‘Commodious: Rethinking Intermodal Transit’

Shaurya Singh

UR2020

The project ‘Commodious: Rethinking Intermodal Transit’ aims to design a people centric transit space that includes the bus and railway facilities for the people of the town Kayavarohan located in Gujarat, India. The major design intent was to provide all user groups with a space that is built for their comfort, provides recreational opportunities to both passengers and non passengers and a structure that is grand enough to be a landmark and an identity to the town. An effort was made to provide maximum green cover and open to sky openings for natural light, ventilation and interaction with nature.

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A parallel is drawn between the personal experiences of travelling in a real and ideal transit center. Illustrations are drawn in the form of a comic strip that explores the different scenarios between these two types of bus stations. All perspectives are shown by including different user groups such as passengers, non passengers, employees, commercial groups, vendors etc.

It was important to know the current kinds of railway stations, bus stations and intermodal transit centers that exist all around the world before the design process began. For the same a study was done of two intermodal transit centers where the circulation and functions of the space were studied. Both these transit centers have functions clearly separated through levels and are important landmarks for the city.

Preparing area statements for the functions that would be included in the transit center and making an adjacency diagram to determine relationships and connections between spaces.

One of the major design intents behind the designing of this structure was to make it a landmark for all the people of Kayavarohan. An important structure that acts as an identity for the town. In order to do that, a roofing structure was placed which will give a sense of grandeur to the built. A pyramid roof was thought of to be placed because it is one of those structures that conveys the same intent. The process of designing the roof further went to a truncated pyramid which will give an open to sky space to the three courtyards allowing natural light and ventilation. Furthermore the extra slope was decreased and a valley was included in the opening which allows easy flow of rain water into the courtyards. This same unit of a punctured slab and a roof was repeated thrice and then the functions were placed in the same.

The major transit structure as seen in plan at the upper levels is divided in 3 equal units that get repeated thrice. At the ground level the parking for cars and motorbikes are given on the extreme left, the pick and drop lane is adjacent to the boarding station which has the staircase and elevator blocks that help in vertical circulation. Three courtyards and an open to sky roof is in the middle of all three units and seatings under the shade of green cover are given in front of the facade.

Section AA’: The cantilever structure rests on four columns with the partition walls staggered at the upper levels. Section BB’: The staircase flight takes people from the ground level to level 1 and 2; the footbridge is connected to an elevator for the differently abled; the waiting area is a double volume space that opens up to the central courtyard. Section CC’: It shows the vehicular circulation under the structure with human activities clearly separated through levels.

An exploded view that captures the human and vehicular activities that happen in the intermodal transit center where the ground level is majorly responsible for vehicular circulation that includes a lane for pick and drop, boarding bays and staircase blocks for vertical circulation, level 1 is responsible for immediate passenger information and waiting area, level 2 houses the recreational spaces for passengers and employees while also providing the working staff with an informal working environment.

The structure is majorly built out of concrete, the wall sections show the cantilever structure and the columns it rests upon. An individual unit of four columns, tapered beams, floor slabs and a folded concrete roof is repeated thrice which forms the entire transit center.

The exploded axonometric shows the building elements that are responsible for keeping the structure stable.

A South west view of the entire project ‘Commodious: Rethinking Intermodal Transit’ highlights the activities and human interaction with nature and the built.