Personality Interview - Architect

Architect M.N. Ashish Ganju - About

He has taught at the SPA, Delhi and the IIT, Delhi, was the founding Director of TVB School of Habitat Studies, Delhi, has been a visiting professor at the University of East London, U.K., the Universita IUAV di Venezia, Italy, and a UNICEF consultant. This is an interview.
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"... architect is known for sometimes using craftsmen who do not read drawings, and has created a new geometry- where construction is a handicraft. Based in New Delhi, Ganju cares about the fact that over a quarter of Delhi’s population lives outside the law in unauthorised colonies. He lives and works on the urban fringe, to demonstrate by example the principle of urban renewal by citizens. ..."
"... Yes. We’ve made a home ourselves and are part of the community.
I have encouraged the local people here in Aya Nagar to take an interest in renewing their settlement, first and foremost, taking responsibility for their own drainage and sewage. The implementation of these ideas is just beginning to take shape on the ground.
It’s my main design project, nowadays. It’s designed to demonstrate that citizen action combined with sound technical advice can drive the local authorities to provide appropriate infrastructure and improve the urban habitat. ..."

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Find this at http://www.forbes.com/sites/ranisingh/2015/08/31/good-architecture-has-to-transform-the-physical-and-human-environment-says-m-n-ashish-ganju .

Delhi University Changes

Delhi University was something earlier

It was something earlier. Delhi University is something else now.
The place exudes History but there is fear now. This is being presented so that some solutions may appear from somewhere.
Refer http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/at-92-change-the-only-constant-at-du/article6734578.ece .

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Change is a constant but this one is not desirable.
This article is from Dec. 2014.

Smart Cities, Indian Context, Relevance, Where To Keep it, This Smart?

India figures that smart is a buzzword. Cities must be governed.

What to do with this smart and how?

Build 100 smart cities, and revive 500 existing ones. Governance has to be the priority, from where and why did Smartness with its shady(?) associations creep in? Decrepit? Article says that there are "14 or 16 smart levers from spatial design to land use; traffic management to water pricing; green spaces to culture; funding to accounting ..". Wow, read this. It delves on 'Structure, Mayor, Accountability, Reliability, Talent'.
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"...
Delhi searches for a definition
Nothing till now. Instead, Delhi appears lost in a futile search for meaning: how to define a smart city? It is no surprise that multiple meetings across ministries have yielded little. First, smart is just a buzzword, in a long line of fads associated with cities. Indeed, globally, smart has already been replaced by resilient or flexible. Second, experts and consultant definitions reflect their individual skills. The narrowest definition (by technology firms) defines smart as routers, cameras and connectivity, showcasing cities in South Korea and Saudi Arabia. Others focus on eight or 14 or 16 smart levers from spatial design to land use; traffic management to water pricing; green spaces to culture; funding to accounting. With as many versions as experts, Delhi is still confused about what to do and where to start. Maybe there is more clarity if we start with cities? ..."
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"... Indeed, a small Indian home has a better set-up than our huge cities. Clearly, before we get into city-systems like economic policy and urban planning or transparency and citizen engagement, we need a simple definition of “smart” linked to how to govern our cities, both new and existing. ..."
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Refer http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/v0hbqeBNBAKEQWCztkOBcO/Defining-smart-for-Indian-cities.html .
The author is a former partner at McKinsey and Co.
This article is from Dec. 2014. When they say Delhi above they imply India's power centre.
We at 'Delhi Architecture News' say just in jest, "This City was not built on rock and roll." This can imply here that even throwing up terminologies 'poof' should be preceded by 'deservability' - by the 'people and their leaders'. To cut it short, smart was wrong all along. Context for that doesn't exist. "Sensible City" or "Sensible Settlement" makes much more sense, is relevant, and fits easily without force. This Smart perhaps is being forced down public's throats without a proper understanding in the authorities' minds themselves as to what they are after anyway.

Shahdara Lake Redevelopment

Lake Redevelopment in Shahdara

Redevelopment Project, Pythorid Technology.

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"... "The water of the lake would be treated using pythorid technology. The total cost of the project is Rs 22 crore. The first phase would take nine months and cost about Rs 22 lakh and would involve treatment of the water. The second phase will comprise redevelopment of the park and garden around the lake," a senior official of the EDMC said. ..."

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Refer http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/work-begins-on-rs-22-cr-lake-redevelopment-proj-in-east-delhi-114122100273_1.html .

Additionally, you may also like to see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2883015/East-Delhi-s-Welcome-Lake-gets-Rs-22-crore-revamp.html .

Sadly, the project seemed to have been given up. See http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/shahdara-lake-revival-dries-up/articleshow/57279954.cms . This is from Feb. 2017 .

There is hope still. See http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in/story/shahdara-lake-rejuvenation-plan-environment-conservation-east-mcd/1/1020380.html . This is from August 2017. Sewage water from Shahdara households is being treated daily and then pumped into the lake to revive it. :-)

Railway Stations Redevelopment

Anand Vihar and Bijwasan Railway Stations to become World Class Stations. Redevelopment.

