CAMPUS ON THE SABARMATI

IIT GANDHINAGAR

STUDENT HOSTELS
DESIGN EVOLUTION
STUDENT HOSTELS
DESIGN EVOLUTION

Bobby Desai

Sudhir K. Jain

Harish P. M.

Jaison Manjaly

Marjorie Greene

Mouli Kethineedi
Campus on the Sabarmati

DISCLAIMER

The material presented in this document has been prepared in accordance with generally recognized engineering principles and practices. This
document is intended for use by individuals who are competent to evaluate the significance and limitations of its content and accept responsibility
for the application of the content in part or full. The authors and IIT Gandhinagar will not be responsible for any direct, accidental or consequential
damages arising from the use of material contained in this document.

Development of this document was supported by the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.

The material presented in this document cannot be reproduced without written permission, for which please contact [email protected].

NOTE:

Most of the text, drawings and graphic material in this publication were prepared by HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt.
Ltd. and presented to IIT Gandhinagar in 2012. It is hoped that this publication will be of interest to design professionals as well
as others interested in campus planning and development, and that it will also serve as a useful educational tool for students
and young professionals.

ILLUSTRATIONS/ PHOTO CREDITS

HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd. & Gaurav Shukla

LAYOUT
Gaurav Shukla

COPYRIGHT
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, 2019

ISBN: 978-81-934412-8-2

Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iitgn.ac.in

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

FOREWORD

Once created, universities may last not just decades, but centuries. Hence, it is a rare privilege for anyone to participate in the process of creating
a new university. Establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has enabled all of us associated with the Institute to
innovate in creating curricula, organizing governance, and nurturing a unique culture and ethos of the Institute. The philosophy of education has
been to push traditional boundaries with an emphasis on multi-disciplinary approaches and crosscutting thematic areas.

Just as the Institute endeavours to think out of the box for its academic programmes and governance, it has also been doing so for development
of its 399-acre campus on the banks of the Sabarmati River. It is our firm belief that the physical environment makes a huge contribution to shape
the processes of learning and knowledge creation. The campus has been conceptualized keeping in mind the long-term objectives as well as the
present needs and immediate future. The guiding principles of the campus development have been
• An ambience that attracts visitors and conveys to them that they are on a university campus unlike any they have visited before.
• Functional convenience for the academic community for mutual interaction, learning and research.
• Low energy and resource consumption, as well as minimal upkeep and low maintenance costs.
The engagement of a large number of professionals and academics in brainstorming and in executing the design and construction has enabled us
to introduce numerous innovations in the development of the campus. This publication is one in a series that explains the complex decision making,
design, and construction process for the new campus. The publications in this series have been made possible because of several visits of Marjorie
Greene to IITGN as a Scholar-in-Residence. She worked to systematically compile the various materials presented here, collaborating with IITGN
colleagues as well as our architects and consultants.

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION: This publication showcases the architectural design of the Hostel Complex in Phase I of campus development, building
from goals and objectives set forth in the Masterplan. The architects selected for this challenge were HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt.
Ltd. who led a large team to complete this vital component of campus development.

Sudhir K Jain
Director and Professor
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

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Campus on the Sabarmati

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Understanding the Campus

The site for the IIT Gandhinagar campus, 399 acres in area, is located on the banks of the Sabarmati River. The topography of the site, as well as its
regional context, dictated much of the campus design, including the Hostel Complex.

Evolution of the Masterplan for the Hostel Complex

The Masterplan for the campus provided the overall framework and design context for each of the campus components, including the Hostel
Complex. A competitive selection process was used to select the architects for the hostels, with HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd.
winning the competition. These architects then developed their design approach with the intent to create a unique, attractive space and to create
a functional space.

The design of the hostels was worked out in a very democratic fashion, with active participation from faculty and from students. The hostels were
designed to be non-conforming, thought-provoking spaces. The buildings are not oriented in rigid squares or along a grid line but rather in ways
that suggest breaking of certain patterns.

Designing the spaces to create community was at the core of the design philosophy and approach. The central court is the principal organising
element around which the hostel buildings are arranged. It is a strong concourse with visual and physical connections to the river and the Central
Vista. Within each hostel there are also courtyards that serve as neighbourhood public spaces.

Hostel Masterplan and Cluster Design Components

A primary pedestrian street serves as a unifying feature and circulation spine for the cluster of buildings that form the Hostel Complex. In India the
street has always been a public space for people to meet and gather. Drawing from traditional references of the region, the pedestrian street has
been designed to connect the hostel buildings as a varied route and a showcase of activity.

The courtyard of each building has been designed to be its life and soul. These courtyards can be customised with art, sculpture and landscape
elements to reflect the student residents in each.

Various room sizes and furniture arrangements are possible. The design of the one and two person rooms was reconfigured after initial discussions

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

to account for potential additional growth of students on campus.

The dining building or mess for the hostels has been placed at the centre of the Hostel Complex, where it is a hub of activity during mealtimes. It
has been designed specifically to cater to the harsh climate of the region, using a Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling (PDEC) strategy.

Key design principles also included the orientation and placement of buildings to take advantage of the prevailing winds and to maximise mutual
shading; the design of windows to consider orientation, minimise solar penetration and take advantage of prevailing winds; the use of street
elements to give urban scale, shade and identity; and the use of trees for shade and spaces for contemplation.

Building fenestration also took into account building orientation to maximise shading. On some floors the windows were placed at an angle to
reduce the glare from the sun, and on other floors the orientation of the building to its neighbour meant that the windows would never receive
full-on sun.

Confined Masonry Construction

The hostel buildings have been built with the confined masonry construction typology. This is the first application of engineered confined masonry
construction in India for a large-scale project involving public buildings. Confined masonry is a building technology that uses the same basic
materials found in unreinforced masonry construction and RC frame construction with masonry infills, but with a different construction sequence
and system, and better performance in earthquakes.

