IA&B Jan 2013 by Indian Architect & Builder Magazine

VOL 26 (5)

JAN 2013

` 200

MUMBAI

INDIAN ARCHITECT & BUILDER

INTERVIEW Francine Houben, Mecanoo Architecten TRIBUTES Oscar Niemeyer Lebbeus Woods

Image ÂŠ Hiren Patel Architects

COMMENT Cities and Political Power by Charles Correa ARCHITECTURE Dadamiyan Masjid by Hiren Patel Architects Bellad House by Khosla Associates Hut-to-Hut project by Rintala Eggertsson Architects Sharma Residence by Artech Consultants RESEARCH Indigenous Building Practices of Himachal by DICRC, CEPT YOUNG DESIGNERS Studio Decode, Bengaluru Future Spaces Organisation, Surat

Unchanging Idioms In a conversation with IA&B, Francine Houben of Delft-based Mecanoo Architecten speaks of her journey in architecture of 30 years, describing fondness for its sensory aspect and her struggle adhering to the initial values of her architectural vision. Images: courtesy Mecanoo Architecten

Francine Houben, Founding Partner and creative director Mecanoo Architecten, began formulating the fundamentals of her architectural vision while studying at the Delft University of Technology. She officially founded the Delft-based office of Mecanoo in 1984 with Henk Döll, Roelf Steenhuis, Erick van Egeraat and Chris de Weijer. She currently directs the firm with partners Aart Fransen, Francesco Veenstra, Ellen van der Wal and Paul Ketelaars. IA&B: How did the name ‘Mecanoo’ come up? How does it symbolise your firm and its philosophy? FH: The name ‘Mecanoo’ is inspired by the Erector Set ‘Meccano’, a set of metal pieces, nuts, bolts, etc. and tools specially designed for constructing small models of buildings, machines, or other engineering apparatus. It symbolises the joy of building. The diver logo represents freedom of thinking and optimism. The name ‘Mecanoo’ is a combination of three different words, the British model construction kit ‘Meccano’, the neo-plasticist pamphlet ‘Mecano’ drawn up by Theo van Doesburg in 1922 and the motto ‘Ozoo’, we adopted in 1984 for a competition entry for a housing complex in the area of Rotterdam’s former zoo, while we were still students at TU Delft. IA&B: You have previously stated that, “Architecture is never a purely intellectual, conceptual or visual game alone”. How would you define architecture? FH: I feel that in combination, architecture should always touch all the senses. It is not just visual, it is also about hearing, smelling and touching. That is why I always maintain that it should touch all the senses. If I look at how we define architecture at Mecanoo, it is humane. It is tactile. It is innovative. It is about materials. It is about looking for identity in a world of globalisation. IA&B: How do the ‘10 statements’ that you have formulated apply to the different scales that you work at? FH: First of all, the decision to formulate these 10 statements was important. Most architects base their work more on research Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

let’s partner

their chairs that were designed in the 40s, 50s or the 60s, are still good. That timelessness is what I want to express in my own work and in the work of Mecanoo.

Whistling Rock Golf Club House, Korea.

Wei-Wu-Ying Centre for Arts, Taiwan.

and formal language. But what I want to design is more about an attitude. So it is not that every project has all these 10 statements applied to it; for instance, ‘land as an expensive commodity’ is more suitable on an urban scale, but the ‘law of nature’ is applicable at all scales and ‘wealth of urban planning’ recognises that there is not one but many solutions; but the basic idea remains. The ‘collective responsibility for sustainability’ helps deal with issues together in a collective way; unless we take care, all of us together, poor and rich, we cannot execute solutions. Further, ‘cooperation as a challenge’ is about crossing borders and working with other disciplines or in other countries for innovation. I often feel more like a ‘director and script-writer’ than an architect and this is important to craft a good story-line; ‘handwriting and language’ develops the attitude, what one wants to say, one wants to communicate, what one wants to build and ‘composition of empty space’ helps look at the important part of architecture, the one you do not build, the one that is left open. Of course, it is also about composition of different forms together, so our work is often the combination of a straight lines with fluid lines; when the landscape is fluid the architecture is straight and vice versa. For instance, the Whistling Rock Golf Club House in Korea is located in the mountains and so we made a very horizontal barely-there building. But in the Wei-Wu-Ying Centre for Arts in Taiwan, the land is flat and so we made it more curving, like a banyan tree. Thus, composition often alters with the landscape. ‘analysis and intuition’ helps understand that although a lot of work is done by analysis, it is also in combination with intuition; intuition based on experience, what you build up your whole life. A combination of intuition with analysis and a combination of rationalism with emotion is very important. The arrangement of ‘form and emotion’ refers to, and my big inspiration here was the work of Charles and Ray Eames, the humane attitude that is at the same time technical, innovative and timeless. For instance,

IA&B: You have worked in many different countries and cultures. How do you find that different from working at home? Is it difficult to collaborate in an entirely different country? FH: First of all, what I do in every country is try to understand it by spending a lot of time observing the people, observing the climate, observing the light, observing the materials I can use there. Most of the works we have done abroad are public buildings or public spaces and I try to imagine how the people will use it or how it will work in their context. The attitude that develops from the ‘10 statements’ also helps me work better in other countries. But a reason I think I always manage well is also because I like it. I like to travel; I like to observe people; I like to observe cultures. What we always do is work with a local partner, and this is a good practice because it is inspirational; we learn from them and they learn from us. IA&B: Your work abroad is majorly in the public domain. Are there some parallels or some rules that you employ as per each context? FH: I think most important is the attitude that I derive from the ‘10 statements’. It is rational and it is emotional. It is almost always this combination, but in different contexts. For instance, in Mumbai you really could find solutions that could be very interesting, in terms of how innovative public space can work in combination with traffic, water, waste, public transportation etc. To come up with or solve such issues could be very interesting. IA&B: If you had to talk about one of your most significant projects, which one would that be and why? FH: I think the most symbolic of our work is the Technical University Delft Library in Netherlands, where you can see a holistic view of what we do. What is special about this building is that it is a building, it is landscape, it has a beautiful interior, it has beautiful daylight, and it is an innovative space. So, it is a very humane space but with the impression of a cathedral, yet it is very much a public space. And almost 20 years after the library was realised, the work is still good, and that is what I learnt from the works of Charles and Ray Eames. I hope that my work is still good after many years. This is also a part of the sustainability issue, people often talk about sustainability in a technical way which indeed is important, but there is also an emotional part. Something that is appreciated by the people is also sustainable. IA&B: How do you think your work has changed in the 30 years of your practice? FH: I started when I was 25 years old and of course, I am still the same person with the same goals, the same dreams. But I think my work has developed a lot. We started with social housing, then went into public space, then into designing neighbourhoods, and then into bettering education buildings, university campuses, libraries, performing arts centres, concert halls, opera houses and museums. The work got more public and also, some people say, more iconic, but the underlying values are still the same. Of course, the field is developing too and what we are doing Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

want to have a holistic view about urbanism, about landscaping, about interiors or restoration, I need all these people. Rietveld’s office, although in a different time, shared the same kind of pleasure and inspiration of working together.

Technical University Delft Library, Netherlands.

today, we could not have probably done 30 years ago. Times are changing, and we are glad to a part of the development of the world. IA&B: It seems that your work in the recent years, say the past 10 years, is a little more playful? How come? FH: Yes, that is true. I guess it is so because I feel freer. You know, as architects we have to learn a lot. When I was 25 years old, I was still so young; I still had a lot to learn. When I turned 50 years old, I felt that I now know almost everything. I have the knowledge, the skill and of course the people know that I have it, that I can understand and handle it. So you feel free, because you know everything that is necessary. To be an architect and to work with all these skills you need a lot of experience. You feel freer because of your own development. IA&B: Apart from Charles and Ray Eames, you have also spoken about the works of Alvaro Siza and Gerrit Rietveld. Can you tell us about the people whose work you like? FH: Working with Alvaro Siza was a very important experience in my life. Sometime in the 80s, we were his local architects when he had a project in Holland and he spent much time in our office then. I learnt a lot by observing him. I was taught in the Delft University that we have to be very rationalistic and we worked like that. He taught me to be free. I speak about Gerrit Rietveld in my other book because there is an image of him with his entire staff and you can see that all their eyes are sparkling. It is also the same in Mecanoo. We are very happy. And this is not just the architects, it is the whole team. We have fun working together as a team. In an architect’s office, you never work alone. It is the entire team working together and if I

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

IA&B: This is your first time in India. What are your observations about the country? FH: I have never been here before, but have heard a lot of people talking about countries like India, China, Brazil and Russia. I have been to the other places. But I had never been to India. Of course, I have been here only for 48 hours. But I think it is very energetic and you can feel the energy of the people here. A lot of people speak English and communication is quite easy. There is such a beautifully enormous coastline, a lot of history and culture, a lot of people; all in all, a very interesting country. IA&B: What, according to you, is truly ‘sustainable’ in terms of architecture? FH: I think ‘sustainability’ is a combination of rationale and emotion. It manifests in terms of minimising energy usage, not polluting the world, so that your children and your children’s children will have a better world to live in. But again, it is very essential to not just have a holistic view about energy, about scale, about materials, about making things beautiful, but also about how to have people appreciate what you are doing. For instance, water management is something that is not about one building but about the whole region of Mumbai. There should be a political will to do it, and it is not just the government, I think it is very essential that the people should want to have sustainability. No doubt, it is technical, but it is also social, economic and political. I cannot give you one solution, because sustainability is about long periods in time, about the future, about investment. Of course, it is important, but it is also very interesting. In a period in time when every country is so innovative, one can only hope that this innovation will also be applied to sustainability, to improve cities, like Mumbai for instance, because everybody knows it has problems, with water, with waste, with mobility, with public space. But I think there are enormous opportunities here and I am very positive about that.

The book ‘Dutch Mountains: Francine Houben | Mecanoo Architecten’ chronicling some of Francine’s work is reviewed in this issue on page 110.

VOL 26 (5) | JAN 2013 | ` 200 | MUMBAI RNI Registration No. 46976/87, ISSN 0971-5509 INDIAN ARCHITECT AND BUILDER

LET’S PARTNER Unchanging Idioms In conversation with IA&B, Francine Houben of Delft-based Mecanoo Architecten

INDIAN ARCHITECT AND BUILDER

speaks of her journey in architecture over 30 years, describing fondness for its

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sensory aspect and her struggle adhering to the initial values of her architectural vision.

Au courant updates on events, exhibitions, competitions and news.

Chairman: Jasu Shah Printer, Publisher & Editor: Maulik Jasubhai Shah Chief Executive Officer: Hemant Shetty

EDITORIAL

Assistant Editors: Maanasi Hattangadi, Ruturaj Parikh Writers: Rashmi Naicker (Online), Sharmila Chakravorty, Shalmali Wagle Editorial Co-ordinator: Parikshit Vivekanand Design Team: Mansi Chikani, Prasenjit Bhowmick, Kenneth Menezes Event Management Team: Abhay Dalvi, Abhijeet Mirashi Subscription: Dilip Parab, Deven Arora Production Team: V Raj Misquitta (Head), Prakash Nerkar, Arun Madye

the globe.

The T20 Cricket Tournament, a Fairplay Sports Management initiative, saw several architects of Mumbai struggle over a competitive game of cricket,

SALES

Brand Manager: Sudhanshu Nagar E-mail: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com

instead of their draughting boards.

Bharatiya City by Broadway Malyan promises to be a sustainable ‘gated city’ within the city of Bengaluru.

Srikanth House An efficient wind pavilion using climate-sensitive design has been created by KSM Consultants to combat the climate of Chennai.

Bengaluru/ Hyderabad: Sudhanshu Nagar Mobile: 09833104834, E-mail: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com

TRIBUTE Modernism’s Dusk

Kolkata: Sudhanshu Nagar Mobile: 09833104834, E-mail: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com Pune: Parvez Memon Mobile: 09769758712, Email: parvez_memon@jasubhai.com

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Gujarat: Parvez Memon Mobile: 09769758712, Email: parvez_memon@jasubhai.com

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POST EVENT Architects’ T20 cricket tournament

JMPL, 210, Taj Building, 3rd Floor, Dr. D. N. Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001, Tel: +91-22- 4213 6400,+ 91 -22-4037 3636, Fax: +91-22-4037 3635

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Re-visiting the legacy of Oscar Niemeyer, one of the most versatile architects of the last century.

A Draughtsman of the Impossible Re-visiting the provocative visions of Lebbeus Woods, whose legacy lives on as an inspiration to dream the impossible.

Printed & Published by Maulik Jasubhai Shah on behalf of Jasubhai Media Pvt. Ltd (JMPL), 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021 Printed at M.B.Graphics, B-28 Shri Ram Industrial Estate, ZG.D.Ambekar Marg, Wadala, Mumbai 400031and Published from Mumbai - 3rd Floor, Taj Building, , 210, Dr. D. N. Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001. Editor: Maulik Jasubhai Shah, 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021 Indian Architect & Builder: (ISSN 0971-5509), RNI No 46976/87, is a JMPL monthly publication. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part, in English or any other language is strictly prohibited. We welcome articles, but do not accept responsibility for contributions lost in the mail.

ARCHITECTURE Paradox : Paradigm Designed by Hiren Patel Architects, the Dadamiyan Masjid, through its refined and taciturn approach, explores the poetry of spaces.

Postcard Architecture The architecture of the Bellad House in Hubli by Khosla Associates merges the contrasting styles of contemporary and vernacular creating a tranquil language that renders an identity of the place.

INDIAN ARCHITECT AND BUILDER EXPLORE

Responsive Architecture A new identity is rendered by an extension to the former structure of the Sharma Residence in Faridabad.

orchestrating change For the purpose of promoting tourism in the Western Ghats region, the Panchabhuta Conservation Foundation along with Sami Rintala have generated an economical and sustainable eco-hut prototype.

COMMENT Excerpts from the Pupal Jayakar Memorial Lecture for INTACH by Charles Correa on Cities and Political Power.

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BOOK REVIEW The book ‘Dutch Mountains’ by Francine Houben of Mecanoo Architecten reveals more than what meets the eye.

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RESEARCH GETTING TO THE ROOT OF IT A detailed documentation of the near-obsolete architecture of Himachal Pradesh by a the DICRC Team from the faculty of CEPT and University of Melbourne.

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YOUNG DESIGNERS ‘12 ARCHITECTURE The Learning Curve The Summit in Chikmagalur by Bengaluru - based Studio Decode is a pursuit of ideas and reviewing of various programs in the realm of institutional design.

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INTERIORS New Perspectives A unique stance in design makes the Dairy Don Ice Cream Parlour by Future Spaces Organisation in Surat stand apart from the ordinary.

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SPACE FRAMES Unusual Facades Vin Rathod explores the notions of identity, expressions and interactions set in a cityscape that evolve through sculptural & unique façades in this edition of Space Frames curated by Dr Deepak Mathew.

Printed & Published by Maulik Jasubhai Shah on behalf of Jasubhai Media Pvt. Ltd (JMPL), 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021. Printed at M.B.Graphics, B-28, Shri Ram Industrial Estate, ZG.D.Ambekar Marg, Wadala, Mumbai 400031and Published from Mumbai - 3rd Floor, Taj Building, 210, Dr. D. N. Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001. Editor: Maulik Jasubhai Shah, 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021. Indian Architect & Builder: (ISSN 0971-5509), RNI No 46976/87, is a JMPL monthly publication. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part, in English or any other language is strictly prohibited. We welcome articles, but do not accept responsibility for contributions lost in the mail.

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Lisbon Triennale Millennium BCP Universities Award Competition Category Type Deadline

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International Open to Students February 18, 2013

The Lisbon Architecture Triennale invites national and international students to participate in its third edition by holding a programmatic intervention at its headquarters in Campo de Santa Clara. The competition brief is open and the intervention can take on many forms. It could be a lecture series, a practical, function-based alteration to the space, a long-term piece of infrastructure for the Triennale or a temporary site-specific proposal for Close, Closer. It can be an installation of great beauty, drama or simplicity. It can be an idea or a text, a publishing programme or a radio station. Close, closer is a series of exhibitions and public programmes that questions the role of the architect in contemporary society.

