SHEKH SARAI HOUSING DESCRIPTION

1. Department of Urban Planning and Architecture
Pt. Lakhmi Chand State University Of Performing And Visual Arts
Submitted by:
SHIVAM(19040130)
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN- V
[GROUP HOUSING]
Bachelor of Architecture
Submitted to:
Ar. AJAY BAHU JOSHI
Ar. SHALINI SHEOREN

2. HISTORY OF GROUP HOUSING IN INDIA
After independence, there was a rise in migration and disorganization in the settlement patterns of the country, especially
in the urban areas due to the partition and the country was in need to generate new housing facilities for the citizens. The
government of India thus came up with several Housing schemes to deal with the issue such as LIG Housing Scheme, MIG
Housing Scheme, Slum Clearance and Improvement Scheme, etc., and also emphasized developing planned cities.
Simultaneously, with the advancement of technology and industries, a rapid rise in the number of Industrial townships
throughout the country was visible. These townships provided housing for the workers of the industries, with
correspondence to the hierarchy of their work, along with other essential facilities such as schools, markets, recreational
spaces, and gathering areas.
By the 1990s with the onset of liberalization and the entry of the private sector into real estate, there was a mass
development into the urban areas of the country. Since then, the size of the houses shrunk, the stories of the apartment
buildings grew, the cost of living increased, and also led to the growth of several illegal settlements, ‘slums’ in the urban
areas. On the contrary, the houses in rural areas have also started adopting the materials used in the urban context,
concrete, and glass.
In the present time, India contains a rapidly growing population that has been unevenly dispersed throughout the country
due to the social, technological, and economical dissimilarities in the country. This irregular disintegration of the
population has also led to the adoption of varying housing patterns in the country, however with a very mere reflection of
the architectural style unlike earlier.

3. SHEIKH SARAI HOUSING - NEW DELHI
The Sheikh Sarai Housing, a complex of 550 units in South Delhi, is a low-rise, high density scheme that combines
diversity in units with axial pedestrian networks for a range of spatial and visual experiences and is based on self-financing
scheme for Delhi Development Authority.
The design evolved from a specific area based programme for the Lower Income Group (LIG) and Middle Income Group
(MIG) detailed by the DDA. With peripheral parking, the plan strings together a series of variable housing types with
pedestrian squares, streets and pathways.
Area: 35 acres
Density: 100 Aptmts / ha
Total No. of Units: 550
Architect: Raj Rewal

4. The design is based on clear pattern: connecting movement to space, from person to neighbourhood and
pedestrian to vehicular. The individual-to-community equation was structured through a progression of private
spaces to squares of varying sizes with shaded paths running throughout. The vehicular to pedestrian zones flow
from the outer margins to the inner areas of the scheme, overlapping accordingly to create access points along the
periphery. All the units have been provided with courtyards or roof top terraces.
“The mass housing that Rewal built at Sheikh Sarai based on the haveli typology and traditional patterns of urban
space has been refined, purified and perfected into ideal ensembles of collective dwellings. Masterfully taking
advantage of the irregularities of the site, the Laboratories and the dwellings, with walkways, courtyards and
terraces offer a harmonious physical entity for living and working.”