Shhrruti Jain_Architecture Portfolio 2013-2022

P O R T F O L I O

SHHRRUTI JAIN

s e l e c t e d w o r k s l 13’ - 22’

This document is meant to create a reflective record of my selective academic, professional and competition works, which includes not only the intentions outlined for each project but also notes the challenges, implementation process, successes, failures and learnings for the future. I humbly present my architectural journey so far with a hope of further equipping myself in the realm. Thank you!

PROJECT DETAILS

Academic Work Studio Project Spring 2022 Guided by Professor Anna Dietzsch

Team Members: Polen Guzelocak

Rabei Javaid

Shhrruti Jain

My contribution: Analysis & design

Link to Research Work: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/

Link to Design Proposal: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/

INSTITUTE OF REGENERATIVE PRACTICES

EDUCATION AS AN URBAN-DESIGN INTERVENTION STUDIO, CORNELL UNIVERSITY SALAMANCA, NY

Can a built environment serve as a craddle fostering dialogue, movement, and capital within a city? Can it avert the collapse of a multigenerational material-cultural tradition?

For the Haudenosaunee society, life has always been about balance. They have always aimed to ensure an abundance of resources not only for their present-day but also for their future generations. However, their ability to ensure the continuity of resources in terms of food, social organization, and art practices is haltered today due to economical and political distress. Despite the diverse and colorful array of culture and traditional practices, the Seneca Nation Comprehensive Economic Plan and community surveys indicate that the poverty rates are very high in the city of Salamanca, especially for people who opt-out of higher education.

To improve the current state of affairs, a multigenerational engagement approach leveraging and benefiting the community is needed. Thus, this project aims to revitalize Salamanca with a multidisciplinary indigenous professional school that integrates and fosters the rich cultural practices of the community whilst taking part in economic and social development.

Main streets are the heart of our cities, places of shared memories and economic activities. However, with several of its buildings either shut or in a dilapidated condition, Salamanca’s main street is completely devoid of people. The project therefore aims to revitalize the old downtown main street via planning and designing of educational practices that foster greater community integration and foster the rich culture of the Haudenosaunee society. The inspiration to revitalize the street comes from the long house concept of the Haudenosaunee culture, both metaphorically and literally. The longhouse has a common central axis flanked by semi-private spaces. The main street has been envisioned as a long house which is activated by the existing and new structures and programs that are made of flexible convertible spaces.

WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE?

A university in the form of an isolated safe space could preserve the culture but it would be inefficient in erasing the existing isolation within the city. The idea is to weave the educational practices within the main street such that it generates the necessary dialogue between the local community and students. What distinguishes the university is the fact that although each student would be gaining professional expertise in their respective concentrations, the notion of being involved in food cultivation would bind the student and local community to the land, which was the very basis of Haudenosaunee practices. There is further integration of the existing arts and crafts infrastructure within the main street such that these would serve as models for a holistic learning experience. Entrepreneurship and innovation practices comprise subjects that would facilitate the students to ace their standing in the global setting.

SPATIALIZING THE CURRICULUM

When working in cohesion, the campus would serve as a dynamic

PROJECT DETAILS

Individual Academic Work Undergraduate Thesis Project Spring 2018

Guided by Professor Sameer Deshkar

INDIGENOUS OCCUPATIONS

CENTER FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT EAST MELGHAT, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

Can the ‘Skill India Initiative’ be more than a proposal extended into physical reality ? Can environments be designed so as to benefit distressed individuals at grass-root level ?

Human resource up-gradation is the essence of development of any country. On one hand where we are persistently working to improve our urban environment, villages are facing a trivial problem of development. One of the many important aspects is imparting skills to the rural youth and women. In order to ensure growth of the village community, the Government launched another program after ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India‘ to leverage our demographic dividend more substantially and meaningfully. Launched in March 2015, it is called the ‘Skill India’ program. My contribution to the above would be the creation of an experience based design for holistic learning and skill development that would pave way for an equally skilled rural-urban society.

