1

this is not a pen,

its a weapon to set a child free.
CRY | CHILD RELIEF & YOU

2

oseph Allen Stein passed
J
away in October 2001 in
North Carolina, USA.
His significant contribu-
tion to the post indepen-
dence Indian architecture stands apart. A
distinguished architect and an inspiring pro-
fessional, he shall always be remembered
for his strong environmental concerns. In
this issue, we pay our tribute to this great
architect. In the special feature on him, Shri
A. P. Kanvinde, his contemporary, shares
some thoughts regarding his association
with him. Prof. Ravindra Bhan, eminent
landscape architect remembers him as a
very sensitive person. Anuraag Chowfla, who
was associated with Stein for the last twenty
five years, talks about aspects of Steins life
- both professional and personal.
grafiniti
INNER COURT, INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE (IIC), NEW DELHI. ARCHITECT: JOSEPH ALLEN STEIN
COVER: STEPPED ENTRANCE TO THE GLASSHOUSE AT LODI GARDEN, NEW DELHI. ARCHITECT: JOSEPH ALLEN STEIN
>EDITORIAL
features case tial stages. We would also like to thank our
study of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New readers and subscribers, and professionals,
Delhi where water harvesting techniques have students, institutions, people from building
been successfully adopted to ameliorate the industry and many others for their constant
scarcity of water in a rocky terrain. support.
briefly introduces various param-
eters such as location, shape, finishes etc. to Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful
be considered while designing pools. In the year ahead.
horticulture section, Dr. Saroj Tuli lists a few
tips for making hanging baskets and better
flower arrangements.
With this issue, the journal completes its first
year. It certainly has been a hard and strug-
gling year, but positive response and encour-
agement from all has inspired us to keep go-
ing... No words can express our sincere thanks
and gratitude to our advisory panel, who has
guided us at all times, especially in these ini-
33
4th water asia 2002
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION ON ASIAN WATER INDUSTRY
30TH JANUARY 1ST FEBRUARY, 2002 | PRAGATI MAIDAN, NEW DELHI
 >CONTENTS

VOLUME I / ISSUE 4 / WINTER 2001-2002

06 NEWS

07 LETTERS

09 ANNOUNCEMENT
GENDER AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
SYMPOSIUM

TRIBUTE: JOSEPH ALLEN STEIN

11 JOSEPH STEIN IN INDIA
A. P. KANVINDE

13 A DEEP PERSONAL LOSS...

10
PROF. RAVINDRA BHAN

14 NATURE IN THE CITY

ADIT PAL

16 A GLOBAL MAN IN A TRUE SENSE...

CONVERSATION WITH ANURAAG CHOWFLA

20 LANDSCAPE DESIGN
RAINWATER HARVESTING: PART 2
CASE STUDY - JNU, NEW DELHI

26 SWIMMING POOLS
SAMIR MATHUR

HORTICULTURE
30 HANGING BASKETS
BETTER FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

26
DR. SAROJ TULI

32 STUDENTS SECTION Editor : Brijender S. Dua

RIVER YAMUNA: PRESENT STATUS & A Associate Editor : Geeta Wahi Dua
VISION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Advisory Panel : Savita Punde, Landscape Architect
PRIYANKA BATRA Manoj Mathur, Architect
Adit Pal, Landscape Architect
34 TECHNOLOGY Nimret Handa, Nature Writer

AUTODESK VIZ 4 34 Overseas Correspondent : Runit Chhaya, New York

Design : Grafiniti

36 WEB SITES REGISTRATION NUMBER : DELENG/2000/2943 // Duration of Print : Quarterly, 4 issues per year.
www.topos.de Editorial and Subscription Office : C-589, Vikas Puri, New Delhi 110 018
Phone : 550 7652, 552 7652 (Telefax) E-mail : grafiniti@satyam.net.in
37 KNOW YOUR PLANTS Owned, Printed & Published by Brijender S. Dua, C-589, Vikas Puri, New Delhi 110 018
BAUHINIA PURPUREA Printed at Kaveri Printers, 4634/19-A, Daryaganj, Delhi 110 002

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IN THIS REGARD W OULD BE REMEDIED IN FUTURE ISSUES
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NECESSARILYY REFLECT THOSE OF THE EDIT OR
EDITOR
OR THE PUBLISHER. THE EDIT ORS DO THEIR UTMOST TO VERIFY INFORMA
EDITORS TION PUBLISHED
INFORMATION PUBLISHED,, BBUT
UT THEY DO NONOTT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS ABSOL UTE ACCURA
ABSOLUTE CY
CY.. NO PPAR
CCURACY AR
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JOURNAL MAYY BE REPR ODUCED OR UTILIZED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS
REPRODUCED MEANS,, ELECTR ONIC OR MECHANICAL OR BY ANY INFORMA
ELECTRONIC TION ST
INFORMATION ORA
STORA GE OR RETRIEV
ORAGE AL SY
RETRIEVAL STEM, WITHOUT
SYSTEM,
WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE EDITOR.

5
 >NEWS

OUR BUILT HERITAGE IS OUR IDENTITY, Scope of the work of the Committee shall aim at formulating develop-
LETS PRESERVE IT... mental controls and construction guidelines for carrying out any modi-
fications / alteration in respect of these unprotected heritage buildings
grafiniti

MOSQUE AT KASHMERE GATE, OLD DELHI
The Zonal Plan for walled city (Old Delhi, Shahjahanabad) has iden-
tified certain areas of importance, which require to be conserved or
else, need to be maintained, while dealing with the buildings of this
zone. These are areas of conservation, different control zones, and
identified buildings of urban heritage as well as the monuments of his-
torical importance, as listed by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
and sites in the walled city and notifications of the list of these areas
under DDA Act along with the amendments in the Master Plan of
Delhi. The work shall also include examining proposals of alterations
of these areas, given by private bodies, govt. organizations or individu-
als and giving necessary clearance for carrying out the work. Anyone
seeking to have a particular entry deleted from the list of these heritage
buildings on the ground that it has no heritage value, or to add an entry
to the list that it has heritage value can apply for the purpose to the
Committee. It has been further decided that no heritage building shall be
demolished, altered, repaired, modified, reconstructed or changed in its
facade without seeking permission from the Committee.
For further information:
Committee for Heritage Buildings,
Office of Chief Town Planner,
Municipal Corporation of Delhi,
Nigam Bhavan, Kashmere Gate, Delhi 110 006
Tel: 91-11-396 6788

Over the last decade, the walled city has witnessed tremendous growth
in terms of new built up structures and settlement colonies. While the
monuments protected by the ASI have been identified and listed in the
Zonal Plans, no exercise has been carried out for other buildings of
historical significance. These structures have been altered and new por- ALL INDIA WINTER ROSE SHOW
tions are constructed without any planning norms and guidelines. This
has resulted in severe distortion of the character of the old city. All India Winter Rose Show was
organized by the Rose Society of
The Indian Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), a non gov- India and the Indian Rose Federa-
ernment national organization has compiled a list of buildings all over tion. This show was held for two
Delhi, which need to be conserved. However, no development norms days (22 - 23 December, 2001) in
are given along the list. In order to distinguish between the heritage National Rose Garden, New
buildings with reference to: Delhi. This annual show, cover-
ing an area of almost 6 acres, ex-
z Total prohibition of any construction, in respect of specified hibited more than 100 varieties of
heritage buildings; roses. Exhibits were invited from
all over India under various classes like fragrant roses grown under
z Permitting renovation / repairs / reconstruction of other heritage natural conditions, under green house conditions, polyantha vari-
buildings, retaining the outer envelope / facade; ety, miniature variety and climbing roses variety among others.

and to regulate uncontrolled developments in these historically impor- For further information:
tant buildings in future, a committee has been constituted under the The Rose Society of India,
chairmanship of Chief Town Planner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Dr Bharat Ram,
Other members of the Committee include representatives (including President,
architects and town planners) from INTACH, Delhi Development Au- C/o Shri Ram Rayons, 4th Floor,
thority (DDA), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Urban Akash Deep , Barakhamba Road,
Arts Commission (DUAC) and ASI. New Delhi 110 001

6
 >NEWS >LETTERS

CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW
Biswajit Roy

It was interesting to read the interview with landscape architect

Michael Van Valkenburgh (Intuition interests me..., Issue 3, Mon-
soon 2001). He comes across as a simple and straight forward
personality who has no qualms admitting that he feels uncomfort-
able working in a foreign culture or that at times he does rely on
his intuitive senses for his design concerns. In an age of showman-
ship and, at times, forced concepts in almost every field including
that of architecture, a lot of our own professionals here would do
well to learn a few things from him.

I would certainly like to see more of Michaels projects in your

future issues.
A. Siddharth, Bangalore

Come winters and you have one of the most popular flowers -
Chrysanthemum, for pots, baskets, beds and any other flower Refer Rainwater Harvesting
arrangement. The flower has a list of amazing varieties in differ- (Issue 3, Monsoon 2001), it is
ent colors, sizes and shapes. Its bloom lasts over a period of a really unfortunate that almost
couple of months and continues to look attractive in a semi dry always we tend to act quite late
condition. in the day. Mindless urbaniza-
tion has resulted in India facing
All India Chrysanthemum Show 2001 was organized on 1st - 2nd a plethora of problems includ-
December, 2001 at DDA Park, Purana Quila, New Delhi. Orga- ing scarcity of water. Respon-
nized by the Chrysanthemum Society of India and Delhi Tourism sible use and tapping of natural
and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), this resources like rainwater is the
annual show is exclusively for showcasing various varieties of only way we can probably ex-
Chrysanthemums. This year, there were around 7000 exhibits. pect to survive in future. Mandatory application of rainwater
Prizes were given to various categories of the flower show includ- techniques in all building projects in some states like Madhya
ing best chrysanthemum garden, small flowering in bush form, Pradesh, is a right step in this direction. It should be definitely
hanging baskets and islands of chrysanthemum. enforced in all other states as well.
Raj K. Rathod, Bhopal
For further information:
Chrysanthemum Society of India,
A-1/24, Safdarjung Enclave,
It was good to see you introducing the concept of Cultural Land-
New Delhi 110 029
scapes (Cultural Landscapes, Issue 3, Monsoon 2001). I was
particularly interested in its Indian context, which I found almost
missing in the article. It certainly is a new issue as far as India is
concerned. Along with its public awareness, stringent regulations
A L O F L A NDS
RN need to be formulated for conservation of our heritage zones.