Landscape Design
The landscape strategy reflects the concept of streets as the activity center. The key principles adopted for the landscape works include the
differentiation of primary and secondary streets, accessible entrance foyers and courtyards, separate courtyards for each building, using planters as
privacy screens, segregating services onto the secondary streets and periphery, using native species for the plantings, and providing large foliage
trees for shading.

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 Campus on the Sabarmati

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

IIT Gandhinagar would like to acknowledge the contributions of all stakeholders in the conceptualization, evolution of campus design, detailed
engineering and construction of the IITGN campus – Student Hostels: the team of various specialized consultants including structural designers,
MEP services, landscape design, and advisor consultants to architects, led by principal architects M/S HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt.
Ltd, Ahmedabad; Central Public Works Department (CPWD) engineers; contractors; and the construction workers.

Special acknowledgement is due to CPWD officers Mr L. K. Bhargava, Project Manager; Mr Nitin Kohli, Executive Engineer (Civil); Mr G S Bisht,
Assistant Engineer, (Civil); Mr D. R. Rathod, Executive Engineer (Electrical); Mr S. Bhattacharya, Assistant Engineer (Electrical); and Mr Jagtap Sagar
D., Assistant Executive Engineer (Electrical) for the wholehearted efforts they put into this project. Special acknowledgment is also due to the IITGN
Works Department team consisting of Mr Nagaraja Narayan Rao, Past Advisor; Mr Anil K. Kothari, Past Superintending Engineer; Mr L. P. Srivastava,
Advisor; and Mr G. C. Chaudhary, Superintending Engineer. The entire project was guided by the Building and Works Committee (B&WC) of IITGN
and regularly monitored by the Project Progress Monitoring Committee (PPMC). We acknowledge the constant review, critical advice and guidance
of all members of B&WC and PPMC.

The campus design and development underwent intense stages of debate and discussion with participation of Dr Vinod Gupta and Ar Ujan Ghosh
of Green Campus Development Consortium (Space Design Consultants & Upalghosh Associates), Masterplan Consultants; and Ar Shobhit Tayal,
Owner’s Architect, M/S Design and Planning Counsel Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad. Special mention needs to be given to the late Prof Mohammad Shaheer,
M/S MSYK Designs, who reviewed the landscape design work.

Several IITGN faculty members and students were also involved deeply and contributed immensely and enthusiastically to the project from the first
day. Special thanks to IITGN faculty Prof Jaison Manjaly, Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof Atul Bhargav, Mechanical Engineering, Prof Harish P.
M., Mechanical Engineering, and Prof Ashwini Kumar, Civil Engineering and IITGN students Shashank Pandey, Vrushiket Patil, Rutuparna Karandikar,
Sunil Nair, Saurabh Singhal, Sukriti, Akanksha Jagwani, and Ritu Gavasane.

Prof Durgesh C. Rai of IIT Kanpur and Prof Svetlana Brzev of British Columbia Institute of Technology, Vancouver provided guidance on Confined
Masonry design, and Prof Indrajit Ghosh and Prof Dhiman Basu of IITGN assisted in peer review of structural design. Shri S. Narasinhan and Shri
G. S. P. Singh of Bhavini, Kalpakkam, extended significant help in some of the tender documents. Mr Sudeep Banerjee and Mr Rohit Chaudhary of
IITGN assisted in framing the ELV tender specifications.

This project would not have been possible without the financial support provided by the Government of India.

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword V

Executive Summary Vi

Acknowledgements Viii

1 Understanding The Campus 1

2 Evolution of Masterplan for Hostel Complex 5

2.1 Underlying Philosophy of Hostel Design 6

2.2 Design Approach 6
2.3 Design Brief 7
2.4 Design Parameters 8
2.5 Hostel Masterplan Constraints and Opportunities 9
2.6 Urban Design Controls 10
2.7 Evolution of Hostel Masterplan 14
2.8 Hierarchy of Public Spaces 15

3 Hostel Masterplan and Cluster Design Components 16

3.1 Hostel Masterplan: Phase 1A (1200 Students) 16

3.2 Key Design Principles 17
3.3 Elements of Hostel Masterplan 20
3.4 Activity Plan at Cluster Level 21
3.5 Cluster Plan (1200 students) 23
3.6 Site Plan and Features 24
3.7 Streets and Pathways 25

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Campus on the Sabarmati

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3.8 Courtyards and Hostel Buildings 26

3.9 Site Model 31
3.10 Room Layouts and Flexible Configurations 32
3.11 Arrangement Modules 34
3.12 A Hostel Plan 35
3.13 Dining Building: Passive cooling in the mess 39

4 Confined Masonry Construction Typology 47

5 Landscape Design 49

5.1 Landscape Strategy 49

5.2 Cluster Plan: Landscape Layout 55
5.3 Street Sections 56
5.4 Proposed Plantation Plan 58

6 Photos of the completed Hostel Complex 60

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

1 Understanding The Campus

The site for the IIT Gandhinagar campus, approximately 399 acres in area, is located along the banks of the Sabarmati River. The topography of
the site as well as its regional context dictated much of the design found in the various campus components, including the Hostel Complex. Water
is a predominant feature of the site and its surroundings. The length of the western boundary of campus is formed by the Sabarmati River. While
in general, the land slopes towards the river, a large area locally slopes towards either of the two seasonal ponds that anchor the Central Vista, or
one of the several ravines within the site that ultimately drain into the river. Also, the site had large mature shade trees that were left on the site.

Much of the site, before construction, was level agricultural land

Much of the site, before construction, was level agricultural land

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Seasonal ponds

Local slopes drain into one of two seasonal ponds on site

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

The site prior to construction

Proximity to the Sabarmati River offers diverse, seasonal vistas and opportunities for connections to the river bed

The large, flat land with distinct tree lines suggests the layout of site activities

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Campus on the Sabarmati

View of hostels from one of the seasonal ponds

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

2 Evolution of Masterplan for Hostel Complex

A competitive selection process was used to select the architects for the Hostel Complex, with HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd.
winning the competition. In addition, the landscape architect for the campus Masterplan provided peer review and guidance for the landscape
design for the Hostel Complex. The Masterplan for the campus, described in a separate publication in this series, Planning the Sustainable Campus,
provided the overall framework and design context for each of the campus components, including the Hostel Complex.

