IDFC Office in Mumbai
The architect team of JTCPL has balanced functionality with aesthetics, and juxtaposed beautiful Indian art with the organizational discipline of a modern office, without compromising on the efficiency of the workplace.
Monumental, transparent, and free-flowing, this vibrant office space is inspired by natural elements and authentic Indian motifs. The warm tone is complemented by wooden paneling on walls and art wall panels with subtly animated patterns. To further enhance the Indian theme, the architect has used Jaisalmer stone, Indian jali patterns, and ancient Indian art such as Meena, Gond and Warli, as well as Indian scripts on walls and on the ceiling.
At a glance | |
Project: | Office |
Location: | Airoli, BKC & Lower Parel, Mumbai |
Client: | IDFC BANK |
Status: | Completed |
Architect: | JTCPL Designs |
Segregation of different functional pockets has been achieved through intelligent space planning such that the general work area radiates an open, organized, and interactive ambience. Flooring such as different carpets has been used with clever combinations of patterns to highlight in different areas. The lighting is defused line lights from Abby lighting used in the office area. Also decorative lighting have been used in client interaction spaces.
The cafeteria being the hugely popular avocation space in the office, the architect team took inspiration from the Indian festival of 'kite flying' to create a colourful, informal and interactive space. Unpretentious furniture, neutral shades, Indian motifs on walls and Jali patterns on ceilings exude ethnic warmth and connectivity with one's roots, while the modern design elements in the office induce a sense of responsibility and work efficiency,
Completing the project within the stipulated time frame was a challenge, which the team achieved, and without disrupting the employees at their work.
The Banking sector has undergone a sea change with the influx of multinationals in India, especially in Mumbai. When IDFC, a reputed and leading infrastructure development company in India acquired their banking license in 2014; the onus of designing a suitable workspace with an international appeal fell on JTCPL Designs. The team designed three offices of IDFC in Mumbai: the first in Naman Chambers spread over 60,000 sqft; followed by a 7,000 sqft office in One India Bulls tower; and the third – a 64,000 sqft office in Gigaplex in Airoli.
Museum of Tomorrow, Rio De Janeiro
Photo courtesy: Santiago Calatrava
Supporting the revitalization of Rio's Porto Maravilha neighborhood, Museu do Amanhã focuses on Future of Planet
The Museu do Amanhã (The Museum of Tomorrow), an innovative cultural space addressing the future of the planet designed by architect, engineer and artist Santiago Calatrava, opened its doors in December 2015 in the burgeoning Porto Maravilha neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. More than 25,000 visitors welcomed the new museum on its first weekend.
Project: | The Museum of Tomorrow |
Location: | Rio de Janeiro |
Typology: | Science Museum |
Status: | Completed |
Architect: | Santiago Calatrava |
Client: | Fundação Roberto Marinho |
"The city of Rio de Janeiro is setting an example to the world of how to recover quality urban spaces through drastic intervention and the creation of cultural facilities such as the Museum of Tomorrow and the new Museum of Art," said Santiago Calatrava. "This vision led us, in our first designs, to propose the addition of a plaza outside the Museum. The plaza creates a more cohesive urban space and reflects the neighborhood's greater transformation."
Photo courtesy: Santiago Calatrava
The design of the Museum is inspired by the Carioca culture and through its architecture, explores the relationship between the city and the natural environment. The Museum includes 5,000 sqm of temporary and permanent exhibition space, as well as a 7,600 sqm plaza that wraps around the structure and extends along the dock. The building features large overhangs 75 meters in length on the side facing the square and 45 meters in length on the side facing the sea. These features highlight the extension of the Museum from the dock into the bay. The permanent exhibition is housed upstairs, and features a roof 10 meters high with panoramic views of Guanabara Bay. The total height of the building is limited to 18 meters, which protects the view from the bay of Sao Bento Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo courtesy: Santiago Calatrava
The cantilevering roof with its large mobile wings and the facade structure expand almost the full length of the pier emphasizing the extension into the Guanabara Bay, while minimizing the building's width. A reflection pool surrounding the building on the outside—used to filter water that is being pumped from the bay and released back in from the end of the pier— gives visitors the impression that the Museum is floating.
Photo courtesy: Santiago Calatrava
Photo courtesy: Santiago Calatrava
"The idea is that the building feels ethereal, almost floating on the sea, like a ship, a bird or a plant. Because of the changing nature of the exhibits, we have introduced an archetypal structure inside the building. This simplicity allows for the functional versatility of the Museum, able to accommodate conferences or act as a research space," said Calatrava.
The building is orientated in the north-south direction, off-center from the pier's longitudinal east-west axis, maximizing a continuous landscaping feature containing beautiful gardens, paths and leisure areas along the southern length of the pier. A park walkway around the perimeter of the pier will allow visitors to circumnavigate the Museum, while enjoying panoramic views of the Sao Bento Monastery and the Guanabara Bay. The lower level contains functional and technical rooms, such as the Museum's administrative offices, educational facilities, research space, an auditorium, a museum store, a restaurant, lobby, archives, storage and a delivery area.
Located on the Maua Pier, the Museum of Tomorrow is part of a larger revitalization of Porto Maravilha, the port neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. The project allows for better integration between the Port District and the city center and is helping to make this area one of the most attractive neighborhoods in the city. The building "is the result of a consistent dialogue. The building was built to be a museum for the future, and an educational unit," said Calatrava.
The building features sustainable design, incorporating natural energy and light sources. Water from the bay is used to regulate the temperature inside the building; this source also supplies water for the Museum's surrounding reflecting pools. The Museum also uses photovoltaic solar panels, which can be adjusted to optimize the angle of the sun's rays throughout the day and generate solar energy to supply the building.
Photo courtesy: Santiago Calatrava
The visionary museum is focused on answering five key questions: Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we? Where are we going? And how do we want to live together over the next fifty years?
The Museum's exhibits address issues including population growth and increased life expectancy, consumption patterns, climate change, genetic engineering and bioethics, the distribution of wealth, technological advances and changes in biodiversity. The permanent exhibition is curated by physicist and cosmologist Luiz Alberto Oliveira and designed by Ralph Appelbaum, with the artistic direction of Andres Clerici.
In addition to the main exhibition area, the Museum has space for temporary exhibitions, a 400-seat auditorium, a cafe, a restaurant and a gift shop. The Museum will also host the Exploration Lab of Tomorrow, a space for educational activities and sample projects and prototypes. The Observatory of Tomorrow will provide a space for technological and scientific research, which may be integrated into the Museum exhibitions.
The Museum of Tomorrow is made possible by the City of Rio de Janeiro and the Roberto Marinho Foundation, with the sponsorship of Banco Santander Brasil and the BG project. The project is supported by the Government of Brazil, through the Ministry of Environment and the Financier of Studies and Projects (FINEP).
Harbin Opera House, China
Harbin Opera House, aerial view from the east
Photo: Hufton+Crow
In 2010, MAD won the international open competition for Harbin Cultural Island, a master plan for an opera house, a cultural center, and the surrounding wetland landscape along Harbin's Songhua River. The sinuous opera house is the focal point of the Cultural Island, occupying a building area of approximately 850,000 square feet of the site's 444 acres total area. It features a grand theater that can host over 1,600 patrons and a smaller theater to accommodate an intimate audience of 400.
The façade in contrast to the Harbin skyline
Photo: Hufton+Crow
Embedded within Harbin's wetlands, the Harbin Opera House was designed in response to the force and spirit of the northern city's untamed wilderness and frigid climate. Appearing as if sculpted by wind and water, the building seamlessly blends in with nature and the topography—a transfusion of local identity, art, and culture. "We envision Harbin Opera House as a cultural center of the future – a tremendous performance venue, as well as a dramatic public space that embodies the integration of human, art and the city identity, while synergistically blending with the surrounding nature," said Ma Yansong, founding principal, MAD Architects.
Night view of the grand lobby and grand theater
Photo: Adam Mørk
On the exterior, the architecture references the sinuous landscape of the surrounding area. The resulting curvilinear façade composed of smooth white aluminum panels becomes the poetry of edge and surface, softness and sharpness. The journey begins upon crossing the bridge onto Harbin Cultural Island, where the undulating architectural mass wraps a large public plaza, and during winter months, melts into the snowy winter environment.
The lobby of the grand theater
Photo: Hufton+Crow
The lobby of the small theater
Photo: Hufton+Crow
View from side of the grand theater staircase
Photo: Adam Mørk
The sculpted wood staircase leading to the grand theater
Photo: Hufton+Crow
Presenting a warm and inviting element, the grand theater is clad in rich wood, emulating a wooden block that has been gently eroded away. Sculpted from Manchurian Ash, the wooden walls gently wrap around the main stage and theater seating. From the proscenium to the mezzanine balcony the grand theater's use of simple materials and spatial configuration provides world-class acoustics. The grand theater is illuminated in part by a subtle skylight that connects the audience to the exterior and the passing of time.
Project: | Harbin Opera House |
Location: | Harbin, China |
Building Area: | 850,000 square feet |
Building Height: | 184 feet |
Grand Theater Capacity: | 1,600 seats |
Small Theater Capacity: | 400 seats |
Status: | Completed (2010-2015) |
Architect: | MAD Architects |
Landscape Architect: | Beijing Turenscape Institute |
Interior Design: | MAD Architects, Shenzhen Keyuan Construction Group Co., Ltd. |
Client: | Harbin Songbei Investment and Development Group Co., Ltd. |
View of the grand theater’s main stage and the proscenium
Photo: Hufton+Crow
Grand theater balcony detail
Photo: Hufton+Crow
Harbin Opera House emphasizes public interaction and participation with the building. Both ticketholders and the general public alike can explore the façade's carved paths and ascend the building as if traversing local topography. At the apex, visitors discover an open, exterior performance space that serves as an observation platform for visitors to survey the panoramic views of Harbin's metropolitan skyline and the surrounding wetlands below. Upon descent, visitors return to the expansive public plaza, and are invited to explore the grand lobby space.
Panoramic window backdrops the small theater stage with the surrounding landscape
Partial view of the façades’ aluminum panels and pathways Photo: Hufton+Crow |
Rooftop terrace Photo: Adam Mørk |
Surpassing the complex opera house typology, MAD articulates an architecture inspired by nature and saturated in local identity, culture and art. As the Harbin Opera House deepens the emotional connection of the public with the environment, the architecture is consequently theatrical in both its performance of narrative spaces and its context within the landscape.
Sunset view of the opera house from the pond with the small theatre in the foreground
Photo: Adam Mørk
Sunset view of the opera house from the pond with the small theatre in the foreground.
Sustainability, An Intrinsic Part of MEDA’s Office Building & Campus Design in Pune
Client : | Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) |
Project : | Office Building and Campus |
Plot Area : | 8,000 sq.m |
Location : | Pune |
Climate : | Hot & dry |
Architectural firm : | THE FIRM |
Mumbai based architectural practice-THE FIRM has designed MEDA's state-of-art Office Building & Campus in Pune, based on green-building principals. The project design provides a strong identity to MEDA exemplifying its values of sustainability and allows the company to operate in a comfortable environment that promotes the idea of a unified family of employees.
Brief
Every project is unique because every client is different. The architectural firm believes that it is vitlal that the client receives a building that not only meets their requirements in an efficient and cost-effective design but also emulates the values of the company. In this case, the practice that believes in sustainability to be intrinsic to design, was more than enthusiastic since MEDA, having the objective to undertake development of renewable energy and facilitate energy conservation in the State of Maharashtra.Therefore, this building has been designed with a strong environmental agenda so that MEDA have an exemplar building of sustainable design which will give them a stronger identity and advertise their commitment to environmental design. The building program required the design to provide for the Office, Auditorium, Exhibition Pavilion, and Guest House.
