Fact File
Project name: The Street, Hostel @ GLA University
Client: GLA University
Location: Mathura, U.P.
Area: 2,11,000 sq.ft
Architects: Sanjay Puri Architects
Designers: Sanjay Puri, Ishveen Bhasin
Budget: $ 6,108,300
Photo credits: Dinesh Mehta
Designed in 4 level high, 5 linear blocks, the built spaces snake across a wedge-shaped site, twisting and turning along their length. Sitting adjacent to the repetitive hostel blocks on the east and west, the new hostels in a large university campus create individual spaces within a discernible identity in each part of the layout.
The building’s orientation generates views of the large north facing garden areas and a vast playground. Each room is punctuated with a wedge-shaped bay window oriented towards the north and the playground. Openings in the internal corridor facilitate cross ventilation. The linear buildings create small break out spaces at each bending point allowing natural light into the internal spaces.
These factors create an energy efficient building by minimizing heat gain in response to the climate which has an average temperature of over 300c for eight months in a year when the sun is in the Southern Hemisphere. During the winter months when the sun is in the Northern Hemisphere, direct sunlight prevents the rooms from becoming cold.
Two focal areas are created at the ends of the linear buildings to house cafeterias, games rooms and a gymnasium opening into the north facing gardens and terraces. Each of the public spaces are large volumes with 20’ high ceilings.
The Street is contextual to the climate and the orientation of the site thus creating varied experiences and changing perceptions of space in each part of the six-acre site
Principal Architects Nina & Sanjay Puri
The organic layout of the buildings characterizes each space within the site. Each block is differently coloured along with the internal face of the bay windows of the hostel in bright colors to create an identity. Rainwater harvesting, water recycling and solar panels make the project more energy efficient along with the orientation and facilitation of natural ventilation.