3
CA
JO U

Anant Varma, Ahmedabad

PE A RCHITEC
ISS

I certainly enjoyed the article on Lodi Gardens as I walk there

TU
E RE
3
U

every evening.
Patwant Singh, New Delhi

7
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8
 >ANNOUNCEMENT

Gender and the Built Environment

gender and the built environment
A SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZED BY WOMEN ARCHITECTS FORUM IN ASSOCIATION WITH
CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING & TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING COLLABORATIVE,
AHMEDABAD, FEBRUARY 7TH AND 8TH, 2002

Womens movements across the world throughout the 20th century have generated changes in social patterns, roles and
lifestyles, in short, transformed identities. In India, since the past one decade, there is now 33% reservation for women in
local governments. Departments of womens studies flourish in many universities and women have begun to occupy
positions in the bureaucracy and in political life. Specifically, in the field of architectural education, 50% of the students
are now girls and there are more women on the faculty and more women planners in the field than ever before. A
symposium is being organized at Ahmedabad with the aim of exploring the gender perspective in architecture, urban
design and planning and to examine the role of women as both consumers and creators of the built environment,
particularly in the South Asian context. This symposium hopes to generate a debate on how womens needs may be better
addressed and their capacities tapped in shaping the built environment.

Thematic Concerns Themes for the Sessions

Appropriation of space is a political act and therefore, access to
space is fundamentally related to status and power. Spatial arrange-
ments in a society reflect and reinforce the nature of gender, race,
caste and class relations. At various levels, from the city to the
dwelling, the ideals and reality of the relationship between men and
women is expressed in built form. Cultural rules govern the use of
space and codes regulate behavior between genders. Over the years,
increased attention has been focused on gender issues in fields such
as the social sciences, politics, management and cultural studies.
However, in the disciplines connected with the built environment,
ideas and theories continue to remain male dominated. Today, women
are better represented in urban planning as well as in housing policy
groups. Systems in the building industry and urban planning policy
are needed that are more gender sensitive. For example, new build-
ing byelaws being introduced for fire or earthquake safety could also
include provision for wheel chair / baby carriage access in all public
buildings. If fundamental change is to occur, it becomes imperative
to theorize a gender perspective into the discipline that trains pro-
fessionals. The symposium will focus on India and South Asia. The
proceedings of the symposium would be later published.
Organizing Committee
Madhavi Desai Architect and Faculty, CEPT,Ahmedabad
ManuAgrawal Student,CEPT,Ahmedabad
Malini Doshi Architect, Ahmedabad
Dr Darshini Mahadevia Arch-Plan, CEPT,Ahmedabad
Ismet Khambatta Arch-Urban Designer, HCPDPM,Ahmedabad
Nivedita DLima Urban Designer, EPC,Ahmedabad
Gita Shah Arch-Plan, GIDC, Gandhinagar
Parul Jhaveri Architect, Abhikram, Ahmedabad
z Building byelaws and planning policies.
z Gender and the public realm.
z Gender and the appropriation of private space
z Gender and the building industry
z Theorizing gender into the built environment
z Curriculum and pedagogy
z Education and faculty development
z Relationship with other theoretical perspectives
and academic disciplines.
Follow up Activities
The findings of the symposium should be of value to academicians, theo-
rists, practitioners, government policy makers and NGOs. The Centre
for Environmental Planning and Technology includes Schools of Archi-
tecture, Planning and Building technology. It could take lead in developing
a theoretical angle relating to gender and the built environment to be
incorporated in design education in the country. The aim of Women
Architects Forum is to work towards the empowerment of women profes-
sionals to make a positive and consistent contribution to the field in terms
of practice, research and education. The symposium will help generate
awareness on gender issues in government and private spheres and create a
professional network at the South Asia level for an ongoing sustained
dialogue. The document published at the end of the symposium will dis-
seminate its findings to the broader academic and professional world in
South Asia.
For further information:
Madhavi Desai, Convener
CEPT, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380 009 INDIA
Fax: 91-79-6302075 | E-mail: mmdesai@icenet.net

9
 >TRIBUTE

Photo courtesy: Sushant School of Art & Architecture Archives

s it the setting of the scape architects is very much ap-

I building, its relationship

with natural elements or
informal layout of the
parent in his works in India, espe-
cially the experiences gained dur-
ing his association with Telesis (in
open and built forms or its easy scale Greek, means progress intelligently
with its sheer simplicity? What is it planned), a seminal voluntary as-
that makes the experience of enter- sociation of Bay area architects,
ing a Steins building so serene and so landscape architects and planners,
peaceful? There will always be a mys- during 1940s, in San Francisco.
tery... Joseph Allen Stein was a man
very close to nature. Whether it is Throughout his professional career,
JOSEPH ALLEN STEIN
the urban setting of the India Habitat apart from architectural projects,
1912-2001
Centre at New Delhi or the pictur- he was also involved in many en-
esque setting of hills for Kashmir Con- vironmental development pro-
ference Centre, his imminence to na- grams. Some of these include the
ture and environmental concerns are very effectively interpreted development of Master Plan of Lodi Garden with landscape
in his design vocabulary. His architectural designs were visualized architect Garrett Eckbo, Conservation of regional environ-
as a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces, both merging to ment of the Himalayan mountain range including Master Plan
create a perfectly harmonious setting. As a result his architectural for Dal Lake area and Gulmarg-Tanmarg area in the Kash-
building blocks were never gigantic or over imposing but of a scale mir Valley and Environmental Development Planning for
that is easy to relate with both man and nature. His buildings, Bhutan.
along with their settings, are not only to be looked at. They are to
be experienced... After spending nearly five decades of his distinguished and suc-
cessful career in India, Padma Shree Joseph Allen Stein passed
His influences of working with people like Richard Neutra, a dis- away on 6th October, 2001. He was 89.
ciple of Frank Llyod Wright and San Francisco Bay Area land-

The entire earth, or at least its fertile portions, could be a garden of paradise, with intensive agricul-
ture in the irrigated lowlands, protected wilderness in the highlands and well engineered, pleasant
new towns sheltering both industrial and agricultural workers on the less fertile lower slopes. In the
case of India, much of the country has an ideal geological structure for realizing such a pattern of
total landscape, in which there would be room for all, including the creatures of wildness.
Joseph Allen Stein
- from Building in the Garden by Stephen White. Reprinted with kind permission of Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

10
 >TRIBUTE

JOSEPH STEIN IN INDIA

ACHYUT P. KANVINDE

Architectural profession in India lost a fatherly Stein. Both, Neutra as well as Raymond, were onetime disciples of
figure with the passing away of Joseph Stein over Wright. Joe actually was working with Richard Neutra at Los An-
two months back. Stein had been in teaching and geles and Neutra one time was keen to have him as a partner in his
practice for the last about forty five years. Start- office. Association of Raymond is seen in the India International
ing at Calcutta, where he was associated with the Centre, particularly with the introduction of concrete shells similar
Bengal Engineering College and also with the hous- to Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.
ing of Durgapur Township, he subsequently shifted to Delhi. His initial
work was in the Aligarh University. Amongst his significant projects in Among Steins other important projects are the Conference Centre
Delhi was the India International Centre in early sixties. This was about at Srinagar, Industrial Complexes for the Escorts organization, Ce-
the time that we used to meet very often and exchanged thoughts. I ment Research Institute at Faridabad, American School in Delhi
could appreciate his concern for values associated with building envi- and the last one and most important, in my opinion, is the Habitat
ronment. The India International Centre was planned and completed Centre, Delhi. The greatest quality about his projects has been the
around nineteen sixty one. So also was the American School in Delhi. transparency and mobility of spaces in association to landscape
These projects had a big impact on the architectural profession in the and also heritage buildings. This is actually in a way a continuity
country. associated with New Delhi plan which is very significant and which,
I feel, is in a way getting lost in the present daytime.
Architecture in the Twentieth Century, Taschen

...environment and building are one. Planting the ground around

the building on the site as well as adorning the building take on
new importance as they become features harmonious with the
space-to-be-lived-in. Site, structure, furnishing... all these become
as one in organic architecture. Therefore, all are elements of this
synthesis of features of habitation... and [are] harmonious with
the environment. This is what posterity will call modern archi-
tecture.
- from Building in the Garden by Stephen White. Reprinted with kind permission of Oxford UniversityPress, New Delhi.
FRANK LLYOD WRIGHT

Joe initially studied architecture at University of Illinois, USA. He
then joined the Beaux Art School in Paris. He subsequently joined
the School of Architecture at the Cranbrook Academy of Fine Arts.
At that time, the Academy was headed by Eliel Saarinen who was
a highly respected architect from Finland. Stein had a great re-
spect and fascination about Frank Llyod Wright and his work,
which also equally influenced him. Association with architects Ri-
chard Neutra and Antonin Raymond left a great impression on
We often met and exchanged thoughts on the professional sce-
nario. During one of our meetings at the India International Centre,
after his return to Delhi, when Mrs. Stein was no more, and his own
health was not particularly in good condition, he mentioned to me
that he would like to walk together with me on the plaza of Habitat
Centre and also around the National Science Centre, Delhi. How-
ever, with his failing health such a thing was not to happen.

11
 >TRIBUTE

Steins contribution to modern Indian architecture, after Lutyens about seventy years
back, is extremely significant and will remain as a great source of inspiration to the future
generation of architects in India. One rarely comes across with someone like him, who is
completely devoted to architecture. Architectural profession was fortunate with his asso-
ciation and participation in India. His association will always remain alive.

Eminent architect Achyut P. Kanvinde needs no introduction. Recepient of the Padma Shree in 1975 and one of the most respected
architects in India today, Kanvinde is truly considered as one of the pioneers of Modern Movement in Indian architecture. Throughout his
long and distinguished career, he has designed a variety of projects including instituitions, industrial and housing complexes.
grafiniti

THE MEMORIAL PLAZA WITH INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE (IIC) COMPLEX AT THE BACKGROUND
grafiniti

STEPPED OUTDOOR THEATRE AT TRIVENI KALA SANGAM, NEW DELHI

12
 >TRIBUTE

A DEEP PERSONAL LOSS...

