Balcony Railing and Nudge Pedestrian - Bus Q Shelter Design NDMC Delhi

Bus Q Shelter Has Wings!

‘Bus Q Shelter’ Design Competition by NDMC – 2001.
This Bus Q Shelter has Wings! Wow! What Design! ;-) Refer the earlier Post at http://www.sandeepvij.blogspot.com/2018/04/ndmc-bus-stand-design-competition-year-2001.html . The Front Elevation and the Site Plan is being posted here, plus a portion of the Site Plan too.

In the Front Elevation you see the Balcony Railing, the other two front railings, the front of the shelter with space for ad panel towards the top, and also the rear ad panels. They also had a system of the ad panels’ area - meaning that the ad panels’ total area must not exceed a certain figure. All of that was calculated and the total ad panels’ area is within the limits. That area limit etc. is not detailed here in this post. You can also see that the rear ad panels are supported by their own structural columns, 100 MM dia 6MM thick MS pipes.

Front Elevation of Bus Q Shelter Design Competition Submission to NDMC, 2001 by Sandeep Vij Architect at http://www.google.com/+SandeepVijArchitectsNewDelhi - Benches, Ad Panels, Supporting Columns, Railings, ... 

In the Site Plan, you see how I have tried to guide the pedestrian while still a distance away from the Bus Q Shelter, to select his lane, ( :-) ) decide whether he has to enter the Bus Stand or not. If he/she needs to enter the Bus Stand then he/she will move towards the front. If not, he/she will move towards the rear. ‘Select from the diversion’. The pedestrian not intending to enter the shelter walks in one direction, the passenger waiting in the shelter walks in the perpendicular direction to that. So to prevent collisions between the two, I nudged the pavement walker towards the rear, and I had reminded myself initially while beginning the design that this is NDMC area, they have broad pavements. There can be space at the back. So the front is clear. He is not supposed to walk from towards the front. So people walk past from the rear. And if by error the city walker gets into the front lane then he/she can always move towards the rear by moving into and through the gap provided somewhere along the middle. Refer Site Plan Drawing. In fact I wanted to add another passage for the incidental rear lane strayer to allow himself/herself to come into the front lane too, but I don’t know why I thought that that may be an overkill. I restrained myself. But that stray rear entry wallah can still get towards the front by the same passage, only that he/she needs to go a little backward, as per this Design. That can be reworked though. In fact the reason of not going for a similar detour from the rear pavement was of possible ‘collision’. Then I thought that it was silly of me to think of collision, then I thought that perhaps it was not that silly to think of collision. Anyway, ‘possible collision’ between pedestrians (!) in the middle if they are changing lanes .. won. So there is that change lane provision in that direction that you see in the Drawing. In hindsight, I feel that I should have rather incorporated it - a similar arrangement in place for the accidental rear lane entry wallah. It is absolutely another matter that that may have been rejected, maybe outright. I mean both these ‘diversions’ for the “Holy Bus Stand” (ooh!) might have been scrapped. I don’t know. In fact this Site Plan was an “extra” from my side. It was not asked for. I prepared it from my own side, because my design asked for it. I exceeded the brief. I am proud of it. हम जब डिज़ाइन करते हैं तो हम कुएं के अंदर नहीं होते | हमारा व्यू वर्ल्डवाइड होता है | Our view is worldwide. We zoom in, we zoom out. वी ज़ूम इन, वी ज़ूम आउट | हम बहुत बड़ा दिल और बेहद ख़ास रवैया रखते हैं | आप कह सकते हैं की हम बड़े वो हैं ! On the serious side, I thought that this Design cannot exist in isolation. It has to take into account the surrounds – the entry from the side, front etc. It’s logic, isn’t it? Was I the first one ever in India to think like that (Site Plan must accompany the Bus Stand Plan) vis-a-vis the Bus Q Shelter Design? ;-) Unlikely perhaps? .. but I don’t know.

Site Plan of Bus Q Shelter Design Competition Submission to NDMC, 2001 by Sandeep Vij Architect at http://www.google.com/+SandeepVijArchitectsNewDelhi - diversions, guiding, Smart Design, Public Spaces, wings. Pavement, Urbanscape, Cityscape, Green, Landscaping, road, access, physically challenged friendly, ... 

