apartment case study slideshare

Belapur Housing by Charles Correa: A sense of home and community

Charles Correa was one of the few truly Indian architects , who incorporated international modernism in the Indian context without copying it. Being a native of India, he understood the nuanced relationship between culture, traditions, and architecture, better than any top-level international architect ever could.

A child of Goa, a pupil of Ahmedabad, and a mentor to Bombay, he eventually made the whole of India his workplace.

He has famously said that “Bombay is a great city but a terrible place.” Today, Mumbai is home to over 2 crore people. Shortage of space is and has been its biggest problem for years. Starting from little interventions like modifying pavement usage according to its activities to planning the entire city of New Bombay, Ar. Charles Correa has really contributed a great deal to the development of India’s financial capital. 

The main problem in Mumbai has always been too many people and not enough roofs to cover them with. Correa studied and provided apt and unconventional solutions to this problem. His work in low-cost housing is vast and exemplary.

One of these projects is the incremental Belapur Housing. Belapur is located in Thane district, then just on the fringes of Navi Mumbai. It is a node in Nerul, some two kilometres from the centre of New Bombay. 

The site area of 5.4 hectares was developed to house 500 people (about 100 families) per hectare. Work on the project began in 1983, taking three years to complete, with the first residents moving in by 1986.

The project has a single principle at its roots: an individual plot for each dwelling to allow for future expansion as and when necessary.

The scheme was designed to cater to a variety of income groups: lower, middle, and upper. Though the range of income groups is wide (a ratio of 1:5) the plot sizes vary less, from 45 sqm to 75 sqm. Initially, Ar. Correa wanted the same plot size for all, but that had to be modified due to affordability and rules of lending agencies.

Each house has its own plot and shares no common wall with its neighbour, allowing for it to have its own small open space. This is beneficial in two ways: a sense of individuality even in a dense community and for expansion as and how seen fit by the owners. This was commended as a feature of good contemporary planning.

The overall development is low-rise high density, in-keeping with most of Correa’s other low-cost housing projects. There are five types of dwellings designed according to plot size, the smallest being just a single room with a toilet, and the most elaborate a two-storeyed tenement. The houses have no common walls, but the toilets of two neighbouring dwellings do, for ease of plumbing services.

Here, too, Charles Correa ingeniously uses his trademark hierarchical open spaces to create a sense of home and community. The smallest open space is the individual yard of each house. Seven dwellings are grouped around an intimate courtyard of about 8m x 8m. 

Three such clusters come together around a larger space of about 12 m x 12 m. Three of these clusters combine around the largest community space of 21m x 21 m. The community spaces open out to a seasonal stream ( nullah ) flowing through the centre of the site which also carries the stormwater during rains.

All the units are arranged such that one house can abut the boundaries of two others. No windows are placed on those sides to maintain the privacy of the residents. All the units are built in load-bearing masonry, plastered and painted. The structure was kept simple so that the houses can be constructed even by local unskilled labourers, giving them employment.

The overall feel of the settlement is that of a quaint village, with small close-set white-washed houses topped with Mangalore tiles. The front yards are paved with Shahabad, the most popular stones used in angans .

The brilliance of Correa’s planning, especially for housing, is always that it is easy to understand but very difficult to come up with. Belapur housing makes a statement which combines the principles that Correa believed to be most important in housing: incrementality, open-to-sky spaces, equity and a strong sense of community. 

The movement within the development is entirely pedestrian, with parking spaces allotted on the fringes. The open spaces flow from small court to large community space with ease.

THE PROJECT TODAY

However, the Belapur of today is very different from what it was in the 80s. it is now a prominent business district. The trend of high-rise housing schemes has caught up with it. Considering this scenario, the low-rise dense settlement might seem like it is taking up way too much space and sheltering not nearly enough people. 

There is hardly any space for car parking in an age where even low-income families have at least two two-wheelers. Being an incremental housing scheme, it is expected that the owners would make changes as needed. However, the requirements increased drastically which led to many houses being remodelled or rebuilt. 

The residents themselves did not want the ‘village’ feel. If we see Belapur housing today, it seems to be teetering on the wrong edge of sophisticated low-cost housing and shabby haphazard growth.

Does this mean that the scheme is obsolete in the current context? No, because Charles Correa carefully analyzed the requirements of the then suburb and came up with the most effective solution for that time. And while Correa could not control how his concept would be changed by users several years later, the overall feel of the space is still intact — a result of great planning. 

