BALOCHISTAN UNIVERSITY OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BACHELORS IN ARCHITECTURE
BY SABA NAZ SUPERVISORAR. JAHANGEER KHAN
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE BUITEMS, QUETTA
Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Architecture
2022
It is to certify that this thesis entitled “Subterranean Odyssey” at Buitems
Submitted by “Saba Naz” has been examined and it has been declared successful for the atrial fulfillment of the academic requirements towards the completion of the Degree of BACHELORS OF ARCHITECTURE.
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
BUITEMS QUETTA
ROJECT/THESIS SUERVISOR EXTERNAL SUERVISORI would love to dedicate this thesis to my mother for her trust, motivation, endless love and always believing me that I can do it and to my father who always loved me more than anything…………
And to my family for becoming my great support in completing this toughest journey of my life……….
Without you all I wasn’t able to achieve my goals and become a better version of myself…………….
First and foremost, I would thank Allah Almighty for his help and blessings during my every stage of my life either hard or not. With Allah almighties help I wouldn’t be able to complete this research and study.
I would like to thank a number of people for their help and support during the production of this thesis.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my thesis supervisor. His patience, cooperations and suggestions made me present this research work to produce in the present form. His brilliant, skillful supervision enriched this study higher than my expectation. I could not remain any more without giving heartfelt thanks to advisor for his painstaking supervision throughout the study period. This research work would not be possible without hit stimulation inspiration and cooperation.
This work would not have been possible without the constant support, guidance, and assistance through external supervisors. Their levels of patience, knowledge, and ingenuity is something I will always keep aspiring to.
Further, yet importantly, sense of respect goes to my mother and my family for their strong support and regular encouragement in every step to make me in present stage. Similarly other relatives are also subjects to special thanks for their inspiration and cooperation in my study.
I would be amiss if I did not mention my best friend for her support and constant encouragement and other friends deserve my thanks who directly and indirectly provide me inspirations and valuable suggestion during the course of this study.
Subterranean architecture is nothing new, as humans have sought shelter in tunnels and caves since before any concept of architecture had developed. Such environments have been variously described as protective and secure, primitive and unclean or frightening and foreboding. The ways communities characterize subterranean spaces are indicative of our complex relationship to the natural world and speak to fears and fantasies of separation from society. Underground construction in cities is getting increasingly in the focus of urban planners, architects and other experts which, predominantly in developed countries, contribute to significant reduction of disruption of environment by creating functional, efficient and sustainable development of urban environments. As such development is defined by urban development plans, underground construction needs to be properly and efficiently coordinated with urban inheritance through socially responsible urban underground construction plans.
Even though we also have examples in the distant past, it is scientific trend from the second half of the 20th century which explains why only as of recently the underground space acquires status of "the resource" whose exploitation must be considered. Hence, insufficiently defined terminology represents one of the key problems in forming of urban design plans of underground construction, especially for developing countries like Pakistan. This study aims, in spite of many terminological ambiguities, to define and adopt a model for determining the typology for underground spaces, applicable in the sphere of development of urban design plans for underground construction. Increasingly the value of underground space for development use is being recognized particularly in urban locations facing increasing demand for additional space creation. This has seen significant and very successful projects be implemented providing significant benefits to the population. Building underground provides new insight into all aspects of architecture and urban design.
Figure 1. 1: Underground
Figure 1. 2. Underground
Figure 1. 3. Derinkuyu Cappadocia.........................................................................................18
Figure 1. 4. Naours France.....................................................................................................19
Figure 1. 5. Lalibela Ethiopian.................................................................................................19
Figure 1. 6. Petra in Jordan......................................................................................................19
Figure 1. 7. Bunker corridor beijing
Figure 1. 8. Wieliczka Salt Mine main
Figure 1. 9. Orvieto Wine
Figure 1. 10. Catacombs of
Figure 1. 11 Statistics of global
Figure 1. 12.underground
Figure 1. 13. submerged
Figure 1. 14. underground
Figure 1. 15. Day light in Architecture.....................................................................................24
Figure 1. 16 Bermed and
Figure 1. 17. Subgrade..............................................................................................................26
Figure 1. 18. Conceptual
Figure 1. 19. Jeff Fulmer conceptual
Figure 1. 20. Effect of urbanization on
Figure 1. 21.Controlled city Dubai...........................................................................................30
Figure 1. 22. hotels....................................................................................................................30
Figure 1. 23. Disney Park Dubai..............................................................................................31
Figure 1. 24. Indoor city...........................................................................................................32
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Table 1. 1. MANADATORY OPEN SPACE
Table 1.2. ALLOWED COVERAGE, FAR, NO. OF STOREY, HEIGHT, PLOT SIZE......123
Table 1.3. MARAKIZ
Table 1.4. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CENTER
Table 1.5 SCHEMES IN ZONE-II, IV, V (CDA)......127
Table 1.6. BUILDING HEIGHTS..........................................................................................131
Table 2.1. INTERVIEWS........................................................................................................148
Humans have long sought protection under the earth from defense to desperation. (Masterwork, 2021) The history of underground cities is a complex and meandering one, ranging from the Ancient Era in the Middle East and Europe to those found during the height of Cold War delusion, such as the bunker complex. (“Underground Cities,” 2019) Adopting the underground natural environment, we could utilize earth to maintain its original scape where both humans and natural species can live in a harmonic environment. When we move down to earth our structures will be protected from disasters and we will be more oriented to live in utopian surroundings. Rather than making landmarks on land like that of our existing structures, we can merge our structures with earth. However, underground works are not straightforward and have always encountered difficulties such as a lack of mechanized equipment or insufficient knowledge about previous land uses. To facilitate discussion of the attempts to exploit underground space, throughout this study, ‘underground’ or ‘subsurface’ will refer to any surface located below ground level, whilst the term surface space refers to any space above ground level. Cities across the world are the main contributors to climate change but at the same time, they are also the most vulnerable to its consequences.
There is a need for urban design guidelines to effectively address climate change issues and increase the resilience of cities(UG Thesis, 2018.). One way to adapt to this is through engineered infrastructure. Today 70% of the world lives in urban areas and in the next 20 years two billion more people are expected to move to the cities. With increasing, urban densification land and buildable areas are going to become increasingly scarce. One solution is to build downwards instead of upwards. Underground areas are less susceptible to external influences and can better withstand natural catastrophes and hence can be a sustainable solution for an unpredictable future. With most of our lives spent indoors, our space has a key role in our psychological behavior. Environmental psychology or Space psychology is, in fact, the interaction between people and the spaces they inhabit(Psychology of Space: How Interiors Impact Our Behavior? | ArchDaily, 2020.)
As cities get more crowded, why not build down in the earth? Underground space exploration has been adopted only by necessity, curiosity, or even through fear as a hiding place for primitive populations, however, the scale of cities has not been able to grow infinitely upwards at the surface due to the length and complexity of structures, while urban sprawl is understandably limited through highly regulated land use planning to maintain ecological equilibrium. To overcome these limitations, a considerable amount of effort must be focused on utilizing the third dimension -
downwards expansion. But are we willing to spend extended periods in subterranean dwellings? The physiology of space is another crucial factor that has to be considered when designing any space and this is a key factor that is often neglected in underground spaces.
This thesis aims to explore the endless opportunities provided by thirddimensional space to find out subterranean architecture adoption and the physiological impact of controlled indoor spaces on humans and the urban environment.
This research explores endless opportunities offered by underground architecture.
The main objective of this research is to develop an underground space framework that establishes design solutions to underpin the successful design of underground buildings and to shatter the paradigm of human perception for underground space.
Building some concepts on underground architecture which has developed in several fields like function, lighting, and depth.
Due to these developments, new elements have emerged, which could be taken into consideration when studying the physiology of indoor underground spaces.
This study would be limited to Architectural challenges addressing the problems faced by underground space Architecture.
This thesis would only be focused on architectural design challenges like planning of spaces, distribution of space, building sustainability, the context of space, and human scale.
It will not be focused on Engineering, technical and construction constraints. Though there will be an attempt to try and resolve the technical issues it would only be considered during the conceptual stage, not in the detailed stage.
Research would be conducted from understanding underground spaces and their functionality.
After this establishment, a solid and flexible framework would be made based on the understanding of the topic.
Methodology will be based on a deep understanding of problems that lead towards solutions for the betterment of society.
Understanding urban spaces and their need in society.
Understanding the relationship between urban spaces and underground spaces.
Underground space development is one viable way to help solve urban problems such as congestion, lack of open space, and aging infrastructure.
Subterranean blends effortlessly into their natural surroundings making them superb for the conservation of areas of outstanding properties.
Underground properties are ideal for areas prone to earthquakes.
Because there is no need for a foundation in underground construction cost reduces and construction time dramatically reduces.
To understand subterranean architecture, its issues, and environmental benefits.
Adoption of this architecture in contemporary architecture and to know about its construction techniques will be adopted in an urban context.
“I do not think God puts us on this earth so we can be afraid of stepping into the unknown,
Isn’t tomorrow an unknown even if we all stay right here where tradition is kept, and every piece of ground is familiar………….”
(Candy Woodsmall)
Underground cities are usually a series of subterranean spaces which can house shopping areas, transit centers, and other such functions beneath the city. Infrastructures, water, developments, natural and manufactured cavities are connected to the history and economy of a specific city or urban area. The most crucial aspect in an underground city is to develop a system of self-propelling air conditioning. This is
Figure
pedestrian achieved through ventilation shafts which allow air to circulate itself. The geology sets conditions for the construction of buildings and infrastructure, predetermines prospects of future subsurface utilization (Hunt et al., 2016), and human interventions, in the deep subsurface, can change these conditions permanently and irreversibly (Rogers et al., 2012). Subjects like flood prevention, renewable energy, infrastructure, and housing all imply a claim on using or protecting subsurface space (von der Tann, Mette, Admiral, & Collins, 2018). Underground space is a resource of enormous potential benefit which has been exploited in different parts of the world for thousands of years. While some cultures have lived an underground existence, others have yet to realize any of the benefits of subsurface use. Underground resources play a key role in the construction and ecological development of the city. Building underground provides new insight into all aspects of architecture and urban design. It presents new opportunities not typically available in conventional above-ground buildings to contribute to its aboveground
environment. Considered only suitable for overly complex sites and programs by architects and urban planners before the 1970s, underground spaces have been built for a wide variety of reasons (Carmody & Sterling, 1993, p.3). An underground facility provides:
The ultimate “green roof” above ground they do not impact the surface aesthetic while leaving space for natural ground surfaces and flora.
Underground structures are less susceptible to physical intrusion and natural disasters.
They also offer constant temperatures, and since subterranean buildings are not susceptible to the fickle nature of aboveground weather, they require less energy.
Ancient people built the famous underground city of Cappadocia in Turkey for protection against both weather and war. They were constantly being attacked.
The inhabitants retreated belowground during emergencies.
The primary reason for digging underground cities in the ancient world was for protection. (“Underground Cities,” 2019)
Today, subterranean architecture is mystique. It has a certain intrigue to it, playing between fear and fantasy. Uncovering and discovering new sensations, playing on this
perspective of creating new congregated yet dispersed space. Although it cannot be suggested that underground space represents the optimal solution for buildings, it can be considered as a suitable alternative when considering complex sites, programs, and building functions, making underground space a viable alternative to conventional above-ground buildings. An underground city is a series of linked subterranean spaces that may provide a defensive refuge, a place for living, working, or shopping, a transit system, storage cellars, cisterns, drainage channels, or several of these. A human can live underground for a long time when all life support systems are mechanical. The
more that can be made with minimal moving, or mechanical parts, the longer humans could remain underground. Underground bunkers or caverns need ventilation, climate control, groundwater removal, food production, and light and energy sources. Underground spaces are used to a great extent and potential benefits therein are being exploited, however, these operations are done without sufficient strategic management. As competition for space below ground increases, the likelihood of conflicts between potential benefits or existing structures will increase. Hence, more stringent management of ‘underground space potential’ is required to avoid irreversible waste of resources. However, little research has been undertaken on the essential role the subsurface plays, as a part of our landscape in a sustainable future. This includes finding feasible underground solutions that might help relieve pressures on the surface. From this point, questions then arise as to how we can incorporate the use of underground space to create a more sustainable future, or how we can make robust decisions to achieve the goals of sustainability that will facilitate a move from fragmented decisionmaking to holistic, whole system thinking? How can we protect our societies during times of great uncertainty where life would be impossible on the ground? The challenge here is how cities incorporate new thinking about a potential third dimension of land use into what they do now while ensuring that what they do now will provide benefit in the future. (Mastenbroek, 2021)
The history of subsurface use goes back to the Neolithic age when underground passages served as a hiding place for primitive populations (Sterling and Godard, 2000).
The volcanic rock landscape of Turkey’s Cappadocia region is pockmarked with several different underground cities, but perhaps none is as vast or as impressive as Derinkuyu. This labyrinthine complex dates to around the eighth century B.C. and was built to serve as a refuge during periods of war and invasion. Its 18-story interior was a self-contained metropolis that included ventilation shafts, wells, kitchens, schoolrooms, oil presses, a bathhouse, a winery,
and living space for some 20,000 people. When threatened by attack, each level of the city could be sealed off behind a collection of monolithic stone doors. Historians believe that the Hittites or the Phrygians were among Derinkuyu’s earliest builders, but
it was later occupied and expanded by a host of other groups including Byzantine-era Christians, who left behind a collection of underground frescoes and chapels. Despite its long history, the city was not rediscovered until the 1960s, when a local man stumbled upon some of its tunnels while renovating his home.
Located in northern France, the underground city of Naours includes two miles of tunnels and more than three hundred manufactured rooms—all of them hidden some one hundred feet beneath a forested plateau. The site began its life around the third century A.D. as part of a Roman quarry, but it was later expanded into a subterranean village after locals began using it as a hiding place during the wars and invasions of the Middle Ages. At its peak, it had enough room for 3,000 inhabitants and included its chapels, stables, wells, and bakeries. The naours caves were later sealed off for decades
before being reopened in the 19th century as a tourist attraction. They became a popular sightseeing spot during World War I, and modern visitors can still see more than 2,000 pieces of graffiti left behind by Allied soldiers, many of whom fought nearby at the Battle of the Somme.
In the 12th century A.D., a devout king ordered the construction of 11 eye-catching Christian churches in the Ethiopian village of Lalibela. This “New Jerusalem” is notable for having been fashioned from the top down: all of its churches were hewn from the volcanic rock below the earth’s surface then hollowed out, giving them the appearance of having grown directly out of the ground. The most iconic building is the crossshaped Church of Saint George, which was cut from a monolithic slice of stone inside a trench one hundred feet deep. It was then connected to the rest of the complex via a network of underground passageways, hidden caves, and catacombs. Legend has it that the construction of Lalibela took just 24 years, but many historians believe it was completed in phases over several centuries. The village is now considered a sacred site for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and its subterranean places of worship continue to draw as many as 100,000 pilgrims each year
Figure 1.4. Naours France
2.2.4.
Famed for its cameo in the film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” Petra is an ancient caravan city tucked away in the mountains of southern Jordan. The site has been inhabited since prehistory, but it reached its peak some 2,000 years ago when the ancient Nabataeans handchiseled the surrounding sandstone hillsides into a dazzling collection of tombs, banquet halls, and temples. One of
the most exquisite edifices are Al Khazneh, or “the Treasury,” which includes an ornamental façade that extends 130 feet up a rock face. Petra may have been home to 20,000 people at its height, but it was later abandoned sometime around the seventh n century A.D. and was not known to Europeans until the 1800s. Excavations at the site are still ongoing today, and it’s believed that the vast majority of its ruins may still lurk underground.
2.2.5.
In the 1960s and 70s, as the threat of nuclear war loomed, the Chinese government ordered the construction of a mammoth fallout shelter beneath their capital of Beijing. Also known as Dixie Cheng, the hand-dug site was capable of safeguarding around one million people for up to four months. It consisted of falloutproofed rooms and tunnels that snaked their way underground over an area of several dozen square miles. Certain passageways were large enough for tanks to pass through, while others housed purpose-built schools, hospitals, granaries, and restaurants. There was even a skating rink and a 1,000-seat movie theater. While the Beijing bunker was never used, its decaying tunnels still exist
corridor beijing today, hidden beneath the city’s homes and businesses. Most are sealed off, but they were briefly opened as a tourist attraction in the early 2000s.
2.2.6.
Also known as the “Underground Salt Cathedral,” Poland’s Wieliczka Salt Mine is a massive subterranean complex of rooms, passageways, and statues located on the outskirts of Krakow. The site dates to the 1200s when miners first descended beneath the earth’s surface to find rock salt. In the centuries that
Figure 1.5. Lalibela Ethiopian
Petra:
Figure 1. 6. Petra in Jordan
Beijing Underground City:
Figure 1.7. Bunker
Wieliczka Salt Mine:
followed, they slowly carved the mine into a warren of galleries and tunnels that extended more than 1,000 feet underground.
When they were not digging for “white gold,” the workers also used the mine’s salt crystal deposits to build a stunning collection of chapels, chandeliers, statues, and bas reliefs, including a detailed replica of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” The Wieliczka mine stopped producing salt in 2007 after some seven hundred years in operation, but it remains a popular tourist attraction in Poland. It is also home to a health spa that touts the therapeutic properties of the mine’s salt-rich microclimate.
The Italian hilltop town of Orvieto is known for its white wines and picturesque architecture, but its most mysterious wonders lie underground. Beginning with the ancient Etruscans, generations of locals burrowed their way deep into the volcanic rock bluff on which the city was originally built. The subterranean maze was first carved to build wells and cisterns, but over the centuries it grew to include more than 1,200 interlocking tunnels, grottoes, and galleries. Some chambers include the
remnants of Etruscan-era sanctuaries and medieval olive presses, while others show signs of having been used as storage places for wine or roosts for pigeons—a common local delicacy. Orvieto’s underground city was also frequently employed as a hiding place during times of strife. As recently as World War II, people were still using certain sections as bomb shelters. (Andrews, n.d.)
The history of the Paris Catacombs starts in the late eighteenth century, when major public health problems tied to the city’s cemeteries led to a decision to transfer their contents to an underground site During the Gallo-Roman period, the inhabitants of Lutetia, the forerunner of present-day Paris, used the limestone peculiar to that area to construct their buildings. In later years this stone built much of the city. The mining utilized the technique of extracting
Figure 1.8. Wieliczka Salt Mine main Atrium
2.2.7. Orvieto:
Figure 1.9. Orvieto Wine cellar
2.2.8. The Paris Catacombs:
horizontally along the vein, a process which Figure 1.10. Catacombs of Paris left a honeycomb of tunnels as Paris grew. Meanwhile, many cemeteries within the city limits had become filled to overflowing, resulting in unsanitary and unpleasant living conditions for those dwelling adjacent to them. The problem grew so acute that by 1786, these cemeteries were being emptied for reasons of public safety. With the remains of some six million people requiring reburial, the only location with sufficient room to inter them all was the former mine tunnels twenty meters beneath the city. Thus, the former limestone mines of Paris became a municipal ossuary referred to as the ‘catacombs,’ as they bore a similarity to the subterranean necropolis of ancient Rome, even though the tunnels were not originally intended to serve as a tomb.