Renewable energy sources and efficient waste and disaster management will be part of the road map prepared by Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC). There will be integration of various existing and proposed transportation projects in the area.
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"... Phase-I includes development of the station building and development of mixed-use and commercial area. Phase- II includes acquisition from the existing village/ abadi area, farm houses, school etc. for future expansion of the station for yard complex and other commercial developments. ..."
"... With focus on decongestion, arrival and departure have been segregated. There is also segregation for non-motorised traffic movement, parking and pick-up/ drop-off. ..."
"... A tunnel road access from the airport side was also recommended by the governing body to provide additional alternative access to the station from south. ..."
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Refer http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/road-map-drawn-for-world-class-stations/article6710612.ece .
This is from Dec 2014. Also see http://www.livemint.com/Politics/hkU1GGDCAOuwvpWyjQ0XNO/Govt-clears-redevelopment-of-Delhis-Anand-Vihar-Bijwasan-r.html for the latest on this (2017).

EPC World Awards for Green Building Project

Commonwealth Games Village - Green Building Project Award

EPC World Awards for Green Building Project was conferred to The Commonwealth Games Village developed by Emaar MGF.
These are given as acknowledgement of achievements and of stimulating efficiency across the entire spectrum of infrastructure, energy, EPC and construction industries.
This is from Dec. 2014.
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"... The Commonwealth Games Village, a residential project developed by Emaar MGF, has been conferred with the EPC World Award for 'Outstanding Contribution in Green Building Project- Real Estate Category'. ..."
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Refer http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/emaar-mgf-receives-green-building-honour-for-commonwealth-games-village-114121900417_1.html .

Visiting Card Ether Domains

Visiting Card Ether Domains.

Hello All! The photo is the Visiting Card image of Ether Domains, the handlers of this project, News Architecture Delhi.

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AutoCAD was so useful !!

Community Toilets - Design can wait forever

Community Toilets for hutments

Constructing a toilet is illegal construction? This article is being presented so that some solutions may arrive from somewhere.
Community Toilets - Design can wait forever. There is administrative apathy, callousness, deliberate prevention in the public making 'own arrangements'.
This news is from Dec. 2014.
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"... “The civic body fined the couple for illegal construction under provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. They were fined on November 18, just about a month after the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2. Further, they were asked to demolish the toilet or face further action. Already reeling under the burden of the loan, the family is now in a spot,” said advocate Ashok Aggarwal. ..."
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Refer http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/differentlyabled-couple-fined-for-building-toilet-in-delhi/article6707397.ece .

Disseminating News On Architecture Delhi

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Hello Everybody!
This Blogspot Blog will disseminate News on Architecture Delhi. Our audience shall be the 'general public' and of course people from the concerned profession Architecture or 'Architectural Industry', a term which we are using on our own. The gamut will be Architecture and related stuff. The project is 'temporarily' being called "Architecture Delhi" and also sometimes as "News Architecture Delhi". This is under the programme 'Architecture News India' which further is under the broader programme "Architecture" or "News Architecture" of "Ether Domains".
This Blogger Blog may also post stuff as may be requested by Architects, Consultants, allied service providers, Vendors, Fabricators, Contractors, Manufacturers, Suppliers. And these, by the way, are the people implied in 'Architectural Industry'.
The news that we provide here may already have been accessed by you and there may be an interval in time or time gap in the time that a news got made and the time that the same news appeared here. So bear. Our source is mostly internet.
We may be celebratory sometimes. We are not surreal and we are not pseudo. We are mostly brasstacks type and 'as is where is' type or 'wysiwyg' type. We try to be prudent, we don't cheat!
Jurisprudence is required to present news that is relevant. Parent Website for 'this project' exists for quite some time now, and you may visit it at http://www.architecturenews.in . We are Ether Domains. You may visit www.etherdomains.com to fetch links to other websites under other projects being handled, nurtured by "Damn Good Domains", the Title of the website. The Founder, Owner of Ether Domains is an Architect. Aha?!

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Houseplants for cleaning interiors of Delhi buildings

Areca Palm, Mother-in-Law's Tongue, Money Plant detoxify indoor air

Houseplants cleaning the world's smoggiest city - Delhi, that is.

The CEO of Paharpur Business Centre grows 400 plants in his office building's greenhouse to help clean its indoor air. The areca palm, mother-in-law's tongue, and the money plant are mostly used because of their complementary abilities to detoxify indoor air and enrich it with oxygen.
Refer http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/12/141230-can-plants-really-clean-indias-air .
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"... He uses rainwater collected in cisterns to spray the trees so they can grow faster and absorb more pollutants. ..."
"... "Sustainability is good business, and energy efficiency is low-hanging fruit," says Meattle, whose 25-year-old building was India's first to earn the top rating (in 2010) for a retrofit from the U.S. Green Building Council. He says it uses one-fifth as much energy per square meter as the average office building in India. At least 10 percent of its energy savings is due to plants, which obviate the need to pump in ambient air.
His horticulture is also a practical nod to ancient tradition. "Why did Buddha sit under the peepul [or bodhi] tree?" he asks, adding that the sacred fig with heart-shaped leaves releases oxygen even at night, allowing those beneath a light sleep. ..."

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This is from December 2014.