In today’s age of ‘compact’ and ‘space-saving homes’, there are ample open and green spaces right in the middle of a bustling city. The community spirit still prevails in the residents of Belapur incremental housing, despite today’s apartment culture promoting people to be locked inside their own little boxes. And that is the success of Ar. Correa.

No one could have visualised the growth spurt that hit Mumbai in the past four decades. The city continues to grow and change. No one can really predict how a city is going to be just a decade later. The best the architects and the users, the citizens at large, can do is adapt, and try to make their great city also a great place.

• Khan Hasan-ud-din, (1987), Charles Correa: Architect in India, Mimar Book, Singapore, Concept Media Ltd.
• https://www.slideshare.net/snehacoutinho/charles-correas-incremental-mass-housing-project-artist-village-belapur

Priyanka is a student of architecture, with an immense interest in art. A voracious reader, she can be found immersed in a book at any time. She looks to nature for inspiration, in designing, painting and writing. Exploring and experiencing the world through words is her passion.

The CEPT University Library, Ahmedabad by Rahul Mehrotra: Spaces within the spaces

Chapter House By Tom Robertson Architects

Related posts.

Our Lady of Dolours Basilica, Thrissur

Sadar Manzil, Bhopal

Center for Environmental Education, Ahmedabad

Bara Imambara, Lucknow

IWA – A Digital Art Museum

Borderless House by Formzero

• Architectural Community
• Architectural Facts
• RTF Architectural Reviews
• Architectural styles
• City and Architecture
• Fun & Architecture
• History of Architecture
• Design Studio Portfolios
• Designing for typologies
• RTF Design Inspiration
• Architecture News
• Career Advice
• Case Studies
• Construction & Materials
• Covid and Architecture
• Interior Design
• Know Your Architects
• Landscape Architecture
• Materials & Construction
• Product Design
• RTF Fresh Perspectives
• Sustainable Architecture
• Top Architects
• Travel and Architecture
• Rethinking The Future Awards 2022
• RTF Awards 2021 | Results
• GADA 2021 | Results
• RTF Awards 2020 | Results
• ACD Awards 2020 | Results
• GADA 2019 | Results
• ACD Awards 2018 | Results
• GADA 2018 | Results
• RTF Awards 2017 | Results
• RTF Sustainability Awards 2017 | Results
• RTF Sustainability Awards 2016 | Results
• RTF Sustainability Awards 2015 | Results
• RTF Awards 2014 | Results
• RTF Architectural Visualization Competition 2020 – Results
• Architectural Photography Competition 2020 – Results
• Designer’s Days of Quarantine Contest – Results
• Urban Sketching Competition May 2020 – Results
• RTF Essay Writing Competition April 2020 – Results
• Architectural Photography Competition 2019 – Finalists
• The Ultimate Thesis Guide
• Introduction to Landscape Architecture
• Perfect Guide to Architecting Your Career
• How to Design Architecture Portfolio
• How to Design Streets
• Introduction to Urban Design
• Introduction to Product Design
• Complete Guide to Dissertation Writing
• Introduction to Skyscraper Design
• Educational
• Hospitality
• Institutional
• Office Buildings
• Public Building
• Residential
• Sports & Recreation
• Temporary Structure
• Commercial Interior Design
• Corporate Interior Design
• Healthcare Interior Design
• Hospitality Interior Design
• Residential Interior Design
• Sustainability
• Transportation
• Urban Design
• Host your Course with RTF
• Architectural Writing Training Programme | WFH
• Editorial Internship | In-office
• Graphic Design Internship
• Research Internship | WFH
• Research Internship | New Delhi
• RTF | About RTF
• Submit Your Story

Looking for Job/ Internship?

Rtf will connect you with right design studios.

• Login / Register
• You are here: Buildings

AJ Specification

Case study: Apartment Block by Coffey Architects

4 August 2020 · By AJ Contributor

Coffey Architects has transformed this apartment with inefficient floor plan into a highly crafted home. Photography by Tim Soar

Apartment Block is a hand-crafted, refurbishment of an apartment, designed by Coffey Architects as a solid piece of joinery inserted into an existing building. The home has been carved out of more than 30,000 individually hand-cut and laid cross-section blocks made of European oak.

The existing flat was dark and cramped, with a convoluted floorplan and there was no celebration of the space’s historic features. It is located in Kingsway Place, a Grade II-listed former school building built in 1892 and converted to residential use in 2000.

Coffey Architects began by stripping away all non-original features, leaving the original envelope exposed to retain the drama and history of the space. References are made to the history of the building: original green tiles were revealed around the perimeter of the apartment and the use of the timber blocks is a nod to the woodblock flooring often found in Victorian school classrooms.