Melghat has a history of endemic malnutrition and of being a perpetually famine affected region where every year hundreds of children die of starvation. With the forests being declared as reserves, this problem is more acute in tribal areas where a majority of inhabitants are struggling for basic livelihood opportunities. Provision of only monetary support or relief materials, as is happening in the current scenario, would in no way mitigate this quandary. The only solution of restoration is by creation of sustainable and self-sufficient village economies. This would facilitate rural upliftment and improvement in living conditions, provision of alternative livelihood opportunities to the tribals as well as revival of their traditional occupations which have been lost over the generations.

WHY?

LOCATING RELEVANT

Retreat and Plantation

Public Rest House

Health Training Center

Public Bust Stop

Weekly Market

Village Entry

Industrial Training Institute

Block Development Office

ADJACENT AFFECTED REGIONS

1. Sipna

2. West Melghat

3. Buldhana

4. Akola

5. Gugamal

SCOPE OF IMPACT CREATION

1. Wider reachability

to maximum affected villages.

2. Lack of development in the region : No big industries in this region to generate employment opportunities.

3. Scope for promoting vocational education among tourists : Being the only hill station in Vidarbha region.

HOSPITALITY

OF SETUP

OF

FOOD PROCESSING SECTOR

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

ENHANCED

HIERARCHY

CONFIGURATION OF

A VARIETY OF SCALES

APJ Abdul Kalam

PROJECT DETAILS

Academic Work

2.50 week, fast-paced studio

Fall 2021

Guided by Professor Jeremy Foster

Team Members: Klytaimnistra Avgetidou

Shhrruti Jain Somin Lee Xingyao Wang

My contribution: Research, analysis & design logic

ARCHITECTURE & DISCOURSE STUDIO, CORNELL UNIVERSITY FINGERLAKES REGION, NY

How can material atmospheric analysis and design address the relationship between the past, present and future landscapes of a region?

In the turn of the 21st century, there is a re-visioning of the long-forgotten landscape of the Finger Lakes region. The Bell Station site resides in this region and facilitates severe operationalization of the rural landscape to support urbanization. Project ‘ReIncarnation’ focuses on the intangible aspect of weaving through the past, present and future landscapes of the region. A thorough scrutiny leads us to 3 parameters that play a crucial role in determining the evolving landscape of the region; A resultant of past actions, ie. the coal-ash pile, the present-day hydrology on site, ie, the water creeks and the evolving suture identity of the region, ie, the solar farm. This time consciousness in the Re-Incarnation project focuses on the possibility of turning back the ecological clock of the region, presently disturbed by human action. The idea is to develop a culturally sensitive model that influences how we think about the environment and most importantly highlights the notion of a site guiding its design!

RESULTANT

EVOLVING FUTURE IDENTITIY: THE SOLAR FARM

Our site resides in proximity to a coal power station. Over a period of 64 years, an enormous amount of residue generated as a by-product of coal combustion led to the formation of 38 acres of coal-ash landfill on the 472-acre site. Re-Incarnation focuses on minimizing the ecological impacts of the landfill.

Site comprises 3 water creeks discharging into the lake. Owing to its proximity to the coal-ash pile, one creek is severely contaminated. However, a potentially tidy creek merges with the contaminated one on the site. Siting the intervention at this critical junction becomes an important design consideration.

Even the most optimistic scenarios for the site’s future include extensive solar farms that capitalize on existing high-power lines. The intervention focuses on mitigating the harmful impacts of the solar farm.

Micro analysis of site to guage its potentials and threats.

The image showcases relationships at various scales; macro, meso and micro on the site. The various elements comprise the Cayuga Lake, the Bell Station context to the north, the Power Plant to the south, as well as the fields, forests and farms that constitute the local landscape of the region. Additionally, the 3 key parameters that play a crucial role in determining the evolving landscape of the region have also been marked. These are the CoalAsh Pile, the Water Creeks as well as the Solar Farm.