As the world faces an uncertain future fraught with the dangers of rising sea levels and unpredictable weather patterns it becomes important to take steps to create resilient cities which can withstand these changes. Rapid urbanization is making people more vulnerable to the impacts of climate
Figure 1.11
change, according to a new UN report that highlights diverse initiatives worldwide that are bolstering the resilience of cities, towns, and villages. More than half the world’s population today lives in cities, and another 2.5 billion people are expected to join them by 2050. The frequency of torrential rain and storm surges is on the rise in big, densely populated cities like New York, Mumbai, and Jakarta, hitting those living in marginalized, informal settlements like slums the hardest. Desertification swallows arable land needed to feed swelling urban populations. And sea-level rise threatens everyone living in coastal areas, delta regions, and small-island countries. To combat these threats to sustainable development, numerous cities have taken steps to build resilience and address the growing climate-related risks posed to inhabited areas. Through initiatives such as 100 Resilient Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors,
leaders of cities have shown commitment to working together to address climate change and its impacts.
1 Safety considerations – In current circumstances against nuclear or bombing attacks.
2. Reducing occupation of surface areas.
3. Reducing the need for heating and cooling energy.
4. Reducing noise pollution.
5. Reducing dust loads.
6. Reducing environmental load.
7 Reduces demand for transportation.
8. Help is to preserve existing, historical, cultural, architectural values and buildings.
A wide variety of approaches exists within the concept of the underground building. At one extreme, a building can be erected on the original surface of the ground (i.e., at grade) and then be covered by earth to shelter the building partially or completely. At the other extreme, the building is constructed in a completely excavated site (i.e., Below grade). In between there are several different other types of underground building concepts that can be distinguished, does not include every design possible, but gives a typological overview.
These spaces have little or no contact with the above world. These are the spaces below the ground completely. Only the entrance will be above the ground. So, these spaces have a supply of light and air. The absence of natural light and views makes prolonged stays underground less appealing.
Figure 1.12.underground space
Submerge spaces are the ones lying just under the surface of the ground. They possess the ability to extend deep into the ground, but they always have direct contact with the aboveground world and with natural light. To admit daylight, the
surface of the ground is perforated by various elements like patios, atriums, and domes. An atrium can transport daylight to
great depths, providing not only natural light but also some external views. In any event, a view of the sky provides contact with the seasons, the weather, and the time of day.
An earth-covered building is not entirely underground, but at grade, has a surface laid over it. This building type is free of the technical disadvantages of an underground
building while enjoying its advantage of spatiality. Daylight can penetrate and views are usually unimpaired. The elevated ground level can be laid out as a park, landscape, or urban environment as well. In most cases, earth-covered buildings can be constructed traditionally with a unique touch of their own.
Underground Cities could very well become a norm in the future with already many structures being built underground. Even though the scarcity of surface area in cities will become the driver for such spaces it does not necessarily mean that the need for these surface spaces would decrease in the future. On the other hand, like the underground city will grow it will start exerting more pressure above ground as well. All underground cities will require having services above ground for light, ventilation, and other resources. The main constraint for living underground is light. But with
Figure 1.13. submerged space
Figure 1.14. underground space
innovations in fiber optics and innovative techniques such as ‘remote skylight technology,’ it is possible to live underground. Underground development can be a significant strategy for evolving urban areas to meet the challenges of the future. Underground Spaces are better placed to meet natural disasters, especially earthquakes and seismic activity. By placing infrastructure facilities underground culturally rich heritage urban areas can be preserved. The use of urban underground spaces also reduces the environmental impact on the cities. These benefits can be incorporated in the newly planned cities with even more cost-effectiveness than in existing cities. Urban planners and designers must recognize the potential of the underground and use it effectively during city planning. (DAYLIGHTING IN UNDERGROUND BUILDINGS.Pdf, 2000)
The relationship between form and function has always been at issue in the development of a theory or an aesthetic of modern architecture. In no other mode of architectural design is this relationship at least regarding the typology of form more critical to the satisfactory performance of a building than in subsurface applications. Underground designs, for instance, may call into question the utility and psychological value of features as ordinary as windows, sunlight, on-grade access, and the visual identity of the building as an object. These elements need not be sacrificed in terratectural alternatives, but the implications are clear: a fully subsurface chamber cannot have exterior windows, nor will it have a highly visible form. In building functions where natural light and views are highly regarded (such as residences or offices), or where visibility and curb appeal are essential economic considerations (shops, restaurants, etc.), such a form is illsuited to the building program. On the other hand, many building functions already are admirably adapted to subsurface environments and realize little benefit from being on the surface were the
are subjected to wind, rain, sun, and seasonal temperature fluctuations. Examples include warehouses, telephone switching facilities, electric substations, parking garages, and assembly plants. If the aspect of imageability is discounted, this list can be greatly expanded to include uses such as theatres and auditoria, galleries and museums, night clubs, supermarkets, department stores, recording studios, and a host of other both common and esoteric applications. On the other hand, terratectural buildings are not necessarily formless or imageless. The varieties of surface-to-subsurface relationships which characterize the types depicted here suggest that caution be exercised in generalizing the "intrinsic" qualities of underground structures. The two abstracted types presented berm and subgrade are simply points of departure for modification, combination, and compromise to suit individual sites and requirements.
Maybe molded into the landscape or may be used to create bold, simple forms. They are easily shaped to facilitate on-grade access and window exposures, particularly when used in conjunction with retaining walls. Berms shed water readily, balance on-site cuts and fill, and are admirably adapted for use in areas of high groundwater levels. Earth berms themselves may be used as architectural elements (to shape space), as visual and acoustical barriers, and/ or as interesting play surfaces.
Permit continuity of the grade level and have been popularly employed where site and building programs demand a low-profile or a "nonbuilding" architectural solution. One of the great virtues of sub-grade structures is this invisibility and the non-disruptive integration into existing contexts which it enables. Atriums and courtyards are frequently incorporated into subgrade designs to provide access, create outdoor rooms, and
introduce natural light into the building's recesses.
Figure 1.17. SubgradeWindow lessness cannot be regarded as an inherent characteristic of the subsurface, yet it always will be an inescapable issue in the design of terratectural alternatives. Although fenestration is available to many underground building forms, the area and orientation of windows always will be limited and a determining factor in the arrangement, or zoning, of interior functions. The subject of window lessness itself has generated a great deal of debate during the past two decades, but it remains clouded by much emotionalism and little empirical or psychological study. The usual effect of eliminating windows is to internalize the environment, i.e., to focus it inward by removing outside stimuli which are unrelated to the task at hand. Some architects have been quick to seize the advantage of this feature, especially in the design of learning environments where exterior distractions (traffic, playground activity, lawn mowing) interrupt students' concentration while challenging teachers' disciplinary authority. The idea of windowless or underground schools has been met with apprehension and claims of "unnaturalness" on the part of parents. Performance studies assessing students' achievement and behavior, teacher attitudes, and post facto community opinion in such situations, however, have shown them to be at least as effective as neighboring control schools; there is some additional evidence to suggest greater satisfaction and benefit from windowless classrooms than from ordinary, windowed, surface school rooms. Less controversial uses of windowless environments are those in which people spend little time, and where windows jeopardize or conflict with the performance of the function being housed. Examples include photographic lighting studios, darkrooms, museum storage, refrigerated warehouses, planetariums, mushroom farms, and the "para-geotectural" applications. For functions in which natural light and views are highly desirable, expected, or may connote status (as in the top floors of an office building), the absence of windows will usually result in some form of occupant discontent. Dissatisfaction caused by what one may perceive as substandard conditions will fault the overall performance of a structure, regardless of extra-functional benefits such as energy conservation and landscape preservation. Designers of underground environments have compensated for this in several ways. One method has been to provide generous spatial accommodations - high ceilings, wide corridors, and internal windows vision panels to visually link offices, lobbies, and reception areas. Another method of spatial compensation is to group small "aedicule" spaces e.g., offices around a grand central space, such as a multi-level lobby or atrium. Lighting compensation also may be introduced with bright, cheerful colors on the walls augmenting carefully selected task and "complexion" lighting. Highly uniform environments inevitably lead to boredom and dissatisfaction and should be avoided. Surrogate windows and simulation devices are cosmetic approaches to earth-integrated design. The perceived need for them ·reveals the imposition of underground location on a function ill-suited to
the subsurface, a poorly conceived architectural solution, or deficient design of the interior. Finally, surrogates and simulation techniques may offer psychic comfort to some, but their ultimate success depends on one's environmental sensitivity and willingness to be assuaged by divisive artificiality. In a building program where windows are germane to the building's activities, the concern for occupant satisfaction may preclude a fully windowless design. Surface-interfacing solutions are ideal for such situations, particularly where major portions of the building can tolerate or benefit from window lessness as in the case of libraries. With judicious zoning of internal functions, heavily people areas may enjoy the presence of windows, while services, circulation, and mechanical facilities are relegated to the windowless interior. (Labs, 1976.)
With the increase in urban cities in the world, urban land is expected to become a limited resource; climate change is also a major phenomenon. So, we can provide a better living environment by designing underneath and thus increasing natural open spaces on the land. The spaces created underneath require a distinct set of structural and constructional rules.
immediate and “natural “shelter, the practice of underground architecture possesses a tremendous heritage that, although poorly if ever documented in architectural history texts, is rich in spatial variety, responding to environmental issues factors with design solutions addressing accessibility, ventilation, and light. An architectural adobe above the soil can be perceived as a product addition that includes various spatial enclosures with different volumes. Many of man’s first architectural attempts were artificially created caves. It is no accident that men and entire cultures have not done the practice of cave-dwelling and “cave-building. An in-depth historical overview is mentioned further to understand the evolution of the underground dwelling system. Infrastructure is among the most overlooked elements in the city’s urban fabric. Often, it is concealed underground because space is limited above ground, and yet it is crucial to the life of the city. Jeff Fulmer defined infrastructure as being: “The physical components of interrelated systems providing commodities and
Figure 1.18. Conceptual structure
services essential to enable, sustain, or enhance societal living conditions. Primary infrastructure components are monopolistic and require large financial commitments for their development, repair, and replacement. They can be built, touched, enabled, disabled, and function together to form interrelated, dependent systems that deliver needed commodities and services to society.” For decades, it has been understood that infrastructure has no other function besides the ability to supply
Figure 1.19. Jeff Fulmer conceptual form
various resources to a city. However, because the materials and construction of infrastructure must ensure long-life structural properties, we wonder if infrastructure has been used to its full potential. If architecture is about responding to the direction and curious about “what’s next,” can the structural potential of infrastructure make and create new space? Urbanization is inevitable and here lay chances to form a good balance between welfare, environment, economy, and ecology. But these changes only exist when the city is led, designed, organized, and planned in new ways. (Thesis Statement | Peter Kekich - SCI-Arc 2012,)
Architecture has a direct relationship with the environment. Studies have shown that manufactured structures constitute 40% of the world’s energy use. These the coming years. The rapid development of human-made structures is unstoppable. Creating ecofriendly structures is the least we can do to ensure the existence of future generations. Dwellings that blend with nature and housing structures that do not disrupt the environment are the need of the hour. The closely interconnected environment and architecture relationship is the crux to sustainable development. Smart buildings and
Figure 1.20. Effect of urbanization on environment creative architecture can reduce future severe consequences of climate change. Reversing the trend in climate change with smart planning is what needs to be done. Sustainable architecture seeks a positive environment and architecture relationship. From eco-friendly concrete to biomass roofing, the options for minimal environmental impact during construction are plenty. Green construction practices are another component of green architecture. Minimal electricity use can be ensured by designing the structure in a way that allows for maximum use of natural light and plenty of air circulation. A reduced need for electricity means reduced consumption. Smart buildings are increasing, and these are fitted with every electronic device imaginable. The primary source of energy needs to be non-fossil fuel. Usage of a commercially viable renewable source of energy for construction purposes is highly recommended.
“Good architecture is when the structure has a complementary relationship with the surrounding natural systems. Buildings that are adaptable to the surroundings and cause zero environmental degradation are the hope for the future and architecture plays a huge role in preserving the earth’s ecological health”.(Rapid Urbanization Increases Climate Risk for Billions of People | UNFCCC, 2020)
Interior Urbanism consists of a series of speculative projects that explore the intriguing world of vast, continuous, and interconnected interior spaces in contemporary cities that include mega structures, arcades, underground pedestrian walkways, above-ground link bridges, and infrastructural spaces. (Interior Urbanism, 2016)
2.9.1 The world's first indoor city: DUBAI: Dubai's Mall of the World will have it is very own Oxford Street and Broadway. It will also have galleons, waterfalls, and a giant retractable dome and will be climate-controlled. The Mall of the World is a vision for a climate-controlled leisure district, a
Figure 1.21.Controlled city Dubai place of hotels and shops, entertainment, and healthcare, all connected by hermetically sealed avenues – 7km of
them along which trams will trundle. Launched with a fanfare by the emirate's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, it is the first state-sponsored mega-project to emerge from Dubai since the light-headed days of the pre-crash bubble, when anything seemed possible, drunk on the tidal wave of petrodollars. "We plan to transform Dubai into a
cultural, tourist, and economic hub for the two billion people living in the region around us," said Sheikh Mohammed as he launched the project in front of a sparkling model of the 48 million sq. ft. (4.5 million sq. m) complex. "And we are determined to achieve our vision." A kind of pickin’ mix Urban collage, the project samples bits of cities from around the world. There will be a "celebration walk" billboard-lined modeled on Barcelona's Las Ramblas a bustling theatre district modeled on New yorks Broadway, and a shopping area based on London's Oxford Street – all sealed under snaking bubble rooftops. There will be 20,000 hotel rooms and enough parking for 50,000 vehicles, servicing the largest shopping mall in the world, at 8 million sq. ft. (750,000 sq. m). The centerpiece will be a vast "cultural celebration center," shaped like a disco ball sliced in half and hollowed out to form a glittering backdrop to an outdoor amphitheater. It will lead, via a triumphal covered avenue lined with spear-like towers, to a retractable glass dome worthy of Kubla Khan, beneath which will sprawl the "largest indoor theme park in the world." A place of fairytale castles and tumbling waterfalls, it will be protected from the blistering 40C heat in summer like the rest of the complex and open up in winter to enjoy the balmy climate. "Our ambitions are higher than having seasonal tourism," said Sheikh Mohammed. "Tourism is a key driver of our economy, and we aim to make the UAE an attractive destination all year long. Therefore, we will start working on
providing pleasant temperaturecontrolled environments during the summer months." The project also seeks to capitalize on the Gulf’s booming industry of healthcare tourism, with a 3 million sq. ft. (280,000 sq. m) wellness district. It follows the success of Dubai Healthcare City, a free economic zone
Figure 1.22. hotels
Figure 1.23. Disney Park Dubai
home to 120 clinics and hospitals, at the center of the state's plan to attract 500,000 medical tourists by 2020. No timeframe or budget has yet been announced for the Mall of the World, but Dubai Holding, the state-owned development company behind the project, hopes it will be the emirate's focus at the UAE World Expo trade fair in 2020 Dubai Holding is no stranger to dreaming big – but it has not always had an easy ride. Back in 2003, the company launched an ambitious plan for Dubai land, a gargantuan $64bn (£37bn) leisure district, planned to cover an area of 278 sq. km, making it three times bigger than Walt Disney World. Slated to house two hundred attractions, from a giant LEGOLAND to a Marvel superheroes theme park, it was put on hold in 2008 –although cranes are once again moving and the first phase, the Miracle Garden, opened last year. With a recent Deloitte report suggesting that $12bn of the UAE's stalled construction projects are back on track, spurred on by the new deadline of the 2020 Expo, Sheikh Mohammed's stately pleasure-dome might be more than just a mirage in the desert. (Wainwright, 2014)
Interior Urbanism describes interior spaces so large that they behave like cities. These kinds of constructions can develop either as an adoc growth over time or as a planned and cohesively designed set of volumes. Each approach has its opportunities and problems when it comes to efficiency and architectural integrity. The implications of bringing urbanism indoors compare and contrast the spatial qualities of each of the contingent and gritty urbanism of the Pedway, with the pristine perfection of the hotel lobby and conference center. Exploring when cities turn inside out and go inside. There are moments in time when distinctive design disciplines they're able to make the argument that theirs is the most important lens through which to understand or create cities. During the late 1990s and early 2000s for instance it was landscape design that was able to convince everyone that the city is just really one big landscape they called it landscape urbanism. The movement of interior urbanism came just before that even if it was not always called that and it never even really went away. It is one of architecture's more bloated examples of when architects claim that buildings alone could solve anything that a city could throw at it. Interior urbanism describes interior spaces that are so large that they behave like cities these may be found independent of a traditional city and in that case, they would be like an island floating in an area of low density or they could occur alongside a city and within it. One way that these types of spaces develop is to
solve a problem and maybe they develop like an ad-hoc growth through a series of convenient connections and walkways
Figure
that are made between distinct spaces. This process of growth just happens for so long that it evolves organically into a city-like concoction or conversely interior urbanism might be a purpose-built solution for public spaces that would be otherwise inhospitable that are outdoors due to weather or some other conditions or it might be the result of a business or developers that are trying to keep people within their web of space to just sell more products. Although one can build a history of spaces that marches through the evolution of interior urbanism it would start some way with like enclosed gardens and biblical renderings of paradise maybe go to the crystal palace in Hyde Park London during the 19th century. Some examples like interior malls as a kind of outcome of this shift in thinking or may have experienced vast convention centers or multi-block developments from the 1980s which were attempts to solve the crisis of people moving out of the downtown. Areas of cities with vast interior spaces are defensible structures renaissance center was supposed to be a gleaming beacon of modern construction as a jewel in the struggling city center and the giant interior was meant to provide a safe and protected environment for the corporations that were inside giving the feeling of being in a city. Interior urbanism is fraught with obvious benefits but also some glaring issues. Vast inescapable interior spaces are a popular trope of dystopian films and TV shows like black mirror stories when passing through the space called the pedway. In Chicago not that terrible but it certainly has an uncanny quality to it like some no man's land of a film that isn't set anywhere in particular. (Stewart
Hicks, 2022)
2.10.1.
The Chicago pedway is a system of underground tunnels and overhead bridges that links more than 40 blocks in the central business district and covers roughly5 miles it is used by tens of thousands of pedestrians every day and it connects to the public but also some private buildings and train stations and businesses that flank it results in an incoherent mixture of spaces
that all have different qualities unconventional materials different kinds of lighting ceiling heights etc. Development of the pedway began in
1951 and since then the system has expanded to connect more than fifty buildings in a string like a beaded necklace. It has grown through partnerships between the city and private building owners this makes it a curious mixture of public space like a normal outdoor plaza or a street but also a space that is monitored and controlled by the adjacent parties. This ad-hoc growth and ownership certainly contribute to a strange and confusing spatial condition while experiencing the space of the pedway as one continuous
and unbroken sequence of interior spaces this is not really how it was planned. The space is contingent on several external factors that are mysterious to anyone walking around inside this. Instead, find your way through a series of uncoordinated wayfinding signage interior décor, and material changes. The smells, one of the stranger areas is just underneath a hotel whose pool abuts the pedway, there are glass partitions that separate the public space from where one would disrobe and then go for a dip. This area of the pedway also always smells like chlorine. There are huge urban scale factors that determine where the pedway snakes through even though we cannot see the streets or where buildings stop and start those things have a huge impact on where the pedway can take us. Building columns for instance pierce right through it and the spaces dodge all sorts of things like the subway or sewers or ducks or other amenities that populate the ground. There is a small gallery that shows the architecture and art shows. There's the outside world the stuff that supports the outside world that's inside of the dirt of the earth and then there's this system of tunnels that creates another inhabitable world it's distinct from that world outside, but the two worlds are intricately dependent on one another. what makes the pedway so convenient is that in a way it has its own weather Chicago winters and even its summers can be brutal today there are a few inches of snow on the ground for instance and this pressure to keep people out of harsh whether it can be a driving factor for other interior vanities like the pedways around the world.