Advertisement

The 3m-tall original sash windows are adorned with ornately crafted opening shutters filtering the light and casting shadows on the walls of the double-height space, ever-changing through the day to create a richness of delicate light.

Phil Coffey, director, Coffey Architects

Project data

Start on site February 2019 Completion July 2019 Gross internal floor area 95m² Construction cost Undisclosed Architect Coffey Architects Client Private Structural engineer Morph Structures Approved building inspector Head Projects Main contractor Woods London Joinery subcontractor James Wilkie CAD software used AutoCAD

Architect’s choices

The concept for the project has always been an ‘insert’, being clear and honest about what was original and what is new in the building while creating a beautiful, contemporary and functional home.

Oak seemed an obvious material, due to its quality and natural beauty. It is a material which sits quietly and harmoniously with the host building, yet it is contemporary and versatile, offering the warmth required to create a home in a space which is otherwise filled with hard materials.

The result is a contemporary piece of hand-crafted joinery inserted into a historic envelope; the two fused together in light and material richness.

Ella Wright, architect, Coffey Architects

Specification

Material selection and specification were of upmost importance when considering the clients’ brief. As the project was a refurbishment, respect, celebration and enhancement of the beauty of the existing host building was critical.

Apartment Block uses materiality and detailing in an innovative and almost obsessive manner to create a place which is beautifully unique. The wood blocks themselves are not innovative but their application on all the horizontal surfaces, ceilings, worktops and desk spaces is, in its pure obsession and repetition.

Selected products

Curtain wall system Schüco FW50+ SG, sealed Foyer curtain wall www.schueco.com

Ceiling Contractor 60x60mm hand-sawn oak blocks Ceiling of mezzanine

Sliding shutters/partitions Contractor Bespoke oak cut sections, blackout linen Between master bedroom and study on first floor mezzanine

Shutters to main windows Contractor Bespoke oak cut sections with white linen material Main living space windows

comment and share

• Add to Bookmarks

Tags AJ Specification Ceilings Coffey Architects House London Refurbishment roofing

You might also be interested in…

Squire and Partners completes cogwheel-shaped hotel in Shoreditch

31 July 2024

The exterior design of the 26-storey 357-bedroom hotel is intended to recall…

• Foster + Partners completes Phase 3 of Battersea Power Station masterplan

29 July 2024

A mixed-use building with roof gardens and an office building providing over…

Studio Bark designs off-grid Suffolk house

26 July 2024

Water Farm, a country house clause house, has a geometric timber roof…

Ahead of the curve: Brighton College arts centre

24 July 2024

Dutch practice krft, working with Nicholas Hare Architects as delivery architect, has…

Most popular

• Architect suspended over £2m seaside home which spiralled to £11m
• Health of housing market ‘worse than 20 years ago’ says new Barker review
• Could a solution to the housing crisis also save our high streets? 
• A is For_ Q&A: ‘Folkestone has become the focus of our practice’
• Ellen van Loon leaves OMA
• RIBA Stirling Prize 2024: this year’s finalists revealed
• Northampton Maggie’s centre by Stephen Marshall Architects starts on site
• Richard Murphy’s revised overhaul of Edinburgh landmark gets go-ahead
• Stirling Prize: ‘More forgettable and uninspiring than ever’

One comment

It would be interesting to see images of the dual purpose dining / bedroom.

Leave a comment

Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion.

• Architects in your City
• Famous Architects
• Ancient / Historical
• Corporates/offices
• Cultural/Religious
• Green/Sustainable Architecture
• High-rise/Skyscraper
• Hotel and Cafe
• Institutional
• Mixed-use Buildings
• Recreational
• Landscape Architecture
• Public Buildings
• Residential
• Top in the field
• Tech in Architecture
• Career Path
• Sign in / Join

Norman Foster and his High-tech Architecture

Diebedo francis kere- first african to win pritzker architecture prize, thomas heatherwick – fascinating architect, oscar niemeyer- hero of the modern architecture, chichu art museum: portrayal of japanese brutalism, biomimicry architecture: eastgate centre – harare, zimbabwe, vastu direction for home, top 10 fabulous wooden structures in the world, 10 upcoming futuristic projects in the world: a glimpse into architecture…, architecture of indian cities: top 10 cities for architects., are the skins of larger buildings prefabricated, what is 3d printing technology how it is used in architecture, the best designing software that every architect must use, best laptop for architecture students in 2021, 5 representations of technology in the world of architecture, unveiling the essence of architecture: a comprehensive exploration, architecture juries – 10 things to remember before them, top 20 architecture colleges in the world, top 20 architecture colleges in india, top 20 architecture colleges in canada, udaan: low-cost housing project by sameep padora and associates.

