SYNOPSIS

URBAN SYNTAX

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 INTRODUCTION
Urban Centres all around the world are striving to re-orient themselves for promoting
ideals of human engagement, flexibility, openness and synergy, that Architecture can provide.
From a time when solitude in one’s own backyard was desirable, today’s outlook seek more, to
cater to the needs of diverse individuals and that of the collaborators. This thesis is an
investigation of the role of Architecture in realizing how these ideals might be achieved, using
Mixed-Use Development as the platform of space to test these ideas.

NEED FOR THE PROJECT

• Statement: A building with multiple uses that adapts to the needs of its surroundings
supports the creation of neighbourhoods that are diverse.
• Justification statement: According to Urban Land Institute,
i. Three or more significant revenue-producing uses (such as retail/entertainment,
office, residential, hotel, and/or civic/cultural/recreation) that in well planned
projects are mutually supporting.
ii. Significant physical and functional integration of project components (and thus a
relatively close-knit and intensive use of land), including uninterrupted
pedestrian connections.
iii. Development in conformance with a coherent plan (that frequently stipulates
the type and scale of uses, permitted densities, and related items)
• Live proposals:
i. UB city (India): UB City is an 88 000 m² mixed-use development in the
commercial IT centre of Bangalore.
ii. Wilshire Grand Centre (Los Angeles, CA): Thomas Properties Group had to get
one of the largest building permits in the history of the city for this mixed use
development. However, the most impressive part about this property is that
when completed it will host a 73 floor earthquake-proof tower.
iii. The Wharf (Washington, DC): This development is expected to cover 24 acres
along the Potomac River. With plans for hotels, shops, restaurants, parking and
more it is one of the largest construction projects in the city.
iv. Brickell City Centre (Miami, FL): Swire Properties built this 5.4 million square
foot development only a few short years ago. The towers are home to luxury
condos, restaurants and more.
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 v. Lincoln Yards (Chicago, IL): While this project is still in development, it’s
expected to cover 53 acres once completed. The space will include new
residences, hotels, retail and office space, and even a soccer stadium.
vi. Burj Khalifa (Dubai) : The centrepiece of a large mixed-use development, the
Burj Khalifa contains offices, retail space, residential units, and a Giorgio Armani
hotel.

INTENT OF THE THESIS

• User groups (max. occupancy) the project caters to: All age group- Family/retail buyers
and sellers/ staff/professionals/tourists.
• Typology: Mixed-use development
• The broad classification of spaces in the project:
A vibrant mix of commercial, residential, retail and recreational functions,
recommending streets alive with social spaces, and workspaces weaved amongst
housing units accommodating a diverse cross-section of society.
• The type of experiences the spaces the proposal would portray:
I. The project also provides many amenities such as shopping centre, swimming
pools, kids' pool, table tennis & gymnasium and many more such that when
everything comes together in perfect harmony, life becomes easy.
II. A mixed-use township with a pioneering example of integrating living, sharing
commercial activities and working nearby, in only one location.
III. Created a hierarchical street system range, from wide, landscaped boulevards
connecting the development areas to narrow streets and alleys in the residential
villages. The road layouts in the residential villages vary in the different
neighbourhoods, but the general strategy is a curving grid punctuated by parks,
monuments, ponds and common buildings that act as focal points.
IV. Creating a sense of place both for the retail and residential villages. The resultant
strategy addresses the scale and location of parks, and the relationship of
buildings to common spaces and streets, to create memorable addresses within
each neighbourhood.

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 V. Locating the different buildings in a way that demonstrates the value of good
communication and the sharing of the main public spaces on an equal social
basis.
VI. An attempt to find the balance between a controlled and a market-oriented
form of development, in the hope of replicating the social balance found in the
city while remaining economically viable.
VII. The housing diversity hopes to cultivate a societal diversity, and is embedded
within an urban strategy that emphasizes community through outdoor
recreation and ecological sustainability.
• The approximate scale of the project (built up area): 10,000sq.m – 15,000sq.m.

