Living Bridges, a student housing project in Mumbai, is designed to move away from the typical dormitory or student hostel typology in urban settings. This traditional model fosters a regimented form of social control through the use of single-loaded corridor organizations. The challenge was to break away from the notion of stacked student housing, where there is no exchange between students, owing to the tight site constraints forcing dead vertical development as a common imagination. 

Editor’s Note: “Designed by MO-OF, this student housing typology of Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute redefines typical hostel dorms. ‘Living bridges’ in the form of stairs establish a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors. Architectural elements including voids, breathable facades, and double-height viewing decks offer a serene environment amidst the urban setting.” ~ Anusha Sridhar

This Student Housing Redefines Traditional Dormitory Typology | MO-OF

Program and Organization

To respond to these, a conscious design framework was introduced. Thereby, facilitating opportunities for an active social and cultural life to flourish.

The design creates living bridges that integrate circulation and sequentially connect different collective programs within the hostel’s horizontal voids.

Common Areas

Placing common programs such as the study rooms, pantry, audio-visual room, gym, indoor games areas, and computer rooms on different floors adjacent to the stairs and overlooking the inner street formed by the stacked corridors accelerated the interaction of students across multiple floors. Thus, making it vibrant and socially sustainable. 

Moreover, the other element was to establish the connection of this new hostel block with the surrounding building and playground on the existing campus site.

This achievement extends the podium level into a double-height viewing deck that overlooks the grounds. Consequently, the podium floor of the building functions as a 24-hour living courtyard.

Dining and Kitchen

The student dining and kitchen embed into the ground floor, while a few voids of the podium overlook them.

As the kitchen would need high serviceability, it has been kept away from student activities in the building on the ground floor closer to the back entrance.

Special Features

Breathable façades Sustainability plays a prime role in the design of the hostel. Additionally, the west and east façades act as sunbreakers and screen the glass windows of the student rooms.

The need for a screen primarily arises with an intent to respond to climate needs and provide cross ventilation to every room.

However, the design of the screen in itself becomes an expression of the school, becoming a characteristic that one sees from afar while approaching the VJTI campus by road. 

Community Spaces as Landmarks

The south side of the building forms a welcoming entrance with an amphitheatre and multiple seating areas overlooked by the suspended TV room and terraces above. The play of volumes as a solid mass and voids is designed to not only respond to the views and provide climatic responses but also become social landmarks.

Fact File

Designed by: MO-OF

Project Type: Institute Design

Project Name: Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute Student Housing

Location: Mumbai

Year Built: 2023

Project Size: 107639.1 Sq.ft

Design Team: Sudipta Iyer, Jugal Ahuja, Akshay Aditya, Kunal Mokasdar, Sanket Kamdar, Manan Vikram, Yash Salian

Photograph Courtesy: Niveditaa Gupta

Executing Agency: Public Works Department

MEP Consultant: Arkk Designs

Structural Engineers: Kelkar Design Private Limited

Quantity Surveyors: Dongre Associates

Contractors: Shubham EPC Pvt Ltd

Source: Archdaily

Firm’s Website Link: MO-OF

Firm’s Instagram Link: MO-OF

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