The Part Site Plan is showing a portion of the Site Plan for better grasp, understanding. And you will notice now that there is actually a distance between the Bus Q Shelter and the metalled portion or the carriageway as mentioned in the last post. This Shelter is not just after the kerb and does not start immediately from the road. And there is also provision from the road to make entry into the Bus Stand. We can’t discount that. People will enter from the road. Steps have been provided towards the left and right of the front of this Bus Stand (kerb) at the places one of which is directly in front of the gap between the Balcony Railing and the Left Railing and the other one is “not” directly in front of the gap between the Balcony Railing and the Right Railing but abutting it. The Ramp for the physically challenged comes directly in front there. Refer the earlier Post and the Plan. So of course there is provision of a ramp for the physically challenged. And thus this is physically challenged friendly. Ramp Slope was worked out.

Part Site Plan of Bus Q Shelter Design Competition Submission to NDMC, 2001 by Sandeep Vij Architect at http://www.google.com/+SandeepVijArchitectsNewDelhi - Key Plan, diversion, guidance, Smart Designs, Public Space, Wing. Nudging, Order, Differently Abled, change course, wrong lane - doesn't matter, bus route nos sign board, ... 

Site Plan mentions the levels. The topography of the land at that place in Urbania may or not be flexible always but/and still the levels are there nevertheless. Some things are presumed. The Pavement is 300MM above the carriageway finished carpeted surface. The Ramp Slope is not 1:10, it is steeper, but not much. I don’t exactly recall the metrics of the same but the figures and the reason must be documented somewhere with me (not locatable at the moment). It is not trivia I know but not locatable. So if you are walking from towards the front of the Bus Stand then you may have to step a little down into the Ramp (perpendicular to the direction of the Ramp) and then take a step in the Ramp and then climb up back again. Slight drawback. And yes a further slight drawback is that you will step onto a slightly sloping surface (perpendicular to your movement) and not a level surface. This is trivia?, is it? Actually, when I design then these things come to the mind. And then I try to account for that. But then this is only a slight drawback that we wil have to live with. It is not much. But then again this can be further worked out.

There was another novelty in this Design actually but that is not shown in the Site Plan. It is in the Model. I had carefully worked out the ad panels area and provided an ad panel also in the landscaped portion just near to the left and right of the shelter at about eye level. It was a panel on a surface facing the rear lane of the shelter. It was almost parallel to it, albeit at a slight angle. This surface was part of an equilateral triangle. So there were two more panels. The second panel (or third or first whichever you look at it) was facing the 'front corner' of the bus stand. It had the bus route nos. mentioned! :-) Of course it was also at the same time facing the road at an angle. The last panel facing away from the front corner of the shelter but of course facing the road at an angle had the ‘Name’ of the Bus Stand mentioned. I thought that mentioning of the bus route nos. on one panel along with the name of the actual bus stand on another and clubbing it with an ad panel as the third panel was a good idea - 3 stuff on 3 panels, .. an equilateral triangle, .. eye level, .. serves all purpose, .. is smart etc. Photos of the Model were taken. They are with the Client. They never gave that to me. It was oversight on my part to not take its photos. The Model consists of the Bus Stand at the right ‘scale’ of course. Then, it also contains (in the same Model), the Shelter at a ‘larger scale’ so that the surrounds also come into the Picture. So here the Shelter gets shrunk and one can figure how segregation of pedestrians is done from a distance and the connection in the middle is there and the landscaping is also there. You understand that. And it was the first time, I learnt, that anyone had ever presented the Design of the same entity at two different scales in the same Model.

