Truck Drivers Village, Chitradurga

India’s trade and transportation rely heavily on trucks and truck drivers, a profession that has seen a rapid decline in numbers, due to negligible amenities and excessive responsibilities. At present, truck drivers have little to no restrooms or pit stops during long-distance journeys. In 1982, for every 1000 trucks, there were 1300 drivers available; this number had reduced to 750 by 2012 and was predicted to be 450 by 2026. In other words, 50% of the country’s trucks remain stranded on the road due to a shortage of truck drivers. We need truck drivers to make goods available at the doorstep of the shop. If this trend continues, cities will fall short of food and groceries. 

The Truck Drivers Village is a campus that hosts an array of facilities that serve long-distance truck drivers. The cluster has several access points, defining separate facilities for separate user groups. The project sits on a 2.5-acre site out of which the building occupies 7% of the site area, and the remaining area is open space, parking, and a fuel station. 

The village is designed as a series of courts and verandas. The courtyards are equipped with community activities like eating, sleeping, entertainment, and recreation. The community activities are supported with ATM, first aid, drinking water, toilets and bathing facilities, washing and drying clothes, a salon, a convenience store, and a workshop for trucks. 

The landscape of the courtyard is designed with huge boulders and discrete vegetation to create a microclimate and to reference the landscape of Chitradurga.