Objectives
The design objectives were clearly laid which included providing MEDA with a superlative building of sustainability developed from initial design to operation that will promote and advertise the values of the agency, increase worker productivity & morale and along-with gain best GRIHA rating.Zoning
The building mass was oriented on N-S axis as a response to the site dimensions. The form is split to provide necessary distinction between the office and the residential aspects of the project program. The guest house and the penthouse for the D.G have their level of privacy and adequate access to landscape areas. Car park and services are tucked away under the whole building mass to provide for unobstructed views. The public areas like auditorium and exhibition are planned through the foyer at first level of the office building. The core is placed on the west side to minimize the solar gain and glare in the office space.Plan of Office
The plan of the office is an efficiently designed space. The programming of the space has been considerate to the different user groups and levels of privacy.The rooms which receive guests are situated near the lift lobby whereas the senior members of staff are located towards the private end of the office. The departments are necessarily bifurcated to distinguish them but share a linear core and circulation route so as to maintain inter-departmental connections.Open office arrangement does not obstruct natural light hence this stimulates employee interaction. High proportion of workstations has direct views to exterior or interior landscaping. Efficient utilization of daylight provides natural lighting to all workspaces.Atrium, Exhibition & Living Wall
Atrium design affords quality natural light into interior office spaces, unifies all departments in the building and serves as an ambient circulatory space for all building users. It also functions to provide passive cooling and ventilation for all office spaces.Atrium doubles up as a dramatic space to hold an environmental exhibition; also serving as an exemplar space because the building advertises solar cells in the roof, natural daylight and passive ventilation. Combining exhibition and circulation is an efficient utilization of space that also allows the employees to be engaged with the exhibition.
The atrium space is accentuated by large living walls that span all floors of the building. These walls offer the interior space views of nature and increase the air quality of the atrium.
Sustainability
WaterThe architectural practice perceives sustainability as an intrinsic part of design. And that implies such design sensibilities while the project is on tracing papers. The design tries to reduce the wastage and consumption wherever possible. The toilet rooms were consolidated at one location for the whole office building. Low-flow fixtures on all water dispensers minimize the water demand from the building. The total water savings compared with standard fixtures is calculated at around 60%. The building will recycle 100% of the waste water it produces, with the help of a STP plant which will provide water for landscape, flushing and natural cooling systems. Combined with the rainwater harvesting, 100% of all non-potable water requirement will come from recycled sources.The rainwater harvesting system is designed to capture all roof run-off rainwater which is stored in a tank for later use. The hydrological report revealed that there are two bore wells on site. All non-roof run-off will be collected by the Bore wells below the site and will contribute to the municipal water supply. The excess of water from the storage tank will also supplement the deep Bore wells, thus 100% of the water is either recycled into the building or contributes to the ground water level. The design also encourages ecological landscaping to reduce irrigation water requirements substantially.
Energy
The similar concepts are applied to the conservation of energy. The design has attempted to reduce the consumption and the wastage. It uses the renewable resource like solar energy to a great potential. At the onset of concept stage, the design thrust was focused on the right orientation. The North-South orientation and the location of core on west side are site responsive early decisions on design for energy conservation. Also, the design intentionally planned only a part basement and stilt for car park; reducing energy spends on mechanical ventilation and lighting systems.
The atrium affords light into the deeper parts of the plan. Each office floor plate has a long facade facing North and South to gain maximum daylight. The facades have also been treated accordingly to their orientation to the sun. The South and North facades have been designed to allow maximum light penetration because the solar gains are low. A multifunctional light shelf has been designed to shade the window from the high sun in the summer and also to reflect this light and illuminate the interior. The East and West facades are dominated by double walls to prevent solar gains heating the interior, only a few slit tilted windows allow North light to penetrate to the interior.
Using a BIM model, the design team conducted analysis of the designs to ensure that the regularly occupied spaces had maximum day-lighting. The evolved design achieved 90% of office floor area as naturally lit. The most critical savings on energy are based on the integration of natural cooling systems in the architectural design. Then there are other inclusions in design like efficient lighting systems, utilization of solar power and specifications for energy efficient envelope.
Landscaping: Design & Ecological Concept
Abundance of green landscaping provides attractive and inviting spaces for employees and guests to relax and socialize, resulting in boosting their morale. Access to podium landscape for guests and office staff allows both to benefit from a large outdoor green space. A central water feature provides an aesthetic focal point whilst also creating a cooled micro-climate in the shade of the focal solar tree. Green link unifies the atrium green wall with the exterior landscape at entrance inviting users to the podium landscape. The design focuses on creating visuals to green space from all areas of the building.
All plants and trees are native to Pune and as a result will use 66% less water than exotic species. Another advantage of proposing only native plants is that they increase biodiversity and vibrancy in the ecosystem. Hence the landscape design proposes to be low on maintenance, water requirement and costly chemicals; which is not the case with exotic species and manicured lawns. It is also designed to have a high proportion of xeriscaping which will further reduce the water requirement. The other parts of the landscape will be watered through a drip irrigation system which is highly efficient and will ensure minimal water wastage.
Natural Cooling
The users would get better comfort conditions and indoor air quality in the natural cooling systems compared to conventional refrigerant ones. In this case, the design utilizes the concepts of direct and indirect evaporative cooling, thermal mass, stack effect, and radiant cooling.The synergy of these systems provides large savings over a standard water cooled HVAC system but does not compromise on thermal comfort. Indirect / Direct Evaporative Cooling provides cool air to the office spaces which has been cooled via a misting shaft.Hot western air draw in to shaft. Water that has pre-cooled in the water tower is sprayed down the shaft to cool the air to 26° as it drops down the shaft. The air is directed to vertical risers which transport it to the A.H.U rooms on each floor. The air is distributed throughout the office via ducts and nozzles directed at working stations.The radiant cooling system works in synergy with the PDEC system. It converts the heat radiated from lights, computers, solar gain and the human body more effectively than an air cooled system. The reason for its effectiveness is because the form of the heat is the same. As a result the PDEC system has a smaller thermal load and thus performs more efficiently. The hydronic slabs will have naturally cooled water running through them which brings the radiant temperature of the slab down. The analysis data shows that each space in the building maintains a comfortable and steady 26°C throughout the year.
Conclusion
The project design is in line with THE FIRM's commitment to MEDA that the Office will stand out as an exemplar building sustainability from design to operation.Public Building for Recreation
Designed to house the cultural events, meetings, and recreational needs of a dense condominium gated complex, the Clubhouse is a three-storey building with a multi-layered rectangular plan that evolves around a double-height of the entrance atrium.
To make a contrast with the busy building exterior and surroundings, the practice 'AUM Architects,' founded by Ar. Nirmal Kulkarni and Ar. Neha Kulkarni, decided to make the interior and exterior palette monochromatic, making everything singular to remove the sense of weight and complexities of multiplicity of geometries. However, within this single color palette, the duo introduced a vivid variety of materiality and texture to express variation in space and atmosphere. Each room has a unique function, and each is given a different texture and pattern. The architects carefully cataloged multiple material options for all surfaces - floor, wall, ceiling, furniture - and coordinated them while considering the various scales and functions of each room.
Location: | Gurgaon, Haryana, India |
Architecture firm: | AUM Architects |
Design team: | Nirmal Kulkarni, Neha Kulkarni, Rohini Shaurya, Prem Kumar. |
Gross floor Area: | 3000 sqm. |
Usage: | Public/Recreational facility, small scale. |
Floor: | 3 Floors, Basement |
Structure: | Reinforced Concrete with hollow concrete block infill walls. |
Exterior Finishing: | External grade waterproof paints, WPC pergolas and shading devices. |
Status: | Virtual Completion Phase |
Client: | Orchid Petals Condominium, Gurgaon, Haryana. |
Project Management: | Orchid Infrastructure. |
Structural Engineers: | Mahendra Raj Consultants, New Delhi. |
Public Health Engineers: | Krimens, New Delhi. |
Landscape Design: | Design Cell, New Delhi. |
Designed for fostering community interactions, the clubhouse is a relaxed luxury space with a rich and distinctly 'Uptown' feel. The 30,000 sqft Clubhouse is bounded on two sides by multistoried towers of commercial and residential typologies making it imperative to shade these structures and their dominating and interfering views. With a direct view facing other villas, the clubhouse thus only responds to the low-rise urbanity of its own exclusive environment.
The design builds around the double-heighted entrance area, which is the heart of the facility, through which guests move in a rhythmic flow, to the many amenities that are spatially organized in a functionally optimum manner throughout the building.
Common area interiors match the high energy of club life by using the vibrancy of layered geometrical patterns in varied materiality. Schemes with a palette of natural shadings are used in the backdrops. Technological features such as flat-screen televisions, wireless internet and wireless surround-sound speakers meet the expectations of today's high-tech generation. Sustainable elements like cork flooring are utilized, and dropped ceiling features with contemporary light fixtures add architectural interest to all the spaces. The selected materials, furnishings and appointments are high-quality, maintenance-friendly and durable.
The architect duo also aimed to minimize the energy and plant required for mechanical ventilation, emphasizing a sense of place and using the air cooled ambient air for temperature and movement. Extensive overhangs protect louvered and stacking doors whilst providing ample natural light and connection to the exterior.
Key initiatives:
- Passive/Low energy ventilation strategy – mixed mode ventilation utilizing a plenum air delivery system to tempered air to level one Restaurant and Bar, supplemented by fans, and fully opening doors and windows to allow for natural ventilation and improve occupant thermal comfort whilst minimizing the use of air conditioning
- Shading devices and roof overhangs to ground, first & second floor glazing to minimize glare and solar gain
- Rainwater harvesting tank for the special use of the Clubhouse.
- Low use water fixtures to reduce the amount of potable water used.
- High efficiency lighting, and controls including an intelligent lighting control system, day lighting and occupancy sensors.
- Responsibly resourced materials including imported WPC timber members.
- Internal paint finishes and products with low VOC and formaldehyde content.
- Landscape – all plant species are contextual and locally sourced.
Directorate Complex, Guwahati, Assam
The Government of Assam has a number of directorate offices, ranging from revenue, transport to fisheries and agriculture, catering to the diverse portfolios under the state's purview. Their offices vary from 10,000sq.ft to 50,000sq.ft and currently are located in various parts of the state capital Guwahati, in public and private buildings. This scattered arrangement causes a huge drain on the government's resources and is not functionally convenient for the public interface either.
With this challenge in mind, the Assam Government came up with the idea of allocating a consolidated piece of land to house all directorates under one campus, the 'Directorate Complex, Guwahati' was therefore conceptualised.
Typology : | Commercial |
Name of Project : | Directorate Complex |
Location : | Guwahati, Assam, India |
Client : | Assam Government |
Architectural Firm : | Design Forum International |
Principal Architect : | Anand Sharma |
Design Team : | Ashish, Vikas Sharma, Navdeep, Nishant |
Site Area (sq ft & sq m) : | 11.42 Acres |
Built-Up Area (sq ft & sq m): | 14.93 lac sq ft |
Location
The site is just off NH-37, connecting Guwahati with the entire North-East region of India, in close proximity to the Interstate Bus Terminus, a very visionary selection since people come from all over the state to access the directorate offices. Site is approximately 11.5 acres and allows for a total built-up area of 7,50,000sq ft of office space plus requisite parking and services infrastructure in basements and site, total planned construction therefore being 1.3 million sq ft.
