World Architecture Festival 2019: Showcasing 3 Finalists From India
These residential projects exemplify how architecture responds to and is crafted by its surrounding natural environment
The annual World Architecture Festival honours some of the very best architectural projects in the world through its awards programme. In the first part of our story, we introduced you to five shortlisted projects from India. This year’s 534 finalists have been chosen with a focus on how architecture can assist in creating a more sustainable future. Read on for three projects from India that showcase how the natural environment can affect architecture and how the talented architects used these factors to sculpt spaces that optimise environmental performance.
All photographs courtesy World Architecture Festival
All photographs courtesy World Architecture Festival
The facade is fragmented into a series of small blocks at different levels. The idea behind this design was to make sure that the home did not look like one bulky structure. The public and private areas are shielded with the help of sheltered open terraces and landscaped gardens.
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The south, west and east sides of the home are covered with patterned screens. These screens protect the home from the heat and traffic to which these sides are exposed. The design, influenced by traditional Indian architecture and the Luchnowi chikan embroidery, create different light-and-shadow patterns throughout the day, adding to the beauty.
For indirect natural light to filter through, the architects created large glass windows on the northern side which open up to a large garden. While the main entrance is located on the south side, the home is designed to face this garden on the north, connecting the internal spaces with natural greenery.
The internal spaces wrap around a two-storey, naturally ventilated courtyard. The skylight allows diffused light to stream in while the multiple screened vents keep the home cool. The play of light and shadow from the external screens had a huge role in determining the interiors.
Wood and grey Italian marble have been used extensively to unify the interiors. The muted palette is enhanced by architectural elements that portray the relationship between light and shadow. Colour has been brought in through vivid Indian art and soft furnishings.
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2. Category: Completed Buildings – Villas
Project: Drift House on the Little Much Farm
Location: Mulshi (Pune), Maharashtra
Architects: Shonan Purie Trehan, Principal Architect, L.A.B (Language Architecture Body)
Photos by Photographix | Sebastian Zachariah
Located on a remote hill side overlooking the Sahyadri hills of Mulshi and its lake, this villa was created for the occupants to reconnect with nature. The weekend home was designed as a series of interconnected, layered elements.
See more exterior images of homes from around the world
Project: Drift House on the Little Much Farm
Location: Mulshi (Pune), Maharashtra
Architects: Shonan Purie Trehan, Principal Architect, L.A.B (Language Architecture Body)
Photos by Photographix | Sebastian Zachariah
Located on a remote hill side overlooking the Sahyadri hills of Mulshi and its lake, this villa was created for the occupants to reconnect with nature. The weekend home was designed as a series of interconnected, layered elements.
See more exterior images of homes from around the world
The strategy was to make the most of the panoramic views and to protect the interiors from the extreme weather conditions. The angled roofs at different levels provide shelter from heavy monsoon rain and harsh sun. Three pitched mild steel roofs slant in specific directions to create enclosures – a windy but dry corner, a sliver of sky above the entry and a sheltered walkway.
Exposed concrete columns support the roof planes at strategic points of the grid, which allows for large overhangs to shelter the deck and interior spaces. The external facade is clad with four forms of silver-grey slate, namely raw slabs, rough-cut, polished and mixed slats, to emphasise the beauty of the material.
The villa consists of three distinct blocks constructed along the slope of the hillside. The double-height middle block connects to the upper floor of the western block and the lower floor of the eastern block at one level to create collective social areas. The timber slide that connects the private areas to the social hub imparts a sense of playfulness to the design that is also luxurious and functional.
Wood, exposed concrete and metal form the material palette that lends well to modern yet warm and inviting spaces. Elevating the decor are interesting details such as a smattering of black and white hexagonal tiles on the floor and the unique geometric patterns of the railings and door panels.
Other areas see details such as a spiral staircase connecting the dining room to the private zones on the lower level, cast-in-place sculptural terrazzo wash basins in the bathrooms, words carved into the concrete ceiling of the guest bedroom and laser-etched art on the wardrobe shutters in another bedroom.
3. Category: Completed Buildings – Villas
Project: Amaltas
Location: Baroda, Gujarat
Architects: Squareworks LLP / Apartment
Photos by Fabien Charuau
Located on the outskirts of the city, this residential retreat is designed as a luxurious and comfortable space surrounded by a countryside landscape.
Project: Amaltas
Location: Baroda, Gujarat
Architects: Squareworks LLP / Apartment
Photos by Fabien Charuau
Located on the outskirts of the city, this residential retreat is designed as a luxurious and comfortable space surrounded by a countryside landscape.
The client, who is a landscape architect and an environment enthusiast, wanted a consciously designed home which integrated multilayered spaces, a coherent material palette and was energy efficient with solar panels on the roof.
The home features wide peripheral verandahs on the south- and west-facing sides. These envelope the interior social zones such as the living and dining areas, which further lead to the private rooms.
To cope with the effects of a fluctuating subtropical climatic and summer heat on a home of this scale, the architects made use of clever techniques including layering the wide verandas, crafting buffer spaces and a series of internal courtyards. This protects the interiors from the intense heat while allowing for natural ventilation and indirect light to flood the home.
The home features four distinct zones, including a public space with an entrance hall, a living area, a dining room, a powder room and a library. There is also a semi-private zone for the client and her guests, with two bedrooms.
A dedicated zone designed exclusively for the client includes an attached lap-pool, bedroom, lounge, walk-in closet, kitchenette, gym and a private garden.
Lastly, the architects crafted a service wing with a spacious kitchen, storage, laundry room and utility areas for domestic
help and cleaning staff.
Read more:
Biophilic Design: How Architecture Can Enable Healthier Living
A Riverfront Home in the Ghats is Camouflaged With a Green Roof
Are Courtyards & Atriums a Gateway to Health & Happiness?
Tell us:
Which project is your favourite? Tell us in Comments below.
Lastly, the architects crafted a service wing with a spacious kitchen, storage, laundry room and utility areas for domestic
help and cleaning staff.
Read more:
Biophilic Design: How Architecture Can Enable Healthier Living
A Riverfront Home in the Ghats is Camouflaged With a Green Roof
Are Courtyards & Atriums a Gateway to Health & Happiness?
Tell us:
Which project is your favourite? Tell us in Comments below.
Project: 18 SCREENS
Location: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Architects: Sanjay Puri Architects
Photos by Dinesh Mehta
One of the biggest environmental factors that influenced the design of this private home is the long period of summer heat Lucknow sees. The architects needed to create a sanctuary that was sheltered from the sun and the busy arterial road, yet connected with the surrounding nature.