IA&B June 2012

Complimentary booklet - ‘Statements on Sustainabilty’ with June 2012 Issue

ELEMENTAL

Sustenance(n): nourishment, continuity, means of support

VOL 25 (10)

JUN 2012

` 200

MUMBAI

18 IA&B - JUN 2012

Blue, Green and White In a conversation with IA&B, Bangladesh-based Rafiq Azam talks about his architecture, his painting and his journey through colour, space and light.

Photograph & Images: courtesy Shatotto; Rafiq Azam

Mohammad Rafiq Azam is the Principal Architect of the architecture firm Shatotto, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

He is also a teacher, a lecturer and a painter. Azam has accumulated a number of achievements in architecture and painting. He has given lectures worldwide and his work is published and exhibited on national and international platforms. He has been a finalist twice for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and has been a winner of the World Architecture Community Awards numerous times.

IA&B: You are an artist and an architect. Where do you find your roots? How do the two relate to your work?

RA: I wanted to be a painter – just a painter and nothing else. Since the age of seven I immersed myself in watercolour, especially by pouring green and light onto my paintings. Eventually, green, light and water became inseparable in my life.

After my HSC Exams, I had wished to get admitted to the Institute of Fine Art to receive formal training to become a painter. However, my parents’ desire to see me as an Engineer eventually landed me in the Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

Even then, I was happy to realise that Architecture presented me with the scope to continue my painting journey.

My approach to architecture is similar to my approach to watercolour.

Watercolour has the quality of transparency; you put one layer of colour on top of another. You can see the layers; the soft, watery quality is visible through each layer; unlike that of oil painting which is ‘heavy’. I try to practice architecture that is as transparent, light and Green as possible.

IA&B: You have stated that, “Architecture is all about creating a place of desire for hopefulness and memories”. Can you say something about this?

RA: After the death of my father in 1984, our 75-year-old house was in need

let’s partner

of renovation. We are nine siblings and we needed more rooms. Moreover, three of my siblings were getting married and we required a home that would accommodate the festivities and the new family members.

it is also intertwined and continuous. So when my wife suggested the Bengali name Shatotto from the poem, “Kopotaksho Nod” by Micheal Modhushudhan Dutta, I felt it was a fitting name.

I was in my third year of studies at BUET during the time and I went to the same architect my father had consulted years ago, to make the required changes to our home. Our home had a small courtyard and garden which my mother had tended to with utmost care. The new plan for the house left her devastated. She longed for the courtyard and the garden where she had many fond memories, gardening with my father. She said, “I have lost my husband and now this house will make me lose my memories, too.”

IA&B: Your watercolour works are enthralling. Can you tell us how, as an architect, you got into painting and literature?

RA: I think it is the other way around – a painter got into architecture. Since my parents, particularly my father, was not happy with my wish to be an artist, I ended up getting admitted to Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology, but at the Department of Architecture. That is why I often say that I am an architect by chance and a painter by conviction.

It was then, for the first time as a student of third-year architecture that I realised that architecture is all about creating a place of desire, for hopefulness and memories. I promised my mother to give back her gardens and court; her cherished memories.

IA&B: What can we know as the philosophical core of your work?

RA: Many a times, I say, “If you wish to be an architect, please get out of architecture.” I feel that being submerged in Architecture will eventually develop a tunnel view. Architecture needs to be seen from the platform of the ‘Arts’. We need to think about the ‘Art of Architecture’ where poetry, painting, literature, sociology, psychology, semiology, physiology, climatology, ecology and so on, interact, intertwine and intermingle to generate spaces for living.

IA&B: ‘Shatotto’ means continuity. How does your practice relate to this?

RA: I started my studio in 1995 and was thinking of a name for the studio.

Conversations with my wife, Afroza, led to the name ‘SHATOTTO architecture for green living’; it was my wife who actually named my studio. We both agreed that creation and innovation are two continuous processes of life, along with life itself. The relation of architecture to the environment is similar;

The yellow harvest field and dense green, the vast sky and moving clouds; the breeze flowing over the water and swampy land; the midday sun stretching its last light to twilight; thousands-of-years-old ruins and

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history, coming back as mystery, memory and melody – all these are my source of inspirations.

When the 18 th Century mystique minstrel of our land Lalon said, “If there is not one thing inside the body then it is not outside the body either,” or Descartes said, “I think therefore I am”; or when I read Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul or Jibanananda Das – they all inspire me. When I walk through the architecture of Mazharul Islam, I feel the whispering of the wind. When I see a small hut of a farmer, I sense the humanity; when I hear the music of Ali Akbar Khan, I lose myself into the nothingness; when I see Van Gogh’s ‘Potato Eater’, I feel the pain. When I look at Kahn’s parliament complex, I hear the silence . . .

IA&B: You have worked on the Bangladesh High Commission in Pakistan. The countries are connected by a great past. Can you elaborate on the experience?

RA: For me, site visit is like a pilgrimage – it is important and it is what tells me how to proceed with a site. ‘Site’ is the story teller. To take part in the competition of ‘Bangladesh Chancellery Building Design Competition’, we were the only team that visited the site. For me it was the amazing Regal Margalla Hills close to the site that helped me understand the scale and proportion of the project. Our team then visited Mohenjo daro in Pakistan and historic sites of Bangladesh. So our response to the project was very critical; where the land belongs to Pakistan and the building belongs to Bangladesh.

When two countries open their diplomatic missions to one another, it is as though they open their doors to one another. Friendship begins and, as architects, we wanted to enhance the ties for a better future. Here the design concept started with looking for similarities rather than differences.

We started looking at the great past of the two countries. We considered the adjacent vertically of Margalla Hills, we considered the flat landscape and the deltaic conditions of Bangladesh. Here we suggested an ‘Archeological Landscape’, rather than a building. On one hand we considered the land a meeting ground of two great civilizations and on the other hand, a flat, humble, beautiful structure showing the advancement of Bangladesh after the Liberation War of 1971.

IA&B: Tradition or nature; what is closer to your work?

RA: I am from a land of poetry and toil intertwined.

Each year we are faced with natural disasters; cyclones such as Aila, Sidr come and go but we continue to move forward. Through the last thousands of years we have developed not only resilience but also a friendship with nature.

Every year we overcome, we adopt, we rebuilt and we dwell poetically. In Bangladesh, water is most precious and abundant, with life subtly woven within it. This is what makes her a country of poetry. Bangladesh is the largest delta on earth with 52 major rivers that carry water from the Himalayas in an intricate pattern to the Bay of Bengal. During Monsoon these rivers inundate

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IA&B: You have received your architectural education from Bangladesh. You have also lectured at several international platforms. Do you think architectural schools do justice to education?

RA: I can tell you, I learnt architecture from my mother. Of course, school taught proportions, scale, measurements and the other mathematics, but the essence of architecture - that, I learnt from my mother.

I think young architects are hungry - they want to learn. I have visited a few countries and I have taught and lectured at different universities too; I saw young people - particularly in this part of the world - they are eager to learn.

Their eyes are always asking questions. Not their mouths, but their eyes are asking questions. But there are very few people to answer these questions.

I feel that we need to learn about our own country, where we are working, our landscape, our people; history, sociology, psychology and typology; how history produced architecture earlier, and the transformations - it’s not just copying the old thing into new - we need to learn how to transform things into the contemporary world. And it also connects the whole world. So it is a huge responsibility for the architects now.

two-thirds of the country’s land, making water the major element of the landscape. When the water recedes, it leaves a fine layer of fertile alluvial soil and the entire landscape is transformed into large patches of paddy fields that dance with the winds.

I can never separate tradition and nature. It is not only tradition and nature but culture, history, archaeology, anthropology – all of which is intertwined and intermingled.

IA&B: Masters & Mentors - as an architect practicing is a developing country, who were and are the people that influenced your work?

RA: Oh, there are quite a few architects whose works inspire me; Geoffrey Bawa and Glenn Murcutt are the most humble, in demeanour as well as in design. I am fascinated by Geoffrey Bawa – other than him, nobody else has put me in awe till now. I met Bawa and saw his works and visited his office – I feel very fortunate. Glenn is my Guru, he taught me how to look at architecture with humanity; how to deal with the land when land is ‘Ma’. I learned from Prof. Shamsul Wares, who taught me how to look at architecture not as a building but as a phenomenon. There are other architects that I am inspired by, like Kerry Hill, Peter Strutchbury, Richard Leplastrier, Kashef Mahboob – to name a few. I love all of them actually; they are all unique people and I learn from them.

Like the Hindu scripture says, only he who is the most knowledgeable person in society, can be the architect. So an architect must be a knowledgeable person. So are we giving them proper knowledge at schools? I think that our part of the world, the subcontinent, has ample opportunity and scope.

We have history, we have romance, we have fantastic climate, landscape, people…but I feel that we are not giving them proper education - the answers to their questions. That is why I think we need to reshuffle our curriculum, make it more open – encourage questions and discussions. Like Louis Kahn said, a classroom may be one where, “a man under a tree who did not know he was a teacher discussing his realisation with a few who did not know they were students.”

To know more about the work of Shatotto and Rafiq Azam, refer to the story titled ‘The Soul of a Space’, on page 52.

All watercolour paintings are reproductions from Rafiq Azam’s original work.

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LET’S PARTNER Blue, Green & White Rafiq Azam discusses his idea of continuity, paintings and his approach towards architecture in conversation with IA&B.

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CURRENT Au courant updates on competitions, news and events.

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Things, objects and designs for architectural spaces.

RNI Registration No. 46976/87, ISSN 0971-5509 Chairman: Jasu Shah Printer, Publisher & Editor: Maulik Jasubhai Shah Chief Executive Officer: Hemant Shetty

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Embodying the functional and contextual aspects of its site, the new INFLIBNET Centre Campus designed by Vāstu Shilpā Consultants on a narrow strip of land in Gandhinagar will rise as a mixed-use development.

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Guest House, Indian Institute of Astrophysics The Guest House at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Kodaikanal by Jaisim

Head Office:

Fountainhead Projects Private Ltd. is a preservation of the heritage value of an old

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

SALES

CONSTRUCTION BRIEF The INFLIBNET Centre Campus

EDITORIAL

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

PRODUCTS

building, fusing it with modern technology to gratify contemporary requirements.

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The Elastic House

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

The dynamic envelope of the Elastic House by CADENCE in Bengaluru, wraps a

MARKETING TEAM & OFFICES Mumbai Viresh Pandey / Parvez Memon 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 Email: viresh_pandey@jasubhai.com, parvez_memon@jasubhai.com

private areas and the openness of public spaces.

captivating sense of space within and is a unique combination of the opacity of

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Elemental

Delhi: Preeti Singh / Manu Raj Singhal / Ankit Garg 803, Chiranjeev Tower, No 43, Nehru Place, New Delhi – 110 019 Tel: 011 2623 5332, Fax: 011 2642 7404, E-mail: preeti_singh@jasubhai.com, manu_singhal@jasubhai.com, ankit_garg@jasubhai.com Gujarat: Parvez Memon Mobile: 09769758712, Email: parvez_memon@jasubhai.com

The issue frames our continuing search for ‘patient’ architecture where thought precedes action.

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An anthology of four houses by Shattoto, an architectural firm led by Rafiz Azam, embraces the philosophical understanding of the culture, climate and

Chennai / Coimbatore: Viresh Pandey Mobile: 09833747615, Email: viresh_pandey@jasubhai.com

Kolkata: Sudhanshu Nagar Mobile: 09833104834, E-mail: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com Pune: Viresh Pandey Mobile: 09833747615, Email: viresh_pandey@jasubhai.com

ARCHITECTURE The Soul of a Space

Bengaluru: Viresh Pandey Mobile: 09833747615, Email: viresh_pandey@jasubhai.com

Hyderabad: Viresh Pandey Mobile: 09833747615, Email: viresh_pandey@jasubhai.com

FOCUS

context of Bangladesh.

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Kargyak Learning Centre With nuanced skill and an exhaustive design process, arch i – an exploratory platform for architecture in Delhi – sensitively reforms the idea of a primary school in Kargyak into a multi-purpose space to provide necessary infrastructure in the village for the education of forty children.

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A Piece of Memory Intertwined notions of involvement and experience thread the programmatic understanding of two projects - a temple complex in Goa and a residence in Belgaum - by Goa-based Rahul Deshpande & Associates.

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Architecture of Forgotten Wisdom Bengaluru-based Little River Architects designs the Sagar House in the outskirts of Sagar Town, Shimoga District, as an extension of the existential regionalism and traditional building practices.

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Reviving Architectural Expresions Combining local building techniques and materials with modern formal expressions, V Noel Jerald creates a rustic composition with Gnana Illam - a quaint house located in the scenic villages of Tamil Nadu.

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BOOK REVIEW Recycling Spaces Curating Urban Revolution Emily Waugh compiles an immersive collection of projects by Martha Schwartz Partners that imbibes the humanistic and participatory relevance that landscape architecture holds when extended into the realms of urban restructuring.

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YOUNG DESIGNERS ‘12 ARCHITECTURE: Textures and Traditions Responding emphatically to its locale, the Aquaterra Resort by RLDA Studio exhibits the poetic attitude of its surroundings its materiality and aspirations.

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INTERIORS Confederacy of Essentials In its honest expression and simple detailing, ‘On the Rocks’ Pub & Lounge in Indore by Sandhya Patil explores the sense of a space pared back with minimalist glamour.

C

nd shpa e D l s hu e : R a A s s o c i ate g a Im & o ve r

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SPACE FRAMES Fashion Victims Florian Müller looks at the lives of people who form the fabric of India’s resurrecting textile industry and the places and spaces of their work in this column curated by Dr. Deepak John Mathew.

VOL 25 (10) | JUN 2012 | ` 200 | MUMBAI Printed & Published by Maulik Jasubhai Shah on behalf of Jasubhai Media Pvt. Ltd (JMPL), Taj Building, 3rd Floor, 210, Dr. D. N. Road, Mumbai 400 001.

Printed at M.B.Graphics, B-28 Shri Ram Industrial Estate, ZG.D.Ambekar Marg, Wadala, Mumbai 400031and Published from Mumbai.

JMPL, Taj Building, 3rd Floor, 210, Dr. D. N. Road, 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.

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IA&B - JUN 2012

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current Photography competition - Space in Transition

Graduate Architecture Award 2012

Category Type Deadline

Category Type Deadline

: : :

International Open to all July 28, 2012

International Open to students August 31, 2012

One hardly ever takes notice of the time spent in waiting daily. Buses, trains, the tube, escalators, lifts - all these are waiting spaces in order to reach a destination or continue a journey. They are public places that change their quality and atmosphere at different times of the day. One is drawn to the view outside the bus window, on escalators we get glimpses of people’s faces going in the other direction or glances of countless advertisements lined up on the wall. This competition seeks photographers who can visualise the memory of waiting for someone, the reasoning behind it or simply any photograph that depicts how these spaces changes as per one’s perception.