Extensive use of materials available on site such that the construction process reduces the ecological contamination by the coal-ash pile. The major building material is therefore made out of fly-ash which is a major constituent of coal-ash.

Addressing the 3 ecological consequences; the ongoing coalash pile formation, the water creek contamination and the incoming solar farm escalation, the project locates itself at the center of the conjunction for ecological compensation, playing the role of a purification and a drainage system as well as a site for ecological awareness generation. Such an allencompassing location gives rise to an anthropogenic and planthropogenic landscape.

COAL-ASH PILE

DRY CORN STALK

FERTILIZERSOIL WOOD FLY-ASH CHIPS

When experiencing the

systems

with layers of soil, the mechanism of water

process and the coming and going of natural life cycles.

hidden under the ground, in the water and within the forest.

FLY-ASH

BRICK

MATERIALS

“Re-incarnation” is meant to give a new form to the contaminated water of the creek and re-purpose the otherwise hazardous coal-ash pile. The installment of a purification and drainage system at one of the creeks won’t be able to solve on their own the problems of the incoming solar farm as well as the severe contamination by the power plant and its coal ash pile. However, there is a belief that such a proposal will raise an issue and potentially enable the adoption of similar systems in the context, contributing to the gradual ecological compensation and revitalization of the region.

Shhrruti

Eesha Ithadi

Vaishnavi

Kewal

Mohit

CENTER FOR HUMAN INTERACTION, G-SEN COMPETITION (NASA) NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

With the recent political climate fostering developmental growth, the declaration of the Smart Cities Mission was only expected. For the select few, the phrase has conjured up a rush of wild imagination particularly, among the hungry (for power) and thirsty (for liquid cash). At the bottom of the pyramid, if ideas do percolate to the base, there would be the eternal promise of employment and therefore the hope of satisfying the hungry (for food) and the thirsty (for water). For this competition, we were asked to design a Center for Human Interaction. The typology of the emergent space was not defined and the contestants were free to choose functions of their

which define ‘smartness’. The campus was intended to be a reflection of the various layers of the city as well as an incubator of new systems of social outreach defining out-of-the-box solutions.

City is an

It is a system of

elements. It therefore becomes almost impossible

with the highly branded and somewhat faddish nature of the

Taking

SMART ECONOMY

SMART GOVERNANCE

SMART LIVING

EVIDENCE BASED DESIGN

based on groundless approaches, improper execution and most

concerned with a given space.

This

by

6-AXES APPROACH DEFINING SMART SMART PEOPLE

SMART MOBILITY

SMART ENVIRONMENT

Dr. Smita Khan l Architect and Professor City is an organism in itself, it needs to breathe, grow and work to sustain in this environment. With the enormous havoc of global warming, how will a city breathe and be alive? Selfsustainability is a major challenge for smart cities.

Ankita Deshmukh l Engineer

Economic development should be the highest priority. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening with times. The unprivileged section of the society should not be ignored in the city’s development.

Pankaj Shah l Nagpur Urban Planning Department

Citizen’s engagement should be given the highest priority in smart city planning over information and technology driven development.

Interview by Pratibha Patil and Shhrruti Jain. For details about Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s Smart

www.nmcnagpur.org.in.

CONNECTING THE INTERACTIVE SPACES OF EACH ERA

SOCIAL INTEGRATION

The city’s centered location makes it receptible to people from different classes of society, coming from various backgrounds, all residing with peace and mutual understanding.

CLEAN AND GREEN NAGPUR DEFENSE

Sustainability has been imbibed in the psychology of the

with people inclined

that Nagpur had inherited, it clinched its place

Maintaining the green

the greenest cities in

India is one of the largest Ordinance Factories creating

Raghuji

junction connected Nagpur with Bombay, and Calcutta. proximity made it an administrative center.

from Vidarbha = Country’s 1st textile mill.