The Hostel Complex forms the background to all campus activities. The experience of living there becomes part of the legacy that the students will
take with them at graduation and design of the space directly affects this experience. In the view of the hostel architects, good design is a solution
for all practical problems, where spatial organization and circulation is governed by logistical, economic, ergonomic, operational and aesthetic
considerations. Honest design with a clear underlying logic is that which is robust and elegantly constructible.

Aerial view of the campus as it is expected to look when completed. Brown buildings are Phase 1 Hostel buildings

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Campus on the Sabarmati

2.1. Underlying Philosophy of Hostel Design

The design of the hostels was worked out in a very democratic fashion, with active participation from faculty and from students. Similar to the
academic philosophy for the new campus that places an emphasis on fostering meaningful cross-disciplinary interactions, the hostels were designed
to be non-conforming, thought-provoking spaces. The buildings are not oriented in rigid squares or along a grid line but rather in ways that suggest
breaking of certain patterns. The spaces are meant to suggest that IITGN students are independent, democratic, rule-breaking innovators. Not only
does the site plan for the hostels include rule-breaking placement of buildings and paths, but also the buildings themselves have been designed to
each have a unique identity. Each building has a different configuration, a different number of rooms, and a layout that opens out differently into
public spaces.

The spaces have been designed to draw students out of their rooms and to foster interactions. There are not that many common rooms in each
hostel building but rather each building opens onto common spaces that facilitate interaction. The hostel design does not encourage students to sit
by themselves. Unlike some other university campuses where students may spend time only knowing people in their own hostel, the IITGN design
was developed to force students to get to know each other. There is a common mess, with two dining halls, for all the students and no individual
mess in each hostel building. The mess is located at one end of the hostel blocks so that students must walk through the central pathway to get
their meals. Some of these design principles came from lessons learned from experiences at the older, established IITs.

2.2. Design Approach

To summarise the design approach of the Hostel architects, their intent was

2.2.1 To Create A Unique, Attractive Space

• That responds to context, fitting seamlessly into the Masterplan
- optimizing site orientation, while maintaining uninterrupted views towards the river and Central Vista

• That blends the indoors and outdoors creating in-between spaces that alleviate the harsh climate of Gujarat
- blending buildings and the landscape together, creating a holistic campus
- with unique landmarks and spaces that the students cherish

• That integrates art with architecture and landscape

- creating visual interest, neighbourhood nodes
- value addition, a splash of colour, a bit of whimsy

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

2.2.2. To Create A Functional Space

• That promotes interaction
- nodes that encourage the free exchange of ideas, innovation and creative thinking
- spatial planning that encourages social and academic interactions

• That pays meticulous attention to details of daily life

- innovative means that increase comfort and convenience of the users
- increases the ease of maintenance and aesthetics

• That is sustainable in its entirety

- promotes material and service innovations
- is socially cohesive and has economy at its heart

• That evolves continuously

- cyclic process of designing, consulting and decision making, narrowing down a range of alternatives to achieve the best set of
solutions from a balanced perspective
- flexible and adaptable design to suit the changing needs, times and site conditions

2.3. Design Brief

The IIT Gandhinagar student housing campus is being designed for an eventual population of 4800 students. The hostel blocks have an average
occupancy of 200 students each and are arranged along a series of streets. These streets bind together the phased development of the campus,
but more importantly they are a place to meet, relax and work.

When designing the overall form and distribution of the hostels, detailed consideration was given to orientation, prevailing winds, and the campus
Masterplan stipulation to maximize the opportunity for mutual shading of buildings.

Some elevations clearly cannot benefit from mutual shading. These areas are exposed to the harsh elements, and have been designed to provide
protection and respond to their specific orientation and location.

The environmental studies conducted by the architects resulted in a design matrix of elevational elements, which, when combined on the basis
of orientation and level, creates diversity and location-specific elevations. This approach, together with the overall hostel block designs, results in
exciting and individualistic hostel blocks each with its own identity and character.

Using the street concept as a basic design tenet meant that the ground and first floors provide the urban feel of traditional streets in terms of scale,
activity, shading and variations in form.

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Campus on the Sabarmati

There is a legible hierarchy between all the elements of the design from:
• The scale of the primary and secondary streets,
• The form and orientation of the hostel buildings,
• The locations of the Mess Halls,
• The entrances to the hostel blocks,
• The location of social facilities along the streets,
• The window and façade design of the individual hostel rooms, based on location and orientation.
The campus and its buildings offer a variety of public and private spaces, public spaces that take their form and scale from traditional Indian chowks
and streets, where social interaction is encouraged. The hostel buildings have their own surprising open social spaces at different levels, which will
promote a sense of belonging in the residents. The buildings have their own individual faces and character, whilst, importantly, responding to the
harsh Ahmedabad climate.

2.4. Design Parameters

• Proximity and juxtaposition of each block
»» Six unique buildings or blocks bind together to form the Hostel Complex of the IIT Gandhinagar campus.
»» Each block emphasises its uniqueness, creating a unique spatial experience in itself.
»» The internal meandering street patterns add dynamism and an ever-lively feature to the campus.
• Visual connectivity
»» As one travels through the Hostel Complex, the streets open out to various interactive spots. The trees along the avenues surprise
users by framing views at the end of each perpendicular street.

• Universal accessibility
»» Ramps are provided throughout the blocks to ensure universal accessibility.

• Response to micro climate

»» The southern edge of the parcel has a continuous green belt with taller trees to cut off the harsh glare of the sun.
• Hierarchy of streets
»» Three categories of streets have been developed, i.e., the main street, secondary streets and plazas.

