Leaving space
an alternative for the chawl redevelopment in Nala Sopara
E.R. de Jong (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
In Nala Sopara, In the Mumbai metropolitan region, we can find many one-story dwelling blocks called ‘baithi chawls’. Due to the increasing demand for housing in this area, the developers have shifted their focus to the build of four to five-story chawls. We can distinguish two forms of chawl development; the redevelopment and the new constructions. In the case of the redevelopment the original baithi chawl is demolished and replaced by a four or five story chawl using the exact same footprint; increasing the
density four times. Newly built chawls are developed on vacant lots using about the same urban layout as the redeveloped baithi chawls; creating a density of about 1300 units per hectare. Both developments contribute significantly to the provision of housing for the economical weaker
sector and the lower income group.
However, these developments create an urban fabric of chawls that is extremely cramped. In The chawl area’s the open space has been reduced to an absolute minimum. The buildings get placed closer and closer together to create the highest possible density, but leaving hardly any ‘open-to sky space’. As advocated by Correa these open-to-sky spaces
are a crucial aspect of housing in warm climates: ''Successful housing is a seamless continuum of spaces that goes all the way from the
most private, to the semi-private, to the public. This is why it creates communities''. In this graduation project, an alternative scenario is developed that takes into account the importance of open space and amenities.