Understanding the Role of Landscape as an Integral part of Built Form and its Impacts

Abstract

The user’s interactions with the built form are greatly influenced by the landscape they initially perceive (outdoor and indoor spaces). Presently the landscape is an overlooked aspect in the early stages of designing a built form. It’s a component that secures a building to the surface. Human beings are inherently connected to nature and experience a sense of tranquillity when surrounded by the fresh air around them, which makes them relaxed and energetic whereas, polluted areas induce stress. This connection and their relationship create an impact on their performance and enhance their living across all age groups. As in the present time, the replacement of trees with concrete buildings creates an environment that is detrimental to people’s health and mental well being. Both Natural and intentionally planned landscapes have a strong allure and attract people to spend time there. Open spaces are being used more by people, but if those spaces are being filled with polluted air, then their functionality decreases. This research is about the understanding of getting those lively spaces back within the built form. Even in today’s time, there is a need for indoor plantations, which benefits humans and plants at the same time. According to the theories, the strategy is about the merging of content and form. Content is the elements of landscape and built form and form is about the way to integrate it in the best way possible. Integrating landscape is a part of nature, where we settle in and this relationship affects our lives. Here landscape means the environment in which nature dominates so as to get its values back. This research takes into account the universities of Ahmedabad, due to its harsh climate and growing population, making it difficult for people to spend time in open areas. In universities, many spaces are known to be as unused spaces, with no maintenance or are likely to be called waste space. Some spaces hold meaning but less in scale in terms of their availability. Universities have a wide range and variety of people studying with different thoughts treating spaces differently but landscape integrated are such which is liked and utilized by all. These available spaces whether inside or outside the building, enrich their academic journey and also creates an ever-lasting impression of the place to them. Besides attending classes, the student spends most of their time in recreational spaces and hangout spaces which provides relaxation to them and foster connections with nature and the people around them. These spaces in or out of the built form, enhance their journey throughout and make them create an identity of the place forever. These spaces are important not only for the students but for the faculties and other members of the college. Such integration helps people out there to think beyond the boundaries. The research analyses different examples of different typologies for Ahmedabad, where the building is not harming nature and its elements present on the site, instead enhancing it and making it useful in every aspect. The first segment of research tells us about the parameters and their usage in different terms from different perspectives. Along with the different design styles from where the designing of the landscape started with the designing of the built form. The intent behind it was to understand what all measures have been taken to account in different areas to integrate the landscape into built form with different benefits. The other segment focuses on the study of specific institutions of Ahmedabad to compare the integrated areas within the campus along with the negative spaces. This is to understand the usage of integrated spaces by the user of the campus in all terms and identify the considerations for future developments.