Category Type Deadline

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International Open to all March 1, 2013

The Radical Innovation in Hospitality Award promotes innovation and global thought-leadership in hospitality. It is an opportunity to showcase the best hospitality strategies in architecture and interior design that incorporate new concepts and enhance the guest experience. This annual competition provides a platform for professional practitioners and students around the world to present their approach to radical innovation in the hospitality field. All entries are judged by a panel of distinguished representatives and are scored on concept, design creativity, potential impact on industry, narrative, graphics, and viability. For further information, log on to: Web: www.radicalinnovationinhospitality.com

For further information, log on to: Web: www.close-closer.com

TIMBER IN THE CITY: Urban Habitats Competition

Architectural League Prize: Range

Category Type Deadline

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International Open to Architects and Designers February 19, 2013

Young architects and designers have been invited to submit work to the annual Architectural League Prize Competition. The competition entries can be projects of all types, either theoretical or real, and executed in any medium. The jury will be selecting work for presentation in lectures, digital media, and an exhibition in June 2013. A catalogue of winning work will be published by the Architectural League and Princeton Architectural Press. The Architectural League Prize is an annual competition, lecture series, and exhibition organised by the Architectural League and its Young Architects + Designers Committee.

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International Open to all March 6, 2013

The competition intends to engage students and recent graduates, working individually or in teams to imagine the repurposing of existing cities with buildings that are made from renewable resources. The competition aims to challenge participants to design a mid-rise, mixed-use complex with affordable housing units, a job training/educational facility, a centre for innovative wood manufacturing technology, and a distribution center. Entrants are expected to design a place for the creation of originative vocational opportunities embracing new wood technology. For further information, log on to: Web: www.acsa-arch.org/programs-events/competitions/2012-13timber-competition

For further information, log on to: Web: www.archleague.org

2013 Buckminster Fuller Challenge

2013 Mock Firms International Skyscraper Competition

Category Type Deadline

COMPETITIONS

Radical Innovation in Hospitality Award

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International Open to Students March 1, 2013

: International : Open to all : April 12, 2013

Themed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rediscover the Future,â&#x20AC;? the competition targets aspiring young design professionals who will be challenged to produce an iconic super-tall for Amman, Jordan (collegiate) and Chicago, IL (high school). The competition aims to target design solutions for a diverse and comprehensive vertical healthcare community. The finalist of this competition will share the unique experience of interacting with leading design professionals and having their ideas evaluated by the same. Entering its 5 th year, the Chicago-based Mock Firms Competition is firmly established among student-based design competitions.

The annual Buckminster Fuller Challenge is expected to reward the winner with a grand prize of $100,000, as well as partnerships for 2013 that will recognise finalists for their solutions and provide an infrastructure of support to accelerate the implementation of ideas based in design science. In the first five years of the Challenge, the organisers awarded projects ranging from ecological restoration in the coal country of Appalachia, the re-design of urban mobility, reversing desertification in Africa, repairing coastal marine environments, and rethinking building performance. Created to celebrate the spirit of visionary Buckminster Fullerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design principles, and identify contemporary examples of his concept of comprehensive design thinking, the Challenge has the distinction of being the only prize of its size calling for whole systems design approaches to solving world problems.

For further information, log on to: Web: www.mockfirms.org

For further information, log on to: Web: www.challenge.bfi.org

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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India Art Fair Date Venue

Inside Outside Mega show Hyderabad : :

February 1-3 2013 New Delhi, India

India Art Fair is an event that aims to promote the emerging Indian art market. This event boasts of having quality art on display and draws visitors from not only India but from all across the world. In the last edition, this event was a roaring success when hundred thousand visitors from 17 cities in India and 67 cities from all across the world visited the event and around 84 galleries exhibited from 20 countries. This event therefore is one of the most premium events for the Indian art market. India Art Fair will arrange for special sessions where renowned experts from the art world will hold discussions on key issues that are of prime importance today in the global art scenario. There will also be book launches in this event that will pave the way for greater opportunities of interaction between artists and art enthusiasts. For further information, log on to: Web: www.indiaartfair.in

Inside Outside Mega show Chandigarh Date Venue

February 8-10, 2013 Chandigarh, India

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February 22-24, 2013 Hyderabad, India

Inside Outside Mega show - Hyderabad features among the top Indian construction and architecture industry events. The show aims to bring together a highly focussed and knowledgeable group of professional executives from the architectural and construction sector. The interactive businesses conferences and workshops that are arranged are expected to enhance the overall worth of this trade event further. Panel discussions and topical presentation sessions are scheduled here as well. Visitors will get an opportunity to browse through many types of furniture varieties, wood coatings, veneers, laminated products and a host of other products at the show. The Celebration of Architecture program also brings in quite a number of projects. The trade show will be hosting a fine range of furniture accessories, flooring tools, and other associated items at the show. For further information, log on to: Web: N/A

361Ë&#x161; Conference: Architecture of Purpose Date Venue

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March 6-8, 2013 Mumbai, India

Inside Outside Mega show - Chandigarh is considered to be one of the biggest professional architecture events in India. The event is hosted at the Parade Grounds in the city and will be serving an excellent platform for a significant number of highly qualified trade attendees. Valuable business partnership transactions are conducted during the show, which will be held over a span of three days. Attendees will be able to participate in trade workshops and conferences, in order to get a thorough understanding of the latest market updates and innovations. Participating companies will also be receiving a major boost in their product promotional activities, with the help of the presentation sessions that would be scheduled during the event dates.

As one of the oldest and the most respected design forums in India, the 361Â° is an initiative by Indian Architect & Builder to create a truly relevant dialogue on architecture. In its sixth edition, the conference plans once again to host individuals who lead the thought and practice of architecture and as an extension, design in the world. Over past five editions, the conference has established a thought-exchange program with its presentations and discussions thus chronicling a multitude of ideas and innovations that have had a significant impact on our habitat. This 361Â° Conference aims to elaborate on concepts like identity, expression, value and desire.

For further information, log on to: Web: N/A

For further information, log on to: Web: www.361degrees.net.in

Architecture Building Construction Expo & Conferences

Zak Interior Exterior Expo

Date Venue

EVENTS

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Date Venue

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February 8-10, 2013 Rudrapur, India

Date Venue

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March 21-24, 2013 Chennai, India

The event will see the coming together of civil contractors, project managers and senior decision makers, engineers and professionals from noted companies. There will be ample discussions about the present scenario of the market and the collective decisions taken to stimulate the trade and business of this sector. It will be hosting a wide assortment of interior design themes, art and craft items, home textiles, kitchen accessories, gardening tools that will be displayed. There will be market analysts and eminent professionals meeting in order to contemplate about the selection out of various strategies in the advancement of the trade and commerce of this sector

The Zak Interior Exterior Expo has emerged to be one of the most awaited global expositions where over 200 exhibitors present Interiors, elaborating technology, innovations, equipment and concepts to architects and designers. It is organized by ZAK Trade Fairs and Exhibitions Private Limited at the Chennai Trade Centre, Tamil Nadu, India and has emerged as a hub of more than 15,000 visitors. The expo expects over 200 exhibitors displaying antiques and curios, bath tubs, electrical accessories, designer lamps and fans, decorative lighting and chandeliers etc. The event will be international meeting point where companies will present the latest trends in the world of interiors and expects over 6,50,000 visitors.

For further information, log on to: Web: N/A

For further information, log on to: Web: www.zakinteriorexterior.com

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

SOM to build Los Angeles Federal Courthouse

Thom Mayne to receive 2013 AIA Gold Medal

Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill have been selected as the architects to build the new Los Angeles Federal Courthouse, which will house the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The architects were chosen from 3 other shortlisted teams to win the $318 million project. According to the GSA, the new 550,000sqft building will be a sustainable, cost-effective, state-of-the-art court facility that includes security upgrades that are not available in the current 312 North Spring Street courthouse. The site, located at 107 South Broadway which isdown the street from Morphosis’ Caltrans building, LA’s City Hall, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall has been dormant since 2007; although a $1.1 billion design by Perkins + Will was selected soon after, it was abandoned when Congress slashed the GSA’s construction budget. The GSA considers the approval of the new redevelopment plan a “major milestone” in Los Angeles. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin for fall 2013, with completion anticipated in 2016.

The American Institute of Architects has selected Thom Mayne to be honoured with the 2013 AIA Gold Medal, the organization’s highest honour that an individual can receive. Voted on annually, the Gold Medal honours an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture. Mayne will be honoured at a special event in March in Washington, D.C. as well as at the 2013 AIA National Convention in Denver. Mayne’s commitment to architecture as a journey and not as a destination is visible through the forms and materials of his buildings, his personal and professional life, and the name of his firm, Morphosis, which was founded in Los Angeles in 1972. Mayne has had a long record of academic involvement, which has helped to spread his enthusiasm for experimentally pushing architecture’s role in society further into the cultural forefront among decades of students.

Boltshauser Architekten to design Basel Aquarium after winning competition Swiss architectural practice,Boltshauser Architekten, recently won an international competition to design a new aquarium in the center of Basel, Switzerland. Their concept, titled ‘Seacliff’, was noted by jury members as being the best match for the public image cultivated by the Basel Zoo. The above-ground building space proposed by Boltshauser was smaller than any of the other competition entries, offering the best solution from an urban development perspective. The Boltshauser Architekten was chosen from some of the most prominent firms like the Zaha Hadid Architects, David Chipperfield Architects, and Caruso St John Architects. Boltshauser’s winning project is due for completion in 2019 with an estimated cost of building £54 million. One of the jury members exclaimed that all the entries submitted were at an extremely high level and represented a wide range of interesting proposed solutions for the task and location at hand. The anonymous competition was organized by Basel Zoo and a total of. 55 teams of architects participated to design an aquarium.

Emporis Skyscraper Award won by Gehry’s 8 Spruce Street

NEWS

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The 2012 Emporis Skyscraper Award in which judges select the best buildings that were completed in 2011 have announced ten winners. The New York City’s 8 Spruce Street tower has been announced to be taking home the top place. The winners were chosen from over 220 skyscrapers completed in 2011. Now in its 12 th year, the award program rewards ten skyscrapers completed in the previous calendar year. 8 Spruce Street is Frank Gehry’s first skyscrap and is also known as The Beekman. The structure won over the jury with its magnificent undulating stainless steel facade. It is a major new architectural landmark for New York. The building is now the third New York tower to win the Emporis Skyscraper Award. The Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s Al Hamra Tower earned second place in the ranking. DBI Design’s Etihad Towers were voted into third place, the jury praising the complex as a particularly harmonious ensemble of buildings. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

2013 AIA Architecture Firm Award goes to Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects The American Institute of Architects announced the recipient of the 2013 AIA Architecture Firm Award: New York City-based Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. The AIA Architecture Firm Award is annually given award which is of the highest honour to an architectural firm and also recognises a practices that consistently produces distinguished architecture for at least 10 years. Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects will be honoured at the 2013 AIA National Convention in Denver. Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects is noted for exquisite care for detail with subtle, reverent architecture that’s both timeless in its abstracted, meditative forms and materially specific to context and place. They have used the intervening decades to design a celebrated portfolio of overwhelmingly public cultural and institutional buildings: university facilities, libraries, museums, etc. As such, their design language embodies the idealised traits of the body politic; contemplative, enlightened, humble, eloquent, granular and diverse in its individual details but unified in purpose and intent.

Winners of the 2012 RIBA President’s Medals Student Awards The winners of the 2012 RIBA President’s Medals were announced at a special ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London. ‘Sunbloc’, a collaborative project by a team of students from London Metropolitan University, received the RIBA Silver Medal. They were awarded for best post-graduate design work. The team was comprised of the students YiJing He, Steven Watson, Stephen Osborn, Nkesi Nduka, Lucas Dowsett, Krists Ernstson, Guillermo Martinez Pajares, Gustavo Balague, Georgia Neesham, David Rieser, Chris Perry, Anna Nenaseva, Anca Trestian and Alex Potter Sunbloc is a lightweight and heavily-insulated prototype house constructed using a pioneering system of foam blocks and steel cables. The inexpensive structure is designed to produce more electricity than it consumes over an annual cycle. The judges rewarded the detailed study and solid bodies of research involved in the project and were highly impressed with the team’s entrepreneurial spirit and ability to complete a real building.

SEA GRASS

Bengaluru-based designer Venita Lall Vohra accessorises the Indian household with her elegant design, the C-Grass Lounge Chair. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

products

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT BRAINSTORMING

INSPIRATION

C-gRASS LoUNgE CHAIR

Text compiled by: Parikshit Vivekanand Images & Drawings: courtesy Venita Lall Vohra ROLLED PAPER

AESTHETICS

SUSTAINABILITY

O ERG

FUNCTION

SEA GRASS WOVEN

SLEEK MINIMALISTIC SMOOTH LINES ORGANIC

he C-Grass Lounge Chair by designer Venita Lall Vohra is a design which intends to be a class apart from the traditional Indian household furniture. It is designed with flowing lines and is elegant, chic and sleek. The chair was conceptualised after analysing function, aesthetics and sustainability, along with ergonomics and the use of natural resources. The original inspiration for this product came from rolled-up paper, after which the idea was tried and tested to achieve maximum comfort. Form follows function. As a lounge chair, the priority was to give the user a relaxed, comfortable reclining position, to be used in the living room or outdoors. It can suit any contemporary interior owing to its trendy look. The intention of the designer was to design a chair with a difference. Seagrass is highly diverse and is part of a productive ecosystem. It has also become an ideal material for weaving as it is durable and is therefore used extensively in making the product. The advantage of such material is that it can easily achieve the curvilinear effect intended, wrapped around a metal frame. The chair is handmade, subtle and simple, yet very functional. Seagrass is easily found and available in Asia, and thus cuts a lot of the initial costs involved.

Designer: Venita Lall Vohra Contact: 603 Delphi - 3, Prestige Acropolis, 20 Hosur Road, Bengaluru - 560029. Tel: +91 9845723601 Email: venita_v@yahoo.com venita.vohra@raffles-designer.net

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Dutch designer Dirk van der Kooij is obsessed with rapid prototyping. Best-known for his state-of-the-art floor lamp, Kooij presents the Endless Pulse Chair from the Endless flow series. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

ENDLESS PULSE CHAIR

Images: courtesy Dirk van der Kooij

utch Designer Dirk van der Kooij embodies a fast growing form of product designing with his Endless Pulse chair. The products designed under his belt are often made from recycled material. After an intensive research and development of production technology, producing clean lines and forms to be incorporated in the design, the chair became a reality. On detailed examination, the chair seems like a coiled rope tangled throughout, which has been made possible by the designer’s Endless production technique. On the material side of the product, it is believed that plastic furniture only recently became a part of the injection moulding process family. This process makes it possible to efficiently and rapidly produce uniform furniture. The investment in this form of moulds is high and only can be recovered when developed in high quantities. The process used by the designer also makes it possible to check each chair produced without investment. The biggest benefit of the process is that it allows the designer to make changes in the design of the product as and when required. This gives the added advantage and edge to the furniture to be unique as no two chairs turn out to be the same. The only feature that is consistent in all of the designer’s chairs is optimal functionality, design and comfort. The idea behind ’Endless’ originated during the designer’s graduation at the Design Academy in Eindhoven. The title Endless indicates an infinite loop of plastic and the endless possibilities. He has developed an old industrial robot and programmed it to create and design furniture and printing for furniture. A unique furniture design from the future has finally arrived where reused plastic re-establishes the new plastic era.

