“ Certainly Architecture is concerned with much more than just its physical attributes.

It is a
many layered thing. Beyond and beneath the strata of function and structure, materials and
texture, lie the deepest and most compulsive layers of all.”
Group Members

CHARLES CORREA Nishtha Devani (1613)

Vishwa Devani (1614)
Kshitika Shah
Komal Gajera
(1663)
(1619)
HOUSING PROJECTS Kalgi Patel (1645) Parthvi Parmar (1640)
Dharmi Vasani (1679) Vaidehi Patel (1608)
Radhika Gupta (609393) Dolly Panchal (1638)
 INTRODUCTION

Charles Correa is an Indian Architect and Urban Planner, particularly

noted for his sensitivity to the needs of the urban poor and for his use
of traditional methods and materials.

He designed his projects underpinning culture, vernacular and context

without overlooking the user’s need as well as cost and energy
efficiencies

HOUSING AND URBAN PLANNING PROJECTS

• PREVI Experimental Housing, Peru

• KANCHANJUNGA APARTMENTS, MUMBAI
• Tara Group Housing, Delhi
• Malabar Cements Township, Kerala
• BELAPUR HOSING, NAVI MUMBAI
• ACC Township, Andhra Pradesh
• HUDCO Housing, Jodhpur
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 PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES

“ Architecture is a three legged stool: Climate, Technology and Culture. Together they build Architecture”

He has mostly attempted to explore Vernacular within a Modern environment with emphasis on prevailing resources,
energy and climate as major determinants in ordering of spaces.

‘Open to sky space’ has always been a pervasive theme to his Architecture.
The centre space – ’House of Brahma’ has to be empty as the empty space kind of gives a sense of orientation

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

INCREMENTALITY PARTICIPATION EQUITY DISAGGREGATION

PLURALISM INCOME GENERATION

OPEN TO IDENTITY
SKY SPACE

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 DESIGN IDEOLOGY THAT SHAPED HIS
“ REJECTING THEARCHITECTURE
ARTIFICIAL FICTION OF GLASS”
“I’ve never designed a glass building. I’ve never felt the need to. I’ve used glass, but I wouldn’t say I’ve ever designed a
glass tower. I wouldn’t be so stupid as to do that.” 

He always strived to construct buildings that are in harmony with their surroundings.
He believed that Architecture ought to be responsive to the local climate and let in plenty of air and light.

Developed the concept of “ Form follows Climate”

One good example from his early works is of ‘ Tube House,

Ahmedabad’

The design allows hot air to rise above the sloping roofs and draws in
cool air resulting in a climate controlled ventilation

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 DESIGN IDEOLOGY THAT SHAPED HIS
ARCHITECTURE
“ USE OF SYMBOLISM AND VISUAL METAPHORS”

His buildings are concept driven using symbolism and visual metaphors to derive and associate philosophy and
character to the design

His designs re-interpret ancient Indian traditional knowledge and symbolism in innovative forms

Gandhi Smarak Sanghralaya, Ahmedabad

A memorial museum that houses the curated

writings of Gandhi, consists of a series of self-
contained modular units and pathways, that
together represent the idealized version of the
Indian Village, central to the Gandhian
Imagination

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 DESIGN IDEOLOGY THAT SHAPED HIS
“ VISIONARCHITECTURE
FOR LOW COST HOUSING”

He spent a large part of his career finding innovative ways to build affordable housing and strived to reduce inequality
between haves and have-nots in densely populated urban centers by building townships.

He wished to construct spaces that afforded dignity and privacy while encouraging a spirit of collaboration and
community.

Belapur Housing

In Belapur housing, he used locally available

materials like brick, plaster, and stone blocks to
create free-standing houses that could be modified
by residents according to their needs.
At the same time, houses opened onto a shared
courtyard to facilitate a community feeling.

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 DESIGN IDEOLOGY THAT SHAPED HIS
ARCHITECTURE
“ BUILDING OPEN TO SKY SPACES”

Correa designed so as to maximize ‘open to sky’ spaces.

The ability to see a piece of the sky while indoors, he believed, could ‘make a difference between livable habitat and
claustrophobia.