SPECIAL STUDY
• NEW URBANISM
New Urbanism promotes the creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact,
vibrant, mixed-use communities composed of the same components as conventional
development, but assembled in a more integrated fashion, in the form of complete
communities. these contain housing, work places, shops, entertainment, schools, parks,
and civic facilities essential to the daily lives of the residents, all within easy walking
distance of each other.
• Application of special study:
I. Walkability
-Most things within a 10-minute walk of home and work
-Pedestrian friendly street design (buildings close to street; porches, windows &
doors; tree-lined streets; on street parking; hidden parking lots; garages in rear
lane; narrow, slow speed streets).
-Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases.
II. Connectivity
-Interconnected street grid network disperses traffic & eases walking
-A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards, and alleys.
-High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable.

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 III. Mixed-Use & Diversity
-A mix of shops, offices, apartments, and homes on site. Mixed-use within
neighbourhoods, within blocks, and within buildings.
-Diversity of people - of ages, income levels, cultures, and races.
IV. Mixed Housing
A range of types, sizes and prices in closer proximity.
V. Quality Architecture & Urban Design
Emphasis on beauty, aesthetics, human comfort, and creating a sense of place;
Special placement of civic uses and sites within community. Human scale
architecture & beautiful surroundings nourish the human spirit.
VI. Traditional Neighbourhood Structure
-Public space at centre.
-Importance of quality public realm; public open space designed as civic art
-Contains a range of uses and densities within 10-minute walk.
-Transect planning: Highest densities at town centre; progressively less dense
towards the edge. The transect is an analytical system that conceptualizes
mutually reinforcing elements, creating a series of specific natural habitats
and/or urban lifestyle settings. The Transect integrates environmental
methodology for habitat assessment with zoning methodology for community
design. The professional boundary between the natural and man-made
disappears, enabling environmentalists to assess the design of the human
habitat and the urbanists to support the viability of nature .
VII. Increased Density
-More buildings, residences, shops, and services closer together for ease of
walking, to enable a more efficient use of services and resources, and to create a
more convenient, enjoyable place to live.
VIII. Smart Transportation
-Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles,
rollerblades, scooters, and walking as daily transportation.
IX. Sustainability
-Minimal environmental impact of development and its operations.

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 -Eco-friendly technologies, respect for ecology and value of natural systems.
-Energy efficiency.
-Less use of finite fuels.
-More local production.
-More walking, less driving.
X. Quality of Life
Taken together these add up to a high quality of life well worth living, and create
places that enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit.

SITE DETAILS

Location: OMR, Chennai. Area: 23 Acres

Located in Chennai’s thriving IT hub at Thoraipakkam on OMR, the site is positioned close to the
city just 100 meters from Perungudi. OMR is the most sought-after location for frequent
travellers due to its proximity to the Anna International airport. Aside from the fact that it is the
IT hub of Chennai with most of the IT parks like TIDEL park, Ascendas and RMZ Millenia are
situated in and around the region. With its strategic location near the IT hub, many working
professionals are preferring to reside in this region.

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 PROGRAM AREA STATEMENT:

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 LITERATURE STUDY
• Vie Vallejo in Mexico City.
• Cadiz Antwerp, Belgium.
• K11 Musea, Hong Kong.
REFERENCES

Journals:
i. Levitt, Rachelle L., and Dean Schwanke. Mixed-Use Development Handbook. Washington, D.C.:
Urban Land Institute, 2003.
ii. Prakruti Anupama Hoskere. Integrating architecture for a live-work lifestyle A design exploration
of a Mixed Used Development in Lower East Side, NYC, Master of Architecture, 2016.
iii. Caleb Sackey. Mixed-use development an urban design approach to cities in developing
countries. May 2009.
iv. Laura Narvaez, The Journal of Space syntax, the Bartlett school of Architecture, UCL. Dec 2016.
v. Benjamin Well, Constructing Diversity, Urbanism. May 2018.

Online Resources:
i. Mixed-use development: make the most of your building.
Available: http://www.urban-hub.com/buildings/mixed-use-buildings-for-diversified-sustainable-sites/
ii. Congress for the new urbanism-CNU
Available: https://www.cnu.org/who-we-are/charter-new-urbanism

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