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

• Hierarchy of spaces
»» The internal streets open out to informal sitouts and further connect to individual units.
»» Every individual building encloses a courtyard that acts as a multi-utility space and informal meeting spot for the students.
»» All the common rooms in hostel blocks open out to the courtyard. These informal spaces add life to the parcel block.
• Bicycle paths and sufficient bicycle parking pockets encourage the students to use bicycles - an environmentally-and people-friendly
transport mode. The hostel block ensures bicycle parking on three accessible sides of the parcel.
»» Multiple access points provide ease of access to any block from either side of the parcel.

• Landscape strategy
»» The hardscape and built-in furniture has been selected for its durability, and ease of maintenance without compromising the
comfort level of the end users.
»» The streetscape including tree-lined paths encourages informal interaction, creating lively connecting links and pathways between
the individual units throughout the complex.
• Common amenities
»» Common amenities such as the library, cafeterias, student administration office, and laundry add to the efficiency and compatibility
of each block.
»» All the amenities are easily accessible from all the blocks in the complex.

2.5. Hostel Masterplan Constraints And Opportunities

The core of the IIT vision is to instill in students the values of education, research, and the spirit of continuous engagement and contribution towards
the socio-economic transformation of the country. IITGN enriches this tradition with its own foresight; incorporating sustainable technological
solutions into its curriculum and in daily campus life through forums such as annual technical event Amalthea; fostering engagement with the
large community through volunteering initiatives such as NYASA; and supporting an active extracurricular life through cultural festivals such as
Blithchron. The architects’ design approach was grounded with IITGN’s vision, through both the tangible--the place--and the intangible--the spirit-
-in creating a hostel complex that is ever-evolving yet rooted.

The architects proposed imbibing the character of a traditional Indian street in the design of the complex to unify all the elements. Hostel buildings
are arranged along a series of streets that offer a variety of public and private spaces. The buildings each have their own individual character.

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Masterplan constraints Investigating cluster organization Primary connected open spaces

• Primary connected open spaces • Primary connected open spaces Entrances and neighborhood clusters
• Linking landscaped entrance spaces • Linking landscaped entrance spaces
• Organising the accommodation in clusters
• Establishing connectivity and orientation of
entrances

2.6. Urban Design Controls

The Masterplan provided the architects with certain guidelines in the form of Urban Design Controls. These formed the basis of several core
designing principles.

These guidelines have been roughly summarised diagrammatically on the next page.

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

As per urban design controls, the hostel parcel must have a central
court with a direct link to the landscaped Central Vista and the
Masterplan Urban Design Control diagram
Academic Complex.

The central court is the principal organising The hostel blocks touch the edge of the central A courtyard building typology was followed for
element around which the hostel blocks are court, Central Vista and northern boundary the individual hostel blocks. These courtyards
arranged. It is a strong concourse with visual defining the shape of the parcel. A continuous are personalized public spaces for each building.
and physical connections to the river and line of hostel blocks define the long edges of the They improve the microclimate of the building.
Central Vista. The central court has a direct central court. The shorter edges open onto the The hostel blocks are connected by shaded
pedestrian connection to the Academic River Promenade and Central Vista respectively. pedestrian streets which form a secondary
Complex. public space.

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Investigating movement patterns and connectivity Distinct landmarks

Connectivity and organisation concept The connected green landscape

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

View of completed hostels

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Campus on the Sabarmati

2.7. Evolution of Hostel Masterplan

Linear block _ Option 1 Linear block _ Option 1 Stage - 01

U shape block _ Option 2 U shape block _ Option 2 Stage - 02

Point block _ Option 3 Point block _ Option 3 Stage - 03

Three different block types across all phases _ Option 4 Composite Block _ Option 4 Stage - 04

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

2.8. Hierarchy of Public Spaces

A hierarchy of spaces enables the transition from private, semi-private to public, and to the campus-wide public space to take place with ease.

• The unit is a private controlled space for the student to study and to be in solitude.
• The courtyard is a semi-private space at the neighbourhood scale for each hostel block.
• The pedestrian street is a secondary public space, connecting all the hostel blocks and dining hall, housing movement and activity.
• The central court is a grand concourse, a campus-wide public space. It maintains clear views towards the Central Vista and river. It is an
axis around which the hostel blocks are organised. It is envisioned that both sides of this green will be eventually lined with hostels and
a dining hall on either side.

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 Campus on the Sabarmati

3 Hostel Masterplan And Cluster Design Components

3.1. Hostel Masterplan Phase 1A (1200 Students)

Ultimately the campus will accommodate 4800 students. Phase IA includes just the six buildings circled in the figure below.

Phase 1

Hostel Buildings in Phase 1

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

3.2. Key Design Principles
Several simple strategies were used in the design
process to provide a sustainable and comfortable
environment:
• Orientation and placement of buildings to
take advantage of the prevailing winds and
maximise mutual shading
GROUND FLOOR FIRST FLOOR SECOND FLOOR THIRD FLOOR • Window design to consider orientation,
minimise solar penetration and take
advantage of the prevailing winds
• Street elements to give urban scale, shade
EAST and identity
• Trees to provide shade and create spaces for
contemplation.

Careful thought was given to the orientation of

the buildings and the design of the windows
WEST
to maximise shading in the hot summer sun. A
shadow pattern study was conducted at different
times of the day over a year period to determine the
best orientation for the buildings. The architects
also judiciously designed the placement of the
NORTH
windows to take advantage of the shadows cast
by neighbouring buildings. On the first and second
floors of the east and west walls of the buildings,

the windows were oriented straight out, because
they will always be in the afternoon shadow of the
SOUTH neighbouring building. The second and third floors
of the same buildings, however, have windows
that are recessed at an angle so the sun will
not shine directly in. These floors do not benefit
from the shadow of the neighbouring building.
Building fenestration as per orientation of the buildings

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Campus on the Sabarmati

09 am 12 pm 03 pm MARCH

09 am 12 pm 03 pm JUNE

09 am 12 pm 03 pm DEC

The orientation and closeness of the buildings helps to achieve mutual shading

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

Shadow of neighbouring building used to shade the ground and first

floor windows. The windows on the third and fourth floors angled to

avoid the direct rays of the sun

Energy Efficiency

The efficient use of energy was a key design criterion. Shading and
lighting studies were conducted to help orient buildings on the site
and in relation to each other. Windows were designed with deep
recesses and orientations that maximised shade. A passive cooling
system (Passive Downdraft Evaporative System) was designed for
the mess, to be used primarily in the four hottest months. Hostel
energy consumption is monitored each month, and a competition
among the hostels is held to see which is the greenest.

