2012 ELECTIVE CASE STUDY
[WALMI (WATER AND LAND MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE)] WALMI, (Water And Land Management Institute) was established in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, under the central government aid, with a desire to increase the effectiveness of irrigation project.
CASE STUDY WATER AND LAND MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE, BHOPAL By: Vaibhav Mishra 081110019 Purva Saksena 081110020 Apoorva Pillay 081110022 Pushpendra Singh 081110023 Ismail Faizal 081110024
POJECT DETAILS Project Name: WALMI, Bhopal Building Type: Institutional Location: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. Architect: Sen Kapadia Year of Start/Completion: 1983/87 Climate: Composite Built-up Area: 10,800 Sq. m
Site: The site is located on a flat top hillock adjoining the kaliasote dam just 15 km away from the new market. The site offers an undistributed view of the water body, down the northern slopes and experimental farms, down southern slopes of this 30m high hillock.
OVERVIEW OF PROJECT WALMI, (Water And Land Management Institute) was established in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, under the central government aid, with a desire to increase the effectiveness of irrigation project. The institute conducts research and training programmes both in built and on fields.
CLIMATIC CONTEXT Bhopal has a humid subtropical climate, with mild, dry winters, a hot summer and a humid monsoon season. Summers start in late March and go on till mid-June, the average temperature being around 30 °C (86 °F), with the peak of summer in May, when the highs regularly exceed 40 °C (104 °F). The monsoon starts in late June and ends in late September. These months see about 40 inches (1020 mm) of precipitation, frequent thunderstorms and flooding. The average temperature is around 25 °C (77 °F) and the humidity is quite high. Temperatures rise again up to late October when winter starts, which lasts up to early March. Winters in Bhopal are mild, sunny and dry, with average temperatures around 18 °C (64 °F) and little or no rain. The winter peaks in January when temperatures may drop close to freezing on some nights. On 6 January
2011, the lowest temperature was 2 °C lower than in Shimla. Total annual rainfall is about 1146 mm.
DESIGN, MATERIALs AND TECHNIQUES WALMI is viewed largely as an environmental planning apparatus. The institute functions in a low profile but highly nature sensitive atmosphere. The life here is self-sufficient in work, recreation, living and a socio-cultural activity amidst lush landscape that at once provides natural beauty and microclimatic control.
Planning and Built Form The 230m long institutional building of WALMI is planned as a ‘landscraper’. If built vertically, it would be a 60-storey ‘skyscraper’. The building exploits the north-south orientation for user comfort. The WALMI administration and hostel buildings follow the contours of the hill on which they sit, while the long horizontal plan ensures a rural character and simple construction. This is also affords all users to enjoy the landscape at a personal level as opposed to gardens seen from higher floor as a visual mass. The long east-west axis determines an axial plan. As can be seen from the plan, this provides an advantage of giving strategic location for main building; secondary location for hostels; and quiet, secluded area for residential units, with area for expansion. The master plan is integrated with landscaping plan to provide a ‘habitable landscape’ rather than buildings, road, and
gardens. This is a new heightened blend of architecture, nature and people in cooperative existence. A large part of site has been developed as ‘green zones’ of indigenous trees that require minimal maintenance. The plan envisages an integrated development of indoor and outdoor spaces in total harmony with the local landscape. Usage of natural building materials and indigenous plants ensures appropriate aesthetics.
Landscaping Trees are planted primarily to be effective for cooling, reducing the dust, sun glare and acting as a natural shields against hot and cold winds. Trees like in ancient times provide inspirational contemplation spots.
Water as a microclimate modifier Water has also been a central and sacred feature of human settlement since Vedic period. The presence of water in the form of stream, cascades and pools is thus a significant element of the WALMI plan. Planning carefully avoids European and moghul traditions of vast sheets of formal reflective stagnant water bodies. Instead, a moving water body is at once alive and free from mosquitoes. Additionally, water within the campus make a meaningful visual and physical dialogue with the reservoir of Kaliasote dam.
Water is pumped up from Kaliasote reservoir and stored in overhead water tanks located on top of buildings. Cascading water is extensively used to provide coolant to air-conditioning plants, and for sprinklers provided on rooftops. Eventually this water is recycled to landscape zones. All this has been detailed as a showcase for demonstration of a natural element in true harness and as an appropriate modifier of the microclimate. This along with the land formations effectively suggests creative interpretation of WALMI.
The essential element of this project is the modular of this project is the modular unit. The 25x7 meter unit is developed for easy adaptability for research laboratories, library and administrative functions as it constitutes the main bulk of the built form. As the institute progresses, modular units will combine to generate a gently curvilinear building that responds to the natural contours of the hillock and a spectacular view of the lake.
Circulation Pedestrian circulation is given prime importance in this plan. Meandering pathways through different spaces aligned with flowering and fragrant shrubbery provide pleasant atmosphere while commuting to different zones.
VENTILATION, DAYLIGHTING AND ROOF TREATMENT
Deep and single-loaded corridor on the south ensures cross ventilation, and avoids heat and glare in all rooms. Window openings are oriented on the north side to allow abundant daylighting of all rooms. Using natural materials, most areas of buildings are built with standardized elements such as lintels and storage units. Flooring employs local natural stones. The building, largely located on the east-west axis, enjoys extensive north exposure. This allows induce cross-ventilation, and abundant natural light without any heat gain, as west side exposure is minimized and the roof is also insulated. This helps energy savings by reducing electrical consumption for light and fans. Rooftops are fitted with water sprinklers that cool through evaporation. The roof is also insulated with 2.5 cm layer of thermocole over RCC shell and topped with stone tiles. Appropriate trees are placed judiciously to cut the glare and
heat gain, while built in desert coolers ensure pleasant environment at a reduced energy use. All passive systems are self-induced solutions based on ongoing clinical research. The building has been designed to be cooler
by
10°C
with
reference
to
ambient
external
temperature. The aim is to provide effective human comfort and reduced load on air-conditioning.
SERVICES
Electrical Supply Although electricity will be supplied at site, investigating the use of photovoltaic based local generation of power is recommended. Buildings are planned to virtually eliminate electric lights during daytime.
Sewage Management There is no municipal disposal on site and this is being managed by the two Gobar Gas plants. These plants not only effectively manage waste disposal but yield fertilizers and methane gas.
PERFORMANCE The architect does not have any performance data on the building. However, the architect feels that bioclimatic consideration of the building design along with thoughtful incorporation of passive measures would ensure thermal and
visual comfort in the building round the year with minimal energy use.
CONCLUSION Taking advantage of a unique site, away from constraints of a city, a master plan of WALMI is created as a special but appropriate material embodiment of an institute’s desire to harness bounties of nature. Plan and architectural details vastly differ from conventional plans, only to economize the expenses and create harmony with nature. As an extension of the sponsor’s – the EPCO (Environmental Planning and Co-ordination Organization) – desire to create exemplary architecture, the WALMI plan strives to answer physical needs with creative integration of planning, landscaping and appropriate technology. When applied in totality, the resultant cost-effectiveness and its
aesthetic value are a natural consequence in this passive solar architecture.
