Municipal Ward Office and Public Services

Gajera Vikas Kishorkumar

AR3024

The final project is a result of series of exercises like studies of Rem Koolhaas books - Elements of architecture Facade and Balcony, Case studies of specific buildings like Staats Gallery, Parc de la Villette, Lilavati Library, Centre Pompidou, Potteries Thinkbelt, Cabral yard Pavillion and Narayantala Thakurdalan. The project develops around the ideas of Time and Public in the neighborhood in Rajkot, Gujarat. The functionality of the project revolves around the need for public functions that are specifics to the area from the reading room to the Cattle owner's corporation, along with the Municipal ward office, Baalwadi, and a Veterinary emergency room. The project situates itself on an abandoned Tram station site, thus adding an information center for the history of the trams in the region.

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Building Case study Flashcards - Understanding the ideas behind the carefully chosen buildings Staats Gallery, Parc de la Villette, Lilavati Library, Centre Pompidou, Potteries Thinkbelt, Cabral yard Pavillion, and Narayantala Thakurdalan, which falls under the theme of this studio.

Elements of Architecture- Rem Koolhaas book study - Studies of the books Facade and Balconies were done to understand various historic, political, economic, and ecologic factors behind the shaping of an element, such as the 70's Oil crisis and its effects on double facade practices. This provided a base for the critical thinking needed to develop the project.

Activity Mapping of neighborhood - These activities were studied to understand the behavior patterns of the public around such Nukkads of the neighborhood.

Accordion books of neighborhood walks and Ideas of time - The three neighborhood walks (book 1-3) helped to explore the corners and extend of the neighborhood. These walks helped to understand the area better in terms of what kind of public behavior and activities takes place, at the same time one was looking at the "notion of time "(book 4,5) in the neighborhood and in personal daily experiences.

Red Follies as Time in neighborhood - Follies are situated at the activity points studied before. The red follies look around the public points of the neighborhood and the notion of time with the elements and the assemblage of the structure. One element in each folly has been chosen carefully to reflect back on the idea of time and public.

Blue Follies as Public in neighborhood - Follies are situated at the public interaction points of the neighborhood. The blue follies look around the public points of the neighborhood and the notion of the public with the element of the balcony and the assemblage of the structure. The follies takes inspiration from the balconies that are in and around the area and tries to convey the publicness associated with them.

Conceptual Posters of the Architectural language - Most of the household of this area follows the aesthetics of west - an ideal way of built form. This kind of aesthetics has been developed by certain changes happened in economical sources and the idea of showcasing one's economical status. Thus, this project tries to cast light on this notion of architecture, while remaining a subtle approachable public building.

Visualization drawings of the Built form - The building takes shape around the idea of transparency, thus having parallel sides of pivoting louvers to make the inside transparent for the public. The materials are chosen to reflect on the surroundings, exposed brick walls with exposed RCC slabs helps the building to merge with the greens it resides in. While metal sheet cladding louvers hints at the change that the area has seen as an outcome of industrial(Imitation Jewelry) income sources.

Plan, Section, Elevation of final design - The functionality of the project revolves around the need for public functions that are specifics to the area from the reading room to the Cattle owner's corporation, along with the Municipal ward office, Baalwadi, and a Veterinary emergency room. The project situates itself on an abanded Tram station site, thus adding an information center for the history of the trams in the region.