TEAM : Ruchika Agrawal & Stuti Chandra
Keywords: Digital Connectivity, Ecological Integration, Vertical Farming, Hydroponics and Aeroponics, Trails
In the year of 2020, the world has come a long way from the introduction of the fourth Industrial Revolution – the advent of Information Technology. From the initial years of building computers and processors, IT has now become a part of the system such that our cities are now built and are influenced by it. In such a case, to make an informed prediction of the near future, this change is only going to influence more and more areas, forming a larger network – bringing out an era of Digital Connectivity.
At the same time, on the ecological front, the world has seen the effects of deforestation as a resultant to industrialization and rapid urbanization. These have led to a positive change with the rise of awareness in people and more and more trees are being planted to save the degrading environment. In addition, the methods and techniques to integrate greenery in cities are increasing, with sophisticated systems for vertical farming for catering to the needs of the rising population. With the emphasis of health, transportation, farming techniques in cities would allow fresh produce to be grown and reach its consumers faster.
The Viridiscent Connect is a project where these ideas work in conjunction – to modify the architecture of a built which is meant to have three contrasting functions of Retail, Office and Hotel. When such programs are combined under an aegis of a singular built project, it acts as a mixed use typology. The intention is to modify this into a vertical hybrid – where these functions are not as isolated as they normally would be and are able to have some common links between them, to have a more seamless functioning of the building.
Learn and Create is a the name given to the systems used in the built which are responsible for connecting the different functions of Live-Work-Play (Hotel-Office-Retail respectively) together with the ideas discussed to let the building emerge as a vertical hybrid according to their program-performance. While the concept of Learn and Create is looked at a programmatic level initially, it is allowed to define the built form and skin as well.
Architecture of Ecological Performance states that the idea of the building is to be a part of a system – a bridge between design and environmental ecology. The project follows a programmatic approach to the design process, where there are three parameters examined in detail – site, program and identity, to come up with the final built.