This international competition is dedicated to promote graduate architecture projects of students who have recently graduated or are on the verge of graduating in the field of architecture. Student architectural projects, the final one to be precise, are known to be the dearest and reflect great investment of time and effort. The competition will help students by awarding these projects and making them public. The goal of the competition is to facilitate a process of knowledge exchange. The future goal of this competition is to provide prospective employers with the possibility to approach students who show talent in the areas of design methodology that are valued by the company.

For further information, log on to: Web: www.hdcompetitions.com/transition-7

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

Workplace of the Future Challenge

LIGHTITUDE: Lighting urban areas above the polar circle

Category Type Deadline

: : :

International Open to all August 6, 2012

The ‘2012 Fentress Global Challenge: Workplace of the future’ is an annual competition that aims at engaging students from around the world in exploring future design possibilities in public architecture. Research proves that space management is a powerful and effective tool. Office environments are built to maximise employee experience which in return offer greatest operational values. These returns can be measure beyond revenue and can be categorised as a requirement to promote performance, productivity and innovation. In an eco-system that depends on productivity for a reliable economy, the competition seeks to justify the importance of a cost-effective, space-effective and operationally effective workplace.

For further information, log on to: Web: www.fentressarchitects.com/edge/global-challenge/

Spiritual.d 2012 - Spiritual space design in a contemporary world Category Type Deadline

COMPETITIONS

: : :

: : :

International Open to all August 15, 2012

Category Type Deadline

: : :

International Open to all September 2, 2012

This year’s theme invites participants to reflect on lighting the communities near the Polar Circle. A multitude of captivating and impressive works are expected to be submitted. Due to the extreme living conditions and high latitudes, these communities are subjected to particular lighting phenomena. Since light forms the core of survival for any living organism, it or the lack of it has profound effect on humanoids. The question arises whether these isolated communities benefit from a more adapted artificial outdoor lighting solution to fulfil their particular Nordic needs. The history of humanity preferring warmth and realted temperate conditions has deferred mankind to accept diversity of the earth, especially in high altitudes where the sunshine is sometimes scarce.

For further information, contact: Web: www.lumec.com/company/fondation_clu.html

SPACE PRIZE 2012 - Interior Design Category Type Deadline

: : :

International Open to interior designers September 7, 2012

The competition aims to challenge architects, designers and engineers from around the world to re-imagine the design of a spiritual space in the 21st century.

Different eras have different manifestation evident in architecture through their spiritual affiliations. A Hindu Temple and a Gothic Cathedral both may seemingly provide the same utilitarian purpose - a place of worship - but the design of both the places will have two completely different stories to tell. This competition is designed to value the essence of this particular concept to be directly applied to present-day society. The proposed work should investigate ideas related to the technical complexity of the building, the symbolic expression of the space and the role of spiritual places in our society and implement them to current and future experiences, spatial organisations, functionalities and aesthetics.

SPACE has announced the 12th SPACE PRIZE for international students of Interior Design. With the topic ‘Convergence’, the competition hopes to discover the extent to which design can converge and develop with different areas. The aggressive changes that come with rapid informatisation are fundamentally changing humans, social forms and even life itself. In order to cope with such changes, it is important to create innovative new knowledge, new culture, and new business methods which utilise convergence and expand new horizons beyond the boundary of existing learning such as natural science, social science, humanities, and business studies. Only through understanding of society, culture of humans and the application of this in an integrated approach to design methods can one achieve the highest and the purest form of design.

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

For further information, log on to: Web: www.space-prize.com

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current Façade Design and Engineering India 2012 Date Venue

: :

September 5-7, 2012 Mumbai, India

The 2012 Façade Design and Engineering conference will challenge perceptions, invigorate knowledge-sharing and will mould the façades community in every corner of India’s design industry. The conference is the opportunity to learn the dos and the don’ts by case studying previous projects and enhance international knowledge in local material selection to ensure cost reduction in projects. It is the opportunity to understand the technical knowledge that is required to implement and execute new technologies. Relevant panel discussions related to the façade industry by suppliers, competitors and potential clients will be the key features of this conference.

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

2012 IDEA Interior: A State of Becoming Date Venue

: :

September 6-10, 2012 Perth, Australia

‘Interior: A State of Becoming’ explores, extends and challenges the world of interior design as a state of constant and dynamic becoming rather than being. This year, the symposium focusses on core issues like the interior and the occupant becoming ‘old’, the value in constantly becoming ‘new’, methods of recycling and the method of revisioning the history of interior in the light of ‘becoming’. Along with the symposium the curators of the exhibition, Interior: A State of Becoming invites researchers in interior architecture and interior design education and practices to submit proposals of speculative and or tangible creative work for exhibition. The focus of the 2012 Symposium, the interior in flux, draws attention to the following questions: Entropy followed by death and renewal is the natural cycle. How do we reconsider the interior and the occupant becoming ‘old’? Where is the value in constantly ‘becoming’ new? amongst others.

For further information, log on to: Web: www.idea-edu.com/Symposiums/2012-Interior-a-State-of-Becoming

London Design Festival

EVENTS

Date Venue

: :

September 15-23, 2012 London, United Kingdom

AAG 2012: Third Advances in Architectural Geometry Symposium Date Venue

: :

September 27-30, 2012 Paris, France

The Third Advances in Architectural Geometry Symposium, AAG 2012, will be held in Paris at the Pompidou Centre. This edition of the AAG is organised by RFR, as part of the Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP). Geometry lies at the core of the architectural design process. Advances in Architectural Geometry is a symposium presenting theoretical works and practices linked to new geometrical development applicable to architecture. This symposium aims to gather the diverse components of contemporary architectural tendencies which push the building envelope towards free-form and respond to the multiple contemporary design challenges with renewed mathematical rigour.

For further information, log on to: Web: www.aag12.architecturalgeometry.at/

DelhiBuild 2012 Date Venue

: :

September 27-30, 2012 New Delhi, India

Indian Institute of Architects and International Trade Exhibition Events Pvt. Ltd have jointly announced the DelhiBuild 2012. Indian Institute of Architects is a premier institute boasting a membership of about 1,90,000 architects. DelhiBuild 2012 is co-located with other trade exhibitions like the Delhiinterior 2012 which will cover an array of industry segments related to construction, interiors, building material, doors and windows.

Delhibuild 2012 is the extension of the world’ss largest building exhibition in the building and construction industry called MosBuild which is held in Moscow, Russia. DelhiBuild will see leading companies which form a part of this community showcasing their products and services.

For further information, log on to: www.india-build.com/Press-Zone/Press-releases.aspx

Failed Architecture in Copenhagen Date Venue

: :

September 30, 2012 Copenhagen, Denmark

The London Design Festival is one of the world’s most important annual design events. The nine-day Festival programme is made up of over 300 events and exhibitions staged by 200 partner organisations across the design spectrum and from around the world. Hundreds of shows take place in and around London, establishing the pivotal role London plays in global design. A major attraction of the event is the landmark project which commissions some of the greatest architects and designers to create masterpieces to be displayed in London’s most popular public spaces. The festival is both cultural and a commercial event, with around 350,000 visitors attening last year’s Festival.

On the occasion of national Day of Architecture, the Danish Network for Young Planners invites Failed Architecture to Copenhagen. As the fourth in a series of similar events, criteria (‘benchmarks’) for quality and failure in modernist housing estates in an international East/West perspective will also be discussed. To make the event site-specific, Scandinavia’s second-tallest housing complex ‘Domus Vista’ will frame the “walkshop” and debate. The walkshop opens up debate in Domus Vista’s largely bankruptcy-stricken community-cum-shopping centre. International and Danish architects and designers will provide their expertise on why housing estates from the post-war period are often regarded as failures and its effects on urban planning and regeneration.

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

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

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current Six World Monuments Watch Sites Receive American Express Grants American Express and World Monument Fund announced USD1 million in grant funding to six historical sites. This is the first allocation after the USD5 million, five-year grant to the World Monuments Fund to support the World Monuments Watch. The six locations chosen to receive these funds are the Ruta de la Amistad in Mexico City, Mexico; Salvador de Bahia, Brazil; Balaji Ghat in Varanasi, India; the Canterbury Provincial Government buildings in Christchurch, New Zealand; the ruins of the former Cathedral of Saint Michael in Coventry, United Kingdom; and the town of Sawara in Japan.

Over the years World Monumental Fund and American Express together have helped preserve 138 sites in 62 countries, benefiting both the local as well the many people from across the globe who visit these locations to admire their beauty and to learn about history and culture. World Monument Fund has collaborated with American Express, and the latter is tremendously contributing to preserve a wide array of monuments all over the world.

These heritage monuments and places stand as testimony to the variable culture and communities that spread across the world.

Doctor of Fine Arts: Brinda Somaya Brinda Somaya, one of Mumbai’s leading architects was conferred an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by the Smith College, USA. Quoting from the citation – “She merged architecture, conservation and social equity in projects that range from private homes to the renovation of an 18 th century cathedral, showing that progress and history need not be at odds. She designed inclusively, blunting the sharp edges where Mumbai’s slums meet middle-class communities, insisting that the social justice and conservational elements of her work are not niceties but necessities.”

Brinda Somaya has upheld the standards and ethics of architectural practice in India with many years of significant work as a part of her firm Somaya and Kalappa. Her drawing together of the built and unbuilt, the forms of the old and the imperatives of the new fetched her one of the highest honours in the field of fine arts.

NEWS

OMA’s Stage Set for the Ancient Greek Theatre in Syracuse, Italy OMA’s design for the historic Greek Theatre in Syracuse, Sicily, was inaugurated with the performance of Aeschylus’s Prometheus Unbound, directed by Claudio Longhi. The scenography of this particular project features three makeshift architectural devices that reinterpret the spaces of the theatre, which dates from the 5 th Century BCE. OMA’s interventions will be utilised in strategic moments within the summer’s cycle of plays staged by the Instituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico. The interventions are designed by the AMO, the unit within OMA, dedicated to non-architectural and transient projects. The first intervention, the Ring, is a suspended walkway that completes the semi-circle of the terraced seating, encompassing the stage and the backstage. The machine is a fully adaptable backdrop for the plays: a sloping circular platform, seven-metres high, mirroring the amphitheatre.

Zaha Hadid’s Riverside Museum Wins European Museum Academy Micheletti Award 2012 Riverside Museum in Glasgow, a Zaha Hadid design, has been named the most innovative museum in the fields of technology, labor and social history by the European Museum Academy. The Riverside Museum competed against museums in 12 other European Countries to win the 17 th annual Micheletti Award. Careful planning of the museum initiated involvement by visitors and volunteers at every stage of the development.

The judges concluded that the resources and the finances invested in this project has been put to excellent use, it is completely public-oriented, flexible and always on the outlook. It has proved to be a life-saver of a rundown neighbourhood as well as displaying the past, present and future of Glasgow. The judges were particularly impressed with the relationship that was grounded between the museum and the people before, after and during the opening of the museum. The Riverside Museum has attracted more than 1.4 million visitors since its opening in June and has had a successful run since its opening.

Dubai-like Buildings in Patna: Hafeez Contractor Hafeez Contractor, one of India’s most recognised architect, plans to develop a world city alongside the river Ganga. It is planned to be built similar to the structures that are built in Dubai. These structures will boast of eco-friendly buildings and water sports facilities. This project is expected to span over an area of 1,700 acres of land out of which residential, commercial and entertainment centres will constitute 300 acres and 350 acres will be developed as green fields. A park is also expected to be built on 600 acres of land which will be designed on the lines of the park in New York which spreads over 800 acres of land. Other facilities like a seven-star hotel, malls and shopping centres, schools, hospitals, health clubs, art galleries, convention centres and sports centres will be created in the planned city.

CCTV Tower Building Reaches Completion The Beijing CCTV tower, one of the most iconic buildings since its conceptualisation back in 2002 has officially been completed. Ten years in the making, the building saw its official construction completion which was marked with a ceremony in its honour. With its completion it has become one of the most famous landmarks on the Beijing skyline, changing the way a skyscraper is traditionally perceived. The China Central Television Headquarters was designed by OMA, who began this ambitious project 10 years ago and since then the tower has been critically acclaimed for the innovative design and engineering challenges that was overcome during the construction. It provides the infrastructure for the entire television production process, using the idea of a single continuous loop of interconnected activities throughout the structure creating a three-dimensional experience of complete and social continuity. The implementation of such a unique loop, will allow the building to run in an unified cycle.

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A futuristic concept, the Leana Bicycle is a design put into motion by Israeli product designer Boaz Mendel from the old Jaffa Port of Tel Aviv.

products

leana bicycle Text compiled by: Parikshit Vivekanand Images & drawings: courtesy Fournfive Design

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one are the days when bicycles were traditional diamond shapes; nowadays bicycles look like they are straight out of a science fiction movie. The Leana Bicycle is the exact example of this concept with its different riding posture and angulated edges. In this ever-so-conscious and global warming-fearing world the ‘Leana Bicycle’ proves to be the perfect entrant. The Leana Bicycle is designed by an Israeli designer Boaz Mendel, who believes that designers are responsible for the designs they produce, if it is feasible for the design to be the way it is, if it is worth the resources should be one’s top priority. He believes that designers should have the forethought with any product, with its life and even with its sustainability.

The Leana Bicycle runs exactly on these principles; it is a concept which allows one to achieve maximum utilisation. The design is such that it provides a better riding position which also gives it that futuristic look. A centre hub gear gives the option to pedal a 27” wheel with an amazing power ratio. This was achieved by changing the design of the diamond-frame of the bicycle. This resulted in uprooting the medieval concept of a chain gear ratio.

The riding posture is facilitated with a little anchor bone padding to allow the rider to lean forward. Along with this, the steering mechanism is designed in such a way that the rider is allowed to rest his shoulders and arms on the handlebars.

Designer: Boaz Mendel Contact: Jaffa Port, Warehouse 2, Israel Email: boaz@fournfive.co.il Website: www.fournfive.co.il

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Lucid, a Bengaluru-based design firm shows us the whacky side of furniture with their design OOH OOH.