Municipal established.

formed and Nagpur became the hub.

GIP) : Railway’s new route Nagpur.

— Nagpur became capital of Central Province and Berar.

— Establishment of Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT).

— Sir Patrick Geddes prepared a plan for Nagpur Garden City.

First civil expansion by NIT. Nagpur served as a regional economic center in central India.

Dalit to Buddhism conversion took place at Dikshabhoomi.

— Western Coalfield Limited established.

MIDC established (HowarhMumbai National Highway, Nagpur-Hingna road).

Presence of mineral ores.

— Butibori MIDC established.

Six 5 star industrial estates, one of the largest industrial areas in Asia. (Triggered development in the next two decades).

VIDARBHA CRICKET ASSOCIATION STADIUM

LARGEST CRICKET STADIUM IN INDIA

— Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) resolution.

Khaparkheda thermal power plant established.

— Central Province and Berar town planning act and regulation of uses of land act implemented.

— Indian Army ordinance factory established.

— MIDC and MRTP Act (1992) increasing development.

— Coal India.

— Sitabuildi Fort : Headquarter of Indian army and Airforce.

Introduction of Metro in Nagpur city.

— MIHAN project undertaken by GoM (4354 hectares).

— Real estate developers, MRO unit by Boeing worth 100 million, 63 acres business park development proposal.

— Integrated Road Development leading to efficient TOD.

largest importers of defense equipments with Nagpur serving as a hub for 3 creating potential for manufacturing of several items of defense

DEEKSHA BHOOMI

MONUMENT OF SOCIAL REVOLUTION

EDU-CITY

Owing to its strategic central location in the country, Nagpur fast emerged as an education hub with 7 national colleges, largest regional university and several potential private institutes.

FUTALA LAKE REVIVAL OF CITY’S LOST WATER BODY

GLOBAL INTERCONNECTEDNESS

Nagpur holds a special place on the global map owing to the establishment of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), MIHAN and Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

It is a constant belief that exciting things happen when a variety of over lapping activities designed for all people meet in a flexible environment, opening up possibilities of interaction outside the confines of institutional limits. When this takes place, depressed areas become dynamic places for those who live, work, and visit. One of the most obvious, but perhaps least understood methods of enhancing social integration in public spaces and encouraging upward mobility are thus the public markets.

WHY MARKET?

An attempt to connect the society, once again in a commercially viable setup !

HUMAN INTERACTION

INTELLECTUAL INTERACTION PHYSICAL INTERACTION VISUAL INTERACTION

Public

Markets

Public markets create a vehicle of upward mobility and individual empowerment for lowincome people.

Public markets are viewed as a more important component of a broader civic agenda.

Serves as a catalyst for interaction.

Activity attracts people, old and young, the blue

white collar, the local inhabitant and the visitors alike. Public markets sustain their operations with minimal subsidy.

Activity itself reflects the essence of the city.

EYES ON THE STREET

The hustling markets help in ensuring vigilance and safety.

One of the most costeffective investment cities can make is to form focal points for linking rural and urban economies.

PROPOSING DESIGN INTERVENTIONS IN THE CITY’S CENTER

BRICK

UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER, HANDS-ON URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

Can we achieve a design that bridges the gap between abled and differently-abled individuals, a design that is rooted in human values ?

The project was part of an international design competition organized by the University of Westminster and National Association of Students of Architecture (NASA) under the ‘Clean India’ and ‘Massive Small’ campaigns for reviving public spaces in our cities. As the various regions in our city—Nagpur grew at macro level, certain sites at micro level were left neglected. Located in a busy residential and commercial region, one such space was a highly disused school pocket and community space of the past. Realizing how meager access children of the Deaf and Dumb Residential School and that of the adjacent community had to play areas, we chose this 13m X 25m pocket as our site, with a resolution to provide a common ground for the abled and the differently-abled.

