This episode of Monocle 24's On Design podcast, which briefly surveys the state of Indian architecture and suggests a blueprint for a 21st Century vernacular, was written and recorded by ArchDaily's European Editor at Large, James Taylor-Foster. In the first half of 2016 an exhibition was opened in Mumbai. The State of Architecture, as it was known, sought to put contemporary Indian building in the spotlight in order to map trends post-independence and, more importantly, provoke a conversation both historical and in relation to where things are heading. ![]() India, of course, is a unique and complex place of inequalities, overcrowding, issues of sanitation-to name a few-which give Indian architects more to think about than simply changing skylines. A nation of 29 states that stretch from the Himalayan peaks to the coastline of the Indian Ocean, it has magnificently diverse range of cultures, languages and architectural styles. Yet, as India experiences the processes of rapid urbanisation in its largest metropoli-such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and beyond-an odd phenomenon is arising. You could say that the âwrongâ sort of architecture is being built â and discourse about the reality of Indian architecture today is, on the whole, lacking. So what do I mean by the âwrongâ sort of architecture? In the words of Rahul Mehrotra, a practising architect and Professor of Urban Design and Planning at Harvard, âarchitects [in India] are pandering to Capital in unprecedented ways â creating what we could call the 'Architecture of Impatient Capital'.â In other words, as money flows into certain people's pockets it is manifested, foe example, in shiny glass towers â all built in the blink of an eye. Vast air-conditioned skyscrapers, while representing only half the story, are both absurd and inefficient in the sorts of diverse sub-tropical climates that India enjoys. When Le Corbusier designed the government compound at Chandigarh, the capital of the northern territories of Haryana and Punjab in the early 1960s, he understood the importance of designing specifically for the city's sun-soaked summers. A European import simply wouldn't do. One of modern India's giants was the late Charles Correa. He had a finely tuned sensibility that found its aesthetic home in the lyrical qualities of light and shade. It was the quiet progressiveness of the Gandhi Ahsram, completed in 1963, that put his ideas on the map: an interconnected collection of modular huts-on the site of Mahatma Gandhi's home-that together create a meandering pathway, and a memorial to his legacy. These huts provide shelter from the sun as necessary but are also open to the skies and, most importantly, the breeze. It is one of the truest example of what contemporary Indian architecture could and should be, if only progress would allow. Across the border in Bangladesh (in Dhaka), these ideas are being practised today. Marina Tabassum, who won an Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016 for a mosque in Dhaka, also recognises the power of contemporary vernacularism. Built on a sliver of land donated by her grandmother and with funds raised by the local community, the building is both simple and elegant. Perforated brick walls speckle the prayer room with light, and also allow the building to breathe. It is, in other words, a perfect fit for its home. India can be the testing ground for raising the quality of life in the built environment for the many â but it must galvanise together in order to really make a difference.
0 Comments
![]() the dwelling has been constructed primarily from wood, with vertical larch cladding used to correspond with the site's existing buildings. The post norm architects conceives reydon grove farm house as a flat roofed pavilion appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine. ![]() © Steve Lancefield
![]() © Steve Lancefield From the architect. The site, situated on the Essex/Suffolk borders within the landscape immortalised by Constable was originally the home farm of the nearby estate, destroyed by fire in the 1950s. It consists of a collection of farm buildings forming a courtyard. The centrepiece of the site with views over the rural landscape is a large barn of cathedral-like proportions. ![]() © Steve Lancefield Cruciform in plan with a collection of smaller spaces surrounding it, the arrangement sought to provide shelter for different farming activities under a single roof. The barn complex is the legacy of the model farm movement. ![]() © Steve Lancefield The clients purchased the buildings in dilapidated condition. Having sold their own property in nearby Colchester they decided to reside in a caravan on the site during the build. David had worked on a previous project and was the natural choice of architect. ![]() Floor Plan The barn is a Listed structure and the contemporary refurbishment required lengthy agreements with the local planning authorities. ![]() © Steve Lancefield A large component of the renovations consisted of the refurbishment of the roof. Roofing