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ooh ooh Images: courtesy Lucid Design India Pvt Ltd

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evolutionary, quirky furniture will probably be the best way to categorise OOH OOH furniture that breaks away from the conventions of contemporary furniture design. This particular furniture puts the beauty in the beast; a different kind of beast, mind you - the soft cushioned kind of beast. Don’t be fooled by the humble and cuddly look of the gorilla because the OOH OOH is very much alive and hungry for attention. The OOH OOH is a larger-than-life, upholstered gorilla that comes apart to form lounge furniture. The gorilla’s body flips over into a chaise, the two arms form a low bench arm, and the head becomes a rug with an integrated cushion for lounging on the floor.

Lift being designer Amit Mirchandani’s another award-winning design collaborative, this particular design remains close to Lift’s core values, bridging beauty and functionality - synching them in perfect harmony with an underlying social commentary. The OOH OOH takes a gentle swipe at the static, cold and impersonal nature of what modern furniture has evolved into. his design captures several of the attributes of successful furniture - comfort, playfulness, style and sophistication - but does it in an engaging and entertaining way. OOH OOH has a plywood and bio-degradable rigid foam structure, covered in natural latex cushioning foam and Dacron. The cushioning is covered by faux fur and fine wool. All in all, this design though being extremely whacky proves to be extremely sustainable and highly utilitarian.

Designer: Amit Mirchandani Contact: Lucid Design India Pvt Ltd 453, 1st Cross, H.A.L 3rd Stage, Bengaluru 560 075 India Tel: +91 99803 80909 Email: amit@lucid.co.in Website: www.lucid.co.in

44 IA&B - JUN 2012 View of the building on the narrow site.

The INFLIBNET Centre Campus Located on a narrow strip of land in Gandhinagar, the new INFLIBNET Centre Campus by Vāstu Shilpā Consultants is a mixed-use development that takes into consideration, both the functional aspects of design as well as the contextual features of the site.

Text compiled by: Shalmali Wagle Images: courtesy Vāstu Shilpā Consultants

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he Information and Library Network Centre (INFLIBNET) is an independent, autonomous inter-university division that functions as an agency for networking between libraries and information centres in institutions. Currently, its national headquarter is casually located in the residential block of the Gujarat University in Ahmedabad. Needless to say, this crude arrangement is highly inadequate and as a remedy, a piece of land at Gandhinagar has been allotted to Vāstu Shilpā Consultants for the construction of the new INFLIBNET Centre Campus.

Located at the InfoCity precinct of Gandhinagar, the 2.45-acre site is not only a part of an advanced IT park, but is also in close proximity to reputed educational institutions. The proposed design effectively accommodates an entire institutional campus in a narrow site, 40m wide and 260m long.

A model of the staircase piercing its way through the plinth.

A model showing the connecting plazas.

construction brief

The main entrance on site.

The 19,200sqm mixed-use building comprises of flexible open-plan offices, administrative and academic facilities including classrooms, lecture halls and a 400-capacity auditorium, and residential and recreational facilities for employees and guests. The structure plays with the site by crafting a multitude of volumes and planes to house the programme in a single consolidated structure. A combination of a regular reinforced cement concrete footing foundation and a three-storey-high plinth containing the administrative and academic functions supports the structure. The third floor of the building flaunts a continuous open space connecting the entire building and acts as the chief pedestrian activity zone, with all circulation cores connected to it, allowing vertical movement through the building. A large open staircase leads from the main entrance to the plaza, piercing its way through the volume of the plinth. Thick cavity walls with brick masonry skins are employed as infill in the regular column-beam assembly to reduce the heat gain along the east and west façades. Besides having a much higher insulation value than standard walls, the spaces within these cavity walls also allow the accommodation of the main services of the building and filter indirect sunlight into the workspaces. The openings are designed to minimise direct heat gain and maximise the entry of natural lighting. The hot and dry climate is ideal for the employment of an air-evaporative cooling system, so as to bring down room temperatures while consuming minimal energy. In order to avoid any build up of humidity, the Air Handling Units (AHUs) are advanced 2-Stage machines placed on terraces. Ducts are run in the outer cavity walls to distribute cooled air to individual floors, where it is supplied to the rooms through vents in the false floor, which acts as a plenum. Insulated walls and completely shaded windows assure low temperatures of the surrounding surfaces as well, to reduce discomfort due to radiation. With this inclusive strategy, the overall power consumption is reduced by around 19 per cent. The project is estimated to meet its completion by December 2012.

The plaza on site.

The piercing staircase.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design Team

: : : :

Client Civil Contractors

: :

Structural Engineer Mechanical Engineer

: :

New INFLIBNET Centre Campus InfoCity, Gandhinagar, Gujarat Sönke Hoof, Vāstu Shilpā Consultants B N Panchal, Tejas Mojidra, Roopande Mehta, Divya Jindal, Sunny Gupta, Raffaele Nannetti, Jessica Bailey, Sayantan Chakraborty, Vinaya Mallya, Manisha Patadia INFLIBNET Centre, Information and Library Network Centre Katira Construction Ltd (Offices and Academic Block) and Malani Construction Ltd (Residential Block) N K SHAH McD BERL – Smart Environs

The masonry skins of the cavity walls.

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The addition of an entire first floor.

The transformation of the façade.

Guest House, Indian Institute of Astrophysics The Guest House at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Kodaikanal by Jaisim Fountainhead Projects Private Ltd is a preservation of the heritage value of an old building, fusing it with modern technology to gratify contemporary requirements.

Images: courtesy Jaisim Fountainhead Projects Private Ltd

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ositioned atop one of the highest peaks in southern India, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics is surrounded by lush greenery and exquisite panoramas of the contiguous valley. Originally dedicated to the Ionosphere and Magnosphere Lab, the new brief demands a transformation of the ‘I&M Building’ into a Guest House for the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

Catering to visiting members and foreign dignitaries, the heritage structure retrofitted by Jaisim Fountainhead Projects Private Ltd is a fusion of the old and new. The underlying essence of the restoration process is a balance between the original aesthetics and modern construction technology to craft a meaningful space.

The solid stone unmasked after the elimination of plaster.

The initial inspection of the heritage structure revealed remnants of the bygone days with an unhealthy mixture of flaking plaster on the 18-inch-thick masonry walls. The solid stone walls were stripped of these layers of plaster to unmask the bare beauty of the stonework below. The re-organised floor plan accommodates the communal areas like lounges, dining hall and reading rooms and the newly added first floor comprises of guest suites and rooms.

The additions are largely fashioned using hollow clay blocks; its thermal properties making it the obvious choice for the building material in Kodaikanal’s cold climatic conditions. The 18-inch walls on the lower

The salvaged ‘Jalis’ (latticework).

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A fusion of the old and new.

The perforations in the curved roof.

floor is, thus, allowed to continue on the floor above as 8-inch-thick hollow clay-block walls, seamlessly integrating with the stone to form a whole. The timber joinery, having outlived its time, is suitably replaced to make way for modern sleeker sections of shiny frames. Certain building elements including the majestic half-round columns, the ventilating ‘Jalis’ (latticework), and the main stonework structure itself are retained to maintain the structure’s authentic flavour.

The orientation and alignment of the 9800sqft rectangular building block ensure that the shifting positions of the sun are captured to create a drama of light and shadow throughout the day. This quality has been tapped with the main roof being randomly punctured with rigid glass blocks to allow the filtering of daylight into the spaces contained. The central portion of the roof is pulled above the main mass and is cast with a gentle curve punctured with voids. These perforations, along with the existing ‘jaalis’, form a natural ventilation system; an incessant cycle with fresh air entering through the existing ‘jaalis’ and stale air exiting through the roof. The viewing deck is a cantilever that floats above the existing structure, allowing breathtaking views of the sky and the surrounding valley. It projects out of the original building line, taking strength from the existing stone walls and spreading out into the surroundings. The project is currently on site and is expected to reach completion by July 2012.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design team Client Civil and Carpentry Contractors

: : : : : :

Guest House, Indian Institute of Astrophysics Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu Prof. K. Jaisim Jaisim Fountainhead Projects Private Ltd Indian Institute of Astrophysics Amman Constructions

The insertion of glass blocks in the roof.

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The impervious elevated block and the translucent lower level.

The Elastic House Integrating organic fluidity in form with a captivating sense of space within, the façade of the Elastic House by CADENCE in Bengaluru is a unique combination of the opacity of private areas and the openness of public spaces.

Images: courtesy CADENCE

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constricted south-facing site in a typical dense residential neighbourhood of Bengaluru, the 70ft x 45ft plot is flanked by a 12ft-wide conservancy lane on its east. The brief of the residence to be built on this tight urban site is chiefly governed by the requirement of an intriguing exterior form and a fascinating quality of spaces within.

Conceived with an organic fluidity, the proposed 9000sqft Elastic House ventures a sectional segregation of the area programme, organising the public spaces like the living and dining areas, the kitchen and the ‘pooja’ room at the lower level; and the private spaces like the bedrooms at an elevated level, hovering above the ground with the lower level in its underbelly. The external form of the building unmistakably suggests the

The complex three-dimensional curves.

The sculptural quality of the staircase.

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The Elastic House on site.

The fluid quality extended to the roof.

The supple flow of spaces in split levels.

programmatic split within, with the elevated block being predominantly impervious and the bottom being ephemeral and translucent.

The focal quality in the interior is the supple flow of spaces in split levels.

This not only enhances the unsolidified quality of the space but also ensures that the space becomes as dynamic as the building envelope that encapsulates it.

The bedrooms on the elevated level are divided and positioned as two fragments across a void and re-connected through a loop of stairs. These segregated bedrooms are placed along the width of the house to allow larger usable areas and with the intention of making the void in between sculptural. The central void, which may be reinterpreted as a central court, is articulated around a serene water body.

In order to accomplish a form that is exceedingly fluid in nature, the predominantly employed construction materials include concrete and ferro-concrete recognised for its malleability. The concrete slabs are cast in-situ to form the main structure while the ferro-concrete is used for the delicate articulation of lines, planes and surfaces. The complex three-dimensional curves are fabricated on site with extensive drawings using digital and physical models, translating measurements from the computer-generated model to marks on the site. Mud centering is employed along with the conventional metal shuttering for the construction of the curvatures of the slabs. The double curvature of the pattern on the faรงade is achieved by the malleable quality of ferro-concrete.

The ribbed fenestrations are installed with mock-ups, created on site to accomplish the right proportion and thickness making iteration possible. The vertical louvred screen, acting as a sun screen and giving the lower level an ephemeral feel, is fabricated using mild steel. The project is currently on site and is expected to reach its completion by April 2013.

The ferro-concrete curves in the faรงade.

The sculptural court.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design team Client Civil Contractors Carpentry contractors

: : : : : : :

The Elastic house Bengaluru, Karnataka CADENCE Smaran M, Narendra P, Vikram R, Jishnu OS, Manali Raju Pragathi Costruction, Kumar Construction Vishwakarma

50 IA&B - JUN 2012 Š Rafiq Azam, Shatotto

focus Elemental Sustenance (n): nourishment, food, means of support - Little Oxford Dictionary, 1930.

We understand ‘sustainability’ as a means for communities and cultures to continually negotiate their destiny with and against forces of development. The ideas on ‘sustenance’ through architecture emerge from a deeper understanding of the context, the culture and the climate. It does not imply to look back or to stall the process of development. It does not imply to be sceptical about new materials, new technologies and new means of practising architecture.

At times, sustainability just implies to take a deep breath to pause and to think as ‘impatient’ architecture can destroy the world before ‘insensitive’ architecture.

In the June 2012 issue of IA&B, and perhaps in all subsequent issues, we strive to look for ‘patient’ architecture where thought precedes action.

If the habitat we design for our development supports us and nourishes us, if architecture is patient enough to understand, imagine and evaluate the consequence of design, avant-garde buildings will sustain development – contemporary forms and materials will nurture our need for a better living. Development can happen sensitively and our architecture can become not just a tool, but a means to our sustenance.

52 IA&B - JUN 2012 Watercolours by Mohd. Rafiq Azam

architecture

the

Soul of a S p a c e Shatotto, Rafiq Azam’s Practice in Dhaka, designs four houses as variations in the theme with programmatic and philosophical understanding of the culture, climate and context of Bangladesh.

Text: Ruturaj Parikh Images & drawings: courtesy Rafiq Azam; Shatotto

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ropical, fertile and rich – the landscape of Bangladesh is our own.

Growing rapidly and struggling against the same challenges that we face, the Bangladesh of today has found its identity in the arts, heritage, architecture and industry. Located in Dhaka, ‘Shatotto’ is a contemporary architectural practice initiated by Rafiq Azam. The four residences that are published here reflect the ideas and principles of Rafiq’s practices and focus on ‘Shatotto: Continuity’.

Quaint and silent, Shatotto’s architecture attempts to understand the understated values of building in a third-world economy. Contemporary in its expression yet rooted in the ways of Bangladeshi life, Rafiq’s architecture, like his paintings, reflects the moods of the elements of his landscape – water, vegetation, earth and sunlight. There is a poetic relationship between Rafiq’s work as a painter and his work as an architect.

The colours, hues, subtle changes in light and darkness, material textures and the way things blend with the canvas forms and almost-surreal parallel between his multi-faceted practices.

The changing seasons of Bangladesh play an important role in the architecture of Rafiq Azam. Built spaces that reflect the humane, simple and un-assuming language of work have a completely austere appeal. Contemporary forms enclose traditional ideas within symmetries and asymmetries of architectural compositions. Complexity of forms reflects that of ideas. Meaningful relationships are established between opposites – light and shade, space and envelope, interior and exterior, physical and experiential, sacred and profane.

Traditional elements are rediscovered and seen in new light. The ‘body’ of architecture is interpreted to have a soul; not just a space within.

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AZAM RESIDENCE The house stood on an old block in the heritage ‘Lalbagh’ area in Dhaka. The history of this place goes back 400 years. Rafiq Azam’s house in Dhaka had a garden and a courtyard. A simple one-level structure, the Azam residence had to be redesigned for more space and better life. Although the old house did not have an imaginative architecture, the fundamentals of life were well-addressed. There were rooms that overlooked an open space. There was a court for gathering members of the family. There was a garden.

As young Azam’s first project, he reflects thus on the design: “My melancholic mother looked at the plan, elevations, and sections blankly and asked ‘where is the space of my memories with your father, where is my courtyard and my garden?’ That was the start of my journey towards learning architecture”.

The new house in exposed bricks, concrete and wood, makes space for two courts. Richly green and full of intriguing objects, the house is beautiful when inhabited. Light permeates to the most enclosed of all spaces. Vegetation flourishes in the garden as the pergolas cast oblique shadows. The intimacy is immediate and there is a definite trace of occupation.