Structural Design
The design challenges were straightforward, accommodating highly diverse portfolios with varied public interface in one campus, allowing for massive pedestrian and vehicular movement, both private, government and VIP, security and screening keeping the regional situation in mind.The opportunities were therefore immense too:
Welcoming: The government offices are generally very intimidating and overbearing; there was an opportunity to create a built form which was more human in scale, growing as receding instead of imposing like a wall. The buildings, therefore, start small towards the front and grow in height towards the rear, blocks rising ground plus two to ground plus four, seven and finally eight floors arranged front to back.
Transparency: Equals visibility, comfort and therefore friendly spaces– all blocks are accessed through a semi-open corridor connecting the building blocks in a ring formation, all accesses visible and clearly identifiable.
Modularity: Common to all directorates, the occupied area is in multiples of 1000sq m or approx 10,000sq ft, therefore, design catered for a floor plate of approximately 20,000sq ft, able to accommodate even the two of the smallest directorates on one floor. All offices therefore could have their own dedicated floors allowing for exclusivity and privacy.
Form: The inspirations were many, a tea leaf, a crown on Maa Durga's head, the loved name of 'Seven Sisters' that the region is known for, all contributed to planning with seven blocks of office buildings, centred with a spinal green, congregation and performance space.
The building blocks are ellipsoids with a central spine forming the circulation line, connecting the vertical transportation and toilet cores at one end to an atrium at the other end. The roof is a doubly curved shell allowing for bigger spans and structural efficiency.
Light .
Office blocks: Right over the central spine lies the skylight in the top roof which brings light down throughout the day. The corridors on all levels have slit-shaped cut-outs, allowing for light to filter down to the lower floors. The external glazing walls are slanted outwards as they go up to allow for reflected light rather than direct, helpfully reducing the direct heat gain that comes with it.Basement: Large cut-outs at the ground level allow for light penetration to the basement levels, reducing the dependence on artificial lighting.
Security and Circulation: The plan allows for screening at all entries and critical points; the traffic flow is planned to cater for different loops for private vehicles, government vehicles and VIPs and most importantly buses for mass transport. High level of transparency and visibility in the public areas contributes greatly to sense of user safety.
Sustainability: It is the key design criterion. The complex is designed for Griha 5 Star rating, the most stringent of all. It has been facilitated more by design intervention than by systems and equipment: High levels of day lighting in the work spaces and basements, green roofs over office blocks with water channels to capture rainwater for harvesting, and natural ventilation in the corridors by virtue of their being open from sides.
Contemporary Living - Sheelkunj Township, Meerut
The deep yellow/grey and beige coloured exteriors contrasted with their bold element (copper red tiles), arouse instant admiration and interest in the architecture and design of the township named Sheel Kunj. A flagship project of Indus Valley Promoters Limited, the 70 acre land is being developed along the Modipuram bypass road in Meerut (UP).
The design brief was to have a maximum number of independent built-up houses of 4, 3 and 2 BHK, besides Duplex and Simplex houses on plot areas of 200, 150 and 125 square yards. The idea was to build houses to suit every need, budget and lifestyle. The basic layout consists of 875 plots with more than 600 plots designated for independent houses.
Generous landscaping featuring water bodies, flora and fauna, and theme parks create serene environment and add to the beauty of the township
All the houses are integrated, functional, and expandable. Space has been created for car parking and for sit out terraces. The layout plan has been envisaged to have the maximum houses that face open green areas. The generous landscaping and serene environment add to the beauty of the township. Features include water bodies, plenty of flora and fauna, and theme parks such as the Hide & Seek Park and the Millennium Park.
The simplicity of the design of the houses is offset by use of bold colours, which complement each other beautifully
A huge glass pyramid surrounded by a colourful water body and set amidst lush green surroundings, is at the very heart of the township
Architect & Landscape Consultant: | Jagdish. B. Karamchandani, K & Associates, New Delhi. |
Structure Consultant: | Naresh Matia, Group Genesis, New Delhi |
Plumbing Consultant: | Phanny Kumar, Kumar Endecon Pvt Ltd, New Delhi |
Electrical Consultant: | Ajay Kumar, Analyst Consultant, Noida, UP |
This is a gated community with an approach from a 24 meter wide road, and is well connected to Meerut's landmark Modipuram colony. The township's imposing entrance gate leads through rows of trees, a Fountain Avenue, a central vista of sprawling open spaces, a colourful water fountain, and streetlights featuring state-of-the-art lamps. Landscaped green courts with jogging tracks evoke the thrill of living in such serene surroundings and draw up images of many other pleasant surprises in store for the inhabitants.
Walking through the cluster of built-up houses, one is struck by the sight of a glass pyramid square at the very heart of the township. Surrounded by a colourful water body and set amidst lush green surroundings, the area lights up at night to create a spellbinding effect. An amphitheatre in the same location is designed to serve as a stage for the community to hold plays and entertaining performances.
The township planners took a holistic approach to create a unique identity such that the integrity of the architecture design concept is maintained throughout the layout. The houses bear names of beautiful flowers such as Tulip, Aster, Gardenia, Carnation, Dahlia, Magnolia, etc, that reflect the visual and elemental bond with the landscaped green areas and water bodies.
K & Associates, a Delhi-based architecture and engineering firm, has emerged as a versatile consultancy service provider to all type of projects. It offers innovative design solutions, precise building execution, and sustainable development.
Jagdish. B. Karamchandani, the firm's Principal Architect, who did his graduation in Architecture in 1972 from Hyderabad, has more than 43 years of experience in Architecture and Town Planning. He has designed and executed more than 60 projects ranging from high rise to low rise group housing, townships, commercial buildings, sports facilities, clubs and educational institutes. Since the last two decades, he has been holding a senior leadership role of managing mega projects in Delhi's Real Estate sector. Clients include Parsvnath Developers, Omaxe India, and Ansal Housing & Construction amongst others. He has also served as President (Architecture) of JSPL Group companies.
Oasis in the City - Oasis Farmhouse, Delhi - NCR
The architect has successfully met the sensory and visual demand for the green foliage outside from every living space within the house
The brief was to create an 'oasis' - an abode that would shut out the chaotic city outside, and create a pleasant internal environment of peace and tranquility within. In keeping with this imagery, the farmhouse is spatially organized such that the building emerges from green open spaces, with openings in every block that look out into these green spaces. The architect has successfully met the sensory and visual demand for the green foliage outside from every living space within the house. On entering the building, one experiences a total transformation of sight, sound and smell.
Project: | Farmhouse |
Location: | New Delhi/NCR |
Floors: | Ground & First |
Gross Floor Area: | 1,300 sqm |
Structure: | Reinforced Concrete |
Exterior Finishing: | Local sandstone, Himachal slate stone, exterior paint |
Structural Engineers: | Star Consultants, New Delhi |
Public Health Engineers: | Gagan Gupta, New Delhi |
HVAC Engineers: | Gagan Gupta, New Delhi |
Landscape Design: | Bios, New Delhi |
Architect: | AUM Architects |
Design team: | Nirmal Kulkarni, Deepika Das, Dinesh Banyal, Ashish Kothari |
Photography: | Shailan Parkar, Sushil Khandelwal |
Status: | Completed |
The brief was also to build the house keeping the vastu principles in mind. For the architects, it was a challenging task to find the perfect equilibrium between vastu, aesthetics and functionality. Fortunately, the site's orientation was east facing, which helped in aligning the construction as per vastu specifications.
A wood clad steel staircase links the two floors
The master bedroom placed in the south-west corner, was deprived of the pleasant views of the front lawn. This was solved by providing green spaces in the mass of the house which in turn provided green visuals to the master bedroom and to other such rooms. In the roofing system, the left edge of the valley roof is the highest point as the south side of a house should be the highest according to vastu. The koi pool in the central open area of the house wraps around it on three sides.
The site plan has a wall dividing the area into two: the overall land parcel with the closed (living) space on the west and the open lawn party area on the east. The wall is continuous to emphasize its form and it has four visual punctures that create breaks. A lily pool runs along its front to preserve the sanctity of the wall. The upper floor is constructed at an offset to the wall too. A mix of earthy tones and white set a warm mood to the home's interiors.
The entire building space is divided into four wings: two wings on the ground floor consist of the common living spaces and the other has the master suite. The two on the upper floor are suites for both the sons with their respective bedrooms, storage, dressers, baths, etc. The two wings on any floor are connected by a centre circulatory spine.
A steel staircase clad in wood is the vertical circulation linking the spine on both the floors. It is adjacent to the central open green area. The roof system is a composition of flat roofs, lean-to roofs and valley roofs. The entire material of the roof was later changed to steel. Steel is a preferred material because it speeds up construction, cuts down labour time and cost, and unlike RCC construction methods (where water would have seeped into the false ceiling of the lower floor) steel enables hassle-free construction.
The house has a wooden deck that straddles the swimming pool, and is used for hosting live performances, musical soirees, etc. The connectivity of the pool, gym and the bar areas creates easy access and proximity. A room for sculpture was set up for one of the sons in close proximity to his suite.
Connecting Roots - Sudha & Sukesh Gandhi's Farmhouse, Nagpur
The flow of space, energy and form in this Farmhouse has been created by breaking rigid boundaries between enclosed spaces and the open spaces
The design and layout of this farmhouse successfully creates an environment that fosters a close connect between the inhabitants and the surrounding Nature. Set amidst sylvan surroundings, the building exudes an energy that nurtures and rejuvenates the inhabitants with renewed vigour. To achieve this, the architect took care to integrate the beautiful Banyan tree and the Behada tree in the design. In fact, the trees appear as an integral part of the farmhouse as they are seen spreading their branches over and around the building to provide shade and coolness, and a strong, positive energy.
Ochre skinned boulders available on the site were used for constructing the major masonry walls to create a visual blending of the house with the natural elements
Man-made spaces flow seamlessly into the natural spaces through large openings, and use of planters and water bodies
The house, built around the Banyan tree as the central focus, allows each space in the house to converse with it, and the other Behada tree through the creation of an axial lap pool between them. The flow of space, energy and form is created by breaking rigid boundaries between enclosed spaces and the open spaces, compelling one to wonder whether the house is in the garden or the garden is in the house!
The bedrooms open onto landscaped spaces while the large square windows seem to frame the Banyan tree to create a picture perfect view
The architect was conscious that the house must not appear as an alien element, rather, it had to be rooted in the soil, be a part of the surroundings and seem to grow out of it. So, one sees the house gradually rising from the ground in a tapered form on the south and west. Man-made spaces blend with the natural spaces symbiotically with the use of large openings, and use of planters, water bodies, etc. In fact, the bathrooms too have an integral landscaped planter inside to make the bathing experience more refreshing.
Project: | Farmhouse |
Location: | Wakeshwar, Nagpur |
Client: | Sudha & Sukesh Gandhi |
Architect: | Shirish Beri & Associates, Kolhapur |
Interior Design: | Vinita Agge, Nagpur |
Landscaping: | Kavita Ahuja, Delhi |
The old approach driveway to the farmhouse was completely changed in the layout of the building. It now leads to the house through a sweet lime plantation. Coming through this new, meandering road, the farmhouse reveals itself in the end as a wondrous surprise.
One enters the main building through a narrow, covered passage on the north–south axis of the Banyan tree. As one emerges from the passage, the large, impressive tree reveals itself in all its glory. On the left is a landscaped court with the lap pool and a view of the Behada tree on the other end. On the right is a semi-open verandah...a precursor to the main living and dining spaces.
The experience at this entry point is not only visually appealing but pleasant to the ears as well. One can hear the gurgling of a water stream coming through the house from the other side amidst the rustle of the Banyan leaves and chirping birds. One is also assailed by the sweet smell of flowers and the cool westerly breeze on the skin. The rough hewn courtyard flooring massages the soles of the feet. On the perpendicular axis to the narrow passage, the architect has crafted a primitive shrine with a primordial form of a stone dome. The glimpse of a lamp burning inside the shrine while approaching the verandah, is a warm welcome.
The trees, flora and foliage outside are visible from all the rooms inside; the inhabitants never lose contact with their beautiful surroundings. The great Banyan tree can also be seen from almost all the interior spaces as it partially overlaps the roof and spreads onto the terraces. The doors and windows too harbour reflections of the natural world outside. The living-dining spaces flow onto the courtyard on one side and the lawn and garden on the other. The bedrooms open out onto landscaped spaces, while the large square windows seem to frame the Banyan tree to create a picture perfect view.
The living and dining spaces on the ground floor further rise up to merge with the overlooking indoor balcony of the master bedroom on the first floor. This allows for easy interaction between the people on the ground floor and those on the first floor. The indoor balcony opens out on a small terrace that is caressed by the branches of the Banyan tree. The master bedroom also has a private terrace, which could house a Jacuzzi, if desired. While nature abounds outside, the interiors have been kept in sync with the surroundings, but are yet modern and contemporary with the latest gadgets, modular kitchen, etc.
The most significant feature of the building is its eco-friendly construction and sustainability. The shade of the trees, the water bodies, thick stone masonry and the landscaped greens all contribute towards keeping the temperature in this house considerably low. Ochre skinned boulders available on the site were used for constructing the major masonry walls. They create a visual blending of the house, making it eco-friendly, with reduced embodied energy and greater insulation. The rugged natural appearance of the walls is also maintenance-free.
The landscaping is natural, without use of formal, artificial layouts. The plants have been selected carefully and as per the climate and soil in the site. The overall effect is harmony with the main theme of the building. The interiors too bring out the rustic character of the farmhouse with the use of rough hewn wood, hemp and cane, with the furnishings of organic fabrics. Rustic flooring and unpolished, rough plaster on the walls further add to the ambience.
Inside Out House - Taurian Guest House, Gurgaon
Client's Brief
The brief given by the client was simple, 'convert this existing house into a boutique guest house for corporate use'. The first visit to the site revealed a small, almost run down unit built on a tight plot.
Requirement
The project involves the modernization of an old house that was built on an extremely tight site. Services had to be relayed and the building design had to be transformed. Time and money posed as the constraints in this reconstruction and retrofit project. Archohm took up these constraints and attempted to convert them into design solutions.
Archohm Design Solution
The existing frame was developed as an earthy and rustic envelope to create comfortable high-end guest rooms. The living and common spaces are intrinsically integrated with the landscape to create a continuous and flowing spatial layout. The corresponding 'inside-out' ambience helps to redefine the space and creates the illusion of a larger and greener environment. An additional floor was constructed and the façade was redone to enhance the qualitative and quantitative volume of the space.
On the ground floor, rooms have been extended into the open spaces by creating transparent partitions that can easily be opened. Continuous pavement patterns help to visually link spaces. This results in the efficient use of setbacks, reduction in construction, controlled budgets, enriched internal visual experiences and inclusion of natural light and greenery into the interior spaces. The guest rooms are provided with bold single monochrome colors of either black or white, allowing one to play with colors through softer elements of furnishings and fixtures.
Project at a Glance | |
Typology: | Residential |
Name of Project: | Taurian Guest House |
Location: | Gurgaon |
Client: | Mr. Amith bajla, Taurian Iron & Steel Co. Pvt. Ltd. |
Principal Architect: | Mr. Sourabh Gupta |
Architectural Firm: | Archohm Consults |
Design Team: | Tanushree, Ashwini |
Site Area: | 270 Sqmts |
Built-Up Area: | 200 Sqmts |
Completion Year: | 2011 |
Photographer: | Humayun Khan |
On the first floor, the client's personal suite reflects the building's 'natural' theme through clay floor tiles, earthen walls and an extended private terrace integrated into a seamless single volume. A circular bed sits at the center of this suite with a side carpet that highlights the client's Taurian symbol. An inbuilt study incorporated behind the bed as a headrest, a bench sofa and a corner television unit helps to create a simplistic, but welcoming layout.
The bathroom on the first floor expands on the notion of 'central space' with the apt use of the award-winning bathroom by Archohm called - 'self'. The selected white corian 'Self', is a monolithic, central bathroom piece, that adds a spacious characteristic to the interiors, while the bath tub overlooks a green view of the terrace.
All in all, this inside-out house is punctuated with customized, designed light features such as the twilight, an interesting furniture sofa that swings and stone tables accessorized with Italian clocks and Portuguese artwork- creating an abode that is able to subtly, but holistically, celebrate design.
Keeping in mind the landscape and the exterior of this project, this proves to be an extreme exercise in Agra red stone and its various forms and finishes. It effectively brought in the needed rustic flavor to the client's 'iron ore mining' guesthouse. Scaled to bring a sense of 'home' within the residential environment of Gurgaon, this project highlights the concept of spatial and material continuity.
Agra Red Sandstone has been used in its purest form. Simple pillars and blocks of the stone, devoid of any texture or carving, highlight the beauty of the material and use it to enhance the 'natural' concept of the design.
2.7-meter high pillars mark the entrance making way for an interesting boundary wall and screen. Varied sized blocks of sandstone are randomly placed across the garden as stools, tables and stepping-stones creating a playful ambience. The living room wall, which opens up in to the front garden, is also dry-clad with Agra Red Sandstone, in sawn and natural split form, enabling the outside ambience to subtly seep inside.
To contrast the Agra Red, Black Pebbles have been sprinkled at the base and a black granite sculptural birdbath adds the final touch to the ingenious external landscape layout.
Vertical Limit - Tall House, Pune
The cleverly designed layout of the 'tall house' reveals itself inside with its magnificently high courtyard and visual dynamics of space
Covering a carpet area of 484.78 sqm, this spacious bungalow is nestled in the residential colony of Baner in Pune. The house has been built for a businessman, his wife, a grown up son and daughter and their grandparents. Ar. Sunil Patil's belief that the client's brief and the architect's ability to conceptualize it into design is necessary in order to create a living space with a soul. He rightly calls this residence Tall House. "It was a typical urban scenario where the plot size was not enormous but the client's expectations were! Congestion in metros and the high land costs have forced independent bungalows to grow vertically. Hence, the challenge was to design a space that grew vertically with three levels (and included a basemen) and which enabled interaction at all the levels."
The outcome was a triple heighted courtyard and family lounge, with one bedroom, a kitchen and dining room on the ground floor, two bedrooms on the first floor, a swimming pool, gym and home theater on the second, and one bedroom on the third. A pneumatic elevator in the courtyard and a staircase connect the three floors.
Wooden floorings in the bedrooms bring beauty and warmth to the rooms. The master bedroom opens up to a huge terrace. Other features are walk-in closets in the attached dressing areas that attach the bathrooms. There are open shelves, a study unit and window ledges for seating in the daughter's bedroom. The son's bedroom dressed in while colour has a small courtyard and is dressed in white color and dominated by a huge bed.
On the third floor is multipurpose hall that can be opened up to include the swimming pool deck. Convertible places have been created such that the room can become a partying space or closed for a quite home theater experience.
Project: | Residence |
Location: | Baner, Pune |
Client: | Anil Dhawale |
Architect: | Sunil Patil & Associates |
Structural Consultant: | S S Patne & Associates |
Landscape Consultant: | Sunil Patil & Associates |
Contractors: | Shree Associates |
Interior Design: | Sunil Patil & Associate |
Photo Credits: | Hemant Patil |
Commencement: | Jan 2011 |
Completion: | Sept 2013 |
Site Area: | 5216.34 sq.ft |
Built-up Area: | 5108.74 sq.ft |
Team: | Ar. Sunil Patil, Ar. Pallavi Arwade, Er. Sanjay Patil |
The exterior of the 35 feet high building is a simple geometric composition, but its Prodema exterior veneer clad façade is arresting. Grey granite steps lend elegance to the entrance, while another gate leads to the basement which can accommodate two cars.
The interior décor is part simple, part ornamental and mostly contemporary. The residence is urban in character, yet the basic principles of sustainability have been incorporated with the use of courtyards, water bodies, natural light and ventilation. The interiors are fuss-free and functional, with the classic black and white colour theme dominating throughout, while a clever use of colourful paint lends a dramatic effect.
The cleverly designed layout of the tall house reveals itself inside where the magnificently high courtyard segregates the living room into a formal and informal family lounge. To enhance the visual dynamics of space, the family lounge stretches till the walk-out, where a beautiful water cascade has been created, bringing light and nature indoors and giving a sense of openness.
The formal living space is a mix of vernacular and contemporary style, where one side of the wall is done up in black stone masonry, while the other wall depicts circular holes or punctures on fixed glass and matches well with the glass chandelier on the ceiling. The circular punctures filter light in to create a dynamic mural that changes form and colour during different times of the day
An open kitchen next to the dining area and adjoining the family lounge is fitted with the latest high-tech gadgets to make it highly functional and efficient. The utility room and storeroom have been discreetly concealed behind the cabinets, so that the kitchen appears clean and uncluttered.
By keeping the number of walls to a bare minimum, the architect has created a sense of openness, and enhanced the open courtyard to channelize the flow of fresh air into the interior spaces. The dining area leads to a walkout where a vertical garden has been created. The servants enter the house via the basement, which also house an office. A pooja room adjacent to the dining area appeals with the use of white marble and frosted glass.
The end result being a tall house, where space flows with balance between openness and functionality, while the landscape design resonates with that of the architecture, interiors and the environs of the building.
El Ninot Market, Barcelona, Spain
Project at a Glance | |
Project: | Remodelling of the Ninot Market |
Architect & Architectural Firm: | Josep Lluís Mateo Mateo Arquitectura |
Location: | Barcelona, Spain |
Client: | IMMB-Institut Municipal de Mercats de Barcelona |
Site: | Calle Mallorca 135, Barcelona |
Project: | 2008 |
Construction: | 2010-2015 |
Surface: | 16.184 m2 |
Installations Engineering/Budget Control/Security and Health standards: | Mur Garganté |
Structural Engineering: | BOMA |
Photography: | Adrià Goula |
Redesigned by Barcelona-based architectural practice mateoarquitectura, El Ninot market plays a key role in Barcelona's food distribution network and is positioned accordingly with a strategic central location.
First opened in 1894, the Ninot Market has been involved in a process of complete renovation since 2009, carried out by Josep Lluis Mateo, the principal architect of mateoarquitectura. The intervention of the architect focuses on four key points: - maintaining the impressive existing structure, improving approaches, redesigning the façades and roofs, and exploiting the subsoil.
Project Description by Ar. Josep Lluis Mateo
Mateoarquitectura is globally active architectural practice which tries to connect intelligence and artistic ambition with pragmatism and objectivity.The market, since its origins, has been a large covered place. We conserve and repair the beautiful structure that supports that roof.Beneath, we dig into the site to introduce new services that complement sales activity: logistics, parking, installations.
