Portfolio 2009-2014 RUBA FAUZAN Urban Designer Housing Water De-Gentrifying the Mill lands Studio Mumbai (Graduate)-Fall 2013 Submission for UN-Habitat Compeon 2013 Theme: Urban Revitalizaon of Mass Housing Submission for Vertcal Cies Asia Compeon Theme: Everyone Connects Submission for ULI Hines Compeon 2014 Hydrospan-Eastern Waterfront Studio Mumbai (Graduate)- Winter 2013 Water Rites-Worli Koliwada Studio Mumbai (Graduate)- Sprng 2014 Cumberland Bay at Sulphur Dell-Nashville,TN Transportation Parks and Heritage Harmonizing Vehicular and Pedestrian Circulaon Undergraduate thesis-2012 Rejuvenang Gem street -Lahore Professional Work- 2009 Parks and Horculture Authority Lahore
Transcript
Portfolio2009-2014
RUBA FAUZANUrban Designer
Housing
Water
De-Gentrifying the Mill landsStudio Mumbai (Graduate)-Fall 2013
Submission for UN-Habitat Competition 2013Theme: Urban Revitalization of Mass Housing
Submission for Vertcal Cities Asia CompetitionTheme: Everyone Connects
Water Rites-Worli KoliwadaStudio Mumbai (Graduate)- Sprng 2014
Cumberland Bay at Sulphur Dell-Nashville,TN
Transportation
Parks and Heritage
Harmonizing Vehicular and Pedestrian CirculationUndergraduate thesis-2012
Rejuvenating Gem street -LahoreProfessional Work- 2009Parks and Horticulture Authority Lahore
I invite you now to see what I see so you may know what I know...
INTRODUCTION
I received my architectural education in Lahore, Pakistan at an
interesting time. The regional government was working fervently, building mega-structures to resolve vehicular congestion in the city
Initially, I appreciated the efforts, but published critiques by the
intelligentsia and a simultaneous introduction to
global urban concerns in college, opened my eyes to how
politics oftentimes turns a blind eye to
farsight and actual need
This motivated me to look beyond what was
quintessentially labelled as urban Design and
who were the wardens incharge of its
transformation
Resolving basic need, is what we need
An emphatic realization of the importance of things like education and water is where my personal premise lies
Currently I have concentrated my efforts towards informing myself about the impending global water crisis, something that became
a concern for me during my exploration of Mumbai in a year long graduate studio, dedicated to the study of the remarkable city
Mumbai Studio 2013-2014
Spectacular..Spectacular..
The island of Mumbai is increasingly falling prey to gentriication and is in a steep downward tumble towards
a glaring societal inequity
Skyscrapers and the squalid sprawl battle it out in this city by the sea which daily re-defines ideas of citizenship and title
View from Kanchanjunga Picture by Jongbang Park (MUD 2014)
OPENINIG the doors to OPPORTUNITY
Where there is no land to spare, vast expanses of an archaic legacy- the Mumbai textile mills,
could and should run to the rescue
Digvijay Mills-MumbaiPicture by Jongbang Park (MUD 2014)
Housing
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DE-GENTRIFICATION
Penthouses-the income generators for the private developers
middle income towers
Low-income housing at the intermediate levels, along with commercial activity and public space
Slum and pavement dwellers re-housed at the base, open floor plan
Group Project with Jongbang Park-MUD 2013
De-Gentrifying the Mill landsStudio Mumbai (Graduate)-Fall 2013
HOUSING
Serving the rich and Speculation are the key words that ring out of every publication relevant to
the Mumbai real estate market
60%of the population dwells in either slums or on the streets while residential
high rises keep going up- unaffordable and vacant
Population
TATA Mills
SITE
The Mumbai MillsSECTION
Elphistone Mills
Central Railway lineParel station
Proportionate Landmass
Project AIM:
To create opportunities for equitable housing on the mill lands of Mumbai
The Mill lands are large pockets of prime real estate in the sardined city of Mumbai thatcurrently have dececript factories on it, which
once housed the thriving cotton textile industry
Breaking the boundary wallOpening up the ground plane for spontaneous appropriation
Creating the built structureIntermediate common spaces
Creating connective ramps on siteConnect to off site buildings for connections across the railway track
Surrounding activity pouring into site
Organizing the ground plane
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
The project was titled:
Mumbai Anthropocene
which brought attention to Mumbai as the largest democracy of the third world
Themes were chosen that were representative of this identity and were adapted into the project
Theme 1: Festivals
Theme 1:
Theme 2:
unite the multifarious population Are an exhibit of how people appropriate the spaces in the city
Theme 2: OvercapacityOvercapacity in time and space
It reigns over all aspects of city living
Opening up the ground plain to be appropriated by the city spontaneously reflects how the festivals cause for people to unite and self-organize and appropriate space in order to acomodate all
The formal program of the development, is an embodiment of overcapacity, accomodated into a singular form
The project has been critiqued as an embodiment of the very gentrification that it aims to contend
However, we wish for the proposed development to be seen, not as a concrete solution, but a statement that emphasizes the need to overcome all that it brings to the table
Most of Mumbai lives and works on the streets, the project embraces this local mannerism
Bred by need, it is effective, given the limitation of space The project emphasisez the democratic agency of those who do not
have 4 walls to dwell in, as entitled to space within the city
THE commons
“You are standing in my sun...”What is mine and what is yours?
Questions of commonly held assets within the cityThe project explores the potential of water to create community
within the city, and make a claim, that the city belongs to allBanganga-MumbaiPicture by Jongbang Park (MUD 2014)
Water
Worli village is one of the oldest inhabited land masses at the western edge of Mumbai
Unlike other low income communities, this piece of land is owned by the village folk themselves It is a commonly held asset, catered to by the Worli Koliwada Owner’s association
Current development pressure to house newpopulations in the city is seeing the potential development of the area with a threat of eradication of the village through its designation as a slum
Fishing is the traditional occupation of the villagers of Worli who reside on the site
The project however explores the possibility of using real estate development to create an alternative source of income whileallowing the villagers to retain their share of title in the land instead of having to sell it off to a private developer, as is trend
Water is an element that binds not just through necessitiy, but through culture as wellIt is a large part of religious ceremony among the many ethnicities in Mumbai
Worli, in particular has a uniue inclusivity for allThe project aims to enhance this aspect by creating development based around a shared Commons, and a shared model of housing which enables title to property
Each household in every parcel will lend an FSI of ONE to enable a high rise development built atop the
common space of the temple
The project divides the whole site into 4 parcelsEach parcel is divided according to proximity of a temple and a calculation of FSI
Temple space with enlarged footprint
infrastructure improvements
Baptism-Christianity
Daily Ablution-Islam
Ritual Bathing-Hindusism
Water RitesWater as a Catalyst for CommunityStudio Mumbai (Graduate)-Spring 2014
Banganga is a historic religious water tank in Mumbai that serves as an excellet example of the use of water as a commons
Each cluster has a temple situated on site In the new design that temple becomes the anchor for the Commons or
commonly shared space
The enlarged footprint of the temple houses a high rise development created by the lent FSI of the cluster
These new developments bring in improved access, water infrastructure, a ground plane held in common with the temple as a node and most importantly, it brings in,
the rest of Mumbai
These are various configurations of the type of water commons at the base of each high rise cluster
These are visually and physically permeable spaces that thread into the rest of the site, serving as:A passageA nodeA place for commerceA place of religious ritualA place for recreationA place for All
HydrospanWater
The Eastern Waterfront of Mumbai is a post-industrial, hazardous backwater where there are shipyards, petrochemical industries and oil refineries
Designated as undesirable, this part of the city is disconnected from the bustling South
The project aims at making use of this waterfrot to re-connect the area back to the cityThe span doing so will be guided by water as an organizing mechanism
Water is one of the most disputed resources in India, with a particular chronic dearth in Mumbai
Inaccessibility rather than a shortage is the cause for this There is no formal water infrastructure in place and the low income residents suffer the brunt of the rampant water politics
A minnimum of 7 lpcd per person is required on a daily basis.The data from Mumbai reflects supply per household, averaging 4-5 persons
Residential Buildings Slums 25% of slum population
The projects attempts to integrate water mechanisms into models of:
1.Brownfield Remediation
2. Housing
3. Integrated communal water distribution points
WaterGroup Project with Lilliana Gonzalez-MUD 2013
Adapting industrial infrastructure to water storage and treatment
facility
Megastructure
Bridging the gap
Aqueduct water distribution
for housing model
Collection and distribution centre at existing school
Acharya Donde Road
The linear span being developed
This aim of this project was to re-connect, using water A medium that unites the whole city
-Cleaning of the waterfront to make the space more habitable-To create another civic waterfront for the entire city
-To increase access to water by embedding it into a low income housing system -Creating public amenity program on site
School/distribution centre
Aqueduct Housing
Megastructure
A section of the entire span
A rendering of the structure bridging the span
The Development is done along a linear artery, Acharya Donde Road, that continues all the way into the city hubA megastructure stradles the railway track and elevated freeway, connecting this road to the water’s edge
It serves as an aqueduct carrying treated water from the facility at the waterfront to the distribution points along the stretch
It is also a pedestrian passage and is large enough to serve as a centre for community activities
A section of the entire spanA section of the entire span
Flamingos appear at this waterfront seasonallyThis particular aspect is used as a magnet for recreation
Outdoor theatre as one of the activities
Park underneath the structure
A passage
aqueduct
WaterHines Competition 2014
Hines Competition 2014
Phase-1 Phase-2
Section
Phase-3
Stadium
Bay
Plan for developing a recreational bay near the baseball stadium
Cumberland BayHines Competition-2014Halthy cities
The 2014 Hines competition,was aimed atre-developing a sparsely occupied brownfield area, just south of downtown Nashville
The objectives were:Creating a healthy cityMediating the threat of flooding
Creating a corridor that leads all the way up to the bayIt creates a passage, populated with activty, between the stadium and the bay
Sulphur Dell
Cumberland River
The flooding pattern shows the existing topography
Downtown
Creating the Bay itself and populating it with restaurants, shops and other commercial activities