SKETCH

AZAM RESIDENCE – THE OLD HOUSE PLAN AS DOCUMENTED IN 1981

SKETCH

HOUSE ON THE STREET – THE 400-YEAR-OLD NEIGHBOURHOOD

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THE NEW PLAN – TWO COURTS AND GREEN

Personal objects placed carefully around the house.

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Contemporary in its expression yet rooted in the ways of Bangladeshi life, Rafiq’s architecture, like his paintings, reflects the moods of the elements of his landscape – water, vegetation, earth and sunlight.

Rich vegetation flourishes in the court.

From the court to the interiors.

From formal living to the court – looking out.

Formal living and spaces within.

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The courtyard – then and now.

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MEGHNA RESIDENCE One of the issues with modern living lies in the concept of luxury. Urban lives and spaces that respond to urban living in modern cities are perceived to be lavish and at times, unnecessarily opulent. Meghna Residence is a contemporary house in the dense city of Dhaka. Like all metros in growing cities, solitude and green is hard to find in Dhaka. The site for this house lies in the ‘Dhanmondi’ area – a modern development compared to the old Dhaka. The house is introverted owing to overlooking high-rise residences and potential developments around. To counter the introvert nature of the design, a U-shaped plan is conceived. With an annual rainfall of 60 inches, strong breeze from south-east towards north-west, the architecture comes alive around the central court.

The courtyard reverses the house that reveals itself from within. There are multiple ‘stacks’ – each level is unique and the variation creates a complex array of galleries, green spaces, open-to-sky spaces, fenestrations and façades that the structure allows. Concrete, exposed bricks, glass and wood become primary materials. Levels of privacy are established and retained by walls, glass screens and plants. A ‘swimming-pond’ at the top level is approached by a ‘ghatla’ – steps that take you into the water.

This is a brief excerpt from the note by the client: “I enjoy the privacy, movement of air and light, sound of water and obviously the warily messy bouncing green. If I need to be very specific then I will talk about the fourth level music room (gosha ghar) surrounded by the terraces and the gardens attached to the upper level swimming pool, large tree area and the deck by a open-to-sky stair, I like the fluidity. After my daylong exertion when I come back home and sit relaxed or stroll down this calm and quiet area in the midst of chaotic and noisy Dhaka, I become nostalgic to my early days in village and I love it.”

ELEVATIONS – EAST AND NORTH WITH VEGETATION – EXISTING AND PLANNED

MEGHNA RESIDENCE – FORCES: THE CONTEXT AND THE CLIMATE

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PLANS – GROUND, SECOND AND FOURTH LEVEL

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View from above – the many layers and ‘stacks’.

From the court – the concrete and brick structure with vegetation.

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Water forms an important element of Shatotto’s architecture.

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Transparency and opacity by variations in type, ratio and quality of openings.

‘Swimming-pond’ at the fourth level with a concrete wall and plantation maintaining privacy.

A pond and flowing water in the balcony.

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Green at all levels.

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THE MIZAN RESIDENCE Unlike the Azam and Meghna Residences, the Mizan Residence is not built on the ground but is designed as a duplex and sits on the top two floors of a housing apartment. Rafiq writes about the six seasons of Bengal and the colours, moods and flavours associated to them. As the seasons change, the directions of wind and sun change, creating an opportunity to explore elements that respond to this dynamism. The project intends to create a ‘personal space’ within an apartment building.

Traditional elements are rediscovered and seen in new light. The ‘body’ of architecture is interpreted to have a soul; not just a space within.

The duplex acts like an insert on the rooftop. Independent yet harmonious, the concrete-brick structure opens to a rich, green waterbody. As the openings frame views in the context, the “untamed green” of the house brings a tropical palette of flora and fauna to the living spaces. Cut-outs in the roof and a series of ‘khilkees’ or louvred shutters let light and wind inside. A living ‘pavilion’ is thus created with an orchard on the terrace.

“The construction cost has considerably reduced by using cheaper over-burnt brick and mango wood shutter. The hand-made terrazzo and ferro-cement tiles were produced on-site to be used on the floor and critical walls respectively, as required. Also, the interior finishing is naturally done either with brick or cast concrete,” writes Rafiq.

In tropical climates, the effects of rain and wind are an integral part of life.

The Mizan Residence uses a combination of openings, stacks, fenestrations and materials to recreate the experiences of earth-bound living. Variety of openings allow the light to change within with changes in days and months as a sense of time prevails.

THE MIZAN RESIDENCE – CONCEPTUAL SKETCHES

GROUND FLOOR PLAN WITH CONTEXT

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SOUTH ELEVATION, WEST ELEVATION, SECTION THROUGH

PLANS: THE TWO LEVELS OF THE RESIDENCE WITH TERRACE

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House and context – ‘private’ domain within a community structure.

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View of the lake from Mizan Residence.

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Lush vegetation of the garden from living.

“Khilkee’ – louvred shutters for windows to control light, privacy and permeate air.

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Light and space create an ever-changing, omnipresent element of time.

Concrete takes light well.

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‘THE EMPTY CENTRE’

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THE S A RESIDENCE A recently completed house, the S A Residence is a contemporary house in Dhaka made in cast concrete. Within a context of high-rise structures, the design is inward-looking and introvert. As a cube with an empty centre, the structural system allows multiple permutations and combinations with layers of spaces – each unique and independent; sequence of spaces for many living pleasures surround the central court creating a sanctum within. Concrete takes light well, while glass allows light to penetrate the most intimate spaces. The south and south-east side of the built form are porous and allow wind to reach the sanctum, cooling the spaces passively.

“Shell and soul are interdependent, yet independent; belonging to each other while belonging to themselves. Architecture is similar, with the building envelope as the shell and nature as the soul,” says Rafiq.

The ‘empty centre’ becomes the focus of the house with a ‘dingi’ that waits at the ‘ghatla’. Tropical vegetation grows lavishly at many levels, creating green pauses in the continuous structure. There are ‘barsatis’ or rooms on the terrace that allow exposure to wind and rain, all the while maintaining the intimacy of a private space. The court also acts as an ‘exhaust system’ replenishing fresh air in the spaces within.

SKETCHES – CONTEXT AND CLIMATIC STUDIES

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SECTIONS – VERTICAL AND LONGITUDINAL

Glass and wood fenestrations open to the court allowing breeze and constantly renewing air.

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PLANS – GROUND, FIRST & SECOND FLOOR

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From the void – the swimming pond and the ‘ghatla’ with a boat forms the core of the house.

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Dense and lush – vegetation at all levels overlooks living spaces.

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The moods of the courtyard at twilight.

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‘Shell and Nature’ – the constantly changing outside brought in.

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‘Concrete – forms, textures and possibilities.

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“Lalon, the 18th-century mystic minstrel of this land said - If one thing is not there inside the body then it is not outside the body either” writes Rafiq.

FACT FILES: Project Type Location Architect Client Project Area Project Estimate Initiation Of Project Completion Of Project Materials Used:

: : : : : : : : : :

Azam Residence Single Family Residence Lalbagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh Rafiq Azam; Shatotto Mrs. Azam 1800sqft USD60,000 1986 1988 Brick, Concrete, Wood

Project Type Location Architect Design Team Client Site Area Floor Area Project Estimate Initiation Of Project Completion Of Project Materials Used

: : : : : : : : : : : :

Meghna Residence Single Family Residence Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh Rafiq Azam; Shatotto Md. Akter Hossen Mostofa Kamal 14,400sqft 28,000sqft USD5,53,846 March 2003 June 2005 Concrete, Brick, Glass, Wood

Project Type Location Architect Design Team Client Civil Contractors Site Area Built Area Project Estimate Initiation Of Project Completion Of Project Materials Used

: : : : : : : : : : : : :

Mizan Residence Single Family Residence Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh Rafiq Azam; Shatotto Md. Akter Hossen Mr and Mrs Mizan Roots Builters 5633sqft 20,400sqft USD2,93,000 May 2002 April 2004 Concrete, Brick, Glass, Wood

Project Type Location Architect Design Team Client Civil Contractors Built Area Project Estimate Initiation Of Project Completion Of Project Materials Used

: : : : : : : : : : : :

SA Residence Single Family Residence Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh Rafiq Azam; Shatotto Md. Akter Hossen Salauddin Ahmed Shah Alam 20,667sqft USD1,625,000 March 2007 May 2011 Concrete, Brick, Glass, Wood

A conversation with Rafiq Azam has been chronicled in the ‘Let’s Partner’ feature on pages 18 to 21 in this issue.

82 IA&B - JUN 2012

Kargyak Learning Centre

What to build is a bigger question than how to build.

Text: Kushal Lachhwani Images & drawings: courtesy arch i, Adam Beckovsky Edited by: Tanvi Maheshwari, Himanshu Lal

Priorities t is such a relief to anyone’s mind when they first sight Kargyak. This is the first village or traces of human habitation which one encounters after a trek of three days through harsh sun and biting cold winds blowing at speeds of up to 40km/hr. At night, the temperature dips down to as low as -28 degrees and one might encounter snow when one wakes up the next morning. High seismic activity in the zone and occasional flash floods can also cause some discomfort. But Kargyak is a picturesque village, sometimes described as the milk factory of Zanskar (“kar+g+yak=milk from yak”).

I

124 people live in this small village at 4200m which is struggling to prolong its existence in the Zanskar valley in the mighty Himalayas. Despite the fact that it is one of the few places left in India where clean drinking water is available in abundance, Kargyak and its inhabitants have other challenges to deal with.

With around 3000 people living in the Zanskar valley, Kargyak is now the biggest village in the area in terms of population. The village is inaccessible for seven months every year due to snow and with no existing roads in most

architecture

parts of the valley, it’s a strenuous task for people to access ration, food, medical and educational facilities. People work hard for six months to secure building material for shelter and food grains for their families and cattle to survive the other half of the year. On an average, every year seven people die in the valley (one of them always being a pregnant woman) due to no immediate first aid provision. Children right from the age of four start spending time in the fields with their parents and need to wait till the age of ten for any kind of education; to be able to cross the arduous mountain passes.

What has been observed over the years in the valley is increasing migration of the younger generation to study and work in the nearest cities of Manali on one side and Srinagar on the other. Not many return to their native village for obvious reasons. Although priorities of the people here are different as they struggle for basic survival, they definitely do not want their children to miss out on the learning process and get an exposure to the world, which exists beyond the 52km-trek in Zanskar.

Initiative In an attempt to find solutions to such challenges and fulfil immediate needs for the villagers, a centre was proposed by the Czech voluntary organisation Blueland. The primary aim of the centre was to provide necessary infrastructure in the village for education of 40 children (at least) till the time they are physically equipped to move out of the valley. The project was sanctioned with the approval from the villagers by the Jammu and Kashmir Government under the ‘Sarva Siksha Abhyan Yojna’. As per the formal customary requirements, a

Tenzin Nawang, a local farmer from the village feels, “It is difficult not to worry when you do not get any news from your children for days when they walk to their school 40km away in the mountains.” three-room structure was required to be built which will be able to function both in summers and winters.

Know-How At present, all the houses, storage sheds, and the gompa (temple) are constructed by the villagers themselves without any external expertise. The material palette consists of mud bricks and stone for the walls and timber beams, hay and mud for the roof. These structures often become vulnerable to snow and wind and are not able to survive more than six months without regular repair.

Constraints of restricted availability of building material, a short construction period and a continuous struggle against wind and snow at site required well-thought details and process of construction. In a remote site like this the idea to get an architect on board was not a bad one! To build a sustainable, long-lasting structure, creative solutions were required to deal with the inevitable challenges. arch i platform, a not-for-profit platform based in New Delhi under the guidance of Dutch architect Anne Feenstra, was asked to improve upon the existing sanctioned plan for a more sensitive design that takes care of the user and the site simultaneously.

Unexpected snowfall in Kargyak.

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CLUSTER SEATING LAYOUT

Architect Himanshu Lal from arch i explains the challenges during the construction process, “The materials as well as construction tools had to be purchased from nearest town Manali via a 3-day trek.

For instance, for the RCC foundation ring beam the steel bars had to be taken to Kargyak on mules. Also, getting cement and glass on site were a challenge.

The glass panel size had to be restricted to a maximum of 4ft so that it does not get difficult for the mule to carry it on narrow paths over 5100m-altitude Himalayan pass. As the altitude of the village is way above the tree line, wood too is rare commodity. For the roof, the large wooden beams had transported on sledges drawn in winter over the frozen river. “

Sourcing construction material in the valley.

Execution Before giving design recommendations for the Kargyak Learning Centre, intensive desk research of the location, climatic conditions, people and culture was undertaken. A participatory approach in the execution of the project was introduced. During construction of the Kargyak Learning Center, to engage with the villagers and create ownership of the building, the locals were involved at every stage. A community meeting was held to share the design of the school and encourage them to participate in the construction. Most villagers, including the women, got an additional source of income by working on the site. This further led to capacity building of the locals as they learned how to improve upon their traditional techniques of construction.To be able to build as much as possible out of material available within 500m of the site, stone and mud were chosen as the primary building material for the school.

FORM and FOUNDATION: Situated in seismic zone four, the primary structure of the building required separation from the earth. Considering this, a one-metre-deep foundation is supplemented with a RCC foundation ring beam. Further, the building has an organic shape with no perpendicular wall joints which provides compactness to the structure that reduces the damage and impact during an earthquake.

The aerodynamic shape of the school is designed to complement the high speed winds and avoid structural damage. Learning from the existing structures, 90-degree corners were avoided as they tend to wear out soon in the extremely windy conditions. Internally, the organic volumes and lack of corners facilitate the seating arrangement of children/people who sit in huddles rather than the normal linear classroom layout.

Internally, to enable controlled cross-ventilation (to avoid moisture condensation on the windows) small ventilators have been provided on the

85 north wall. In addition, a porous breathing roof helps to overcome the humid conditions in event of rain or snowfall.

A five-degree slope was introduced in the roof to prevent water collection.

With unexpected rainfall menace as experienced in Leh flash floods during the summer of 2010, it was realised that it is important to enable effective water drainage from the roof. Not a single existing house in the village could avoid water logging when it rained for more than 24 hours in August 2011 in the valley. With the change in climate, the villagers need to protect themselves from water as well, in addition to snow. The flat roofs are not ideal anymore.

As the roof is made in layers of mud and hay, proper drainage is necessary to avoid dampness and formation of moulds on the wooden roof structure.

HARVESTING HEAT In a place where the average temperature varies from 20 degrees to -28 degree Celsius, the local practice is to avoid getting direct sunlight from the south because of its harsh nature. For the centre, we tried using the sun to our advantage and not block it off completely during daytime. Design interventions involving Direct as well as Indirect Solar Gain were considered.