PROF. RAVINDRA BHAN

Joseph Allen Steins passing away has been a great Although I did not have the privilege of working professionally as a
loss to society and a deep personal loss. I knew landscape architect with Joe, but nonetheless we did interact and discuss
Joe Stein very closely since early seventies and with each other on a number of issues that concerned his projects. I
admired him for work that showed great environ- would always treasure these discussions we had together. What made Joe
mental concern and sensitivity in creating ap- Stein the architect, distinctively different from his contemporaries was
propriate simplicity of built form, organization his keen perception of understanding the building site. He was one of
of open spaces, use of natural building materials and meticulous detail- the few architects who knew well that shaping of land for human use
ing of building components. should be based on the understanding of the natural processes which
form it. This ecological viewpoint was Joes greatest strength, which led
His deep concern for environment could perhaps be traced back to his him to a holistic approach in visualizing a built form appropriate to its
academic environment and the people with whom he got associated surroundings. He has been one of the very few architects in our country
during his formative years. His association at Cranbrook (Detroit, Michi- whose buildings have been successful in creating a union between man
gan - USA), where he completed part of his formal education under and nature.
Photo courtsey: Ravindra Bhan

www.neutra.com

He was a great believer that

regional identity can only
grow out of an environmen-
tal context. He also believed
Source:

that without coherent

landuse solution, one cannot
have a coherent urbanism
and thus one cannot have a
coherent architecture. His
contribution to architecture
in India has been very sig-
nificant and he has left be-
hind some of the finest ar-
CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART, MICHIGAN, USA RICHARD NEUTRA, 1970 chitectural creations. One of
his outstanding complexes
architect Eliel Saarinen, had left a positive mark on his design philoso- built between 1959 - 62, India International Centre in New Delhi, will
phy of later years. The building complex designed by Saarinen at remain his memorable creation.
Cranbrook is a superb example of sensitively organized buildings and
spaces with consistent use of natural building materials, unfailing con- As a person, he was a wonderful human being, caring, modest, decisive,
trol of scale, the play of water and the integration of Carl Milles soft spoken and a great teacher whose warm personality made one feel
sculptures. His later association with Richard Neutra, a disciple of Frank comfortable in his presence. He was a won-
Llyod Wright, for whom Joe also worked for few years before starting derful conservationist and above all a trusted
his own practice in California, and also his association with landscape friend who will be long remembered.
architects Garret Eckbo and Robert Royston, must have strengthened
his bond with environmental concerns.

Professor Ravindra Bhan - Architect,Landscape Architect and Ecological Planner is one of the foremost practising landscape architects
today. He is also a recepient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture & Landscape for the MughalSheraton, Agra.

13
 >TRIBUTE
J O S E P H A L
N AT U R E I N T H E C I T Y
It was a few years ago in a short encounter with
the ever sharp Joseph Allen Stein that he leaned
across his worktable and in a soft voice asked me
if I knew what his favorite place was in New Delhi.
Images of India International Centre and Triveni
Kala Sangam drifted through my mind but I de-
cided not to put my foot in my mouth and con-
fessed ignorance. The answer initially surprised me for it was Prakriti -
the little nature shop located in the setback area to the south side of
Triveni. Hidden away behind the main building, the impromptu nature
of its bamboo and cane construction comes as a delightful surprise. In
retrospect however, there is nothing surprising about Steins preference
at all - with earthy pots and lush green plants set among the sound of
trickling water, the intimate little shop must have struck a chord deep
down in the heart of this simple man.
The ambience of Prakriti also epitomizes the essence of Steins rela-
tionship with nature and his attitude to open spaces - he wanted people
to feel good in and around his buildings and gardens, he wanted his places
and spaces to elevate the spirit. Using the elements that are integral to
human existence - earth, sky and water, he proportioned these beauti-
fully in his work so that the right balance was struck and you simply felt
good being there. At one level, the architecture of Stein is best described
as tranquil and composed - his projects were to be an oasis of respite
from the urban world around. The notion of proportioning the sky
may seem odd at first glance but - if you think about it - in his projects,
the amount of sky brought down to earth by the manipulation of scale
and built form fits beautifully with the sense of place that he tried to
create. The courtyard at Triveni, which surely must have been one of
his favorite projects, is so oriented and scaled that it simply draws the
morning sunlight down on to its garden terraces.
Joseph Allen Stein was a liberal from all accounts and his open attitude
towards life seems to manifest itself in the clean plans and lines of his
buildings - they are essentially welcoming, not exclusionary. His back-
ground as a modernist architect in the spectacular natural surrounds of
the San Francisco Bay-Area was replete with associations with the likes
of the great modernist Richard Neutra. These influences resulted in an
openness of plan that I would term modernist-Californian, apart from
14
L E N S T E I N
ADIT PAL
the International Style as it is more commonly referred to. The
approach can be analyzed at one level in terms of architectural tecton-
ics, but it also expresses an important attitude towards nature and the
great outdoors, embodied in what Stephen White refers to in his book
Building in the Garden, as the concept of collaborative environmen-
tal design.1 The transparency of the plan and the faade makes for a
seamless visual integration between the room and nature. In the ex-
treme climate of north India, home to the courtyard, Stein blended this
approach with a more protective one in order to make his buildings
habitable - resulting in the incorporation of semi-enclosed courtyard
spaces and semi-covered building spaces protected by screens (jaalis).
However, he strived to maintain the essential connection between the
building and the garden, both in plan and in detail. The orientation and
massing of the India International Centre and the Ford Foundation are
such that the connection to Lodi Gardens (to the rear) is given its due
importance. In Steins buildings, the view out to nature was all-impor-
tant and the outside appears to flow inside. The complementary side of
this approach was that his buildings never feel aloof from the land-
scape, an aspect reinforced by his sensitive use of natural materials.
The vertical garden is characteristic of Steins projects, symbolic of
what White refers to as a means towards transforming the urban
environment.2 In keeping with this approach, window planters and
terrace gardens have long been a trademark of Steins buildings, bringing
the garden in, and adding a delicate touch to complement the earthy
textures of the faade(s). Whether these have been successful or not
has depended on the quality of horticultural maintenance - since in the
hot north Indian climate, planters and terrace gardens are essentially
high maintenance devices. The availability of cheap labor has meant
that when there is a will, maintenance is effective. However, experi-
ence has shown that should the institution using the office space be
uncooperative in letting gardeners tramp over their carpets - as could
be in the case of a multi-tenant office building - these planters become
essentially unviable to maintain in the long run.
The attention to architectural detail in the works of Mr. Stein is well
known - it stands as an example to students and practitioners of archi-
tecture anywhere in the world. And while his and Margaret Steins
concern for nature and love of plants manifested themselves in vi-

brancy in the herbaceous borders of the garden spaces, their somewhat
colonial attitude to horticulture did not result in the same critical ap-
proach to planting design in the manner of the great landscape design-
ers of the art-and-crafts movement - Beatrix Farrand and Gertrude
Jekyll. One could also argue that his gardens are essentially passive in
the sense that there are no normative ideas of cultural landscape, ecol-
ogy, native planting or even exotic planting built into them. However,
one has to keep in mind that when some of these gardens were concep-
tualized in the late 1960s and early 1970s, landscape architecture as a
discipline was in its infancy in India. Secondly, this sort of criticism of
Steins gardens might be hard to sustain, since a critical look at the
landscape architecture profession in India today will show that most
practitioners still deal with landscapes as gardenesque adjuncts of build-
ings, not spaces in their own right - and planting selection is usually on
a limited botanical, not intellectual basis.
Adit Pal did his masters in landscape architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. Practising landscape architect in New Delhi, he is also a visiting faculty
member at Departments of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi.
>TRIBUTE
grafiniti
GLASSHOUSE AT LODI GARDENS, NEW DELHI
Among Steins projects, the one that most interests me is the Glass-
house at Lodi Gardens. Though not as finely crafted as the nearby
International Centre, it is a beautifully proportioned set of modest
structures in stone, steel and glass in which one can see the influence of
the works of Frank Lloyd Wright on Stein. Along with the - unfortu-
nately now demolished - Summerhouse at the India International Cen-
tre, the neglected Glasshouse must have been amongst Steins favorite
places; these structures were about gardens and nothing else and brought
nature to the forefront more than any of his other works did.
End Notes
1
White, Stephen, Building in the Garden, Oxford University Press, 1993.
2
Ibid. p.116.
>e-mail: aditpal@satyam.net.in
15
 >TRIBUTE
A global man
in the true sense...
I N C O N V E R S A T I O N W I T H
Anuraag Chowfla did his graduation in architecture from MS University, Baroda. He joined the office of Joseph Allen Stein in New Delhi
inDecember1977.Hedid MastersinUrbanDesignfromRiceUniversity,USAin1982.ThepartnershipofSteinManiChowflawasformed
in 1993.
Anuraag about Stein - the professional and the person...
In 1952, when Stein arrived in India, a newly independent country
must have offered him tremendous possibilities and freedom in terms of
starting a new design vocabulary without any prejudice and presump-
tions would you comment on this notion?
It certainly did. But, one also has to look at his background first. Joe had
set up his office in San Francisco. He was extremely captivated by the
natural setting of the Bay Area. But, he had to leave the US - he was sort
of hounded out of the place, because of his liberal left views. One of the
issues was that he was working on the design of a community project,
which was one of the first designed mixed race housings of that time.
The federal system banned housing loans for such projects and Joe was
finding it extremely difficult to work there.
When he arrived at Calcutta in 1952, in his own words, the spirit of
Gandhi and Tagore was fresh and bright. The overall atmosphere was
positive. The promise and hope of a better future was there. He was
extremely enthused and excited. He was certainly very happy and con-
sidered himself fortunate to have students at Bengal Engineering Col-
lege, who, according to him, possessed a strong sense of the arts and
crafts and a great sincerity towards learning. The overall academic
standards were quite high. Some of them, he used to remember, drew
beautifully.
So, yes, he did find this a very fresh place - receptive to new ideas, and
architecture which was inclusive of a greater social purpose.
Do you think Steins experience with Richard Neutra and the San
Francisco Bay landscape architects Garrett Eckbo and Robert Royston
influenced his later works, especially in context of India?
Joe had worked in Richard Neutras office before setting up his own
16
A N U R A A G C H O W F L A
practice in San Francisco. I cant speak with great authority regarding
Neutra - if he had any literal influence on Joes works here in India. But,
Joe was certainly very deeply influenced by the geography of the Cali-
fornia Bay Area landscape. He often said that it was a perfect meeting
of land and water. The experience was always there in his mind. After
coming to India, he collaborated with quite a few architects as well as
landscape architects from the Bay Area, for his projects in India. I
know for sure that he was in touch with Garrett Eckbo. Eckbo actually
worked with him for redevelopment plan of Lodi Gardens and other
projects for the Ford Foundation in the 1960s.
I think he also collaborated with Royston for some international works.
Unfortunately, none of it was realized.
During your interactions with him, did he express an opinion about the
works of masters such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, espe-
cially with context to the way they dealt with open spaces and nature
i.e. light, air and water?
Well, he was admirer of both. But perhaps, he was more in tune with
Wrights philosophy of architecture. While he was growing up, the
legacy of Wright was very much alive and strong in the US. He appre-
ciated Wrights ideals of organic architecture and his response to nature
in his projects. The apparent simplicity of his works and his thorough
attention to smallest details was particularly admired by Joe. When it
came to the relationship of the built forms to the natural, Joe felt that
Wrights buildings - especially some of his residential buildings and the
prairie houses, were perfect examples - the courtyards, the walkways,
and the extended arms of the buildings effortlessly flowing into the
outside spaces... He was certainly deeply influenced by Wrights ap-
proach to the crafts, and that was one thing that struck him most. In
Joes own words, Wright crafted his buildings.
 >TRIBUTE

