BLUEPRINT FOR A FUTURISTIC URBAN SETTLEMENT

Planning a city must be an interesting exercise. I'm not sure why, but recently, my interests were drawn to a simple personal brain teaser excercise where I tried to play the role of a city planner. I must have been fascinated by how God was able to write a universal program running the metaverse.

 I said to myself, "What if I am called upon to plan a new city?" 

How would it have felt for God, planning out and actually writing the programs that make seasons, births, deaths etc. happen? Excited by the potential of what beautiful city I could develop, I resorted to try out the game. 

Yes, I know, people get trained and get licensed to do this, but as an Architect, I just felt like trying. It felt interesting thinking out and providing for all the necessities for a pleasant life in my small city. The time I spent considering what else should be on the list, was refreshing to my philosophy-thirsty soul. 

For formality and memorability, I named my pet city; Peaceland. I itemized all the realities of life that needed to be provided for and then the physical provisions needed to satisfy them, in a tabular format. I'm adding to the list as the game unfolds. So far I have made a list of realities that need to be provided for in the order as it came to me while developing the model; below:

The task is to plan a modern city with provisions that cater to the identified necessities of life, work, religion, health, fitness, education and other important aspects of settlement. Now lets see what we can come up with, hopefully you can suggest a plan that works or just hang on till I find time to finish the game and show you a proposal for your review.

LIFE AND EXISTENCE - A 21ST CENTURY PHILOSOHER'S CONTEMPLATION

 

Living everyday like it's our last has by far been the best way to remind ourselves that we do not know where we came from and we have no idea where we are headed when we leave here!

Only a fool will proceed with the pursuits of life without thinking about where it all came from and why we are here in the first place. Many theories are sold to us, from different quarters, Everyone gives a different explanation of the origin, largely or sparingly different, everyone has claimed that their message is the "truth" and the "absolute" one. 

Wouldn't we be set free indeed from this confusion if we came to learn the truth?

All the time we have lived many-a-men, many-a-lifetimes, many-a-generations, many-a-civilizations, many-a-wars, we still come and go and the Earth keeps spinning. 

And Oh! Did they say this is just one of nine? Did they say our universe was only one out of many, discovered and yet to be?

So what is going on? Really what are we doing here? There is too much detail in everything, a thinking soul couldn't help but ponder how all existence in its entirety became.

Oh how weak we are, how short a time we have! how limited a memory we can bear! Who remembers what happened a generation ago? Who records what transpires here or there on a daily basis? Not the news that is curated, but the mouse that died today or the bird that brought forth child. Is it unnecessary to record? If it is, then why is it happening? If we won't be here forever then what are we doing here and where will we go?

We do realize that we played absolutely no part in choosing whether to come here or not, unless of course our former actions in a former life or existence warrants us to be here, calling into remembrance the theory of action and reaction. 

Shall we stop to ponder on what to do? Who shall we ask or who shall we go to for the "answers"? Are we helplessly living or dying or just existing? We want this, but when we get it we want another thing. We think once we have this then we will find the solution, but alas, when we find it our unending desire swallows it whole and wants more. Helplessly we set out to pursue a new thing and the cysle continues until "our time is up" and we are no more.

It's so vast to even contemplate!  But wait!..are we the only ones thinking? Are our co-habitants, the animals thinking too? DOes the fish in the river want to know what happened to her great grand mother or from where it came or to where it is headed too?

Oh don't they? Don't they need to know? If they don't, why do we need to know? Ahhh, it becomes necessary that there is someone or something or circumstance deciding and moving existence. What did he want? Is he here with us? Where is he? Did he embark on a really long trip or is he done with this very project and is on to another?

The elements; fire, water, land, air, matter all...

ENERGY EFFICIENCY, HVAC, THERMAL COMFORT AND PASSIVE DESIGN

 

The central philosophy behind green building is the judicious use of resources in a manner that provides for man’s needs today without jeopardizing the ability of the future generation to fulfill their own energy needs.

The illustration above shows the authors’ conceptualization of how energy consumption is related to the use of HVAC equipment, which emanates from the need to maintain a comfortable indoor environment for the occupants in terms of indoor air quality and thermal comfort. The arrows indicate the two way relationship between the sections implying that any change in either of the sections bears significance on the others.  The authors’ argue that for energy consumption to reduce, passive design strategies must be adjusted to provide alternative sources of natural ventilation and thermal comfort. Such design strategies may include but not limited to design issues affecting building height, form, orientation, etcetra.

If we are going to continue building tall, we must figure out how to keep the energy consumption of such buildings within environmentally and economically sustainable limits. 

ARCHITECTURAL 3D VISUALIZATION 3-IN-ONE PRACTICAL COURSE

 

Download program brochure to learn more about the private visualization course. You may contact the author if you are interested in having a private online training course after reading through the brochure. 

VISA EXTENSION - INDIA - PROCEEDURE AND GUIDELINES

If you live or work in India and you are looking for the proceedure for extending your current visa to afford you more time to complete your purpose of visit, then you may want to be careful with the website(s) you visit because there are lots of websites purporting to be visa and travel agencies who may ask for money where there MAY BE absolutely no fee - Yes, absolutely no fee.

For avoidance of any doubts, it is advised that anyone seeking to extend a subsisting visa within India should log on to the efrro official website and follow the simple steps specified on the visa extension form.

You will have to complete the application form for visa extemsion ( it is advised that the individual be present in India at the time of completing the application). The office would typically reachout to you via the email address you provided when registering on the frro portal. They may request additional documentation depending upon the nature of the susbsisting visa or where necessary.

Once your submitted documents are vetted and deemed satisfactory, you may be required to make some payment - especially in the case of a research visa. Note that there is no payment as of date for extension of other categories of student visa.

At every stage of your application, you may communicate with the frro office through the official website for any clarifications you may require. Be ware of predatory websites that may purport to be "accredited" agents of the frro office and may charge you a fee in the name of helping you apply for your visa extension. You can do it all yourself through your official account on the official  efrro official website

I wish you the best of luck!