Masterplan

Figure 3.1.3H

POPULATION ON SITE

from 32,000 people

11,800

20,200 residents relocate, 63% fewer

LIVING AREA PER PERSON

from 15 m²

27

80% more room for each resident

SITE METRICS, EXISTING AND PROPOSED

WHOLE SITE

Footprint is per building; GFA is the total for all buildings of that type, in m². The all-buildings row uses the sheet totals. Average home is 980.86 sq ft; living area is 27 m² (291 sq ft) per person. Open space per person is open area ÷ people, rounded.

LAND USE, BEFORE AND AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Sources

BEFORE → AFTER

m²

Site area (ha)

People on site

Open share of site

Open area (ha)

Open space per person (m²)

People per hectare

1.92

2.66

MASTERPLAN_METRICS.xlsx, 12 ha site. Working figures.

PEOPLE PER HECTARE

from 2,667 people per ha

983

per ha

63% fewer people on each hectare

GROSS FLOOR AREA

from 488,000 m²

318,500

35% less floor area on the same site

EXISTING

PROPOSED

CHANGE

12.00

12.00

11,800

32,000

−20,200

53%

75%

−22 pts

6.36

8.98

5

3

983

2,667

−1,683

hectares, 12 ha site

0.94

m²

BUILDINGS

none

15 floors

10 floors

8 floors

−2.62

8 floors

All buildings

+2

6.20

3.20

OPEN SPACE PER PERSON

from 3 m²

5

m²

more each, though open area shrinks 29%

AVERAGE HOME SIZE

from 554 sq ft

981

sq ft

77% larger homes

FOOTPRINT

RES. FLOORS

3,000

13

2,500

7

3,000

6

2,500

6

36,000

–

Residential

0.80

Commercial

Green area

Roads + movement

Utilities + parking

BLDGS

GFA

5

195,000

5

87,500

2

36,000

1

15,000

13

318,500

16% → 22%

1% → 8%

25% → 43%

52% → 27%

7% → 0%

THE IDEA

Paths radiate out from a central core and cross at a series of nodes. This gives the site a clear order, guides people through it and shapes the whole masterplan.

Figure 3.2.1H

The parti: paths that radiate from a centre.

LEGEND

Main relocation move

Concept zone

Concept connection

Amenity core node

Stitch link

Vista / breeze cut

Hulhangu monsoon

Iruvai monsoon

Parti step

Masterplan boundary

Sea / lagoon

2

A central node becomes the point the buildings are arranged around, in a radial plan.

Figures 3.2.2H to 3.2.4H

A centre to gather around

The parti in three steps, from the existing paths to the proposed arrangement.

1

Existing paths cross at nodes. Placing buildings on the nodes slows the area down, and makes a new node at the centre.

3

Buildings are set out of line so that no path runs straight, and people slow down naturally.

Buildings on the nodes

No straight paths

WHAT IS THERE NOW

Today, about 32,000 people live in identical 25-storey towers on the 12 ha block. Cars fill the streets and the ground between the towers, there is little shade, and the open space goes unused. The plan keeps the structures it can use and removes those that cause congestion.

Figure 3.3.1H

What stands on the site today: what is kept, adapted or demolished.

LEGEND

Existing building — retained

To be demolished

Retained & adapted

Heritage / cultural building

Use to be relocated

Congestion / conflict zone

Existing road

Problem point

Masterplan boundary

Sea / lagoon

Too many people share too few lifts and too little ground: about 32,000 people live on the 12 ha block.

Demand for parking far exceeds supply, so cars crowd streets and open space; three parking buildings have been commissioned to relieve the pressure.

Figures 3.3.2H to 3.3.5H

WHAT THE IMAGES SHOW

On the ground the block feels crowded and anonymous. Cars fill the streets and the open space, noise carries between flats and in from the road, and waste collects in one place. There is little shade and little reason to stay outside.

Overcrowding

Parking shortage

Four problems seen on site.

Noise transmission

Shared walls and corridors carry sound between flats, while the adjacent road and bus stop add noise from outside, disturbing sleep and daily comfort.

Pollution

Traffic along the road and bus stop, combined with the density of the blocks, increases air and noise pollution, while waste is concentrated in one place.

HOW PEOPLE MOVE

The proposal sets a clear hierarchy of perimeter roads, neighbourhood connectors and pedestrian-priority streets. Four-wheelers keep to the perimeter, while the inner neighbourhood favours pedestrians and slower movement. Motorbikes follow set routes, supported by parking pockets, bus stops and water links.

Figure 3.4.1H

The road system: perimeter roads, connectors and streets for people. Letters refer to the road sections below.

LEGEND

Perimeter road

Neighbourhood connector

Superblock street

Slow motorbike access

Pedestrian-only / shaded walk

Ferry / speedboat route

Terminal / jetty

Parking pocket

Bus stop

Road section cut

Masterplan boundary

Sea / lagoon

Proposed 21 m road, Nirolhu Magu.

Figures 3.4.2H to 3.4.4H

WHAT CHANGES ON THE STREET

The widest road, Nirolhu Magu at 21 m, carries buses and general traffic at the edge of the block. On 12 m streets, vehicles slow down and people on foot get more room. Inside, some streets become fully pedestrian, with space for walking, trees and shade.