CREATIVE ZONE

Differently-abled kids are blessed with greater creative skills. However, the education system these days is very rigid. Therefore, this zone permits exploration of creativity!

EXPLORATION ZONE

Strategic location of the temple creates a peaceful atmosphere. However, the existing site condition did not permit effective usage. Thus, a zone for all age groups, promoting fitness and health!

PLAY ZONE

The neighborhood children had meager access to play areas. Hence, a zone consisting of slides facilitating interactive learning for the children!

KIDS OF DEAF AND DUMB RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

VULNERABLE OVER-LOOKED COMMUNITIES

POTENTIALS

GREEN ZONE

An unsafe zone due to the presence of a water tank in a dilapidated condition transformed into a green zone, restricting entry. Thus, a zone created via community participation, inducing a sense of belonging!

Lack

CONTEXT

STRATEGIC LOCATION ALLOWS PARENT VIGILANCE

WILLINGNESS OF AUTHORITIES TO PERMIT US TO WORK

VISION

Breaking the barrier between the abled and differently-abled

AIM

A

GREEN ZONE

the

design

community

integration of recycled

FAVORABLE SETTING CREATED BY EXISTING TREES

CATALYST FOR LARGER COMMUNITY PROCESSES

CONCEPT

An inclusive space, primarily for children of the Deaf and Dumb Residential School

recreational learning.

Having visited our site after 1 month, we encountered that the lighter elements were not in a usable condition whereas rigid elements were effectively being used by the community. Post occupancy evaluation was thus a major factor to achieve success in our project.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

We began the next stage of work via interaction with the users. We discussed on what they envisioned the place to be and in turn, they helped us with suggestions as well as on-site execution. For instance, with the material truck stuck at a distance, the children formed a human-chain and helped us procure the materials on site. Such participation induced a sense of belonging amongst them.

RECTIFICATION

After inquiring from the users and their families, we concluded that these kids lacked durable swings and seating spaces. In order to rectify our mistakes, we began with the strengthening of existing furniture via welding and concrete as well as introduction of new robust slides and seats as per children’s requirements.

USER-CENTRICITY IN DESIGN

User-centric design being the basis of our proposal and deaf kids being our major user group, we added elements for which one doesn’t necessarily need a ear to understand sound, one can feel it through its vibrations too. This was achieved via the usage of 3 materials of varying densities and quantities in 3 bottles each. Striking these produced a range of vibrations that the kids could feel. Additionally, we painted signages as a guide for the visitors in order to establish an effective conversation with the children.

LIGHTER ELEMENTS IN A UNUSABLE CONDITION

INTERACTION WITH THE CHILDREN USING SIGNAGES

RIGID

HUMAN-CHAIN

– Jane Jacobs

PROJECT DETAILS

Professional Work

Bamboo Development Board

Spring 2020 - Fall 2021

Team Members :

Project Head - IFS Officer TSK Reddy

Design Lead - Ar. Ganesh Harimkar

Senior Architect - Vedant Amrutkar

Junior Architect - Shhrruti Jain

Site Supervisor - Kapil Khadatkar

Model Maker - Kunal Wagh

Group of 8 exceptional artisans

ETHICS AND AESTHETICS ... a sustainable way of life

BAMBOO ECO-COTTAGE NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

Can we achieve the masterful balance of meeting our own needs without jeopardizing the future generations’ ability to do the same? Can incorporation of local materials contribute to this way of life?

With rising concerns about climate change, bamboo has emerged as a promising building material as it consumes less energy. It is a highly renewable and fastest growing material and possesses properties which make it apt for effecting sustainable development. The Bamboo Development Board was thus established by the Government of Maharashtra in 2016 with a mandate to promote bamboo plantation and product development by assisting RnD, skill development and awareness generation for incorporation of bamboo as a key material in the construction and manufacturing sector. The Eco-Cottage, a prototype for recreational dwellings in the adjacent forest resorts is a resultant of the efforts of the artisan community in working with local bamboo and the efforts of the board in conducting training programs for artisans and designers, thereby facilitating capacity building.