Designer: Dirk van der Kooij Contact: Dirk van der Kooij Halvemaanstraat 24 5651BP Eindhoven Tel: +31 (0)40 4009008 Email: info@dirkvanderkooij.nl Web: www.dirkvanderkooij.nl

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Architectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; T20 Cricket Tournament The T20 Cricket Tournament, a Fairplay Sports Management initiative, was one of those rare occasions that saw several architects in Mumbai on the cricket field rather than hunched over their draughting tables. Text: Ayishwariya Balagopal Images: courtesy Ramji Sarangan

he Architectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; T20 Cricket Tournament was a Fairplay Sports Management enterprise that brought 12 architecture firms based in Mumbai together to play a humble game of cricket. The refreshing venture was sponsored by Alfa Carpeting, Hunter Douglas, Monarch Chairs and Narsi. There were several venues for the event, with the matches being held at Elf Vengsarkar Academy, Oval, Churchgate, MIG Club, Bandra and the Matunga Gymkhana. The tournament was set into motion on the 27 th of October, 2012 on a Saturday at the famous MIG club in Bandra between PG Patki Architects and ABM Architects. The first innings of Match 1 began at 10am until 11:30am. and the second innings between 11:45am to 1:15pm. The Match 2 first inning was held from 1:30pm to 3:00pm and the second inning from 3:15pm to 4:45pm.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

post event

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The final match held on December 1 at MIG club between Sankalpan and DSP Design saw Sankalpan rise victorious by 9 wickets.

The 12 participating firms were DSP Design, ABM Architects and PG Patki Architects, AHC Champions, STUP Supersonics and Sankalpan, Edifice Architects, RJBCPL and MQA warriors, SSA Strikers, Arch Stallion and Reza Kabul. The final match held on December 1 st at MIG club between SSA Strikers and Edifice Architects saw the SSA group win by 10 runs. The third match held between Sankalpan and DSP design was won by Sankalpan by 9 runs. Necessary precautions were taken so that there would be no foul play. According to the rules, it was mandatory for all the players to be employed with the participating company. There were 11 architecture teams in total with the12 th being the Arch Stallions that included many architecture students as well as a few architects. Each of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s players had to wear their respective coloured uniforms. It was a full-fledged game of cricket where no stones were left unturned. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

construction brief

Bhartiya City

With sustainable architectural concepts and schematic design, Broadway Malyan’s Bhartiya City in Bengaluru promises to be a gated ‘city within the city’ for its inhabitants.

Text compiled by: Sharmila Chakravorty Images: courtesy Broadway Malyan

View of Bhartiya City.

panning 125 acres in North Bengaluru, India, and designed by Broadway Malyan, the new city - Bhartiya City - is touted to be the single largest urban development within the limits of any Indian metropolitan area and will provide a fullyintegrated mix of residential, retail, hospitality and Special Economic Zone uses, as well school, healthcare and sports facilities, making it the first of its kind in India. The city is designed to be highly sustainable, with residents living in close proximity to workplaces. The entire city can be accessed by foot or bicycle and features links to major transport networks by road as well as a potential future rail connection. Bhartiya City will feature two precincts, comprising of 460,000sqm of mixed-use development over basement parking as well as six office towers, three hotels, a convention centre, shopping centre, cinema, park and major landscaped areas, in addition to a Celebration Square, a public performance area that will accommodate 5,000 people.

The Celebration Square at Bhartiya City.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Client

: : : :

Bhartiya City Bengaluru Broadway Malyan Bhartiya Group Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

SKETCH OF THE HOUSE.

Srikanth House

Using climate-sensitive design as the basis for the Srikanth House in Chennai, KSM Consultants create an efficient wind pavilion to combat Chennai’s climate. Images & Drawings: courtesy KSM Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

The Srikanth House, under construction.

ited in Neelangarai, Chennai – about half a kilometre away from the sea – the half-acre plot accommodating Srikanth House faces north. The main architectural intent in this project is to harness the ambient strong southern breeze and work with the sun path in such a way that the building is shaded from the strong Chennai sun. The design that manifested itself evolved around a lone tree on the site which became a courtyard. A strong south-north wind corridor was created and formed the spine of the house, acting as a wind funnel. Courtyards and rooms are grouped on either sides of this ventilating spine. The focus on cross ventilation demanded that all the rooms in the house have at least three sides open in order to allow airflow through and within all spaces. The roof of the ventilating spine slopes upward towards the south side providing a large funnel mouth to the ambient windward side. This funnel then reduces in cross section forcing an increased air velocity, diverting breeze through openings in rooms on either sides of the spine. This follows a traditional constructional system called a ‘kattrupandal’ or wind pavilion, as the name suggests, diverting ambient wind into the spaces within. The enclosure walls of the house are double-walled. A base masonry wall system has been waterproofed and a hollow brick wall has been clipped back to the mother wall.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The brick façade of the Srikanth House.

The salient feature of the outer hollow brick skin is that care was taken during construction to have the holes in the brick run through and through so that there is a continuous air pocket encircling the main wall. This cavity wall system provides very high thermal protection from the sun. Remote-operated aluminium louvres are provided all around the windward faces to facilitate free airflow and, at the same time, can be closed at the switch of a button to make it completely watertight. The whole property is fully water-harvested, all the excess run-off water finds its way to an open well and amphitheatre at the lowest point of the site. Even the grey water is harvested and

01 Massing development around the courtyards and central spine

02 Refinement of massing based on internal spaces

03 Development of the central spine which acts as a wind-catcher (Katru-pandhal)

04 Development of the massing with respect to the central Katru-pandhal

The wind pavilion created in the house. Large windows help in driving maximum breeze into the house.

Model of the Srikanth House.

Hollow Brick Skin Wall 230mm Brick Wall 125x125 RC Post FAMILY 5600x4500

Skin Wall – Reduction in Thermal Gain

32mm thk TW Subframe

Plan of Family Room with Skin Wall 230mm Base Brick Wall 10mm thk Plaster Butterﬂy Clamps Waterproof layer brush applied on plastered surface Exposed wire-cut brickwork (only Stretcher Course)

Exploded View

Details of the brick façade of the house.

is used for irrigation, while the excess is treated and fed back into the ground. Rainwater from the roofs either falls into courtyards, or goes down, taking channels into the open well or flows down rain chains from spouts that are collected in stone basins and are then diverted around the amphitheatre into the well. While the main wind direction in Chennai is from the south, the sun too beats down on this side for almost eight months in a year – hence a cement board-woven skin has been designed that allows for air and light to filter through, but cuts off the direct sun. The roofs have been insulated and chemically waterproofed in a five-layer application using poly-urethane panels set within concrete ribs, with a white china mosaic roof finishing at the top. Edible landscape is also an integral part of the project. The intention is that apart from pulses and cereal, all other vegetable requirements would be met by the edible landscape farm around the house. The project is currently on-site.

The play of light and shadow.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design Team

: : : :

Client : Project Area : Civil Contractors : Carpentry contractors : Electrical Consultant : AC Consultant : Structural Consultant : Project Estimate : Initiation of Project :

Srikanth House Neelangarai, Chennai KSM Consultants Pvt. Ltd. Sriram Ganapathi, K.S Money, Siddarth Money, S.Seran, Harini Ravichandran, Soumya V.K, G.Gayathri Mr. Srikanth 575sqm Karuppaiah & Sons Shaktiganapathi S.S.Electricals Unimech Mr. Sangameshwaran `1.2 crore 2009

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Modernism’s Dusk Oscar Niemeyer (1907 – 2012) On the passing of one of the most versatile architects of the last century, we revisit a legacy of incredible intensity, excellence, courage and honesty – values that made great architecture happen in the last century. Text: Ruturaj Parikh

n November this year, the 104-year-old Oscar Niemeyer designed limited-edition shoes for Converse. Iwan Baan – in his book ‘Living with Modernity’ – captures an awe-inspiring landscape of Brasilia, a city that Oscar built. It has been more than 60 years since Brasilia – a modernist vision of utopia – was commissioned to be built by the then-President of Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek, who came to power in 1955 and had one term to realise “fifty years of progress in five”. Thus came Oscar. Brasilia – like our Chandigarh – was an expression of the future realised by individuals like Oscar and Corbusier who dared to imagine it. As Iwan captures the dream-like landscapes of Brasilia, one can sense the seductive power of modern architecture back in the 1950s. Over his career, Oscar designed a prolific 600+ projects. He left for Paris following the 1964 Military Coup and practiced there till 1985. In these years, he changed from a rigid modernist to a thoroughly experimental visionary who took thorough advantage of his global exposure and his interactions with the masters of his time. One of his most enigmatic projects – the Museum of Modern Art of Caracas, designed in 1955 – had the emotional appeal and unprecedented bravery of a reckless modernist. It was only appropriate that he conceived the progressive new capital of the future. In 1988, Oscar was conferred with the Pritzker Architecture Prize on his return to modern Brazil. Atheist and ideologically Leftist, he went back to his country to build again where he breathed his last on December 5, 2012...ten days short of his 105 th Birthday.

We will remember him not just as a thorough architect and a visionary, but as a brave man who knew the power of design – and dared to flaunt it. Tchau, Oscar Niemeyer.

1955 Proposal for the Museum of Modern Art in Caracas. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

tribute

A Draughtsman

of the Impossible Lebbeus Woods (1940 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2012)

His dystopian visions were a revolutionary intervention in architecture. They were deliberate acts of a viral passion which were not expected to be built, but were strongly believed by him as plausible. Provocative visions of a strange but possible reality, Lebbeus Woodsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; legacy lives on as an inspiration to dream the impossible. Text: Shalmali Wagle

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

ften a small sketch can have more influence on the world than an entire building. A testimony to this, Lebbeus Woods, through his bold experimentation and dystopian vision, always depicted the thrill and ecstasy that is architecture. Forever challenging the order of the existing with the order of the new; perceptive, razor-sharp and radically different; a cult-designer who dreamt up whimsical structures of a parallel universe, who envisioned defiantly imaginative constructs, not just questioning convention, but intentionally conjuring a world in conflict. That was Lebbeus Woods. A visionary and provocateur, Lebbeus Woods was probably one of the greatest ‘Paper-Architects’ of his time. His only built project is the Light Pavilion, within a vast complex of towers in Chengdu by Steven Holl, for he was always more fascinated with conceptual work, which explored a kind of intangible architecture crafting experiences in spaces which are not built, through intricate drawings that can otherwise only be imagined. Dynamic compositions of splintered surfaces and twisted wiry forms, his inexplicable scenes depicted alternative worlds with whirring sticks and lines of energy. He was a thinker, the most talented draughtsman of his generation, who pursued the flashes in conflict and made them the basis of his unreal architecture. In an age of digital representation, powerfully communicating with ink and graphite and yet taking the future as seriously as no other, his lines were bold vectors of direction and purpose which remind us that, to believe in the existence of architecture we need to feel it. Buildings on stilts, massive seawalls, rotatable buildings that look like snowflakes, satellite-like projections from façades, tombs falling through space; these were just curious explorations. What lies at the heart of these explorations was an indication; that we do not yet know what the world really is – whether or not there even is a world at all – and that architecture is an art of discovering an answer to that question. And this is exactly why his architecture will always be more heroic than any other; because it is about the instability and how to address it, about the void and how to cross it, about inhospitality and how to live within it. Lebbeus Woods would have done it no other way, and neither should we. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Stolid and statuesque, Dadamiyan Masjid rises from the chaotic urban sprawl surrounding it.

Paradox : Paradigm Balanced, reticent and urbane in approach, Dadamiyan Masjid designed by Hiren Patel Architects explores the poetics of spaces. Text: Maanasi Hattangadi Images & Drawings: courtesy Hiren Patel Architects

he design of a religious structure passes invisibly in India. Stylistically, architectural expressions for most of them have varied by region and period, but a few features like minarets and the gateway entrances in mosques have remained traditionally universal. Abound in a densely populated urban fabric, it offers an identity and point of reference for citizens and passersby rooted in powerful embedded symbolism. The practically and philosophically encountered issues lie in the traditional sensibilities and its potential integration within the contemporary context. Houses cling to each other, interconnected amongst the narrowing lanes that converge in Dariyapur Pol in the walled

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

city of Ahmedabad. These shadowed bustling pathways quieten around one such site of 950 square yards. The Dadamiyan Masjid by Ahmedabad-based architectural practice Hiren Patel Architects amidst the soulful bylanes rises as a sense of discovery - the sereneness and quietness of the stately planning meant to subdue the chaos streaming outside. In retrospect, it also necessitates a transitional architectural symbolism to effect the move from a common place of the street to the spiritual place of reverence and worship. The simple design was a direct response to the functional needs of the worshippers. Of this, the architects say, “This project aims to integrate the urban context of the ‘pol’ area and

architecture

“This project aims to integrate the urban context of the ‘pol’ area and the public nature of this religious structure.” – Hiren Patel Architects

SITE PLAN

As the narrow bylanes lead to the mosque, it upholds a sense of discovery.

SKETCH

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

BASEMENT & GROUND FLOOR PLAN: Level + 4’ 6”& + 2’ 0”

MEZZANINE FLOOR PLAN: Level + 6’ 6”& + 12’ 0”

FIRST FLOOR PLAN: Level + 22’ 0”

TERRACE FLOOR PLAN : Level + 42’ 0”

the public nature of this religious structure. The final design evolved around a series of studies relating to a small mosque located within a similar fabric. The design intends to balance the need for well-lit and ventilated large prayer halls, in order to accommodate approximately 2700 people, well-defined movement area and public spaces.”

SECOND FLOOR PLAN: Level + 32’ 0”

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The layout denies any complicated mystical significance to the structure and evolves from simplistic and a hierarchical progression of elements. A purposeful sense of aesthetic is emphasised in its tapering masonry masses and walls that line the external façades of the complex. “The wall, that is the basic architectural element in Islam,” mention the architects, “is used as a bold and essential urban gesture in the context.” While the first gesture is statuesque, the plan rationally diffuses itself into smaller componentry. The approach is layered as a consequential reinterpretation of the principled ethics, simplicity and rationality of a mosque. The architecture of 2513.37sqm built-up area is staggered over multipurpose levels composed of spacious halls with a central cut-out outlined on the semblance

SECTIONS

FRONT ELEVATION

SIDE ELEVATION

Model of the mosque.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The design integrates the principles of planning of a mosque with the physical readings of the context to create a sense of belonging.

Embodying the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as the basic architectural element in Islam, the outer envelope is compsed of expansive tapering masonry walls. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The design explores inherent forms with a quasi-modern demeanour. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The internal organisation of the mosque adheres to easy accessibility and ideal locations for its functioning.

The central prayer hall is designed in a square grid layout in cardinal directions with large openings connecting to the outside and to allow subtle light in. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The detailing , identity and expression are deferential to many tenets of Islamic architecture.

of a courtyard. It relates to organisation of various parts into a coherent whole echoing the framework of Islamic concepts of placemaking.â&#x20AC;? The main entrance, manifested as a triple-height volume extends out with a balcony. An arch spanning 20 feet and a dome crowning it characterises the threshold. One moves forward to a central prayer hall that is planned in a square grid in cardinal directions. There are subliminal articulations to continue the idea of context and belonging to the ongoing daily life through open terraces and full-height openings woven on three sides of the prayer hall. Sacrosanct, the purity of space is embodied by crystallisation of light-as-expression, evoking both its physiological and spiritual experience.

manipulates accessibility and ideal locations for the service areas like stairwells, restrooms, kitchen and dormitories. While tactile and engaging, the forms are inherently bound. But the remembrance is conducive to reawaken and realise cultural and physical readings within the customary orientation and spatial organisation. With greater refinement, it transcends architectural notions but retains the modesty of its being. Subtly lit, the imagery retains a conspicuous presence and scale. It reveals its timelessness in the consonant forms of historicity and sensitivity of mosques, in its sense of belonging to the context, the absorbed textures of contemporariness - a place of reverence.

The essence of the multiplicity and unity of the mosque is deferential to many of the tenets of Islamic architecture. The notion of centrality has been orchestrated as a court which connects to the sky and beyond. Expansive, the interior spaces are skilfully crafted by a narrative of assorted volume spaces to invoke distinctions and a cohesive imagery. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Haujâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is integrated in a double-height space cornered towards the rear end of the mosque. This space recovers associations of the rear part with the entrance by accommodating a bridge over it. The salubrity of the design is reliant partly on the internal organisational spine which

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design Team Client Estimated Cost

: Dadamiyan Masjid : Ahmedabad : Hiren Patel Architects : Nidhish Nair, Nitin Jain, Niki Shah : Anjumane Rehmate Alam, Ahmedabad : `100 lakh Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The house sits low, voluntarily refusing to dominate the landscape.

Postcard Architecture Architecture of situation and site, the Bellad House in Hubli by Khosla Associates inscribes a seamless flow of interior and exterior space, within its contemporary vernacular envelope, such that the separation between the two vanishes, creating a precise and tranquil language that imparts an rich sense of place. Text: Shalmali Wagle Images & Drawings: courtesy Bharath Ramamrutham

“I

had an idea,” Frank Lloyd Wright wrote in 1935, “that the planes parallel to the earth in buildings identify themselves with the ground and do most to make the building belong to the ground. I began to see a building primarily not as a cave but as a broad shelter in the open, related to vista; vista without and vista within.” The fundamental elements that give buildings meaning, more often than not, come from the unparalleled canvas of nature. Some of the finest experiences are sculpted when architecture refuses to attempt distinction as an insertion and instead performs, at once in multiple layers, as inside and outside; as architecture and environment, as function and beauty, as envelope and atmosphere. With an illusion of a boundless expanse, even within the constraints of its one-acre wooded property, the Bellad House, Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Hubli by Bengaluru-based Khosla Associates juggles architecture and the environment not as ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ of one another, but as precincts of possible relationships, within which the two conform to and change in order to accommodate each other. The context is somewhat reminiscent of a classic postcard illustration; an unspoiled backdrop of rich green tapestry, unending miles of rustic simplicity and acres of flourishing plantation. Within this postcard-like panorama of undulating hills, soaring ‘Gulmohar’ trees and picture-perfect houses, the deceptively simple residence is unarguably a photographer’s delight. The entrance driveway winds in indolently from the northeast corner of the site to culminate at a free-standing tile-roofed entrance portico. The portico faces an imposing red laterite wall with alternating horizontal ribs of local stone.

architecture

The entrance driveway lazily winds in to approach the residence.

A contemporary vernacular language. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

“The first visual of the site was that of towering old ‘Gulmohar’ trees with peacocks strutting around; and at that instant itself we knew that the plan of the house had to weave itself around this natural environment.” - Sandeep Khosla

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Effortless merging of interior and exterior. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The ‘verandahs’ look into a central courtyard.

The concept of a single-level residence that centres around an unusually large 3000sqftopen core, allows the luxury of space, proposing a dialogue between the built-up areas and the open space. The use of vernacular sloping roofs complementing its low structure with an expanse of terracotta clay-tiles ensures a tacit agreement with the natural surroundings. Precise and tranquil, contemporary in spite of its flow derived from vernacular language; the Bellad House is crafted using materials that are regionally appropriate and aesthetically timeless. Its simplicity celebrates the site and climate not by drawing attention to itself, but by blending seamlessly with it. The spatial anatomy of the 11,000sqft residence follows an open plan philosophy characterised by a composition of textures, colour and courtyards. The programmatic requirements of five bedrooms, a family room, a formal living and dining are effortlessly accommodated, moulding themselves as per the needs of the family and with the luxury of large rambling open spaces. Adhering to the principles of Vastu, the ancient Indian science of energy flow and placement, the more private spaces of the house are located in the west and the more public ones in the east. A typical feature of native vernacular architecture, a central courtyard forms the heart of the space and is flanked by rooms and generous ‘verandahs’ on all three sides. The south and west wings comprise of bedrooms that lead to bathrooms Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

overlooking respective landscaped courts. A water lily and fishpond with stepping-stones fit perfectly between the two children’s bedrooms. Further, the prerequisite of a dedicated public space for use during political visits forces the fourth leg of the ‘verandah’ to extend along the north façade such that it creates access through two separate entrances. Bold colours, high ceiling, simple furniture and tranquil water bodies look into the courtyard, forming comfortable spaces of interaction and providing a visual connectivity that between the spaces.

Simplicity in finishes and furniture.

Bold colours add an element of surprise.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The vast central court directs the flow without regimentation.

Structure and Nature conform to accommodate each other. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Comfortable spaces with a visual connectivity between them. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The strategically located courtyard segregates the various areas within the house without obvious regimentation, highlighting the flow and movement within the space. The 12ft-deep ‘verandah’ creates a gentle buffer between the ‘inside’ and ‘outside’, acting as a fluid container that contours itself around the various primary functions and resulting in the crafting of undisturbed permeable zones for reading, dining and contemplation. Traversing with ease between the public and private zones of the house, the ‘verandah’ enhances the ventilation within the building by lowering the indoor temperature by around 4-5 degrees. The pitched, doubly tiled roofs sheltering the ‘verandah’ are supported by angled wall braces that allow the rain to run off into harvesting pits. While vents in the bedrooms and closets help hot air escape through the roof and thick walls, thereby keeping the heat out, dormer windows face the north and bring

Hidden from the entry points, stretching behind a laterite stone wall, is the vast courtyard intended primarily as an ode to the elements of life, verdant greenery, flowering plants, and serene water-lily pools flank its periphery, providing an antidote to the otherwise dusty and hot environment. The earthy material palette comprising of local natural stone, wood and terracotta, is occasionally broken by the bold background created by the ‘Neel’ blue walls within the court. The landscape establishes a seamless connection between the built and natural environments, creating the tropical ambience in and around the house in support of the overall architectural style. The dining pavilion opens out to a landscape garden on its outer face and a secondary intimate court on its inner face.

47 37

soft daylight into the bedrooms, thereby making the climate an essential factor in the design.

7 34 6 32

5 2 4

LEGEND 1 Porch 2 Water Body 3 Verandah 4 Foyer 5 Living Room 6 Family Room 7 Pooja Room 8 Dining Room 9 Landscaped Courtyard

10 Powder Room 11 Kitchen 12 Store 13 Utility 14 Deck 15 Father’s Bedroom 16 Closet 17 Bathroom 18 Child’s Bedroom - 2

FLOOR PLAN Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

19 Closet 20 Bathroom 21 Verandah 22 Child’s Bedroom - 1 23 Verandah 24 Closet 25 Bathroom 26 Master Bedroom 27 Closet

28 Bathroom 29 Study 30 Guest Bedroom 31 Bathroom 32 Living Room 33 Cloak Room 34 Landscaped Courtyard 35 Servant’s Room - 1 36 Kitchen

37 Servant’s Room - 3 38 Kitchen 39 Kitchen 40 Servant’s Room - 4 41 Kitchen 42 Servant’s Room - 2 43 Bathroom 44 Bathroom 45 Bathroom

46 Bathroom 47 Kennel 48 Sump Tank 49 Garage

The water body and the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Neelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; blue walls within the court.

Imposing red laterite walls with alternating horizontal ribs of local stone.

The ambience in and around the house complement the architectural style. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The dining pavilion opens out to the landscape.

Imbuing day-to-day activities with poetry and awe, the design addresses both pragmatic needs as well as the psychological yearning for comfort and contemplation. The house is best experienced through the senses. Tactile, expressed through an eloquence of aesthetics, the use of materials and colour, and the logical design of space; the architecture fits perfectly within its landscape, embracing it and becoming a part of it. Just as delicately as it rests, daylight becomes a building material, greenery becomes an interior fabric, and nature becomes the atmosphere. Threaded together with light and atmosphere, a effortless choreography of warmth and grace, the house is an epitome of one of Charles Mooreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most influential principles: Architecture is about feeling, and about place; its function is to enrich human emotion and enhance a sense of place.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design Team

: : : :

Structural Consultant Electrical Consultant Plumbing Consultant Landscape Consultant

: : : :

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Bellad House Hubli, Karnataka Khosla Associates Sandeep Khosla, Amaresh Anand, Praveena A, Dhaval Shellugar Manjunath & Co. Uma Consultants. N.V. Rao & Co. NC Design, Bali

Warm and cosy interiors.

The wooden flooring in the interiors adds to the earthy elegance.

The bathrooms look into respective courts. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Responsive Architecture The Sharma Residence in Faridabad by Artech Consultants reflects the inventive manner by which an extension eclipses the existing structure to render an enhanced identity to it. Text: Ayishwariya Balagopal Images & Drawings: courtesy Artech Consultants

The prominent brick-facing and simple geometry reflects the residential architecture prevalent in Chandigarh.

he Sharma Residence is an extension to an existing structure, on a plot size of 500 square yards. Since it is a sector of HUDA (Haryana Urban Development Authority) the building is subject to zoning and building norms of row housing due to which the form of the structure is restricted to simple geometry. To mould an existing building into the new extension which is today the signature of the Sharma Residence in its entirety was a task effortlessly undertaken by Artech Consultants in Faridabad. The existing structure evolved in the design as the rear of the extension that consequently dominates the entire residence. The staggered plan of the extension includes a drawing room and a bedroom on the ground floor with an independent access connecting the two extra bedrooms and a hall on the first floor. Provision for further expansion is also provided at the rear of the first floor. The spaces are layered such that they transition from open to semi-open to enclosed. This was accomplished

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

with the use of cantilevered pergolas strategically positioned on the periphery of the structure. The play of solids and voids with the pergolas create interest in the faรงade, emphasising the main entrance. The meandering balconies overlook the surrounding landscape as they establish a transition between the indoor and outdoor environment. Although an RCC structure, initiatives have been taken to make the building sustainable. While planning, the existing palm trees have been preserved, and the planters placed on the compound wall add to the greenery of the site, with a rainwater harvesting system installed to restore the natural groundwater table. The residence reflects the key characteristics of the built form of Chandigarh that includes straight lines or cubical forms in brick masonry. Thus, a composition of horizontal lines protruding from a cubical form was born. The bold brick-facing dominates

architecture

90’

50’

KITCHEN

GROUND-FLOOR PLAN

FIRST-FLOOR PLAN

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

“Responsible architecture is responsive to the needs physical, mental and spiritual of its user and it adds value to his life, surroundings and environment by bettering his existing situation.” - Anupama Bajaj

FRONT ELEVATION

Protrusions in façade from the cubic form.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Pergola to give emphasis to the main entrance.

Store

Toilet

Bedroom

Toilet

Store

Toilet

Bedroom

Toilet

SECTIONAL ELEVATION

Sketch of an isometric view of the residence.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The semi-open spaces of the balcony. (Above & Below)

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

View of the landscaped garden.

the skin of the structure. Bands of grey slate are revealed only to further emphasise the strong horizontality and to break the monotonous red of the brick. The architect states that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Responsible architecture should be responsive to the needs - physical, mental and spiritual of its user and it adds value to his life, surroundings and environment by bettering his existing situation.â&#x20AC;? The project reflects the sentiments and concern of the client and architect without attempting anything too pretentious. It is simple in its form but the interest builds as you experience the layers in the spaces everyday of your life.

FACT FILE:

Planters on the compound wall contribute to the greenery.

Project Location Architect Client Area Civil Contractors Carpentry contractors Project Estimate Initiation of Project Completion of project

: The Sharma Residence : Faridabad, Haryana : Anupama Bajaj : Sharmas : 500 square yards : Ramjodha (Labour) : Saudagar Sharma : `25 lach : June 2006 : September 2007 Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The wooden framework of the prototype hut against the scenic surrounds of Kargal Village.

orchestrating change An experiment in generating low-cost sustainable lifestyle choices for individuals to benefit from eco-tourism, the Hut-to-Hut project by the by Panchabhuta Conservation Foundation and Sami Rintala of Rintala Eggertsson Architects assists locals in building eco-hut prototypes for the promotion of eco-tourism in the Western Ghats region. Text: Sharmila Chakravorty Images & Drawings: courtesy Sami Rintala, Rintala Eggertsson Architects Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

architecture

Main garden, View to rice fields

Living room

Storage

Main yard, Social space

Kitchen

Toilet

ncreasingly, architecture is not only viewed as a means for devising newer ways of designing ideal, desired spaces, but also as a solution to critical issues of contemporary times. In the realm of tourism too, architecture is closely related. The tourism industry can effectively drive the economics of a region; however, can have serious adverse effects if the region is not prepared to deal with the influx of the same. Here, architecture is expected to tackle the issues of infrastructure development, waste and water management, energy efficiency and sustainability, while taking an uncompromising stand aesthetics and functionality. Defying the current wave of generally

Kitchen garden

PLAN Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The hut is built on a raised platform of laterite rock.

The hut, made from pre-fabricated materials, is easy to assemble on-site. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Solar panels will be used for illuminating the interiors of the hut.

Any material of fabic, even mosquito nets, can be used for cladding the hut. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The Hut-to-Hut project intends to promote eco-tourism, while empowering locals directly associated with the industry.

dubious ‘green’ architecture, how does one practice socially conscious sustainable architecture, in the realm of tourism, for empowerment? How does one make architecture a harbinger of change, encouraging eco-tourism?

environment. Though eco-tourism is slowly but steadily gaining patronage, most eco-tourists prefer modest yet well-equipped accommodation facilities; exactly what the workshop intends to help the villagers of Kagal with.

In an experimental approach to answering these questions, an endeavour by Panchabhuta Conservation Foundation with Finnish architect Sami Rintala of Rintala Eggertsson Architects, engaged ‘common sense’ architecture to create opportunities for local entities and families to act as ‘agents of transformation for the benefit of the environment and the individual’. The endeavour was to build a prototype hut for the Western Ghats regions which would be sustainable and self-sufficient, thereby promoting ecotourism and protecting the rich biodiversity of the region, while, at the same time, economically empowering those directly involved in the hospitality and tourism industries of those regions.

If one was to draw a profile on the ideal visitor to an eco-tourism destination, there would be two distinct categories: the backpacker, and the well-travelled, well-educated eco-tourist; it is not mere the number of visitors, but the kind and quality that matters. Though a large part maybe constituted by foreigners, there is potential for the environmentally sensitive middle-class Indian to be absorbed into the group. Though both these type of tourists enjoy the rusticity of village life with its huts and rooted ways of life, basic amenities such as insect-free living units, indoor toilets, 24-hour water supply, preferably hot water for bathing, and clean drinking water would be deemed important, if not necessary, as would be garbage disposal and waste management to ensure general cleanliness of the surrounds. Without these, the seemingly ‘charming’ rustic village experience could turn into a traveller’s nightmare, reflecting badly upon the future prospects of re-visiting, or word-of-mouth publicity for the destination.

Kagal Village in Karnataka, the site for the experimental workshop, has a 14km-long beach within the Western Ghats region, touted as a biodiversity hotspot with 5000 species of flowering plants, 508 bird species and 179 amphibian species. With such a tranquil, pristine and relatively non-commercialised beach, Kagal Village has immense tourism potential, which can, in turn, contribute to the economic empowerment of the inhabitants. However, tourism development can be a double-edged sword, threating the biodiversity of the region with the many problems it presents; without the necessary infrastructure, tourism could erode the Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

This is where the experimental Hut-to-Hut project plays its part. The Hut-to-Hut project is based upon the idea of creating a low threshold for villagers across the Western Ghats to invest in – a hut – thereby directly benefitting from the tourism-related accommodation possibilities it brings. Architecture, here, acts

The hut is rustic yet well-equipped.

as a vessel for empowerment; enabling the villagers to build or extend their huts to accommodate tourists in a decent, well-equipped yet rustic and earthy arrangement in a sustainable manner. The Hut-to-Hut project also ensures that water and waste management are facilitated in an eco-friendly manner, furthering the eco-tourism agenda. Since the Hut-to-Hut project was to build a prototype, a working model, for all regions of the Western Ghats, flexibility and

The endeavour was to build a prototype hut for the Western Ghats regions which would be sustainable and self-sufficient, thereby promoting eco-tourism and protecting the rich biodiversity of the region, while, at the same time, economically empowering those directly involved in the hospitality and tourism industries of those regions.