Joe certainly thought very highly of Corbusier. But, I feel that he was a
little cold towards Corbs notion of space. He felt Corbs work was too
classic, too sculpturesque and perhaps too monumental a scale. Joe was
always interested in breaking down the scale to the human measure.
This was something Joe had always been trying to achieve, successfully,
in his own projects. But I dont think he found this in Corbusiers works
especially bigger projects like Chandigarh. This was something he was
not comfortable with. Although he did admire Corbs smaller scale
projects. I know he liked the Sarabhai house in Ahmedabad. Also, when
it came to Corbusiers innovations like the pilotis and the idea of the
roof garden, Joe was certainly influenced by these. The notion of sim-
plicity in design and form, without any pretensions - which was one of
the fundamental tenets of the modern movement, was particularly taken
up by Joe.
What about his intellectual interactions with Indian contemporaries
such as Balakrishna V. Doshi and Achyut P. Kanvinde - did those
influence him to any extent in his thinking about Indian notions of
space?
How did his closeness to nature influence his approach towards ecol-
ogy and environment in his projects? And during his later years of
profession, was he was involved in any environmental conservation
projects?
Stein was extremely concerned about environmental issues. He was
very much a global man in the true sense. In his views, everyone on this
planet deserves a better life. He had figured out very early that unless
one takes care of the planet, it would not be a place worth living in.
Putting in extra care not in glossy interiors, but into a nice lovely
garden, however small, in a house was his way of responding to the
general deterioration outside. This was probably a first response and a
defense against the decay-
ing world... his little gesture
of giving back to nature.
This has always been his un-
derlining philosophy for all
Putting in extra care
his works irrespective of not in glossy interiors,
the scale of the project.

He was great friends with both and a partner with Doshi. With Doshi, Few people are aware that
but into a nice lovely
the relationship was complex. He actually collaborated with Doshi on after the development of
many projects including the Master Plans for Dal Lake in Srinagar and the Master Plan for the Dal
garden, however small,
for Gulmarg - Tanmarg area, both in the Kashmir Valley in 1970s. Of Lake in Srinagar, one of his
course, due to change in the political scenario in Kashmir, none of the concepts was to actually re-
in a house was his way
schemes were realized. The collaboration had been formed for specific vive the perfume industry
projects. But sadly, Stein and Doshi never actually got to work together of Kashmir Valley. Joe had of responding to the
fully for a collaborative design. And, I think both of them were upset learned from the history of
with this. the state that at one point general deterioration
of time, due to abundance
Stein certainly respected Doshi and Kanvinde and their respective works. of scented flowers, the per- outside.
He felt that each one was sincerely trying to define a modern Indian fume industry of Kashmir
vocabulary. Though at times, he did not necessarily agree with their was counted at par with world-renowned perfumeries in France. He
approach. planned planting of rows of flowers on land along the rivers and canals
with little perfumeries interspersed in between. He felt that part of the
We see a major role played by his wife Margaret Stein in giving inputs problem of the Kashmir Valley was general unemployment. In his views,
in terms of interiors and exteriors or in landscape design of some of his his scheme could eradicate this problem to some extent. Sadly, the
buildings - could you shed some light on this? project was never realized.

This is a classic example of a life long relationship. Though Margaret
was never formally trained in architecture or interior design, she had,
over the years, acquired a fine-grained understanding of design prin-
ciples and a fine sense of aesthetics. She frequently gave her inputs and
actually collaborated in landscape and interior design schemes for Joes
works starting right from the various residences designed during his
California days in the 1950s to the later projects here in India. I dont
think she was particularly interested in larger projects. She focussed on
interiors, fabrics and landscape.
Mr. Steins attention to architectural detail is legendary - did this same
attention extend to his notions of landscape and horticulture or was
that an aspect he left to others to work out?
Joe was always the one seeking balance between built and the natural
environment. He was not formally trained as botanist, horticulturist or
ecologist. But over the years, with his experience and interest, he
gathered knowledge about plants - their characteristics, flowering pat-
terns and growth.

17
 >TRIBUTE

grafiniti
The natural landscape was an integral part of all Steins works which, in
smaller projects, he himself took care of. For medium to large size
projects, often, he took the services of professional landscape archi-
tects and horticulturists, though it always was a collaborative effort.
The details - forms, colors and heights, planting materials used etc., got
the same attention as the architecture. He had a lot of respect for the
maalis (gardeners) in the IIC. In his opinion, they are the people who
actually take care of the complex.

You have been very closely associated with Mr. Stein over the years.
Could you tell us about your association with him... what it was like to
work with the man?
USE OF JAALI AND VERTICAL GREENS AT TRIVENI KALA SANGAM
It has been a very rich and learning experience. Joe was a very private

grafiniti
person, not easy to make friends with. He was, by nature, reserved. It
took quite some time and work to know him. But, once he took you
under his wings, he would take great care of you - took you to his house,
showed you his books, and sketches. He was extremely meticulous...
days and months of work would be scrapped and started afresh if he had
a better design idea. Quite often, when our working days ended on a
certain design discussion, he would come up with innumerable sketches
the very next morning. Obviously, he had been working half of the
previous night!

When I joined his office in 1977, there was no publication to showcase

Indian architecture. It was through travelling and by word of mouth
that one would know about good projects and offices. I knew that his
was a good office and I have stayed here ever since. The partnership of
Stein Mani Chowfla was established in 1993. By that time he had some-
what withdrawn himself partially from work. And I guess he had enough
confidence in Meena and myself to carry his work and directions fur-
ther. So he was a sort of emeritus... but he was always there as a guide. He
was an extremely simple person, and I guess this reflects in his works
also. I find this very inspiring.

Which of his projects in India - in your opinion - truly reflect the spirit
of his design?

One of his very first projects in India - the Triveni Kala Sangam in New
Delhi was also one he loved most. He liked the idea of Triveni as a place
- an open public building as a center for the arts and crafts and for
people to meet and gather. It has a lovely scale. This was the place he
first successfully attempted the concept of the vertical garden in the CLIMATE CONTROLLED COURTYARD WITH SUN SCREENS, INDIA HABITAT CENTRE
(IHC), NEW DELHI
form of planting boxes interspersed with large perforated jaali panels,
stepped outdoor garden theatre and overhanging pergolas. Every ele- Another project Joe really cherished was the development of the Kash-
ment played a crucial role for the overall simple design... a perfect mir Conference Complex, Srinagar. For him it was the Bay Area where,
balance of nature and built form in an urban setting. He also enjoyed according to him, land and water meet in absolute harmony, and where
working on the India International Centre plan. the site articulate itself so beautifully.

18
 >TRIBUTE

LEGEND

1. ENTRANCE
2. INNER COURT
3. RECEPTION
4. ROOMS
5. AUDITORIUM
6. OFFICES / SERVICES
7. LODI GARDENS
8. MEMORIAL PLAZA
7

3
4

2
1

6 5 8

LAYOUT PLAN, INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE (IIC), NEW DELHI

Drwaing from Building in the Garden by Stephen White. Reprinted with kind permission of Oxford UniversityPress, New Delhi.

India Habitat Centre (IHC), which has over a million square feet of
usable space, Joe particularly felt, was a successful attempt at meeting
modern urban demands - a series of blocks of optimum heights built
around semi enclosed landscaped courts. He evolved the idea of climate
controlled courtyards with sun screens which not only filter the light
but also give a sense of a notional ceiling - just enough enclosure,
perfect for gatherings and exhibitions.
Joe was man of great integrity. He always possessed that child like
quality - of believing that things would definitely change for the better.
His sketches always had little children - playing, flying kites... His
works, his simplicity and his belief of giving back to nature shall always
remain as a source of inspiration for generation of architects to come.

After completing his innings, would you say Stein was a satisfied man?

When he came to India in early fifties, the country was looking up

positively. There was hope for a better tomorrow. Stein had dreamt the
same. But the gradual decay in the political and social structure, which
has suddenly accelerated over the last few decades, had left him as a
disappointed man. Deteriorated condition of the urban scenario due to
shortsighted planning schemes, uncontrolled urban growth and the irre-
placeable loss of nature had made him quite sad in the last few years. He
felt that India is not equipped to handle big city problems and we should ANURAAG CHOWFLA
focus on developing a network of smaller urban centres.

19
>LANDSCAPE DESIGN
In continuation of the article on Rainwater Harvesting from our last issue, we hereby feature a case study where water harvesting
techniques have been successfully implemented.
WATER HARVESTING AT JNU, NEW DELHI
water harvesting at JNU, new delhi
ater planning, within the context of overall
landscape planning, should not be defined only
W
within the plans strategy, but also via the
identification and definition of specific re-
gional issues: a new approach to protection of
the surface associated with water utilization,
protection and valuation of water bodies and
related territories. It should take into account the landscape character-
istics. In urban areas, dependence on ground water is high, resulting in
deterioration of ground water resources, qualitatively as well as quanti-
tatively. This necessitates replacement of ground water reservoirs
through artificial recharge by rainwater harvesting, which involves col-
lecting, storing and conserving local surface runoff.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, has initiated the pilot
project within the New Campus and its surrounding areas. The study
area, JNU, is situated in the Southwest of Delhi metropolis, occupying
a sprawling, undulating rocky terrain of over 400 hectares. Due to
improper land use and a natural quartzite aquifer system, the quality of
groundwater had deteriorated with lowering of the water table. The area
also constitutes unused and some underused brick kilns (6.885sqkms),
which have been in operation since many decades. In certain localised
stretches, the clay content is high. Earlier dense cover of vegetation
and high moisture content in the soil of these areas have not only
minimised the removal of fine clastics (accumulated weathered materi-
als) by wind action but also have increased the clay content of the soil.
But, repeated heating of these areas has resulted in change in texture of
the topsoil, which has effectively reduced the ground water recharge of
the area. Selective lowering of ground water level of these areas sup-
ports the relationship between land-use pattern and the ground water
environment. In general, JNU area lacks sufficient (required for sus-
taining ecosystem) surface water bodies and palaeochannels. Very thin
soil cover in this area does not support the use of dug wells. Groundwa-
ter occurrence is restricted to the deep-seated fracture zones only.
20
part 2
DR. SAUMITRA MUKHERJEE & DR. ANITA MUKHERJEE
OBSERVATIONS
observations
The hydrogeomorphological features of JNU shows three units:
Low residual / Structural hills
low residual / structural hills
This unit constitutes the surface runoff zone and therefore has very
poor prospects of groundwater. They are mostly barren areas, with
scanty vegetation along joints and slopes.
Pediment
pediment
The undulating, eroded and dissected shallow, buried planer surfaces
along the fringes and slopes of ridges form this unit. The main drainage
systems are developed in this unit. Weathering is shallow and soil thick-
ness varies, the maximum being in the valleys near the streams. The
soil is generally clayey and fine silt, and partly has grit and gravel.
Drainage dissection is quite intense at places, often developing gullies.
Weathering is more intense in coarse gritty. Ground water potential is
generally low in this unit due to poor infiltration, and high runoff
resulting from varying slopes and clay mantle.
Buried pediment
buried pediment
The flat terrain in the Northeastern part of the campus has a shallow to
moderately thick soil cover, which is mainly silt and clay and at places,
with grit and gravel. This unit forms a moderate to good groundwater
potential especially, along fractures and drainage. Linement is linear or
curvilinear feature of the surface whose parts align in a straight or
slightly curving relationship that may be the expression of a fault or
other line of weakness. Few lineaments have been identified in the area
from satellite images. Among these, the two nearly E-W trending lin-
eaments, traced in the northern part of the campus are prominent. The
less conspicuous lineament / fractures identified in the images are along
NW-SE.
 >LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Map images courtesy the author.