(And now everybody knows that I am no modesty blaze.) ;-)

About the ad panels area: It was supposed to not exceed a figure and not be even lesser than that figure and then there were limitations to the maximum and minimum area of the respective ad panels - front, rear, side. So I carved out another ad panel whilst still being in the mathematical limit, the zone. Actually I got a little bugged also. I mean, 'commerce', 'commerce' was more on their mind. And 'City, Design, pedestrians, people, India, Bharat, Architect, dribbling, flourishing, celebration, viscosity, value, substance, honour, swashbucklingness, smartness, cosmopolitanism, my work' was on my mind. So that is why I gave "shape" to their 'commercial intent' - their 'commerce'. I thought that when I provide them another place for an ad, they'll jump! So during the Presentation I feel they liked the novelty. It was not asked for. I designed it for them. I mean I conjured another place for them for their 'glorious ads', and in Style. ठोको ताली ?! In fact you do find that idea, design also replicated in some Bus Q Shelters around Delhi. I'll see if I can get their photos. :-) So 'Samraat type' (सम्राट टाईप) people find 'actual smartness' because of my work. .. स्मार्ट सिटी ..

;-) Tags for this Post: Public Design, People Design, Urban Planning, Transit, In Style, Front Elevation, Elevation, City Boy, City Girl, City Life, Urban Boy, Urban Girl, Architectural Drawings, dimensions, architectural dimensions, romance, City Romance, We Built This City, Rock And Roll, Jazz, Pop, Pop Design, Jazzy Designs, Jazzy, Together, We Can Do It, Delhi Tourist? Do It Here!, pedestrian, pedestrians, holy design

In the next post you will find the Side Elevations. So watch out for that.

"We Built This City" - नेपथ्य से आवाज़ आयी |
"Your Honour?, Shall We Build This City Now? Allow Me The Design Of Some Public Spaces." - यह मेरी आवाज़ आयी ! ;-)

Update 150519: The third post is at http://www.sandeepvij.blogspot.com/2019/05/line-of-sight-ndmc-bus-q-shelter-design-delhi.html .

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Bus Q Shelter Design - Dilli Meri Jaan - दिल्ली मेरी जान

NDMC Bus Stand Design Competition 2001

This (episode) is from 2001. A Drawing and a Photo are posted. Architectural Plan Drawing is part of drawings that I prepared for NDMC in 2001 (March April, I think) for the Bus Q Shelter Design Competition. I was hired by a Construction Company. There were only 4 entries. Oops? Mine was the best! Ye-ee-aa-hh! :-) And I was the only Architect amongst the 4 competitors! And then I was actually the only one to hire a Structural Consultant also! This fact is mentioned for some reason only. The Structural Drawings are not in this post, btw.

Find below the Architectural Plan Drawing. In the Plan, you see that the entry into the Shelter is from the Side Front (and not the road only). I made a provision for the pedestrian to walk in the Shelter ‘organised’ – provide definition. Don’t just scoff at it (some pseudos will) but understand it. The Broken Lines are the extent of the Bus Q Shelter. The total area of the Bus Stand enclosure was to be 25 SQM. The dimensions of the Shelter were worked out by me to be 8025 MM x 3115 MM. So when you enter the Shelter from the side, you are in already, then you take three steps or four, then you turn and you enter further in. Simple.

Architectural Plan Drawing of a Bus Q Shelter Design Competition Submission from 2001. This is for NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council). Sandeep Vij Architect's Designs were adjudged the Best Design, though no prize was awarded to him! He was not even mentioned anywhere!

There is a railing towards the sides as you enter (both left and right) and then there is also a railing towards the front. I called it the “Balcony Railing”. :-) Now in this Balcony Railing I had envisioned a commuter, passenger with his hands on the railing and waiting for the bus and looking towards the direction of the oncoming bus. So “THAT” was the ‘symbolic, appropriate, direct, correct, true, apt’ representation of a Bus Stand. :-) It has four vertical Stainless Steel pipes, and then it has a C shaped or U shaped SS pipe towards the top which you see in the Plan, It has 1000 MM height. The whole of it forms the railing. Refer Front Elevation when it comes. Towards the sides of this shelter but very much within the compound is a railing to sort of encase or enclose the shelter from the sides. Once again it is about definition (fortifying?, not really .. maybe yes ..). This was supposed to be the NDMC area, and I reminded myself of the Chain that you see along Rajpath and India Gate. Remember? So this Chain would automatically immediately bind the City! Yes? Call it 'Visual Connect'. Refer Side Elevations when they arrive in a subsequent Post. I called it the Chain Railing. You see Benches at the rear. And just behind the Benches towards the fag rear of the compound I provided 25 CM of Green! And then I also proposed that another 25 CM of Green be provided as donation (misnomer) by the NDMC so that the total Green width becomes 50 CM. I used the term. “Bhagidari”. The word Bhagidari became a buzzword soon after in Delhi (I am not suggesting that it was because of my using it here, but I don’t know). So the portion where you find GREEN mentioned is actually the portion just outside of this Compound. The Shelter ends just before that and you can make that out from the dimensions on the left. There are also square pipes towards the rear to prevent the person from straying into the Green (and also for definition).