Street view – Old city Ahmedabad

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3.3. Elements of Hostel Masterplan

Accessing the site _ Primary Connectivity Secondary Connectivity

Central Hubs Green Spaces and Permeability

Masterplan: Elements

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

3.4. Activity Plan at Cluster Level

Entrance to hostels

Recreational hubs

Dining / Mess

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Campus on the Sabarmati

View of main street in Hostel Complex

Full Page Photo

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

3.5. Cluster Plan – 1200 Students

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Campus on the Sabarmati

3.6. Site Plan and Features

IITGN believes in ownership of the campus by the
students. Students were involved in the design
process and the multiple iterations that the constantly
changing designs required. All hostels are managed
Postgraduate Hostel by students through the hostel maintenance
Courtyard, Undergraduate Hostel committee. In each hostel, a resident caretaker follows
Amenities
up on all routine maintenance issues, and the warden
At cluster level, these small amenities open onto is ultimately responsible for hostel administration.
the streets and form nodes of activities
Each student is issued basic furniture including a
Central Court
A campus level public space around which the chair, study table, cot and mattress at the beginning
hostel buildings are arranged. The central court
maintains uninterrupted visual and physical of the academic year. Students in all hostels have
connections to the Central Vista.
access to a common room, laundry and canteen
Link to Academic Complex
facilities within their respective hostels. In addition,
Undergraduate Hostel
there are pantries on each floor of the hostels with
Girls Hostel refrigerators, microwave ovens and induction stoves.
The required number of rooms for girls in phase
one can be accommodated in one building. The There is a general store within the hostel premises
girls hostel is positioned with proximity to the
central court and its edge towards the academic to provide the students with basic necessities like
complex and Central Vista. When the campus
reaches its full strength it would make sense to stationery, toiletries and snacks.
group all the girls hostels together.

Link to Academic Complex

Secondary Pedestrian Street

Bicycle parking for adjoining hostel buildings

Pedestrian Street
Main circulation entry connecting at the hostel
bluildings and dining hall

Undergraduate Hostel

Postgraduate Hostel

Dining Hall
Connects the pedestrian street to the residential
zone

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

3.7. Streets And Pathways

Pedestrian Street
In India, the street has always been a public space for people to meet and gather. Drawing from traditional references of the region, the pedestrian
street has been designed to connect the hostel buildings as a varied route, a showcase of activity.

This street is the outdoor activity and circulation spine of the Hostel Complex, Students can sit under the shade of a tree to read a book, take a stroll
at night to enjoy the cooler air and traverse the street to get to their destination.

This street can be connected to the pedestrian network of the campus, to sustain and promote a walkable campus.

Contours on site Street pattern – Old city Ahmedabad

Street pattern – Hostel buildings Street view – Old city Street view – Hostels
Ahmedabad

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Campus on the Sabarmati

3.8. Courtyards and Hostel Buildings

Courtyards in the hostel buildings are neighbourhood public spaces, each with their own personal character.
The everyday activities of the hostel buildings revolve around these courtyards culturally and physically.
Shade-giving trees and landscape aid in passive cooling of the hostels.
The courtyards are designed to be the life and soul of each building, a space to showcase the uniqueness of its inhabitants.

These courtyards can be customised with art, sculpture and landscape elements to best suit user preferences.

Courtyards

The open design of the hostels

contributes to their charm and
comfort, letting in both light and air.
However in heavy rains, particularly
if accompanied by winds, there has
been standing water in many of
the common areas. This requires
housekeeping to constantly clear the
water, itself not a practical solution.
The drainage system for the area
needs to be improved.

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

View 1: Common facilities and landscaping create interaction points

View 2: Multiple storeys and shifting corridors as elements enabling interaction between street, buildings and courtyard

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Campus on the Sabarmati

View 3: Central Square opening towards Café and Student Library

View 4 : Introduction of plazas along the streets with raised platforms and sunken courtyards giving diversity to social spaces

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

Circulation

Double rooms

Sick room

Pantry

Toilets

Electrical room

Canteen

Printing

Laundry

Shops

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Campus Celebrations

Student life in the hostels is vibrant and lively. There are

frequent events at the Panchayat Circle as well as multiple
festivals, events and celebrations of all sorts. Organising
and celebrating over sixteen activities throughout the
year, some of the highlights include: Amalthea, an annual
technical summit that showcases some of the IITGN work as
well as offers a platform for others in academia and industry
to come and interact; Jashn, a three-day cultural fest with
art, music and dance; Hallabol, an all-night sports event
that includes staff and faculty participation; and Winter
Carnation, an IITGN mela (assembly) where the IITGN family
collectively enjoys regional food, music and dance. Winter
Carnation has proven to be a broad platform for interaction
among students, faculty and staff.

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

3.9. Site Model

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3.10. Room Layouts and Flexible Configurations

DOUBLE ROOM WITH DOUBLE ROOM WITH DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
Various unit sizes and corresponding furniture
DIFFERENT ENTRY DOORarrangements are possible. ENTRY
DIFFERENT The preferred
DOOR unit size and furniture layout have an economical use of
space but can be customised according to user preferences. The design of the one person and two person rooms was reconfigured after initial
discussions to account for potential additional growth of students on campus.