The south façade was punctured with windows 1.5m high to get direct sunlight into the class room. At the same time, for indirect sun gain, vented trombe wall sections were designed. 40 percent of all the windows have blackened walls fitted with double glass to store the heat during the day and radiate it into the room after sundown. This makes it relatively comfortable in the evenings, hence the building can be used the community after school hours for other purposes.

Considering that the school will function during eight months of winter at subzero temperatures, it was imperative to optimise the internal volumes to

be heated. The internal room height was restricted to a maximum of 2.4 metres like the traditional low height Ladhaki structures. This was supplemented with thick walls which further insulate the building. The external wall has been designed as double-insulated wall system, 100cm thick, 60cm outside stone wall tough enough to fight the elements and 30cm inside sun-dried mud brick wall, with 5-8cm insulation air gap.

This new set of very simple details appreciated the comfort in the building by harvesting heat.

UNDERGROUND HEATING: The underground heating system in the centre is inspired by the Roman hypocaust heating system. A hypocaust was an ancient Roman system of space heating through floor heating. The word literally means “heat from below”. The floor was raised above the ground by pillars and spaces were left inside the walls so that hot air and smoke from the furnace would pass through these enclosed areas and out of flues in the roof, thereby heating but not polluting the interior of the room. The Romans introduced this system in Afghan architecture, where the terrain matches with that of the Zanskar valley. Having learnt from the success of underground heating system in

While thinking of the interiors for the building Architect Sneha Khullar mentions, “As it is not easy to get wood to the site, instead of internal doors, heavy felt curtain could be used. These would provide ease in children’s movement as well as a good insulation layer. Small niches in the walls and in-built storage space has been integrated with architectural design of the school.”

CONCEPT SKETCHES DURING DESIGN

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The footprint.

87 buildings designed by architect Anne Feenstra, this proved to be a vital intervention for the centre.

This system has been incorporated in the northern room of the centre to make it equally comfortable. In the centre, two interconnected underground channels have been laid out for siphoning the smoke of the ‘chulah’ (fireplace).

As the smoke/heat (generated while cooking using biomass fuel) travels via the underground channels into the exhaust chimney it heats the floor and makes it comfortable for children to use the space which does not get direct sunlight.

Evolution After nearly 18 months of a very enthralling process of execution, one more dot has been added in the valley which will be able to provide shelter for 40 children trying to learn life in their own way. Involving the whole community in the building process added a lot of value to enable the building’s use 24x7 throughout the year. Before the completion of project it started to evolve for multiple functions.

For any curious visitor to the village “school ban raha hai” was replaced by “centre ban raha hai” (“school is being constructed” changed to “a multipurpose centre is being constructed”).

The simple flexible design of the building allowed it to be used as the common cooking area, a community centre, a storage house for food, fuel and tools, a two-room guest house for all the trekkers passing through valley, a police station, temporary medical camp, and the list goes on. The students will use the building to study and play for the first time this summer with the hope that the resilient structure will provide comfort to the children as well as mental/emotional security to their parents.

“The construction of the learning centre was a dynamic process where only 50 per cent of the design on paper was translated on ground and the rest evolved spontaneously considering the material availability and conditions at site. The details needed to respond to these changing conditions. You need to rethink your plan of action when it snows for three continuous days when it was not supposed to! It was wonderful learning experience for me to work with two skilled masons from Nepal, Slovakian and Czech volunteers and a huge group of enthusiastic villagers which included both old and the young.”

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design Team Client

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Project Area Construction Team

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Project Estimate Construction Time

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Kargyak Learning Centre Kargyak Village, Zanskar Valley, J&K Anne Feenstra arch i platform, New Delhi Blueland Civic Association, Directorate of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, J&K 112sqm local villagers, masons from Nepal, volunteers from Czech Republic and Slovakia, architects from arch i Parvesh, Dorji, Lobsang, Mackay Tenzin Nawang, Munzal, Spalki Blueland Civic Association, Directorate of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, J&K `10 lakh (approximate) six months (spread over two years)

South façade with trombe walls.

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A Piece of Memory The enigma of a temple complex in Goa and a residence in Belgaum draws from an inherent understanding – of involvement, interaction and experience. Goa-based Rahul Deshpande & Associates explores the common ground between architecture and fragments of familiarity.

Text: Maanasi Hattangadi Images & drawings: courtesy Rahul Deshpande & Associates

“We make our buildings and afterwards they make us.” – Winston Churchill, 1924.

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o one can look at buildings without looking at people in them. A long-standing thread of recognition of the way one would interact with architecture is directly linked to its making, extending to create a depth that endlessly enriches the structure. It conveys a feeling of relating, and establishing that renders it possible to connect deeper to the building – a belief of architecture’s role to be rooted in more than perceived. In his two recent projects, the architecture of Rahul Deshpande, Principal Architect, Rahul Deshpande & Associates, makes one see, revealing rather than interpreting the context. The architecture stems from unique temporal dimensions of memory and familiarity and translates as its single poetic objective. Both approaches, one of inclusiveness, one of intent – mark the way the space was thought about and the way it looked – by listening to the real.

architecture

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In tranquility stands the temple complex devoted to Lord Manguesh, responding to its locale.

Of Inclusiveness

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he Mangueshi Temple lies at the heart of the small hamlet of Mangueshi on the Panaji-Ponda road. The Temple is dedicated to the family deity of Gaud Saraswat Brahmins – a revered centre of worship for not only them, but also a source of inspiration for spiritual pursuits for many a tourist who travel from afar.

Soaking in a history that dates back to 1744, and the quiet of the pristine countryside, the architecture embodies ethos as an aesthetic. The Temple complex is within a courtyard enclosure, at the core of which is the main Lord Manguesh temple and the two minor temples of Lord Mulkeshwar and Kalbhairav. The complex epitomises years of culture, rituals and an atmosphere where people of various traditions can mediate, pray and stay in tranquillity.

It accommodates traditions and forms in three ‘agarshalas’ (dormitories), a ‘tulsi vrindavan’ (basil platform) and a magnificent ‘deep stambh’ (tower of light) rising in the centre across a built-up area of 2000sqm.

The entrance, the Kalbhairav temple and the main temple before renovation.

The temple grew through a continuum of renovations. Rahul Deshpande explains, “The passage of time brought to fore newer needs which the existing infrastructure could not cater to. Piling on the list that called for attention was the need to streamline the haphazard flow of tourists and devotees.”

Familiarly, the Temple follows an organised chaos. The idea of architecture related to the sacred place is more felt than designed. Designing the site where his own family deity rests was where the essence of its architecture lay. “The brief,” he says, “was simple. Upgrade the infrastructure. Demolish the old dilapidated Agarshala, build a new one and give a complete facelift to the complex. Better it, to make it the best.”

The entrance is marked by the Kalbhairav temple adjoined with open roof tiled structures.

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1. NEW AGARSHALA 2. KALBHAIRAV TEMPLE 3. PRAKARA 4. MULKESHWAR TEMPLE 5. MULKESHWAR AGARSHALA 6. DEEP STAMB 7. TULSHI 8. OLD AGARSHALA

SITE PLAN

One might start designing in the most conventional way – starting with an organisational idea. But the volumes of the building speak of Rahul Deshpande’s childhood memories of coming to the temple. The whole idea perhaps was not to be bound by traditional limits, but to explore greater nuances of a personal instinct that guides one around. The spirited response took shape under three principles – a sense of territorial order, a visible hierarchy of structures and creation of a climate of calmness and reverence. With the first phase of upgradation complete, Rahul explains, “We wanted to maintain a sense of order without being rigid. By the creation of a virtual linearity, we succeeded in producing a flow map that was smooth, functional and pleasing.”

The Kalbhairav temple, flanked by open roof tiled structures on either side, greets one at the entrance of the temple complex. Without limiting the view of the temple, the designers have organised the chaos of the basic etiquette of removing shoes and cleansing of hands and feet, carried out before entering the temple complex. Disbanding the earlier feeling of shoes having taken over the space, a rising slab conceals shoes lined up in open-end storages for easy access. The architecture grows inward. The initial approach was to restructure the existing notion of the ‘prakara’. Stretches of land are contoured to their functions – steps lead to the temple square and a wedge-shaped granite flooring partly carpeted in green blatantly catches attention as a symbolic welcome to the main temple.

Here, the architecture interacts. The divide was between the existing and the natural flow of events. The resolute element of the structural style of the sloping gradient that hindered the progress when the ‘rath’ was pulled was resolved. The premise of the prakara was chaotic in absence of a systemised solution; it was recomposed with informal encounters with architecture.

Thus, providing a backdrop to grander elements of design. The architects have

Based on the tradition of purification ritual, the open roof structures accommodate a shoe stand and place to wash.

The granite wedge carpeted in green announces the entry to the main temple.

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The seating arrangements and landscaped corners contribute to the ambience conducive to praying and relaxing.

used the rituals to trigger subtle and well-timed alignment of landscaping and interspersing structures to carve a path and orchestrate the devotees’ way around the temple complex.

The air is tranquil and quiet. The landscape observes unaffected by the inflow of worshippers. Its designing determines the architectural identity and purpose as much as the main temple itself. It abstains from opulence and seeks to ensure comfort of every visitor. Benches attached linearly to patches of green hug the periphery of the complex, affording a moment to meditate, pray or just drink in the view. The easy wanderings in the temple square are marked with coloured paving tiles, patterned at the edges like a ‘rangoli’.

Landscaped lawns are fringed at the edge of the temple complementing the flowering greens of shrubs, perennial flowering plants used in the rituals of the temple placed in the design. The planning strategy also layered aesthetics across quintessential elements of the sacred rites. The modest setting of the

Landscape elements are carved out in the layout.

deep stambh was framed in a raised circular platform to bring in a sense of lightness and the holy plant of Tulsi in the Tulsi Vrindavan was relocated and enclosed in a shell of glass and granite bringing about a trim, compacted and minimalist look.

Tying everything together in one design gesture, the architect upgraded the Kalbhairav temple, the Mulkeshwar temple and the agarshalas to suitable settings that were contemporary but approachable too. Each structure was given the attention and detailing it needed. The delicate alteration introduced the inlaid fabric within the former structure not as a replacement but as co-existent. The plurality of the planning is echoed in Rahul’s words, “The elements of modernity introduced had to co-exist amicably with the traditional characteristics of the temple complex. The architectural interventions of the smaller temple structures, the agarshalas and their co-existence in the prakara had to be addressed. The incompatible styles

The paths were laid in a mosaic pattern with different coloured tiles like a ‘rangoli’.

The Tulsi Vrindavan was rebuilt artistically.

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“The final outcome was an approach where, ‘the context and expression are contemporary, but the language still vernacular” – Rahul Deshpande which were screaming visually had to be toned down. The magnanimity and dominance of the main Lord Mangesh had to be highlighted while the character and the attitude of the minor temples had to carry a character of being subdued and subservient to it.”

The Kalbhairav temple in its original state was a motley of ornamented architecture and as Rahul explains, “The deity seemed imprisoned behind a hideous grill door”. An order was restored by breaking down the existing concrete roof and manipulating the roof as an extension of the tiled roof of the shoe stand. The interiority was civilised by minimal intervention in the flooring, columns and seat of the deity and simplicity in granite and vitrified-tile flooring. The collective impulse is to breathe in balance to the existential multiplicity.

LEGEND 1. Kalbhairav Temple 4. Shoe Stand 2. Secondary Entrance 5. Concealed Drain 3. Drinking water 6. Primary Entrance

The design evokes a clean aesthetic in the temple square.

PLAN OF KALBHAIRAV TEMPLE

One of the restorations for Kalbhairav temple was a skilful manipulation of breaking down the original roof and extending the new roof on both the sides.

94 Stark memories of incensed smoke occupying the corners of Mulkeshwar Temple amidst the praying devotees inspired Rahul Deshpande to break the elementary framework of the structure to avoid the constraints of the original fabric and recreate it. The values are embodied in its open layout and the muted material palette. Peripheral columns hold up an expanse of wooden Mangalore-tiled roof. Underneath, the interiors are relatively subdued with the wooden ceiling bouncing off a warm glow onto the jet-black granite and add to the lighted aura of the deity. Florally engraved doors enclose the sanctified space opening out to a semi-open area outside. Symmetrical steps leading down give way to landscaped platforms. The green insert composed of plants believed to be preferred by the deities is multi-perspectival with an inclination to invoke and educate.

The Mulkeshwar Temple before renovation.

Steps and seating arrangements envelop the Mulkeshwar temple.

SECTION - MULKESHWAR TEMPLE

The interiors are immersed in the warm glow of light reflecting off from the granite floor and wooden roof.

The former Mulkeshwar Temple was demolished entirely to avoid the claustrophobic constraints.

PLAN - MULKESHWAR TEMPLE

LEGEND 1. Store Room 4. Shri Sateri 2. Shri Laxminarayan Shri Veerbhadra Shri Suryanarayan 5. Shri Rakhankar Shri Garud 6. Mandapa 3. Mulkeshwar Temple

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The new agarshalas boast of a contemporary aesthetic and a roof on the lines of Goan architecture.

The agarshala linear block, as indicative subtly in the exterior, containing the accommodation fans out to house an administrative block with an office on one side and stores and meeting rooms on the other. Celebrating the luxuriance of space, inactive kitchenettes, dark and dingy passages were sliced into new arrangements – air-conditioned compact rooms with attached restrooms and airy corridors connecting the 13 suites and 13 regular rooms. As Rahul says, “A dark narrow, never-ending claustrophobic passage, with rooms on either side is definitely what I wanted to avoid in the new agarshalas. The experience of staying around the deity had to be refreshing and stimulating.”

Annexed to the Mulkeshwar Temple is the Mulkeshwar Agarshala; a requisite space until the dramatic arrival of the contemporary outlook of the main agarshala. “The old and new agarshala were poles apart. Prior

to the renovation, the agarshalas brimmed with countless windows. The drainage pipes and electricity lights hung aimlessly on the façade,” recalls the architect. In harmony with the meaningful idea of aesthetic combined with function, the refurbishment reflects a design process of wrapping the services in a new shell replete with finishing the concrete ceiling with tiled roofs; extending as the coherent reinterpretation of the structures around. Stolid and stark, the semblance of the agarshalas is outward looking, embodying visual connections from everywhere.

The materiality partially veils the sharp contemporariness found in the newness. The expression is adaptable to the exploration of wood to render “a bucolic and traditional appeal”. Dyed in warm overtones of wood, the wooden columns, the railings and the eaves sit beautifully in their artisanry.

The detailed aspects of the agarshala include a cantilevered balcony to observe rituals, and wooden railings and columns made of the finest wood - Sal - and simple finishes.

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SECTION 1

SECTION 2

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

Everything about the two smaller temples and agarshalas seems new and exciting. It all lies in the detailing, the change does not contradict the Temple’s ethos but the impact is there. Spaces are interactive and inviting. The design gently unfolds into a recreation-cum-community centre, inscribing multiple activities through swings, chessboards and niches to enjoy the pervading peace. Framing the whole idea are the principles of temples that the architects invoke – “Looking at it, pages of history roll back to the one which describes how temples, centuries ago, were important places of informal learning and social gatherings.”

As one walks back, the powerful sense of unity is visible. The scale seems wider and albeit with a contemporary feel, the reference to the traditional seems evident. Concerted efforts, made to adopt symbolic designs and traditions, are pointed out by Rahul; “Be it the window grills representing lord Shiva or the shape of the eaves board which represents the trifurcated ‘bel’ leaf, the leaf offered to lord Shiva in rituals - they all harbour religious significance. The rangoli patterns adorning the doors of the agarshalas as

The recreational area behind the agarshalas.

97 well as the tile formation in front of the main temple too form striking patterns. In a touch of symbolism, the temple of the deity Kalbhairav, known to be the protector in the night, has black granite fitted onto the walls with floral tiles festooning the deity.” It not only amplifies the feeling of reverence but also of ownership – by the deity and the worshippers.

Silent corners come alive at night sublimely awash in bluish-white light tinged with flickering yellows. The surrounding remains a space in motion and as an understanding, the lighting was imbued highly anticipating the assembling of devotees at night to perform the post-sunset rituals. The favoured colours of Lord Shiva - blue on white punctuated by the luminous greenery - highlight the startling piece of sculptural form of the Main Temple. The walls of the smaller temples and agarshalas gather pools of light and glow in their incandescence. The immersive experience is softened by evocative simplicity of earthen lamps twinkling from niches impressed in a pattern in the walls, along the steps, trailing the deep stambh, tulsi vrindavan, landscaped platforms and paths.

DESIGN FOR THE GRILL

Symbolic patterns can be found on the grill relating to Shiva’s love for dance as the shape has motifs of the Ganga, the moon, a coiled snake around neck, and the instrument that Shiva used to dance to when played.

‘Bel’ leaf offered to Lord Manguesh and its manifestation as a design element into the eaves board.

Soft light from earthen lamps illuminate the surroundings at night.

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The recreational area behind the agarshalas.

The walls of the Agarshala are focused in incandescent yellow glow.

The design continues like a discovery - each manoeuvre reveals its subtleties as one gradually explores. The domestically scaled forms break down obvious associations and make something more of them.

The renovation is versatile, synonymous of new experiences. It follows the simplicity of the physical, cultural and temporal context but the vibe follows a pragmatic methodology in design. “The need for modernity lurked from every corner,” says Rahul. “The final outcome,” he adds, “was an approach where, ‘the context and expression are contemporary, but the language still vernacular”. It underlines the site-responsive sensitivity of the architects to largely dictate the form and function integrating the quality of the former traditions. It could have been just another sacred place to be seen but engaging with these narratives, it is representative of much more – a thought emphasised by a devotee’s remark to him, “There is no one residing at Mount Kailash anymore; who would? When you have bettered it at Mangueshi.” The project is best understood through its details, encompassing and inclusive of the former yet comfortably contained by Rahul Desphande’s own connects to it. Each space offers a measured understanding of its essence and its elements. And that power of connection makes it finite.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Principal Architect Structural Design Team

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Client : Project Management Consultancy : Contractor : The earthen lamps are placed in niches and apertures in the walls, Deepstamb and along pathways.

Cost of Project Year of Completion

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Revitalisation of Mangueshi Temple Complex Mangueshi, Ponda - Goa Rahul Deshpande & Associates Rahul Deshpande Rahul Deshpande, Anil Palekar, Archana Mahambare Karpe, Nisarg Gaude Mangueshi Devasthan Rahul Deshpande & Ranjeesh Gopal M/s Omkar Constructions Co. and M/s Pankaj Electricals & Engineering Services `500 lakh January 2010

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Of Intent A suburban context in Belgaum nestles in it the quiet and picturesque house of Pankaj & Vaishali Bhatkande. Past the wooden gates, the driveway is carved alongside a generous landscaped garden. Centred around a rising palm tree, the stretch of green dotted with shrubs and sculptures embraces a sense of openness and tranquillity. The low-slung form of the house with sloping roofs unassumingly overlooks the peace. Balancing the built and un-built, the serene and still environ seeps in; inscribing an absolute idea of the architecture.

Designing more than the usual peripheral and contextual concerns, Rahul Deshpande brings in a perceptual outlook that sets the experience of living.

Pankaj Bhatkande, having known Rahul as a childhood friend, commissioned this dream house and this association layered the personalised tenor of the design. The thought expanded beyond a brief, but was poised around the personality of Pankaj Bhatkande. Elaborating on it, Rahul says, “Pankaj, since our graduation, diversified in many businesses and worked 24x7, carrying with him a lot of stress. I wanted the house to be a stress buster, a stress reliever where spaces would be welcoming, soothing and calming. The whole ambience had to be therapeutic”.

A sweeping arc pronounces the front façade of the house. Its lean profile encloses the porch encompassing ambiguous settings within the view – the beckoning open lawns and a flight of low steps lined by potted plants and artifacts ascending to the entrance of the house. The lush green of this landscape provides a stark contrast to the whites in the broad horizontal form of the house.

Comfortably in a double-storey layout, the dwelling enfolds the formal sitting, living-dining, studio, kitchen, powder room, pooja, guest bedroom, garage and servants room on the ground floor and the master bedroom, kids’ bedrooms and music room-cum-gym on the first floor in an open-ended exploration of 700sqm plot area.

The playful contrast of green manicured lawns and white walls lends a soothing environment.

Set within a picturesque context, the low horizontal form of the house invokes peace.

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SITE PLAN

LEGEND 1. GROUND FLOOR PLAN 2. SOAK PIT 3. SEPTIC TANK 4. SUMP TANK 5. PUMP HOUSE

Upon entering the house, the deliberately simplistic detailing is obvious in the characteristic formal sitting room to the left. Easeful and independent, the sitting room in an alcove-like gesture is staggered at a lower level but maintains a visual connect to the house over a short wall and eventually recedes out to the main living room through a short flight of steps. The main level acts as a kind of podium and the design progressively reveals stairs winding to the first floor from the garage entrance. The volume amplifies as one reaches the main living-dining room. Light floods in through the large window which captures the ever-changing colours of the day in the backdrop of coconut palms in the rear garden. Soft shades of furnishings and paintings conclude the relaxed picture. The circulation plan allows all rooms to orientate towards this nexus. Interlocking with the rooms like the study, pooja,guest bedroom, kitchen in the south-eastern corner, the living-dining as the architects put it, “virtually acts like a courtyard or chowk.�

The plan unfolds slowly; an arc frames the porched entrance to the house.

Simple lines and silent materiality complete the aesthetic of the house.

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LEGEND 1. CLOSET 2. MASTER BEDROOM 3. TOILETS 4. ADITI’S BEDROOM 5. TERRACE 6. ANISH’S BEDROOM 7. WALK-IN CLOSET

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LEGEND 1. GUEST BEDROOM 2. TOILET 3. POWDER ROOM 4. STUDIO 5. FORMAL SITTING 6. DINING 7. KITCHEN 8. POOJA 9. LOBBY 10. UTILITY AREA 11. STORE 12. LAUNDRY 13. BATH 14. WC 15. SERVANTS’ ROOM 16. GARAGE

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

SECTION

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The entrance is gradually stepped leading unhurriedly into the house.

Extending visual connections to the outside, glass windows look out to the surroundings.

The living-dining space is characteristically spacious and opens out into other spaces.

Situated a level lower, the formal sitting room is intimate and connects to the rest of the house through a low wall and a short flight of steps.

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“Earlier Pankaj would carry a lot of stress back home and get cranky. Now I am surprised to see him smiling by the time he is in the bedroom to take a wash: I want to believe it’s the house which brings that smile”. – Vaishali Bhatkande

The studio, clad in vibrant materials comprises of a small bar, home theatre and seating.

As the radius extends back to the rooms, interstitial spaces compose climatic order inside. Continually present, the externalised spaciousness is illustrated in the strategising rationale of the architect, “An important design intervention is that the vistas from the rooms are so manipulated that the visual noise of the surrounding structures is cut off by strategically landscaping the garden and the boundary walls. Though the house is within the city an implicit feeling serenity is unconsciously imposed. Therapy in action.” Meandering on the other side, one comes across the kitchen in the southeast corner; its position principled by Vaastu. In large view of the activities, the kitchen is internally framed by a store, laundry, wash area, independent entry for the domestic help and modern appliances.

Light filters in through the wooden trellis out on the deck.

A restrained and tasteful material palette enhances the interiors.

On the fringes of the living and dining lies the studio teamed with washed wooden shades in the flooring and panelled walls. Asserting a divergent aesthetic, the studio inclusive of a small bar, home theatre and seating amidst warm and vibrant photographs and paintings, injects an unwinding feel. Leisurely, the design moves out to a shaded wooden deck replete with a wooden trellis interacting playfully with the incoming sunlight. Peace finds one unexpectedly in the niches and corners of the house – in the form of soft light and greens that the planning envelops.

The upper floor accommodates the bedrooms, a music room-cum-gym. Each room’s dynamics are an insight to its occupant’s lifestyle wherein little details chosen by the designer transpire as an imprint of their identity. The kids’ bedrooms are distinctively vivid according to their preferences. The master bedroom is hermetic, reviving comfort and well-being in the southwest discretely. It boasts of an elegant appropriation of space with a walk-in closet and large washroom and subdued material palette.

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The interiors embrace an understated luxury and airy quality effortlessly.

But there is a certain element of grandeur lent through tactile, textured and modernist furnishings and paraphernalia. To complete the look and bring a homely feel without being too overtly contriving, Rahul invited architect and interior designer Bakul Joshi who, the architect mentions, was also instrumental in providing vital inputs in the overall architectural planning.

The overlay evolves to contain fluidly intersecting areas and voids – not only shared by placid cocooned spaces. The multi-utilitarian levels merge into a coherent spatial effect of extraordinary balance of ease. The building acknowledges the context wholesomely in its modest demeanour – blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor. The architects believe that, “the attitude of the house negotiates effectively between an outward looking

The master bedroom is luxuriant in space with a walk-in closet and large washrooms.

Each bedroom reflects its occupants’ preferences. (above and side)

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house and an inward looking house as and where the spaces and context so demand. At no juncture do you feel boxed in as the corners of the house open out, as if to release the tension built up at every corner.” Concurring with the notion, Vaishali Bhatkande elaborates, “Earlier Pankaj would carry a lot of stress back home and get cranky. Now I am surprised to see him smiling by the time he is in the bedroom to take a wash: I want to believe it’s the house which brings that smile”.

The depth of architectural prospects is not unusual but the design solidly grounds the house’s presence in a regenerative concept. When moving through the house, the design wraps a skilful manipulation of scale, mass, clean simple lines and heightening dramatic views always in tandem with the sensory experience. The effect is atmospheric than a specific focus. A dialogue between intent and space, the house slowly uncovers a possibility where spatial order retreats and perceptual idea of architecture begins to take shape.

FACT FILE: Project Architect Principal Architect Client Interior Design Structural Design Team Project Management Consultancy Cost of Project Year of Completion Construction Duration

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Residential Bungalow For Mr Bhatkande Rahul Deshpande & Associates Rahul Deshpande Pankaj Bhatkande Bakul Joshi Rahul Deshpande, Neela Mayekar Rahul Deshpande. `100 lakhs March 2010 18 months

Personification of Space

Pauses and corners to relax and rest are interspersed with the everyday activities - a homelier feel to the space.

Everything that is relevant has a place to take shape here. The architecture of both the projects is characterised by sifting through layers - of memories on one hand and interpersonal relationship on the other to define its spirit - a journey that moves from one state to another, from one condition of site to the next. Marginal and minute as its influence is, it does not promise an alternate path but threads in another perspective. Embedded in this fabric, the links are less literal than what architecture tends to be but find their stories in a new kind of involvement– where it neither rejects history nor ignores contemporary truths, where the architectural narrative sets up a gentler rhythm towards ones’ life. Projects that remind one of how architecture is woven in everyday life.

106 IA&B - JUN 2012 Dodging existing trees, the house is located on a rocky patch.

Architecture of Forgotten Wisdom The simplest form of addressing human needs is frequently forgotten in the blatant bling of contemporary architectural ambitions. The Sagar House in the outskirts of Sagar Town, Shimoga District, by Little River Architects sensibly swings in a different direction, embracing regionalism and traditional building practices.

Text: Shalmali Wagle Images and drawings: courtesy Manoj Sudhakaran

“Modernity cherishes most that which it destroys.” - Ivan Illich

T

he contemporary, almost machine-like, urban matrix has fundamentally transformed existences and forced the long shadow of its misgivings onto architecture, which unconsciously gets drawn into its whirlpool of chaos.

It is often, and regrettably so, something of a half-digested simulation of inappropriate values, unable to replicate traditional brilliance and unable to deliver a sufficient promise of modernity. Ironically, while an obsession with innovation thrusts architecture towards blind-folded construction, its exhausting velocity craves the simplicity that was once offered by traditionalism. It is this paradox that motivates designs like that of the Sagar House by Little River Architects in the outskirts of Sagar Town in the Shimoga District of Karnataka.

Away from the strenuous commotion of rapid cities and fast-forward realities, set amidst a setting of surreal green forests, plentiful rains and diluted pollution, is the humble town of Sagar. In its outskirts, on a lavish five-acre plot, discreetly perches the indigenous 2500sqft Sagar House.

Owned by a young artist couple, this modest residence blends regional character with contemporary aspirations to develop a private, almost intentionally withdrawn, architectural language.

An exposed unrestricted ‘verandah’ welcomes one into the residence with views of the lawn at one end, vistas of incessant green at the other and the humble obeisance of a sloping roof above. Dodging the existing trees, the house is located on a rocky patch of the property reducing the requirement of a foundation. The simple terracotta tile flooring, use of locally available

architecture

A private, intentionally withdrawn, architectural language.

Architecture embracing regionalism and traditionalism.

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THE LAYOUT OF THE SAGAR HOUSE

laterite stone masonry and the casual setting of cane furniture maintain the informality of an alfresco, nonchalantly absorbing the outdoor landscape. A conventional solution to the heavy rainfall of the region, the Mangalore-tiled roof expressively reveals the evident theme of regionalism and traditionalism that carries itself throughout the design.

At this point, the house imposes no restriction. There is no enforced segregation between front and back, entrance and exit, beginning and end; and the house stands rather open to interpretation. The wide steps leading to or approaching from the garden and the understated demarcations in flooring mark the lawn as a focal space, fashioning a sort of unintentional seating around it. The Mangalore-tiled roof is supported by a mild steel frame on minimal mild steel posts and follows its outline on a vertically parallel plane.

Its extensions beyond the main building line sufficiently prevent rain from entering the ‘verandahs’ and the high ceilings created in the interior spaces reduce the heat gain. Subtly negating the visual demarcations, the lawn has no physical boundaries on the other sides and its local variety of grass merges seamlessly with the wild species of the retained landscape. A narrow pathway forms a clearing in this thicket as a simple gesture reassuring habitation and welcoming one into the natural milieu.

PROCESS SKETCHES

The main entrance door sits silently on one of the bare laterite walls. It is neither too imposing nor too inconspicuous; offering pleasant greetings to familiarity and curiosity to newcomers. Purposefully segregated, the guest room located to the north of the ‘verandah’, ensures adequate privacy to the

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The house stands, open to interpretation.

The informality of the ‘verandah’ merging with the outdoor landscape.

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The staircase leading to the mezzanine level.

The main living area of the house designed as a linear strip.

The undressed laterite walls, the lucid steel frames, the colourful glass strokes, the warm wooden suggestions and the continuity of clay tiles maintain their independent honesty while converging together as a sensitive masterpiece.

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The library and study on the mezzanine level.

main house and the guest room. Though isolated from the rest of the house, a unified character of the entirety is maintained with the roof above piercing into the bare laterite exterior. The guest room flaunts a mezzanine level, approached by a small staircase, with a small stand-out balcony providing views of the surroundings.

The main living area of the house, accommodating the living-dining room, kitchen and utility area, is designed as a linear strip maximising light, ventilation and the possibility of enhanced views. The entire east wall is constructed using mild steel posts, aluminium frames and glass above sill-level, placing all furniture, counters and re-used teakwood cabinets along it so as to restrict circulation to one half of the strip. A single corridor branches out westward from this strip leading to the master bed and bathroom. The rectangular reservations of traditionalism embrace the organic flamboyance of nature in the curvilinear open-air pebbled court of the master bathroom, where a single tree peeks out from between the roofs. Refined artistic suggestions are now apparent amidst the privacy with bold colours interrupting the unbroken palette of the frosted glass and earthy walls. The master bedroom opens into a ‘verandah’ with a traditional swing. Catering only to the essentials, all interior furniture is kept minimal and unfussy with no unnecessary clutter. A small staircase leads to a mezzanine level above the master bathroom to accommodate a small library and study and an elaborate balcony. The undressed laterite walls, the lucid steel frames, the colourful glass strokes, the warm wooden suggestions and the

The elaborate balcony.

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Rectangular reservations embrace organic flamboyance.

The curvilinear open-air court and bold colours of the master bathroom.

The master bedroom opens into a ‘verandah’.

Interior Furniture is kept minimal with no unnecessary clutter.

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An undistinguishable drift from interior to exterior.

continuity of clay tiles maintain their independent honesty while converging together as a sensitive masterpiece.

The vernacular architecture of every region is an evolution triggered by mankind’s need to shield itself from the forces of nature. Spontaneous and ingenious, it is purely a response to ‘necessity’ and hence an ‘invention’ evolved through years of study of local conditions and material, exploration of native techniques, and trial-and-error eliminations. Hence, more often than not, the resultant is so apt and fitting that attempting to design in any other way is simply unwise.

The Sagar House respectfully adheres to the conventionally prescribed principles of energy efficiency and cost effectiveness. Employing locally available natural Laterite Stone for masonry, wood from native trees and mud from the site in construction, the concrete usage is minimised to two minor loft slabs and lintel beams. An open well within the property serves as a source of water while rainwater run-offs irrigate the farm and recharge the well. While waste water from the kitchen is reused in farming, sewage is bio-treated in a locally made ferro-cement tank using bacteria and used as fertiliser for farming. All in all, a humble response to a humble need!

Our modern and advanced ‘scientific’ minds, sometimes, fail to assess the merits of historical and factual evidence justifying the need for region-responsive architecture, proficient in coping with local concerns

which are inevitably ours even today. To disregard this demonstration as old-fashioned, and therefore useless, is simply absurd. Having made an assessment, architecture should be capable of adapting the inherited wisdom to contemporary lifestyles. It is essential to stop and reason. Is indulging in modern materials and techniques at tremendous expenses without justification for their preference over older, simpler, inexpensive and yet equally effective methods really ‘innovation’? The Sagar House does just that. It stops, it reasons and it returns to wisdom long forgotten!

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design Team Structural Design Civil Contractors Carpentry Contractors Project Duration

: : : : : : : :

Sagar House Outskirts of Sagar Town, Shimoga District, Karnataka Little River Architects Ceejo Cyriac (Principal Architect), Sarin V S B L Manjunath Raju Velu, Vishwa 1 year

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Reviving architectural expresions Combining local building techniques and materials with modern formal expressions, V Noel Jerald creates a rustic composition with Gnana Illam - a quaint house located in the scenic villages of Tamil Nadu.

Text: Sharmila Chakravorty Images & drawings: courtesy V Noel Jerald Data: Ar. Poulomee A Ghosh

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t has rather become a trend to build elaborate, decorative houses - that are perceived as unique and have ‘stand out’ value. However, in most circumstances this practice results into a hideously inharmonious skyline; while competing for the ‘unique’ look, these buildings end up sticking out sorely. This is the reality of not just cities, but also remote villages where such structures do more damage, visually; they puncture the scenic landscapes as well as the local identity.

However, the Gnana Illam breaks away from this norm. Located in Ammapatti, a village in the state of Tamil Nadu, the 2600sqft house appears to be an attempt to merge in the rusticity of the village, without compromising on the best of modern facilities. The plan is deliberately simple and reflects the simplicity of those inhabiting the house – “A grid out in geometric rectangular fashion in three dimensions such that it proves best for the appropriate massing of a G + 1 structure and provides additional open spaces as terraces,” as the architect puts it.

On approach, the house appears fairly cuboid with spaces carved out from it. The double-height entrance accentuates a sense of grandeur, enveloping

CONCEPTUAL SKETCH

architecture

The kadappa louvres offer ventilation as well as view of the garden, while providing privacy and a transparency to the spaces.

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Simplicity and common sense drive the design, choosing a fine balance between aesthetics, form and function; the house is elegant in all its starkness, while its form clearly and effectively depicts its function and practicality.

SITE PLAN & GROUND FLOOR LEGEND 1. Road 2. Entry Court 3. Foyer 4. Family Room 5. Dining 6. Kitchen 7.Children Bedroom 8. Parents Bedroom 9. Utility 10. Private Court 11. Study Room 12. Master Bedroom 13. Guest Bedroom 14. Dining Below 15. Balcony 16. Court Below

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

As one makes their way into the house, what is most strikingly noticeable is the abundance of natural light within the house. Made completely in brick, the house has a feeling of heaviness to itself when one views it from the outside; the interior spaces being perceived as dim. However, the windows and skylights bring in enough light to counter that. Inside, the double-height space continues into the living and dining areas, which are differentiated through levels. The family room opens up to the private courtyard garden, which follows the same language as the entry court. Placed on the north side, this courtyard provides daylight and ventilation to the bedrooms on both floors throughout the day. The study room on the first level maintains visual connect with the dining and family room, and the large balcony above the living room provides opportunities for outdoor seating.

The material palette too is consistent with the traditional concepts of the design, with heavy reliance on local material and techniques to make the house cost effective and rooted in context. The architect states, “The filler slab reduces the bulk of the otherwise substantially weighty RCC slab. Load bearing walls, being an old and known way of construction, were easily erected by the local masons with little supervision.” Mud blocks, stabilised with five per cent cement, were made using mud from the site, there reducing the transportation cost and effort – not to mention, making the construction extremely sustainable in nature. These bricks also help to keep the house cool by absorbing the heat, making it independent of air conditioning, furthering the sustainability initiative.

SECTION 1

SECTION 2 LEGEND 1. Family Room 2. Dining 3. Kitchen 4. Study Room 5. Balcony 6. Toilet 7. Skylight 8. Terrace 9. Private Court 10. Entry Court

ELEVATION

the enclosed courtyard. The courtyard has a subdued sense of privacy, acting as a meeting and gathering space for the residents and their guests, while also shading the house from the sun and letting in the breeze. The pergolas covering the courtyard resemble trellis used for vineyard or snake guard gardens, and cast a series of ever-changing shadows.

Little details such as open spaces that connect the house to the village street have been considered and included in the plan, perfectly complementing the local lifestyle of the village. The absence of a compound wall further emphasises this endeavour, ensuring a bond between the house and its surroundings while also enabling scenic views of the Western Ghats and the adjacent farm lands from all sides of the house. The façade of the house is kept unfinished, with the mud bricks exposed – revealing the fine elegance of textures and colours. The elements used in construction are allowed to reveal their true forms without any unnecessary external beautification On casual viewing, the house looks delectably simple; there is absolutely no extravagance in terms of painting the exposed-brick façade or a treatment

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DIAGRAM OF SHEAR KEY AT PLINTH LEVEL

The open-brick faรงade of the Gnana Illam reduces the amount of heat absorbed by the walls and keeps the interior cool.

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The large openings on all the sides of the house keep it well lit and ventilated.

Semi-covered balconies open into the entrance courts, acting as private yet open spaces.

The façade of the house is kept unfinished, with the mud bricks exposed – revealing the fine elegance of textures and colours.

119 77

The filler slab and the mud walls together with the effective ventilation system keep the interior temperature at optimum level of comfort in all seasons.

Damaged mud blocks are used as fillers in the filler slab, along with clay pots.

Production of mud blocks at site reduced the carbon footprint.

As the building is finished in exposed mud blocks, paintings and multilayered plastering were eliminated, which further reduced energy consumption.

of textures to induce a certain kind of softness or perceived sophistication.

Though the design language is extremely rustic and traditional, the architecture is incredibly sustainable in its approach. Simplicity and common sense drive the design, choosing a fine balance between aesthetics, form and function; the house is elegant in all its starkness, while its form clearly and effectively depicts its function and practicality. It now seems that any other design for the house would have looked out of the context; this design fits so perfectly with the village setting it belongs to. The setting is different, the context is different and thoughtfully so the design is different – one that celebrates and highlights the context and of the construction techniques native to it.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Client Project Area Contractor Civil Structural Project Estimate Initiation of Project Completion of project

: : : : : : : : : : :

Gnana Illam M. Amma Patti, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu V. Noel Jerald Victor Rayan A, Gnanam V 2600sqft Michael Thiru Chelvam V Sathya Moorthy, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu J. Raghavendiran, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu `18 lakhs June 2009 July 2010

120 IA&B - JUN 2012 Cover.

Back Cover.

Through Martha Schwartz Partners’ work, Recycling Spaces Curating Urban Evolution by Emily Waugh explores the essence of landscape interventions and how it can foray into complexities of synecdoche at urban scale as a relevant and participatory medium.

“I

n many ways this commitment to the city is an historic return to the origins of the profession in which the landscape architect was conceived as an urbanist uniquely capable of addressing the intersection of natural health, social welfare, and cultural edification”. When Charles Waldheim opens the book with his piece on ‘Urban Effects and the Recent Work of Martha Schwartz’ thus, he sets a perceptive tone of the Recycling Spaces Curating Urban Evolution by Emily Waugh. The compilation brings its expertise to bear on the relationship between landscape architecture, urban regeneration and sustainability served as extracts from two-decades worth of exploration and convergence of disciplines in the work of Martha Schwartz Partners. “Recycling space is not an incidental process, but rather, a deliberate creative act,” says Emily Waugh and the book unfolds through as an apologue of sorts with a premise of illustrations, inscribed with eloquent narrations from owners, collaborators, authorities, etc. and Martha Schwartz. Yet, it follows an anti-narrative format with visuals and bold statements used to powerful effect.

The struggle within the most recognisable expressions of urban deterioration like abandoned city centres, sites with depletion of resources, shifting populations and non-existent urbanism shape the four sections of the book. Urban regeneration is back; if not yet, it will be. In the vanguard is MSP working towards unlocking answers to the social, economic and political issues raised within the framework of urban development.

The intra-scale works collated in the book are committed to the idea of

transformation of the public realm as the foundation of sustainable cities.

It offers portraits of recontextualisation of spaces in projects like the Grand Canal Square and of the realism in the suburban attitude in Fryston merged in its renewal through the design of Village Green based on the city’s coal mining heritage. It speaks of unintrusive experiences choreographed in the silent connections of planted landscapes in Winslow Farms Conservancy and Power Lines. Merged in the rhythms of each city or space lies the detailed understanding of the catalytic role these inserts play in the everyday lives of the citizens. Moreover, through projects like the winning scheme for Monte Laa neighbourhood master plan in collaboration with Albert Wimmer & Hans Hollein, MSP defines how creativity and engagement can progress landscape architecture as revival of the urban fabric. An interview

book review

with Elizabeth K. Meyer on ‘The Performance of Aesthetics’ appears spontaneously, explicit in its views on interactions, experience and design.

There are many internal resonances between the sections. The best of them is the animated outlook of the citizens, occupants, stakeholders, owners and users as they revel in the experience of the interventions. Some are proposals, some are causes, and some are studio undertakings that show the continuing vitality of growing efforts.

essay ‘The Softer Side of Sustainability’ by Martha Schwartz, her insights framing the dynamic of their work, “The physical form, or design, will often determine the longevity of a piece of built environment. If successful, the design will enable people to make an emotional connection to a place by imbuing it with character, memory, identity, orientation, and individuality.”

The argument does not aim to persuade, but the passion does.

The book is held together by a tight matrix of ideas that have a sense of purpose – honest, crisp and austere. As simplistic as it can get, the book enforces the idea of seeing anew the art of engagement and pushing the boundaries of urban restructuring – threaded together with the emphasis on humane elements. The serious mediation with growing cities is interspersed with the alternatives they seek to open in enabling them to be built – based on responsiveness design can generate. What is important here is not the event but its long aftermath. The conclusion arrives at an

FACT FILE: Book

:

Author Published By Language ISBN Reviewed By

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Recycling Spaces Curating Urban Evolution – The Work of Martha Schwartz Partners Emily Waugh ORO English 978-1-9359350-3-2 Maanasi Hattangadi

Scans from the book.

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ideas to innovate‌designers to deliver

Textures and Traditions RLDA Studio, New Delhi

RLDA was established as a design studio in 1997 in New Delhi, India.