This Shelter is not just after the kerb and does not start immediately from the road. That’s not shown here. I had envisaged that the person walking along the pavement will either enter the Bus Stand or else move from the rear of the Shelter if he is just passing by, even though there is space towards the front. The pedestrian not intending to enter the shelter walks in one direction, the passenger waiting in the shelter walks in the perpendicular direction to that. So to prevent collisions between the two, I nudged the pavement walker towards the rear, and I had reminded myself initially while beginning the design that this is NDMC area, they have broad pavements. There can be space at the back. So the front is clear. He is not supposed to walk from towards the front. And for that I had carefully prepared an ‘extra’ site plan actually (not here in this Post – but it will come soon). I had nudged the city walker (on the pavement), while still away from the Bus Q Shelter by several metres, to gently change direction and move towards the rear. He was supposed to ‘select’ from the diversion – ‘select your lane’ type. So people walk from the rear. And in case he goes towards the front lane accidentally and then realises that ‘oops, …’, there was a provision to ‘get him back’ without taking a u-turn! ;-) Refer the Site Plan when it arrives. Seamless, .. I am, .. Watson?!, .. huh? .. Subtle is more like it! I wanted to have a similar thing in place for the accidental rear lane entry wallah also but was shelved by me to prevent overkill.

Look also at the accompanying photo (shot on Dec. 23, 2015). This is not exactly the replica of my Design, but you can see the landscaping just towards the rear of the Shelter. This is somewhere in NDMC area of course. I am not blowing my own trumpet but I am only trying to make a point for the citizens of Delhi, through this my post, on my own personal web platform. Anyway in the Plan Drawing you also see a glimpse of the landscaping along the nudged path just towards the right as it ends at the side of the Shelter. I have mentioned that the Site Plan will also be posted later. And now look at the photo also by the way - Glimpses of my designs here and there. In my Plan Drawing you see that there are ad panels towards the rear, and there are also ad panels on the sides, one is towards the ‘front of the side’, other is towards the ‘rear of the side’. Refer the side elevations when they come accompanied by reasons, description etc.

Photo of a Bus Stand from the NDMC area in New Delhi. Photo clicked by Sandeep Vij. This is not Sandeep Vij's Design exactly, but glimpses of his Design Submission from 2001 (!) can be seen when an Architectural Design Competition was held by New Delhi Municipal Council for Bus Q Shelter Designs.

The roof structure is supported by two pipes towards the front and two at the back. These round columns are all 150 MM dia and 6 MM thick MS Pipes.

And a certain Mr. Mishra was Chairman of the NDMC at that time btw. The Company that hired me is called Progressive Constructions.

:-) . . . Till next time then. . . I Shall Be Back. . . .  . .

[Later Edit: Next Post is at http://www.sandeepvij.blogspot.com/2018/05/ndmc-bus-q-shelter-design-competition-wings.html .]

Tags? .. Well how about MCD, NDMC, DTC, Delhi Transport Corporation, New Delhi Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation Of Delhi, Dilli, Dilliwallah, Delhi, Delhiite, dude, dudette, Dilli Meri Jaan, Oh Delhi, Hoo Boy, ;-) , Atta Boy, Hey Girl, South Delhi, North Delhi, New Delhi, West Delhi, East Delhi, Bus Stand, Architectural Drawing, Bus Shelter, Bhagidari, Urban Design, .. 

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