H DOUBLE ROOM WITH DOUBLE

SingleROOM
room withWITH
OCCUPANCY
inclined Single room with WITH
inclined
SINGLE SINGLE ROOM Single room
SINGLE ROOM DOUBLE ROOM WITH INCLINED
DOOR DIFFERENT ENTRY DOOR window with entry from window with entry from
INCLINED WINDOW WITH INCLINED WINDOW WITH WINDOW AND ENTRY DOOR
other side same side
ENTRY FROM OTHER SIDE ENTRY FROM SAME SIDE SAME SIDE

SINGLE ROOM WITH SINGLE ROOM DOUBLE ROOM WITH INCLINED DOUBLE ROOM WITH INCLINED
DOUBLE ROOM
Double room WITH
with different DOUBLE
DoubleROOM WITH
room with different DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
Double room with inclined window and Double room with inclined window and
WITH INCLINED WINDOW WITH UG3 SINGLE ROOM-A TYPE WINDOW
UG3 SINGLE ROOM- AND ENTRY DOOR PG1 SINGLE ROOM
B door
TYPE WINDOW AND ENTRY DOOR PG2 SINGLE ROOM - A TYPE
DIFFERENT entry doorDOOR
ENTRY DIFFERENT entry door DOOR
ENTRY entry same side entry door opposite side
R SIDE ENTRY FROM SAME SIDE SAME SIDE OPPOSITE SIDE
TYPICAL ROOM LAYOUT

HCP DESIGN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT PVTLTD

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

This was a key lesson from older IITs, that at some point in the future the numbers of students may grow beyond planned numbers due to factors
outside the control of the IITs. IITGN planners asked the architects to prepare drawings to show how furniture arrangements could be modified
to accommodate additional students. So the arrangement for what is now a one person room can be modified to accommodate two people if
necessary; the two person room can accommodate three, if necessary. This meant making sure doors, windows and closets were placed in such a
way that additional furniture would fit in each of the rooms. Two beds are now in many of the rooms originally designed for one bed.

During the design process, the Institute focused on designing the hostels with single rooms (and some double rooms), to afford everyone maximum
privacy. But once the construction began, students realised that several people in a room made for a more convivial atmosphere, and led to better
friendships and more opportunities for interaction. Student input into the design of the Phase II hostels has led to triple bed rooms also.

Architect’s drawing to show how a single room could be Architect’s drawing to show how a double room could be
configured for double occupancy configured for triple occupancy

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3.11. Arrangement Modules

Hostel years are years of character building, developing students into exemplary young professionals. The built environment is a significant part of
every student who passes through these halls of learning. Students often look back on their hostel life with fond memories and nostalgia.

The built environment of the hostel is designed to be conducive for studying, discussions, leisure, recreation, as well as every day activities that take
place simultaneously. Several groupings of the units are possible.

The doubly loaded

corridors define the sides of
the courtyard

Toilets

The clusters can be arranged along a doubly loaded

corridor. This allows for a maximum number of The main entry to the hostel
rooms on every floor. block, with the staircase and
lift for vertical circulation

The rooms on each side of the corridor protect it

from direct heat gain. The cooler corridor aids in
cross ventilation.

Girls’ Hostel Block

Arranging units of the same type around a common courtyard is the most functional and
economical arrangement for a hostel. This arrangement provides the students a hierarchy
between their individual space and a common space.

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

3.12. A Hostel Plan

Double Occupancy Units

Provide space for quiet contemplation and study

Toilets

Courtyard
An everyday gathering space, for social and
academic interactions.

Balcony
Spillover space from the pantry/ common room
overlooking the courtyard, a spread of vertical
activity

Common Room

Corridor
Doubly loaded with units on both side, carry the
activity around the building

Single Occupancy Units

Provide space for quiet contemplation and study

Pantry
A kitchenette for a late night snack

PG2 Hostel Block

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Campus on the Sabarmati

The Naming of the Student Hostels

written by Prof Harish P. M. to the students in March 2017

We discussed recently that we would try to series to aid in wayfinding. This will be
come up with our own hostel names instead important as there will be 20+ hostel
of using existing words. We have come up buildings eventually within the same
with a few names below, given the following parcel. At the same time, I have looked
design objectives: carefully and it appears very unlikely
that we will exceed 26 (number of letters
1. New words, should not mean anything
in alphabet) in this parcel.
2. Simple to remember, neither too long
8. It sounds ok even if a donor name is later
nor too short
appended to it (prefixed or suffixed).
3. Should not have a strong cultural affinity With these objectives, the proposed
to any one culture (e.g. the names should names are:
not be a typical French word, or a typical
AIBAAN - ऐबान
Russian or Arabic word, etc.)
BEAUKI - ब्युकी
4. At the same time, the sounds and
pronunciation of the word should be CHIMAIR - चिमॆयर
comfortable to Indians (after the names DUVEN - दुवेन
start to get established, they should
EMIET - इमिएट
slowly start to feel Indian and not very
exotic) FIRPEAL - फिरपील

5. Should be able to write them in I also tried to see if these were names
devanagari script easily (without it that could not be easily turned into
looking awkward) something that can be made fun of, but
this can never be perfectly met, and
6. A google search on them should not
moreover, some bantering is fun and ok.
reveal any already established items
(many of them still show several hits 9. We still have to think about naming
and even some existing names, but once the mess blocks. It might have to be a
we establish, it would be easy for us to separate series that is distinctly different
dominate the google search page) (maybe very short words, or long words,
7. Starting letters form an alphabetical or something else distinctly different
about them).

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

Director Prof Sudhir Jain addressing Bada Khana attendees Students on sleeping mats

First night in the hostel

Students in the Class of 2015 were just finishing in

May of that year, having spent all their four years at
the temporary campus of IITGN -- at Vishwakarma
Government Engineering College in Chandkheda. The
Institute was preparing to move to the new campus
in July of 2015, and to hold the Convocation for this
batch at the new campus. So these students would be
coming to the new campus in July for their first official, Aibaan Hostel
and in many cases final, event. However, before that,
on May 2nd , one of the hostels was inaugurated and a ‘Bada Khana’ was arranged in celebration of the new campus, still in various stages
of completion. The Bada Khana (meaning big meal) was meant for all members of the IITGN community, including construction workers,
construction contractors and the project management team. So the students asked if they could spend the night after the Bada Khana at
the new campus. IITGN agreed, organising a night in the hostel, Aibaan, that was the most complete at that point. There was no furniture
so the Institute organised rolled-up bedding for the students and they camped out for one night in the new hostel. The Director, together
with Professors Harish P. M., Jaison Manjaly and Atul Bhargav also camped out, staying in one of the apartments in Housing Block 30.

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Dining Building- Entry View

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

3.13. Dining Building: Passive Cooling in the mess

The dining building occupies a pivotal position in the Hostel Complex. It is
placed at the centre of the hostel parcel. During mealtimes this area is a
hub of activity. An open platform functions as a spill-over space that has
been developed as a shaded outdoor dining area. A central facility for all
students with two independent mess facilities, the building is equipped
with modern kitchens. This two-storey building caters to 1200 students. It
has been designed specifically to cater to the harsh climate of the region.
A Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling strategy has been adopted with
an effort to minimize energy consumption.

Area : 3803 sq m
No. of Occupants : 300 people per floor

Dining Building – Night View

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Landscaping in the Hostel area

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

3.13.1. Parametric Analysis

To understand the type of passive strategy to be used in the Dining Building, the climatic data of the location of the building, i.e., Gandhinagar,
Gujarat has been studied and analysed for a complete year, i.e., 8760 hours.

Climatic conditions during the occupancy hours were analyzed in the software programme Ecotect.

Based on the results of the analysis, the building was divided in two different zones on the basis of occupancy and usage: Dining Area and Kitchen/
Food Prep Area. The dining area has three major occupancy schedules during the day- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Each mealtime presents
different challenges in terms of controlling the temperature, as illustrated in the figures on this page.

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Campus on the Sabarmati

3.13.2. Implementation of Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling (PDEC)

Based on the results of the parametric analysis, the architects and IITGN decided it would be necessary to augment natural ventilation during the
hottest months of the year. They chose the system known as Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling designed by M/S dbHMS Consultants Pvt. Ltd.,
Noida. In this system water enters a shaft from several nozzles on the roof and sprays a light mist in the shafts. Due to this mist, the air cools down
and the heavier cooler air moves down the shaft, where it then enters the mess hall through specific louvers. To determine the PDEC tower design,
the architects studied these parameters:

• Tower cross-sectional area

• Tower Height
• Number of Towers Required

Possible Passive Cooling Strategies

Performance of Passive Strategy

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

3.13.3. Design Optimisation

The results of the analysis of the options for the PDEC tower are shown in the table and the figures below. It was determined that a single tower
provided the most cooling in comparison to the other options. The single tower has a more predictable flow pattern by being centrally located
whereas the smaller towers would block the flow to other towers at certain wind conditions.

OPTION 1 : FIVE TOWERS OPTION 2 : THREE TOWERS OPTION 3 : SINGLE TOWERS

Tower Number Study Tower Number Study Tower Number Study

Velocity Velocity Velocity

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Campus on the Sabarmati

3.13.4. Building Layout

Ground floor

First floor Terrace

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

Dining Block – Conceptual Section

ELEVATION A

ELEVATION B

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Inside the shaft of the passive downdraft evaporative cooling system. Cooler air escapes through the open louvers into the dining hall

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

4 Confined Masonry Construction Typology

In designing the new campus, the Masterplan envisaged the use of confined masonry for the construction typology for both the student hostels and
the staff and faculty housing. This was the first application of engineered confined masonry construction in India for a large-scale project involving
public buildings.

Confined masonry buildings are expected to have better earthquake performance than unreinforced masonry wall construction and reinforced
concrete (RC) frames with infills. Evidence from numerous earthquakes in other countries indicates that good seismic performance can be achieved
with confined masonry even without a high level of engineering, provided the quality of construction is maintained.

Confined masonry is a building technology that uses the same basic materials found in unreinforced masonry construction and RC frame
construction with masonry infills, but with a different construction sequence and system. In confined masonry construction, the masonry walls carry
the gravity and seismic loads and RC confining elements are used to confine the walls. These confining elements are critical to its better earthquake
performance. They are effective in enhancing the stability, integrity and ductility of the masonry walls. This is in contrast to RC frame buildings with
infills where the concrete frames carry the gravity and seismic load and are more complex to design and build.

Confined masonry uses locally available materials and known construction technologies and is particularly appropriate for up to four-storey
buildings. The hostel buildings were ideal candidates for the adoption of this technology in terms of building height and layout and a significant
amount of walls relative to floor area (wall density). Confined masonry construction has also proven to be more economical compared to RC frame
construction for the selected buildings. Confined masonry is also being used for the next phase of hostel construction which is underway as of 2018.

A frame structure was adopted in certain critical areas (staircases) and for the dining block. Clay bricks were used for the foundation and fly ash
bricks, manufactured on site, were used for the walls above the plinth level. This technology, construction details, and the challenges associated
with its use for the campus housing buildings are discussed in more detail in a separate publication in this series, Confined Masonry for Residential
Construction.

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Hostel buildings under construction

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

5 Landscape Design

5.1. Landscape Strategy

The concept of streets as the activity center was formulated while designing the hostels. Following are the key principles adopted for the landscape
works in and around the hostel buildings.

Hierarchy of streets: All the bicycle parking is provided on the secondary streets while all the common amenities, i.e., cafes, shops, student office,
laundry, plaza etc. are provided on the main street.

Accessibility: All the entrance foyers and courtyards have steps and ramps for ease of access. Multiple access points have been provided to each
building, encouraging students to access the buildings from any point.

Courtyards: Each building has its own courtyard and play courts. All the common rooms open up in courtyards with projected plinths that act as
informal hangout spots for the students.

Privacy: Planters along the rooms create a visual and sound barrier for the ground floor rooms.

Segregation of services: Since the main street is the major activity center, all the service lines have been installed on the secondary streets and on
the periphery of the buildings.

Native plant species: All the plants and shrubs proposed are locally available species.

Solar shading: The façades of the buildings along the street facing south will be shaded with large foliage trees.

