UDRI Group Housing Scheme, Navi Mumbai

A research-based project designed on behalf of the UDRI, The housing scheme has been designed as a low-rise high density development on a 3.6 H rectangular plot located to the south of the Sanpada railway station and abutting two 15 m wide roads on the south and the west.

Having perceived that the inhabitants of the residential complex would by and large be migrants from the surrounding rural areas who would be new to city life, a conscious effort was made to achieve a blend of both urban and rural lifestyles in the design. The housing complex with its sloping roofs and low-rise structures was designed to make the settler comfortable in his new environment.

The plot area has been divided into four quadrants or condominiums by two axes, running along the cardinal points, with a large recreation ground in the center. The highlight of the design is the sequence of courtyards or open spaces, laid out in manageable proportion to serve as extended living areas for the community, bounded by a ribbon development, creating a sense of belonging, identity, security, and promoting social interaction.

The housing scheme having been planned for mixed income levels, has been designed in a heterogeneous fabric. The mixed development and terraces make a very interesting composition of solids and voids. The gateways aligned with the open courts provide a visual connectivity to the entire scheme, encouraging pedestrian movement.