Raj Rewal Rewal – CIDCO Lowcost Housing, Housing, Navi Mumbai SEPEM!ER "#, "$%% SRE E&' N H P S ( COMMENS
)is buil*ing +oject +oject b- t)e Cit- an* In*ustial Develo+ment Co+oation .CIDCO/ b- Ma)aas)ta state e+esents a com+le0, s+eci1call- In*ian +oblem2 ceating accommo*ation 3o +eo+le on subsistence incomes4 5un*amentall-, t)ese ae )omes t)at can neve be owne* bt)ei occu+ants, because in most cases t)e +eo+le w)o live t)ee will neve succee* in bea6ing t)oug) t)e income baies4 Peo+le usuall- get stuc6 wit)in a social statum t)at is cleal*e1ne* an* *emacate* wit)out an- )o+e o c)ance o3 im+ovement because o3 ina*e7uate sc)ooling an* +o3essional taining4 Ot)e 3actos, too, +la- a +at in t)e Hin*u social s-stem, es+eciall- t)e caste s-stem, a millennia8 ol* stuctue into w)ic) one is bon4 Ove t)e centuies, a s-stem t)at o*ee* an* stabilise* societ- into +o3essional classes *egeneate* into an unwot)- class s-stem t)at *es+ises )uman beings4 Des+ite t)e In*ian govenment9s best e:ots to bea6 awa- 3om it, sometimes using 3oce, an* to guaantee bette c)ances o3 success 3o t)ose involve*, t)is scouge still emains 1ml- anc)oe* in +eo+le9s consciousness4 Raj Rewal9s Rewal9s +actice was commissione* to +lan %$$$ accommo*ation units 3o esi*ents on t)e e*ge o3 a lage +lanning aea in New Mumbai, a new aea t)at was being *evelo+e* at t)e time east o3 Mumbai ol* town4 's is t)e case wit) all uban *evelo+ment +ojects, *es+ite a velow bu*get it was im+otant not just to +ovi*e t)e bae essentials in tems o3 s+ace, but above all to *evelo+ a )ome envionment t)at was sim+le but o3 )ig) 7ualit-4 7ualit-4 )e *i;cult balancing act between 1nance an* ambience coul*
succee* onl- i3 ine0+ensive but lastingl- e:ective buil*ing mateials wee use*, an* i3 t)e +lanning +ocess was not too costl- an* le* a sim+le im+lementation +oce*ue4 )e Rewal +actice *esigne* t)e +oject as a )ig) *ensit- stuctue4 On t)e one )an* it was because t)e aea available was stictllimite*, but also in o*e to ac)ieve 7ualit- 3o t)e out*oo s+ace t)at was e:ective in uban tems, -et eminiscent o3 a natuall*evelo+e* village4 )ese accommo*ations cells, o , "#, ?$ an* @$ m" lage4 )e- )ave essential sanita- 3acilities an* wate tan6s on t)e oo3 3o a constant wate su++l-, w)ic) is still b- no means to be ta6en 3o gante* in essentiall- ual In*ia4 One im+otant +oblem )a* to be solve*2 w)at easonabl- +ice* an* *uable mateials coul* ma6e a lasting e:ect wit)in a vetig)t 1nancial 3amewo64 )e 1nal c)oice was a combination o3 concete cavit- bloc6s, e0+ose* +lastewo6, )an*8ma*e teacotta tiles an* locall- available oug) ganite stones 3o t)e base4 )is combination can en*ue t)e )a* monsoon climate an* will *evelo+ an acce+table +atina4 Electicit- was also guaantee* 3o t)e entie com+le0, not just in t)e *wellings t)emselves, but in t)e +ublic aeas as well4 Roa*s wee move* to t)e +ei+)e- to allow 3o sa3e but easonabl- +ice* 3oot+at) connections wit)in t)e *evelo+ment4 )ee is access on all si*es 3om t)e outsi*e, an* it is eas- 3o +eo+le to 1lte t)oug) t)e buil*ing gou+s4 Ait) t)e conce+t o3 a ve- *ense esi*ential 7uate, Rewal accomo*ate* t)e enomousl- )ig) level o3 social inteaction in eve-*a- In*ian li3e4 Peo+le *o not just live in t)ei own )omes, but ae in intensive contact wit) neig)bous, 3ien*s an* 3ellow occu+ants almost t)oug)out t)e *a- an* nig)t4 )us o+ening t)e )omes u+ to t)e out*oo s+ace is an im+otant *esign consi*eation4 Incease* uban *ensit- is now not usuall- bon o3 necessit-, but an im+otant conce+t
3o li3e in geneal4 A)en *evelo+ing uban s+ace t)e 7ualito3 in*oo an* out*oo s+ace )ave to go )an* in )an*, as li3e ta6es +lace to a lage e0tent in t)e steet4 So w)en +lanning t)e c)ain o3
abstact an* t)us unambiguousl- mo*en 3om, entielcommitte* to its time4