70 0 10 0

C3
DELHI RIDGE
C3 SC

28 0 32 30

Fallow land AB VC

Water
JNU COMPLEX

C1 C1

C2
C2
RAVINES
ROCKY

VASANT KUNJ

JNU & SURROUNDINGS: HYDROMORPHOGEOLICAL MAP based on IRS-1C PAN Data JNU: PHYSICAL FEATURES based on IRS-1C Data

North CHECK DAM 1 C1 VICE CHANCELLORS RESIDENCE VC AREAS BENEFITTED BY STATISTICS

CHECK DAM 2 C2 ADMINISTRATION BLOCK AB CHECK DAMS TOTAL AREA 500 HECTARES
CHECK DAM 3 C3 SPORTS COMPLEX SC GREEN BELT 442 HECTARES
RECHARGE AREA CONSTRUCTED AREA 47 HECTARES
DENSE FOREST 11 HECTARES
LINEAMENT DENSE VEGETATION (PART OF RESERVED FOREST)

TECHNIQUES & INFERENCES
techniques & inferences
Rainfall cycles were identified each year, from 1996 to 2001. Their
effects of recharging the groundwater regime were observed in sixteen
piezometers. In order to choose appropriate positions for check dams
(to replenish groundwater) in the JNU campus, historical monuments
and other prominent urban features have been analysed by satellite
imagery. Rainwater harvesting was
done in the campus by selection of
grafiniti
by check dams across drainage at appropriate locations is one
method for artificial recharge.
Soil properties and land use patterns are the major contributing factors
to the hydromorphogeology of a particular area. Information on the
existing land use pattern is very essential for the formulation of poli-
cies and programmes for sustainable development. People transform
land for different activities and quan-
tifiable information on these domi-

the check dam sites with the help of
IRS-1C satellite data as well as obser-
vations of Ground Truth Radiometer,
resistively surveys and magnetic sur-
veys. Multispectral and
multitemporal data from SPOT, IRS-
1A, IRS- 1B and IRS -1C satellites
when integrated with land use, geo-
logical, geomorphologic,
hydrogeological and magnetic data,
have potential for identifying suit-
able areas for constructing check
dams. Interception of surface runoff
SURFACE RUNOFF COLLECTED AT CHECK DAM 2, JNU
nating activities is necessary to de-
velop future plans. Knowledge of past
human activities on the site may also
be useful.
Check dam sites have been selected
in the places with low soil moisture.
Locations for these have been se-
lected where valley section is narrow
and maximum spreading up of steam,
with least bearing on the height of
the structure is possible. Thus, 14 sites
have been selected for check dams.

21
>LANDSCAPE DESIGN

POSITIVE RESULTS...
positive results...
After adopting water harvesting techniques like construction of check
dams, the campus area has shown very positive results as far as the
recharging of ground water aquifers, vegetation cover and improve-
ment in the quality and quantity of ground water is concerned.
z Multidate satellite images infer changes in vegetation canopy cover
from 1987 to 2001. There is an increase in soil moisture by
artificial recharge in JNU campus.
z The water level in some parts of JNU has already risen by over ten
meters in less than two years. The depth of water level in the area
prior to check dam construction was ranged from 17 to 22 meters
below land surface. From 1996, the rise of water level was noticed
between 5.26 and 12.50 meters. It was computed that 45,000
cubic meters of water was recharged per year to the shallow and
deep aquifers.
z The water discharge in bore wells in neighbouring areas of JNU has
shown remarkable improvement. The check dams are also creat-
ing water bodies, which the master plan says should be develop-
ed to act as major lung spaces to attract migratory birds and for
improving the microclimate.
z After artificial recharge by check dams, the rise in water table has
attributed to increase in vegetation. Increase in soil moisture, the
total area under dense and sparse vegetation canopy cover has
increased. Dense vegetation has increased by 47%, vegetation has
increased by 24%. Area without vegetation has also shown 2.14%
vegetation. It is now planned to recreate the forest cover of the
large denuded parts of the ridge through planting of new trees of
indigenous varieties. The areas where planting is proposed on
priority basis are on sides of roads, where no trees have been
planted so far, or where already planted trees have died. Planting
is also being proposed in selected forest areas, especially around
the check dams to increase the percolation of water and to
prevent silting through soil erosion.

QUALITATIVE IMPROVEMENT OF GROUNDWATER AFTER ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE

qualitative improvement of groundwater after artificial recharge
The quality of water for domestic consumption is of paramount significance as the chemical and microbiological contamination
of potable waters can lead to serious health hazards/body disorders through a waterborne disease or toxic chemicals. This is
evident through the following table:
Value prior to artificial recharge
Value after artificial recharge
394.5

22.06

148.2
73.3
694

137

460

148

296
8.5

0.9

0.9
92
7

pH Electrical Hardness Ca Mg NO3 F

Conductivity (EC) CaCO3
micromohos / cm mg / l mg / l mg / l mg / l mg / l

22
 >LANDSCAPE DESIGN

ECO HYDROMORPHOGEOLOGY OF JNU CAMPUS

eco hydromorphogeology of JNU campus
Being situated on a structural hill made up of hard, massive quartzite rocks and buried pediment, the flora of this campus is unique. An
attempt was made to classify the suitable hydromorphogeological niche for new plantation. IRS-1C and SPOT data were used for this
purpose. The eco hydromorphogeology of JNU campus gives clear guidelines of suitability of plant species in this varied terrain.

GEOMORPHIC UNIT LANDFORM HYDROGEOLOGY SUITABLE FLORA

Residual / structural hills Rocky ridges and mounds. Massive compact jointed Prosopis juliflora (Kabuli kikar)
quartzite. Azadirachta indica (Neem)
Poor ground water. Mitragyna parvixora (Phaldu)

Pediment Undulating, eroded and dissected,
shallow buried pediment with
rock exposures.
Thickly vegetated with scrub.
Weathered coarse gritty or
sandy quartzite with cover of
clayey and silt soil along stream
course.
Moderate to good ground water
prospects along fracture and
shear zones.
Acacia senegal (Kumta)
Wrigtia tinctoria (Dudhi)
Balanites aegyptiaca (Hingota)
Sterculia urens (Kullu)
Boswellia serrata (Salai)

Buried Pediment Plain to gently sloping ground
with occasional rock outcrops
Silt clayey and at places gravely
soil derived from weathering of
sandy and gritty quartzite.
Good ground water prospects.
Ficus benghalensis (Bargad)
Cassia fistula (Amaltas)
Albizzia lebbeck (Siris)
Ficus religiosa (Peepal)
Ficus infectoria (Pilkhan)
Terminalia arjuna (Arjun)
Bauhinia variegata (Kachnar)

23
>LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Glossary of TTerms
erms
glossary of terms
z Palaeochannels Remnants of older river course.

z Multispectral More than two bands of spectrum, it is a remote sensing terminology.

z Piezometer The aquifer tapped by drilling in which ground water is available under atmospheric condition.

z Lineaments Linear features, it may be hidden fault line.

z Hydromorphogeological Hydro means water. Morpho stands for morphology or structure and geological stands for the earth science.

z Micromohos Unit of measurement of resistivity value.

References:

1 . Bhattacharya, A. K. and Gupta, A., Monitoring of the quality of drinking 8 . Mukherjee, S., Eco-conservation of a part of JNU campus by GIS Analysis,
water in JNU-Munirka area, Proc. Nat. Symp. On Groundwater Quality, Proc.Nat.Sem.on artificial recharge of groundwater, New Delhi,
New Delhi, India, 2000. India, 1998.

2 . Cantanese, A. J., Scientific Method of Urban Analysis, pp. 47-74,Univer- 9 . Mukherjee, S., Das, A.K., Kumar, and Verma, Synthesis of Remote
sity of Illinois publication, Urbana, Illinois, 1972. sensing, Geophysical and Chemical data to delineate Groundwater pollution in Kalindi
Kunj area, New Delhi, Proc.Nat.Symp. on Groundwater Quality, New
3 . Kale, P., Sustainable Development: Critical Issues, 20(4):183-186, J Indian Delhi, India, 2000.
Soc Remote Sensing, 1992.
1 0 . Rao, L. K. M., Remote Sensing for Landuse Planning, 16 (1): 53-60, Int J
4 . Mishra, J. K., Aarthi, R., and Joshi, M.O.,Remote sensing quantification Remote Sensing, 1995.
and change detection of natural resources over Delhi, 28 (19): 3131-3137,
Atmospheric Env., 1994. 1 1 . Sokhi, D. S., Spotting historical monuments and sites from SPOT images, 20 (1):
65-71, J Indian Soc Remote Sensing, 1992.
5 . Mukherjee,S. and Mukherjee, A., Qualitative and quantitative improvement in
groundwater by artificial recharge: A case study in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New
Delhi. pp 35-39, Proc. 10 th International Rainwater Catchment
system Conference, Mannheim, Germany, September 10-14,
2001.

