Sir JJ Architecture students design Pedestrian Ways for the City

Since 2006, the faculty of Sir JJ College of Architecture and Snowcem Paints have collaborated to improve the civic life in the city of Mumbai by instituting the Snowcem Faculty Medal .This competition is for participation by all the students, from the first to the final year. Snowcem

Paints are associated with the faculty medal for the last three years and have kindly sponsored the medals and prizes. The theme given each year are intended to address pressing urban, social and civic issues faced by the city of Mumbai. Each entry is intended to generate alternatives that can transform the city through design excellence. The best entries of the competition are put on display for the city at large.

The theme for the third Snowcem Faculty Medal Competition (2008) was:

Pedestrian Ways in the City

The aim of the competition is to search for solutions that return the city to its primary users, people on the street, by creating of inclusive and barrier-free urban environment that can be rich and fulfilling.

Pedestrian Ways should make opposite parts of the city accessible, overcome barriers of fast moving traffic by pedestrian walkways and peoples places and create urban environment that's rich with the creations by its own inhabitants.

The meeting of Jury for the Snowcem Faculty Medal 2008 took place in the college premises on 22^nd December 2008. The Jury members for the Snowcem Faculty Medal 2008 were Jal Aria, Architect and Academician, Nayana Kathpalia, Convener Cityspace and S. Shankar Menon, former bureaucrat and pedestrian activist. From over 180 design sited all over Mumbai, 30 were short-listed.

After intense deliberations, the Jury awarded the Snowcem Faculty Medal for the Year 2008 to Darshan Maru. The Jury appreciated his design for giving primacy to pedestrians, being simple, doable and cost-effective. The design solution was sensitive to its surroundings and did not disrupt the existing visual landscape. The Jury also appreciated Maru's use of public art in creating a humane environment for the pedestrians.

The Second Prize was awarded to Shraddha Sawant, whose design was appreciated for creating a new public space while finding a solution to the existing traffic problem. The judicious use of levels in the design made both vehicles and pedestrians negotiate easily. The public-private partnership was obvious in the design.

Two Commendations were given by the Jury. The first to Sachin Porkute whose design the jury felt was an interesting response to a complex junction. They appreciated that the design did not disturb the surrounding heritage structures and their current views. The use of travellators for senior citizens was innovative.

The second Commendation was given to Pooja Ugrani. The Jury appreciated the design's primacy for the pedestrian, as it proposed for vehicles (as large as buses) to go underground. The use of the ground plane for cultural activities was lauded.

The Snowcem Faculty medal is to be awarded on 17^th February 2008 at 2.00 pm in the C. M. Master Hall of the Sir JJ College of Architecture. Col A.K Pahel, Additional Chief Engineer, of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has kindly consented to grace the occasion and give away the prizes.