Travel Unravel

Background

Do you love to travel? Of course, you do! We’d give away anything just to hit the road. Did you know that around the world, road networks transport 50% of all goods and 70% of total passenger traffic in most countries?

Well, India happens to pride herself for having the second largest road network in the world - almost 5.5 million kilometers of paths.

We’ve got some fabulous scenic routes all over the country and the geographical palette just adds to the beauty. Steady development on our road networks has perked the average urban wanderers into frequenting longer, lovelier routes.

And thus, we need our old reliable watering holes all the more: the stopovers, the eateries, the filling stations to rest, feed, refresh and refuel. Each becoming a vital part of highway infrastructure.

The Brief

Filling station to refuel and service vehicles and stopovers to refresh, rest, and eat are basic needs for commuters traveling by road. 

With an increasing number of urban movers and highway traffic; highway refreshment stops with filling stations play an important role of not just serving moving consumers but also generating an economy for the region.

As road travel is becoming more frequent – highway refreshment stops are also growing in numbers. With the market becoming more competitive, the quality of highway refreshment stops will be the game changer.

Having said that, Travelers are now becoming more discerning and selective about where they stop. Instead of pulling over in random places, they're planning their stops more carefully.

The Challenge

We are looking for an ideal contemporary highway rest stop that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Here is the criteria: 

• User Experience: A highway rest stop with a filling station that serves every kind of customer: a truck driver, a family traveling by car, even young bikers. With such a variant user group, it becomes important to serve each one.

• Design: Does your design rebrand the identity of highway rest stops? An inclusive design which is aesthetically pleasing and invites all kind of users.

• Functionality: Vehicle refilling, a place for rest, freshening up, and consuming food are basic functions of a highway rest-stop.

• User-flow: User flow is the path taken by a user in/on your planned/designed structure. As architects, you have to provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users making it easier for them and their vehicles to move through comfortably.

Design Program

The first criterion is to provide a design approach that can be applied to highway rest stops throughout the world albeit with a tolerance that allows for modifications depending on factors like climate, the economy, and other local requisites.

• An area of 3 acres to be designed as a highway rest stop with an area of 1 acre to be left for an untouched filling station.

• A food court or restaurant, restrooms, retail/medical store & a lodging area (if necessary) – the number and size of the structure are left to the participant’s understanding of space & user type.

• An entry and exit way for vehicles with a parking area should be provided for passenger cars (3 meters x 6 meters) and for trucks (3.6 meters x 18 meters). The number should be decided by the participant. Landscaping and other utilities are left to participant’s imagination.

• The planning should be done considering a traffic of 1600-1800 vehicles per day. 20% Heavy Vehicles (Trucks), 70% Cars, and 10% two-wheelers.

This competition was submitted by an ArchDaily user. If you'd like to submit a competition, call for submissions or other architectural 'opportunity' please use our "Submit a Competition" form. The views expressed in announcements submitted by ArchDaily users do not necessarily reflect the views of ArchDaily.

Cite: "Travel Unravel" 27 Nov 2018. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/906688/travel-unravel> ISSN 0719-8884

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