Kanchanjunga Apartments, Mumbai

Despite being a multi-storied apartment, the

homes are designed to feel like the independent
Indian bungalows of old with protective wrap-
around, deep and wide verandahs, that not only
keep the Mumbai monsoons at bay but let its
residents take in unfettered views of the sky and
the sea.

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 KANCHANJUNGA APARTMENTS- MUMBAI

Began: 1970
Completion: 1974
Architecture Style: Modern,
Brutalism
Architect: Charles Correa
Material : Concrete

Location: South West of Downtown Mumbai, India

No. of storeys: 27
Height: 84 meters
Plot size: 5260 sq.mt.
Tower Footprint: 436 sq.mt.
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SITE APPROACH Primary Road and Main
Approach

Secondary Road

Single main entry to the site.

Building is approachable from two

opposite sides, one from east and one
from west.
Kanchanjunga Apartments
Parking
Landscape
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CONCEPT: CLIMATE RESPONSIVE

The building is oriented in east-west direction to capture the prevailing

sea breeze.
The building opens up to Arabian Sea on one end and the harbour on
other.
But it also the direction of hot sun and heavy monsoon rains.

This problem is solved by wrapping a protective layer of verandas along

the main living area, thus providing the occupants with two lines of
defence against the elements

“ FORM FOLLOWS CLIMATE”

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MODULARITY: CREATING AN
IDENTITY

The entire building has a pixelated form with a combination

of solids and voids.

The stacking of these floors help in creating an unique

identity for each unit typology.

The entire structure is all the way transparent due to the

creation of double spaces at various intervals.

It is achieved by the inter-locking of the these unit.

These double height spaces and formation of terraces help in “ EACH UNIT HAS AN
getting large volume of light and ventilation inside the UNIQUE IDENTITY AS A
house RESULT OF ITS
MODULARITY “
“ A SENSE OF PLURALITY IS
ALSO VISIBLE DUE TO THE
REPITION OF THE MODULAR
UNITS “
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TRANSPARENCY AND PARTICIPATIVE SPACES

The transparent design and organisation

of spaces at different levels create
participative and interactive spaces both
within the units as well as between 2
different unit typologies.

These spaces are participative in

nature as they help in increasing
community interaction.

They are also participative in the

sense that it helps in the participation
and interaction of climate with the
“ TRANSPARENCY AND CLIMATIC
built form.
ORGANISATION CREATE
PARTICIPATIVE SPACES AT DIFFERENT
SPATIAL HIERARCHY ”
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SPACE PLANNING AND
ORGANISATION TYPOLOGY A
• Total Area – 294 sq.m.

• 3 Bedrooms
• 1 Study room
• 1 Servant room
• Double height Living room
• 1 Dining & Kitchen

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SPACE PLANNING AND
ORGANISATION TYPOLOGY B
• Total Area – 242 sq.mt.

• 3 Bedrooms
• 1 Servant room
• 1 Dining & Kitchen

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SPACE PLANNING AND
TYPOLOGY C
ORGANISATION • Total Area – 373 sq.m.

• 5 Bedrooms
• 1 Study room
• 1 Servant room
• Double height Living
room
• 1 Dining & Kitchen

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SPACE PLANNING AND
ORGANISATION TYPOLOGY D
• Total Area – 361 sq.m.

• 4 Bedrooms
• 1 Servant room
• 1 Dining + Bar
• 1 Kitchen + Pantry

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 DESIGN INFERENCES AND PHILOSOPHY

“ Architecture is a three legged stool: Climate, Technology and Culture. Together they build Architecture”

Charles Correa’s philosophy is clearly visible in Kanchanjunga Apartments where the form and orientation of the
building is designed according to the climatic conditions.

Culture is well integrated in the space planning where through participative spaces community interaction is developed
and promoted.

Shear wall construction with a central service core is adopted to support large cantilevers and derive the form of the
building.