Rather than changing the visible volume, we change the surfaces that enclose it to improve the conditions of use and space, control the entrance of daylight and organize the adjacent urban space, integrating the presence of the outdoor stalls.
The interior is like a city. Two orthogonal axes (N-S and E-W) form the layout along which the stalls are organized with the emphasis on their individuality.
A large open foyer space on Carrer de Mallorca receives visitors. It is a plaza leading into this virtual city of commerce.
The inside space, bathed in the milky light we filter in from the exterior, is a hive of activity.
On the outside, the skins with which we clothe the existing structure open as they reach the ground.
The market relates with the city by communicating its use; the streets and the plazas that are gained places of exchange, not just of transit.
Remodelling of El Ninot Market
The building and the previous stateThe building, constructed in 1928 by the architects Antoni de Falguera and Joaquim Vilaseca, occupies an elongated site between CarrerVillarroel, Carrer Casanova and Carrer Mallorca, the street with the main entrance, which was raised approximately 1.5 metres above grade prior to our intervention.
The floor plan is laid out in a T-shape, producing two spaces to the sides and a passage to the rear, which acted as a car park and loading bay.
The metal structure comprises three volumes: two side volumes subdivided into two ridge roofs, and a central volume that rises above them. The complex is enclosed by a three-metre stone and a brick wall and slatted facing.
Ventilation and daylighting, though limited, were possible thanks to the layout of the floors, the arrangement of the structure with its raised central part, and the slatted facing.
Intervention of Josep Lluís Mateo
-StructureThe structure of the market with its metal roof trusses, is the most distinctive feature of this facility. One of Mateo's first decisions in this process was to maintain the market's characteristic metal structure comprising three volumes, the central taller than the ones either side, to encourage ventilation, and the entry of daylight.
- Redesign of the Façades and roof: Light in the space
The side façades have been redesigned to integrate the outdoor stalls, which no longer extend out over much of the surrounding pavement. Furthermore, the façades and roof have been modified to let natural light shine in while controlling direct solar radiation which could harm the produce. This is achieved by a system of perforated slats that regulates the entry of natural light.
Light in the space
"The space took the form of a great pre-existing beautiful roof. The very lightweight structure, screwed together, floating apparently effortlessly over the site. We were to enclose it hermetically, letting in light but not direct solar radiation.
A slat system was built. Sheets of perforated and folded stainless steel.Perforated to differing densities, graduating their relationship with the site (more opaque below, more open above).
Folded to highlight their rigidness and draw in light reflected to the north.
Great effort was deployed in the workshop to create them. Rigidness and controlled permeability were the keys.
According to exterior light, the experience changes. By day, the building seems opaque on the outside, and constant light invades it inside. By night, when lit up inside, the building emphasises its lightness and transparency.
As they reach the ground, the slats transform to accommodate inside them the small outside stalls. They fold or twist. The base moves.
- Ocupation of subsoil
To adapt the market to the present-day needs of logistics and installations, it was decided to excavate the subsoil, creating two underground floors that house the car park, a supermarket, loading bays and storage space. With the creation of this new space, the structure is raised, requiring work on the foundations.
- Reorganization of the access
The approaches have been reorganized, adapting the floor to the different levels in order to eliminate the existing unevenness, and bringing together the approaches in a unified space in the main foyer. The foyer offers users an overview of the market and access to the lower floor.
Clover Hills Plaza, Pune
A great place to work, shop, and dine and a great landmark to the city of Pune.
Project at a glance | |
Project: | Clover Hills Plaza |
Location: | NIBM, Pune |
Architect: | Chaney Architects |
Status: | Under construction |
- Lower-ground, Ground + 8 Storey complex
- 1, 25,000 sq ft of retail space
- 30,000 sq ft dedicated for restaurants
- 1, 20,000 sq ft of commercial space
- 5 floors of office spaces with 21 offices per floor
- Retail spaces between 250-850 sq ft
- Office Spaces between 820-1600 sq ft
- Three levels of ample basement-parking
Designed by Chaney Architects, CLOVER HILLS PLAZA, a project under construction, on the busy NIBM road is the coveted address for offices, commercial establishments and restaurants all under one roof. It is a representation of holistic enterprise in an upmarket residential suburb in Pune.
Located in a well-known and well developed residential area in the south of Pune, this multi-story complexes mixed used facility speaks volumes in class and luxury. The building stands tall as a good landmark.
Contemporary Design and Materials
The design is modern contemporary, functional, and futuristic. The monolithic sun screen, white ACP cladding and glazing with color panel adds to the imposing structure in a green surrounding. The screen provides diffuse natural light and ventilation to the offices.The glass facade with everlasting vibrant colors enhances the mood and excitement of the shopper. A color coded signage's with efficient circulation pattern allows easy entry and exit.
The retail area is a shopper's paradise. The entry into the 3 level retail space with a large atrium is through an imposing glass canopy. The visual vertical connect binds all the corners of shopping floors. These floors are also connected with glass elevators and escalators. The interior colors are soothing and neutral to enable the retailer to enhance the merchandise.
This stand-alone building with three levels of sub-grade parking for 450 cars, level two for 2 wheelers to accommodate over 1000 vehicles with efficient signage system and circulation pattern make the project even more advantageous.
The multi restaurant floor at18-meter from road level provides a breathtaking panoramic view of the city of Pune. The multiple street restaurants of various sizes with covered and uncovered area with individual kitchen provide the customer with variety to choose from.
The restaurants terrace level seating provides the costumer the luxury of dining under the sky. The building is enhanced with facade lighting and landscape to enable the customer enjoy the environment matching the international standards.
ETL BPO Park at Perungudi, Chennai
Gold Rated Green Building - SEZ
Project at a glance: | |
Project: | Chennai ONE-ETL BPO Park |
Location: | Chennai - Perungudi |
Built-up Area: | 1.3 million sq-ft. |
Client: | ETL Infrastructure |
Design Team: | Oscar & Ponni Architects |
Concept:
Designed by Chennai-based Oscar & Ponni Architects, Chennai ONE is amongst the largest Gold Rated Green buildings in the world today, offering a floor plate efficiency of 84% thanks to the intelligent floor plate design which also offers a flexible module layout for customers.With the client brief of designing a grand and cutting edge technology park which is both a user- and environment- friendly, Oscar & Ponni Architects conceived the building in relation to its site and environment where the exterior makes a contemporary and imposing statement with the use of large glazing, aluminum composite panel finish and granite façade, while the interiors offer flexible design that can easily be converted into smaller layouts as per client's requirements along with use of sustainable material choices and intelligent building management to enhance energy and water efficiency.
The ETL BPO Park is located in a Master Plan of site area of 25 acres. This building is linked to a main approach road, with a grand entrance to this prestigious IT development. As you enter the main gate, you have a visitor's area for security screening and barriers to screen incoming vehicles.
Function and Design Vocabulary
The building was initially planned to construct two stilt floors + 7 upper floors for a total built up area of 1.3 million sq-ft.This ETL BPO Park has an imposing façade of almost 600 feet long. There are two stilts designed for parking the lower level of approximately 12,545 sq.mtrs, and the upper stilt floor of approximately 11,903 sq.mtrs. The first floor area is of 10,963 sq.mtrs. The typical floor area from second floor till the seventh floor is 11,761 sq.mtrs.
All these floors have excellent passenger core elevators with air handling units and electrical rooms with sufficient duct spaces for intelligent systems and fire systems. Dedicated service floors have been organized with increased number of toilets for the ladies and the gents as per the new code regulations for the IT.
Also, the entire floor plate has been designed for flexibility in such a way that it can cater to smaller IT modules of 1,250 sq.mtr with their dedicated toilets, AHU, electrical rooms and necessary shafts for plumbing, fire fighting and IBS systems.
Sustainability
The Building is oriented with its longer axis facing the N-S directions to admit glare free lighting and the E- W axis of the building is protected from the harsh sun by placing the services core. This also minimizes the loss of Air- Conditioning load used in the office modules by keeping the environment cool.
The North facing site enables the architects to place the maximum glazing along the north direction to optimize natural light. The glazing itself is low e-glass from Saint Gobain which does not let heat penetrate thereby minimizing the load on air-conditioning.
Use of native landscaping designs that require minimal water and have reduced irrigation requirements and implementation of green house keeping techniques that help reduce the impact of non-eco-friendly chemicals and solutions is adopted. Monitoring and control of CO2 levels within the occupied spaces contributing to enhanced indoor environment and utilization of high quantity of regionally manufactured materials (over 88%) thereby reducing the impact of environmental pollution through transportation.
Exemplary performance on construction waste management diverting close to 96% of the construction waste generated at site to other purposes and preventing disposal of waste in the form of landfills. Use of environment-friendly refrigerant is adopted which reduces ozone depletion and global warming impact on the built environment.
Materials and Detailing
To create an energy efficient building envelope, HV AC systems, electrical equipment and limited glass -usage were analyzed using simulation techniques. Also energy saving methods like over deck roof insulation, solid block walls, double glazing to reduce heat ingress, high co-efficient of performance (COP) air-conditioning chillers, variable speed pumping systems, heat recovery units to reduce AC loads, low lighting power densities, use of energy efficient lighting system were adopted.Main Focus of IBMS is on Energy Conservation and Indoor Air Quality Control and Human Safety measures apart from integration of Water management System, Fire Protection Sprinkler Monitoring, Lift Status Monitoring; DG & HT panel monitoring, Integration of Third part equipment -Chillers, Central UPS, VFD, DG & Electrical Panels.
Along with being a high tech SEZ building, Chennai One is equally eco-friendly, through its unique design development.
Woven Façade- Red aluminum creates a woven texture across the facade of Tokyo office block.
Japan based architectural studio Aisaka Architects created the woven facade for an office building in Toyko using a so-called "knitting method" that involved intertwining curving pieces of aluminium. The facade is constructed using sheets of red aluminum, resembling as a colorful woven basket.
Keiun is a four-storied multi-tenant building on a narrow site located between Shibuya and Harajuku, facing Fire Street (a fire station is located on the street) on the West, and Yamanote line and Miyashita Park on the East.
The original request of the owner was to make the façade colour brick red. The basic tone was chosen by taking into account "a request to keep the memory of the former building", "continuity with the neighboring scenery", and "the name of 'Fire Street.'"
The woven sheets of aluminium in five different shades of red, are designed to act as sun shades for the workers inside, while the red color is a reference to the brick building that previously stood at the space. The woven facade is also a reference to a traditional Japanese bamboo blind and serves as a bright and refreshing element to an otherwise conventional city block.
The color was broken down to five Japanese traditional colors, Akane-iro (madder), Ebicha-iro (reddish brown),Hiwada-iro (dusky red), Bengara-iro (Bengal red), and Kuri-iro (sorrel) (in part to show Japaneseness and sensitiveness to foreigners who will visit the Olympic stadium nearby) which then were rearranged in a manner to provide eye-catching effect and landscape preservation.
Project at a glance: | |
Project: | KEIUN BUILDING |
Location: | Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan |
Type: | Office Building |
Client name: | Maruei,inc. Sachiko Sunahara |
Architects: | Aisaka Architects |
The size of the project: | 429.75 m2 |
The cost: | 187,500,000 yen |
The start and completion dates: | February 28, 2014~October 29, 2014 |
special characteristics /materials used: | Bending Panel 2mm THK. Aluminum Plate PVF2 Finish |
For the interior, all the horizontal ribbon windows are designed to stretch the full width in order to maximally take in the scenery of continued greenery in the park, providing physically and mentally comfortable work environment in the chaos of Shibuya.