Udaan is a low-cost mass housing project in Mumbai Sameep Padora for the families that serve the privileged classes of the city. A home for under wraps!

Considering the intact conditions of the city, this project is exemplifying new lessons of Architecture for affordable low-cost housing. However, in metropolises, 50-60 % of the population work for daily wages and find it difficult to buy their own house. Instead of informal settlements, Low-cost urban housing projects can bring assets to the city.

Concept of Udaan: Low-cost Housing project

Structure of udaan: low-cost housing project, design flexibility.

Mumbai is one of the densest metropolises in the world. Escalating land prices in Mumbai is forcing out the secondary working class to move out of their age-old houses and settle in remote areas far from their workplaces. Evaluating this issue Udaan was proposed at Karjat near Bhivpuri station. This is on the Central railway route between Neral and Karjat. It is also connected to NH4. And this has road links to both Panvel/Navi Mumbai and Badlapur/Thane.

• Total BUA proposed: 19080 sq.mt
• Total Units proposed (assuming 300 sq.ft): 522
• 1st Phase : 255
• 2nd Phase 2: 267

Housing is addressing people of the service sector. All possible ways use to keep the social fabric intact. However, design inculcates local context and traditional concepts of low-cost housing. Problem was to cater work-life conditions of people. So the site was so selected, which connects well to all workplaces. Use of new technology for low cost and rapid construction. FSI of this area is 1.2. The project explores the flexibility of modules and units that suit the typology and category of people. At the same time, rather than consolidating the 10% amenity into the  de-facto  club house disconnected from daily use, the design integrated it as a series of dispersed common social programs throughout the building.

Also, read related article: Cargotecture: The Architecture of Shipping containers

The Architect of this low-cost housing is Ar. Sameep Padora, a Mumbai-based Architect. However, his practice is widely regarded for its research-oriented projects that take a deep dive into not just the context. But also the socio-cultural and socio-economic dynamics of the projects.

Standard developers’ practice is to separate clusters based on typology. Also, upstanding the philosophy Architect tried to club together all types of units in the same building, allowing a mix of user groups and creating a richer social fabric.

Based on the requirements of each family four types of units were designed.

• Mezzanine Unit
• Mixed Unit.

Also, read related articles: LIC Housing, Ahmedabad by BV Doshi

All units are in the same grid 3.6×5.9 & 3.6 x 8.9. Which is generated by the Wet Pod requirements Design is modular. In addition, the Wet Pods act as structural, precast, loadbearing modules between which the slabs spanned and eliminate the need for extra columns and beams. Since the module is pre-fabricated and simply put into place on-site. However, the time taken for construction is much less than a conventional RCC framed one both in terms of time and labor involved. In addition, through this method, it became possible to build up to G+4 in 21 days as opposed to casting one slab in 21 days using conventional RCC frame construction.

The use of modular construction techniques made it possible to keep design flexible all units in a grid of 3.6m can merge with adjacent in case of an increase in family size or typology. Also, mixed-used units are on the ground floor to increase the economy. A modular, but non-repetitive scheme can combine to form permutations suiting the fluid requirements of users, with a minimum area of 300sq.ft as mandated.

Also, Read: Kanchanjunga Apartments by Charles Correa: A climate-based

However, the use of corridors, courtyards, and staggering of all types of units inspired by the Chawl Architecture of traditional Mumbai. However, Mumbai has a humid climate, the most simple way to provide comfort conditions is to ensure cross ventilation. The design also addresses this by using the staggered corridors to have cross-ventilation through each unit and vertically ventilate the community areas by staggering the corridors and generating a stack effect cooling through the sloping roof over the circulation zone, completely resembling chawls!

The approach explores the flexibility available in the clever repetition of a module. The project, being precast pods, can execute with speed and allows for a number of units that can configure to suit individual requirements of space for individual families over time. Sameep Padora and Associates

Also, Read: Aranya Low-cost Housing by BV Doshi

Don’t miss the latest case study!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You’ve been successfully subscribed to our newsletter!

Share this:

• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)

Discover more from archEstudy

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Type your email…

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Aranya low-cost housing by bv doshi, kanchanjunga apartments by charles correa: a climate-based, leave a reply cancel reply, most viewed posts.

• archEstudy Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Tara appartment housing analysis

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

• Hispanoamérica
• Work at ArchDaily
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy