# 04 Community and Living

Vadodara and Jaisalmer - 5th semester

A. GIDC Makarpura, Vadodara -- Green terrace
The design for the housing project at GIDC Makarpura is driven by a simple yet impactful spatial strategy: each floor plate is deliberately shifted to create a system of alternating outdoor experiences. This shifting massing generates a green terrace on one side of every floor, providing residents with private and semi-private landscaped pockets that enhance ventilation, encourage outdoor living, and bring nature directly to the upper levels. These terraces act as elevated green buffers, improving microclimate conditions and strengthening the project's biophilic character.

On the opposite side, the shifting floors produce overhung shaded areas that function as social spill-out spaces like comfortable areas for gathering, sitting, and casual interaction among residents. They act as shaded community extensions that encourage neighbourly exchange and build social cohesion within the housing cluster.

B. Migrant housing in Jaisalmer -- Porous courtyard clusters
Set against the presence of Jaisalmer Fort, the project responds to the harsh desert climate through a porous housing system inspired by the fort's compact and protective character. Thick locally sourced sandstone walls form a solid outer edge, shielding residents from heat, glare and hot winds.

Moving inward, the built form becomes lighter and more open, creating shaded lanes, stepped courtyards and shared spaces that allow air to circulate naturally. These courtyards balance privacy with community interaction while improving ventilation and daylight. The project reinterprets Jaisalmer's traditional settlement pattern to create a compact, climate-responsive living environment shaped by stone, shade, wind and social life.

- [04A GIDC Makarpura, Vadodara](https://www.himakshishah.com/work/living/vadodara): Green terrace
- [04B Migrant housing in Jaisalmer](https://www.himakshishah.com/work/living/jaisalmer): Porous courtyard clusters

Images

- Vadodara: View of the Vadodara housing (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/vadodara-view.jpg)
- Concept: Housing concept, shifted floor plates (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/vadodara-concept.jpg)
- Floor plates: Floor plates (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/vadodara-plates.jpg)
- Unit plan: Housing unit plan (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/vadodara-plan.jpg)
- Section: Housing section (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/vadodara-section.jpg)
- Elevation: Part elevation of the housing (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/vadodara-elevation.jpg)
- Aerial: Aerial view of the Jaisalmer housing (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/jaisalmer-aerial.jpg)
- Street: Street view of the Jaisalmer housing (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/jaisalmer-street.jpg)
- Elevation: Elevation of the Jaisalmer housing (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/jaisalmer-elevation.jpg)
- Site: Site context plan, Jaisalmer (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/jaisalmer-site.jpg)
- Section: Section through the Jaisalmer housing (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/jaisalmer-section-1.jpg)
- Section: Second section through the Jaisalmer housing (https://www.himakshishah.com/work/04/jaisalmer-section-2.jpg)

[Selected work](https://www.himakshishah.com/portfolio)