Digana Civic Hub - A community Node at the Town center

SLIIT

Project idea

DIGANA CIVIC HUB
A COMMUNITY NODE AT THE TOWN-CENTER

"People make cities, and it is to them, not buildings that we must fit our plans."
- Jane Jacobs

People and places are two strongly interdependent factors in the architectural world. A break or disconnectivity of the two could lead into chaos and conflict with each other.
Digana is a suburban township to the city of Kandy originally planned as a commercial town of under the Mahaweli accelerated project. It is home for the resettlers for the past 3 decades.
With the thesis research and analysis it was understood that Digana is a township which was designed with unique architectural character and urban strategies but with time and the disconnection of its people and place. Through the urban design plan it was proposed to become the eastern commercial hub to the city of Kandy by not bringing in newly defined functions but an urban proposal that enhances it as a commercial township which it was built for.

Digana civic center is one such attempt that adheres the urban proposal which will reviving the social and physical realm through an architectural solution. With the initiative of the civic center it will become a catalyst in connecting and enhancing the public realm of the township by fostering public activities of which has so much potential in becoming a vibrant urban space with its spatial planning natural environment and people.

The design is an outcome of the integrated design initiatives thought in the process from the idea of the civic Hub design in relation to the urban design , its strategic identification and the design process with spatial technical and the practice aspects and will support the statement of civic center being a focal catalyst in reviving Digana.

Project description

THE BIG IDEA - CIVIC HUB

A civic center/Hub is a network of spaces or buildings that provide essential services to a city or town. A civic center is a prominent land area within a community that is built to serve as the community's focal point or center. It usually includes one or more prominent public structures, which may also include government buildings.
Civic centers are tailored to support the often very specific needs of communities. A civic center is the central administrative, entertainment, and cultural core of the town as a whole, and it represents the region and its citizens. The building serves as the focal point for all societies, groups, and activities.

Civic center as a focal point in the urban setting has a great potential in becoming a community node in the township which brings together its people place and context.
Hence it will be a space ,
• A community Node That enhances the connectivity within the township and its people
• The vibrant and prominent public space of Digana
• A place which provides economic benefits and opportunities for the local businessmen and the socio economic realm.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Digana was built as a township for the resettlers of those that lost their homes from the accelerated Mahaweli development project.
The resettlements were done according to the employment categories where the farmers that requested more lands were resettled in Mahaweli H division – Polonnaruwa and the commercial based entrepreneurs and families were resettled in and around Digana area.

Hence Digana was developed to become the commercial based town that provided them with spaces for their commercial activities. This resettlement plans disrupted The original communal village based structure and sense of togetherness and belongings. As a business based community they became more independent and competitive than being a community that thrives together.
Even the plans of the township had not provide them to have spaces with communal activities where it had been planned to have a monotones and repetitive structure Of shop houses in rows - market - internal bus station.

This with time have caused them to became dull and a self-oriented community. Which had also resulted in the abandonment of public spaces such as the bus station, the Cinema hall, the market, to be vague in use and abandoned.Without the communal sense and the idea of rising and developing as one township Digana has become a stagnant space.This has caused clashed in the different ethnic communities and segregation according to income levels and economic standards- for examples: the business man and living In the township- low income people working in quarries are concentrated towards the lower areas, high ended professionals living as the Digana village house scheme.

The potential of Digana becoming a vibrant well developed urban responsive township are already available in it but the void of connectivity and communities along with Their socio economic and cultural values have made Digana to be isolated and stagnant.
This void has the potential to be vibrant and active but is being neglected and disconnected with its people interactions, peoples to its space and spaces in relation to other spaces

Therefore the overall intension of the project is rather than the redesigning the whole township , to revive the void of connectivity, in the spatial and physical realms. The void as it Implies the commercial township already exists. What needs to be done is to revive it in a way that its people Will feel at home; a community to grow and develop themselves and will reclaim it as their own township together and neither is left behind.

Technical information

The civic center is an activator of the public realm of Digana.The design integrates views and connections of the existing context and promotes them as part of a interconnected network of urban spaces.
The formation of the design was inspired and influenced by the existing pedestrian movement patterns through the site and its connections.
the architectural style adheres to the tropical climate and architecture characteristics inspired by the original characteristics of Digana town.
The structure and architectural style of the civic center was inspired by the existing context yet the characteristics are not directly applied yet interpreted in a modern manner in breaking the monotone and reviving the space.
The building details were thought out in responding to environmental , and structural strategies and with the concerns of responding to the local building and planning regulations and feasibility.

Environmental strategies
Overall ambition:
Achieving a sustainable passive design solution that merges in with the urban structure of Digana with the understanding of the climatic resources available, and identifying the social and occupant behavior in the context responsibly with least impact on the climate and environment.
Environmental goals achieved through the civic hub :
1. A responsive design to the neighborhood and site
2. Achieving thermal comfort integrating passive approaches of sun and wind
3. Materiality in response to a sustainable design with less impact on environment
4. Environmental friendly Lighting and daylight integration into the design and the use of natural light in enhancing the architectural quality
5. Approaches of on-site energy generation

Structural strategies
Overall ambition:
To create a synthesis between architectural and structural form
In order to Achieve a sustainable passive design solution suitable to the built context of Digana.

Structural goals achieved through the civic hub :
1. A responsive design formation merging with the neighborhood and site
2. Integrating the structure to achieve passive design strategies
3. Materiality in response to a sustainable design and relation with the local context and availability
4. Hybrid ventilation systems to improve air quality into the design
5. building services to be provided with low environmental impact

The building materials for the civic hub were selected with deep analysis of long term use and local availability and impact. the use of materials bring out the concept of reviving the space by interpreting the use of them in a playful and vibrant manner with different textures and feels in reviving the space as a public space.