6 . Mukherjee, S., Change in Groundwater Environment with land-use pattern in a part

of south Delhi: A remote sensing approach, 9(2):9-14, Asian-Pacific Remote
Sensing and GIS Journal, 1997.

7 . Mukherjee, S., Re-evaluation of seismogenic potentiality of Delhi-Rohtak area using

remote sensing and seismological data, Unpublished DST project report,
1997.

Dr Saumitra Mukherjee is Head (Remote Sensing Applications) and Associate Professor

at School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
>e-mail: dr_saumitramukherjee@usa.net

Dr Anita Mukherjee is an Environmental Consultant.

24
 >LANDSCAPE DESIGN

WATER HARVESTING AT JAMIA HAMDARD, HAMDARD UNIVERSITY

water harvesting at jamia hamdard, hamdard university
PROF. P. S. SRIVASTAVA & SAPNA MALIK

Hamdard University is located in the South of New Delhi city. Today, most of the existing tube wells in the
region of South Delhi either have lower water levels or have dried. In Jamia Hamdard at Hamdard University
(spread over an area of 100 acres), the average daily requirement is of almost 6 lakh litres of water, while the
availability is only 2.5 lakh litres per day from the existing tube wells. To ameliorate the shortage of water,
Hamdard University has initiated a project on water conservation and harvesting within the campus. The
project has already been partially implemented by achieving:

z Cleaning of the existing stormwater drains and construction of check dams for capturing of rainwater
that is being diverted to the sedimentation tanks.
z Digging of recharging wells near sedimentation tanks in the vicinity of the tube wells.
z Rainwater collected from the rooftop and water reaching from higher regions or hillocks in the
campus is being channelized to the newly constructed drains that are diverted to recharging wells.
z All the taps in the campus have been replaced with spring taps to prevent water wastage (by dripping),
when not in use.

The strategies adopted here have taken into consideration the fact that the use of wells to develop ground
water supplies can, in some instances, be an economical alternative to dams and surface reservoir for the
purpose of flow regulation and storage. During good rainy season, excess rainwater should be stored in the soil
and also underground sources using suitable soil moisture conservation measures and water harvesting struc-
tures on the watershed basis.

The engineering measures adopted differ with location, slope of land, soil type, and amount and intensity of
rainfall. Depending on these parameters, the methods commonly used are contour trenching, contour stone
walls, construction of temporary and permanent check dams and gully plugging structures. Additionally,
percolation ponds, silt detention tanks and irrigation tanks need to be constructed to harvest water and
recharge it to the ground for use in agriculture. Farm pond can be constructed for every 4 to 5 hectares in the
watershed to provide protective / supplemental irrigation.

The above mentioned water conservation management and water harvesting programs should be imple-
mented in an integrated manner. There are some demonstrated technologies which are promising for
cleaning contaminated aquifers. New technologies that are evolving include soil vapor extraction, in situ
bioremediation, bioventing, air sparging and in situ thermal barriers.

Prof. P. S. Srivastava is Head, Centre for Biotechnology and Dean, Faculty of Science
at the Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard University, New Delhi
>e-mail: dean@hamduni.ren.nic.in

25
 >LANDSCAPE DESIGN

SAMIR MATHUR
Luca Invernizzi Tettoni / The Tropical Garden

T
A SWIMMING POOL IN A HILL-TOP GARDEN WITH A THATCHED ROOOF SITOUT AND PALMS GIVING IT A TROPICAL FEEL

he presence of water has traditionally been a sign of plenty, as also a metaphor

T
for quenching of material desires. Physical contact with water has been found to
be therapeutic. The value of pools is an important link in the relationship be-
tween humans and nature. Swimming pools, even for the nonuser are a source of
visual delight, and convey a sense of association to the natural landscape. Many
questions arise relating to swimming pools, both in terms of their design and utility... What makes
a pool safe and easy to use? What are the points to bear in mind while locating and building a
swimming pool, especially in India? Pools are much more than just an element of visual relief in
the landscape, and require careful handling if they are to fulfill their functional requirements...

26
 >LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Design of pools spans many interrelated fields such as site planning,

Anthony & Sylvan Pools

framing a program of requirements as to its size and geometry, civil,

plumbing, electrical engineering and horticulture. The reason why images
of some pools are more appealing than others is due to a combination of
factors relating to the pool location, design and construction. Safety
considerations play a major role in design as a whole as well as of all its
components. The key is to remember that pools are usually designed to be
viewed as well as used and as in art, principles of light and proportion play
a significant role in making them visually attractive.

SITE PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS

site planning considerations
The relationship of landscape and built form, especially with respect to
the functional requirements, needs detailed examination. A key notion in
the location of swimming pools is a semblance of privacy, especially in
pools which have multiple family units using them, whether in a group
housing or a sports complex or hotel. In residential housing clusters,
swimming pools are located away from the main circulation areas, though
proximity to central open spaces is usually desired for ease of access. In
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON SHAPED POOL- THE RECTANGULAR SHAPE single-family residences, the pool may take on an additional dimension of
being the focus of social and party activity.
Anthony & Sylvan Pools

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
design considerations
The following are components of a swimming pool which are of interest
to a designer:
z Shell, water proofing and tiling.
z Water recirculation system including inlets, outlets and pumping
system.
z Deck.
z Planting around the pool.
z Lighting inside and around the pool.
A FREEFORM SHAPED POOL
Shape
shape
Rectangular and freeform shaped pools are the most common. Of these,
Luca Invernizzi Tettoni / The Tropical Garden

rectangular pools of proportion 1:2 between the sides are most widely
used.

Freeform pools with trees and planting, especially those facing the sea,
enhance viewing pleasure like no other pool. Though, these pools are
most challenging to build and maintain, these are often used in residential
situations and in resorts to contrast with stark and rigid geometry of the
architecture. Considerations of bottom drainage, water supply and access
to center are difficult in these pools and these have been prone to struc-
tural failure, possibly due to the uneven distribution of stresses.
A SALT-WATER FREEFORM POOL IN PHUKET, BUILT IN THE ROCKS OVERLOOKING
THE ANDAMAN SEA
A perfect circular form is not used often, as swimming of lengths is not
possible.

27
 >LANDSCAPE DESIGN

There are functional divisions in the swimming pool

Anthony & Sylvan Pools

relating to the depth of water. These are used to char-

acterize the usability of the pools such as shallow end
(for nonswimmers), deep end and clear length (for
swimmers). Other elements such as shower, foot-wash
and the deck are integral to the layout and should be in
physical proximity in sequence of use when approach-
ing the pool.

DESIGN OF POOL DECKS

design of pool decks
It is assumed that at given time two thirds of the users
are not inside the pool. Thus, the deck size should be at
least the same as the surface area of water. Deck chairs
about seven feet long are placed on pool deck with
appropriate space in between and enough space to walk
around them. Dimensions of the pool deck should fol-
low from this. The pool deck slopes away from the
pool. The edge grating is at level and handhold slopes
STEPPED DECK AROUND KIDS POOL ADD INTEREST TO THE OTHERWISE SIMPLE SHAPE OF THE MAIN POOL inwards to prevent a mixing of rainwater or muddy
water with the pool water. Chlorinated water from the
pool is harmful for plants around, and the dimensions
of the pool deck should be wide enough for excess
water droplets falling off from the swimmers body.
Steve W Marley / Sunset Swimming Pools

Finishes
finishes
Pool deck material should be impervious to water or
with low water absorption. Thus, common stone like
sandstone is not recommended as it get stained. Stone
on deck should be non-flaky that does not pierce the
feet, as skin is soft after swimming and more suscep-
tible to damage. This is the reason timber or exposed
aggregate decks are not preferred. Deck stones are usu-
ally chisel dressed after lying to remove flakes. Tiles
are usually found to be slippery with the deposition of
materials along with water. Anti-skid tiles which pro-
vide a grip for children while running are best to use.
These should be non corrodible.

Special heated decks in hilly areas require piping to be

underplayed the deck. The stone paving of the deck
EVERGREEN SHRUBS ARE OFTEN PLANTED ALONG THE POOL FOR SCREENING AND A SENSE OF ENCLOSURE should be such so as to allow the heat to penetrate
through.

28
 >LANDSCAPE DESIGN

PLANTING

Lumascape Product Manual 2000 / LSI Systems

planting
Planting around swimming pools play a major role in
enhancement of the visual qualities of water. The prin-
ciples behind planting for swimming pools serve two
conflicting requirements:

z Privacy and sense of enclosure for the users.

z Spaciousness and visual delight as often the pools

are located in proximity to other built up struct-
ures such as change rooms, pavilions, or habitable
rooms.

Planting with shrubs and ground covers is usually most

appropriate from the maintenance aspect. Plants such
as Lantana sellowiana, Chlorophytum comosum and
Dracaena reflexa are often used for this purpose. Large
trees are best avoided in the near vicinity for their leaf
litter and also as they block sunlight. Even evergreen
trees are best avoided as they shed a proportion of
their leaves during the year.

Shrub beds fulfill the function of providing an edge and

privacy to the pool environs. Evergreen shrubs at the
periphery to provide screening and the use of bold tex-
tured or flowering plants as accents are preferable.
Plants such as Furcraea watsoniana, Cycas revoluta
and Cycas circinalis, varieties of bamboos and yuccas
are often proposed. In coastal areas, bromeliads are
References:
also used to great effect. Bushy flowering shrubs such as
Hibiscus varieties, Hamelia patens, Bauhinia varieties, 1 . Carpenter, Jot D. (Ed), Handbook of Landscape Architecture Construction, The Landscape
Tecomas and similar species are used to provide both Foundation, Virginia, 1976.
screening as well as floral displays. Ornamental ever- 2 . Hospitality and Leisure Architecture of Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo, Rockport Publishers,
greens such as Ficus benjamina, Ficus nuda, Duranta Massachusetts, 1997.
plumieri and Schefflera arboricola are used for screen-
ing and enclosure. 3 . Lumascape Product Manual 2000, Queensland, Australia, 2000.

4 . Rutherford, Don (Supervising Editor), Swimming Pools, Sunset Publishing Corporat -

Poolside lawns add value to a pool, both through in-
creased use and through better visual perception. How-
ever, strips of grass reaching up till the pool is not
advisable, as these are difficult to maintain due to con-
stant wetting with chlorinated water.
ion, California, 1996.
5 . Harris, Charles W. & Nicholas T. Dines (Eds), Time-Saver Standards for Landscape
Architecture, McGraw-Hill Inc., Singapore, 1995.
6 . Warren, William, The Tropical Garden, Thames and Hudson, London,1997.

