I M ∧ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS
Urban Regeneration & Civic Heart
← All ProjectsUrban Design2024
01 / OVERVIEW

Urban Regeneration & Civic Heart

Reclaiming dense urban streetscapes through pedestrian plazas, shade canopies, and micro-forest pockets.

TYPEPublic Realm & Adaptive Reuse
SITE AREA12 Acres
LOCATIONChennai, India
STATUSDesign Development
02CONCEPT & DESIGN STORY

Human-scale urbanism.

Restoring the street as a place of encounter, cultural expression, and shaded pedestrian comfort.

01

Traffic Calming

Prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists, and electric shuttles.

02

Living Shading Canopies

Green trellises providing 8°C cooler microclimates.

03SITE + CONTEXT

Topographical & Climate Analysis

Heart of historical Chennai connecting transit stations with cultural hubs.

CLIMATE ZONEUrban Tropical Heat Island
SOLAR ORIENTATIONParametric shade canopies over pedestrian corridors
WIND CORRIDORChanneled street breezes
Site Topography
04PLANS & MASTERPLAN

Interactive Master Plan

Click on the interactive markers to inspect key spatial nodes and architectural clusters.

1 ZONING PINS
Master Plan Blueprint
NODE 01 / 014,000 m²

Artisan Plaza

Shaded outdoor amphitheater and craft market.

Select Another Zone
05SECTIONS + ELEVATIONS

Multi-Tiered Shading & Mass Transit Linkage

Integration of rain gardens underneath shaded pedestrian viaducts.

Architectural Section
06DIAGRAMS & MASSING

Urban Heat Island Mitigation

STAGE 01

01 Concrete Removal

STAGE 02

02 Bioswale Installation

STAGE 03

03 Native Tree Canopy

07VISUALISATIONS & EXPERIENCES
Visualisation
08BIM / 3D STRUCTURE
EXPLODED 3D PROJECT VIEW

BIM Tectonic Layer Decomposition

SELF-SUSTAINING COMMUNITY (CONCEPT)
Explore Building Layers
Exploded 3D
Active Layer: Structure

Structure

A hybrid structural system optimized for efficiency, flexibility, and low embodied carbon concrete + mass timber.

09SUSTAINABILITY & CLIMATE
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE SIMULATION

Designing with climate.

See the difference architectural solar shading and courtyard ventilation make in real time.

Without Shading
Without Shading • Higher Heat Gain | 38°C
With Shading
With Shading • Optimized Comfort | 26°C
HEAT GAIN REDUCTION
-32% Heat Gain
NATURAL VENTILATION
+45% Induced Airflow
DAYLIGHT COMFORT
+28% Glare-Free Light
10TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
PRIMARY STRUCTUREPost-Tensioned Flat Slabs & Cast In-Situ Low-Carbon Concrete
FACADE TECTONICSPerforated Terracotta Jaalis & Thermally Broken Double Glazing
WATER SECURITYCentral 3.2-Acre Retention Biosponge & Wetland Filtration
11MEASURABLE IMPACT
50,000 Daily PedestriansCAPACITY
Solar Powered Public LightsENERGY OFFSET
Urban Community GardensAGRO-FORESTRY
100% Runoff InfiltratedWATER TREATED
12CREDITS & PROJECT TEAM

Project Commission Credits

LEAD ARCHITECTMohammed Aasif
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERINGIMA Urban Studio
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTCivic Ecology Partners
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREIMA Architects