TRANSLUCENT

CORRUGATED BAMBOO

WOOD LAYERED WITH BITUMINOUS WATERPROOFING

PURLINS

BUNDLED

DESIGN EXPLORATION

The project began with experimentation in form to obtain a shelter with the best combination of structural stability, material feasibility and aesthetics. This was accompanied by sectional sketches in order to gauge the quality of the resultant interior spaces.

RESOLVING DETAILS

Having arrived at one such prototype, a layerby-layer resolution of the model was carried out. Being a complex structure, this was achieved by a combination of hand-drawn sketches, virtual 3D modeling, with the final results being obtained in physical models.

COMMUNITY TRAINING

Alongside the design process, one of the most important aspects was imparting skills to the youth regarding construction techniques involving bamboo, a potential building material of the future. This was accompanied by collaboration with various stakeholders.

ON-SITE PREPARATION

With an intent to achieve the built solution in the most sustainable manner possible, apart from the truss, the plinth, supports as well as interiors were also planned in bamboo to reduce the intake of high energy consuming materials.

ASSEMBLING ON SITETRUSS TAKING SHAPE

Experiments for the truss were done with variations of local bamboo in order to obtain the desired stability and aesthetics. The cottage consisted of 7 trusses with each truss comprising 7 layers of bamboo and taking approximately 20 days for making.

The current stage of working involves assembling the trusses on site with roofing details taking shape simultaneously. This will be followed by tying them together to prevent movement against the winds, post which the interior elements will begin to take shape.

TRUSS TAKING SHAPE

ERECTION OF THE TRUSS ON SITE

BASIC SKELETON OF THE ROOFING IN PROCESS

BASIC SKELETON OF THE COTTAGE IN PLACE

BAMBOO REINFORCEMENT FOR PLINTH

PROJECT DETAILS

Internship Work

A collaboration between Cornell Center for Cities & SDI Kenya

Summer 2022

Team Members :

Project Head - Joe Muturi

Project Lead - Charity Mwangi

Planners - Rogers Otieno, Michelle Koyaro & Milka Kori

Interns - Nicholas Wilsey & Shhrruti Jain

Exceptional team of

ARISE: MAPPING AND ANALYSIS

SLUM DWELLERS INTERNATIONAL (KENYA) AND CORNELL CENTER FOR CITIES NAIROBI, KENYA

Can mapping and analysis contribute towards improving the lives and living conditions of communities residing in informal settlements?

The work is part of an ongoing project aimed at improving the infrastructure within informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya through a partnership between Slum Dwellers International and Muungano wa Wanavijiji. The research, mapping, analysis, findings and recommendations are specific for upgrading basic services and infrastructure within Mabatini Ward in Mathare Settlement. The Mathare Valley - one of the largest informal settlements in East Africa lacks even the most basic services. Despite recent national slum-focused planning policies, no comprehensive development plans currently exist that integrate physical and social planning for Nairobi’s large slums. Infrastructural improvements therefore rank as the top priority among Mathare residents. The work aims to act as an initial step towards community-led, comprehensive development for Mabatini Ward in Mathare Settlement. Mathare residents deserve improved services and living conditions and the analysis aims to contribute to this outcome.