"Keiun" comes from the posthumous name of the former owner, but it happens to mean "clouds in a sunset sky which is regarded as a propitious sign". It is hoped that this building, like a sunset mackerel sky, will make people on this Fire Street feel "auspicious" on the way to Yoyogi Gymnasium, an Olympic site in 2020.
Iguatemi Plaza Project, São Paulo, Brazil
Carbondale recently transformed the 3,000 square meter 4-storey high Main Plaza into luxurious volume lined in travertine stone, naturally illuminated by a structurally avant-garde sculptural skylight, and punctuated by a lush pixelized stepping central garden.
The new 3.000 square meter Iguatemi Plaza with atrium skylight and garden is the latest project in São Paulo by an Architect Eric Carlson, founder of CARBONDALE. Shopping centers in Sao Paulo are unique places globally where visitors often spend the whole day with places to shop, dine, exercise, and see movies in security and out of the heat. The Iguatemi Shopping Center is not only considered the most luxurious shopping environment in Brazil but has also become an urban icon dear to the "Paulistas" for the last 50 years.
The owners of Iguatemi, the Jereissati family, chose CARBONDALE to renovate and expand the public spaces because of Eric Carlson's expertise in Luxury Design developed over more than 20 years and their ability to transform projects into remarkable urban landmarks.
Concept Sketch
The Iguatemi, Shopping Centre Roof is an Architectural Sculpture / State of art Structural Technology / Environmental Advanced.
Design Team | |
Design Architect: | CARBONDALE Paris |
Local Architect: | CARBONDALE Brazil |
Skylight Structural Engineers: | T/E/S/S atelier d'ingénierie, Paris & CIA de Projetos, San Paulo |
Lighting Specialists: | Franck Franjou, Paris & Mingrone Iluminação San Paulo |
Thermal Engineers: | Setec, Paris |
Landscape Architects: | Thalweg Paysage, Paris & Hanazaki, San Paulo |
The Skylight
The new sculptural skylight crowns the Main plaza volume has the rare combination of structural innovative and striking beauty. The new skylight design creates a majestic open Main Plaza volume by removing the large existing intermediate columns for free span of 31-meters by 35-meters. The avant-garde structure, possible only in the digital age, was developed by CARBONDALE in collaboration with the internationally acclaimed engineers T/E/S/S atelier d'ingénierie in Paris and CIA de Projetos in Sao Paulo. The skylight is composed of three basic parts; 1) a horizontal glass roof held up by 2) thin vertical compression struts that are then supported by 3) a curved structural steel grid or mesh. The structural mesh, inspired by Iguatemi's traditional diamond grid pattern, separates from the glass roof by curving downward at the center to create a sumptuous inverted catenary dome that appropriately define the spatially proportions of the Main Plaza volume.Iguatemi Plaza - Before & After
The suspended steel structure finely clad in matt white aluminum panels and trimmed in polished brass also acts as a large light baffle reflecting sunlight into the space and animating the surrounding travertine walls with diagonal shadows that change throughout the day and the seasons.
One invisible but significant accomplishment in the design of the Main Plaza and skylight is the creation of an environment-sensitive space that maintains a comfortable atmosphere with natural climatic ventilation. With the increase of natural light comes heat, but by working with advanced computer thermal models, the design balances the filtered sunlight, insulates with double thermal glazing, and ventilates with natural airflows, no need for air conditioning in a tropical climate country is a huge environmental achievement.
A Restaurant in the Garden
Nestled within the vegetal oasis and encompassed in sunlight, Eric's unique design for Piselli, conceived as a "Restaurant in the Garden". To enhance the outdoor atmosphere further, a green ring of foliage that embraces the entire space, covered dining terrace extends out into the garden and a discrete garden path leads guests to an exclusive entry.In collaboration with the Parisian and Brazilian Landscape Architects Thomas Eschapasse & Alex Hanazaki, the creation of a pixelated central garden is composed of 170 stepping square planters lined in cumaru wood. The cascade of vegetal pixels follows visitors along the circulation ramps to join the two main shopping levels. The garden design is conceived to be seen both from the surroundings and experienced from within. The unique modular planters integrate a flexibility allowing the garden pixels to be raised or lower to adapt to the various events that occur throughout the year.
The Envelope
The challenge of designing a "restaurant without walls" was answered by creating a magical veil of suspended floor-to-ceiling strands composed of polished gold plated solid brass bars that vertically wrap the periphery of the 6-meter high restaurant. These ethereal chards of reflected light appear as luminous golden threads that define the restaurants volume and the establishments' luxurious identity as an elegant Architectural treasure chest. For guests the open façade allows for views towards the garden and invites the natural ventilation and sunlight to permeate the dining areas.
The Spatial Identity
The restaurant's interior is spatially delimited by a raised cumaru wood parquet flooring and above by a floating monumental box ceiling finished in a high polished lacquer smoked cedar wood paneling. The large wood surfaces establish the warm, rich interior ambiance while the dramatic highly reflective ceiling beautifully reflects the adjacent vegetation and flowers adding to the illusive and ephemeral enchantment. Rather than a restaurant defined by its walls, CARBONDALE's bold approach introduces a sculptural collage of orthogonally composed floating wood frames that create intimacy by subdividing the large volume, define the central bar and decidedly establish the distinctive character and identity of the Piselli. The frames are filled with a delicate brass mesh and are edge-lit to create a wash of warm light within the space and enhance the cozy evening atmosphere.
The Furniture
To create intimate and cozy dining areas, CARBONDALE has divided the spacious restaurant volume into different seating areas including the lounge, the bar, the dining room, the intimate booths each providing different dining experiences. The character of each area is accentuated further by a wide variety of furniture types in solid woods and leathers including an extra-7-meter long beige leather sofa that snuggles into the garden.
"In CARBONDALE, our unique expertise comes from our ability to define a design strategy based on identifying and understanding a multitude of issues such as socio-cultural, climatic, urban constraints, shopping traditions, neighborhood dynamics, transportation methods in combination with an in-depth understanding of the brand itself. For the Iguatemi project, we have pushed the technical limits to create a covered outdoor plaza with a sophisticated free span tensile skylight structure which maximizes day-lighting, and naturally ventilated within a majestically sculpted structure emblematic for Iguatemi and the city"– Eric Carlson.
‘Hyperions’ – An Eco-friendly Vertical Village in Delhi
Paris-based Vincent Callebaut Architectures in collaboration with the Indian agroecologist Amlankusum unveiled the design of 'Hyperions', the new Agritectural Garden Towers for Jaypee Greens Sports City in New Delhi, India. The design is for a self-sustaining urban utopia that not only grows organic food, but also produces more energy than it consumes in a closed-loop system.
Conceived with the double objective of energy decentralization and food deindustrialization, this garden towers project is very holistic, combining the best of low-tech and high-tech instead of systematically opposing them. The designers aim is to reconcile urban renaturation and small-scale farming with environment protection and biodiversity.
The Hyperions, named after the tallest tree in the world 'the hyperion' - a sequoia semperviren found in northern California (whose size can reach 115.55 metres,close to 380 feet), comprises six 36-story connected towers built from cross-laminated timber, providing the best environmental footprint during its life cycle—from harvesting to recycling, through transportation, processing, implementation, maintenance, and reuse.
All the wood required to build the garden towers sourced from a Delhi forest, which is also managed sustainably, and in which they make sure to renew what they collect with respect for the appropriate cutting cycle and regenerating capacity. With its 68 million hectares of forest covering 23% of its territory, India is one of the ten most wooded countries on Earth, and the world's second producer of fruits and vegetables. Trapped as the citizens are in the New Delhi smog, their duty is to preserve those carbon-sequestrating forests now more than ever. Indeed, one cubic meter (c. 35 cubic feet) of wood can stock up to 0.9 ton of CO2 while a tree grows.
Amlankusum says, ''That's why I wanted our architects to celebrate this green treasure by building tall structures with wood, because it's the material that provides the best environmental footprint during its lifecycle -- from harvesting to recycling, through transportation, processing, implementation, maintenance, and reuse."
In order to optimize the residential buildings, architect opted for a mixed structure, with a steel and concrete substructure for the earthquake-resistant foundations, parking areas and vertical core bases; and a superstructure made of solid wood columns, beams and walls, reinforced with steel blades where columns and beams meet. Each wood-based structural component is made of multiple panels laid perpendicularly to each other, and bound together with pintles and gudgeonsor organic structural adhesives. The Hyperions' skeleton is made of 25% inert materials and 75% bio-sourced materials. This mixed structure is reputed for its strong mechanical resistance (including in the event of earthquakes); for its high resistance to fire; and for its high acoustic and thermal performance.
A Plus-Energy Project that Optimizes Its Environmental Footprint
The six garden towers are like a vertical village with a high social, cultural, and use mix. The flexible, evolutionary spaces dedicated to business incubators, living labs, coworking spaces, multi-purpose rooms and concierge services are located behind the solar facades. All apartments big or small, as well as student housing, open onto cascading hydroponic balconies. Indoor furniture is made of natural materials such as tamarind and sandalwood, and comes from local cabinetmakers, fab labs and recycling shops.
The various spatial uses are linked together with footbridges, and converge under a large orchard roof that serves as a meeting place for our small urban farmer community. Whether it's summer, monsoon or winter, families can meet there, pick fruit, go for a run, get some exercise in the sports hall's kabaddi field, swim in the organic pool, or watch over their kids playing kho kho in the playgrounds. These communal footbridges are irrigated by collecting rainwater and residents' greywater, and the filtered water's organic nutriments are absorbed by the plants' roots. This network of sky-high suspended walkways allows residents to move from one tower to the other, from one use to another, and to forge social and interdependent relationships among neighbors.
From Rajasthan, Jaypee inherits high temperatures and droughts, while freezing currents from the Himalaya can sometimes bring harsh winters. In order to secure the natural ventilation of the living spaces in this mostly hot and humid subtropical climate, architect put together a natural climate control system, articulated along the vertical circulation cores of the wind chimneys. This system takes advantage of the earth's thermal inertia (under the foundations), which remains stable at 18 degrees Celsius (c. 64 degrees Fahrenheit) all year round. Through natural airflow, the external air -- which can reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) and fall to 3 degrees Celsius (c. 37 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter is therefore naturally cooled or heated in contact with the earth, and so without using a single kilowatt of electricity.
Top down and bottom up: When collaborative city rhymes with local resources and supply chains
The fusion "forest + agriculture + urban fabric" is a humanistic alternative that brings together the best of both the city and the countryside. From agroforestry to wood-based construction to permaculture and aquaponics, the Hyperions project is the symbol of a short supply chain economy based on harvesting local resources. This virtuous circle generates links between local producers and "prosumers". Residents, organic farmers, garden producers, agroecologists, loggers, agronomists, architects, and designers: all participate in a sustainable production, distribution, consumption, and recycling process.
Using this circular, collaborative economic model, the designers have not only been able to reinforce the economic fabric by creating local jobs, but also to turn the project into a formidable sharing economy and co-construction playing field. Between the democratized technological innovations and the bottom-up social innovations, they've regained control of energy, resources, and space.
Amlankusum says, "We, the Urban Farmers, claim that converting worldwide agriculture into organic techniques and bio-sourced construction could reduce worldwide CO2 emissions by about 40% by 2030. Hyperions is a sustainable agro-ecosystem project capable of resisting climate change; thanks to its healthy economic and environmental ecosystems."