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Mango Tree – Removed

Mango Tree – Retained within the Courtyard

Neem Tree – Retained by Creating Niche in Building

Cluster Plan : Response To The Existing Trees

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

To encourage interaction:

a) Gathering areas (seats & benches)

placed along main pedestrian access

b) Common rooms extending in courtyards

c) Shaded play courts with seating

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Campus on the Sabarmati

Privacy to Ground Floor Rooms Shaded Seats

Common rooms extending in courtyards

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

View down main street, backside of Panchayat Circle

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Campus on the Sabarmati

The central plaza is a hub with common interactive social spaces, cafes, an informal library, and other common amenities Urban Elements : Street, Chowks, Gateways and Courtyards

54
 Student Hostels Design Overview

5.2. Cluster Plan: Landscape Layout

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 Campus on the Sabarmati

5.3. Street Sections

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

Section 1-1

Section 2-2 Section 3-3

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Campus on the Sabarmati

5.4. Proposed Plantation Plan PROPOSED PLANTATION PLAN

HCP DESIGN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT PVTLTD

58
 Student Hostels Design Overview

PROPOSED PLANTATION PLAN

HCP DESIGN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT PVTLTD

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 Campus on the Sabarmati

6
Photos of the Completed Hostel Complex

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

61
7 Credits

Owner Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

Advisor Works Mr Nagaraja B. N. (up to 30-04-2013)

Mr L. P. Srivastava (from 06-05-2013)

Owner’s Architect Ar Shobhit Tayal, Design and Planning Counsel Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad

Owner’s Engineer Mr A. K. Kothari, Superintending Engineer (up to 28-01-2013)

Mr G. C. Chaudhary, Superintending Engineer (from 04-02-2014)

Confined Masonry Experts Prof Durgesh Rai, IIT Kanpur

Prof Svetlana Brzev, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Vancouver

Structural Peer Review Prof Indrajit Ghosh, Civil Engineering

Prof Dhiman Basu, Civil Engineering

Faculty Team Prof Sudhir K. Jain, Director

Prof Ashwini Kumar, Civil Engineering
Prof Harish P. M., Mechanical Engineering
Prof Jaison Manjaly, Humanities and Social Sciences
Prof Atul Bhargav, Mechanical Engineering

Principal Architect M/S HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad
Structural Consultant M/s N K Shah Consulting Engineers, Ahmedabad
MEP Consultant M/s Jhaveri Associates, Ahmedabad
Kitchen Consultant M/s Kitchen Solutions, Mumbai
Passive Cooling Consultant M/s dbHMS Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Noida

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 Student Hostels Design Overview

Project Management Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Government of India

Project Manager Mr L. K. Bhargava, Superintending Engineer (up to 29-01-2016)

Mr Kapil Deo Narayan, Superintending Engineer (from 29-01-2016)

Building & Works Committee Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

Chairman Prof Sudhir K. Jain, Director, IITGN (2009 - present)

Members Prof Neelkanth Chhaya, Former Dean, Faculty of Architecture,

CEPT University, Ahmedabad (2009 - present)
Shri Kiran S. Wagh, Chief Advisor (Civil Infrastructure),
IIT Bombay (2009 - present)
Shri R. Subramanian, Former Additional Director-General,
CPWD, New Delhi (2009 - 2012)
Chief Engineer (Capital), Roads & Buildings Department,
Government of Gujarat, Ahmedabad (2009 - 2012)
Director (TS-I), Ministry of Human Resource Development
Government of India, New Delhi (2009 - 2011)
Shri A. K. Jain, Former Special Director General, CPWD
New Delhi (2012 - present)
Shri L. P. Srivastava, Former Additional Director General,
CPWD & Advisor (Works), IITGN (2012 - present)
Prof Ashwini Kumar, Professor-in-Charge,
Planning & Resources, IITGN (2012 - 2014)
Prof Harish P. M., Dean (Campus Development),
IITGN (2014 – 2018)
Prof Gaurav Srivastava, Dean (Campus Development),
IITGN (2018 - present)
Dr Prabhat Kumar, Former CMD, Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut
Nigam Ltd, Kalpakkam, (2012 - 2016)

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 Campus on the Sabarmati

Shri M. B. Bhalala, Former Chief Engineer,

Road & Building Department, Government of Gujarat (2009 - present)

Secretary Shri B. S. Punalkar, Registrar, IIT Bombay (2009 - 2013)

Shri P. K. Chopra, Registrar, IITGN (2013 -present)

Project Progress Monitoring Committee Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

Members Shri L. P. Srivastava, Advisor (Works), IITGN

Shri A. K. Jain, Former Special Director General, CPWD, New Delhi
Shri Kiran S. Wagh, Chief Advisor (Civil Infrastructure), IIT Bombay
Shri Prabhat Kumar, Former CMD, Bharatiya Nabhikiya
Vidyut Nigam Ltd, Kalpakkam (up to January 2016)
Shri Balraj Chadha, Chief Engineer, CPWD, Gandhinagar (up to May 2016)
Shri A. K. Agarwal, Chief Engineer, CPWD, Gandhinagar (July 2016 - present)
Shri Laksh Bhargava, Project Manager, CPWD (up to January 2016)
Shri Kapil Deo Narayan, Project Manager, CPWD (up to January 2019)

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This publication is one in a series describing the development of IIT Gandhinagar’s campus on the bank of the Sabarmati River in
Gandhinagar. The campus development provided numerous opportunities for innovation and the series is meant to document these. 

The focus of this publication is on the architectural design of the Hostel Complex in Phase I of campus development, building from
goals and objectives set forth in the Masterplan. The architects selected for this challenge were HCP Design Planning and Management
Pvt. Ltd. This publication describes their design approach, developed collaboratively with active participation from students and
faculty. Similar to the academic philosophy for the new campus that places an emphasis on fostering meaningful cross-disciplinary
interactions, the hostels were designed to be non-conforming, thought-provoking spaces.

Copies can be obtained by writing to the [email protected]

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR

PALAJ, GANDHINAGAR - 382 355
www.iitgn.ac.in