Figure 1.25. Section of pedway Figure 1.26. Interior corridor of pedwayMinneapolis Minnesota for instance keeps theirs above ground in a system that they call the skyway it's a series of footbridges that stitch together buildings across eighty city blocks and for over nine and a half miles of downtown. Minneapolis, some buildings close at separate times than others making using the skyway a little bit less cohesive. The initiative began as a way for the downtown to compete with the
convenience of interior malls. Minneapolis is an extremely cold place so the convenience of keeping things indoors is obvious but other cities like Houston or Atlanta make use of a similar system as a way of combating the extreme heat and its humidity. One of the architects of Atlanta’s vast network of interior spaces is the architect john Portman, he also designed the building. We have looked at mostly interior urbanism that sprawls horizontally however another type of space that can also work like interior cities is large vertical atriums. The building is the Hyatt Regency at O’Hare airport it was designed by John Portman and associates in 1971. Portman is the undisputed genius of large atriums, especially in hotels and this building was his second in a wave of atrium hotels that would seem to take over the 1970s from 1969. Hyatt Regency in Atlanta to the Marriott Marquis in 1985. Though this one is not such an extreme example, many of Portman’s other large atriums are much taller than this one including some of the hallmarks that would later develop, including the large public space in the middle of the building. Flanked by hallways on every level precarious footbridge that crisscrosses the space and a giant glass elevator all of these service about a thousand hotel rooms and a conference center. All these design moves are about really experiencing the full scope of the interior space to feel its vastness john Portman sets us up to experience the vast space of the atrium by getting off in an elevator in compressed space
Figure 1.27. Atrium of Minneapolis
and then walking off and then entering back into the big atrium. To encourage moments of stillness and reflection there are small pockets of carpeted zones with plush furniture for lounging and alone or in groups these help to humanize the space even though they're just a small blip within the vast volume. Part of the design ethos of space is about establishing and maintaining consistency unlike say the pedway which is a mess of spaces, sizes, materials, and atmospheres. The john Portman lobby is singular and cohesive; its form is relatively simple in volume and serves as a landmark to orient. Often the large elevator tower that pierces through the middle space helps to keep things sorted out, and the materials are consistent and carry through the entirety of the space. This makes the space seem like every problem was easy to solve and the space remains cohesive and seamless. Whereas the pedway wears all of the scars and idiosyncrasies as a result of ad-hoc growth. This kind of interior is clean and purposeful it's designed by a singular author, and it carries none of the disruptions or the grime that a normal city would. This perception of easy simplicity and control is where interior urbanism can be somewhat problematic. These kinds of spaces disconnect you from the outside
so, you have no sense of time passing and you feel no consequences related to the outside world. What appears to be a gift and an amenity is in service of some people's interests over others. For instance, Frank Gehry’s design for the Facebook headquarters and Menlo Park could certainly be classified as more contemporary construction of interior urbanism. It's a vast 433 thousand square foot space with meandering walkways that give it a feel of a crowded upscale indoor village. It has a hugely tall ceiling with buildings inside of it that are made of wood and course; this is face book’s offices, so the space adopts the planning language of a city. It's a space for production and doesn't truly carry the freedoms that are granted with public space. In areas like Menlo Park where Facebook is located local restaurants and downtowns struggle to resist this tendency to put everything under one roof. Interior urbanism tends to pull people away from the diverse experiences that cities have to offer city streets require a certain amount of life to keep them viable and interior urbanism sucks those people away. In addition, public plazas or other spaces that can become void or lifeless when those people are sucked away can then deter even more people from ever using them in the first place. (The Bewildering Architecture of Indoor Cities, 2022)
The psychology of space, or environmental psychology, refers to the interaction between people and the space they inhabit. How the human brain and cognition are
affected by varying elements in that space. With most of our lives spent indoors, our space has a major role in our psychological behavior. Environmental psychology or Space psychology is, in fact, the interaction between people and the spaces they inhabit. Lighting, colors, configuration, scale, proportions, acoustics, and materials address the senses of the individual and generate a spectrum of feelings and practices. From inducing warmth and safety, defining well-being, or creating a positive and efficient working environment, space can have a whole lot of impact on how we act or on what we feel; therefore, design and creative measures should be considered according to the social and psychological needs of the occupants. Psychology of space is in fact “the study of human relations and behaviors within the context of the built and natural environments” according to Dave Alan Kopec, a specialist in the field and professor at the New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego. Having a direct impact on your subconscious, contributing to your emotions and perceptions, through that special part of your brain that reacts to the geometry of the space you occupy, interior design became an inherent part of people’s psychology. Though it is not the only factor involved, interior space has big implications, and it is the architect’s responsibility to shape tangible solutions for users and incorporate these ideas into the structure. With
the rise of functionality in the last decades, space became a mere reflection of the program it holds. People were stacked in boxes to produce and feed into a consumeroriented society. This idea of just cramming individuals in any place started as the industrial revolution brought flux of people into non-equipped cities. The regular house plan was divided to accommodate as many newcomers as it could retain. Homes and jobs were oriented towards fast-paced
Figure 1.31. How do we tell which of these underlying, sometimes subtle factors of interior design affect our subconscious?
production. Usage of space and the psychological understanding behind it came later on in the future. Space is a crucial element of interior design. With a considerable portion of our lives spent indoors, the spaces we choose to occupy have a massive influence on our moods, feelings, behavior, and physical wellbeing. Space is a crucial element of interior design. With a considerable portion of our lives spent indoors, the spaces we choose to occupy have a massive influence on our moods, feelings, behavior, and physical wellbeing.
The psychology of space, or environmental psychology, refers to the interaction between people and the space they inhabit. How the human brain and cognition are affected by varying elements in that space. Senses are addressed and affected by interior design features such as lighting, configuration, natural and non-natural materials, colors, acoustics, texture, furniture layout, even living elements. These factors can impact how people feel. We can sense whether a space is warm, safe, and comfortable and drives social interactions or cold, hard and uninviting that zaps energy if you stay in it for a
long time. In recent years, this link between interior design and psychology has been getting a lot of attention and recognition for its importance. Its equal parts functionality and psychology. Consequently, architecture and design are steering towards this peoplecentric direction and coming up with creative methods to make a space work for the social and psychological needs of its occupants. One important element that must always be kept in mind; is to follow the principles of design –balance, symmetry, proportion, and harmony. These four factors play into each component (each design element) and the sum of its parts (the whole space) which in turn impacts its occupants in various ways. Now, there are five aspects to remember to create an environment and space that is aligned with your being and simultaneously, reduces stress and anxiety from your life. (Psychology of Space, 2020)
There are several techniques to achieve this perception of space through architecture and design. Collectively, these are called ‘visual tricks’ that can range from several things including furniture, wall decor, color, lighting, and organization. A clean, uncluttered space does the trick. Next, another element that creates the illusion of space is lighting. Spaces that welcome a generous amount of natural light through high ceilings, large windows, skylights, glass doors, or expansive wall mirrors will naturally give a sense of a more expansive area. Light-colored furniture and interiors also achieve this effect. Creating the perception of space leads to an open mind and invites positive energy.
Lighting also sets the mood and is an integral part of the psychology of space. Entering a room filled with natural light effectively lifts mood, energy and introduces a happy feeling. Lighting goes beyond artificial light indoors. Getting a healthy dose of sunlight is a mood lifter – boosts positive thoughts, creativity, productivity, better sleep, and generally, several other benefits. Sunlight also has many proven mental health benefits such as alleviating depression and anxiety. You might also feel a noticeable change in mood when it’s a sunny day compared to overcast skies and rain. Every room should have its lighting specifications. After all, different needs are addressed in varying spaces
– like homes vs. offices vs. restaurants, etc. Here are some examples of how different lightings work on the human mind: Bright light heightens emotions (could be both positive and negative emotions). Exposure to natural light increases serotonin levels in the brain and boosts mood and happiness levels. Longer and more exposure to natural light relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety leading to a longer-term joyful state. For instance, dim light can set a romantic or calming ambiance – some restaurants dim the lights because this trick affects a person’s comfort level and lowers inhibitions about eating larger amounts of food. While offices may want more natural light to enliven their spaces and boost productivity, motivation, and energy amongst their employees.
(Psychology of Space, 2021)
With its unique feature of spatiality, underground architecture can be deeply explored in various terms to introduce a different dwelling system in today’s era of land scarcity and climate change. But along with these added advantages, certain limitations will surely challenge the existing advantages of underground Architecture. The major limitation can be the lack of adaptability and acceptance for the subterranean dwelling system as there is a direct relation with the psychological reactions of a feeling of claustrophobia, fear of collapse, etc. When it comes to the living system, the provision of necessities becomes a major concern. So, the foremost solution should be portrayed for the supply of water, fresh air, and electricity. This leads us to the thought of openings and ventilation, wherein most of the case studies the parameter of ventilation is merely solved by the AC Ducts which does not solve the problem of Openings to be provided to sustain an entire living system beneath the ground. Accessibility is one of the major concerns when it comes to connecting or reaching these systems with the neighborhoods. This function must relate to and fulfill the visual as well as the physical parameter. As we dig underground, there is a major possibility of degradation of the environment, unfavorable geology, water table problems, Confined work Conditions, Cost certainty, etc.
With the advancements in subterranean building techniques and a revitalized focus on eco-friendly housing systems, the possibility of living partially underground is being considered into the public consciousness. Though linked by a partially or entirely covered construction, there are countless types of subterranean architecture, from
artificial cave structures to elevation houses, earth berm properties, and culvert structures.
1. In regions susceptible to extreme weather, subterranean architecture is safer and more reliable than conventional, flat-surface architecture.
2. Subterranean architecture can be constructed in places that traditional architecture merely cannot, like on steep surfaces.
3. Subterranean properties merge easily into their natural surroundings, making them an excellent way for conservation areas.
4. Earth is a great natural insulator, maintaining the warm temperature during winter and cool during the summer, therefore diminishing the energy consumption of a subterranean dwelling. The use of subterranean architecture costs 80-95% less than a traditional house to heat and cool.
5. Subterranean architecture the use of earth helps with the natural soundproofing of the structure and helps to maintain privacy from the outside.
6. Subterranean architecture is more likely earthquake resistant.
Figure 1.33. Subterranean museum
1. The unconventional nature of subterranean or underground architecture requires many planning experts and requires cautious consultation during the construction process.
2. Subterranean construction needs significant care taken during and after the construction of the structure, as to moisture and might increase costs.
3. The psychological shift required for moving to a subterranean residence can sometimes be uncomfortable.
4. Guaranteeing excellent ventilation and lighting can be a little difficult to achieve in subterranean architecture. Complex ventilation methods may require an expert’s involvement.
5. Interior designers require special consideration, as many walls will be rounded and meticulous flood resistance planning. (Nast, 2015)
Subterranean or underground architecture is more than producing a natural shelter, but the practice of underground architecture possesses a tremendous heritage that is unfortunately is poorly documented in architectural history manuscripts. Subterranean architecture is rich in spatial range, responding to environmental concerns factors in design solutions tackling accessibility, ventilation, and light. An architectural adobe over the soil can be identified as a product addition that comprises various spatial enclosures with different volumes. The spaces beneath the earth result from positive negative spaces with a difference in the type of structural and construction rules. The increase in urban cities in the world is immense, urban land is expected to become a limited resource in the future, including the factor major phenomenon of climate
change. Subterranean architecture can provide a better living environment by designing underground structures, thus boosting natural open spaces on the land above. If subterranean architecture becomes a new way to create societies as in history, it would solve creating sustainable devolvement in the future urban cities. Underground Cities could very well become a norm in the future with already many structures being built underground. Even though the scarcity of surface area in cities will become the driver for such spaces it doesn’t necessarily mean that the need for these surface spaces would decrease in the future. On the other hand, like the underground city will grow it will start exerting more pressure above ground as well. All underground cities will require having services above ground for light, ventilation, and other resources.
The Amos Rex Museum is located beneath Lasipalatsi Finland, a 1930s shopping center known as the ‘Glass Palace’, containing five concrete windowed domes. The 23,500-squarefoot space was designed by Helsinki’s JKMM architecture firm(Nast, 2018). The structure boasts a maze of underground exhibition rooms none of which have pillars with skylights providing. Above
ground, the skylights appear to be island-like mounds in the urban square, which passersby can climb onto for epic selfies. The skylights also have pipe-like windows that allow people aboveground to peer down into the exhibition space, sparking curiosity about the art that lies below. Lasipalatsi has been comprehensively refurbished as part of the project, with special care given to preserving original features that include the first external neon lighting in Finland. The project started in 2013 when the Figure
Amos Anderson Art Museum started searching for a new space. For decades, they’d been in a 1920s-era office tower whose dim lighting made it less than ideal for showing art and were looking to expand. They set their sights on the Bio Rex. Asmo Jaaksi, the leading architect at JKMM, came up with the idea to build the museum 20 feet under the square adjacent to the theater. Underground museums need more than just Figure
they need to make a
Figure 2.1. Roof top of Helsinki 2.2. Master planstatement aboveground so they don’t go unnoticed. “The biggest challenge was how to make it visible in the cityscape,” said Jaaksi.
From the foyer of the refurbished Lasipalatsi, visitors descend a staircase past a picture window that affords views over the public square, into the basement galleries. The roof of the new gallery is formed by a series of domes with angled roof lights that frame views
Figure 2.4. Basement plan
Figure 2.5. Exterior Elevation
Figure 2.6. Section Drawing
of the surrounding buildings and allow exhibitions to be lit with natural light if the curators choose. The shape of the domes is expressed in the topography of the newly landscaped public square which sits above the galleries, as a series of gently rolling forms clad in concrete tiles. The construction team had to dig out 460,000 cubic feet of rock for the new museum. In the weeks leading up to the museum opening, locals peered down into the exhibition space while using their hands to block out the summer sun, trying to catch a better glimpse. The existing restaurants and shops within the Lasipalatsi will continue to trade and will help contribute to the life and activity of the public square, which is a focal point for the social life of Helsinki city center and one of the most important public spaces in the shopping and entertainment district. The square also provides an opportunity for Amos Rex to create a program of outdoor events to support its gallery shows.
Figure 2.7. Interior view of Museum
As the city plan would not allow an extension to the building above ground, the museum and JKMM developed a plan to extend the building beneath its courtyard, which was formerly used as a bus station. Over 2,200
square meters of gallery space were created in a series of domed spaces underground. The structural domes extend into the square above and are punctuated with angled projected skylights to create a uniquely shaped public space. The largest of the domes contains the art museum's principal gallery space, which will be used to accommodate large-scale works of art such as Team Lab’s opening digital installation. (Amos Rex’s Bulging Underground Galleries Create Playful Landscape in Helsinki Plaza, 2018) A look into one of the underground rooms. Light streams through the futuristic-looking windows located aboveground. (Gallery of Amos Rex / JKMM Architects - 40, 2018.)
It’s not an urban sci-fi fantasy: a leafy underground park building below Delancey Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
The Lowline is a plan to use innovative solar technology to illuminate a historic trolley terminal on the Lower East Side of New York City. Their vision is to
stunning underground park, providing a beautiful respite and a cultural attraction in one of the world’s most dense, exciting urban environments.
Figure 2.9. Indoor Garden of lowlineThe proposed location is the one-acre former Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal, just below Delancey Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The site was opened in 1908 for trolley passengers but has been unused since 1948 when trolley service
was discontinued. Despite six decades of neglect, the space still retains some incredible features, like remnant cobblestones, crisscrossing rail tracks, and vaulted ceilings. It is also directly adjacent to the existing JMZ subway track at the Essex Street subway stop– so park visitors and subway riders would interact daily. This hidden historic site is located in one of the least green areas of New York City presenting a unique opportunity to reclaim unused space for the public good.
Designed by James Ramsey of Raad Studio, the proposed solar technology involves the creation of a “remote skylight” In this approach, sunlight passes through a glass shield above the parabolic collector and is reflected and gathered at one focal point, and directed underground. Sunlight is transmitted onto a reflective surface on the distributor dish underground, transmitting that sunlight into the space. This technology would
Figure 2.10. Master plan of lowline
transmit the necessary wavelengths of light to support photosynthesis, enabling plants and trees to grow. During periods of sunlight, electricity would not be necessary to light the space. In September 2012, the Lowline team built a full-scale prototype of the technology in an abandoned warehouse in the Lower East Side, for the “Imagining the Lowline” exhibit. The exhibit attracted thousands of visitors, was heavily covered by the press, and ultimately served as a proof of concept.
Using technology to improve the lives of city residents, by creating more of the green space we all need. The Lowline aims to build a new kind of public space one that highlights the historic elements of a former trolley terminal while introducing cutting-edge solar technology and design, enabling plants and trees to grow
underground. To explore our vision in greater detail, we commissioned a preliminary planning study with Arup, the global engineering firm, and HR&A Advisors, a leading real estate, economic development, and energy-efficiency consulting firm. The study concluded that the Lowline was not merely technically feasible but would also vastly improve the local economy and the adjacent transit hub. Once built, the Lowline would be a dynamic cultural space, featuring a diversity of community programming and youth activities. We envision not merely a new public
space, but an innovative display of how technology can transform our cities in the 21st century. And along the way, we intend to draw the community into the design process itself, empowering a new generation of Lower East Siders to help build a new bright spot in our dense urban environment. (Project - The Lowline, 2022)
Even though the Lowline Lab is a miniature example of an immersive park, the designers want visitors to be able to get a sense of what the finished park will feel like. You can walk through a cutout that runs straight through the middle and discover the plants and structure up close. Because the lab is set in the
Figure 2.12. Illustrations of lowline
Figure 2.13. Reflector on ceiling
middle of a larger room, it appears much darker than it is and one of the goals of the Lab is figuring out the best ways to distribute light across the landscapes.
Figure 2.15. Vegetation
There are pineapples, mint, thyme, and strawberry plants mixed in with the more decorative ground cover. There are over 60 species of plants in total. There’s no plan yet for what will be done with Lowline crops, but Ramsey says he hopes they’ll give kids in New York City an opportunity to see wild plants growing right in their neighborhood
The segmented canopy is critical to making things grow underground. The combination of hexagonal and triangular anodized aluminum panels forms a shapable canopy that can adapt to the needs of what’s growing in the lab. The structure can direct light wherever it’s needed at the time and has the added benefit of keeping the “light plumbing” out of sight, so visitors can enjoy the atmosphere without fixating on the technology.
While some smaller collectors track the sun directly, larger ones use massive tracking mirrors to push the sunlight into their view.