Samir Mathur did his Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massa-
chusetts, Amherst, USA. Presently, he is Assistant Professor in the Department of
Technical details and regulations of pool design shall be dis- Landscape Architecture in School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.
cussed in our upcoming issues. >e-mail: mathur@vsnl.com

29
>HORTICULTURE
With the land resources shrinking in the
cosmopolitan cities, there is hardly any
or no space for gardening around the
house. This is more evident in apartments.
Thus, one has to resort to airspace for
greenery and flowers in hanging baskets.
A variety of baskets can be used for the pur-
pose:
z Various types of terracotta and ceramics pots with provi-
sion for hanging.
z Iron wire baskets (with or without covering).
z Painted cast iron baskets.
z Coconut shells or hollow bamboo pieces.
z Wooden baskets or boxes made of durable wood and painted inside
with charcoal powder in kerosene.
These can be hung with ropes, chains wires or macrane holders. Selec-
tion of the container should be done keeping in mind:
z The pores for drainage.
z The plant that has to be grown in it.
z Suitable size which is easy to handle.
z Long life of the material used for basket.
z A suitable place to place it.
z And above all, its visual appeal.
If the basket is with slits or holes, a layer of moss FIG 01
and palm leaf or coconut fibers is placed in its
inner portion. Birds have a tendency to pull out
moss. Therefore, a nylon wire mesh is fixed be-
tween the moss and basket shell. Coconut fibre is
ideal, as it has longer life and looks natural and
FIG 02
blends well with the green.
Two styles of baskets can be prepared:
STYLE 1. Here the plants are raised on the top
surface only. Plants that are used are trailers and FIG 03
creepers with long hanging branches.
30
DR SAROJ TULI
STYLE 2. In this case, seedlings are
planted on the sides from bottom to top,
to give basket a round appearance.
Method
z Line 1/3rd of the basket at the
bottom with fiber and put soil mixture in it.
z Take plant seedlings and insert the lower part
of the stem with roots through the holes in the
basket. Spread the roots on the soil, where seedlings have
been placed all round. Put a thin layer of soil to cover the roots. (Fig 1)
z Again line the remaining basket with fiber upto 2/3rd of the
basket depth and fill soil to this depth, plant another layer of seedlings
as before. (Fig 2)
z After one week, cover the top sides of basket with fibers, put soil
and plant seedlings on the top. The top seedlings grow faster than the
ones planted on the sides. (Fig 3)
z Put the basket in shade for about 10 days and then transfer it to
the permanent site, depending on the need of the plant for sunlight and
air. Water daily.
z Pinching and pruning should be done regularly to encourage branch-
ing so as to cover the entire basket surface. Remove the flower buds if
they appear early. This operation also gives a neat
and clean look to the basket.
z Put liquid manure in small quantities and spray
Malathion fort at night.
SOIL
MOSS PLANTS THAT CAN BE GROWN IN BASKETS
STYLE 1 Asparagus, Philodendron, Tradescantia,
Ferns, Chids and Jade.
STYLE 2 Green leafy vegetables - Coriander,
Mint, Parsley and Spring Onion.
Small sized winter annuals - Nasturtium,
Pansu, Allysum and Jafari.
Kalanchoe, Succulents, Orchids, Lantana,
Ferns and Pilea muscosa.
 >HORTICULTURE

Today more and more people are decorating their living rooms, study tables, dining tables, bathroom
shelves, kitchen shelves with flower arrangement. These designs reflect ones creativity, mood,
hospitality and occassion.

Here are a few tips to keep flowers fresh for a longer time, enhancing the appearance of the
arrangement.

z Carry flowers from the garden or market in a head down position, so that heavy flower heads
do not cause damage to their stems. Even if such a thing happens, pass a toothpick through the center
of the flower into the stem.

z Use newspaper for wrapping the flowers. Keep flowers in neck deep water for a few hours to
acquire turgidity.

z If any flower wilts, cut its stem by 1/2 to 1 under water and leave it in water for a few hours.

ALWAYS CARRY FLOWERS IN HEAD-DOWN

POSITION z If the stem is woody, hammer at the base before putting in water. Alternately remove the bark
from the lower 2 portion of the stem and shift this part into four longitudinal parts.

z Remove all leaves, thorns or tendrils from the stem that is under water to delay decaying.

z Flowers like Gerbera, Dahlias and Poppies have hollow stems and lose their sap fast. Sear the
stem base on a flame.

z Tie cellotape round the rose buds to

prevent their openings. Put paraffin wax
at the base of Chrysanthemum flowers to
prevent the bottom petals from falling.

z If the stem is thin, insert it in a thicker

stem, ensuring that it reaches water.

WOODY STEMS SHOULD BE HAMMERED AT BASE z Spray the flowers with water twice a
BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN WATER
day.

z Do not put the flower arrangement

directly under the fan, in front of a cooler,
All sketches by the author. heater or sunlight.

Dr Saroj Tuli is Reader at Maitreyi College, New Delhi

31
>STUDENTS SECTION

RIVER YAMUNA: PRESENT STATUS & VISION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

PRIYANKA BATRA

The following is an extract from a study done in the Landscape Department of School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.
It was covered under the subject of Advanced Landscape Engineering. The objective of the study was to understand the role of
river Yamuna in present context and future, including the ecological aspects relating to it. This also included the study of the
proposal of channelisation for the river.

Rivers are zones of concentration for human settlements from the historic times to the present day. The soil of the river bottomland is fertile, rich
and valuable source that, with natural processes, replenishes itself. The ebb and the flow of the Nile have sustained one of the oldest civilizations
on the earth, beyond its contribution in the food-chain. Similarly, Yangtzes in China and Ganges in India offer perennial water supply, agricultural
land, transportation as well as communication facilities. The respect given to a river can be seen in the historic examples of New Delhis Central
Vista and Shahjahanabads alignment towards the river Yamuna, whereas in contrast one sees the abandoning of Fatehpur Sikri due to lack of water.

RIVER
FLOOD PLAINS
BUILT AREAS
GREENS
MONUMENTS

North

LANDUSE FOR AREAS SURROUNDING RIVER YAMUNA, DELHI

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF RIVER YAMUNA

z Source of origin - Yamunotri glacier.
z The river enters the Union Territory of Delhi at Palla (in North-
210 MSL) and leaves at Jaitpur (in South-198.12 MSL) after traversing
a distance of about 50 kms.
z Its spread varies from 1.5 km to 3.0 km.
z Water depth during floods is 9m and during the lean periods is 7.9
m.
z 10 road bridges, 2 railway bridges and 3 fair weather Pontoon
bridges cross-river Yamuna.
z 17 major drains are discharging untreated effluents into the river.
z The area has an assortment of authorized and unauthorized uses
like samadhis, cremation grounds, sports complexes, thermal power
stations, embankments etc.
RIVER YAMUNA: ISSUES
z River Yamuna has been subjected to pressures of fast urban and
industrial growth.
z At present, the physical inaccessibility to the river has resulted in
the mushrooming of squatters and its potential for social and recre-
ational value lies untapped.
z Lack of foresight, on the part of planners, has resulted in the
location of thermal power stations, fly ash ponds, landfill sites and
other such harmful landuses along the river.
z The bathing ghats - used for bathing, cremation or public washing
adds to the pollution of the river.
z Monuments that are sited close to the river are in no way incor-
porated in the riverfront development.
z The storm water channels that originally recharged a series of
wells, baolis (step wells) and tanks on their way have now ended up
polluting these secondary sources of water supply.
PROPOSALS FOR FLOOD CONTROL IN RIVER
YAMUNA
The various engineering techniques for flood control include dams,
levees, dikes, embankments and channelisation or channel modifica-
tion. While embankments are the currently used mode for flood pro-

32
 >STUDENTS SECTION

tection in the Yamuna, the future proposal for it is channelisation.

Embankments for the river have been designed while keeping in mind
the warning & danger levels for a particular place. But these still have
their ecological effects, as they offer false security on the flood plains UNEMBANKED RIVER
of a river.

Channelisation
The channelisation of river Yamuna would be carried out in phases. The
proposal for channelisation has profound impacts on the riverine eco-
system. Channelisation involves human engineering of a river channel
in order to enlarge, straighten, embank, reduce the meandering, in-
crease the slope, protect the existing channel or create new channels. A
river is one of the biggest channels of recharging under ground water
tables. With Delhi witnessing a sharp fall in the underground water
level, the Yamuna riverbed becomes almost sacrosanct. While
channelisation provides for more efficient irrigation & drainage of
farmland, controls floods and provides more navigable waterways, it
has its share of disadvantages. It increases velocity of water and hence
allows less infiltration. This results in higher erosional energy, and
downcutting of the channel, preventing further meandering. Increased
bank instability and erosion often results in an increased sediment load
carried by the river in the channeled section. This may be deposited
downstream where the river velocity drops and disrupt the habitat and
increase flooding. Turbidity is often higher in channeled sections than
natural stream reaches. This can have negative impacts on the water
quality, food supply and aquatic life. Due to channelisation, the water
level would rise which will obstruct the flow of the surface runoff from
Delhi through the storm water drains. This may lead to flooding in
Delhi. Channelisation also reduces agricultural possibilities. Cost of
channelisation is very high. The Regional Plan - 2001 has marked the
riverbed as a rural use land and green wedge / belt. The entire area under
the riverbed and its environs has been identified as a national wetland.
ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE PROPOSAL FOR
RIVER YAMUNA
Due to the above mentioned problems in channelisation, an alternate
proposal was drafted, which had an ecosystem based conceptual plan.
This plan aims at the maintenance of the vital ecological processes,
preservation of the genetic diversity, maintenance of exploited ecosys-
tems & population of plants and animals at a sustainable level to evolve
the quality of the landscape rather than just the quantity of the land-
scape. It comprises of the following components:
z Augmenting water recharge potential to be made possible by ex-
tended storage of water in the form of retention and detention ponds.
z Reducing pollution of Yamuna water through installation of STP
with detention facilities at all out fall points and effluent management
of adjoining rural areas.
z Conservation of natural areas like natural swamps, marshes and
special aggregation of flora and fauna, with proper mechanism to in-
hibit misuse through protective barriers and sound management.
UNEMBANKED RIVER
IN FLOODS
REDUCED NATURAL FERTILITY.
WATER LOGGING IN CASE OF HIGHER FLOOD LEVELS DUE TO REDUCED
OVERFLOW FLOOD PLAINS AND INCREASED SILTATION
FALSE SECURITY TO
RISE IN RIVER BED HUMAN SETTLEMENT
EMBANKMANT SECTION
z Hierarchy of green areas to be developed depending on existing
accessibility and viability of development of areas with varying use
intensities like remnant forests, landscaped parks, zoological and bo-
tanical gardens with significant emphasis on pollution control.
z Recreation to be limited to ecotourism as in development of
passive greens and water sports facilities where environmentally viable.
z Continuation and renewal of existing areas is envisaged with spe-
cial emphasis on improvement of built environment. Promotion of
agriculture and allied activities like horticulture and floriculture.
z Control of industrial wastes at source.
z Sludge from treatment can be used as manure & judicial control of
fly ash dumping.
z Encourage aquatic vegetation by providing suitable conditions
like soft base for plants to grow.
Bibliography:
1 . Floods, Floodplains & Environmental Myths, Centre for Science &
Environment (CSE).
2. Report on the Zonal Development Plan for river Yamuna area, Special Design
Cell, Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
3. Ecological constraints for river development, Delhi, N. G. Shastri.
4. River in the life of a city - Yamuna riverfront development: an endeavor to revive the past
to ensure a sustainable future for Delhi, Nupur Prothi.
5. Irrigation & Flood Department, Inter State Bus Terminus ISBT, Delhi.
Priyanka Batra is pursuing her Masters in Landscape Architecture
at the School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi.

