YOUR TASK :

Design and develop a building on a site in a Central Business District (CBD) in the city of your choice. Plan your functions in response to the site and context. Pick one or a combination of the following:

1. Business: Corporate Headquarters, Commercial Establishments, Production & Manufacturing, etc.
2. Workspaces: Offices, Tech-Parks, Co-Working Spaces, etc.
3. Retail: Malls, Shopping Centres, High Street, etc.
4. Banking and Financial Institutions
5. Public Buildings (Governance & Administrative)
6. Mixed-use typologies incorporating residential, recreational, cultural, entertainment and educational functions

Integrate multi-use spaces and supporting functions, e.g. Restaurants and Cafes, Communal Facilities like Gyms and Swimming Pools, Childcare, etc. into your program.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR LIVE-WORK-PLAY

MULTI-USE PUBLIC SPACES :

1. Design innovative public lobbies or floors that can serve as thoroughfares, and public spaces for social interaction, events, and community activities.
2. Incorporate flexible design elements to accommodate various uses throughout the day.

MIXED-USE TYPOLOGIES

1. Integrate residential, commercial, and office spaces within the same building or block, if opting for a mixed-use program.
2. Include facilities such as daycare centres, preschools, and other amenities to support working parents.

SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATION AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION :

1. Employ sustainable design principles in your design, with innovative materials and technology.
2. Promote walkability with pedestrian-friendly design choices and seamlessly integrated public transportation.

USER GROUPS AND INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING :

1. Identify all the stakeholders. Account for all socio-economic groups and design inclusive spaces.
2. Map the needs and preferences of all your user groups and predict their interactions with other user groups, the built and the unbuilt.

SENSITIVITY TO SITE AND CONTEXT :

1. Take a sensitive approach when selecting your site, making your area program and designing your spaces.
2. Reflect on the local culture, history, and context of the chosen city in the design.

SITE AND DESIGN GUIDELINES

Select a site within an urban context. We especially encourage choosing a site in smaller cities and towns to de-congest larger cities and generate opportunities in smaller ones. Feel free to look for proposed or existing CBD projects in your chosen city/urban area to select your site. You may also opt to redevelop a site in an existing CBD project. Your site would ideally be a land parcel carved out of the bigger CBD master plan.

FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES:

1. The site area (of your land parcel) should be between 2-8 acres. Since your site is part of a larger master plan, focus on your selected parcel of land and show phased development.
2. The minimum FAR for the development should be 2. Follow the rules of the land.
3. Ground coverage should be 40%-50%, with setbacks according to local bylaws. At least 20% of your site area should be public spaces incorporating green zones.
4. There are no height restrictions.
5. Follow local bylaws, building codes and parking calculations. You may follow the National Building Code (NBC) in case of unavailability.

There could be restrictions to building height and FAR in certain areas of the city (so choose your site wisely).

HERE IS SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

1. https://www.pwc.in/assets/pdfs/publications/2015/transforming-central-business-districts.pdf Pages 10-16, 26-27
2. https://www.gensler.com/blog/mixed-use-public-space-future-of-central-business-districts Section ‘What residents want from their CBDs’.

PARTICIPATION DETAILS

ELIGIBILITY

In the Architecture Category of the Competition, there are two sub-categories for participation based on the academic level of the participants:

1. Architecture Category (Undergraduate): All Undergraduate Students of Architecture in India, and those graduating in 2024 can register under this section.
2. Architecture Category (Postgraduate): Students enrolled in Postgraduate courses in Architecture, Urban Design and Urban Planning, and those graduating in 2024 can register under this section.

To register for Saint-Gobain Transparence 19.0, please visit www.transparence.in Remember to register under the correct section.

TEAMS

1. Participation is allowed in teams of up to three members, provided all members are eligible for the same sub-category.
2. Students are allowed to make teams across different academic years (in the same sub-category) and different colleges.