Both the mirrors and the collectors have coatings to filter out infrared light while keeping the ultraviolet parts of the spectrum. This prevents the devices from getting hot while keeping the wavelengths
needed by plants and animals. These collectors are made by Sun Portal, a Korean company working with Lowline on the project.
Getting the light underground is one thing, but you can’t just blast a garden with a concentrated beam of sunlight and expect anything good to come of it. A set of lenses is embedded into the canopy, softening the light, and then a chandelier-like set of reflectors further distributes it across the Lowline Lab. By using the canopy, lenses, and reflectors in concert, the team can create a diverse array of conditions across the
landscape, ranging from near pitch-black to brighter than outside. (The Lowline | The World’s First Underground Park - LES NYC,.)
Jean Novel has unveiled his concept for The Sharaan Resort at AlUla – a scheme that draws on the nearby Nabataean wonders of Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The landmark resort aims to celebrate the extraordinary beauty of past civilizations. French architect Jean Nouvel has unveiled
the design for a subterranean hotel that will be carved into a sandstone hill in the AlUla desert in Saudi Arabia. (Jean Nouvel’s Sharaan Resort Concept at AlUlá, Saudi Arabia Celebrates the Beauty of Past Civilisations., 2021) The 2,000-year-old Sharaan Nature Reserve landscape holds markings and stories that unlock a past civilization. Nouvel does not take on this
responsibility lightly, aiming to create architecture that showcases and preserves the beautiful and unique natural setting that unfolds around them. Sharaan by Jean Nouvel will contain 40 rooms and three resort villas that will be cut into a cliff face, with each suite having a balcony that looks out across the surrounding landscape. The hotel's entrance will be from a circular courtyard that will be carved into the sandstone hillside. From there a series of rooms will be arranged around a central 80-meter-high lift shaft.
Nouvel is a French architect who won the Pritzker Prize in 2008. His studio has previously completed several buildings in the Middle East, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and the National
Figure 2.20. Mountain Resort Figure 2.20 Interior view of Alula JEAN NOUVEL Figure 2.21. Interior view of Alula Resort
Museum of Qatar in Qatar. Nouvel views the resort as an opportunity to bridge the old with the new, creating a scheme that is respectful to AIUIa’s ancient heritage while also maintaining modern comforts and aesthetics. He outlines “AIUIa deserves to acquire a degree of modernity. Envisioning the future is a never-ending obligation that requires to be fully alive to places in the present as well as conjuring up the past.” The design aims to minimize the impacts on nature, working with the existing landscape rather than fighting it. Inspired by the traditional work of the Nabateans, dwellings will be molded out of the earth, creating sustainable spaces that provide shelter from the summer heat and the chill of winter. The design aims to minimize the impacts on nature, working with the existing landscape rather than fighting it. Inspired by the traditional work of the Nabateans, dwellings will be molded out of the earth, creating sustainable spaces that provide shelter from the summer heat and the chill of winter. According to the architect, the subterranean resort was informed by the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site where the remains of a Nabataean city can be found. The Nabataean people occupied the Arabian Desert in between the second and fourth century BC and carved cities, including Petra in Jordan, into the area's sandstone rock. (Jean Nouvel Reveals Cave Resort in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla Desert, 2020)
The Louvre is a museum of art and antiquities located on the Right bank of the Seine in Paris. Covering an area of 60,600 sq. m (652,300 sq. ft), and with more than 380,000
objects and 35,000 works of art, the Louvre is the largest museum in the world. The Louvre Museum could seamlessly direct visitors to 14.5 km (9 miles) of corridors and 403 rooms with this solution. It first opened as a museum in 1793, during the period of the French Revolution known as the Reign of Terror. It was said that the act of opening an art museum to the general public in a building that had once been a royal palace was inherently revolutionary. The museum houses some of the most famous and valuable pieces of art in the world, including the Venus de Milo statue, Leonardo Di Vinci's Mona Lisa, and The Last Supper. In architectural terms, the Louvre is made of cut stone and is a vast complex of wings and pavilions on four main levels.
Despite appearing to be unified, it is the result of many phases of building, modification, destruction, and restoration that took place over several centuries. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace which was originally built in the late 12th century under Phillip II. It remained a residence of the French kings until 1682.
In the early 1980s, Louvre Museum was a world-class art museum bursting at its seams. It had the finest collections of art globally, yet they were running out of space to display. Because of the lack of space, the galleries were disjointed, and the visitor experience was poor. So much so, there were only two public bathrooms to cater to the 2.5 million visitors who would come in to relish the art annually. To add to the space crunch, the French Minister of Finance had claimed the Richelieu Wing of the
building for their offices. Out of the three available wings, the museum couldn’t use one wing to display art exhibits. Louvre Museum’s repeated requests for space went unheeded. In 1981, socialist François Mitterrand was elected the French President. Mitterrand doubled investment in the arts and announced that The Louvre was his top priority. The same year Mitterrand announced the Grand Louvre project, which would include a redesign of the Museum and the addition of space. He also made sure the art Museum got the Richelieu Wing back.
The Pyramid with a square base was constructed entirely with glass segments and metal poles. Ninety-five tons of steel and 105 tons of aluminum support the structure. While the Louvre pyramid is 21.6 meters (71 ft)
Figure 2.25. Perspective section of louver
4.1.2. Louver design:
Figure 2.26. Masterplan of Louver
tall, its square base has sides of 34 meters (112 ft). The Pyramid has a total of 673 glass segments – 603 rhombi
and 70 triangular-shaped. Louvre was made out of steel and glass; it was designed to the same proportions as the pyramid of Cheops, reaching a height of 20.6 m and with a square base of 35 m. The pyramid's faces are covered by nearly 700 panels of glass. In 1981, the newly elected French president, Francois Mitterrand, launched a campaign to renovate cultural institutions throughout France. One of the most advantageous of those projects was the renovation and reorganization of the Louvre. In 1983 after touring Europe and the United States, President Mitterrand commissioned the Chinese American architect, I.M. Pei. It was the first time that a foreign architect was enlisted to work on the Louvre Museum. Completed in 1989, I.M. Pei’s renovation redesigned Court Napoleon, the main court of the Louvre, to alleviate the congestion from the thousands of daily visitors. A new grand entrance provided a convenient, central lobby space separate from the galleries, which provided a focal point for the cyclical process of one’s experience through the museum. In addition to providing a new entrance to the Louvre, Pei’s design featured a new underground system of galleries, storage, and preservation laboratories, as well as a connection between the
wings of the museum. The addition and relocation of the supporting spaces of the museum allowed for the Louvre to expand
its collection and place more work on exhibit. Pei’s design of the Louvre addition implemented a large glass and steel pyramid that is surrounded by three smaller
Figure 2.27. I.M Pie during construction
Figure 2.28. Conceptual drawing
Figure 2.29. Illustration of Louver
triangles that provide light to the space below Court Napoleon. For Pei, the glass pyramid provided a symbolic entry that had historical and figural importance that reinforced the main entry. The monumental appearance of the glass and steel pyramid fixed in the middle of the court provides a central focal point that complements the scale and design of the Louvre. The Louvre is one of the major tourist attractions of Paris, receiving an estimated 9.6 million visitors a year.
The sloping glass walls of the pyramid begin to pay homage to the mansard roofs of the museum, and the opaque, heavy qualities of the Louvre’s façade exaggerate the transparency of Pei’s design. With the history of the Louvre dating back to the 12th Century, one could imagine that the modern design implemented by Pei would not be fully accepted by the historically enamored Parisians. The site of the Louvre was originally a dungeon and fortress for Philippe Auguste, which was later transformed into a palace under King Francis I in 1546. It wasn’t
until 1793 that Louis XVI had turned the Louvre into a museum. The Louvre has been deeply rooted in the history and culture of the Parisian people. Much of the criticism surrounding the renovation was not because of the addition to the museum itself, but more of an issue of styles. Most felt that Pei’s modern design aesthetic would clash with the Louvre’s Classical architecture, appearing as an alien form. However, as the decades have passed and Paris has modernized Pei’s design has become embedded in the Parisian culture. It is regarded with similar significance to that of the Eiffel Tower becoming an icon for the people of Paris, as well as the world. Pei’s design has become synonymous with the image of the Louvre marking it as an inseparable entity from the museum and of Paris.
The pyramid used as an entrance in the Louvre's courtyard has the same proportions as the Great Pyramid of Giza. The choice
of this figure also serves as a reminder of the importance of the Egyptian antiquities collection inside the museum, as does the Obelisk in
4.1.3. Glass roof: Figure 2.30. Inverted Pyramid 4.1.4. The 5 pyramids of the Louvre: Figure 2. 31. Glass Pyramid DesignPlace de la Concorde not far from there, the other side of the Jardin des Tuileries. At its base, the pyramid measures 116 feet wide and 70 feet high. 95 tons of steel and 105 tons of aluminum support the structure. The main pyramid is accompanied by three smaller ones. They have been positioned to create light shafts for access to the museum’s collections. Lastly, the inverted pyramid is the one visible from underground when you use the Carrousel entrance to the Louvre. In the proper sense, it is an upsidedown, suspended pyramid. The glass panes of the pyramids are made up of diamonds and triangles. This mixture creates the triangular form in irregular proportions, which creates the appearance of cut jewels.
4.1.5. Its halls were once home to a strange royal ritual: Before the Louvre was a museum, it was a royal residence, home to several generations of kings. King Henry IV was among them and he enacted a kingly ritual known as the Royal Touch in the Louvre’s halls. French royals at the time were thought to have Godgiven power to rule. One such reward of divine backing? The ability to heal illnesses such as swollen lymph nodes, a side effect of tuberculosis with a mere touch. And so, Henry IV received tuberculosis sufferers in one of the Louvre’s halls, anointing the sick with holy water while intoning, “Le Roy te touché, Dieu te guerit” (“The king touches you, God is healing you”). (AD Classics, 2010)
4.1.6. Pei’s glass pyramid was meant to mesh with the landscape—not fight with it: Louvre has a rich history—and to modernize a building with such a significant past is no small undertaking. So, in 1983, when French President Francois Mitterrand called on Pei to revive the ailing building, the architect took some time pondering his design. Pei kept the project a secret from his team for four months and took several surreptitious trips to the museum before drawing up blueprints. When he finally put pen to paper, his plans included a new entrance, a network of rooms to make the museum-going more pleasant (an information center, a cafeteria), and, famously, the glass pyramid. Parisians at the time were scandalized
Figure 2.32. View of Louver when the design was unveiled. Pei’s pyramid was a “gigantic, ruinous gadget,” as one New York Times critic wrote in 1985. The overwhelming sentiment at the time was that
Pei's pyramid was a modernist eyesore jutting starkly against its baroque surroundings. But perhaps Pei’s critics would have been gentler had they known how meticulously he tried to marry his design to its landscape. As Michael Flynn, an architect from Pei’s team, reminisced to Architect Magazine, Pei wanted the glass to be “superclear”—so if you peered through it, the glass wouldn’t “alter your perception of the color of the existing buildings.” Clear glass doesn’t sound
like a tall order, but at the time, the most glass used in buildings had a greenish tint. Finding clear glass was a lot of legwork. Designing the framework was no less laborious. Pei wanted to match the metal to the color of the roofs of its surrounding buildings. As it turned out, those buildings sported 11 shades of gray so, long conversations ensued about which hue to choose. A study was conducted on the height of the pyramid of the existing buildings. The pyramid was designed to fall beneath a certain line, so it wouldn’t stick out above rooftops. The architect did want the piece to be as unobtrusive as possible which didn’t stop the controversy but does help to contextualize it.
(Author/Elizabeth-Evitts-Dickinson, 2017)
Encompassing some 400,000 pieces, the permanent collection of the museum is divided into many chronological and thematic sections, grouped into nine departments: Decorative Arts; Egyptian Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Islamic Art; Paintings; Prints and Drawings; Sculptures; and Architectural Views. The original core of the collection was based on artworks acquired over time by the Kings of France, which comprised several masterpieces of European art, including the works brought
Figure 2.33. Glass Pyramid Design
Figure 2.34. Mona Lesa
to France by Leonardo da Vinci. After the transformation into a public museum, the Louvre’s collection was enriched by paintings, sculptures, and antiquities gathered by Napoleon during his military campaigns, especially in Italy and Egypt; and further enlarged thereafter with notable acquisitions, such as that of the famous Greek sculpture of the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The many exhibition rooms in which the collection is displayed are located on three levels and into three main wings: the Richelieu wing, the Sully Wing, and the Denon wing. The most popular sections are those dedicated to the art of Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Classical Greece, Rome, European Middle-Ages and Renaissance; the museum also includes large collections of decorative and applied arts, graphic arts, and jewelry (which includes the famous Regent diamond)(Secrets of the Louvre Museum in Paris | Architectural Digest, 2017)
4.2. TIRPITZ / BIG expands WWII bunker to form TIRPITZ, a 'hidden' museum sunken into the Danish coast
Architects: Bjarke Ingels Group, Bjarke Ingels Group
Area: 2800 m²
Year: 2017
The new TIRPITZ is a sanctuary in the sand that acts as a gentle counterbalance to the dramatic war history of the site in Blåvand on the west coast of Denmark. The 2,800 m2 ‘invisible museum’ transforms and expands a historic German WWII bunker into a groundbreaking cultural complex comprising four exhibitions within a single structure, seamlessly embedded into the landscape. Upon arrival, visitors will first see the bunker until Figure
Earth Shelter, they approach through the heath-lined pathways and find the walls cut into the dunes from all sides, and descend to meet in a central clearing. The courtyard allows access into the four underground gallery spaces that have an abundance of daylight even though they are carved into the sand. The exhibitions, designed
Figure 2.35. Museum extension
by Dutch agency Tinker Imagineers, showcase permanent and temporary themed experiences that ground the tale of an impressive war machine. While set by the heavy hermetic object of the WWII bunker, the new TIRPITZ is a sharp contrast to the concrete monolith by camouflaging with the landscape and inviting lightness and openness into the new museum. (TIRPITZ / BIG, 2017) BIG is celebrating the opening of its TIRPITZ museum on the shorelands of blåvand in western Denmark. embedded into the landscape, the ‘sanctuary in the sand’ transforms a historic German WWII bunker into an expansive cultural complex housing sunken gallery, exhibition areas, and an events venue. The museum subtly emerges as a series of precise cuts in the landscape, contrasting the heavy volume of the existing bunker. As they approach, visitors can observe the fine slices and narrow paths that lead towards the center of the complex. The architecture of the TIRPITZ is the antithesis to the WWII bunker,’ Bjarke ingles, BIG’s founding partner, explains. ‘The heavy hermetic object is countered by the inviting lightness and openness of the new museum. the galleries are integrated into the dunes like an open oasis in the sand – a sharp contrast to the Nazi fortress’ concrete monolith. The surrounding heath-lined pathways cut into the dunes from all sides descending to meet in a central clearing, bringing daylight and air into the heart of the complex. The bunker remains the only landmark of a not-so-distant dark heritage that upon close inspection marks the entrance to a new cultural meeting place.’ TIRPITZ is made from four main materials
concrete, steel, glass, and wood which draw from the existing structures and landscape of the area. A central courtyard allows access into the four underground gallery spaces, where 6-meter-tall glass panels draw an abundance of daylight inside the venues even though they are
cast on-site, and support the structure’s sprawling roof decks, the largest of which weighs about 1,090 tons and cantilevers 36 meters outwards. inside, the main materials
Figure 2.37. Bunker interior view
and hot rolled steel, which is applied to all the interior walls. The new TIRPITZ is planned, built, and furnished as a portal to the Danish west coast’s treasure trove of hidden stories,’ said Claus Keld Jensen, director of the varde museum, commissioners of the project. “It has been our goal to create a humble, world-class attraction surprising its visitors with new perspectives on the majestic landscape”. our guests deserve the best; with BIG’s limitless and inviting architecture and with tinker imaginers’ wondrous and playful exhibitions, “I feel we have achieved this”. TIRPITZ is an incredible, oneof-a-kind experience violent, astonishing, dramatic, hidden almost invisible. The exhibitions have been designed by Dutch agency tinker imaginers, and display both permanent and temporary shows. Every gallery has it is own aesthetic and theme: ‘army of concrete’ tells the human stories in the shadow of Hitler’s ‘Atlantic wall’ project; ‘gold of the west coast’ is a comprehensive exhibition of amber, presented in an enchanting amber forest; and ‘west coast stories’ depicts 100,000 years of the coast’s history and is turned into a nighttime 4D theatre. The construction of the 2,800 square meter ‘invisible museum’ expected to attract around 100,000 visitors annually.(BIG Expands WWII Bunker to Form TIRPITZ, a “hidden” Museum Sunken into the Danish Coast, 2017)
In the protected dune landscape along the Danish west coast, the architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have created a spectacular yet almost completely hidden museum. Louis Poulsen was in charge of the lighting plan and designed a customized fixture for the project. From
lightly played a key role in designing the 2,800-square-metre exhibition space, which with its large open glass sections stands in strong contrast to the gloomy bunker behind.
Louis Poulsen developed a lighting plan for the project as well as a new pendant. The pure, conical shape effectively directs the light downwards and ensures that the pendant illuminates the space and the exhibits without disturbing the dramatic effect of the exhibitions. In addition to the functional and technical requirements, to create a fixture that harmonizes with the museum’s simple design idiom and execution in pure materials such as concrete, glass, and steel. Everything is stripped down to the basics with absolutely no decoration and this also needed to apply to the lamp. Therefore, they developed an LED fixture in a tight conical shape in galvanized zinc, which is perfectly suited to a building where nothing is painted, and everything is raw
Figure 2.43. Master Plan
Figure 2. 40. Dune Section
Figure 2.41. Dune
conical shape effectively directs the light downwards and ensures that the pendant illuminates the space and the exhibits without disturbing the dramatic effect of the
In addition to the functional and technical requirements, to create a fixture
that harmonizes with the museum’s simple design idiom and execution in pure materials such as concrete, glass, and steel. Everything is stripped down to the basics with
absolutely no decoration and this also needed to apply to the lamp. Therefore, they developed an LED fixture in a tight conical shape in galvanized zinc, which is perfectly suited to a building where nothing is painted, and everything is raw Museum Sunken into the Danish Coast, 2017)and naked and honest(BIG Expands WWII Bunker to Form TIRPITZ, a “hidden”
Ewha Campus Complex (ECC) is a campus building designed by Dominique Perrault, the same French architect who have designed the famous French National Library. Forming a gentle slope, the building has is a unique form of structure that surrounds a longcentralized passageway. It even went to win the Seoul Architecture Awards back in 2008. Once holding the campus track field, the ECC site now holds an eco-friendly campus complex which stays cool during the summer and
warm during the winter. Even more beautiful at night, ECC also houses study halls, lecture halls, exhibition halls, a bookstore, and many other school facilities within its walls. The Sports Strip, like the Valley, is many things at once. It is a new gateway to the Ewha campus, a place for daily sports activities, a ground for the special yearly festivals and celebrations, and an area which truly brings together the university and the city. It is most importantly a place for all, animated all year long. Like a horizontal billboard, the sports strip presents the life of the university to the inhabitants of Shinchon, and viceversa. Once through the sports strip,
Ewha Campus Complex (ECC)
Figure 2.47. Ewha Campus
Figure 2.46. Wall detailed Section Figure 2.45. Wall material details
pedestrian movement and flow through the site is celebrated. A new “Champs Elysées” invites the public into the site carrying students and visitors alike through the campus center northwards, bringing together the different levels of the site. The pastoral nature of the campus is perhaps its most remarkable quality. It should be permitted to grow outwards, or inwards in this case, covering the campus center with trees, flowers, and grass. The park is re-drawn. An idyllic garden is the result, creating a special place for gathering, conducting informal classes, and simply relaxing. The notion of weaving together the campus is again evident, blurring the distinction between old and new, building and landscape, present and past. A new seam slices through the topography revealing the interior of the EWHA campus center. A void is formed, a hybrid place, in which a variety of activities can unfold. It is an avenue, gently descending, controlling the flow of traffic, leading to a monumental stair carrying visitors upwards, recalling les Champs Elysees or the Campidiglio in Rome.
