Architecture college campus design: APJ Abdul Kalam technological university campus, Vilapilsala, Thiruvananthpuram, Kerala

Abstract

An exploration into a model university campus as per the requirements underlined by the proposing authority. Designing with a holistic interpretation of the statutes of values held by the University governing body, through inquiry into current trends in campus design universally. The incorporation of state-of-the-art techniques will ensure a world-class education for its students. Enhancing and using as advantage the natural environment present on site through careful interventions so as to not disturb the ecology. The contours of the site are an opportunity to add interesting dimensions to the built form and can lead to visually and experientially interesting forms. The proposed site for the KTU Campus is at Vilapilsala, Thiruvananthapuram. Vilapilsala is situated in the valley of the mountain Kanikanumpara. It is a village located about 15km away from Trivandrum, the state capital of Kerala. It is a contoured site that has a hilltop within it. The site has a neighbouring solid waste treatment plant that was remaining closed for the past seven years. There are many access roads leading to the site. The proposed campus will come at 100 acres of land at Vilapilsala. As the Kerala government acquired this site, they decided to rehabilitate the existing residential areas by providing compensation to those families. It was taken as the location for the university campus as there was a need to develop the backward and rural areas in Kerala. APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (initially Kerala Technological University), a State Government University has come into existence on May 21, 2014, with an aim to improve the academic standards of the Graduate, Postgraduate and Research Programmes in Engineering Science, Technology and Management and regulate the academic standards of all colleges affiliated to the University. The main thrust areas of the University are Research, Development, and Innovation. Knowledge with action is the basis of human welfare, provided it upgrades human qualities and faculties as well as professional skills. Such knowledge is a right as well as an obligation of every human being, which should be provided by a system of universal education. Moreover, it gives a new image to the city. The Aim of the project is to design an Architecture department for the proposed university campus for APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University which offers graduate, postgraduate and research programmes in engineering, architecture and planning, technology, social science, and science disciplines. The proposal for the university by the State Government and the university governing body allocated Rs.60 crore for the university headquarters, Rs.50 crore for establishing various engineering schools, Rs.30 crore for centres of excellence in research, Rs.20 crore for transitional research centres and Rs.19 crore for start-ups and innovation centres. As of now, a proposed site plan for this project does not exist. This thesis will focus on the design of the Architectural Department blocks for the campus for both UG and PG totalling an area of 12000 sq.m. and the required residential and recreational spaces. Keywords:- Cultural landscapes, Indian handloom clusters, Chanderi, Genius Loci, Architectural Metaphorism, Sustainability, Interdependencies and linkages, Degenerative flux, Community resilience, Economy, Built.