PLURALISM DESIGN PRINCIPLES IDENTITY

CONCEPT PHILOSOPHY

CLIMATE AND USE

PARTICIPATION OF LOCAL OPEN TO SKY SPACES
MATERIALS
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 BELAPUR HOUSING-MUMBAI

Site: 53838 sq m
• Belapur incremental housing Ground Coverage:25000sq m
project - a proposal for mass Open area: 28838sq m
affordable housing in New Unit: 550
Bombay(Navi Mumbai), which Population 200/acre
demonstrated how high
densities could be achieved
with low-rise courtyard homes,
built with simple materials at a
human scale.
• Based on clusters of between
seven and 12 pairs of houses User group:
arranged around communal Originally built for artist
courtyards, the buildings did But very few reside now
not share party walls – there is mixed
allowing each family to extend community
and adapt their own house
independently.

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LOCATION

 ACCESSIBILITY
•2 km from belapur railway station.
•32 km from eastern freeway.
•40 km from the airport. 

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PLANNING SPACES
PRINCIPLE
S: MATERIALS AND
Increamentality
CONSTRUCTION:
Identity LIVING SPACE.
Plularism
brick walls, roof- wooden SERVICES.
Income
shingles outdoor stone
generation
pavings, simple floor plans COURTYARD.
Equity
and building methods 
Open to sky
spaces ACCESS.
CHARACTERISTICS: FORMATION OF MODULES

•Planning: hierarchy
cluster arrangement • Project demonstrates ho high density housing can be
private 'open to sky achieved in a low-rise typology, while including open to
space' toilet blocks shared sky space and services and the community requires.
courtyard(communal • Overriding principles is to give each unit its own site to
space) informal character allow expansion.
to roads • The footprint of each plan varies little in size from 45
•Architecture: pitched sq.m to 70 sq.m , maintaining eqity in the community.
roof house-community
space-settlement private
world-communal court- 19
THE RELATION AND FORMATION
OF MODULES  •The project is generated by a hierarchy of spaces. The
first is the private courtyard of single dwelling used as a
space for outdoor activities during most of the year.
•Subsequently, seven units are grouped to form a small
courtyard town of about 8m x 8m. Three of these groups
form a module of twenty-one homes that describes the
collective space of the next scale (approximately 12m x
12m).

1
IDENTITY AND
TYPOLOGY

TYPE A TYPE B TYPE C

TYPE D TYPE E
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UNIT PLANS

TYPE A TYPE B TYPE E

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HIERARCHY OF
SPACE: The changing • The 12x12 open space
scale of courtyard has seating spaces
8x8 8x8 8x define activity beneath trees , green
8 areas the most spaces and well.
12x1 intimate scale of • It is transition space
2 1:1:2 is evident between two cluster and
8x8
near residential used for smaller period
20x2
area that progress of time. Some of the
0
8x8 8x8 to 1:4 within festive events are
cluster and 1:6 in carried over here.
12x1 12x1 large open
Private open spaces • The 20x20 open
2
8x8 2
Cluster courtyard
8x8 8x8 Community spaces like
community space is at
water tap/tower
Open
centre of all cluster here
Community public spaces like
spaces gardens and parking are
• The courtyard of 8x8 form by 7 units together provided and this
• It is shared common courtyard space which is partially shaded between units it connects to the main
street providing some
encourages social interaction and used as space for circulation .
privacy to inner
clusters.
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EDGE CONDITION OF OPEN SPACE

• The unit are arranged itself to form a

HEIGHT VS WIDTH
courtyard .
• But the edges of unit is not directly
For private open : x vs x
open to courtyard it has
For Courtyard : x vs 2.1x
Spaces like verandah , staircase ,or
For Open spaces : x vs 4.1x
compound wall that connects unit with
community space

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 DESIGN INFERENCES AND PHILOSOPHY

Project demonstrations how high density housing can be achieved in a low rise typology, while including
OTS spaces and services that community requires.

INCREAMENTALITY : To give each unit its own site to allow expansion

PARTIPITATION: Families do not share walls with their neighbours,

allowing each to expand his own house
INCOME GENERATION: Houses constructed simply and can be
built by traditional masons and craftsmen generating employment
for local workers
PLURAISM: Several plan exist that cover social spectrum, also cluster are
repeated but unit repetition differs in each clusters from squatters to upper
families
OPEN TO SKY: There is hierarchy of open spaces giving an
identity to the community spaces
IDENTITY: Due to space planning each unit has its own identity internally and
externally. The arrangement of units in a cluster is creating an unique space and
identity .
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