• An entry court, from which access to the various departments exist,
• A node, or point on a trajectory to another destination,
• A forum for the exchange of ideas as students gather after class to discuss their views,
• A piazza, with the cafeteria spilling out creating a real “place” to stop and relax,
• An outdoor theatre, as the stair can be used in an Amphitheatre like fashion,
• A sculpture garden, where indoor gallery events can push outwards. It is precisely this flexibility (conceptual and real)
which permits the New EWHA campus center to inevitably weave itself into the landscape sometimes a building, sometimes a landscape, sometimes a sculpture
Figure 2.48. Entrance
The Ehwa Campus Complex is equipped with Uponor TABS (thermally activated Building system) using geothermal energy as a heat source. TABS, also known as CCA (Concrete Core Activation), utilizes the concrete’s thermal mass by embedded pipes carrying water for heating and cooling in the building’s structure. The embedded pipes activate the concrete core in the building mass for storage and discharge of thermal loads. The TABS applied to Ewha Campus Complex is installed in the classroom space of approximately 2,000㎡ and is operating at 17/21 for cooling and 29/26 for heating. (Cooling capacity is about 30 W/
, heat source capacity: 156 USRT) In order to prevent temperature, change due to pressure drop in piping, all piping lengths are designed to be the same, and coils are installed as 150mm pitches, intervals of 150mm, based on the results of heat transfer analysis. In the case of this building, groundwater can be used to operate TABS for air conditioning 24 hours a day, and the HVAC duct is installed to the minimum size for ventilation. In addition to TABS, the Ewha Campus Complex is applied as a thermal
labyrinth system and a system that can utilize geothermal energy and groundwater to save energy in heating and cooling. By dispersing the peak load during the heating and cooling period, the capacity of the heat source equipment was reduced by more than 40%, and energy saving of about 25 ~ 30% was achieved.
This building is total floor space of about 69,000㎡ and 6 basement floors. This has the valley in the center which is used to introduce natural light into the interior to create comfortable and environmentally friendly space. This project is composed of not only the main building construction but also underground parking lot ramp, main gate and ground level garden construction, in so doing, it has changed the face of Ewha Womans university.(Reference Projects with Realized Solutions | Uponor | Uponor, 2021) Every system connected to each other system but the main system that contribute the most to the building is Thermal Labyrinth system. Ventilation is essential to maintaining a healthy indoor environment. However, during the summer and winter seasons, the temperature of the outdoor air can be so extreme that providing adequate ventilation
Figure 2.51. Airflow of the Campus
requires a significant amount of energy. Consequently, an energy-efficient ventilation
system is important for minimizing energy consumption. The thermal labyrinth is a ventilation system that pulls in outdoor air through an underground labyrinth-shaped concrete structure that is part of the building itself. Through heat exchange with the ground, this system can pre-cool and pre-heat the outdoor air in the summer and winter seasons, respectively. 1.4 meters of cavity between retaining wall and building back wall is utilized for thermal labyrinth. As this cavity was formed from structural reason, no
additional cost was occurred for this thermal labyrinth. Rather, saving was possible because of reduced size of chillers and boilers. And additional saving was obtained from pre-heating and precooling of the air. These benefits will be remarkably higher than the increased electric energy cost due to the additional air resistance in the thermal labyrinth.
Figure 2.55 Section
By using the TLVS, the peak loads for the cooling and dehumidification and the heating and humidification of the outdoor air were found to be reduced by 47.6% and 41.2%, respectively. The annual energy need for conditioning outdoor air was reduced by 31.3%, and a payback period of 12.1 years was calculated.
Reduced capacity: The whole building concrete is used as energy storage. Therefore, the required energy is supplied continuously over 24 hours. That means there is no thermal peak in this system. Thus, the optimum equipment sizing was possible. Also, the operation cost for energy circulation was lowered. The concrete core activation is also used for heating. For this application, the main goal is protecting the building from cooling out. As the surface temperatures were maintained between 18 and 22 °C, the
Easy use of natural energy: Because of the high-water temperatures cooling (17 / 20 °C), natural heat sources such as groundwater and soil energy can be used.(Andrews, 2018.)
The project selected for this category is of Farhan Mosque located in Karachi, designed by Architect Misbah Najmi and completed in 1984. It is located to the southeast of an intersection of two major Roads, Sharah-e-Faisal and Korangi Road.
Contextually it is placed next to an architecturally significant building Finance and Trade Center (FTC).
The Mosque gratifies as a massive landmark,
successfully avoiding competition with FTC in its background. The design of the Mosque evolved around the artificial hill, which provided a sound barrier and helped in achieving a conducive environment inside the mosque. The hill not only
serves a meaningful purpose but helps promote a
new ideology of design with the landscape becoming a part of the architectural vocabulary. The presence of courtyard and mechanical vents on the roof of the Mosque also assist in ventilation and air circulation. The Mosque has a central courtyard. Structurally, the Mosque comprises of RCC columns. Doors made up of wood and glass are embedded in them, opening into the central courtyard from three sides, except the qibla side. The ablution area is designed in such a manner that it doesn't affect the circulation of the Mosque, especially during the congregation. This particular design incorporates the use of simple techniques by creating light wells, as vents in the basements,
capturing natural ventilation through a sunken courtyard and incorporation of cooling technique and usage of slopes as noise barrier. These slopes allow the building to harness energy. Variation in levels is created to control noise pollution and ventilation. Another technique known as cooling through evaporation is used throughout the design. Water sprinklers are provided on the west and southern sides and are scheduled to be used in the afternoon. The wind hits the wet slopes, gets cool, and keeps the temperature down, the local stone absorbs the water and thus proves to be a
Figure 2.64. Master Plan Figure 2.65. Solid and voids Figure 2.66. Form Formationsustainable solution. Sunlight is carefully brought into the building to pawn humidity through the drying effect. Traditional architectural techniques popularly known as "wind catchers" are also used, to supply fresh air to the basement and replace the warm air. These wind catchers help in cross ventilation, as the overall climate of Karachi is windy. The sprinklers placed in the windward direction. help in getting the overall temperature of the mosque down, especially in the open court The sunken courtyards also create a micro-climate within the prayer space. A fiberglass dome for capturing maximum natural light is used, and the incorporation of jalis (screens) serves as an aesthetically pleasing element as well as produces a cooler environment. These traditional methods are cost-effective and
natural. There is also the. use of active techniques that are facilitated mechanically. The relationship of the building geometry with ecology is often described by commonplaces such as compact shapes that are most favorable for the use of energy and building materials. The geometric analysis of this Mosque reveals the sensitive approach of merging shapes that complement each other. The overall design analysis reveals that the designer has indulged in the attribute of sustainability in multiple ways. From air circulation to material selection, this Mosque is fully aligned with nature and sets a trend for future architects to produce such projects that work on less input and maximum output.
(Quratulain Asghar/ Ume Fatima Abid/ Syed Muhammad Zille Ali Naqvi/ ARCHITECTURAL
ANALYSIS: DISTINCTIVE BUILDING FEATURES IN PAKISTANI ARCHITECTURE)
The artificial hill creates a sound barrier so that at all times, the traffic noise is filtered through.
Wind flows up the hill and the sprinklers bring down the temperature before one gets to the open prayer spaces. The sunken courtyards also create a micro-climate within the prayer space. Adjacent to the Finance and Trade Centre (FTC) on Shara-e-Faisal lies Farhan Mosque, a gem in its own right in a sprawling city like Karachi. An excellent example of the different ways in which Islamic architecture can be manifested; the mosque was designed by the late Misbah Najmi. The overflowing space, catered to by
Figure 2.71
the open courtyard- like spaces on three sides of the mosque, also becomes the entrance point into the mosque. Though the Farhan Mosque is an example of contemporary architecture, it has, however, been designed keeping in mind all traditional aspects of Islamic architecture. Islamic architectural symbols such as a dome and a minaret are present in this design. For instance, the use of courtyards for overflow spaces for worshippers as well as the use of ‘Jefferies’ to screen certain areas manifest the influence of Islamic architectural principles. Wind flows up the hill and the sprinklers bring down the temperature before one gets to the open prayer spaces. The sunken courtyards also create a micro-climate within the prayer space. The yellow stone used depicts softness and makes the mosque extremely attractive in a city where urban sprawl has devoured beauty, aesthetics and symmetry. The stone and the materials used are all local and hence cost-effective. The materials also serve as insulators because of which the stone stays cold for a certain time period when washed with water. Specifically designed spaces within the periphery walls allow visitors to store their shoes properly. Finally, underground parking was created and rented out to a nearby building to allow fund generation for the maintenance of the mosque. Asked if the mosque is cost- effective and the
possibility of it being replicated in other parts of the city, Ahsan said that “all the principles demonstrated in Misbah Najmi’s design can be used. They are all local materials which are already available. Misbah Najmi spent his life demonstrating how your passion for good architecture can push you to create masterpieces. Hence, all it requires is hard work, an eye for detail and sophistication in the use of materials. Every piece of architecture should deal with the context and should be sensitive to light, air and green spaces. There was a time when mosques were not only places of worship for Muslims but also a place where social problems, both community-related as well as those pertaining to an individual, were solved. The artificial hill creates a sound barrier so that at all times, the traffic noise is filtered through.(Farhan Mosque | Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative (Pvt.) Ltd. | Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Design and Residential, 2013)
Figure 2.72. Basement Plan
Quetta or Kwatta is another form of Ket meaning fort and this name had really some weight in it. It was also called Shalket. When Afghanistan was still a province of the Sub-continent or was under the sway of Iran, Quetta had a great importance. It is said that the first European travelers who entered it was Charles Masson. It was in 1828 A. D. when the East India Company was ruling over the Sub-continent and the lesser Mughals had their throne at Delhi that Masson wrote that Quetta city was situated around Miri. Miri Fort In Quetta, Built In 1833, Miri Fort is Located Within Quetta Cantt. This is the Heritage of the Province. Tunnels located
On A High Hill Belongs to Full Strength. The Palace Complex Has Been Highlighted Baloch History is Also a Small Museum and A Lovely, Little Cleaner Temple. While roaming
at wrecked lobbies of Miri fortress, Quetta, someone barely ponder Figure 2.75. Miri Fort view
that if earlier rulers did not construct mammoth strong fortresses, then any available footprints and reminiscence from history must also wiped out by unkind invaders or by natures gushes. In the days of war, it was used as an arsenal. A trench had been dug around
this fort like rock. The temple of Pani Nath was also built near this trench. This temple is a standing testimony of how the Muslim rulers took care of the feelings and sentiments of their nonMuslim subjects. At that time the city comprised of 300 houses and a bazar that could meet the local needs but it could not be considered a city or a provincial capital. Later, after eleven years when Army of the Ind us, organized by the English Government, reached Quetta, then this place was made headquarter of the Political Agent and it remained so until 1842 A.D. The local tribes made a number of incursions -- that of 23rd June, 1940 was profoundly serious and was conducted by 800 men. The attack could not last more than 3 hours and only two-gun men were killed and one wounded from the English side while 22 killed and 3 captured from the other side. In 18 76 A. D. this fort was recaptured and it
was protected by only a small army of Khan of Kalat, which consisted of group of shooters, a company of infantry and 20 cavalry men. In 1877 A.D. a series of events occurred in which Lieutenant Howson was killed and Lt. Kun Hard and Capt. Scott were wounded. Consequently, the English assumed the control of Miri and later on the city around Miri was transferred to the present place and Miri was made an ammunition store. A.W. Hughes has written the account. The town is surrounded by a mud wall and has two gates, the eastern and southern, the latter being known as Shikarpuri gate. In the center of the town, on an artificial mound, is the miri, or fort, in
Figure 2.76. Roof terracewhich the governor of the place resides, and from it there is an exceptionally fine and extensive view of the neighboring valley. This fort, it would seem, possesses but a single gun". He further remarks that in 1872 the garrison of the fort consisted of 100 infantries, mostly Afghan, 40 equestrians, and a few artillerymen. The eucalyptus trees were planted after 1877. The length of Quetta Miri in elliptical shape, is 600 ft while its breadth is 400 ft and its height is 60 ft from the ground level. Major J.F. Garwood had written that Quetta Miri is a heap of hard earth, over which some houses were constructed, which were perhaps in possession of the Sardars of the small township of Shal Kott. In 1883 the plinth of the mound was cut into for a magazine, and previous to that some tunnels had been run well into the mound. Almost in the middle of the mound a statue of Hercules holding a lion's skin in his left hand was found, its height being 2. 4 feet. The statue though rust eaten was yet intact. The earth around was carefully dug but only a few bones of some animals could be found. In the middle layer a small flowerpot was discovered, the thinner side of which Figure 2.78. Armored Gun
was painted. Major Shepherd also came across a let of pots of this type near Baleli. Quetta Miri could only be dug to 20 feet with the results narrated above. It may be stated that the total height of this mound is 80 feet and 3 / 4 of the excavation is still to be done. If further digging is done, many things may come to light, and probably incredibly old curiosities can be found out, which may be of both national and global interest. The view of Prof. Stuart Piggett seems to be true that there existed a selfsufficient rural culture around Quetta, older than the Indus culture. After the first World War the buildings around Quetta Arsenal were constructed and were, later, destroyed during the earthquake. After the earth quakes some new buildings were constructed again to be used as go downs and temporary army of feces. Now these buildings are no longer in use since the offices have been
Figure
Tunnel shifted to cantonment area. The red railing around Miri was installed by the Englishman, where only a trench existed before. It is also said that this mound is not natural. The Army of Ahmad Shah Abdali, who went to India through Bolan Pass, had brought this mud on their horses, as a symbol of their passage. On
their return some of them took away a part of the mud. This fact is not verified by history. There is the opposing view also that this rock was natural. (Editor, 2022). The name Miri reveals that this name was given to it by the Khans of Kalat ‘The word “Mir” is still used to describe the chief or ruler at Baluchistan so like “miri fort” was an address of several chiefs of KOTA (old name of Quetta) and took the name. Like any fort, Miri fort is also constructed at mounted place and it just appeared to be clay heap from seeing at distance. It has wide and spacious
staircases, airy lobbies, underground jails, barren wells and karez in whispering tunnels. Anyone can discover signs of ditches around the fort to guard it from invaders. The city of Quetta was just walled town inside the fort at one time like any other ancient city as Lahore and Delhi were also walled cities till 18th century. The “Miri fort” was built to this octagonal figure in 1883 according to available history but natives described the history of fort back to Alexander. The footprints of Ghaznavid rulers at 11th century and Safavid rulers in early 18th century can also be found at Miri fort. Quetta grabbed strategic position at British rule when British built Quetta as garrison and used the Miri fort as arsenal. Like Lahore and Delhi, these were British who extended
the city outside walls of fort. Thomas Holdich writing in 1884 in the Baluchistan District Gazetteer stated that ‘The crown of Quetta was the Mirri. The Mirri fort has been the fortress of Quetta from time immemorial and the base of the fortress is what was probably a mud volcano in days that are prehistoric’ This is a view looking across the fort to distant hills and was taken during the Second Afghan War (1878-80). It was used as the residence of the governor appointed by Khan of Kalat. In 1877, the British decided to make their arsenal storage in Quetta and they chose this fort. From far the fort looks like a mound of clay. But fort is strategically well placed and guards the entrance to Quetta city from the West.
Hindu temple inside the Miri fort which was constructed by an outworker Baboo Raam in 1940 and a Hindu saint Sid Paani Nath resided here. The saint was believed to control the flow of water that’s why he grabbed the title of Paani Nath. Eye
catching pictures at ceiling and at walls of temple give you an idea about Hindu existence and their rituals around fort till 18th century. Sid Pani Nath was a saint, and according to the Hindu religion, he could control the flow of river
Temple water. Contractor L. Baboo ram constructed the Hindu temple (mandir) inside the fort walls in 1940. Painting on the wall and roof is interesting. Another Hindu temple that we visited in Baluchistan was in the south, in National hingol park, called the Hinglaj Mata mandir Hindu temple. Too bad general public cannot appreciate the historical and heritage value of this Mirri Fort and Hindu temple because it is in the government’s control. Might as professionally write a Mirri Fort obituary.
There is a museum inside broad territory of Miri fort which more than history has showcased the different cultures and folks of other provinces of Pakistan which bound you with love and care. Though belonged to Punjab, the Sindhi culture always inspired me specially its folk music. A part of fort is being used as an arsenal by PAK ARMY, now days. There are army helicopters, old British washing
machines and geezers, guns and tanks. (Kh, 2018)
Deep inside the dry, biscuit-colored mountains surrounding Pakistan’s south-western city of Quetta, lays an unexpected treasure: a honeycomb of tunnels bursting with cases of Holy Qurans, hidden safely from desecration. The hill is known as Jabal-e-Noor-ulQuran, or “Mountain of Light of Quran”, and has been visited by hundreds of thousands of people since, two brothers turned it into a shrine for Islam’s holy book, some copies of which are up to 600 years old, officials who run it say. Inside it, is Jabal-eNoor-ul-Quran which is a hill encompassing a network of tunnels that are a mile long.
However, it is no ordinary hill, for it contains thousands and thousands of old and damaged copies of the Holy Quran from all over Pakistan. They are stored here so that they are protected from further desecration. It has been named after the mountain Jabal al Nour in Saudi Arabia, which holds Ghaar e Hira, where Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) received the first revelation and would often meditate there as well. There are 5 blocks; each block contains 10 to 15 main caves and many sub-caves. Each cave is 7 feet high and 8 feet wide. Blocks B to E are now sealed because they have been filled to their full capacity. Block A is open for visitors. There is a library and separate prayer rooms for men and women. The passageway is carpeted, and on both sides, one will find the colorful sacks filled with the Holy Quran. Hundreds and thousands
of visitors come to see this unique and sacred place, for it is indeed awe inspiring. The highest number on a given day specifically Friday can be up to 200. In these caves which stretch up to 3.5 meters long, not only are worn out and damaged copies of the
Holy Quran stored but are also preserved. These over 100 caves, which have been carved without any machinery, are home to copies of Quran dating back to the 11th and 12th century. The problem is especially thorny in Pakistan, where any disrespect to the Holy Quran can inflame accusations of blasphemy, punishable by death — whether by the state or at the hands of a vigilante mob. Religious scholars approve of two ways: by wrapping the book carefully in a cloth and burying it in the ground, as at Jabal-e-Noor, or placing it in flowing water, so, the ink is washed away from the pages. But the man behind the mountain, affluent 77-year-old businessman, Abdul Sammad Lehri, has an idea that, if realized, would prove both risky and revolutionary: building one of Pakistan’s first-ever Holy Quran-recycling plants. The move could turn Lehri’s shrine into a target. In neighboring Afghanistan in 2011, around 1,000
angry demonstrators partially destroyed a paper mill that had been accused of recycling the Holy Quran into toilet paper. While in Pakistan, an angry mob torched a factory in Punjab province in November 2015, after one of its employees was accused of burning pages of the Holy Quran in the boiler.