BASE

RECOMMENDATIONS

COMMUNITY

DATA COLLECTION

MAPPING

TEMPORALITY

DIGITIZATION OF COLLECTED

ON GIS & EXCEL FOR

MAPPING

HOUSEHOLD ENUMERATION & POPULATION ESTIMATE

Villages No. of Households

4028 9970

3A 2228 4395

3C 1586 3813

Village 10 1570 4394 Mashimoni 3980 7623 Mabatini 1160 2230

Kwa Kariuki 1852 4092 Ward Level 16,404 36,517

POPULATION DENSITY ESTIMATE

VillagesAreas (acres)Population

3B 16.35 610

3A 10.52 418

3C 10.21 374

Village 10 8.93 492 Mashimoni 12.00 635 Mabatini 4.65 480 Kwa Kariuki 5.17 791 Ward Level 67.83 538

MATHARE SETTLEMENT AND MABATINI WARD

Mabatini

Villages in Mabatini Ward:

1. Mathare 3B

Mathare 3A

Mathare 3C

Village 10 5. Mashimoni

Kwa Kariuki 7. Mabatini

Exclusively residential structures occupy a majority of the Mabatini Ward whereas businesses are concentrated around two corridors. The first corridor is the interior road that runs east-west through the ward. This corridor reflects an inward-facing development pattern. Because it has limited access to the rest of Nairobi, businesses primarily serve the residents of the immediate area in Mabatini. The second corridor is Juja Road along the southern boundary of the Ward. These businesses comprise transit-oriented development that serves customers from within and outside of the settlement. Connectivity along this corridor will be improved with the future construction of a bus rapid transit route along the road. Compared to the interior road, there are fewer businesses recorded, partially due to limited data in the Mathare 3A Village along Juja Road.

Land uses other than residential and business, such as education and utility facilities, are evenly distributed across the ward. Given the geographic location of Mabatini Ward, there is limited space for additional development. Encroachment on the Mathare River, along the northern edge of Mabatini, creates flooding hazards for residents while Juja Road on the ward’s southern edge creates another boundary on growth. The eastern and western edges of Mabatini are other wards within Mathare, so they also create boundaries on growth. Therefore, in order to accommodate additional population growth, Mabatini must expand upward with greater density and formal buildings.

LAND BUDGET

BUSINESS CORRIDORS

LAND BUDGET

STRUCTURE

Kariuki

3B

3C

Mabatini

Kariuki

STRUCTURE TYPES

Within Mabatini, a majority of structures are single floor with only 366 structures in the entire ward being taller than one floor. This structure pattern is closely related to the structure types found in the Mabatini Ward. 92% of structures are classified as temporary structures and made with materials such as corrugated metal, mud and wood, while 7% of the structures are permanent. Underscoring the significant prevalence of temporary structures is the lack of land tenure in the settlement. Land is owned by outside actors and residents rent their structure and land. Because they do not own the land on which they live, residents are thus hesitant to significantly invest in formal housing when they could be evicted. This lack of formal housing makes residents vulnerable to climate hazards, such as flooding along the Mathare River and fires.

WATER

Water points are critical facilities for residents of Mathare, who rely on them for drinking, cooking and cleaning. The most common source of water were the county main water network. Other sources of water include wells, which have the possibility of being polluted due to nearby dumping and contaminated groundwater. These water points pose health threats to Mathare residents. To receive water, costs per liter of water ranged from free upto 10 Ksh. Most water sources were paid for and the most common price for a liter of water was 5 Ksh. For residents of Mathare facing poverty, paying for water can be a significant economic burden and costs are often higher than in formal settlements in Nairobi. 30 meter buffers around water points show that while some residents have close access to a water point, many are forced to walk a significant distance to access the critical resource. Particularly in the Mathare 3C Village, there were limited water points recorded, indicating that obtaining water has the potential to be a burden for local residents.