Introducing the various forms of housing that cater to different income sets and ensure that there will be no gentrfication
The focus of the exercise was to emphasize the significance of a healthy urban environmentRedevelopment of a hazardous and desolate landscape into an active waterfront space
Pier on the bay for river cruises and watersports
Beach at the bay
Office space
Hotel
Office space
Big Box retail as an anchor
stadium
Housing
Housing Housing
*Commercial activity at first floor level in all strcutures*Creating a commercial corridor leading to the Bay
Housing
Housing
waterfront villas
Park at the bayintegrated with a bike pathRetaining a structure that spans
the water and houses a farmers market etc
The bay serves multiple purposes:
1. Mediating the flood that threatens the low lying area2. Creating a magnet point for development 3. Recreational centre on the riverfront for the city
Treating the topography in a manner that it encourages physical activity is an attempt at catering to the health aspect
The water-facing commercial activity breathes life into this part of the city, encourages real estate development
The pier at the waterfront encourages water sports, introducing healthy activities into the public realm
The river cruises capitalize on the presence of a waterfront and connect the area to surrounding ones in a creative manner
Big Box retail as an anchor
Topographically the site is a low lying basin right next to the riverfront. For this reason, our team carved out a bay at the waterfront to control varying water levels at the time of a possible flood 6 feet
10 feet
20 feet
Other Work 2009-2012
Mediating the differencesTransportation
Harmonizing Pedestrian and Vehicular Traffic
Lahore,is the second largest city of Pakistan-a population of 11 million and growingThe project was a critique of the existing efforts of creating a city for the car, where the majority population is pedestrian
60% of the population is pedestrian
90% of infrstructure funds go to road building
Linear Site: 1.2 Km in Ichra
Shama intersection
Shahjamal ntersection
Major cloth market
Major furniture market
Walking down the sidewalk, until there was no more...
Ferozepur Road
Lahore
Ichra
A car is speed and sex and emancipationIt makes its driver a self-sufficient nation of one
It is everything a city is not.
Undergraduate Thesis (2012)
A study of the circulation patterns of different modes of transport on siteThis is one of a series of studies, overlaid and applied to the design
The Design attempts at integrating not just circulation but stagnant activities as well
A few of the activities on site that allow social interaction
A Sketch of the existing activities and traffic flows on site
A bus stop, in the middle of nowhere
no place to be seated
The chosen site in particular is a hazard for pedestrians. Due to a lack of infrastructure for circulation people cross the road at random and there are a lot of pedestrian fatalities
The solution was to :-Create a dedicated bus corridor at road level -Depress the vehicular circulation to 8 ft below road level-Create cantilevered side walks at grade level -Overhead pedestrian bridges and passages to connect the sidewalks and parking structures
The connective elements are designed to house activities that allow for spontaneous interaction between people
All the traffic goes piling into the side lane
Creating Happy Cities
Public space is a gift for the people of a cityCreating more and diverse kinds of public space invites people
to connect and communicate-urban performances that take place in the public realm are what characterize a city and
breathe life into it
Parks and Heritage
LahoreWalled city
Ferozepur Rd
Gem street
Gem street Lahore is a narow alley behind the crumbling wall that encompasses the ancient quarter of Lahore This is one of many unique spaces in the ancient walled city, being preserved as heritage that need to be re-introduced to the fast growing city
Wall of a park opened up to view
Decorative wall where the vendors will be designated to sit with their wares
Existing situation in the AlleyVendors line both walls selling gems
Gem StreetPreservation and public area devProfessional Work-PHA (2009)
The ancient walled city was established by the Mughals that travelled to the Indian Subcontinent from Central Asia and conquered the region
Lahore was the centre of culture of the empireThe Architecture of all that exists in the walled city is reflective of the reign
The attempt of the project was to incorporate certain architectural elements that are from the Mughal era
These elements include:Planters in the wall in the alley
The overhead shades on the wallA vaulted entrance to the Alley itself
A vaulted etrance to the ParkThe Commemorative wall in the Park
The alley is alongside a park that shall commemorate a veteran of a traditional Sport “Kabaddi”The park is aptly placed next to the wrestling ground where memorable matches were held
The park as it is Kabbadi ground next door
Posters of wrestlers
Commemorative ParkKabbadi and The great Gama
A pioneer of the sport, The Great GamaA legendary match of Kabbadi
Decorative Wall dedicated to the Great Gama
University of Michigan-Taubman College of Architecture & Urban PlanningMasters in Urban Design Ann Arbor ,MI (July 2013 - June 2014)
COMPETIITONS & AFFILIATIONS
SKILLS & LANGUAGES
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
RUBA [email protected]/ 734 578 4380/ 48662 Central Park Drive, Canton MI 48188
University of Michigan-Taubman College of Architecture & Urban PlanningIndependent Research Assitant for Mclain Clutter (Oct 2014 - Present)
Skidmore Owings & MerrillUrban Design Extern Chicago, IL (May 2014- one week)
Albayrak ConstructionArchitect Lahore, Pakistan (Aug 2012 - July 2013)
National College of ArtsBachelors in Architecture Lahore, Pakistan (Feb 2007 - Jan 2012)