In Pakistan the two ways of dealing with Holy Quran’s that can no longer be used is either to bury them or release them into a river or sea, as flowing water will wash away the ink. Haji Mir Abdul Samad Lehri participated in the first method, supported by his brother Haji Abdul Rasheed Lehri. Later on, two other people joined them i.e., Allah Noor Davi and Haji Muzaffar Ali, and consequently it was Allah Noor Davi’s idea that it would be much better to store them. And so, in March 1992, the process of
digging the tunnels began. This has been entirely done by hand. Since the earth inside is very dry and stony, it takes 4 to 5 months to dig a 200 feet tunnel. Within Quetta two vans are used to collect the manuscripts. Also, tin boxes have been placed all over the city, where people can deposit them as well.
At first every single copy was being stored, but soon it was clear that it would not be possible to do that, now all the manuscripts are brought to the sorting section and then they are classified into the following categories
a) Usable: The usable ones are kept in the library, while those which are rare and valuable are kept on display in glass cases. Some of these can be dated back to 300 to 500 years, many of which are handwritten.
b) Usable after Restoration: The copies that are restored are distributed FE-SABEELLILAH (free of charge for the sake of Allah) to the poor or in mosques and educational institutes. Until now 300,000 such Holy Quran’s have been given away. Furthermore 100,000 extracts such as different surahs, single saparahs etc have also been distributed.
c) Cannot be used: These of course are those that are stored in the sacks.(Jabal-eNoor-Ul-Quran, 2018)
As with any building, a wide range of functional, psychological, and physiological requirements must be resolved in an aesthetically successful manner in an underground structure. These include the functional concerns of building recognition and orientation as well as psychological and physiological problems associated mainly with windowless environments.
As in conventional buildings, the exterior form and character of underground structures are critical to their image and their acceptance by the public. But, unlike with conventional structures, some potentially negative psychological reactions to subsurface space must be considered in exterior design, and practical problems of recognition and spatial orientation must be addressed. Underground structures offer opportunities to create exterior forms that are difficult, if not impossible, to attain in conventional buildings. For example, although above-grade structures can be designed to be sympathetic with and reflective of natural forms, they have a physical presence on the landscape that creates a clear distinction between the man-made and natural environments. Placing a building partially or completely below the surface can obscure the mass and the edges of the building, enabling almost complete integration of built and natural forms. Not only can this create a more natural image, but it also can provide opportunities to place relatively large structures in sensitive settings without destroying the scale, the open space, or the character of the area. Underground buildings can be designed in a wide range of forms, in which the degree of visibility and the character of the building vary greatly. Although creating an unobtrusive, even imperceptible, structure has its advantages. One important area of concern related to the exterior design of an underground building is the need for a clear understanding of the building size, location, and entry. Most conventional buildings have definite edges, a perceivable mass, and a clear entry, so that they can be easily recognized as an object and described as a specific place. An underground building may not provide these visual clues, especially if it is completely below grade with little exposure to the surface. This means that the exterior form and character of a subsurface structure must consider the special problems of orientation and recognition of building and entry. For example, in a builtup area, a structure located under a plaza that is completely surrounded by buildings will likely be easy to describe and locate, since the adjacent buildings define the location clearly. On a more open site with fewer clear boundaries, however, the space
above and around the underground structure must be carefully designed to reflect a sense of place and clearly indicate the entrance to the building. Exterior space around conventional buildings, when
professionally designed, can provide orientation, define circulation to the entrance of the building, and serve to discourage vandalism and crime. This is also the case with underground buildings. For a completely underground building, these aims are usually best accomplished by the use of grade changes, paving patterns, trees, shrubs, and variations in ground cover, along with retaining walls and other building elements. Just as it is on the exterior, orientation may be impaired inside a mostly windowless building. Visual cues normally provided by exterior views and an awareness of the overall size and shape of the building may not be present. This disorientation may not only present problems in circulating conveniently within the building; it may also contribute to uneasiness and reinforce other negative associations with being underground. An important facet of the practical problem of building recognition on the
Figure 3. 1.1. Section of conventional building with an underground structure
exterior is the more subjective, aesthetic concern of conveying an image with the building's appearance. Although entry, lighting, and interior design contribute to the image that a building projects, the exterior form is one of the most important elements. Because the exterior profile of an underground building is certain to be smaller and generally less obtrusive than a comparably-sized above-ground structure, a less visible and less monumental image will be projected. For some functions- auditoriums, libraries, museums, parking garages, and factories- this may be an advantage since a minimal presence on the site is often desirable. Other functions, however, may require visibility to the public or may need to serve as a symbol. Although there are instances where an underground design is simply not an effective means of achieving a highly visible or monumental form, a positive image can still be created in most cases without relying on a large building mass. Partial exposure of the building, berms, and extensive landscaping can be de-signed to create forms on the site that will draw attention because they are attractive and provide a contrast with more conventional buildings.
Underground buildings display a wide spectrum of physical characteristics and functional uses. In addition, the physiological and psychological responses of individuals to the environment can be radically different. The combination of these factors generalizes about underground buildings in relation to psychological effects of limited applicability. It is possible, however, to list criteria and considerations that are potentially applicable to an underground building and to discuss how these factors have been assessed by various investigators of the psychological and physiological responses to artificial environments. One major concern related to underground buildings is sensory deprivation. Individuals are stimulated by, and many bodily functions are affected by, interaction with the surrounding Figure
3.1.2. Illustration showing negative physiological impact of underground space
environment. In addition to physiological effects psychological problems can arise from the reduction of external stimuli to an individual. This reduction of stimuli would occur most significantly in small, enclosed spaces with little interpersonal contact and no contact with the external environment. It should be noted, however, that a reduction of external stimuli is not always negative; it can provide a more productive work environment and reduce stress in otherwise chaotic surroundings. Pleasure is selfexplanatory. Arousal refers to the presence or absence of stimuli discussed above, and dominance relates to feelings of control or influence over the environment. A lowered arousal level is to be anticipated in enclosed spaces, but the effect on feelings of dominance is not as clear. It has been suggested that, because of the practical and environmental advantages of an underground building, users may feel they are exposed to successful attempts to cope with the demands of the environment. It has been found by others, however, that practical features of a building are not important in evaluating user response to working in the space. Nevertheless, for an individual choosing to build a certain type of underground structure, say an earth sheltered house, for energy conservation and environmental reasons, these criteria are often especially important and would be expected to create positive feelings about the environment. A poor response to the environment of an underground building has been linked to anxiety, tension, depression, and other mental health problems, although other studies have indicated no measurable differences in achievement, health problems, or absenteeism. Only a few studies have directly addressed the case of below-grade spaces for working or living environments, and often conflicting data have been gathered. Assessments of the distinct physical characteristics of an underground space are extremely difficult to separate from other general physical characteristics of the space and the interpersonal environment. In spite of the lack of definitive data, however, the major issues are fairly clear and repeatedly emerge in all studies of underground and windowless spaces. There follows below a list of conditions that are associated with producing negative psychological effects in underground buildings. Most of the information also pertains to windowless buildings or interior zones inside conventional buildings.
The lack of natural light is one of the most often mentioned negative characteristics of underground space. Access to natural light is important to users of a building even if the proportion of daylight to artificial lighting for work tasks is relatively low. The feeling produced by daylight, its variability, and the sense of contact with the outside world are important reasons for its desirability. It has been theorized that horizontal accessibility to daylight provides a closer reference to conventional buildings and is therefore preferable to day lighting from overhead sources. In contrast, however, a research study conducted with groups of students viewing slides of building interiors concluded that
spaces with skylights overhead were most often selected as the most desirably lit. Another important positive psychological association of natural lighting is that sunlight connotes warmth. Direct sunlight is not always welcomed by building users, however. Sunlight can cause excessively uncomfortable conditions in a warm building interior, as well as personal discomfort to a person who must work in the full sunlight. Excessive brightness, glare, and large brightness-to-darkness ratios in buildings not completely illuminated by sunlight are other problems.
The location of a building below grade does not preclude providing the above amenities of natural light and view to the interior of the building. There are, however, psychological barriers to the physical location of a space below grade, even if it has identical physical amenities to an interior space m a conventional building. Some individuals may experience claustrophobia or fears related to safety that result in negative reactions to underground spaces. It is difficult to explain the negative association some people have with the concept of being underground even when interior conditions are identical to those in an aboveground space. In addition to fears related to safety concerns, there may be a generally negative association with death and burial related to underground space. It is generally assumed, however, that these attitudes are more closely related to a fear of structural collapse, fear of being trapped in a fire in a windowless building, or fear of flooding in a fully below-grade space. Fears for personal safety need not be related to the actual risk experienced, but merely to the perceived risk. These negative reactions tend to heighten awareness of and exaggerate objects to other physical characteristics of the space that might go unnoticed in a conventional building. For example, small interior spaces, low ceilings, or entry down a narrow, dark stairway may increase these negative associations with being underground.
Users of underground or windowless buildings frequently complain of poor temperature and humidity control, and a lack of ventilation and stuffiness. Generally, none of the problems should be any different for a below-grade or windowless building than they are for a sealed, climate-controlled conventional building. In fact, temperature and humidity should be easier to control than in an aboveground building. Thus, in addition to the actual ventilation air change rate provided, perception of ventilation by occupants is important. If awareness of the superior internal environmental control of an underground building is clearly apparent to the occupants, some offsetting positive attitudes may develop.
The physiological effects discussed in this section are those caused directly by the environment of an underground or windowless structure, and direct ailments or reactions caused by psychological stress. The following is a list of conditions that are associated with producing negative physiological effects in underground buildings.
Lighting is probably the most important physiological criterion to be considered in designing underground or windowless structures. The human body has a direct response to certain spectra of light, including those outside the visible spectrum. For instance, ultraviolet light is known to be important in vitamin D absorption, which is necessary to prevent disease, aid suntanning, and fight bacteria. In animals, the lighting level and its spectral composition have been shown to be important in reproduction, behavior, and physical disposition. Lighting also triggers a neuroendocrine function and affects the metabolic state. Although much research has been done on the presence or absence of light, little has been done on lighting levels and spectral composition. Alarming effects of certain light sources have been demonstrated, however, in laboratory animals. It should be noted that effects are quite different for different animal species. Ultraviolet light is also not transmitted by normal window glass; hence, lack of ultraviolet light is common even to buildings with windows. When it is necessary to rely on artificial lighting entirely, it is most desirable to replicate the spectral composition of daylight as closely as possible.
The underground location of a building with only limited opportunities for window openings often precludes the use of natural ventilation. Adequate ventilation is important to prevent the buildup of indoor air pollutant and to remove excess heat from an occupied underground space. Low air change rates make ventilation especially important in underground structures. A pollutant of particular concern is radon. Radon is a radioactive gas released in minute quantities by soil and rock materials, including such materials used in building construction as concrete and building stone. Radon is also absorbed by ground water and then released at a free ground water surface. Normal ventilation rates (in excess of 0.5 air changes per hour) are believed to keep radon levels to below permissible standards. This is an active area of research, and more specific data and guidelines should be produced over the next few years. In addition, it is desirable to prevent the passage of ground water or water vapor from the surrounding ground to within the building envelope since this water can be a significant source of radon.
5.2.7. Excessive noise or lack of noise.
Noisy building types such as factories can be placed underground to isolate them from the surface environment. Although this offers benefits to those above grade, it may create excessive noise levels within the space which have well-known effects on hearing impairment. On the other hand, underground spaces can be totally isolated from external sources of noise, creating a silent environment. In some cases, however, such total silence may be unnerving and may diminish acoustical privacy within the space.
5.2.8. Lack of exterior view.
The lack of exterior view from an underground space is another reason for dissatisfaction with this type of building. In addition to providing natural light and sunlight, windows provide a direct view for observing weather conditions, creating a sense of contact with the environment, and giving visual relief from immediate surroundings. Different studies have indicated different relative importance for natural light and view. People in work environments are more likely to favor a view over direct sunlight, especially if no solar shading is provided and if they are not free to relocate themselves out of the sun when desired. Occupants of high-density residential developments are more likely to cite the availability of sunlight in the home as more important than a good view.
5.2.9. High humidity.
Unless controlled, summertime humidity levels will be higher in underground structures than in above-ground structures, as humid outside air is cooled by the earth-covered walls. Humid or damp conditions have not been linked directly with physiological problems, although they may exacerbate certain ailments such as rheumatism. Damp conditions may also encourage the growth of mold and thus increase the potential for allergic reactions.
Before concluding which effects are most critical and suggesting design approaches to ameliorate them, it is useful to review the various factors related to building use that influence either the psychological or physiological effects. These factors, listed below, can serve to diminish the potentially negative effects and help to alleviate building user concerns.
Internal activity within a building that can offset the lack of external stimuli will normally be beneficial in a work environment, provided it is not too intrusive in terms of noise or distraction. Although internal stimuli may help to a levitate the negative
psychological effects produced by no natural light and exterior view, it has no impact on the physiological effects of a windowless environment.
An individual's reaction to an underground or windowless environment may be substantially affected by the length of time he or she expects to spend in that environment. Underground facilities used primarily for short-term activities, such as indoor sports facilities, restaurants, libraries, and shopping centers, will thus normally raise fewer objections than an underground office. Not only are negative psychological reactions less of a concern when occupants are in underground spaces for shorter time periods, but negative physiological effects are less critical as well.
Employees of underground or windowless facilities appear to be more accepting of their environment if they perceive a rational basis for the location or design of the facility. In other words, since windows are detrimental to the operation of many sports facilities, museums, restaurants, and shops, employees and visitors do not focus on the lack of windows as a drawback. Similarly, windowless laboratory and manufacturing environments provoke less criticism than windowless office buildings. Although this perception of windowless environments as appropriate for some functions can reduce some psychological effects, it has no impact on negative physiological effects. Job satisfaction. / Employees who are more involved in their work and derive considerable satisfaction from it may be more tolerant of windowless space than employees who work at repetitive tasks. The extent to which this can actually offset the various negative psychological effects is likely to vary considerably from individual to individual.
The various problems of orientation, image, psychological and physiological concerns discussed in the previous section focus on a few key elements of building design. These are the definition of an exterior image, the entrance design, providing natural light and view, and interior design. Approaches that have successfully resolved these areas of design are presented in this section.
Beginning with the least visible design approach, an underground building can have virtually no exterior form at all. Such a windowless chamber would be suitable only for certain functions, such as auditoriums, classrooms, laboratories, or various service and storage spaces. The nonexistent form that results from the lack of visible building mass or edges can be reinforced by not using built forms for entrances, service access, or mechanical systems. Elimination of these forms is usually possible only when the underground building is connected to the below-grade levels of an existing above-grade structure, so that access can occur through the above-grade building. If connecting an
underground building to an existing complex of buildings is inappropriate, it is still possible to create a building with limited or minimal exposure. A structure can be placed completely below grade, with only entrances, skylights, and courtyards exposed to the surface. Although a building beneath the surface is evident, the character of a "non-building" can still be achieved. Although the library is simple and unobtrusive in its historical setting, building edges are clearly defined by a narrow-recessed courtyard along most of the building perimeter. A larger sunken court at a major circulation crossing provides a clear entrance. A different approach to the exterior form of an underground structure is to place the building above grade with earth bermed around it. Rather than being as unobtrusive as possible, the berms represent an additional object on the
andscape. This can provide a distinct image and can define building edges and exterior space. Entry into a bermed building can be more easily achieved than entry into a completely subgrade structure. Plant materials, retaining walls, building materials, and other landscaping elements may significantly influence the image and character of the building. The use of native plants, wood, stone, and berms that appear to be elements of the surrounding landscape can produce a natural image, as demonstrated by the Many of the inherent problems of entry, service access, and image are greatly reduced or eliminated if above grade space is combined with below grade space in one building. Even if the amount of space above grade constitutes a small percentage of the total building, a definite built form appears above grade. The use of an above-grade portion
of the structure to resolve access and image problems is certainly appropriate in many settings, although some of the benefits of underground buildings-preservation of the surface and integration with the natural environment, for example-may be compromised.
The exterior form and character of underground buildings, the entrance was discussed as a key element of the exterior image. In terms of the entire site, recognition of and orientation toward the entry is an important concern. The focus of this discussion is the relation between the manner in which underground buildings are entered and psychological perceptions. The degree to which a pedestrian entry is important as a design element is, of course, related to the function of the building. In an underground warehouse, the entrance for a few workers is not as important. as the functional needs of delivering-and storing goods. The entrance design is of greater concern in an underground office or factory where larger numbers of people are employed. And, compared to facilities where people enter and leave once a day, a public building such as a library, museum, or auditorium with many comings and goings requires even greater attention to entry design. Viewed from the exterior, the entrance may be the dominant image of a building that is mostly below grade. It serves as the transition from the exterior to the interior. As such, it can reinforce negative associations with underground buildings. The entry area in any building should be a key element in orienting and directing people to the spaces inside, and particularly so in an underground building. In addition, the entry often serves as a major area for admitting natural light and exterior view to a subsurface structure, since it may be one of the few points of exposure to the surface. In order to minimize the negative feelings associated with entering an underground building, several basic techniques are used. The most common technique attempts to create an entrance that is similar to the entrance of a conventional building. It is most desirable to design this entrance at ground level to avoid the requirement for descending a great number of stairs either immediately outside or inside the entrance.