The prototype hut responds to the context of the entire Western Ghats region. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Local wood used for construction.

Pre-fabricated frames used for construction.

customisation have been key factors for consideration while advancing the designs. With pre-fabricated frames, construction of the hut is akin to completing a giant picture puzzle, albeit there are numerous combinations one can use as per requirements. The huts can be single or double storeyed, use any fabric or even mosquito nets for cladding, or be built as a single hut or several huts in different directions to create an urban situation. The prototype has been built using two different frames; a main frame for construction and another smaller frame for the skin. The combination of the two creates a flexible and changeable system that is adaptable to various surroundings, and budgets. Moreover, pre-fabrication makes it easier for a local family to buy frames and assemble them on-site, as per their requirement. Since the dimensions of the frame are adjusted to the human scale, transportation of the same via small trucks and cars is made relatively easier. The Hut-to-Hut project laid special emphasis on the use of local, renewable materials and skills for the huts, with prefabricated, to-be assembled on-site construction frames. The main construction and surfaces of the hut were built of frames made of local Acacia and Eucalyptus wood, on a raised foundation of laterite stone masonry. The wood, being treated with a resin made from local cashew nut shells, takes on a deep red-brown colour. The resin prevent termites from attacking the wood, thereby making the hut last longer. For the roof, the hut uses corrugated aluminium. Local stone has been used for workbenches in the kitchen as well as seating in the toilets, and the southern faĂ§ades have bamboo cladding â&#x20AC;&#x201C; blocking excessive sun yet letting in the air for ventilation.

Inside, the hut is airy and spacious.

View from within the prototype hut. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The interiors of the huts are illuminated with LED lights that would in turn be powered by Solar panels. Water in the showers would also use solar power, being heated by direct solar radiation on the water tanks. Though the huts would initially feature water toilets, future prototypes would be equipped with water-free toilets that would be connected to bio-digesters, producing fertilisers and methane gas. The huts would be connected to the gardens, thus making use of the fertilisers produced from the bio-digesters for food production. The methane gas, on the other hand, would be used

The low-cost huts will help to promote eco-tourism while protecting the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bio-diversity.

The hut has separate private and semi-private areas.

for cooking. The ample trees in the garden would help maintain a better micro-climate within the huts. There is no typical, rigid plan for the Hut-to-Hut project; one may customise every aspect of the hut and build according to requirement, and more often, within a stipulated budget. One can experiment with the various possible combinations and build a unique, low-cost hut that ensures an economic growth for the owner, as well as sustainable eco-tourism for the region. With a particularly social conscience, the Hut-to-Hut project prototype by Sami Rintala promises to strike a chord with locals and tourists alike. Here, architecture is not just a way to build, but a way to sustain and empower the inhabitants of the region.

FACT FILE:

The huts can be single or double-storeyed.

Project Location Architect

: : :

Hut-to-Hut Project Kagal Village, Karnataka Sami Rintala, Rintala Eggertsson Architects Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Images: Various Sources

[1] The iconic Marine Drive, Mumbai: A fitting metaphor for the ‘posh’ city.

CITIES & POLITICAL POWER by Charles Correa

efore Independence, in some fortunate States there was a crucial combination of enlightened ruler and brilliant Diwan. Many names come to mind: the great Vishveswaraya, Sir Mirza Ismail, and so forth. After Independence we gave up the system: we exchanged the ruler for a Chief Minister and the Diwan for a Chief Secretary. We thought this would be a better way to get things done. We were wrong. The Chief Minister is a very different person from a Maharaja or a Nawab – apart from everything else; he is worried about getting re-elected. And the Chief Secretary seldom has the in-depth knowledge of the State, the wisdom, or the vision, of the Diwan. Too often, he is a mere bureaucrat. The importance of Political Power to get things done - specifically in relation to our cities is the subject matter for this essay. Right now,

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

our cities are in a horrific mess because urban real estate is one of the three major sources of funding political elections. So critical decisions regarding FAR increases, land-use changes, etc, are not taken on the basis of what is good for the city, but on the basis of the large pay-offs involved. This is indeed tragic – for our cities are very precious. They are really our future. If they fail, we fail. This essay will address six key urban issues. The first is the scale of the problem, and the crucial necessity for pro-active government initiatives. The second looks at the holding capacity of a city, and its relation to FAR and Densities. The third examines the importance of Amenities and Open Spaces, and the fourth looks at the City not just as a physical plant – but as Synergy. The fifth addresses the Mythic Imagery that cities can engender - and what that does to our own lives. The last is an Urban Manifesto based on three fundamental principles.

comment

The Scale of the Problem Every city in India is really a tale of two cities. One is the Posh City [1] . . . the other is the City of Squatters [2] . Here the squatters are truly a river of poverty, running in between the highrise buildings. It seems as if our urban population must have come from two different planets. And then, in the middle of all that, suddenly this heroic image: a squatter in Mumbai, living in an unused Municipal water pipe, by the side of a main arterial road [3] .That is the great strength of the people of India – and of much of Asia as well.

[2] Mumbai’s slums: In glaring contrast to the ‘posh’ face of Mumbai.

Because they understand the vital importance of our cities, in 1986 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi appointed the first National Commission on Urbanisation. The Commission’s work took almost two years, and included visiting all the states of our nation, and meeting all the State Governments, NGOs, and concerned citizens. Their report, issued in 1988, was surprisingly positive. To start with, let’s take a look at the numbers. Since 1947, India’s urban sector has increased from about 10% of the population, to 35% - but of a very much large population [4] . That is, the urban population grew from about 35 million in 1947 to 425 million today - and that too, in a span of just 65 years! [5] This is not of course the first time that such population explosions have occurred. In the span of 17th to 19th centuries, Europe grew as rapidly – and for much the same reasons: the rural areas could no longer support the burgeoning population, so the surplus had to migrate.

[3] Making the humble municipal water pipes ‘home’.

MUMBAI

POPULATION IN MILLIONS

Total Population

Squatters

[4] Urban population is growing at twice the

rate of rural population.

[5] Exponetial growth in urban population over a span of 60 years.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

[6] Map depicting more than 325 small mandi-towns that were growing faster than the national average.

There is one major difference of course: the colonial system prevalent at that time allowed Europeans to redistribute themselves around the globe. That is an option not open to Indians today. So when a migrant arrives in Mumbai, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really a substitute for a visa to Australia. This is distress migration. And to stem this colossal tide, we must correct the inhuman conditions prevailing for our have-nots in the rural areas - starting with the viscous caste system, and the totally skewered access to arable land. In the first decade of Independence, almost all our political parties placed these issues right at the top of their agenda. Today, nobody (perhaps not even the communists) include land reIndian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

distribution in their manifesto. And so until this changes, we must find ways to increase the absorptive capacity of our towns and cities. This is where there is scope for positive action. For if you look at a map of India, you will find that the pattern of towns and cities exist in a surprisingly well-balanced system. No single primate city dominates â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the way Lagos dominates Nigeria (or Paris controls France, or London dominates the UK). No - the urban centres of India form a wonderfully diverse pattern - making viable many more growth options. Furthermore, the fastest growing are not Mumbai and the other monster metropolises,

but medium-sized cities, like Bhopal, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, and so forth. In order to accelerate this process, the Commission identified more than 325 small towns and cities (mostly small mandi-towns) that were growing faster than the national average [6] . If we could further encourage their growth (even by just 1 percentage point), then they could help deflect the distress migration that otherwise is swamping our cities. In most cases, often all that is needed is better water supply, or a wider connecting road, or a sewage system. This is why it is essential to have a pro-active government, seized of the situation.

[7] Land prices in Mumbai clearly depicting the

North-South price divide.

[8] The proposed new city, Navi Mumbai, to decongest the

already-overcrowded city of Mumbai.

Recently I was in Erode, a small town in Tamil Nadu that has become the fastest-growing centre for re-processing fabrics. Buyers from all over the world come there to place orders. But Erode has no sewage system – just open drains on either side of the road, over which you must hop to enter a building. Why? Because government does not have funds. And yet we continue to easily find many thousands of crores for constructing a metro in Delhi – so naturally migrants are rushing here, rather than being deflected to places like Erode. Obviously we urgently need a national policy that takes a holistic overview of what funding is needed, and where. And together with that, we must continue to try to increase the absorptive capacity of our existing towns and cities – for they are under incredible pressure. We must find strategies for modifying their physical structures, inherited from the colonial powers - who dealt with much smaller populations. For instance, Mumbai in 1939 had a population of less than 2 million, structured along a long north-south corridor, with the city centre at the southern end [7] - a pattern that worked for that time and that population. But since then, as the population increased dramatically, the structure remained unchanged - so the price of real estate escalated and the poor had to be forced out, often quite literally on to the pavements. By 1964, Mumbai’s population had grown to over 4 million – and Government estimated that by 1984, it would double again to 8 million. Though squatters had already begun to appear, yet government did nothing to alter the structure of the city. Instead the Municipal Master Plan of 1964 proposed stretching the north-south axis even further northward to accommodate the increased population. So back in 1964, together with 2 colleagues, we proposed creating an east-west axis instead, by generating new growth centres (of 1 to 2 million each), along the waterfront around the harbour – the first of which was Navi Mumbai [8] . In short, instead of a city with just one dominant centre at its southern end, Mumbai would become a poly-centred urban system of 8 million people, where each centre would be small enough to be humanly scaled, and positioned to take advantage of the waterfront around Mumbai’s harbour. The key strategies involved job generation in the new location (including moving the State Capitol), using public transport as the lifeblood of the system, and so forth. In 1970, the Government of Maharashtra accepted the concept, and set up CIDCO to design and develop Navi Mumbai. But unfortunately due to political directives for more election funds, the State Government also simultaneously went ahead with the sale of land at Nariman Point, right at the southern end - a money-spinner that effectively aborted the viability of Navi Mumbai. The result: by 1985, when the population had reached 8 million (precisely as predicted by Government), Mumbai’s squatter component had Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

[9] Recycling Mumbai’s mill lands: Another key strategy for increasing the absorptive capacity of the city.

grown from 10% to over 50%, i.e. from 4 lakhs to over 40 lakhs! Today, by Government’s own estimate, Mumbai’s squatters number over a crore – i.e 60% of the city’s population of 1.7 crores.

Total Land Potential: 2152 acres NTC mill land : 270 acres

[10] Assessing the total land potential of Mumbai.

Private mills

: 315 acres

BMC land

: 782 acres

Railway land

: 285 acres

BPT land

: 500 acres*

Total

: 2152 acres

* Yard and godowns from Reay Road to Sewri.

Mill land (being Industrial land-use) had an FAR of 0.7; Residential and Commercial land an FAR of 1.33 In 1991, Government enacted Section 58 which decreed that that land-use in the mills could be changed, provided that:

1/3 is given to the city

MHADA

AMENITIES

The remaining 1/3 could be developed at an FAR of 1.33 (together with the 1.33 FAR on the land surrendered to the city for Amenities)

[11] The One-Third Formula. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

OWNER

1/3 is given for affordable housing

Another key strategy for increasing the absorptive capacity of cities is the re-cycling of urban land [9] . An extraordinary opportunity was the case of the textile mill lands in Mumbai, a humongous area of 600 acres, right in the heart of the city. In comparison: all of Ballard Estate is 18 acres, and Nariman Point is just 70 acres [10] . In the mid-1980’s, when the mills started to fail, the mill-owners sought permission to convert their land-use from industrial to commercial and residential since this change would double the FAR permissible on their holdings. We proposed that this could be allowed only on condition that one-third of the land was ceded back to the city for desperately needed amenities (schools, hospitals, play fields, etc) and a third assigned to cooperatives for affordable housing [11] . The remaining third could then be developed - using also the FAR on the land surrendered to the city. It was a win-win situation for everybody: the mill-owners, the government, and the people of Mumbai. So section 58 was enacted and this formula became official. But then some of the mill owners made a private deal with one of Maharashtra’s most powerful politicians and got permission to develop ALL the land, without giving anything back to the city for civic amenities. A PIL was filed protesting this, and the case won in the Bombay High Court – but on appeal to the Supreme Court in Delhi by the mill owners, this verdict was surprisingly reversed. Today, those mill lands are being developed as isolated gated communities for upper incomes, without any connection to the city in which they exist. Once again Political Power has been misused for monetary gain.

[12] Oval Maidan: The maidans of Mumbai attempt to

compensate for the otherwise lack of open sapces.

[13] One of the tot-lots in Durban.

FAR and Densities Today, throughout India, the abysmal lack of amenities and open spaces in our cities is truly tragic. The usual standard is to provide 4 acres of open space per 1000 population – which works out to 16 sq m per person. Instead, in Mumbai, citizens get less than 1 sq m each, that is, one-sixteenth of what they should actually have - and that includes the “green” of the traffic islands! [14] Vast, dense green parks make for excellent

If we look at any of our other cities, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Lucknow, etc, conditions are no better – and often, even worse. In actual fact, Mumbai does have green spaces – like for instance the Oval maidan, [12] of which we are very proud. And there are others too: Azad Maidan, Shivaji Park, and so forth. But these maidans, though they add to the “green” space of Mumbai, are not useable by the whole population. For they are sports fields: for the exclusive use of youth between the ages of 15 and 30. Of course we definitely need such sports fields. But we also need tot-lots for little children [13] . And parks for the whole family, where you can enjoy nature for its own sake [14] . These amenities that open spaces provide are essential to urban living. But open spaces can do much more for the city - for instance, here is the great maidan in Isfahan, in Iran [15] . Notice how it creates a wonderful punctuation point in the city. You know a novel cannot consist of just thousands of words coming at you – they have to be given form and shape (and meaning!) through commas, full-stops, semi-colons, paragraphs, and so on.

relaxtional and recreational spaces.

[15] Isfahan, Iran: Open spaces are symbolic punctuation points in a city that break down a huge mass of buildings with commas, and full stops.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

This is exactly what open spaces do - intelligently and creatively deployed, they can articulate the millions of buildings that make up a city. Here is Paris [16] , a peerless example of open spaces giving syntax to the built form. From the largest gestures, like these monumental tree-lined avenues - to the smallest plazas, like the Place Furstenberg on the Left Bank, [17] with just four trees (but look what they accomplish!).

[16] Paris: An example of open spaces giving syntax and grammar to city form.

So when we discuss Urban Open Spaces, we must keep in mind that it is not just a matter of quantity – but of deployment, and quality as well. Our usual yardsticks, dealing in gross numbers (so many square metres of open space per capita) are not adequate enough. It is the interplay between the buildings and the open spaces that make the city as seen here in the famous Nolli Plan of Rome, [18] . The plan shows the wonderful yin-yang interrelationship of the two – the very essence of that city. And here is the Ramblas in Barcelona [19] . It is like a great river of green, cutting through the city and emptying into the plaza along the waterfront. It is a very popular thoroughfare. Everyone wants to go to the Ramblas – because apart from the pavements on either side, there is also a broad walkway down the middle, along which people stroll, meet friends, and have coffee [20] . That’s what urban open spaces can do – animate the life of the city!

[17] The Place Furstenberg on the St-Germain des Pres Left

Bank: One of Paris’s smallest, yet most charming public squares.

[18] The Nolli plan of Rome: Buildings and open spaces in a yin-yang relationship.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

When the Mayor of Bogota, Colombia was here some years ago, he said: “We always couple pavements with roads – but that’s wrong. They are social spaces. They belong with the parks”. This is also true of one of Mumbai’s most famous icons: the pavement along Marine Drive [21] . This is a real social place – and a great asset to the city.

[19] Ramblas in Barcelona: A river of green, emptying into the plaza.