County Main Water Network

Private Borehol/Well Water Bowser

Others

TYPES OF WATER POINTS AND COSTS

Ward Level Village 10

Village 3B Mashimoni

Village 3A Mabatini

Village 3C Kwa Kariuki

PERSONS PER RECORDED WATER POINT

30 METER BUFFERS FROM WATER POINTS IN MABATINI WARD

SANITATION FACILITIES

Toilet facilities are also distributed across Mathare and serve the essential purpose of storing human waste. The most common type of toilet facility recorded was yard and plot level toilets, followed by public toilets and individual toilets. To go to the bathroom, most toilet facilities required payment from residents. Similar to accessing water, this requirement of payment can be burdensome for those in poverty, and have negative incentives that encourage residents to not utilize formal toilet facilities. Given the density of Mathare and limited drainage infrastructure, using the bathroom outside of a toilet facility or using a toilet facility that does not properly isolate waste creates a public health hazard that can lead to disease in those exposed. 30 meter buffers around toilet facilities demonstrate that many residents do not have convenient access to a toilet facility from their home. Particularly at night, when there can be safety concerns, this dis-incentivizes residents from using established facilities.

METER BUFFERS FROM TOILET FACILITIES IN MABATINI WARD

PERSONS PER RECORDED TOILET TOILET FACILITIES

Facilities for the entire settlement were collected utilizing GPS technology on site in addition to the manual recording of the features for each facility. These facilities included water facilities, sanitation facilities, community centers, health facilities, markets, public spaces, waste collection facilities, flood and street lights, police stations, community kitchens, hand washing facilities, religious institutions, shade garages, administrative offices and NGO offices. Generally, facilities were distributed evenly throughout the settlement with concentration along roads and pathways.

EDUCATION FACILITIES

TYPES OF SCHOOLS

WASTE COLLECTION FACILITIES

TYPES OF

HEALTH FACILITIES

LEVELS OF EDUCATION

TYPES OF HEALTH FACILITIES

COMMUNITY CENTERS

MARKETS PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT DETAILS

NEIGHBORHOOD ANALYSIS: STUDENT

GIS & MAPPING ELECTIVE, CORNELL UNIVERSITY MANHATTAN BOROUGH, NYC

Can mapping tools aid in the creation of datasets that steer individuals towards a holistic way of living and working?

New York City, especially Manhattan is a hub for universities and is known for its competitive rental market. A majority of online platforms that allow students to find apartments mainly present information based on price, location and distances as key criteria. Students are supposed to finalize housing options online without having any other spatial information such as nearby amenities that are crucial for their living. It thus becomes an overwhelming experience for newcomers, especially international students to find off-campus housing options that meet their criteria whilst being near their school. The study aims to create a catalog for the borough of Manhattan within New York City that showcases desirable blocks for students based on their selected priority of criteria. The methodology can be used for larger geographies and can encompass various other attributes such as safety, access to healthcare facilities, access to facilities for kids etc. in order to provide a more holistic analysis. This would give a clear idea of suitable neighborhoods/blocks following which the student can loop back into existing online platforms to make a final decision.

Guided by Professor Waishan Qui

Members: Phasit Rattanachaisit Shhrruti Jain

Distance from Census Block Centroid

Block Centroids

Apart from price, location and distances, the choices of places where students want to live is also dependent on their personal interests and criteria. The hypothesis is that dividing student criteria into categories and using these measures to evaluate city blocks within Manhattan could be more effective in finding suitable living locations for students. The layering in GIS will serve as a base for statistical analysis while the color-coded output maps will serve as the guiding data for making housing decisions. Within Manhattan, the idea is to understand each block’s composition of the above identified criteria using spatial tools such as “join count”. This would be followed by having different combinations of priorities such that each student can refer to data that is most suitable to their interests.

This study comprises 6 different scenarios based on different priorities of criteria that would be:

SFP (1. Subway 2. Healthy Food 3. Park)

SPF (1. Subway 2. Park 3. Healthy Food)

FSP (1. Healthy Food 2. Subway 3. Park)

FPS (1. Healthy Food 2. Park 3. Subway)

PSF (1. Park 2. Subway 3. Healthy Food)

PFS (1. Park 2. Healthy Food 3. Subway)

map to explain the process and concept of join count followed by calculate field

To test the hypothesis, three broad categories of common students’ criteria have been identified:

SUBWAY STATIONS

HEALTHY FOOD FACILITIES