HSC Designs has completed a major renovation of Circle of Life Park in Ahmedabad, India, creating a model for sustainable public spaces. The project, known locally as Chakrajeevan Udyaan, emerged from comprehensive site-specific analysis of climate patterns, movement behaviors, and user demographics. Early observational studies revealed that women, children, and senior citizens were significantly underrepresented among park visitors, primarily due to legitimate concerns about personal safety and physical accessibility. The innovative design response prioritizes clear movement pathways, open visibility, and inclusive access as fundamental spatial principles guiding every decision. This transformation demonstrates how thoughtful landscape architecture can address social inequities while advancing environmental sustainability.
The park's original layout created numerous hidden areas and blind corners that made vulnerable users feel unsafe, particularly during early morning and evening hours. Community feedback indicated that mothers felt uncomfortable bringing children to play areas without clear sightlines to surrounding spaces. Senior citizens avoided the park due to poorly maintained pathways and insufficient seating for rest. The design team conducted extensive surveys and behavioral mapping to understand exactly how different demographic groups used or avoided the space. These findings revealed that safety concerns, rather than lack of interest, drove the underrepresentation of key community members.
A continuous, gently winding pathway now forms the primary organizational spine connecting all park activity zones while maintaining visual continuity across the entire site. This accessible loop links children's play areas and senior citizen zones positioned in close proximity to support intergenerational interaction and caregiver supervision. Frequent seating pockets along the pathway accommodate parents, guardians, and elderly users who need regular rest stops. Open sightlines across central spaces allow constant visual connection between family members, reducing reliance on signage or electronic surveillance. The layout deliberately eliminates blind corners and concealed areas, with soft edges and explicit transitions supporting intuitive navigation and informal community oversight.
Sustainability is embedded throughout the project through extensive material reuse and regeneration, diverting significant waste from landfills. More than 30,000 square feet of materials, including concrete, fired tiles, mild steel rods, bricks, tires, and timber, were reclaimed and repurposed within the park's new design. This ambitious approach reduced the need for new material extraction and resulted in an estimated avoidance of approximately 36 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Reused concrete elements are integrated as sculptural play structures and spatial thresholds, while salvaged steel rods form decorative trellises and lightweight shade frameworks. Reclaimed tiles are reassembled into durable, visually interesting walking surfaces, and repurposed tires and wood are transformed into creative seating and informal gathering elements.
HSC Designs emphasized durability, repairability, and local construction logic in every material selection and detailing decision. Concrete surfaces intentionally reveal their casting textures, steel elements develop a controlled natural patina over time, and timber components are detailed to accommodate wear and aging gracefully. All assemblies are modular and accessible, allowing individual components to be repaired or replaced in place without major disruption. Seating heights, handholds, and circulation widths are carefully calibrated to support children, elderly users, wheelchair accessibility, and stroller navigation. Shaded seating areas are positioned through detailed solar analysis to improve thermal comfort during Ahmedabad's intense heat, while non-slip surfaces ensure safe movement throughout the park during monsoon seasons.
Landscape and planting strategies soften boundaries without obstructing visibility, reinforcing safety through openness rather than enclosure. The spatial configuration supports varied daily use patterns, from morning walking clubs and informal children's play to afternoon resting and evening social gatherings. Local vendors and community activities are accommodated through flexible clearings and circulation zones without requiring temporary modifications or closing sections. Circle of Life Park is conceived as a resilient civic landscape where spatial organization, material reuse, and long-term maintenance strategies operate in integrated harmony. By aligning safety, accessibility, and environmental responsibility, the project demonstrates how public parks can support social well-being while extending the life cycle of locally available materials and reducing environmental impact.
