Designaddvance 2023 : Reimagining Railway Stations as Urban Nodes

Reimagining Railway Stations as Urban Nodes

What if railway stations became all-purpose centres of services? 

What if they became places where people could work, learn, play, heal, connect and rejuvenate?

Indian Railways is the 4th largest rail network in the world and is the largest employer in India. The network connects 7000+ stations all over the country, where over 13,000 trains operate every day. Across the 7,653 railway stations in India, more than 6000 are in X, Y and Z cities. Reimagining railway stations in these cities/towns as active urban nodes also adds to their multi-dimensional relationship with their surroundings and nearby neighbourhoods. With Transit-oriented Development (TOD) becoming an integral part of urban development, to promote public transit use, it’s time to look at what possibilities railway stations hold. They could become places that amalgamate various spheres and sectors, and fill in the gaps in the town’s life, with facilities like education, healthcare, workspaces, commercial developments, etc. They could also help uplift the economic sector in the town. 

Design Problem: 

This year, designaddvance calls for ideas that reimagine railway stations in X, Y and Z cities beyond being just Transit Hubs and more as nodes of urban activity. To reform and boost the existing spatial and visual identity of a railway station into that of an urban centre—with a mix of uses such as healthcare, commerce, education, leisure, business, entertainment and so on—reshaping the interaction of the users with the place.

Site Selection: 

Participants can take up a railway station site in any of the X, Y or Z cities, according to the RLDA’s scheme (refer to appendices). Sites in Y and Z cities that promote the growth of the city/town, will be encouraged even though not mandatory. Adhere to the following parameters while choosing your site:

1. The total site area should be between 1-4 acres. 
2. Follow locally applicable bye-laws or the National Building Code in their absence. (Different cities and regions have different allowances for ground coverage, FSI, % built-up area, etc.).
3. Refer to the Manual for Standards and Specifications of Railway Stations Vol I and Vol II for standards.

Eligibility:

• Open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students of Architecture, Planning, Engineering and Design across the country.
• Anyone who is a student at the time of registration is eligible to participate, including those graduating in 2023.

Team Composition:

• A maximum of three members per team is permissible.
• The team may be multidisciplinary with at least one member being an architecture student.
• The members of the team can belong to the same or different academic years, colleges and courses of undergraduate or postgraduate disciplines with at least one member being an architecture student.

Submission Requirements:

1. A statement defining the programme, context and the choice of site in one A4 sheet as a pdf. Name the pdf as .
2. 5-7 Graphical Slides in 16:9 ratio, Landscape orientation, 200 to 300 DPI, with the design process and the drawings (plans, elevations, sections, views, area and energy calculations) depicted in a suitable graphical scale.  Calculations and statements for compliance with zero energy building requirements such as Energy Rating System Index, Energy conservation code, Energy use intensity, etc. are to be included in the submission. Name the pdf as .
3. Participants are encouraged to elaborate on decarbonization and calculation of other zero energy design strategies within their design and the processes that surround it.
4. A recorded presentation of under 5 minutes duration explaining the project shall be included in the submissions, to be uploaded in the submission folder/link provided. Name the recording as .
5. A letter of declaration signed by the participant shall be included. (Format attached in the annexure of the brief).  Name the recording as .
6. Acknowledgement of references used for case studies and design ideas that have been adapted from sources are to be included in the submission. All entries shall be scrutinized for evidence of plagiarism. 
7. The submissions need to clearly document the design process. It is recommended, though not mandatory, that drawings/ graphics be developed using Autodesk Revit and auxiliary Autodesk BIM tools. The sheets may include plans, sections, elevations, 3D views, joinery details, Dynamo scripts, and anything else that would help communicate the idea better. 
8. Participants' names must not be mentioned anywhere, only the submission code as provided has to be mentioned on the top-right corner of the documents. 
9. The Autodesk Docs link for uploading the entry will be communicated to the participants after registration for the competition closes.

Important Dates:

Registrations Open 3rd April 2023:
Registrations Close: 20th October 2023
Submissions Close: 27th October 2023

Awards:

• Cash Prizes for the top three winners:
  • 1st: ₹ 75,000/-
  • 2nd: ₹ 50,000/-
  • 3rd: ₹ 25,000/-
• Top 10 entries to be published on our website.
• Top 5 winners will get free entry to Capricot BIM for Design Program (140 Hours) worth ₹ 50,000/-
• All participants who have submitted the entries will get a discount voucher of 40% on the BIM for Design Program.
• E - Certificates for all attendees of the workshop.
• E - Certificates for all participants who have submitted competition entries

 Knowledge Resources:

Online Self-Learning Modules and webinars by experts in sustainability, BIM, energy simulation, building innovations will be conducted at regular intervals- accessible free of cost for the competition registrants. This will help the teams understand concepts and best practices for high-performance buildings. 

For registration and more info, visit: https://www.designaddvance.in