“Modern architecture has the potential to send you to an early grave.”
Steven Magee
Travel is not visiting a landmark and ticking a bucket-list item. Making a destination attractive to the traveller encompasses the development of the entire town, country and region. As I cover lesser known heritage, this reality hits me closer to home. The series ‘Vantage’ aims to explore viewpoints of experts who work around geography, making it a better place to live and visit. This ‘Guest Post’ comes to ImageWrighter on the third Saturday of every month.
The Cool Factor
Summer is the most important season for vacation across the world. With global warming pushing every temperature record around the world upwards, the entire year is warmer than ever. But have you wondered why cities are hotter than smaller towns or the countryside? Or even within cities, a heritage structure feels cooler than offices or homes?
While wandering to capture images at heritage sites for my blog, these questions bothered me. So I reached out to Dr. Aparna Dwivedi, Faculty at Sir J.J. College of Architecture for her ‘Vantage’. Her words are worth their weight in gold and without a doubt, would do much good if heeded to.
Dr. Aparna Dwivedi – A Bio
My interest has been towards making this city sustainable through policies and its implementation. I look to encompass Architectural issues and their inter-dependence with other relevant aspects of ecology, environment, sustainable urban development, socio- economic factors etc. So my inclination towards Ph.D was basically to delve deeper in these factors. I also wanted to address the issue of our times, has scientific basis, have direct practical relevance for today and has some play in policy making. That is the reason I have chosen the topic of Urban Heat Island in Mumbai. It also should help me address areas of city sustainability in future. I think my work should contribute to bring environment and climate into making urban design policies in our country. I chose academics as a career after having practiced professional Architecture with Ar. Hafeez Contractor. As an Architect we are trained to look at various elements at micro level in a building design while my masters and Ph.D have broadened my horizon at a city and macro level of policy planning. As a Principal in-charge at Dr. Baliram Hiray College, recognized as the Asia’s largest intake of students in B.Arch and M.Arch level gave me a much needed administrative experience and opportunity to contribute in institution building. Both as Principal and as a Faculty, I enjoy giving inputs to the students on B.Arch and M.Arch level and while interacting with the officials of MMRDA, MCGM, CIDCO, Local Self Government etc. At Sir J.J. College of Architecture, I am enjoying creating new standards of teaching. I continually look for an opportunity to work in macro areas.
Mumbai and Hot Spots by Dr. Aparna Dwivedi
Abstract
Rapid increase in urbanization, population, vehicles, material choices in building, dense economic activities cause heat in the city. Cities are making strides with new materials and technologies, which include the new surfaces for the buildings, roads (white surface roads), pathways, etc. The major mega-cities are the victims of urbanization which includes the replacement of forest and vegetative regions with the impervious materials like concrete, asphalt, bricks etc creating hot spots in cities.
Urbanisation in Mumbai
There has been a significant increase in the built-up areas from 1973 to 2014. The rapid development of urban sprawl has many potential detrimental effects. Building materials, private vehicle use, greenhouse gas emissions from increasing air conditioning has led to the increase in temperature of the Mumbai city.
The difference in temperature in April 2013 is from 25-39°C, almost 14°C in the city. Means the temperature of green areas and built-up areas is drastically high. This can be because of the materials applied on the surfaces, whether horizontal or vertical. The temperature variation between heritage structures and modern buildings is also visible.
Observation
For Mumbai city in April 2013, the temperature difference between built ups and vegetation is as high as 14°C, while between built ups and water is at 13°C. Most of the built-up parts, especially in the island city, are hotspots depicting speedy urbanization. So are international airports, roads, railway tracks, etc. These show the effects of imperviousness and less evapo-transpiration.
Evapo-transpiration means water percolates in the ground with the help of vegetation and reduces the temperature in the area. We observe cool spots in the parks, inland water bodies and gardens in the built-up areas.
Suggestions
We should distribute green surfaces in the city and increase vegetation. It helps improve cooling, so that the sun radiation will not get absorbed by the material applied on the surface of the building. Materials available in the local area, porous surfaces are far better to reduce the temperature of the area and surrounding. Go green.
Insightful, ain’t she? Will be back with another ‘Vantage’ next month…