33
>TECHNOLOGY

Autodesk VIZ 4 is the latest release in the software product line formerly known as 3D Studio VIZ, the award-winning 3D
software for design exploration and visualization. Autodesk VIZ 4 builds on the powerful modeling, texturing and rendering
features of 3DS Max software to support you throughout the entire design development process. Now featuring a new genera-
tion of global illumination rendering technology, Autodesk VIZ 4 significantly enhances value throughout the design process
by more accurately simulating real-world lighting conditions.

Although Autodesk VIZ can be used in a variety of disciplines, its four primary
uses are as follows:

Exploration. At the start of a project, one can develop ideas in real time and
prepare design studies for more precise development in ones primary design
application.

Communication. As designs evolve, one needs to continuously communicate

the design intent to colleagues, consultants, and clients.

Validation.One can test designs under development for compliance with specific
performance criteria.

Presentation. One can present finished designs or designs under development

in a persuasive fashion using a variety of compelling multimedia techniques.

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

Interactive 3D Environment
A key element in the rapid acceptance of Autodesk VIZ has been its ability to
present a compelling visual environment - quick work and immediate, interactive
feedback as forms and spaces are modeled. and design elements are experimented
with. Modeless modeling provides a unified workspace, and surface finishes
and lighting systems can be created, mapped, and manipulated on-the-fly.

Global Illumination Rendering

Autodesk VIZ 4 introduces a new generation of global illumination rendering
technology for more accurately simulating lighting effects in a scene, enhancing
the softwares value throughout the design process by:
z Producing more accurate renderings of what objects or spaces would look
like in natural or artificial lighting conditions.
z Automatically capturing subtle lighting effects that add depth and realism
to images. These effects including indirect diffuse lighting, soft shadows from area
light sources, and color bounce between surfaces .produce images and animations
of realism for compelling presentations.
z Simplifying the workflow for designers who previously used both 3D
Studio VIZ and Lightscape to obtain similar results.

34

Image courtesy MBT Architecture
Real-World Lighting
In conjunction with global illumination rendering, Autodesk VIZ 4 also intro-
duces support for physically based lighting. Rather than specifying the intensity
of a light using arbitrary values, one can now use more meaningful photometric
units (i.e., lumens, candelas). It also supports the industry-standard IES (Illumi-
nating Engineering Society) data formats for describing the performance of manu-
factured lighting fixtures.The software also comes with a ready-to-use library of
common lighting fixtures.
One can get realistic results simply by positioning the lights in a scene the way
one would in the real world. Autodesk VIZ 4 also supports IES daylight stan-
dards and offers an enhanced daylight system for defining natural lighting condi-
tions by specifying location, date, time and cloud cover conditions.
Unique, Intelligent Interoperability
Autodesk VIZ 4 offers an enhanced DWG Linking feature that provides unique
interoperability with AutoCAD platform-based solutions. This feature enables
one to fully leverage the data created in your design platform (Autodesk Architec-
tural Desktop, Autodesk Mechanical Desktop , Autodesk Land Desktop soft-
ware). DWG Linking allows one to use the most appropriate application for the
job. Autodesk VIZ lets one append data to a design that may be too heavy or
otherwise inappropriate for a production application.
Multimedia and Communications Tools
With its technological roots in 3DS Max, the leading design software for digital
content creation, Autodesk VIZ provides state-of-the-art tools for digital creation
and output. Combined with the latest global illumination rendering capabilities,
these tools provide unprecedented flexibility for communicating and presenting
designs in the representation most appropriate to the task. For example during
model creation, one can manipulate geometry and objects, try different materials,
and set lighting in a fully interactive viewport. One can automatically create
animated shadow and lighting studies that show the effect of the sun over a
specified time. For internal reviews and collaboration, still images can be ren-
dered quickly with 180-degree panoramic images, and walk-through animations
at varying levels of resolution and fidelity can be created. For presentations and
competitions, one can create compelling rendered images and animations of the
highest professional calibre.
Phones: 91-11-651 0051, 696 1592 Fax: 91-11-652 1695 E-mail: cadstudio@vsnl.com
>TECHNOLOGY
SUNLIGHT DAYLIGHT MOONLIGHT
Image courtesy Guillermo Leal Llaguno
Feature & Benefits
A fluid 3D environment with real-time response on lighting, textures, and forms.
z Cuts conceptual design cycle costs and time.
z Reduces or eliminates need for physical prototypes.
A new generation of global illumination rendering technology for more quickly
and accurately simulating true lighting effects in a scene.
z Provides a more accurate representation of what designs will look like for
better valuation and communication.
z Produces richer, more realistic images and animations for truly compelling
presentations.
z Improves workflow for designers previously using 3D Studio VIZ 3and
Lightscape for similar functionality.
Physically based, photometric lighting specification for working with realworld
lighting fixtures and more accurate daylight simulation.
z Makes it much more intuitive to position and evaluate lighting in
scenes.
z Supports tools for lighting analysis that enable you to both visually and
quantitatively evaluate the lighting performance of a given design (both
daylight and artificial lighting).
Unique, intelligent interoperability through DWG Linking with AutoCAD,
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Autodesk Mechanical Desktop, and Autodesk
Land Desktop software.
z Fully leverages work across both CAD and 3D visualization environments.
Breadth and depth of multimedia and communications tools integrated into the
environment.
z Increases collaborative design with enhanced design communica-
tions.
z Provides greater flexibility in developing appropriate presentation graphics
for a broad range of media.
For further information:
Chakresh Jain, CAD Studio,
K-71, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi 110 016 INDIA
35
 >WEB SITES

l g onto...

www.topos.de
> > www.topos.de
TOPOS- European Landscape Magazine is a specialized journal
on design of landscape architecture. Ever since its foundation in
1992, it has become one of the most comprehensive
journals on international landscape architecture. An
interdisciplinary approach by the journal aims at en-
abling dialogue between architecture, landscape plan-
ning, garden art and public design. Published quarterly,
the journal has single bilingual editions in English and
German. Every issue is design oriented featuring projects
and planning work from all over Europe. These include
exciting private gardens, parks, plazas, memorials, pub-
lic areas and development works of various open space
projects in Europe.

The website www.topos.de is neatly organized under the cat-

egories:
CURRENT ISSUE
PREVIOUS ISSUES
FINDER

Available in English and German, the website offers a complete

table of contents of its current and all previous issues. It also
includes information regarding all articles published in them.
Selected complete articles, along with images, are available online.
One can search through the list by issue number, author or
subject of the article. One can also contact the editorial staff
for any clarification. The site has a very good access speed and
is easily navigable. A white background with blue color combi-
nation for the interface is visually appealing.

More sites worth checking...

Recently launched website of Ahmedabad based practice of

>> www.landscapeindia.net Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner Parbhakar B Bhagwat.
>> www.landscapeindia.net

Website of the office of Architect Richard and Dion Neutra.

>> www.neutra.org Definitely worth checking!
>> www.neutra.org

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 BAUHINIA PURPUREA
CUT & KEEP

Bauhinia is named after two botanists, Jeans and

Gaspard Bauhin of 16th century, who were twin
brothers. Purpurea in Latin, refers to purple color.

FAMILY: Leguminosae.

COMMON INDIAN NAME: Kolar

DISTRIBUTION: All over India, particularly along

the foothills of the Himalayas from Indus to Assam.
Also found on the hill ranges of Central and South-
ern India.

DESCRIPTION: Kolar is a medium sized evergreen tree

with conical to rounded crown. The bark is smooth, ashy
grey or brown in color. Leaves are light green in color,
simple and bilobed, cleft about halfway down with strong
nerves radiating from the base. The leaf is split down in
the middle, giving a hoof like appearance, by which Bauhinia
can be at once recognized. Flowers are deep pink or rosy
Original illustration by Suddhasattwa Basu in Nature Watch. Lustre Press Pvt. Ltd. 1990

purple, large and showy and have five petals. Profuse flow-
ering is followed by long, sword like green pods, looking
like French beans along the foliage.

FLOWERING SEASON: September to December

GARDENING NOTES D ES I G N F U N C TI O N S

CLIMATE: The tree can grow in a wide range of climatic
conditions. It can grow well in semi arid climate. It is a
frost hardy tree and can be grown in an altitude of 5,000
feet above mean sea level.
SOIL: It can grow in any type of well drained soil but
prefers moist fertile and loam soil. On the ill drained
clayey soil, the growth is stunted.
P R O P A G A T I O N : Bauhinia can be easily grown from
the seeds, which are sown in March to April, on raised
beds, in lines 25cms apart. The germination takes place
in 7 to 10 days. The seedlings are then transplanted in the
rainy season. The plants start flowering at an early age.
It is mainly used for ornamental planting and due to its medium size, is well suited for small
gardens, houses and roadside. It is one of the few trees that flower in autumn season.
O T H E R U S E S : The tree bark is used for dying and tanning and sometimes for fiber. The
flowers are pickled or used as vegetable. Wood is used for agricultural implements and for
buildings.
BAUHINIA VARIEGATA (KACHNAR)
Kachnar is one of the more common varieties. Mostly all the features of this variety are similar
to Bauhinia purpurea except for the flowering season and color of flowers. Flowers are white
or deep purple. These are large and generally appear from February to March when the tree is
in leafless condition. This tree flowers when the purpurea variety is in fruit, which makes an
easy distinction between the two. Other varieties include Bauhinia racemosa and Bauhinia
blackiana.

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