The lack of natural light and view is, both psychologically and physiologically, the single greatest concern related to underground space. With the exception of warehouses and buildings with other functions where human habitability and acceptance is a secondary concern, some natural light is desirable in virtually every type of building. The degree to which this is necessary or even desirable for each space in the building depends on the specific function. In a building composed mainly of small, continuously occupied spaces, such as private offices or hospital patient rooms, the entire form of the structure
may be shaped by the need for natural light and view. In buildings with functions that are suitable in windowless spaces-classrooms, auditoriums, and exhibition spaces, for example-it may be necessary or desirable to provide natural light and exterior view only to corridors and lobby areas, thus giving the designer greater flexibility. Although designers employ many variations and combinations of techniques, there are only a few basic approaches to providing natural light and exterior view to below-grade spaces. Aside from the functional needs of the spaces, the techniques selected for introducing natural light and view to a particular building are influenced by the site topography as well as the size and depth of the structure. On a sloping site, conventional vertical glazing can be used for the spaces on one side of the building. This approach by itself is capable of providing light and view only to the spaces on the building perimeter. If earth berms are placed around a Figure 3.1.4. Potential of underground space
structure on a flat site, conventional vertical glazing can be provided on the building perimeter by creating openings in the berms. For interior spaces on a sloping or flat site, natural light and view can be provided by creating courtyards. If a courtyard must be deeper to serve several floors, it must also be larger in area in order to permit sunlight to reach the floor of the courtyard and create the perception of looking outdoors. The view into an exterior courtyard is usually more focused and limited than a view through the building perimeter, making the landscape design of the courtyard a critical concern. On flat sites, the use of skylights is a common technique for introducing natural light to at least the upper level of an underground structure. In many cases horizontally glazed
skylights actually provide more natural light than a vertically glazed window, but the same opportunities for exterior views are, of course, not available. Consequently, skylights alone may not be considered an adequate substitute for conventional windows. Some designers used sloped glazing in courtyards or light wells; this glazing provides natural light from overhead while permitting exterior views from some angles. An alternative to creating an exterior courtyard is an interior courtyard with skylights overhead. In large and deep buildings, an interior courtyard provides additional climatecontrolled space and, like an exterior courtyard, natural light from above. The extent to which a view of an interior courtyard is a substitute for an exterior view depends a great deal on the size and design of the space. The use of glass walls between an interior courtyard and the spaces surrounding it is a common technique for transmitting light and view to these spaces. Referred to as "borrowing light," this concept is used in many ways to provide natural light to spaces that are adjacent to spaces that have direct access to light-for example, from a skylight, perimeter window, or courtyard. In addition to the approaches discussed above, some other novel techniques for introducing natural light and exterior view to subsurface spaces have been developed. With the increasing awareness of the advantages of underground buildings for a variety of functions, BRW Architects, Inc., of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has experimented with various optical techniques for providing or enhancing the effect of natural light and view in normally windowless areas. Mirrors can be used to enhance the light and view from a window by reflecting them into spaces not immediately adjacent to the window. Another approach is to provide exterior views using mirrors and lenses in a manner similar to a periscope. In one of the simplest applications, a pair of mirrors was used to provide views to below-grade offices in the Fort Snelling Visitor Center in Minneapolis. A more sophisticated periscope-type system using mirrors and lenses provides a clear exterior view for a lobby area 110 ft beneath the surface in the Civil and Mineral Engineering Building at the University of Minnesota. In the same building, two separate systems are used to provide natural light to different areas. One system uses heliostats on the roof to collect sunlight, which mirrors and lenses then project to the offices in deep mined space below. The other system appears to be a more conventional skylight over the main laboratory space, but reflective surfaces and lenses are used to collect, concentrate, and project the sunlight to the space below more efficiently and accurately. These various optical techniques not only permit greater design flexibility for all underground buildings, but also enable light and view to be introduced to deep subsurface spaces or below-grade spaces on very constrained sites where conventional approaches do not work.
A key element of the impression created by any building; interior design is critical in occupied underground structures. In addition to the normal concerns of creating an attractive interior environment, special attention must be paid to offsetting the potentially negative psychological effects discussed earlier- claustrophobia, lack of view, loss of orientation, lack of stimulus, and associations with dark, damp, or cold basements. Interior design, however, has little impact on any of the potentially negative physiological effects of underground spaces. Since opportunities to introduce natural light and view are often limited, the interior spaces must be designed to maximize the effect of what light and view there are and to compensate for the lack of light and view in other areas. A number of techniques are used in underground buildings to create a feeling of spaciousness that helps to offset claustrophobia and provide more visual stimulus in the absence of exterior views. Wider corridors and higher ceilings than normal, together with open plan layouts using low partitions, are simple means of creating a spacious feeling. In addition, glass partitions can be used between spaces to provide spatial relief and variety. Perhaps the most effective approach is the use of large, multi-level central spaces surrounded by smaller spaces. Overlooking large spaces from balconies offsets the feeling of being below grade and can provide vistas nearly equivalent to exterior views, even if the central spaces are not naturally lighted. In addition to providing variety within the building, large interior courtyard-type spaces can also help to give building users a reference point in maintaining their orientation. Although the size and arrangement of interior spaces are critical elements in the perception of an underground building, the more subtle elements of color, texture, lighting, and furnishings cannot be overlooked. In an environment that lacks outside stimuli, variation in lighting and color in particular can simulate some of the variation that would occur with natural light. Well-lighted, brightly colored surfaces, with an emphasis on warmer tones, can help to offset associations with cold, dark underground spaces. One characteristic of windowless space that can be used as an advantage is the lack of distraction, which enables manipulation of the interior design to focus the occupant's attention if desired. Dramatic
lighting can effectively draw attention to artwork, for example. In buildings with interior courtyards or central spaces, plant materials, fountains, and other landscape elements can create a simulated outdoor environment without natural light. Although this approach has been achieved in windowless spaces with some success, there is always the danger that imitation of conventional above-grade spaces in a superficial way- false window frames with painted exterior views, for instance- will leave a negative impression. Rather than working to create an acceptable environment within
the limitations of underground space, attention is drawn to what is missing by a poor imitation. Many of the techniques discussed above are in common use and can serve to create an environment that is reassuringly similar to conventional building. On the other hand, it is also possible and appropriate in some cases to exploit the uniqueness of being underground, creating a stimulating positive experience. An example of this approach can be found in the design of offices in deep mined space in Kansas City, Missouri, where rock walls are exposed and often lighted in dramatic way.
Although the functional, psychological, and physiological effects discussed above represent drawbacks to underground or windowless space, a number of modifying factors must be taken into consideration. First, these effects are influenced by the use of the space. Second, not enough information is always available to draw definite conclusions. Finally, many of the negative effects can be alleviated or compensated for with proper design. It is clear that some underground building functions are more psychologically acceptable than others. It has been found that an earth-sheltered house with windows was more immediately accepted as a pleasant place to be than an earthsheltered work environment (Hollon and Kendall 1980). Manufacturing, storage, and other specialized work settings are in turn more readily accepted than a general office environment. Recreational facilities, shopping centers, restaurants, and museums appear to be the most readily accepted. an interior windowless zone of a large above-ground building and occupants of a section of the basement of the same building had quite similar evaluations of their work environment as those occupants in an above-ground exterior zone (with windows) of the same building did. Occupants of the windowless portion of a well-known earth-sheltered building on campus, however, had a much lower evaluation of their work environment. Assessing the physiological effects of being underground should be somewhat simpler than assessing the psychological effects because there are fewer basic concerns, they do not vary as much on an individual basis, and except for length of stay in the building-they are less affected by mitigating circumstances. But, in spite of the greater facility in clarifying physiological effects, it remains difficult to draw definite conclusions on the physiological impacts of the use of underground buildings. Although the negative effects caused by complete lack of sunlight and sensory deprivation have been documented, studies of people using underground buildings have not necessarily concluded that such detrimental effects exist. In summary, although there are several issues of concern for people spending extended periods in an underground or windowless environment, a long-term detrimental effect on humans has not been established. Although scientific proof of negative psychological and physiological effects related to underground buildings is by no means absolute, the safest course in building design is to alleviate the various
concerns as much as possible. As evidenced by many of the buildings shown here, competent designers intuitively respond to creating an acceptable environment underground. (Design Considerations For Underground 11101240 | PDF | Ventilation (Architecture) | Lighting, 1984)
A site is ideal for a mall if it has the right mix in terms of the following parameters:
Location
Accessibility
Visibility
Market potential
Right size
Topography
Site location, scale and size are the primary factors defining the development of every shopping Centre. The site for shopping malls should be selected on the basis of of parameters such as: Accessibility and transport connectivity by car, public transport and service vehicles, the lack of which affects not only customer footfalls but also the efficient delivery of goods and services to the stores located in the mall. Traffic before and after the mall also should be considered. Visibility from approaching roadways, and proximity to a good road network that also connects the physical catchment with its potential residential population. Size and configuration of the site since an optimal size is necessary to achieve critical a mass catering to the catchment area. In the case of mixed-use developments, the various segments should complement each other and work together. Also, attention must be paid in some cases to the ability of the site to offer future expansion if required in the long run. In the case of mixed-use developments, appropriate circulation of all asset classes is important.
Visibility from approaching roadways, and proximity to a good road network that also connects the physical catchment with its potential residential population.
Size and configuration of the site since an optimal size is necessary to achieve critical a mass catering to the catchment area. In the case of mixed-use developments, the various segments should complement each other and work together. Also, attention must be paid in some cases to the ability of the site to offer future expansion if required in the long run. In the case of mixed-use developments, appropriate circulation of all asset classes is important.
Topography and shape of the site, with supporting infrastructure (a regular shape providing maximum space utilization is a preferred parameter while selecting a mall site).
Current and future competition and its impact, the current and anticipated supply of retail space and the performance of these spaces should also be evaluated.
The study of the catchment, its demographics and consumption patterns are vital, as it is sales and consumption that will bring in the rentals. Most other costs such as construction and land are controllable and, in most cases, fixed.
Site selection also depends on macro as well as micro location parameters which vary according to the market dynamics prevailing in a particular city. The price land and the financial feasibility of the project play an important role in site selection. Retail performance and retailers’ ability to pay rent is predictable regardless of city and location, so the final potential of a site (and the reven generation of a mall) can be guesstimated.
The site selection process involves analyzing market issues and comparing the features of various sites. This process involves market research process and how to about finding a site, or choosing one from among many potential sites for commercial/mall development.
1. Analyze the marketplace so that community organizations can utilize the proper concept and tenant recruitment strategy;
2. Assist community groups in finding the most viable place for a service to locate (after having established that the community is under-served in this particular service), both from the perspective of the market and the consumers; and
3. Present criteria that retailers look for in a site.4EXR J
Market analysis helps in identifying development needs or opportunities, attract retailers and other tenants and select a viable development site. The concerns include: estimating the market potential of an area and probable lack of neighborhood services particularly crucial issues for commercial/mall development in an area.
6.3.1. Demographic characteristic: Population, income, number of households; population density can be as crucial as income. Developers will examine aerial photographs to find densely populated areas. Sometimes a very dense low-income neighborhood can score as many points as a low-density high/middle income neighborhood.
6.3.2. Supply and demand: In what sector is the market currently under- served in your community? This would also include an analysis of competing businesses.
6.3.3. Suitable development sites: Do any suitable sites exist given the needs of modern retailers and institutional users like the Government or banks? For example, modern retail sites require a certain depth to provide space for parking.
The following factors will help one decide whether a particular site is viable for one’s development:
1. Site conditions: Slope, topography, and environmental condition.
2. Physical constraints of site: Utilities, easements, and any existing structures that might need to be demolished.
3. Accessibility and visibility: Roads serving the site, traffic count, proximity to public transportation routes and major intersections, and site’s orientation.
4. Availability of contiguous parcels of land.
5. Size and shape of unit plots: Length and depth of unit plots: developers often want deep parcels
6. Location and neighborhood: What is the context of your site? Is it nearing amenities, institutional uses? Will the proposed development and uses fit in your neighborhood?
7. Zoning: Specified use and requirements such as parking, building height, lot coverage and set-backs.
Several different opportunities can result in a successful commercial/mall development. However, developers must conduct their due diligence before acquiring any site. Due diligence includes environmental testing, market analysis, title clearance, and cost estimations. Lack of thorough research can halt or hinder development project.
1. A chance to get cheap site control.
2. A retailer approaching a developer to express interest in a site either that the developer owns or is located within the developer’s neighborhood.
3. A bank offering to finance a development because the site may fall in specific promotion zones where State Government might want development and there are mandatory benefits by banks.
4. A plan completed by the city (Municipal Corporations) which will state, for example, that retail should be developed at a certain location and that the city is willing to subsidize this development.
If your company is considering developing land for a shopping mall and needs to ascertain whether the project is viable, our team at Prospectus.com can assist with your property feasibility study. Property and development feasibility study analyses are common for companies to create prior to breaking ground on a construction project. The report will give needed insight to the principals who can then determine whether their project is even ‘feasible’ to continue. Our seasoned management team employees consultants and engineers to assist with a feasibility project, anywhere in the US and beyond. Our fees are highly competitive and our time frame for completion of such projects is faster than most industry firms, giving our clients a needed advantage when deciding to undertake a real estate or land transaction. Indeed, scores of firms outsource their work to our group as we are known as straight forward and adhere to all budget requirements.
Before spending needed capital on a real estate project, many companies will first need to define their business model. But almost simultaneous to a business plan would be the writing of a feasibility study. Although the costs associated with a feasibility analysis can seem pricey at first sight, not having such a report provided can cost companies many times the amount in loses if a project goes bust. In most cases, such pitfalls can be avoided by writing a feasibility study, especially for property development. There can be little room for errors when dealing with a land development. Incorrect assumptions on zoning laws or the structural engineering design can bankrupt a real estate project. A feasibility study will outline the requirements needed in order to successfully navigate the many issues that arise in real estate development, whether constructing from the ground up, or tearing down an existing structure and then rebuilding.
Most real estate firms will conduct a property assessment or a land assessment before committing to development. Such an assessment will determine if the project is even ‘feasible’ or worth the time and money to continue. A feasibility plan or development assessment for real estate or construction will also outline the costs associated with the overall project. In some feasibility studies, there will also be sales forecasts based on comps, whether for single family or condo home sales, or hotel occupancy rates. The land and property feasibility study development assessment will help clarify the budget and give needed insight into the potential revenue streams as well as the costs associated with construction.
A business plan is regarded as a road map of sorts. For any business to succeed they must understand their market, their numbers, and the opportunity. Business plans are utilized for all types of businesses, including real estate and development related projects. A feasibility study is like a business plan in that it outlines the overall opportunity and allows for an educated decision about whether to move forward or not. As such the feasibility study is the ‘business plan’ for a land or property. Said another away, if the proposed development of land or property had a business plan, it would be called a ‘feasibility study’. Both are imperative for any project to succeed, and certainly to raise capital.
A feasibility entails many aspects of a real estate development project. Whether one is developing a hotel or many single-family homes, or a school, the report will outline anything from the permit process to the land usage rights. Below are some, but not nearly all, features of a real estate feasibility study report, all of which can be classified as undertaking due diligence before construction begins.
Civil Site and Public Infrastructure Improvements
Land Use and Environmental Permitting
Geotechnical Investigation
Structural Engineering
Environmental Study and Report
Survey (boundary, title research)
Site Planning, Development Program, and Code Review/Compliance
The aforementioned points are just a glimpse of the many features of a feasibility study.
There are numerous benefits to creating a feasibility study. First and foremost, you would want to ensure that you can actually develop on the proposed land. The property zoning laws may permit or prohibit certain features of the project, such as the height and size of the development. Here are few main reasons for preparing a feasibility study for a real estate development project.
Knowledge: Knowing whether you are allowed to develop and under what terms will save needed time and capital. If a negative picture is portrayed, then you would stop development. If positive news transpires from the feasibility report, then you would continue. Knowing the options is more than half the battle.
Property Assessment: Before committing capital to any development, you would ensure that the concept itself is viable and therefore tested. Conducting a land assessment prior to development can save the company money and time.
Project Confidence: Similar to writing a business plan, a feasibility can give the principals the needed confidence boost to move forward with the project. If the feasibility report shows promising results, both financially and strategically, this can give convince the team that their assessment for development is correct. This can help when capital is needed to be raised or allocated from investors. A confident management team, with a factual feasibility document in hand, can add great strength to the company’s mission.
Funding and Capital Raising: A well written feasibility study, similar to a well written business plan or prospectus, can aid in the strength of the business and alleviate fears from investors and lenders. While the feasibility study is usually prepared for the management team to decide if the given project is even feasible to develop, the document itself can be used as a powerful tool when raising capital and approaching investors.
During the initial phases of the feasibility study’s development, the writing of the financial projections and budgets needed to implement the feasibility study would be
undertaken. Creating the financials at the onset of operations will also benefit the company in terms of making the correct decisions moving forward. If the numbers do not make sense, then the project would end. If the numbers work then the project would continue. All the more reason why this feature of the property feasibility report is conducted at the beginning of the process and not the end. Since the outcome of any business – real estate related or not – is to make a solid return on investment, knowing the ins and outs of the financial feasibility study of the development project makes it imperative to create such a report. Here is some information on the development steps of a property according to the financial feasibility report protocols that Prospectus.com and our clients would undertake together:
Land and Project Evaluation
Zoning law
Land and physical restrictions
Traffic and access points
Buildings in the surrounding environment
Sewage and water
Competitive summary of new projects and similar existing developments
Description of the Development and Industry Insights
A thorough description of the usage of the land along with the overall industry would be discussed.
A comprehensive market analysis would be undertaken as well. The market analysis section will detail needed information about the market opportunity’s strengths and weaknesses, including:
Population of the surrounding area and trends, including projected growth
Age of the demographic and target market
Income statistics
For tourist developments, additional market characteristics would be detailed, such as:
Existing market size
Historical numbers and market growth
Market Comparison
In addition to the demographics, a feasibility study would examine existing structures or buildings in the near vicinity of the projected land development. Information would include:
The location of a similar project
Development similarities and project description
Historical financials and pro formas, if available
Proposed construction costs
Yearly Project Usage Analysis
A detailed summary of the proposed project, usually over a 5-year period. The yearly analysis will include:
Market size, demographics, etc.
Competitive analysis
Analysis of existing similar projects and their positioning
Project location and parts needed to complete project
Concept Development and Planning for the Project
6.9.
On the basis of design consideration, site selection criteria and feasibility of mall the site best suited for an underground mall is Islamabad phase 8 commercial sector. Most prime location of Bahria town phase 8 with a front of more than 300 feet Front. The plot is Front and Back side open with a view of an amazing and eye-catching Eden Lake and Statue of Liberty, with its approach from Bahria Expressway. This plot is surrounded by high-class amenities such as
- Lake View Park
- Statue of Liberty
- Eiffel Tower
- Dominion Mall
Moreover, on a drive of approximately 3 km, a food street consisting brands such as
- Green Valley
- McDonalds
- Roasters
- Coffee bean and Tea leafs
- KFC
- Burger King
- Hardees
- Pizza Hut etc.
6.10. Bahria Town Phase 8 Rawalpindi Pakistan
BAHRIA TOWN PHASE 8 INCLUDES RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PLOTS OF VARIOUS SIZES.BAHRIA TOWN HAS INTEGRATED THE MAIN ROAD NETWORK OF PHASE 8 WITH THE MAIN ROAD PROJECTIONS OF DHA PHASES 1 TO 3,MASTER PLANNING AT ITS VERY PEAK.AN EXCLUSIVE EXPRESS WAY CONNECTS THE MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES TO THE G.T.ROAD IN 5 MINUTES.THIS ACCESS IS PROVIDED QUICK ACCESS TO THE RESIDENTS OF DHA,AND DOWN TOWN OF RAWALPINDI.EXISTING WATER WAYS AND PARKS ENHANCES THE HOUSING ENVIRONMENT.ADJACENT TO PHASE 8 ,AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE IS SITUATED.
6.11. Facilities:
160 Main Boulevard designed on the pattern of Champs Elyees with high rise
Mixed use Commercial buildings
State of the art Urban, planning and Engineering design
Fully carpeted 160’, 120’, 80’, 60’ and 50’ wide road network
Footpath along all Main Boulevard and internal roads
Underground electrification system with grid station.
Sewage system with sewage treatment plants.
Independent storm water drainage system.
24 Hours water supply system with overhead water reservoirs.
Most modern and state of the art security system with companies own security guard.
Cable TV and Internet services.
