V.

Girish

The Exercise
An old building had to be chosen and measures had to be suggested which could help in protecting the building.

The Building chosen

The building chosen was Raipur Darwaja.

Reason for the choice of the building

The Gate continues to stand tall and has withstood the test of time. The structure is still used as a gate, but has scars of decay on it. The idea was to analyse the existing problems and find solution by which the structure could be kept in use as a gate.

Raipur Darwaja

Satellite Image - location

Problems Identified
Motor vehicles movement through the gate. Blackening due to smoke. Growth of vegetation, dust and dirt. Small kiosks and hawkers abutting the gate. Banners have been hung on the gate. Damage and theft of lights and other installations.

Probable solutions
Alternative path for vehicular movement. Cleaning by clay pack treatment. Cleaning using Ammonia and a Non Ionic detergent. A screen of some sorts can be designed so as to avoid the dust from getting deposited. Alternate position for the kiosks and hawkers. People should be made to realize the importance of the structure.

Blackening due to smoke Clay pack treatment.

The clay is an absorbent and thus all the oil and accompanying dirt is removed once the clay pack is removed. The clay is mixed with ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium carbonate. CMC (Carboxy Methyl Cellulose) is used as a viscosity modifier and water retention agent. A paste of clay and sodium bicarbonate can be very effective when used in cleaning. Upto 5 to 10% is added to the paste and it is then applied to the stone surface and is kept there for 24 hours. After application a thin polythene sheet is stuck on it for the 24 hours. After drying the clay along with the dirt, comes out automatically by removing the sheet. The surface is then cleaned up with a soft nylon brush and next it is washed.

Growth of vegetation, dust and dirt Cleaning using Ammonia and a Non Ionic detergent.
Ammonia and a Non Ionic detergent (2 to 3% diluted in water) are used. Ammonia is a weak base and thus it helps to neutralize the acid formation due to the vegetation growth. It disturbs the metabolic activities and thus destroys the mini roots over the stone substrate.

People should be made to realize the importance of the structure.

It was realized that one of the key factors why the structure was getting deteriorated, was that the people did not know the importance of the structure.

Projecting a magnified image of the problem.

A white cloth can be wrapped around the gate to show the effect of pollution on it.

A cloth with small posters can be wrapped all around the gate to show, how ugly posters can make the building.

Small kiosks and hawkers abutting the gate

Alternate position for the kiosks and hawkers.

It was realized that one of the key factors why the structure was getting deteriorated, was that the people did not know the importance of the structure.

The hawkers can be provided a new place close to the Gate. A new tree can be planted where the Old banyan tree existed and the hawkers can be allotted the same position. This not only bring back the old tradition but will also make the hawkers move away from the structure.

The Raipur Bhajiya wala.

The shop has existed for a very long time and has become synonymous with the gate, The shop does maintain cleanliness, and had maintained the surroundings so instead of moving the shop away from the gate, the shop may be integrated as a part of the gate. The paving material around and through the gate can be changed so that the building and its immediate surrounding can be read as a single unit.

RAIPUR DARWAJA EXISTING PAVEMENT

BHAJIYA WALA PROPOSED AREA TO BE PAVED

Proposed solution: - The paving material around and through the gate can be changed so that the
building and its immediate surrounding can be read as a single unit.

Proposed solution: - The area abutting the gate can be paved to distinguish the gate...

Proposed solution: - The area abutting the gate can be paved to distinguish the gate...

Internation Case study for adaptive re-use

Selexyz Dominicanen- BookStore
Maastricht , Netherlands

The exercise was to identify an international case study for adaptive re-use, draw inferences from it and work on similar lines with our project.

Project

Selexyz Bookstore, Dominicans. Client Selexyz Bookstores Group, Netherlands.

Location

Maastricht ,Netherlands.
Architects

Merkx + Girod.
Original Use

Dominican church ,Maastricht. Constructed in 1294.

Current Use

Book store.
Realization

2007.
Area

1,200 m2

History Dating back to the 13th century, the structure was a Dominican church until Maastricht was invaded by Napoleon in 1794 and the group was forced out of the country. Since that point it has been briefly used as a parish, then a warehouse, then an archive, then a giant parking lot for bicycles and, Finally made over into a bookstore.

The Book Store The new installations are highlighted by a towering, three-storey black steel book stack stretching up to the stone vaults. The highest shelves are reachable by lift or by a set of stairs within the sleek, well-made stack. The shelves on the upper level are so designed that they give the give of the church

below.

The Coffee shop At the back of the church customers and visitors can sit and admire the beautifully renovated 14th century ceiling frescoes, or chat over a cup of coffee in the caf situated in the former choir. In a bit of humour the bookstore also installed a cross-shaped reading

table where anyone can sit and flip

through the magazines and newspapers kept in the slats of the table.

Inferences : - It was seen that the new interventions that were made did not obstruct the existing
structures and at the same time were clearly distinguishable.

Smoke Screen
Smoke from the vehicles passing through the gate was causing the blackening on the underside of the gate. A screen could be proposed to cut the smoke.

Blackening Screen required

An Opaque screen would mean that the gate cannot be seen clearly.

So what should the infill be ?

AIR CURTAIN Commonly seen in shops and other Air Conditioned spaces

Insertion of a screen to cut the smoke

Blower would dispense Air in the form of sheets The frames would be so placed that the air from one would be received by the other to maintain the consistency of the air sheet

PUMP

Blower would dispense Air in the form of sheets

Sheet of Air

A sheet of air will be released which will act as a screen and prevent the smoke from getting deposited. The set up would have a pressure sensitive plate which would trigger the blowers.

Present Light fixtures protrude From the surface making them prone to vandalism

The lights could be such that they are sunken and are flushed within the new proposed pavement.

New light fixtures which could be flushed with the flooring, this would reduce the scope for vandalism .