Over the years the studio has successfully completed a number of projects for the retail, hospitality, commercial and residential sectors.

At present their work is spread over the greater Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.

Aquaterra Resort by RLDA Studio, perched along the mountains overlooking the river Ganges is a simplistic blend of highlighting the natural landscape and fitting into its context perfectly.

Text: Sharmila Chakravorty Images & drawings: courtesy RLDA Studio

The gabions that make up the façade of the building. The overall design is very geometric and sharp in nature.

architecture

A

lmost everyone would agree that fulfilling architecture is almost always simple, making the most of the prevailing conditions to create something beyond the realm of the ‘thinkable’ and ‘expected’.

The Aquaterra Resort in the picturesque locales of Rishikesh by RLDA Studio is one such creation. Drawing heavily on the scenic landscape and the local building techniques, the resort is perfectly nestled within the site’s context. The project derives its aesthetic purely from the means and methods of its construction, and is independent of external factors such as functionality, programme or a formal but transient expression in terms of language or style.

The design is devoid of any iconographic elements, and seems to blend in as if it was a part of the embankments of the river; a strong sense of association and belonging to the river are the most obvious aspects of the resort’s design. The building is constructed in stone, the ones that were excavated from the foundation pit or found across the construction site.

Like most slopes on the mountains, the resort too has gabions or steel enclosures that are set amidst the concrete frame structure of the resort’s

The Aquaterra Resort is rich in earth-based colours and rather rough textures.

124 building. These gabions not only impart a rather rustic feel to the resort, but also symbolise the sustainable nature of construction; the galvanised steel that holds the rocks is intended to rust as are the stones intended to weather off as a part of the natural process, marking the passage of seasons. Windows within these gabions not only break the monotony but also bring in natural light within the resort, while also framing select views of the river and of the street.

The low-rise structure is designed to house the storage facility on the lower level, while the dormitories are on the upper deck enabling privacy and scenic, panoramic views for guests. The second level has been envisioned by the architects to act as a ‘verandah’, allowing for views of the hills and the river beyond, welcoming people to traverse through it. Further on, “A potent and saturated shade of orange on the verandah’s roof compresses the space and pushes people through towards the kayak pool and the climbing wall,” say the architects. This structure acts as both a space of arrival for first-time visitors and a transitory space for those engaged with the various activities of the resort. A tensile roof crowns the conference room at the upper level, adding a whimsical twist to the otherwise stark geometry of the stone building.

The earthy colours of the resort make it fit perfectly within the context of the mountains.

Adding visual interest and connecting the two structures is a reed trellis with an elliptical staircase. The architects explain, “The absence of a central structural member gives the stair a sense of lightness – it is supported by a pair of string beams and terminates on a deck that overlooks the river and

Stones from the site make up the gabions, and are intended to wear out naturally

Windows within the gabions frame picturesque views of the mountains and provide natural light.

The staircase with the bright orange door and the stone walls of the building behind.

The resort has abundant natural stone from the mountains; the stairs seem to ascend into a part of the mountains itself.

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The architecture is simple and very rooted in local traditions and building techniques.

Stone is the central feature of the design which highlights the connection and association with the mountains.

These gabions not only impart a rather rustic feel to the resort, as well as symbolise the sustainable nature of construction; the galvanised steel that holds the rocks is intended to rust as are the stones intended to weather off as a part of the natural process, marking the passage of seasons.

The staircase against the bright orange doors.

The earth-based shades of the resort contrast beautifully with the natural blues and greens.

The resort has multiple levels, each offering views of the valley and the rives Ganges beyond.

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The resort building across the patterned courtyard; different elements combine into a single entity.

A splash of bright orange on the roof contrasts with the overall colour scheme, exuding a playful, adventurous aura.

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The idyllic swimming pool and the stark and simple resort building, with its tensile roof.

the hills. It contrasts sharply with both the texture and the ‘weightiness’ of the adjoining buildings gabions. Its simplicity belies both the structural and constructional challenges that it posed.”

As one proceeds towards the rooms, the design intent slowly unfolds; the rooms are conceptualised and oriented to maximise the advantages of the location. All of the 22 units enjoy panoramic views of the Ganges with their full-height glass windowpanes, exuding a relaxing, peaceful aura.

The overall feel of the place is enhanced by the use of local stone in the masonry, not only in exterior area but also within the rooms. The rooms facilitate abundant natural light and views of the valley, adding to the enhanced spatial experience of the guests. The rooms are simplistic, with minimal ornamentation; after all who would need decoration when one can simply undo the curtain and bask in the diffused Himalayan sunlight and gaze at the mountain beyond.

the ‘adventure’ undertones of the resort. The resort becomes one with the landscape rather than standing out as a separate entity. The stone construction acts like a design feature which travels consistently from the periphery of the resort to the innermost chambers, making itself the most prominent and central aspect. The architects’ use of rough textures throughout the resort are perhaps indicative of the harsh weather conditions, but are, however, complemented by the soft lights at night which generate a sense of cosy, homely warmth.

Having said so, the architects have been tactful in choosing earth-based pastel shades with a slight splash of colour – the orange on the verandah’s roof, and occasionally on the doors and windows – as it seems to highlight the pure blue of the sky and the green and brown mountains with the overwhelming river below.

Overall, the site benefits from its picture-perfect location with its views of the magnificent mountains and the mighty river, while the thoughtful minimalist architecture works to further highlight the site. The rock and stone construction gives the architecture an edgy feel; consistent with

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect

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Aquaterra Resorts Hrishikesh RLDA Studio

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ideas to innovate…designers to deliver

Confederacy of Essentials Sandhya Patil Design Studio, Mumbai With work experience of almost over a decade, Sandhya Patil Design Studio was founded in 2007 in Mumbai. Over the years, SPDS has successfully designed and delivered several architectural and interior design projects across India.

The idea of minimalism is often censured for its predisposition of aesthetic detachment and visual hostility. ‘On the Rocks’ Pub & Lounge in Indore, by Sandhya Patil Design Studio, contends that simplicity and essentialism, when aptly employed, can be as hospitable as any other attitude in design.

Text: Shalmali Wagle Images & drawings: courtesy Sandhya Patil Design Studio

Minimalism as an attitude with no traces of its inherent aesthetic detachment.

T

he definition and depiction of minimalism as an idea in design has been repeatedly debated and developed over the years. The idea, initiated in the early 1900s with Loos’ “Ornament and Crime”, voyaged through an era with Mies and Fuller’s assurance that “Less is More” and arrived at a juncture where “Doing More with Less” became an efficient and economical mania. Varying in interpretation; it is sometimes a clean streamlined refuge from excess, and at times an austere expression permeating space; sometimes a solicitation to a fully functional architecture and at times, a

tranquil setting of simplicity. Mutating appearances, evolving formulae, fluctuating interpretations, this idea of ‘design with restraint in mind’ continues to be embraced by the field. One common criticism, however, remains its tendency to be aesthetically aloof, sometimes generating a stark unreceptive quality. Giving the idea a new direction, the ‘On the Rocks’ Pub & Lounge in Indore, by Sandhya Patil Design Studio, argues that the idea, when employed differently, can generate a language as convivial as any other attitude in design.

interiors

Warm and rustic contemporary mood.

(Glazing)

(Glazing)

(Glazing)

Chic Blinds

Painting Displayed from Outside Lobby Fish Pond

(Glass Face)

Bar Counter

Upto Mezzanine Wine Cellar

Fast Food Area - 530 sqft

His

Her

Mezzanine Above

Counter

Existing Kitchen

Kitchen Area - 960.00 sqft

Interior Layout

Mezzanine Seating

FLOOR PLANS OF THE PUB & LOUNGE

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View of the fraction of the pub from the mezzanine.

Interpreting minimalism in a different manner, a hospitable ambience develops.

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The service counter is converted into a bar with minimal intervention.

The perception of culture and urban fabric of a city, the context so to say, quite often, insets substantial traces of its character into the contained architecture and its enclosed interior design. A potpourri of cultures, Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, has, in its unique manner, adapted to the changes witnessed in its years of evolution to become a present-day cosmopolitan. Clubs and lounges, being largely urban concepts of entertainment, are realised in a rather altered perspective in this city. Here, not only are they designed to perform as getaways for youngsters and couples, but also to allow quiet evenings between families and extended families. Observed socialising on a conjoint platform with no specific rules or dress codes, the user group varies from children and youngsters to couples and families. Set in this context, the design of the ‘On the Rocks’ Pub & Lounge exhibits a relevant ambience that maintains synchronisation with contextual struggles, and tackles the extremities of user aspiration.

A retrofit project, the existing 4350sqft restaurant is converted into a dynamic pub and lounge with minimal changes to the civil envelope.

The brief is short and simple; minimum intervention, re-use of existent furniture and low maintenance requirements. With an appropriate distribution of spaces, the existing mezzanine space is converted into a lounge overlooking a central dance floor and a fragment of the pub below.

An enclosed space demarcates the Admiral Lounge which flaunts its own dedicated dance floor. Employing functions in agreement to the existing ones, the service counter of the existing restaurant is converted into a bar counter and minor additions in the existing kitchen allow for storage of liquor and equipment. The design slowly discovers its direction through functional emphasis. Housed below a set of theatres, the acoustical requirements are addressed with an aim to avoid the leakage of sound between floors. Minor modifications in the electrical layout accommodate the technical and sound requirements. A simple basic glass-wool and chicken-mesh treatment to the ceiling and an innovative concept of a thick unfinished layer of plaster on vertical surfaces contributes to the absorption of sound. Functionality, thus, triggers a progressive chain reaction and the unfinished plaster on the walls assumes the importance of a focal element in the space to propel the interior concept towards a warm and rustic contemporary mood. The existing furniture is modified to blend with this new concept, with wooden cladding on horizontal surfaces becoming the obvious development. The concept of wood cladding is extended to the bar counter and column surfaces, uniting the mobile entities of the

Dark cosy spaces dominate the interiors.

Is minimalism specifically an approach or outcome; means or end? Or can it manifest as an attitude in thought with no suggestions of its innate coldness in the final creation? design with their immobile backdrop. An understated colour scheme of light pastel shades is employed to further accentuate the natural wood finishes, and minimal yellow lighting combines with it to add warmth to the setting. A series of modest ‘red-colour paintings’, personally fashioned by the client, give the entirety a signature finish while subtly adding drama to the otherwise bland walls. Though the overall composition is unfussy and uncomplicated in terms of intervention, the ultimate effect obtained is plush, cosy and welcoming.

When one thinks of minimalism, the obvious tendency is to employ the reduction of aesthetics to a bare minimum. The approach, more often than not, is to eliminate clutter, strip the walls and furniture to blatancy and exclude any form of colour or ornament. All in all, one ends up with a typical small white room with scanty furniture, smooth walls, no artwork and no soul. As a result, the style acquires the reputation of insipid monotony.

But, is minimalism really an approach or outcome; means or end? Or can it manifest as an attitude with no traces of its stark aloofness in the final creation? ‘On the Rocks’ Pub & Lounge demonstrates that minimalism can assume the form of an underlying value in the thought process crafting its own distinct language, not necessarily minimal itself.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design Team Client Project Duration Project Estimate

: : : : : : :

‘On the Rocks’ Pub & Lounge Indore, Madhya Pradesh Sandhya Patil Design Studio Sandhya Patil, Mayura M, Mahesh A Velocity Cinemas Pvt Ltd 5 months `35 Lakhs

132 IA&B - JUN 2012

Fashion Victims Florian Müller looks at the lives of people who form the fabric of India’s resurrecting textile industry and the places & spaces of their work in this column curated by Dr. Deepak Mathew.

Images & text: Florian Müller

C

lothes make the man. But men and women who make these clothes for other people are often left behind. While India’s growing middle class is chasing trends, the greedy tiger is chewing its working class. The mills of Ahmedabad and Mumbai spit out fabrics that will be offered later on to the world markets. Today, the Indian reality looks different to me. Stories can be told about child slaves at cotton plantations in rural Gujarat, as well as stories about people who wash dirty clothes for the wealthy in the ruins of what was destroyed for the sake of development. Those stories are far away from fair-trade or the glamourous Bollywood. But India is changing. Indians say that India is developing. Slowly but surely.

space frames

the clothes on other people

Telling daily life stories is a demanding task. Raising the individualism out of the masses, allows a deeper perspective to both, the photographer as much as the beholder, to experience an unknown lifestyle on a compassionate level.

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The German expression “The clothes of other people” is an idiomatic allegory for conscious disinterest on ones’ own environment. From the cotton pickers in the plains of Gujarat over the mill workers in Ahmedabad’s Denim production units to the dhobi wallahs in the Ghats along the Riverbank, all of these people are drudging for the benefit of others.

Telling daily life stories is a demanding task. Raising the individualism out of the masses, allows a deeper perspective to both, the photographer as much as the beholder, to experience an unknown lifestyle on a compassionate level. At least, these stories are journalistic orphans in these days, since India has a more important role in the global market.

Contrawise, the relevance of exactly these stories should rise, but still they remain sideshows in global media. My images of my story or the stories within my images, allow a perspective onto the subject, that goes further than only the information on the content and try to bridge the gap between photojournalism and fine art. I am absolutely aware of the fact, that my images might be considered as too aesthetic or too composed to be clearer in my visual language.

But this is what I would describe as my way of showing dignity.

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Florian Müller Florian Müller was born in 1982 and took the supposed backward step after his apprenticeship for digital media designer at a film and television production company from motion pictures to still images, and started to study photography at the University of Applied Science, Hanover. Since then he combines his photography and his second passion travelling while working intensively on long-term projects, which let him dive deeply into the reality of his protagonists’ lives. Such small daily life stories are found everywhere, directly on the front porch, at the bar around the corner as well as at a dominatrix studio or far away in remote corners of our earth – the centre point of his stories are always the humans and their personal narratives.

‘Space Frames’ investigates issues of architecture and environment through the medium of photography.

Space Frames June 2012: Fashion Victims by Florian M端ller Indian Architect & Builder Magazine

‘Space Frames’ investigates issues of architecture and environment through the medium of photography.

Florian Müller Florian Müller was born in 1982 and took the supposed backward step after his apprenticeship for digital media designer at a film and television production company from motion pictures to still images, and started to study photography at the University of Applied Science, Hanover. Since then he combines his photography and his second passion travelling while working intensively on long-term projects, which let him dive deeply into the reality of his protagonists’ lives. Such small daily life stories are found everywhere, directly on the front porch, at the bar around the corner as well as at a dominatrix studio or far away in remote corners of our earth – the centre point of his stories are always the humans and their personal narratives.