Such public spaces are essential. Notice the examples from Udaipur and Kathmandu [22] . These are spaces that seem to encourage people to come and enjoy them – that is why they are so successful. In contrast, notice what is getting built in the mill lands of Mumbai today [23] . These high-rise buildings are just three metre apart! No, the developer isn’t breaking the law – government amended the law to allow him to build that. The FAR of 1.33 has been increased again and again - until now it is 4.0 - or, on some particular projects, even higher. This additional FAR is always “justified” on the basis that it will help house the poor – but of course the poor just sell their rights and move on to some other pavement, elsewhere in the city. Is there no upper limit to densities? This question is critical because our government acts as though there isn’t – and from current news reports, it seems even that the Planning Commission might be advising cities to raise FARs for a fee, and then “use this revenue to provide additional infrastructure”. But Infrastructure is not just a matter of money – it is also a matter of space. For infrastructure means not only water and electricity – it also means amenities (like schools, hospitals, play fields, etc). Unfortunately, except for Delhi, none of the cities of India have specific planning standards - because over the last two decades, most of the planning capability that existed in Government and Municipal offices has been systematically dismantled. (As deals get done, nobody wants the peril of someone asking intelligent questions). So in the chart [24] , we have used standards specified in the Delhi Master Plan 2021. It stipulates the areas required for amenities at 5 different scales: the Housing Cluster, the Neighbourhood, the Community; the District, and the City.

[20] Penelosa, Mayor of Bogotá. Colomboa:“In our minds, pavements are connected with the roads – but they belong with the parks.”

[21] The pavement of Marine Drive: An urban space

that makes Mumbai the city that it is.

[22] Public scapes in Kathmandu, Nepal.

[23] Highrises being built periliously close to one another.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Amenities and Open Spaces

AMENITIES PER PERSON AT COMMUNITY LEVEL (1 Lakh Population)

From this, you will see that up to the community level, the amenities specified for Education, Health, Recreation come to about 45 sq m per family as seen in the chart. (Note this figure does not include other space-extensive land uses - like parking, roads etc).

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

- Health:

0.29 m2

- Parks:

2.5 m2

- Sports:

2.3 m2

- Socio-economic:

1.23 m2 Sub-total

7.72 m2

- Circulation @ 25%:

1.93 m2 TOTAL

9.65 m2

For the AVERAGE FAMILY of 4.5 persons = 43.42 m2 SAY

45m2

[24] Chart depicting the amenities available to a person on a community level.

Middle Income 50 m / family 2

50 m2

Unit Footprint

225 m2

Amenities

225 m2 Total

Total Area/Family

No. of Floors

[25] The number of floors built increases the area available per family.

For a Luxury apartment of 200m2 accommodating a family of

5 Persons:

Point of diminishing returns

Total Area/Family curve flattens out

No. of Floors

[26] Irrespective of different income levels, or increased FARs, all 3 curves flatten out at around 45sqm.

Area / family

Total Area per Family

Because that was the area we estimated the amenities to occupy. If we had arrived at another figure, say 60 sq m, then we would find that all 3 curves flatten out at that number. Which shows that the constraint on densities is not the function of the height of the building, nor the size of the housing unit but the area of amenities available per family. It is also important to note that the area needed for amenities and open spaces depends on the total number of people occupying the project - and must never be calculated as a fixed percentage of the site (usually stipulated as 15%, in most Municipal bye-laws). In fact, because in Singapore’s high-rise housing projects, standards are strictly enforced, amenities and open spaces often occupy 50% of the site – or even more. If for instance, 3 new high-rise buildings are constructed in an area of the city, [27] then we should reserve much of the land around for the amenities needed for these families [28] . Instead of which of course, we allow a whole new lot of highrise buildings to occupy that space! [29] The overcrowding in our cities today is truly horrific. The chart [30] displays spot densities in various cities around the world, including New York and Mexico City. As you can see, the highest spot densities are in four Indian cities! How is this possible - when we do not have the skyscrapers of North American cities? High densities in Mumbai are not due to high-rise buildings, but primarily owing to very high occupancy per room [31] , and secondly owing to the criminal lack of open spaces. The satellite image of Kalbadevi [32] shows that between the buildings, all we can see are just narrow cracks and gullies. Many of the buildings don’t even have these. How do people find their way home? Yet even here in Kalbadevi, today permissions are being given for new high-rise buildings – in fact, here you can see one of them. The city of Sao Paolo is a sea of skyscrapers [33] which is why this wonderful city has become a city of crime.

1.2 m2

Avg. Area per Family

Now let’s see how increasing FAR can accommodate more families on a given site. Let’s start with a typical middle-income unit of 50 sq m. Here the land required will be 95 sq m – 50 sq m for the building, and 45 sq m for the amenities. If we add another floor, the building footprint remains at 50 sq m, but the amenities go up to 90m 2 (for 2 families). That totals 140 sq m – or an average of 70 sq m per family. So we have saved some land. When we build 5 floors, the average per family comes down to 55 sq m – and we see that the curve has started to flatten out [25] . At 10 stories, the average comes to 50m 2 per family, and at 20 stories - to 47.5 sq m. The curve has just about become a straight line. If we look at the figures for a typical luxury apartment of 200 sq m, or a very small unit of near 25 sq m, (as specified for the EWS), we find that irrespective of different income levels, or increased FARs, all 3 curves flatten out at around 45 sq m [26] . Why is this?

- Education:

3 new buildings are added

Amenities required for these buildings

[27], [28], [29] Instead of allotting the required space per family for amenties for amenities,

more highrises are being built on the same space.

17,200

LONDON

75,169

BANGALORE

21,700

BERLIN 78,355

KOLKATA

48,300

MEXICO 96,460

DELHI

53,000

NEW YORK CITY 101,066

MUMBAI

[30] Spot density maps of various cities around the world.

[31] High densities in Mumbai are not due to highrise buildings, but primarily owing to very high occupancy per room.

[32] A satellite image of Kalbadevi, Mumbai.

[33] The city of Sao Paolo, Brazil: A hub for crimes.

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[34] New York: The only people left in Manhattan are very rich whites and very poor blacks.

Already, this kind of development is taking place in the suburbs of Mumbai. And to give us a preview of what lies ahead, look at Hong Kong, where they are building monsters that not only block out the sky but the horizon as well. At 45 sq m of amenities per family, what is the total number of families that can fit into one hectare of land (i.e.10,000 sq m)? The answer is 225 families. The only way we can increase this number is by reducing the amenities per family. But this crucial question is beyond the competence of architects, engineers and developers to decide. It must be discussed by specialists - who are knowledgeable about these issues – Sports Administrators should discuss if play fields can become less space-intensive. (Should we switch from tennis to squash? Or from squash to carrom?). Educationists should decide if space can be saved by having smaller classrooms, or more shifts per day. Doctors should discuss the area for medical facilities. From such deliberations will start the process that will help determine the standards we need. This is crucial. For then we can enact legislation to enforce these standards (45 sq m, or whatever is agreed upon) so that they are mandated and protected by law – as is the 23.5 sq m of covered built-up area specified for any slum-clearance schemes. Probably most political parties would be reluctant to support this idea, because this is how they collect their election funds. But if the people in our towns and cities, irrespective of their political opinions, all demand this as their fundamental right, they will win. What is at stake is the health of our cities for generations to come. 20, 30, or 50 years down the line, when we are no longer a poor nation and education and health standards are much higher, are future generations of Indians going to find themselves trapped in cities that are totally unliveable. Because this is what happens as the city gets overbuilt, and its inhabitants do not have the amenities they need. Families leave the city. In Manhattan, it was this lack of amenities that drove the middle class into the suburbs [34] . Today, the only people left in Manhattan are very rich whites - and very poor blacks. In Houston [35] , those tall downtown skyscrapers are all offices – hence the social polarisation and high crime rates in that city. Do we want this repeated here as well? On the other hand, in European cities like London, Paris or Vienna, beautiful parks Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

and other amenities continue to exist in the centre – so they still remain the most desirable places to live. We all know this. Yet we are blindly following the U.S example – where cities have become such disasters that Americans themselves despair. The bitter irony of course is that these higher FARs and taller buildings do not “save” much land for the city. As this diagram shows, housing occupies only about only about one-third to one-half of a city [37] . So increasing the area for housing – even doubling it – does not double the size of the city. Nor does squeezing down the area save much land. But these variations can make decisive differences to the living conditions of the people in that city. For instance, the difference in overall gross density between London and Paris is about 20% – which is very marginal. But to live well in Paris you have to be really rich – whereas just about every middle-class English family in London can afford a terrace house with a garden. How did London gain access to more land? It happened at the end of 19th century, when the underground was extended as surface lines beyond Hampstead in the north and Kensington in the West. The developers followed a decade later, constructing housing within walking distance of the stations. This is why, of all the giant metropolis of the world, London is still the most livable. Or take Mumbai – even today the most mobile of all our cities. Why? Because it’s very backbone is public transport [38] .

[35] The office buildings in Houston, surrounded by relatively poor localities.

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Aerial view of Sydney.

70 HOUSING 35 HOUSING

20 INDUSTRY & WAREHOUSING

4 EDUCATION

4 EDUCATION 10 GREEN AREA 25 TRANSPORT

10 GREEN AREA

20 INDUSTRY & WAREHOUSING

6 COMMERCIAL

6 COMMERCIAL 25 TRANSPORT

AREA = 100 SQ. UNITS RADIUS = 5.6 UNITS

AREA = 135 SQ. UNITS RADIUS = 6.4 UNITS

[37] Only one-third to one-half of a city land is used for housing. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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[38] Public transport accessibility is an important factor in gauging the overall livability of a city.

[41] Curitiba, Brazil: Ramped-up bus stations provide for effortless public movement out of the buses during peak hours.

[39] The rail-route map, Mumbai: A plan drawn by merely two railway engineers.

There never was a Master Plan for the city - instead two railway engineers laid down tracks that run parallel up the length of Mumbai island: one, the BB&CI, to take troops up to the Khyber Pass, and the other, the GIP, to take British businessmen across to Kolkata [39] . As the stations got built, people began living around them. It is a vivid example of supply preceding (in fact, generating!) demand. This is a principle of vital importance to us on India â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with our rapidly growing cities and towns. Another great example of public transport bringing a city to life is Curitiba in Brazil [40] where Mayor Jaime Lerner took an existing grid street pattern and created exclusive bus roads (NOT bus lanes) on which articulated buses, each carrying 240 passengers, run every minute â&#x20AC;&#x201C; increasing to 3 per minute during peak hours. The bus stations are ingenuously ramped up to the level of the bus, so that 20 or 30 passengers get easily on and off in 6 seconds or so [41] . The net result: Curitiba has a bus system that carries as many passengers as an underground railway â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but at one-sixtieth the cost! Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

[40] Curitiba, Brazil: Instead of bus lanes, there are exclusive roads dedicated to bus movement.

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An equally incisive explanation was given by Doxiades, the famous Greek planer and the founder of Ekistics. I remember a lecture he gave many years ago in Mumbai. First slide: a mall village of 250 people, represented by 250 red dots. One of the dots is blue – who is he? Einstein? The Village Idiot?

The City as Synergy We have been talking a lot about the physical aspects of a city. Yet all around the world, people live in very ugly cities, like Los Angeles or Tokyo - and love it! Perhaps the European 19 th Century dream of the “City Beautiful” was never really within our grasp. In any case, most people seem to get something else from urban living. Communication. . . . Networking. . . . a kind of SYNERGY – where the whole somehow magically adds up to much more than the sum of its parts. Something I once read by Tielhard de Chardin the famous biologist, provides us with an extraordinary insight. Wondering why the single-cell organisms evolved into higher and more complex forms of life (becoming 2-cell, then 4, then 8, 16, and so forth), he came to the conclusion that it was a compulsive drive towards greater complexity. He felt it was analogous to folding a handkerchief; every fold doubling the layers of the fabric and the density of experience [42] . And he likened this to the greater complexity we feel as we move from village to town to city to metropolis. It is a blind biological drive – quite irreversible – which explains why the migrant, having experienced the greater complexity (and degradation) of the big city, does not return to his village. The simple truth is: he cannot. To do so, he would be fighting millions of years of evolution, hardwired into his brain.

We cannot tell – all we know is that he isn’t red. Next a large village of 1000 persons – now there are 4 or 5 blue dots floating around.

Now a town of 100,000 people . . . and we have several colonies where blue people reside. And furthermore, some of the red dots on the fringes of these colonies are turning . . . purple !

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[47] Mahatma Gandhi at a maidan in Mumbai: Maidans played an important role during the struggle for independence in mobilising the masses.

That is what cities are about . . . blue people challenging - and changing - the red ones. Hence Mahatma Gandhi announcing the QUIT INDIA movement - not from one of the villages he loved so well, but from a maidan in Mumbai, where the blue people would hear him [47] . And the French Revolution . . . another sensational victory for the Blues! [48] . India, as a country is a democracy. But are not democratic. The key decisions about them (FAR increases, changes of land-use, etc.) are taken by the Chief Minister and his cabinet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all of whom have been elected not from that city, but from other towns and villages in the State. This total lack of accountability leaves the door wide open for corrupt decisions. How did this come about? Because the British set up a system where the Governor of Bombay Presidency, ran not only Bombay, but also all the other cities right up to Karachi, Quetta, and Aden. Our politicians have taken that system (which was totally unaccountable to people) and exploited it for their purposes. This is why the National Commission on Urbanisation strongly recommended that our major cities be run by autonomous bodies, elected by the people of that city â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and answerable to them. This is the only way that Democracy can deliver accountability. Each city would remain part of the State in which it is located - just like New York City is an integral part of New York State. But the decisions for NY city are not taken by the State Governor in Albany, but by the City Mayor in Manhattan. We need to have that level of independence - and accountability. Only then will our cities improve. Of course, once again we find that no political party would support this idea. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d prefer to stick to the present system - because they know that one day, their time also will come. But if the citizens of all the towns and cities of urban India ever understood how they were being manipulated by Political Parties and State Governments, they would rise up and demand political accountability - and they would win. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

[48] The French Revolution, akin to the Indian struggle for independence, was a victory for the Blues.

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The City as Mythic Imagery The last segment of this essay will discuss the city as mythic imagery – and what it does to our lives. Here is an image we all know: the guru sitting under the tree, with his chelas [49] . This icon stands not just for Education – but also for Enlightenment. Rabindranath Tagore understood this – which is why he could create Shanti Niketan. Mythic imagery is essential to any culture. Here is the plan of a Dogan settlement in Africa. It is a Platonic image of the Ideal Town [50] . It is really anthropomorphic - a diagram clearly showing a human being with head, arms, legs, torso, genitalia, etc. When we look at the reality of a Dogan town, it looks like this: utter chaos [51] . But that is what you see – the Dogan tribesman still sees the diagram and, if you think about it, we all so the same thing. For instance, look at this dilapidated housing in Detroit . . . or is it Cleveland? [52] . No, as a matter of fact, it is in Manhattan! [53] And as soon as I tell you that name, in your mind’s eye, ﬂashes the fabulous skyline, and the names: 42nd Street, Fifth Avenue, Central Park – all truly mythic images! Actually, they are all just numbers on a map? So also here in Delhi, where along on the Ring Road, we have an area called “South Extension – Part 2”. That’s not a real name- it’s just a title on some planner’s drawing. But today even taxi drivers pronounce it easily - it’s a real address, like Karol Bagh or Sundernagar.

[52] Manhattan: Unrecognisable dilapidated buildings.

[53] One usually thinks of 42nd Street, Fifth Avenue, Central

Park when one thinks of Manhattan.

[50] Anthropomorphic plan of a Dogan settlement.

[54] The iconic Irani cafes of Mumbai. [51] The seemingly chaotic Dogan town.

Myth and Reality. When the visitor sees Kolkata today, he sees the REALITY. But for the Bengali, Kolkata is the stuff from which dreams are made. So is also Mumbai. The Irani cafes of Mumbai [54] , with their mirrored walls and marble-top tables, probably had their inspiration in the cafes of Paris – which, a century ago, was the mythic city of the whole world! Today, for the Gulf Arab, the Ideal City is no longer Paris or Vienna – but Houston, Texas [55] , the city of oil barons! This is why they build glass towers that roast under the hot desert sun.