21 m road

Road sections and plans, at one scale. Each letter matches a road on the drawing above.

12 m road

Proposed 12 m wide road.

Pedestrian road

Proposed pedestrian road with trees.

WHERE THE SITE BREATHES

The proposal creates a connected network of green and public spaces around a central open space. Green corridors run between residential blocks, linking parks, pocket gardens and shaded paths. The waterfront promenade strengthens the link to the coast, and tree canopies give shade across the site.

Figure 3.5.1H

Public and green space around a central open space.

LEGEND

Park / green space

Plaza / hard public space

Pocket park

Tree canopy / shade

Green breeze & vista corridor

Waterfront promenade

Shaded pedestrian link

Beach / swim & dive entry

Sky / vertical park

Masterplan boundary

Sea / lagoon

A communal gathering space designed to encourage social interaction, public activities and community events.

A shared public space that supports recreation, social interaction and everyday activities for people of all ages.

Figures 3.5.2H to 3.5.5H

WHAT THE SPACES OFFER

Every space is a short walk from the homes. The central plaza and the Ruhgandu give people places to gather, the park gives shade and play, and green corridors link them to the waterfront.

Central plaza

Ruhgandu

Four of the public spaces.

Integrated office spaces

Workspaces integrated into the public realm to promote a balance between professional activities and community life.

Hiyaa-Vehi Park

A green recreational space that enhances residents’ well-being while providing opportunities for relaxation and community engagement.

WHAT THE SITE OFFERS

The plan spreads shops, civic, cultural and other daily uses through the area. Shops face the streets at ground level, the Ruhgandu holds community life and recreation, and civic and cultural buildings anchor the main public spaces. Each residential block has its own shared amenities.

Figure 3.6.1H

What the area offers besides homes: shops, workshops, the mosque and sport.

LEGEND

Civic / terminal

Commercial / retail / F&B

Market

Waterfront hub

Ceremonial / cultural

Amenity core

Active ground-floor frontage

Masterplan boundary

Sea / lagoon

A flexible public space for small vendors, informal gatherings and everyday activities: an active social heart within the neighbourhood.

The mosque combines spiritual, social and communal functions, creating a shared focal point that strengthens interaction and community identity.

Figures 3.6.2H to 3.6.5H

WHO IT SERVES

Daily needs move inside the neighbourhood. Stalls and workshops give residents places to earn and to learn, the mosque gives the area a shared centre, and sport is close to home.

Central plaza stalls

Central mixed-use mosque

Four of the non-residential spaces.

Carpentry workshops

Shared workshops provide space for local skills, making and small-scale enterprise, while creating opportunities for residents to learn, work and interact.

Recreation space

Accessible sports facilities encourage physical activity and social interaction, providing residents with a shared space for recreation close to home.

WHERE PEOPLE LIVE

The plan mixes 8- and 15-storey blocks with five capstone plots, C1 to C5, for different households. To give each home more room, it houses 11,800 people instead of 32,000. The other 20,200 move to a new development elsewhere in the Greater Malé Region, outside this masterplan.

Figure 3.7.1H

Where people live: 8- and 15-storey blocks and five capstone plots, C1 to C5.

LEGEND

Retained organic housing

New residential

Social / subsidised housing

Mixed-use

Capstone plot

Height tag

Density gradient

Masterplan boundary

Sea / lagoon

Layered balconies bring greenery and informal interaction, turning circulation into semi-private social areas and softening the dense blocks.

Residential bridges connect blocks while creating shared spaces for movement, interaction and planting.

Figures 3.7.2H to 3.7.5H

WHO LIVES HERE

Fewer people share each hectare: 983, down from 2,667. Each resident has 27 m² of living area, up from 15 m². Balconies, bridges and half-houses give residents room to make a home their own.

Residential balcony space

Residential bridge connection

Four ideas for the housing.

Sports zone

A dedicated sports zone brings recreation closer to residents, with accessible spaces for exercise and play.

Half-house

The government builds the structural frame and residents complete the other half to suit their needs, so each home gains its own identity over time.

Figure 3.8.1H

HIYAA-VEHI AS ONE PLACE

Hiyaa-Vehi starts from a block of identical 25-storey towers, where 32,000 people share 12 ha with little shade and little reason to be outdoors. The plan houses 11,800; the other 20,200 move to a new development elsewhere in the Greater Malé Region.

Hiyaa-Vehi masterplan. Numbers refer to the legend.

The plan gives the block a centre. Buildings sit on the nodes where paths cross, a radial plan gathers them round a central plaza and park, and no path runs straight, so movement slows. Vehicles keep to the perimeter, and the ground between the homes is given back to people.

RECREATION AND GREENERY

Ruhgandu

Futsal courts

Outdoor gym

Skate park

Children’s park

COMMERCIAL

Kiosks

Underground parking entrance

Roller coaster

Food stalls

Gaming stalls

Business stalls

KEY MAP

INSTITUTIONAL

Multi-purpose mosque

CAPSTONE HOUSING

Capstone building 1

Capstone building 2

Capstone building 3

Capstone building 4

Capstone building 5

ROUTES

Vehicle routes

Pedestrian routes

Masterplan area, 12 ha

LAND USE AND HEIGHTS