SKY PARK - Neighbourhood Centre at Baruipur

Om Dayal School of Architecture (MAKAUT)

Project idea

The idea of the project was to develop a community market in the area that is sitting in between 3 residential zones. Since in the current situation no market place is available in the area residents have to take transport and shop from far away markets making daily shopping difficult. With upcoming residential projects happening in the area a need of a commercial zone or daily market is rising. Also with buildings taking up the green space in the nearby areas, natural green zones are diminishing. These problems faced by the community helped to form the main core this project.

SKY PARK is a 3 storied neighbourhood centre with an unobstructed free flowing green roof with ample amount of greenery and provides all the essential spaces needed for the community to grow itself.

Project description

Inside the complex the zones are divided in such a way that the user can navigate through the space easily and efficiently. Also due to the needs of the area and the local bye-laws the area of the ground floor of the structure is kept minimal with the upper floor areas increasing gradually, this helps in constructing all the areas needed without using ground coverage. The complex can be accessed with 3 main entries, 2 connecting to main road in front and 1 which is connected to the side road which is used by pedestrian walking in to the space for daily marketing. The front gates are used to enter the main entrance of the complex that leads to the centre of the site. Commercial zones are kept in front for easy visual access for the people walking down the street. One more reason for minimal use of ground coverage was to provide more green space in the bottom level to be used for multiple seating arrangements and creates ground for more landscape oppurtunity. There is also a pond on the site itself that provides it self as visual anchor and is used as resting space for a cafe inside the complex. These structures are independent on the ground floor but as it rises the structures merges one onto another to maximise upper floor areas while being structurally stable. The building in front of the site have two sky lights that are provided on top the roof that helps to enter ample of sunlight into the interior spaces all day. The community and the office blocks are separated and can be accessed with a set of pathways from the connecting road which are also provided with parking spaces at the back of the site.

The structure has a free flowing green roof that can be accessed from the interiors of the buildings or from two separate staircases outside of the building that connects to the core of the site. The idea was to give back the green space that is being taken by the structure itself. This green roof is provided with multiple seating spaces and provides opportunity for a food plaza and playing areas to eastablish. Also the existing trees on the site are not cut or hampered in anyway and the building is designed in such a way that it flows with the natural vegetation.

Technical information

The structure is constructed in such a way that the first floor is cantilevered 1.5 M as the area is more than that of the ground floor and there are no coloums placed at the external walls of this floor as the weight from the second floor is directed straight to the ground with help of external steel coloums placed like a truss wrapping around the structure. Interior coloums stay as it is in the every floor. This method helps in increasing every floor area while maintaining the structural stability.