[55] The built forms in the Gulf Arab. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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Here is a project under construction in Dubai [56] (Mercifully stopped by the recession). It’s like a food chain . . . perhaps Dubai supplies the mythic imagery for Gurgaon . . . which in turn . . ? What about us? What are the mythic images in our own heads? Surely, for most people in Delhi, it is the Bungalow [57] . But the bungalow is a freestanding house that is totally ANTI-URBAN. It is the antithesis of the traditional Indian havelli – for the British wanted to stay aloof from the natives. (An Englishman’s home is his castle - you live there with your books - and your dogs). Thomas Jefferson saw himself as English landed gentry. Hence the White House [58] - a totally anti-urban edifice, unconnected to the city, and the people, that live around. Ironically, Britain itself, where these anti-urban attitudes originated, is governed from 10 DOWNING Street - a typical London row-house, very much part of the street it is on, and the city in which it exists [59] . And now, the biggest bungalow of them all: the Viceroy’s House [60] Designed and built to proclaim the superiority of British civilisation over our own. (That was Lutyens’ specific brief). But what happened in 1947 when we became Independent? Like in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, we moved into the Farmer’s House. Today, not only are we occupying the Farmer’s House, but we use its imagery to justify our rule. And whenever we build something new, we want to build extensions of the Farmer’s House [61] . And all this is being done 65 YEARS after Independence! How powerful is the grip of MYTHIC IMAGERY on the human mind. [56] A project in Dubai that was forced to go off construction during the recession.

[57] For most people in Delhi, such type of a built form can only be categorised as a ‘bungalow’.

[58] The White House, a totally anti-urban edifice.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Today, throughout India, the symbol of political power is still the bungalow. Even in Mumbai - if the Chief Minister lived in an apartment, I’d wonder: is he really my Chief Minister? One thing one can say about Chandigarh: good or bad, it is NOT the Farmer’s House. Corbusier opened a door in our minds – into another Landscape. We don’t have to follow him onto that landscape (as many have done). But his example should give us the courage to find our own voices. Cities have always been unique indicators of great civilisations; from Athens to Persepolis to Isfahan to Rome. You can have wonderful music, painting, or poetry, during rotten times – but

[59] 10 Downing Street: An inconspicuous british row-house.

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[60] The Viceroyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House: Designed and built to proclaim the

superiority of the British civilisation over that of the Indians.

never great architecture and great cities. Why is this? Primarily because building involves two essential conditions: firstly an economic system that concentrates power and decision-making; and secondly, leaders with the vision, the taste and the political will, to deploy these resources intelligently. The first set of conditions prevails only too often â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the second hardly ever. The combination is almost unique. This is why Akbar will always be Akbar [62] . Not because of his military exploits (these have been bettered a hundred times over). He will always be Akbar because in the centre of that vortex of power, he exercised that judgment.

[61] Structures fashioned like the Viceroyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House demonstrate the

strong grip of mystical imagery even after independence.

[62] Works commissioned by Akbar are testimony to the judgement he exercised.

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An Urban Manifesto

[63] Urban skills need to be honed across small towns and cities to ensure overall development of the country.

[64] Small towns and cities act as

The cities of India are our National Heritage. Like the wheat fields of the Punjab and the coalfields of Bihar they are of crucial part of our national wealth.

economic engines for the country.

They create the skills we need to develop as a nation [63] . Doctors, nurses, engineers, lawyers, all the skills needed for development, these are all URBAN SKILLS. . . . developed in small towns and cities right across this nation. They are ENGINES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH [64] . Properly managed, they could generate the surplus funds needed not only for their own needs, but for those of the surrounding countryside as well (just as Hong Kong propelled the economics of South China). They are PLACES OF HOPE, for millions upon millions of the wretched have-nots of our society [65] , cities are perhaps their only hope . . . their one gateway to a better future.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

[65] Development of small towns and cities would ensure better economic empowerment and growth for the underprivileged.

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CODA I would like to end with a story a friend of mine read in a Marathi journal. The author, travelling in a crowded BEST bus, recognises two people from his village, sitting side by side on the same bench...One is the village dhobi, and the other its money-lender. Naturally they are not talking to each other â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but both just staring straight ahead, enduring a proximity that would be totally repugnant back in their village. I thought to myself: more than 3000 years ago the Lord Buddha tried to abolish the caste system. And in the last century, Mahatma Gandhi spent his entire life trying to banish untouchability. They both appear to have failed. And now here comes along this dumb old BEST bus, and without any political rhetoric, and without any polemics, it is changing India. That is what our cities are about. They are mechanisms for social engineering, much more powerful than anything we have ever seen before. They will transform this country.

Excerpted from the Pupul Jayakar Memorial Lecture for INTACH on April 18, 2012.

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While on the surface ‘Dutch Mountains: Francine Houben | Mecanoo Architecten’ composes an impressive photo-essay covering examples of work by Mecanoo, a Netherlands-based architectural firm, the communicative illustrations and curious questioning host a different agenda altogether, exploring a moving, frequently unnoticed, love-triangle between the architect, her architecture and her world.

Cover.

rincipal Architect at Mecanoo Architecten, Francine Houben initiated her career as an architect in the 70s; a time when social housing and architecture was in the service of the social good. Over the years, several changes have transformed her life and work, however her mission has remained the same: the task to better the quality of the living environment. With eight breath-taking photo-shoots from five different countries, ‘Dutch Mountains: Francine Houben | Mecanoo Architecten’ displays some of Mecanoo’s most-cherished designs; architecture that has already made a place for itself in history, shows recent innovative approaches and is currently under construction. In spite of this elaborate coverage, it is, in image, in text and in essence, a book about a woman with a warm heart and a practice with firm values that have together made “the world a little better”. “I believe that people develop their senses at around the age of five. It is important for children to grow up in an environment that stimulates the senses.” The title ‘Dutch Mountains’ not only sketches an image of the personal moments from Houben’s youth in the dreamy, hilly countryside of Southern Netherlands, but also reflects a strong characteristic feature in her work, which is often undulating, playfully rising above the flat land and yet connected to the earth in terms of composition and material. “Architecture is an addiction, you work day and night. Anyone who cannot handle this should choose something else; because you certainly do not do it for the money.”

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

As a firm, Mecanoo demonstrates an increasingly clear signature. Its buildings are not just monumental. They are warm and tangible, never failing to offer a rich sensory experience. The three words in the title of Francine Houben’s book ‘Composition, Contrast & Complexity’ sum up the basis of its architecture. Non-dogmatic, or rather anti-dogmatic, the style is not pre-programmed; instead, it tries to rediscover its intent each time with no concern for acknowledgement or accolades. Responding to the broader environmental context with subtle combinations of diverse materials, each design forms a dialogue with its cultural setting, its sense of place in history and its physical surroundings. “I’m always sad at the end, when I hand over a building to the people who will use it. Compare it with the children you bring up who inevitably go their own way. I think then: I hope they take good care.” ‘Dutch Mountains’ is not a book about architecture. It is a book about beautiful buildings scaling the globe; buildings that have been created in accordance to Dutch design. It is about the poignant relationship of an architect with her beliefs, with her architecture. It is about a woman who has remained true to herself and her values amidst the harsh realities of the architectural world; and her journey towards success through determination, collaboration and a pinch of conciliation where needed. But above all, it is about the unrivalled victory of idealistically motivated architecture over pragmatic interventions and personal ambitions.

book review

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FACT FILE:

Scans from the book. (Above & Below)

Book

Author Photography Published By Language ISBN Reviewed By

: : : : : :

Dutch Mountains: Francine Houben | Mecanoo Architecten Jan Tromp Harry Cock Uitgeverij de Kunst Dutch | English | Chinese 978 94 91196 00 3 Shalmali Wagle Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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Temple at Sarahan.

Getting to the root of it An inquisitive few from the faculty of CEPT and University of Melbourne have ventured into the unknown of Himachal Pradesh to capture the essence and revive a significant past lost to obscurity. Text: Ayishwariya Balagopal Images: courtesy Mansi Shah and Tarang Sagara

Pretext he Design Innovation and Craft Research Centre (DICRC) aims to bring into focus the traditional crafts and skills – intrinsic to the Indian context – by developing awareness, relevance and accessibility through an institutional programme. The ‘Indigenous Building Practices of Himachal Pradesh, India’ is a compendium of documented examples of indegenious architecture from Himachal Pradesh. Diverse and incredibly inventive, the documentation presents surprising versatility, skill and intricacy of Himachal’s native architecture and initiates a dialogue on the wealth of knowledge that their building practices propose.

On The Document This project, initiated in 2011, has covered an extensive and a reclusive landscape of the Himachal – uncovering, in its wake, the diverse and rich culture of building ideas from the region. The project team sought to achieve this by interacting with locals and exchanging ideas through understanding of the local sustainable Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

style of building. Their observation in each of the towns is enriched by the diversity and spectrum of ideas that the document covers. Most of the buildings are either temples or palaces that come across as uncanny and yet are simple in their presence. Wood, stone and mud-plaster are the chief building materials but today since wood is hard to obtain, it has hampered the continuity of the unique skill of construction. The ‘Katth-Kuni’ technique of construction is exclusive to the region of Sutlej Valley of Himachal Pradesh. It involves binding of stone with timber for the construction of walls. The word ‘Kuni’ stands for corner – wood is used only in the corner to frame the dry stone masonry. Another notable feature is the ‘Bhandar’ – an elevated, cantilevered space which houses the main deity in case of a temple or comprises of the living space in case of a residence. A steep, ornamented ladder leads up to the ‘Bhandar’.

research

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The route map of the places documented.

Learning from the locals.

Imparting knowledge. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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The Katth-Kuni technique of construction. (Above & Below)

They began their journey in a small hamlet of Janog while covering several such quaint and unknown villages, each of which possesses incredible wealth in native architecture. The Chikhadeshwara Maharaja temple in Janog is the only prominent structure of the hamlet. The residences of the locals consist of a cow-shed in their lower level and a living space on the upper level. There are no well defined roads; just narrow pathways that lead to them. The upper storeys are built from wooden panels and crowned by a slate shingle roof resting on a wooden framework. They are lined by a series of operable windows or wooden panels. The temples in Balag, one of them in the old ‘Devra’ style, display intricate lace-like engravings on stone. The Bijjat Devta temple in Balag is built on a solid stone plinth, around a square courtyard, with ‘deodar’ beams laid horizontally at wide intervals to ensure Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Bhandar type temple at Janog.

strength and stability. The galleries and verandahs are framed in woodwork without the use of nails, which characterises the Himachal way of building. Traditional motifs in wood adorn the doors and niches of the temple. The temple has undergone several renovations in its course of time, but its original square layout has remained intact. The team witnessed the construction of a new temple in local means in the town of Deodhar. The project did not involve any external labour. The work was carried out through community participation and local artisans. They were building a multi-storey structure in wood without using a single metallic nail or screw in their construction. Isolated from the rest of the towns of Himachal, Gavas has preserved its archaic style of architecture and woodwork that is unique. It dates back to the Gupta period between the 6 th and 9 th

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Ornamented ladder leading up to the Bhandar.

A typical residence in Janog. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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centuries A.D. It is of the classical ‘Shikhara’ style. There are four entrance gates engraved in wood, pointing to the four directions and opening out to four beliefs. It is a collection of more than one temple. The main temple is dedicated to Devta Gudaru while the other is dedicated to the Devta Pawassi. Rare engravings in wood can be found in this region - these include deer and antelope in various compositions. One of the engravings on the ‘Cheols’ of a Katth-Kuni wall represents a deer in the jaws of a leopard. The tower temple of Summerkot, built on an elevated hillock, effortlessly presides over the landscape providing a panoramic view of the surrounding. All temples which house a deity are either placed on a pedestal or located at the highest point of the landscape.

Slate shingled roofing.

The Ghodna palace entrance. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Tower temple at Balag.

Most of the buildings are either temples or palaces that come across as uncanny and yet are simple in their presence.

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View of the temple at Gavas.

Intricate carvings of the Gavas temple. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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Intricate carvings of the Gavas temple.

Central atrium of Sainj Palace. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Monolith entrance door of the Sainj Palace from the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;deodarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tree.

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Carved floral fringe detail.

Bracket detail.

Profusely carved window.

Tower temple of Summerkot.

Cheols carved in floral themes. (Above and Below) Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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Palace at Rampur.

View of the octagonal pavilion. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Patio of the new palace.

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The Sainj Palace established by the Rajputs between the 8 th and 9 th century are still occupied by their descendants. With the valley surrounding it on three sides - it is a natural fortress. The entrance to the palace is elevated above the ground and adorned with animal horns. The main entrance door is built from a monolithic piece of ‘deodar’ tree with a lion-head brass handle. The central hall, looking up to an atrium, is enclosed by series of rooms built in wood. Wooden brackets resting on the walls support the cantilever of the upper floor that function as a gallery offering an extensive view of the valley below. There is also the magnificent palace of Jubbal located at the end of the Bishkalti valley at an average elevation of 2084 meters. Even though the palace is a Rajput stronghold, it draws heavily from Chinese and European architecture. The distinct red roof of the Padam Palace in Rampur and its Indo-European style is reminiscent of the grandeur of the Raj in India. It is an amalgamation of the Gothic stain-glass, the elaborate Victorian bric-a-brac along with ‘deodar’ construction and Mughal and Rajput features. Built in 1919, the palace is relatively recent. The range of architecture documented here is a fine blend of sculpture, art and mystique that is inherent to the hamlets of Himachal Pradesh. The research captures a broad spectrum of technical details, design processes and forethought that can help sustain the local building practice and help spread awareness of its existence.

Temple at Chitkul on a pedestal.

Postscript Though a surface-study, this document forms a credible foundation to further research and action in order to preserve, improvise and perhaps reconcile the intrinsic building practices of the Himachal. Rich in ideas and workmanship, these indigenous buildings present a truly sustainable architecture that develops from inherent understanding of the climate, materials and lay of the land in the region. Through this study and further initiatives in this direction, substantial set of skills and a spectrum of ideas can be documented, understood and interpreted in the context of contemporary building practices to continue the existing and possibly revive the obscure ways of making architecture. FACT FILE: Project : Indigenous Building Practices of Himachal Pradesh Institution : DICRC, CEPT University, India and University of Melbourne, Australia Department : Faculty of Design Head / Project Lead : Prof. Jay Thakkar Initiation : August 2011 Completion : 2013 Project Team : Prof. Bharat Dave, Prof. Jay Thakkar, Mansi Shah Photographers : Mansi Shah and Tarang Sagara

Decorative doorway of temple at Sangla.

DICRC received an Honourable Mention at the 2012 Zumtobel Group Award for this project. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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ideas to innovate…designers to deliver

The Learning Curve Studio Decode, Bengaluru

Studio Decode is an award-winning young architectural design firm with a green and technology-centric initiative seeking sustainable transformations through architecture. The firm is interested in exploring the blurred boundaries between construction, sustainable thinking and technology. Founded in June 2006, the practice is headed by architects Ashok Dutta and Meghana Dutta.

The tectonic layered aesthetic of The Summit in Chikmagalur by Bengaluru-based architectural practice Studio Decode recreates a potential for relevance of pursuit of ideas and rethinking of varied programs that are tied together in the realm of institutional design. Text: Maanasi Hattangadi Images & Drawings: courtesy Studio Decode

Linear and dynamic forms reflect the architects’ idea of education process as in a state of flux or movement.

“The education process as visualised by us is in a state of flux and movement. The building is conceived to be dynamic in form and to induce a sense of movement.” - Studio Decode Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

architecture

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The setting stands out in the mute context of hills and grasslands.

Adept structuring of orientation and windows on the southern and northern diection ensures ample lighting and ventilation.

circulation spine connecting to other academic blocks

14 13 11

12 8

17 19

15 15

ENTRANCE

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

A harmony of planes envelop the horizontal flow of the faรงade .

