Redevelopment of BEST Bus Depot with Mixed-Use Building

Redevelopment of BEST Bus Depot with Mixed-Use Building

Semester 9 Design Studio: Proposal by Naiya Shah

Mumbai, being an important urban center, has seen numerous mega investments in various sectors over the decades since independence. One of these sectors is transportation. Several large scale projects have been done since the last 10-15 years. Some of these are the Bandra-Worli Sealink, the Eastern Freeway, the Monorail project and, now, the Metro Rail Project. In this project it was proposed to develop a scheme for ‘Revamping’ BEST depots to create ‘self-sustainable model’. It aimed to use maximum potential of BEST Bus depot Plots, so that BEST can have revenue generation Module. There should be different zone for BEST Bus Depot with Buses circulation, stops & offices and another zone for commercial shops, offices etc. This is to be done to provide seamless & non-interactive movement between different zones

Any transport station attracts business opportunities to its area of operation. Accordingly, Bus depots expected to provide an impetus to the business environment in their respective areas. The project this semester was to anticipate such an economic Module and provide necessary infrastructure for growth of BEST & business while providing world class facilities for commuters. Hence, it involved designing a building by ‘re-modelling’ the depots that would act as a self-sustainable module for BEST Authority, while providing commuter conveniences and business facilitation functions.