Indeed an exciting vision of future architecture, the project which is aimed to create a cultural hub that combines urban greening, small scale farming, environmental protection, and biodiversity, is estimated to be completed by 2020, bringing together the best of both the city and the countryside!
Serenity, Gurgaon Redefines Luxury and Grand Lifestyle
Serenity is a high end luxury condominium development located in sector 109, Gurgaon in the suburbs of Delhi. Planned with the intent to create an ideal home for all, the development enhances its ambience to optimize high quality living, while crafting a picture perfect address. Aimed to be a development that sets the standard for model 21st century homes, Serenity is strategically designed to offer an ideal blend of spatial comfort, stylish lifestyle and comfortable living. Conceived as a living hub that is molded around a serene environment in the midst of the hustle-bustle of the city, it is situated with easy accessibility to private and public transport systems, retail stores, and entertainment just a few steps away.
Picturesque Living Hub
Adapting a modern aesthetic combined with contemporary construction, the development redefines luxury and lifestyle through the 9 high-rise towers of 3/4 BHK apartments and penthouses with mesmerizing views. The project's overall massing evokes an organic form that merges seamlessly with the flowing landscape. Towers are designed in a manner to incorporate continuous balconies around the building, providing unencumbered views for all residents. Every apartment is pool-facing in order to create a micro climate, and large strip balconies are designed to encourage outdoor living. By opening them to the south, all the green areas become sun-facing, with no permanent shadow. A waterfall is designed as an entrance feature at the first floor of the club that progresses to the basement that instills an emotion of calm amidst the large expanse of green spaces with the sound of falling water.
Design that blends exquisite style with cozy comfort
To hold the design as a thought and a promise, the central area of the site is enhanced through the pedestrian movement inside, where there is no hindrance of the vehicular traffic. All the towers are placed at the periphery that restricts the vehicular movement to hinder the movement within the central green spaces. The built massing does not obstruct the view from the vehicular road as all the buildings are on stilts. The resulting stilted areas are used for community activities; recreation for children and the elderly, including the provision of cycle parking that endows the development with an impact of visual connectivity in the inner loop, even while being on the vehicular road. The apartment design is a very simple solution with two apartments to a core in the shape of an oar. The compact and efficient core at the centre enables views of all three sides to an apartment and the towers are placed far apart to create a sense of openness.Project at a Glance: | |
Typology: | Group Housing |
Name of Project: | Serenity |
Location: | Sector 109, Gurgaon |
Client: | Chintels India Ltd. |
Architectural Firm: | Design Forum International |
Principal Architect: | Goonmeet Singh Chauhan |
Design Team: | Ashish, Ranjot |
Site Area (sq.ft & sq m): | 9.75 acres |
Built-Up Area (sq.ft & sq m): | 13.93 Lakh sq.ft. |
Completion Date: | 2016 |
To demarcate the entrance of the towers in the basement, there is an eye-shaped cut out to orient the visitor towards the entrance that makes the basement safe, naturally-lit and ventilated. A separate driver's lounge is provided that overlooking the green spaces, merging the interiors and exteriors spaces even inside the basement. The rugged materials are used in the landscape to make it look natural; two tot-lots are in the central green areas with rubberized materials. Three spots of small islands are created with gazebos that look like a jungle in-between and can be used as a space to read or to relax in the midst of developed buildings. A ceremonial lawn defines the entrance with a view of the waterfall that can be used for various recreational activities. The Glamour aspect of every luxury project is glossy finishes, large spaces and timelessness of character. Convenience is imparted through independent lift and loft lobbies for apartments that can be characterized as per personal preferences. A Personal lift lobby has a balcony with a Frangipani tree that endows the ambience with a sensation of the exterior merging with the interior even at the top floor. Master bedrooms explore newer spatial possibilities by means of verandas and not typical balconies. The Exterior of the towers is a glossy metallic paint finish that does not recreate the glare of the sun. The entire structure is a flat slab system where ugly beams jutting out from the ceiling are not visible. Right from a swimming pool, a kids' pool and gymnasium/ yoga centre, a skating rink and recreational facilities, the development bathes the residents' dreams of a grand living style. Water features at the base of the towers with artistic lighting animate the lower levels with textures of reflected water patterns.
The overall design focus in Serenity has been to create a serene environment that is well-complimented by the dense green forest and huge water bodies in the heart of the campus, with all towers overlooking the naturesque surrounding. The heart-warming sun throughout the day, soothing garden greens and pool blues, heady chirping of birds, flight of butterflies, gently swaying palm trees, whistling bamboo groves - all are experiences designed to augment the human senses with peace and serene environs.
Eros Business Centre, Gurgaon
Project Information Sheet: | |
Typology: | Commercial Project |
Name of Project: | Eros Business Centre |
Location: | Gurgaon, Haryana |
Name of Client: | Eros Group |
Principal Architect: | DFI |
Design Team: | Anand Sharma |
Site Area (sq ft & sq m): | 0.73 Lakh sq.ft. |
Built-Up Area (sq ft & sq m): | 8.19 Lakh sq.ft. |
Start Date: | July, 2008 |
Completion Date: | July, 2014 |
The Eros Business Centre, designed by DFI, is a commercial development located on the fast developing Southern Peripheral Road colloquially known as Golf Course Extension Road, Gurgaon, just off the main Gurgaon Sohna Road with easy accessibility from National Highway 8. With prime hospitality developments in close proximity, developed by Eros Developers, the building is intended to achieve clean floor plates that allow flexibility in dividing spaces into smaller units. Being serviced by roads on three sides, all the facades were important and have, therefore, been treated as such.
Concept
Planned with a grand open entrance and frontage that makes the overall composition look spectacular, the intent was to consolidate the open space at the front and create a stepped massing. Negating the typical courtyard approach, the aim was to craft a front consolidated open space and naturally-lit, closed areas. Multiple rows of trees along the boundary wall work towards creating a visual green buffer, augmenting the façade aesthetic as well as acting a sound barrier between the building and outside environment. Further, the building aligns itself with the Southern Peripheral Road in such a manner that the two facades become visible with cohesiveness yet variety, for travelers going on either direction of the carriageway.Contemporary Green Design
In the practice of architecture, day lighting refers to the use of natural light, be it brilliant sunlight or muted overcast light, to support the visual demands of building occupants. Many building owners and architects have reported energy savings received from day lighting. Looking at the energy consumption of commercial buildings, this building demonstrates the importance of energy-saving through the use of film on the glass that allows for ample amount of natural lighting and admittance of only 32% of transmitted and reradiated solar energy, which is a green measure for a building design, eventually resulting in lesser running costs. The angles of facade louvers are placed in such a manner that there is no direct sunlight at the working tables. Indoor air quality management (ASHRAE standard 62.1 2004), and energy conservation are specially kept in mind while designing the building.A simplistic structural glazing made of glass and aluminum together with stone cladding and some areas highlighted with texture paint endows the external façade with an architectural identity that is aligned with a contemporary vocabulary. Shops and Commercial spaces have simple plastered walls, Cement concrete surface flooring with the frontage being highlighted through the aluminum framed glass façade. The Lobby and common areas have Italian marble flooring as well as wall-cladding, and gypsum board suspended ceiling in common areas. The Public Toilets are designed with Italian marble on the floor, ceramic tiles on the walls and premium fittings while the lobby and common areas are clad with Italian marble.
Lighting design is planned with a combination of varied lighting systems to achieve optimal lighting effects in the different spaces. The lighting design includes Down Lights, focus lighting on wall & backlight display, and feature landscaped lighting dots the built landscape at night. Concealed lighting in the ceiling lights up the lobby areas and cove lights at special nodes highlights the art work.
The placement of the core allows easy access to different levels and units inside. The building is planned with an RCC framed structure and as an earthquake-resistant building as per NBC norms. Other services integrated are sufficient parking, a central air-conditioning system, fire alarms and fire-fighting systems, Round the clock security system, CCTV, Public address systems, 2 elevators and other high- tech controls necessitated for such a development.
One Airport Square Ghana
Designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, One Airport Square is a multi-functional building that hosts commercial spaces on the ground floor and a ten-floor office block on the southwest of the lot, due to the specific form and orographic features of the site. In view of the desire for a contrast between the project area and the surrounding townscape, the rendezvous space for employees and the public received special attention. Here, the space was configured as a public square, open on the northeast side of the lot while shielded by the commercial floor, arranged as a ring (shops, restaurants, self-service catering establishments). The generously proportioned square is suitable for various events, fairs or other activities, and may be used as an exhibition space for permanently installed works of art. Such initiatives, together with the commercial activities, will bring the area to life, by day and by night.
Design that Brings the Ecological Beauty
One Airport Square is a nine-storey building for offices, plus a ground floor designed for commercial activities, for a total of about 17,000 square meters. Aesthetic elements and architectural design inspired by the traditional local art and from the bark of the palm trees typical of that area, closely linked to environmental strategies to provide a viable solution to climate problems. The form and layouts of the office block are the outcome of ongoing design work based on the functional requirements of the principal and the formal, structural and energy requirements specified by the multi-disciplinary design group. Thanks to their irregular form, reflecting in part the orographic features of the site, the paved surfaces link the street with the upper level of the square, where we find the main entrance to the offices and commercial area. A pair of escalators directly joins the public space and the two floors of the underground car park. Even the underground floors are configured considering the typography to the site and present technical solutions for structural earthquake resistant.The building envelope is the key element that demonstrates the integration between form, structure, and environmental strategies. The building, which is compact in form, contains within it a large hall the function of which is to provide lighting and to facilitate natural ventilation of the interiors. Variation of depth of the shafts determines the configuration of three office types: maxi, midi and mini. A defining element of the building is the movement generated by the projecting terraces, which gradually recede as they rise, floor by floor. These section variations enable increased flexibility in configuring the environments in accordance with the varying requirements of prospective tenants.
Project at Glance | |
Location: | Accra, Ghana |
Year: | 2010 – 2015 – built project |
Investor: | Actis Boston Tower Development Limited |
Type: | Commission |
Surface area: | 17.000 sqm |
Architecture and structural geometry: | Mario Cucinella Architects + Deweger Gruter Brown & Partners |
Team: | Mario Cucinella, Luca Bertacchi with Hyun Seok Kim, Giuseppe Perrone, Nada Balestri, Luca Sandri, Giulia Pentella (BGF), Alberto Bruno, Yuri Costantini (model maker) |
Structural Engineering: | Politecnica Ingegneria e Architettura |
M&E Engineering: | BDSP |
Associate Local Structural & Constructional Engineers: | Twum Boafo & Partners, Accra |
Associate Local MEP Engineers: | Impact Technologies Limited, Accra |
Architect Associate: | Deweger Gruter Brown & Partners |
Quantity Surveyors: | AECOM, London |
Associate Quantity Surveyors: | A-Kon Consults Limited, Accra |
Construction Company: | MICHELETTI LTD |
Construction Management: | MACE |
Photos: | Fernando Guerra |
A further defining element consists in the reinforced concrete structure, the inclined piers of which confer greater rigidity upon the building and the overhangs, while also featuring as a decorative motif for the front.
Energy Star Certified Building
One Airport Square is the first building in Ghana to have been awarded 4-Stars (Design Stage) by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). The project was designed based on a detailed analysis of the site, the topographical and optimal orientation to become a point of reference and example for the new generation of office buildings in West Africa. At this latitude, the sun’s path makes it particularly exposed to solar radiation fronts east and west. This, combined with medium to high temperatures present during the entire course of the year, made it necessary to adopt strategies to reduce the need to cool the building.The plant is based on a principle of distribution of the fresh air conveyed in the floating floor which reaches in a uniform manner throughout the plane. To reduce consumption of drinking water, there are technologies that limit the amount of outflow, the duration and the time of delivery, while it is expected the reuse of grey water and rainwater for the toilet.
