting mediums. Some species of plants can also work as filtration medium and also holds soil to prevent the soil erosion. This system can also be used to collect and re-use water from vehicle wash which is a major activity for Distribution Centre heavy traffic systems. Low flush toilet system can also save on water required. On site foul treatment plan can be introduced so that all foul water can be treated on site and discharged on site.

My first ever Blog

My Dearest little Prerak,

My first Blog is for you - a poem about our experience:

On a usual late evening with my son and wife,

To enjoy a cool breeze while having a scooter ride,

I saw a pigeon lying at a road side,

We stopped near footpath to see everything was alright….

The poor bird looked thirsty and weak to me,

I was sure it was this hot summer season more than anything,

We took it to nearby water source in my palm,

Somehow it didn’t drink water I don’t know why….

I sprinkled some water on this bird,

In a hope to make some quick difference,

For sure it was comfortable more than before,

The poor bird looked at us to thank for sure….

I wanted to put it on a tree branch,

It refused to leave our family and warmth,

I looked around to search a ‘shelter’ for this one,

Could not find a better place than a niche high up….

We noticed a crowd of dogs nearby,

Were worried for this little one how can we leave it by,

We confirmed everything was fine with it,

We left the place with good relief….

We were very pleased and happy for it,

To be fortunate to help someone in need,

I am sure there are more such ones,

Can we offer a little help I ask each one…?