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TO CHICKMANGALUR

LVL +8.46m Corridor

LOCATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Class Room

LVL +4.65m

Class Room LVL +1.45m

FIRST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION

Roof level openings for stack ventilation

TYPICAL SECTION OF A CLASSROOM Perforated South façade For diffused Sunlight & reduced heat gain

Clerestorey Windows with louvres for Daylight and ventilation

FROM SAGANIPURA Corridor

LEGEND FOR MASTER PLAN

GRILL

Classroom

Academic Zone Play Ground

Hot Air

Parking

Cool Air (wind direction)

Access Roads Rocky Mounds

Classroom

Green Area

SECTION SHOWING WIND DIRECTION AND DAYLIGHTING ZONING PLAN

Openings at varying heights on the northern wall for each clasroom Windows towards the corridor on the South for cross ventilation

LVL +9.22m

LVL +8.46m

LVL +6.93m

LVL +1.60m

Staff

Passage

Classroom

Corridor

LVL +4.04m

Classroom

Staircase

Classroom

Classroom Classroom

LVL +4.65m

LVL +1.45m LVL +/-0.0m

SECTION 1-1 LVL +9.22m

LVL +8.31m

LVL +4.65m

LVL +1.45m LVL +/-0.0m

SOUTH SIDE ELEVATION

The perforated wall on the southern side acts as a shading device and protects the classrooms from the southern sun. The perforated wall also allows diffused light into the classrooms and facilitates cross ventilation.

LVL +9.22m

LVL +8.45m LVL +6.93m LVL +5.41m LVL +4.65m

LVL +4.45m

LVL +1.45m LVL +/-0.0m

Clerestorey window for lighting as well as stack effect

Openings of varying sizes & heights for both adult and child vision

NORTH SIDE ELEVATION

volving through the decades, education paradigms in India have risen from the austere imagery of a ‘guru’ surrounded by his disciples around a single banyan tree, traversing the most primitive forms of hutments that serve as schools to the elite distinctive campuses of today. Pejorative to mere spaces boxed to accommodate the students, the educational environments of today are designed as cross-disciplinary hubs wherein creative

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

thinking and direct experiences are valued above memorisation of facts. To borrow the words of Aziz Premji, ‘Schools must be viewed as places that have the potential to transform the future of a child and the nation’. The silent salubrious climate of Chikmagalur, a town 250km away from Bengaluru, is home to gentle rolling hills and farmlands.

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CHILDREN’S PLAY AREA (FUTURE EXPANSION)

Note - The longer axis of the building is in North-South direction with the East-West being the shorter sides. This was done to optimise shading and climatic comfort within the habitable spaces. - The orientation also allowed to maximise northern daylight exposure for the classroom.

Angled frames greet one at theentrance of the construct.

ORIENTATION

CORRIDOR ATTACHED TO THE BUILDING ON SOUTH AND WEST SIDE TO REDUCE SOLAR HEAT GAIN YET ALLOW LIGHT AND VENTILATION

3 CORRIDOR WALL PERFORATED TO ALLOW LIGHT AND CROSS VENTILATION

NORTH LIGHTING

DIFFUSED LIGHTING

REDUCE SOLAR HEAT GAIN DIAGRAMS

The modest setting allows The Summit, an institutional campus designed by Bengaluru-based architectural practice Studio Decode, to explore ideas both notionally and materially. In the making, the soft landscape of the 20.5 acres leads one gradually inside to the linear, bold and diverse built form. Effectively dramatic, the institution is a complex mix, both typologically and

aesthetically. The architects explain, “The education process as visualised by us is in a state of flux and movement. The building is conceived to be dynamic in form and to induce a sense of movement.” The primacy of ideas being this, the one-storey construct is low slung in a horizontal sprawl. The façade aesthetic is streamlined as a canvas of urgent planes, a cacophony of gestures as if in flight. The entrance arrives in form of arrayed Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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corridor belongs to the experience as much as to the form. Rich in spatial possibilities, it carves out a coherence of interactions and educational environs as a dynamic of three axes. It retreats on the exterior envelope as designed perforations which recreate a sense of discovery of the surrounds with minute peeping holes and weaving in connections to the outdoor spaces. Owing to its location on the southern side, muted light from these recesses enlivens the spaces within thereby preventing solar heat gain.

Multipurpose openings curated in response to the childrens’ heights and needs are integrated in the classroom interiors.

inclined frames that emerge gracefully from a brick wall, bathing the pathway in partially shadowed sunlight. Broad steps script the movement towards and inside the building. The elements of accessibility and planning principles are characterised as extensions to the architects’ idea “where the corridor which is the longest single architectural element of the building, has a sloped roof and hugs the building on three sides. The sense of movement is brought about by the sloping corridor roof, the orientation of the perforations in the corridor wall, the railing design, the inclined columns, the inclined staircase.” The circulatory spine connects and orients flexibly to accommodate shifting modes of occupation of the academic areas – blunt volumes of kindergarten, elementary and senior school. The

The approach is simple in aesthetic and through reliant principles like orientation, lighting, ventilation and heat gain caters to a sustainable agenda.

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

The elementary block spread over a span of 1750sqm built-up area was developed in the first phase of construction. The linear breadth of engagement revolves around the essence of a sensitive and sensible scale responding to the necessities of students of Grades 1 to 5 and to imprint a minimised presence on the existing topography. The utilities and details of the elementary school such classrooms, corridor spaces, staff room, cabin of the Head of the school and toilet blocks are layered along the corridor. The design is reciprocal to the occupants’ needs; it modulates internal spaces by apportioning fenestrations and volumes according to both adults’ and children’s heights and mediating their relationship to the external environment. “Being an elementary school, the building needed to invoke a sense of intrigue through the geometry,” the architects say. The interior fabric reveals aspects of this thought as it deftly manipulates openings of multifarious sizes and usage. Each opening is a versatile disposition – crafted to become a step-out balcony, a ledge to sit, clerestory windows for daylight and ventilation or frame scenic vistas of the outside through vision glazing. The orientation of the classrooms progressively ensures

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beams and M.S. structural steel for columns in the corridor area. The interiors suggest an outlook of contemporariness with painted walls composed of brick and cement plaster, floorings in the interior environment such as ‘Kota’ stone, granite & ceramic tiles and outdoor environments like concrete pavers, cement tiles and ‘chapdi’ stone, honne wood doors with polish, flush doors with paint and stainless steel fixtures. Diversifying in shape and size, the crisp and restrained expressions unify in the massing language befittingly emphasise the robustness of its form and functionality.

The corridor is manifested as a prominent design element to sculpt and connect the variety of activities of the institution.

ample filtration of northern light and adept structuring of windows on southern and north walls diligently admit cross-ventilation and clerestorey windows on the northern façade with glass louvres draw in the stack effect ventilation. The design aids in the functional continuity to this ventilation effect as the integral central slab section in each of the classrooms on first floor slopes so as to integrate roof-level openings that allow for stack effect ventilation. The overlay of other design considerations like orientation, heat gain, day lighting and ventilation elevate and examine the potential of the building to serve as a commentary in sustainable design. The approach in orientation is internalised and transcends into simplifying of the other issues. The architects elaborate, “The building is oriented on the east-west axis so as to ensure all classrooms get daylight from the northern and diffused light from the southern façades. Being a completely naturally ventilated building, the east-west orientation was also adopted to reduce the solar heat gain and to eliminate shading requirements on these two sides.” The materiality is simple and stolid. Beneath a contrast of subdued grey and an augmented yellow, the structural framework is majorly resolved with reinforced cement concrete for the columns and

The design has been thoughtfully curated to facilitate expansion of the campus that will accommodate students from kindergarten to grade 10 as well as a college, a 1000-seater auditorium, indoor sports facilities, state-of-the-art library, laboratories and residential amenities for students and staff. The development will be inclusive of participation of the outside community for academic pursuits. The building works ceaselessly in plan and section to articulate a tightly-worked composition to cultivate a strong, singular presence. While its quasi-modernistic demeanour explores a different tactility from the context, the spatial patterns inherently seek and project ambiences conducive to learning. It is informed by simple manifestations arising from a closely knit axial symmetry. The textures of transparency and curiosity heightened by forged connections to the surroundings, a sense of inclusion and community fostered in the suburban academia, the intent of openness and light emerge as tangibles that are sculpted as deeper considerations of the institution than a focussed styling of form.

FACT FILE: Project : Location : Architect : Project Team :

The Summit Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India Studio Decode Ashok Dutta, Meghana Dutta, Sundar Ganesh, Aravinda Devaraj

The material palette is restrained and the spatial organisation majorly involves an intent of connectivity, openness and possibilities for future expansion.

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ideas to innovate…designers to deliver

New Perspectives

Future Spaces Organisation, Surat FSO, which stands for Future Spaces Organisation, is a firm established in 2010 by Shailesh Dhanani along with a group of associates. They handle projects in architecture, interior design, landscape and product design.

An ice cream parlour, an otherwise ubiquitous element, is made unique through a new stance in design by Future Spaces Organisation for Dairy Don in Surat. Text: Ayishwariya Balagopal Images & Drawings: courtesy Future Spaces Organisation

A novelty entrance catches one’s attention even on a busy street.

hen one envisions an ice cream parlour, it is often bright and complacent with an inviting aura to it. But Dairy Don, a Future Spaces Organisation project in Surat, refutes all of one’s notions of a snug cosy ice cream parlour with only spangles of colour in an otherwise dark foreboding space. Yet, it manages to capture one’s interest spurring them on to discover a whole new world all together. Hemmed in by adjacent shops, the parlour stands out by its novelty hoarding and dark interiors. Located at a busy junction of crossroads, it has a transparent glass façade overlooking the road. The dark walls camouflage the activity within providing the necessary privacy. At the same time, with an eclectic mix of

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

interiors COLD STORAGE

JUICE STATION COLD STORAGE

KITCHEN AREA

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KITCHEN

DISPLAY- STORAGE CASH COUNTER

SERVICE COUNTER

CASH & SERVICE COUNTER PANTRY

WALL GRAPHIC

TOILET

CAFETERIA x

x’

SITTING AREA

MAIN ENTRY

SITTING COUNTER

MAIN LAYOUT

CASH COUNTER

4” DOWN CEILING ALL CIRCLES ARE 2” DOWN

CEILING LAYOUT Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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colours, the ambience of the funky ice cream parlour is conspicuous. Since space was a matter of concern specified by the client, the seating at Dairy Don is arranged along the periphery, imparting an illusion of space in an otherwise small area of 925sqft. The plan is basic with all its spaces well defined with respect to their function. The sitting area overlooks the service and cash counter that screens the ancillary spaces of the kitchen and storage. The service counter is highlighted by a display panel which greets the visitor. The pattern on the panel has random laser-cut circles back-lit in different hues. The white laminate used for the service counter stands in contrast to the blackness of the space, created using darker shades in wood laminate. The black of the ceiling is absolved by the ordinary passive cream of the vitrified tiles. To the left of the service counter is a large 3D graffiti with the word ‘RUSH’ inscribed in black on a white rough cast plaster wall, coaxing the customer to be more adventurous. The architect’s eye for detail can be seen by the use of coloured pebbles beneath the high-back seating platform that breaks the monotony of the tiling; although not to a great extent. The rough texture of the pebbles is the only contrast to the smooth vitrified tiles. Colours pop up on the black ceiling and in the form of acrylic furniture that turn fluorescent to glow in the sunlight.

The laser-cut back-lit ‘jali’ and the white laminate help highlight the service counter.

DECORATIVE DISPLAY PANEL WITH COLORED BACKLIT LIGHT COLUMN TO BE FINISHED WITH DARK LAMINATE

6” 3’-2”

White Colored Back Painted Glass.

11’ 4’-8”

R.C.C Slab P.O.P Ceilling

2”

The idea must have been to urge the customer to be more accepting of what is not always the norm. The space has achieved its unique pattern of contrasts that ingeniously conflate.

CASH COUNTER TO BE FINISHED WITH DARK LAMINATE

3’

ELEVATION - COUNTER

6”

SERVICE COUNTER TO BE FINISHED IN WHITE LAMINATION

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

When in a dark room, one often experiences a sense of fear. But once colours and light are introduced in the right measure, the space gradually turns magical, bringing out the child within just as an ice cream would. The idea must have been to urge the customer to be more accepting of what is not always the norm. The space has achieved its unique pattern of contrasts that ingeniously conflate. As one is consumed by darkness, colours emerge, transporting one to a whole new dimension where light weds shadow and subtly urges one to create a world of fantasy. As quoted by the architect, “Call me crazy, if you will, but I find child-like joy in flipping through the Asian Paint colour shade card. It’s a bit like stepping into a candy store or getting your hands on a new box of crayons. All the colours of the rainbow, and more, flash before your eyes revealing the possibilities of a hue-happy world, triggering a million emotions all at once.“

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A black box with colours that appear like pop-ups in a story book.

The words ‘RUSH’ inscribed on the left wall in 3D.

As sunlight streams into the dark space, the acrylic furniture turn fluorescent and begin to glow.

FACT FILE:

Coloured pebbles beneath the high-back seating platform breaks the monotony of the ordinary floor.

Project Location Architect Client Area

: : : : :

Diary Don Ice Cream Parlour Surat, Gujarat FSO Dairy Don 925sqft Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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Unusual Faรงades Vin Rathod explores the notions of identity, expressions and interactions set in a cityscape that evolve through sculptural and unique faรงades, in this edition of Space Frames curated by Dr Deepak Mathew. Text & Images: courtesy Vin Rathod

Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

space frames

“A

Work of Art... is not a living thing... that walks or runs. But the making of a life. That which gives you a reaction. To some it is the wonder of Man’s Fingers. To some it is the wonder of the Mind. To some it is the wonder of Technique. And to some it is how Real it is. To some, how Transcendent it is. Like the 5th Symphony, it presents itself with a feeling that you know it, if you have heard it once. And you look for it, and though you know it, you must hear it again. Though you know it you must see it again. Truly a Work of Art is one that tells us, that Nature cannot make what man can make.” - Louis Kahn Architecture is about the built form, and every built form has a skin, a façade, that forms an identity. Everyday we pass by hundreds of these buildings, but some façades will catch the eye and force us

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to stop and admire. They have a unique language that sets them apart from the rest and makes them exclusive. These façades give a unique identity not only to themselves, but also to the architect, the city and sometimes, even the nation. Some of them attract and create a culture, a space for community interaction, whereas some of them are like a sculpture among the cityscape. ‘Unusual Façades’ is a collection of photographs of some of the most unique façades I have had a chance to visit and experience. These photographs capture the essence of their individuality - the scale, proportion, light and texture, with an intent that the viewer would comprehend the emotion of experiencing the sculptural form as close to the real.

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These faรงades give a unique identity not only to themselves, but also to the architect, the city and sometimes, even the nation. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

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Vin Rathod Vinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photography pursuit developed during his architectural education, where he developed an understanding of various design elements such as brightness and darkness, colours and shades, composition and the importance of negative spaces etc. For Vin, each photograph is a design; a design for the subject, be it an art, architecture, city, or a sculpture. He thrives on creativity and imagination and is always developing new ideas. The photographs speak of his vision to see the built form as an artwork. While highlighting the essence of the subject using creative photography techniques, each image is a wonderful piece of art. Vin holds a Bachelor of Architecture from KRVIA, Mumbai and Master of Construction Project Management from UNSW, Sydney. He lives and works in Sydney, Australia. A collection of his fine art photographs is constantly evolving, as seen on his website www.throughvinslens.com. Space Frames is curated by Dr. Deepak Mathew. The column investigates issues of architecture and urbanism through the medium of photography. Indian Architect & Builder - Jan 2013

Space Frames Jan 2013: Unusual Faรงades Indian Architect & Builder Magazine

Space Frames is curated by Dr. Deepak Mathew. The column investigates issues of architecture and urbanism through the medium of photography.

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