DYNAMICS OF GREEN DESIGN IN MACRO SCALE – A QUESTION OF SUSTAINABILITY

1. C
ONSCIOUS URBANISM
DYNAMICS OF GR
EEN DESIGN IN
MACRO SCALE
– A QUESTION OF SUSTAINABILITY
Nilanjan Bhowal
Arunima Chatterjee

2. Any discussion of urban
design which does not
address environmental issues
has little meaning at a time of
declining natural resources,
ozone layer destruction,
increasing pollution & it’s far
reaching impacts on the
pattern of living in the urban
fabric.

3. • IS THERE AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS ?
• WHAT IS THE NATURE & EXTENT OF
URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION ?
• WHAT ARE THE UNDERLYING CAUSES ?
• WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS TO IMPROVE
URBAN ENVIRONMENT?

4. POLLUTION CONTROL IN CITIES
ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS
BIKE PATHS & PEDESTRIAN
TRAFFIC IMPORTANCE
GREEN POCKETS TO REDUCE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT
USABLE PUBLIC SPACES
INTEGRATED APPROACH

5. URBAN ENVIRONMENTALISM
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Ethics and respect for the individual.
Participation and democratization.
Structuring through networks.
A return to the natural world and sensory experience.
Controlled urban density and mixed development.
Respect for the g e nius lo c i , or spirit of place.
Ecology and economy.
International co-operation.

6. ENVIRONMENTAL HUMANISM
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Equilibrium between the built & open
spaces
Preservation
Urban diversity.
Social & community mixes.
Traffic control
Protection of water & air quality.
Waste management
Conservation of urban heritage.

7. Experiments in Community level…..
……. Township design

8. CIVANO : An experimental community development in American Southwest
The Problems
– Sprawl
– Predominance of the
automobile
– Lack of community
– Destruction of ecosystems,
green spaces
Techniques
– Considering energy in
Planning
– New Urbanism
– Transit-Oriented Development
– Conservation Subdivision
Design
– Smart Growth
Sustainability goals include:
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Reducing potable water
consumption by 65 %
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Reducing home energy
consumption by 50%
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Reducing internal vehicle miles by
40%
•
Creating one job onsite for every
two residences
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Reducing landfill-destined solid
waste
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Providing 20 percent "affordable
housing“
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Developing a cooperative city

9. Civano site plan : neighborhood growths
- Pedestrian streets within community
& parks /
natural green spaces
- Peripheral vehicular movements
• Distinct separation of vehicular &
pedestrian movement.
• Green buffers.

10. MASTER PLAN & R
OAD NETW
ORK
Functional open space
Principle 1: Manage Congestion
Natural open space
Principle 2: Balanced/Active Streets
Existing multi-use trail
Enhanced side-walk
Divided urban pathways
Proposed multi-use trails
Pedestrian connections
Principle 3: Streets as Places
Principle 4: Interactive Streets
Principle 5: Pride of Place
Principle 6: Public Art to enhance community
integration
Main roadway
Arterial roadway

11. MICRO & MACRO GREEN STR
ATEGIES
SOLAR POWER GENERATION IN COMMUNITY
LEVEL DESIGN
GARAGES AS BUFFER ZONE WITH PV
CELLS AS GREEN ENERGY DESIGN
WATER CONSERVATION/RAIN WATER
HARVESTING & PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN
XERISCAPE & INDEGENIOUS PLANT
LANDSCAPING IN COMMUNITY LEVEL TO
CONSERVE WATER

12. ARCHITECTURAL VENTURES – Low Energy, passive design
MATERIALS
CONSTRUCTION
DESIGN
PLANNING
STRAWBALE
ADOBE
RAMMED EARTH
PRE-FAB CONSTRUCTION

13. AUROVILLE : An experimental township in South India
Centrifugal plan
with Spiritual
foci.
Line s o f fo rc e
separating
different zones
surrounded by
a natural green
belt.

14. EVOLUTION OF THE URBAN FORM
Roger Anger:
"Mother had given a couple of
parameters: the division of the city into
four areas, or zones, and the number of
people for whom the city is envisaged
(50.000). The division into those four
zones (industrial, residential,
international and cultural) is unique, and
has no precedent in town planning.
Four-part master plan idea by Mirra
Alfassa, "the Mother“ of Auroville.
1967 Galaxy Master Plan
1966 Nebula
1967 Emerging
Galaxy

15. PRINCIPLES
• Auroville is an attempt to
develop a utopian city with an
ideal community and self
sustenance were the driving
force would be to realize human
unity in diversity.
• This concept reflects in the city
planning which integrates the
new age metropolis as a mean
to exercise ecological
sustenance in living.
• The Green Belt is a fertile zone
for applied research.
• The resulting innovative
methods can be
applied/extended in both rural
and urban areas everywhere.

16. residences
matrimandir
INTERNATIONAL ZONE
bharat niwas
RESIDENTIAL ZONE
CENTRAL
ZONE
GREEN BELT
Spiritual center
Experimental architecture
International Pavilions
Visitor’s activity zone
Apartments & single dwellings
Exploring global parameters

17. research facilities, factories
Social Development
Cultural Development
Human Development
INDUSTRIAL ZONE
recreation, art
& culture
Environmental Development
Climatically responsive,
energy efficient architecture
Low energy content building
materials
CULTURAL ZONE

18. GREEN ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING STRATEGIES
RECHARGE
RESERVOIR
COMMUNITY WITHOUT
BOUNDARIES
RAMMED EARTH
STRUCTURE
STREET SCALE &
TRAFFIC
SEGREGATION
PUBLIC
CONVENIENCES IN
VARIOUS SECTORS
THATCH, WATTLE & DAUB, ADOBE
& ORGANIC STRUCTURES

19. TWO GEOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT URBAN EXPERIMENTS W
ITH
SUSTAINABLE GOALS
Conscious Urbanism in Auroville
Civano is a direct
implementation of a new
development pattern allowing
people to meet economic
needs while maintaining social
values and ecological
harmony.
Civano's master plan anticipates
construction of about 2,000 homes
and apartments using significantly
lower natural sources than
conventional homes within a broad
price range.
Civano was designed to protect the
environment and, every home at
Civano is certified by the US
Government to reduce the energy
costs for heating and cooling by at
least 50%.
Harvested and reclaimed water is
promoted. Extensive walking and biking
paths reduce auto usage for internal
circulation and create a livable
community.
addresses issues – from organic food
generation to water, energy, architecture,
construction materials, technology,
waste management, pollution, traffic and
even self – governance.
Although originally intended to house
50,000, the actual population today is
1,829
Vehicular traffic (quantity, movement)
needs to be planned and controlled
(Civano is a good example for
pedestrian and vehicular traffic
segregation)
Low-energy building materials and
sustainable techniques adopted at the
micro scale. (rammed-earth,
compressed earth blocks, ferro
cement, funicular shells etc. have
been extensively tried at Auroville by
various architects)

20. TH F
E INAL QUE TION
S
EXPERIMENTAL TOW
NSHIPS vs EXISTING CITY DYNAMICS : BALANCE?
LESSONS?
TIME?