The sum of all these elements in One Airport Square was determined by a work of integrated design that balances architectural and engineering considerations in order to reduce energy consumption of the building and optimize the use of natural light. The most advanced technologies are balanced with the local tradition, using the most efficient design. These all bring a new idea of beauty: the ecological beauty.
Dominion Office Building Moscow, Russia
Photo Courtesy: Hufton+Crow
Located in Moscow's Sharikopodshipnikovskaya Street, next to tram and trolleybus stops and near Dubrovka Station on the Lyublinskaya Line of the Moscow Metro, the Dominion Office Building is among the first of the new projects to be built for the growing creative and IT sectors in this primarily industrial and residential district in the southeast of the city.
Photo Courtesy: Hufton+Crow
Conceived as a series of vertically stacked plates off-set at each level with connecting curved elements, a central atrium rises through all levels to bring natural light into the centre of the building. Balconies at each level project into the atrium and correspond to the displacement of the outer envelope and a series of staircases interconnect through this central space.
Photo Courtesy: Hufton+Crow
With the ground floor restaurant linking the atrium to the outdoor terrace and Sharikopodshipnikovskaya Street beyond, and coffee/snack areas and relaxation zones on the balconies, the atrium becomes a shared space over many levels that encourages interaction between the employees of the companies within the building. This integration also encourages collaboration between companies of different services and disciplines. Many IT and creative industry start-up companies regard this collective research culture as vital for progress and development, and the design of the Dominion Office Building reinforces this concept with open connectivity throughout the building.
The office spaces are arranged within a system of standard rectilinear bays to offer many different possibilities for small, expanding or large companies. Located on the periphery of the atrium and housing the lifts, fire-escapes, washrooms and service shafts, the service cores provide a degree of privacy to the separate office spaces, with gaps in-between these cores giving some transparency and allowing light to penetrate into the office areas from the central shared atrium space.
This service core ring around the atrium, together with an additional bay of columns close to the outer envelope of the building, provides the structure. The off-set floor-plates are balanced between the opposite sides of the building. In some zones, columns are removed and replaced with transfer beams to increase the uninterrupted floor space for larger tenants or public programmes.
At A Glance | |
Project: | Mixed-use (offices, restaurant & conference facilities) |
Floor Area: | 21,184 sq. m Footprint: 62m x 50.5m |
Height: | 36.27m / 9 floors (7 floors of offices, 2 basement floors) |
Client: | Peresvet Group / Dominion-M Ltd. |
Architect: | Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) |
The Investcorp Building for Oxford University’s Middle East Centre, U.K.
Photo Courtesy: Luke Hayes
At A Glance | |
Location: | Oxford, U.K. |
Status: | Built |
Overall Site Area: | 1,580 m² |
Gross Internal Area: | 1,127 m² |
Building Footprint: | 700 m² |
Client: | Middle East Centre, St. Antony's College |
Architect: | Zaha Hadid Architects |
Founded in 1957, the Middle East Centre at St Antony's College serves as the University of Oxford's facility for research and teaching on the Arab world, Iran, Israel and Turkey from the 19th century to the present day, with its focus on the research of humanities and social sciences. The centre has been housed at 68 Woodstock Road (the former rectory of the Church of St Philip and St James, built in 1887) since 1978.
The Middle East Centre holds Oxford University's primary collection on the modern Middle East, a world-class archive of private papers and historic photographs used by scholars and researchers with an interest in the region. The centre's research core is the specialized library, document and photographic archive covering material from the 1800's onwards. The archive was set up in 1961 and has grown to over 400 collections of private papers and holds more than 100,000 historic photographs.
Photo Courtesy: Luke Hayes
Photo Courtesy: FRENER + REIFER
The new Investcorp Building for the Middle East Centre provides 1,127 square metres of additional floor space and a new 117-seat lecture theatre; doubling the space available for the Middle East Centre's expanding library & archive, and providing optimum conditions to conserve and manage the centre's collections that were previously stored in the basement of 66 Woodstock Road.
Photo Courtesy: Luke Hayes
As an integral part of the college's on-going expansion plans, the Investcorp Building incorporates essential new facilities to meet the Middle East Centre's increasing demand for research and academic activities. The need to expand the teaching space at the centre has become increasingly acute with student numbers growing dramatically in recent years, including many additional masters' students and doctoral candidates.
The new lecture theatre will allow the Middle East Centre to expand its popular programme of seminars, lectures and debates - much of which is open to both the University and the general public.
The Investcorp Building complements the college's ongoing development. Its design weaves through the restricted site at St Antony's College to connect and incorporate the existing protected buildings and trees; while its stainless steel façade softly reflects natural light to echo the building's context.
Photo Courtesy: Luke Hayes
The building integrates new academic and research facilities within a design defined by the existing built and natural environment of the college. The project maintains the detached character of the college's current buildings, allowing them to be read as separate elements, while introducing a contemporary building that conveys the past, present and future evolution of the college, university and city.
Photo Courtesy: Luke Hayes
Photo Courtesy: Luke Hayes
The 117-seat lecture theatre is located below ground and is ventilated through a thermal labyrinth. A similar labyrinth exists beneath the library archive room to achieve the essential environmental controls and mitigate the need for mechanical air-handling. A ground source heat pump provides active ground coupling controlled for both temperature and humidity, creating a secure environment to conserve the centre's renowned collection.
The work of the Middle East Centre contributes to the global discourse and greater understanding of the region. The new Investcorp Building connects disparate buildings within the college, defining a series of spaces for the centre's renowned archive, library and seminar programmes; allowing the Middle East Centre to expand its commitment as a vital forum of research, understanding and open debate.
Stacked Skyscraper for Melbourne
The built form seeks to align with the new CBD planning reforms introduced by Planning Minister Richard Wynne. The design aspiration is to elevate Melbourne's status as a global city and focus is on the balance of scale and density and the protection of heritage and character. "The multiplicity of social and cultural attractions in the centre of Melbourne, which have made it the most liveable city in the world, have also naturally created a demand for new residential development," says Zaha Hadid Architects Director Gianluca Racana adding that "582-606 Collins Street aims to satisfy this demand and take advantage of design features, which will create new opportunities for public space and offer a great blend of mixed use programs."
Energy-efficient Building Envelop
The site sits on the Western boundary of Melbourne's Central Business District, at the nexus between Collins Street and the Docklands, within an area of the city that is evolving into a new commercial precinct in its own right.The Collins Street façade is comprised an elegant colonnade of sculptural, curved columns that supports Zaha Hadid Architects' unique façade system. These solid elements seek to embody and emulate the finest examples of historic architecture that can be found within the Melbourne CBD, yet reinterpret them in a contemporary solution that is driven by the building's structural integrity and the logical division of its overall volume.
A delicate filigree gently envelops the building, including the Francis Street service areas to ensure there is no sense of "back of house" to the surrounding areas. Designed to use 50% less energy than a conventional mixed-use tower, this filigreed façade contributes to a reduction in the direct solar gain of the building and emissions. High performance glazing system, high efficiency central cooling, high efficiency lighting and grey-water reuse systems are also proposed to reduce consumption of resources and further lower the emissions.
Design-Stacked Vases
Evolving from the city's very distinct urban fabric, the arrangement of the proposed tower takes inspiration from its mixed-use program, converting the building's overall volume into a series of smaller stacked 'vases'. Central to the concept is the break-down of the vertical volume by the design team to establish a coherent relationship between tower, podium, and surrounding streetscapes.In addition to housing a different programmatic element, each 'vase' gently tapers inwards to offer additional open space at its base. Within the proposal, there is a significant proportion of the ground plane given over to public realm, with external area dedicated to a plaza accessible 24 hours a day.
The design intent is to open up the ground plane improving the flow of pedestrian traffic and enriching connectivity with existing transport infrastructure, which includes the adjacent Southern Cross railway station and existing tram network that runs parallel to the site.
The design also proposes the creation of a new pedestrian route that would connect Collins with Francis Street, further alleviating pressure at the Collins and Spencer Street junction. 350 bicycle parking spaces and bays for electric vehicles and shared car clubs are included within the design.
Within the proposal, junctions between each vase invite the interaction fostered at a street level to continue inside the podium, where a rich mix of retail and commercial offerings as well as easily accessible communal spaces have been included in the proposed structure to promote public engagement.
schmidt hammer lassen architects wins Mixed-use Project in Central Oslo
schmidt hammer lassen architects has been selected to design a new retail and office complex of well over 50,000 square metres in central Oslo, Norway, for Store Brann Eiendom AS. schmidt hammer lassen architects' design was chosen ahead of five competing proposals, due to its strong and innovative project design that enhances the existing urban qualities at the site and creates a new connection between the building and city life.
The winning proposal consists of an interconnected building structure in which the upper floors are divided into smaller building elements. From the outside, the project appears as a tight sculpture that adapts to the different scales of the site and to the city's street profile. Towards the street, the building opens up and creates passages and shortcuts through the complex. In the centre of the complex, a public space is created - an urban landscape - that, as a green oasis with tall slender pine trees, reflects the vertical motif on the façade.
"We have designed a project that creates a synergy between the building's daily users, the visitors to the many shops and restaurants, and the people who simply pass through the neighbourhood," explains the project responsible and senior partner, Kristian Lars Ahlmark, from schmidt hammer lassen architects. "With our proposal, we are turning the building's various functions and the site's complex topography into the focal point of the project:stairs for sitting, sloping surfaces, openings between building levels, the cuttings, the urban landscape and the atrium courtyards will all help to create new connections between the building and urban life, and will add a whole new dynamic to the historic part of Oslo city."
Project at Glance | |
Architects: | schmidt hammer lassen architects |
Client: | Storebrann Eiendom AS |
Area: | 58,500 m² |
Competition: | 2014, First prize in international competition. |
Status: | Scheduled construction: 2017-2020 |
Landscape architect: | schmidt hammer lassen architects |
Sustainability: | Targeting BREEAM Excellent |
Flexible and robust design of high quality
The new building complex consists of approximately 10,000 square metres of mixed retail and commercial premises in the lower floors, while the upper floors consist of approximately 40,000 square metres of flexible office space. The office spaces are organized in such a way as to create a wide variety of rental options on the different floors. In addition, several office levels will have access to outdoor roof terraces with incredible views of the city."The unique location deserves a building design that respects Oslo's history and Scandinavian aesthetics, and therefore we made sure that our design creates a dialogue with the site context," explains founding partner, John Foldbjerg Lassen, from schmidt hammer lassen architects. "The office areas are of a modern, robust design with a high level of quality and are designed to make maximum use of daylight conditions, as well as offering spectacular views of the Oslo skyline and fjord."
The office areas open up to a large common lobby, with access to related meeting and conference facilities. At the office levels, there are large open atriums where employees can meet and work.
The winning project is the second significant project that schmidt hammer lassen architects is working on in central Oslo. In the early summer of 2013, the practice won, as part of a multidisciplinary team, the competition to design the refurbishment of the Post Office project - the so-called Urban Mountain project - which, with its sustainable solutions,will transform one of Oslo's tallest buildings into a flagship sustainable design project. The practice has also designed several buildings in Oslo's Tjuvholmen district, such as The Thief Spa, which opened in the spring of 2014, and a major housing project at the very tip of Tjuvholmen, which was inaugurated in autumn 2014.