Left and opposite page: Atkins’ knowledge transfer partnership scheme with Delhi’s School of Planning and Architecture involved working with a panel of 40 local residents to develop design solutions.
building local capacity. We’re also educating the people to engage with the design process in a meaningful way themselves. There is a certain resource required to make that a success.” Nevertheless, the KTP has already begun testing the concept with the Homes and Community Agency, sparking interest in showcasing the work with regeneration agencies – particularly in areas such as the West Midlands, where cultural diversity is especially high. Indeed, it is partnering with the Ashram Housing Association that serves the region. The association’s chief executive, Jas Bains, is a strong advocate of community-led design.
social and cultural lifestyle needs of middle- income Indian families. But these social advantages weren’t the only positive suggestions to come out of the workshops. Together with the residents, Atkins designed a sustainable and biodiverse environment suited to India’s increasing resource challenges.
Partly because of the desire for interaction, the masterplans cover a much smaller gross area than would typically be allocated for such a development, reducing infrastructure costs and saving space for future development or agriculture.
The modular designs allow for flexible construction. This means that no houses will sit empty and people can move while construction is still under way. The plans also include areas dedicated to biodiversity and spaces where residents will be able to grow their own food. At the residents’ request, the neighbourhoods have been designed to allow for maximum social interaction – providing socially sustainable communities where people can develop long-term friendships. This will aid retention and help to develop supportive,
self-reliant communities. Resource conservation was another key consideration throughout the design workshops, so solutions such as rainwater harvesting and storage have been included throughout.
Forward thinking
The main challenge, Nasser says, will be “mainstreaming” the workshop way of building the briefs so that it can be adopted across the professional world. “It’s resource-intensive, because you’re spending time listening to people as well as
“Cuts in public-sector funding mean that community voices risk being lost in the shuffle,” Bains says. “Community-led design is about more than putting up four walls and a roof over someone’s head. It’s about encouraging involvement where there may not have been before. It’s about defining community in a real and physical way, and giving local people the chance to have control over their environment.” Atkins is planning to run a series of workshops and seminars with local authorities, land developers and public- private partnerships to form strategies to deliver the concepts developed through their research. “We intend to develop new ideas in masterplanning by using the findings from these workshops,” says Richard Alvey, chair of Atkins’ Masterplanning network. “We’re hoping that this will help to derive new patterns, structure and building typologies for multicultural communities, and that we will be able to expand this concept both within the UK and overseas.” With about 800 million square metres
of commercial and residential space needing to be built in India by 2030 – the equivalent of a new Chicago every year – these new masterplanning ideas could just be the key to solving the country’s looming growth challenge.
41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44