Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
HOUSING COMPLEX
RAJ REWAL
NEW
DELHI, 1970
By:
Harshita Singh
B.Arch. 7th A
Amity School of
Architecture & Planning
A8304012026
Sheikh Sarai Complex is the first experiment
performed by Raj Rewal on the issue of social
housing applied to a site of such a large scale.
It fits in a context marked by the absence of
symbolic elements characterizing the site,
since the peripheral to the centre of New
Delhi. Rewal works in the expansion south of
the city, building a complex that consists of
550 apartments and will find its fulfilment
only in 1982.
Sponsored by the DDA (Delhi Development
Authority) the Sheikh Sarai is structured
according to current regulations that aim to
self-housing residential as well as to
compliance with technical standards set.
DESIGN INPIRATION : From the design point of view, the organization of the
building blocks of the composition, find connections with the historical realities of
the cities of Rajasthan, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, that characterized the urban fabric
of India and which are distinguished by the density of the town and for the close
relationship between open and closed spaces.
VARIOUS ASPECTS OF DESIGN:
URBAN FABRIC : Cool shadows and air currents are built into the grain of the city of
Jaisalmer and are excellent demonstration of the achievement of low rise, high
density development.
The sense of enclosure and continuity of movement is maintained throughout the
cities.
In Sheikh sarai housing project , the peripheral roads are connected to parking
squares.
The central spine of the layout is reserved for narrow ,shaded, pedestrian
pathways .
The layout plans follow traditional methods of creating shade and cross
ventilation.
STREETS : The narrow shaded streets of Jaisalmer generate movement patterns full of
fun, pleasure and surprise.
The plans Sheikh sarai is based on similar narrow shaded streets linking a variety
of clusters.
The streets are broken up into small units, so there are pauses , points of rest and
changing vistas.
CLUSTERS : Raj Rewal designed his housing schemes at Sheikh Sarai as a series of
district clusters which are inter related.
The buildings are unified by means of similar faade treatment, using sandstone
grit render, the piercing of parapets, proportions of doors, deep set windows, and
stone flanking walls for the courtyard.
ROOF TERRACES : Private roof terraces and courtyards are an integral design
component of the housing for the Sheikh Sarai complex.
ZONE CLIMATE : semi-arid climate with high variation between summer and winter,
characterized by the seasons of the monsoon in the summer months and with an
average annual temperature of 25