Urmi Bari
Urmi Bari is an innovative and devoted Interior Design Environment Architecture student with a keen interest in sustainable design for existing buildings.
Taking into consideration the cost-of-living crisis and affordable housing, her Final Major Project addresses the future of dwelling through the radical approach of intergenerational communal living. “Get to know Strangers” is about building a community where members learn to live with one another, creating social bonds through co-housing: from sharing kitchens to gardens and distributing responsibilities, thus allowing the young and old to co-exist.
Structural Design – Highlighting the existing (grey) and the proposal's new structure (purple); the sustainable elements of the roofs on each building, including a vegetable garden, solar roof and the green roof café seating.
Construction Study 1:20 – Showing the connection of the external and internal space from the balconies that sit on each floor to the bedroom flats, with details for insulation, waterproofing and fire safety.
Garden Landing View – Photoshop render image of the reuse of the existing side entrance landing space. Large window door openings into the garden provides an efficient exit in case of fire emergency. The vines grown in cooler, darker conditions here, adds a sense of calmness and quietness as it is more secluded away from the busy high street noise.
Shared Kitchen View – Photoshop render image of the heart of the communal space (central to each floor). The existing red cast-iron columns and timber ceiling beams retained for structural support, both visibly striking in depth and character in the room. The vertical slats act as a divider without completely blocking the light into the space. The kitchen is the only way through to the balcony and henceforth the flats, making this the most circulated room in the building.
Side Entrance View – Photoshop render of existing side entrance into the main building as well as the extension building that provides access to the flats.