THESIS (2017-18)

SYNOPSIS
SUBMITTED TO MCGAN’S OOTY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
FOR BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
TOPIC: DISASTER RELIEF PRECINCT

PRESENTED BY
GOKULNATH L
712113251023

1 | INTRODUCTION OF TOPIC

Natural disasters seem to happen frequently. The environment is changing which is resulting
in more frequent climate-related natural disasters. When these things occur, entire villages,
cities or geographical regions can be affected. Entire populations of people will require
shelter. It will take days or even months for life to get back to normal after a disaster. During
that time, to protect a person from the effects of exposure to the elements, shelter is critical
to survival and recovery. 
Disaster relief precincts are infrastructures that are sought after by the population affected by
disaster for shelter. This infrastructure provides all the requirements needed for a average
person for full-time living inside the precinct. The infrastructure houses medical facilities,
food supplies, and a production wing for Modules.
The Modules are easily deployable readymade structures that acts as a temporary shelter
for the affected population. These modules are lightweight structure distributed to flood
zones from the precinct.

2 | NEED OF THE PROJECT

Chennai, the only metropolitan city of Tamilnadu, is one of the biggest cultural, economic and
educational centres in South India. It is constantly becoming the victim of Floods and Cyclones
every year.

Every year after a cyclone or a flood has struck chennai, the relief will be in the form of
accommodating affected population in a malls, government facilities, etc. These
infrastructures which accommodate the affected population were not planned for Relief
purposes. Though they provide shelter, they do not fulfill other needs such as medical, food
supplies, etc. These Medical camps and food supplies will be organized post disaster, which
will usually take a day or two to be organized and set up.
Chennai being a capital of a state should have Prevention, Mitigation and Relief measures
for the disaster. The prevention measures being the accommodation of the affected
population in a proper facility and temporary shelters for the affected population as part of
the Relief measures.

3 | AIM

To design a full-time living Disaster Relief Precinct as part of the Pre-Disaster phase and to
create readymade modules for the Post-Disaster phase.

4 | OBJECTIVE

● Identification of flood pattern and flood prone areas

● Identification of potential site in the proximity of flood prone areas
● The requirements of the facility are to be identified
● A detailed study on Modular architecture structures and PEB structures for
implementation of Main precinct.
● Identifying potential route and mode of transportation method for the distribution of
the modules
● To design modules which can be easily deployed and transported to areas of
distress.

5 | SCOPE

The Precinct which is a long term investment is a good preventive measure at times of
disaster.
The introduction of modular architecture in the design of modules. The scope of Modular
architecture is that if the Modules are to be altered for future necessities, say the integration
of earthquake resistance in addition to flood resistance to the Modules.
The use of PEB structures for the main precinct. PEB structures are strong and durable
structures which can withstand cyclones and other minor level damages.

6 | LIMITATION
The Infrastructure will be designed to respond and resist only flood and cyclone and not to
other forms of disasters.
The proposal requires three precincts for north, south and central chennai respectively. Only
the precinct for central chennai is to be designed and the precincts for north and south
chennai will stop at the identification of potential sites.

7 | METHODOLOGY

● Devising the design brief

● Case study
● Selection of potential site
● Synthesis of data
● Design concept
● Pre final design
● Final design

8 | SITE

A total of three sites are to be identified for north, south and central part of chennai
respectively.
● CENTRAL CHENNAI
The site chosen is Island grounds. It is a man made recreational space in
chennai surrounded on either side by cooum.
Cooum once served as the lifesaver and mode of transportation in chennai.
Since the modules are to be distributed through water ways, the island
grounds with cooum at the southern perimeter of the site and Buckingham
Canal at the northern perimeter of the site connecting the interiors of chennai
and northern parts of chennai respectively, is a potential site for the precinct
at central chennai.
● SITE DIMENSIONS
Area : 550913.19 m²/136.13 acres
Perimeter : 2933.251m
● SITE ACCESSIBILITY
Trichy - Chennai highway running through the north and south of the site.