International standard community facilities including primary, secondary Schools, colleges, university, library, sports complex, club house, hospitals and the Mini Golf Course.
Extensive plantations and horticulture work in green belts and along road sides.
Gardens, green areas, play areas in each block.
Grand Jamia mosque and spacious sector mosques.
Commercial areas planned on international standards with ample parking facility.
Beautiful lakes for rowing and boating.
6.12.1. MANDATORY OPEN SPACES: No mandatory open spaces are required in plots reserved for commercial / office use in the Central Area. No mandatory open spaces are required in commercial /office building use in the main Civic and Commercial Centers as well as Divisional and District Centre and neighborhood, including basement provided the level of arcade shall not be more than 6-inches from
the adjoining road level.
a. Only one basement is allowed with a maximum depth of 12ft (3.66m) from the road level for plot area up to 1 Kanal. However, plots having up to 120 ft height may have more than one basement.
b. Amalgamation of plots is allowed, whereas subdivision of plot in Civic Center is strictly prohibited.
c. The Sponsor / Owner may utilize the designated parking space in front of Commercial building for construction of parking after getting plan vetted by Traffic Engineering and Town Planning, RDA.
Basement shall be permitted on the allowable footprint area ensuring safety of adjoining buildings.
1. Basement space may be utilized for commercial/office use; however, its use for residential purpose will be strictly prohibited.
ALLOWED COVERAGE, FAR, NO. OF STOREY, HEIGHT, PLOT SIZE Table 1.2. ALLOWED COVERAGE, FAR, NO. OF STOREY, HEIGHT, PLOT SIZE2. If basement is used for purposes other than parking, its area will be counted towards floor area.
3. Only one basement is allowed with a maximum depth of 12ft. (3.66m) from the road level for plot area up to 500 SQY.
4. Basement shall have to be completed in the given time frame.
5. Only manual excavation is allowed in the basement near the Bahria Town’s Service/Utilities Areas and adjacent already constructed buildings.
6. All necessary precautionary measures shall be taken during construction of basement for the safety of adjacent structures. In case of damage to the adjacent property, the owner of the plot and his supervising engineer shall be jointly responsible for such damages. Management in no way shall be held responsible for such damages.
7. In all basements, minimum one emergency exit of shall be provided with outside opening.
8. Shoring/Revetment is mandatory.
9. Water proofing is must for basements.
The number of floors, FAR & other parameters shall be as under:
(I)
Minimum 6’-0” wide veranda shall be provided for pedestrian circulation towards the sides which are facing roads streets and parking lots. These verandas shall have convenient connections with the verandas of the adjacent buildings. No Steps shall be allowed on foot path/road, projection beyond the plot’s lines for access the building levels of verandas shall be kept accordingly.
Maximum 3’-0” wide projections shall be allowed on first and subsequent floors. Covered projections will be allowed without any charges if falling within permissible F.A.R. Covered projections beyond permissible F.A.R shall be allowed subject to charges. However, ornamental features shall be exempted from any charges. Same will be applied in case of covered projection on setbacks, if any.
PERSONS: -
(a) Every building shall be provided with minimum two public toilets and 01 for special persons at Ground floor, which shall be maintained by the Managing committee of the building.
(b) Ramps from foot path level to entrance of building for easy accessibility through wheel chair shall be mandatory for all buildings other than dwelling houses.
(c) Minimum 01 lift in all commercial and public buildings more than 3 storeys and residential apartment/ flats more than of 4 storeys. Such lift shall be of size which can accommodate a wheel chair.
6.17. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CENTER (CDA)
The number of floors, FAR & other parameters shall be as under:
6.18. BYE LAWS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS ON MAJOR AVENUES/ROADS OF APPROVED COOPERATIVE HOUSING SOCIETIES/PRIVATE HOUSING SCHEMES IN ZONE-II, IV, V (CDA)
The ground coverage, FAR & other parameters shall be as under:
Notes:
1. The above FAR is only applicable for plot size measuring 1000 and above Sq. Yds. However, all plots up to 999 Sq. Yds. shall have FAR 1:5 irrespective of road size.
Table 1.4. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CENTER
Table 1.5 1SCHEMES IN ZONE-II, IV, V (CDA)
2. Circulation area up to 8 feet wide corridor shall be counted in FAR and area above 8 feet corridor shall not be counted in FAR.
3. Lift shaft, emergency stair, Mechanical rooms, MEP floor with 7’-0” height, HVAC ducts, 1/3rd Mezzanine will not be counted in FAR.
4. One Car space for 1,000 sq. ft. covered area. The parking requirements will beaccommodated within plot line including basements. In case of parking permission on upper floors, the minimum height will be 7’-6”, approaching ramps and parking floor will not be taken in FAR. In case building is already constructed and doesn’t comply with the parking requirement, the owner shall provide parking by developing parking lot/plaza in the vicinity at his own expense, the same shall be undertaken/pledged with Authority for the purpose of parking utility only.
Ceiling height for commercial buildings is maximum 12 feet and minimum 10 feet.
1. Fire Safety Room, Electrical Room, Telecom Room, Sui Gas Meter Room, Room for Security Guard can be provided in second basement if size of plot permits or at top, in the Mumty subject to fulfillment of specific conditions and sound structural design, duly designed, certified and documented by structural engineer.
2. Basement shall be permitted on the allowable footprint area ensuring safety of adjoining buildings.
3. Basement space may be utilized for commercial office use, however, its use for residential propose will be strictly prohibited.
4. Basements may be utilized for laboratories, however, separate emergency exits will be provided.
1. The content of display has to be approved by Design Wing beforehand and payment of fee as prescribed by Management, from time to time. Signboards should be as per standard of Bahria Town. The specification of sign boards as given below:
2. Letter Material: Acrylic
3. Letter Size: 18”
4. Colour: Preferably white with light at back. However colours can be as per colour scheme of the Brand/company.
5. Back Ground: No background material/Boards will be erected. Alphabets will be installed directly on facade on buildings. However, in specialized case, background material may be installed with prior permission of Chief Architect (Commercial) Design Wing.
6. Before installing sign Boards, it is mandatory to get signage plans approved from Chief Architect (Commercial) Design Wing, Bahria Town Rawalpindi/Islamabad.
7. Fixing arrangements like hooks etc. shall be planned adequately.
8. On the face of shop 2′ wide space is provided to fix hoarding.
9. For the visual display hoarding Large Screen TV shall be placed such that attention of the drivers is not distracted.
10. Sound is not allowed in advertisement.
11. Electrical & Structural responsibility of the signs shall be the responsibility of the owner.
12. The name of the owner, mobile number and address shall be displayed on the side of his/her hoarding.
13. Any hoarding at any time can be dismantled by Building Control Department.
14. The size, shape, weight, look, structure stability and electrical safety, shall be submitted to Building Control Department for approval. The large hoardings are the responsibility of Civil/ Mechanical Engineer.
6.22. RAMPS AND STAIR CASES
Ramps and stairs should not be constructed within the Right Of Way (ROW) of the Roads/Streets. If deemed to be constructed then these shall be built beyond the Property Line.
Finish Floor Level of the ground floor shall not be more than 4.5 ft., in case of basements.
1. Lifts shall be provided in the buildings having more than 4 storeys.
2. Lifts shall conform to the international standards with respect to all safety devices and specifications.
6.25. SUPPORTING COLUMNS
Supporting Columns of the building shall be erected within plot limits.
6.26. PROJECTIONS
Projections shall be constructed as per bye laws of CDA/RDA/DC/MC in their respective controlled areas.
6.27. STRUCTURES ON ROOFS
Only the following structures of permanent nature may be constructed on roofs provided they are designed and built to the satisfaction of the Management:
1. Chimneys/air conditioning and other ducts, vents and wind catchers.
2. Water tank suitably designed.
3. Radio and television antenna post.
4. Parapet walls of 3 feet height from finished floor level.
5. Stair tower/ Mumty.
6. Lift rooms, Sky light, etc.
7. No communication antennas/towers of any type and billboards are allowed on the rooftop of any building.
6.28. RAMP AND TOILET FOR DISABLED PERSONS
In all commercial buildings, public buildings and apartments a ramp of minimum 6 feet width and having maximum gradient of 1:6 should be provided. In case of no provision of lifts, each floor should be accessible through this ramp. A toilet for disabled must also be provided.
6.29. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
1. Refuse chutes shall be provided in multistory building for disposal of solid waste.
2. All buildings other than houses shall provide adequate storage space for storing of solid waste equal to at least 24 hours of generation.
6.30. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHOP OWNERS
1. Garbage shall not be thrown in front of shops/public buildings. Shopkeepers shall place dustbin in front of their shops and place the garbage in dustbin from where it will be picked up.
2. Air conditioners shall be installed at the rear of the building if service lane exist or on roof top if service lane does not exist between back to back plots and proper arrangements shall be made for drainage of water. Preferably split type of air conditioners may be installed. On front and front/side of corner plots AC outdoor units, geysers, fiber glass shades are not allowed.
3. Wall chalking, writing on walls and pasting of posters etc. on the walls shall not be allowed.
4. The shop owners are not allowed to put any kiosk/seating arrangement/stalls etc. outside the limits of their premises. The arcades/walkways shall be unhindered and clear.
Plots less than 250 SQY. shall be chamfered at 6 ft., and above than 250SQY. shall be chamfered at 10΄ for traffic friendly needs.
6.32. BUILDING HEIGHTS / NO OF FLOORS / FAR / GROUND COVERAGR FOR COMMERCIAL UNITS BAHRIA TOWN RWP/ ISB PROJECTS
6.33. DESIGN PROCESS
9. Design Payments to be deposited in advance in Alfalah Bank, Bahria Town Phase 8 Branch.
10. Appointment with the Design Architect.
11. Get Design Options & Finalize the Plan.
12. Elevations are fixed for all Commercial Areas. However, Client may have Floor Plans of his/her Choice.
Table BUILDING HEIGHTS13. After the Finalization of the Architectural Plans, CD of the Architectural Plans will be handed. Over to Client so that he can hire Soil, Structural, Vetting and MEP Consultants at his/her own.
6.34. PERMISSIBLE NO. OF FLOOR FOR DIFFERENT COMMERCIAL CENTERS
1. Civic Center (B+G+5)
2. Midway Commercial / Mini Commercial (B+G+4)
3. Mini Commercial Extension ( I & II ) (B+G+4)
4. River View Commercial (B+G+3)
5. Square Commercial (B+G+3)
6. Hub Commercial (B+G+4)
7. Rafi / Linear Commercial (B+G+3)
8. Ali Haider/Abu Baker Commercial (B+G+4)
9. Spring North Commercials (B+G+3)
10. Theme Park Commercial Springs North (B+G+3)
11. Bahria Business Junction (B+G+4)
12. Central Business District (CBD) (F.A.R 1:8) (B+G+7)
13. Commercials Middle Ring Road (B+G+4)
14. Commercials (20’ x 30’) (B+G+2)
15. Commercials (15’ x 20’) (B+G)
16. Shops Single Storey
SITE ANALYSIS:
Bahria Town is unique in a way that it captures the mood of both the cities; the modernity of Islamabad and the historical spirit of the Trade Route city of Rawalpindi. A signature valley type landscape defines the inspiration to the master design of this development. This development is like the work of a sculptor, carving the rising hills along with the river into a piece of art; we call it Landscape Artistry! With residential solutions for diverse lifestyles, metro grade facilities, educational, medical,
entertainment and recreation opportunities; it has been the trend setter in real estate development across the country. Whether you are used to living in an apartment community, desirous of building your own dreams or thinking of comfortably moving into a fabulously designed and conveniently laid out home; it has it all for all tastes and financial accesses. Amalgamation of Bahria Town Phases 8 is a master piece example of this very complex but high return act. Bahria Town has integrated the main road network of Phase 8 with the main road projections of DHA Phases 1-3, master planning at its very peak. An exclusive Expressway connects all master planned communities to the GT Road in 5 minutes. This access is an icing on the cake over the quick access provided to the residents of Bahria Town to Downtown Rawalpindi. A main boulevard ‘Expressway’ on the pattern of the Champs – Elysées is built in Phase-8; this boulevard houses high rise multi- storied buildings and has transformed into the commercial hub of Rawalpindi. Existing waterways and parks enhance the housing environment and provide areas for rest & recreation. Adjacent to Phase 8 of Bahria Town, an international standard championship Golf Course is a destination for golf enthusiasts. It is a centre of commercial and recreational activity for the residents of Bahria Town as well as other neighboring societies.
Planning incorporated special emphasis on the natural topography with a focus to refine its hidden aesthetics and not to alter the layout altogether the undulating topography. Phase 8 was envisioned as a network of luxury neighborhoods with lush green tributaries of spacious green belts and offers dream living with exceptionally wide roads and most impressive landscaping in the region. Experience amazing food, theme parks, pristine views, stunning monuments, amazing mosques and all lifestyle facilities and amenities which are hallmark of Bahria Town brand. Business District commercial area lies on both side of Bahria Expressway. It starts from Statue of Liberty and ends at New Head Office of Bahria Town. These big commercial plots lie on both sides of the main boulevard, i.e., South and North, hence we call them Business District South and Business District North.
Site Area: 23.45 Kanal
Sqft: 1,27,685
Location: Islamabad Phase 8, business district
Research type: Qualitative Research design: Exploratory Data Collection [Primary Data]: Interviews and Questionnaire Data Collection [Secondary Data]: Books, Journals, Research papers, Case study visits and observation.
Methodology of the research was based on data collection from relevant research papers, books, articles and interviews conducted with architects, civil engineer and environmentalist, in order to design overall research literature. Research was conducted through qualitatively analyzing framework and design approaches for underground urban land. Research was conducted through reviewing literature already present and gathered photographic statistics through visiting local underground structures. This research was presented by a hypothetical design approach on an urban land as a design solution for intense urbanism. Through technical examination of planning and design details and social aspects helps the research to construct a design framework of the urban structure. Before determining optimum model for establishing the typology of urbanistic zones for use of underground space, which would be easily readable and clear for urban development planning, it is necessary to review which are prerequisite preconditions for planning or designing underground facilities. These prerequisites through the analysis of legal regulations, as well as expert literature on urban planning parameters which are already required for Master plans for surface construction. Then urban parameters for surface construction are compared with experiences of underground designing, taking into consideration all specifics of designing facilities beneath the ground level. Turn out that certain urban development parameters for surface construction are also applicable for underground construction, but that certain are either not or are in the need of modification. Only when they are identified, modified and accepted, they become urban planning parameters for underground construction. Complex review of urban parameters of construction below the ground level, in the context of geological, technological, property-legal aspect and the aspect of heritage and environmental protection, enables us to define those individual tasks without preceding solving of which urban planning use of underground spaces, could not always be quality, functional and usable. Application of daylight and ventilation to the facts obtained through research shall result in forming of the model for determining
of urbanistic use of underground spaces, while each zone, through further methodological procedure when it is once defined, becomes permanently theoretically and practically established. Data collected through primary and secondary sources were than documented in the research for better understand subterranean structure and it constrains.
The Law on Planning and Construction defines development of the plan and rules for construction as two basics functions which relate to the urban development plan. When it comes to development of the plan, the concept is determined by morphological, urbanistic, historical-environmental, design and other characteristics. There are also urban planning conditions for development and construction of public surfaces and facilities and infrastructure. availability of utility connections; ways of environmental protection, etc. On the other hand, rules of construction also relate to defining of the type and purpose of classes, conditions for parceling of land, forming of construction lots, construction index, height, parking, conditions and ways of access to the lot, etc. Geology is, according to the logic, a key science for designing and construction of underground facilities. Namely, soil exploration through test boreholes shall provide a comprehensive picture of the soil composition, groundwater levels, landslides, water springs, the manner of origin, physical and chemical activities of the soil itself.
Through discovered geological picture we would be able to learn what limitations and obstacles exist for designing of underground facilities. Observing of urban parameters for underground construction from geological and geotechnical aspect brings a great number of fixed conditions for defining zones for underground spaces. But it is necessary to register and subsequently, through new boreholes, perform new analyses of geological changes which are obtained in a forceful manner (explosions, excavations, etc...) or as a consequence of natural disasters (i.e., floods, earthquakes, volcanic activities). As opposed to geological and geotechnical aspects which determine unchangeable conditions, the technological aspect brings variable conditions, which is why each drafting of Master plans must take into consideration the latest technological achievements in construction of underground facilities. The technological advancement, namely, rapidly expands the scope of latest possibilities of approach to underground construction. Construction below ground level cannot be considered bypassing the aspect of urban heritage and the environment. The case doesn't involve only archaeological sites, old
urban cores or naturally created underground spaces, but also new, modern facilities. Preservation of urban heritage is a precondition for each underground construction, not only because of legal regulations, but also because preservation of safety of surface and underground facilities. Environmental protection requires data precision in registering underground water flows, water springs and surfaces intended for greenery and agriculture, as their mutual misbalance is considered a pollution.
7.2. Defining of urban planning parameters for underground construction: A conclusion that geological structure and geotechnics represent the most important factors in construction of underground spaces induces as one of the main tasks – systematization and re-interpretation of geological knowledge fund for the purpose of methodologically correct planning. In order to obtain urban planning parameters for underground construction, we need to evaluate the applicability of criteria according to which the standard surface construction is conducted. As certain parameters are applicable on detail plan levels, we turn to the next three which are important for determining of zones at the level of Master plan. Purpose of the city construction land is not decisive, but unavoidable parameter, as it separates urban land functions and creates a difference between the public and private use of the underground space. The height of facility as a parameter would have to be renamed into the "depth of facility". By reviewing the stated parameters and selecting those appropriate for development of the model for determining zones for the underground Master plan, easily separate from classification which descriptions are key for basis of the model for determining typology for urbanistic underground zones.
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(Questionnaire Design, 2022.)
For better understanding underground architecture and its design interpretations several interviews were conducted with architects, Engineers and Environmentalist. Some common answers were gathered of these questions which are mentioned below.
Do you think our urban areas are getting crowded and we in few years we have to go underground?
Does Pakistan need awareness of living underground?
Do we have resources of building underground?
Yes! That is true urban sprawl is getting worst day by day and there is a need of space in urban areas to accommodate population.
I think! As some of the main cities of Pakistan are whelming overcrowded and proposals of underground city can work well here.
We don’t have high tech machinery in modern days but in future when there is a need, we might import
Is it possible to move underground and built earthscapers in Pakistan?
Is it possible that due to any uncertain catastrophes or apocalypse, we have to shift our dwelling deep underground?
According to best of your knowledge which area is best to select of proposing underground space?
Which aspects I should consider during planning an underground space?
I always get this question that underground construction is expensive and might be impossible? What is your opinion?
machineries from abroad or we can introduce new techniques of excavation.
Yes! It is possible. When we can make high rise structures, we can definitely go dee under the earth.
Might be! It would happen that living on ground would not be possible, we have to definitely find a shelter and the best possible choose is underground.
I think you should select the capital of Pakistan, not only you could justify your project but also in future if this proposal would be built this would replicate in other parts of the country, like in major cities where there is need of it.
You have to be focused on daylighting and natural ventilation and phycology of space on human concise.
It is not impossible but yes, it is expensive! But when we are building structure more expensive on land and to environment than this thing doesn’t matter. For need we can build a skyscraper as well as for need we can build earthscraper.