slates and timber materials were salvaged from the other agricultural structures on the site that were too decayed to be usefully renovated. In order to allow the existing structure to be viewed internally but still conform to modern standards of thermal performance, the roof is a 'warm roof construction' meaning that all of the insulation is located on the exterior of the roof above a new timber deck. ![]() Sections The external walls were insulated with sheep's wool and clad with larch timber, which has been left to weather naturally. The original openings have been simply fenestrated with glazing set back from the external wall line. Oversized bespoke glazed sliding doors fill the hipped gable porches, allowing views from the courtyard towards open fields. Two three- metre square roof lights allow day light deep into the interior of the eight-metre tall central spaces. ![]() © Steve Lancefield It was decided early on during the design process to keep the spaces as open plan as possible. Where necessary partitions and screens are designed as over scaled freestanding furniture. Constructed from birch faced plywood sheets, they organise the spaces, providing privacy for bathrooms and sleeping areas. ![]() © Steve Lancefield A reminder of the barn's agricultural past, lighting is operated using existing switch boxes and concealed within the existing structure, existing metal grilles and new joinery. ![]() © Steve Lancefield Polished concrete flooring flows throughout with 10mm floor joints aligning with the spatial demarcation. A biomass boiler is assisted by a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system that recirculates warm air stacking in the taller spaces. ![]() © Steve Lancefield Landscaping and planting reflects the internal spaces and is kept simple with wildflower planting and brick paving salvaged from the existing barn complex. ![]() © Steve Lancefield ![]() © Simone Bossi
![]() © Simone Bossi From the architect. KAAN Architecten has moved to a new office, marking a page-turn for the expanding architectural practice. The new location is in the heart of Rotterdam, situated along the Maas river, just a few meters from the iconic Erasmus bridge and the firm's award- winning project Education Center at Erasmus Medical Center University. The project has transformed 1.400 sqm of the former premises of De Nederlandsche Bank into KAAN's new open-space headquarters, which encompasses more than 80 workspaces. ![]() Floor Plan KAAN's new De Bank office is housed in the piano nobile of a quintessential historical building originally designed by Prof. Henri Timo Zwiers in 1950-1955, on the grounds of a former synagogue, which was destroyed during the WWII bombings. The brick façade on Boompjes Street stands out against the river skyline and is characterized by an entrance hall enriched by the mosaic of Dutch artist Louis van Roode, who decorated several public spaces in Rotterdam during the post-war period. ![]() © Simone Bossi âThe notion of sharing of knowledge is at the core of the division of spaces and the interior design of the new office. This rough space has the special gift of an industrial yet monumental aesthetic, a beauty that we decided to exalt through a solid balance between two simple materials wood and concrete.â ![]() © Simone Bossi Dikkie Scipio The building's striking character and its wide, bright spaces offered the perfect base for KAAN Architecten to design their new office. The beating heart of the project is an extensive working area dedicated to architects. This space is blessed by intense daylight on both sides and offers a unique view of the surrounding water-front. The rectangular floor plan, with its clear proportions, is designed to effectively connect working, meeting and leisure spaces through several long monumental corridors and passages, enhancing fluid interactions between employees, visitors and partners. ![]() © Simone Bossi Spatial rhythm is generated by the finely restored industrial concrete structure. The rough essence of the material is balanced by a counterpoint of elegant dark walnut wood, which constitutes the main component of the interiors. The harmonious interaction between the warm comfort of the wood and the pre-existing concrete structure, envelopes the atmosphere in a graceful yet monumental feeling. KAAN Architecten has successfully designed a new working space that genuinely represents the philosophy of the office: functionalism with added value. Raw and refined at once, the project revitalizes and reveals the inherent beauty of a building that has, for many years been sleeping while its city dreams. ![]() © Simone Bossi ![]() influenced by the city's waterfront and mountains, the co-working space includes undulating and voluptuous dark blue vessels that host a variety of functions. The post bean buro evokes local urban life in uber's hong kong office appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine. The $507 million Golden 1 Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Sacramento, Calif
![]() © Parham Taghioff
![]() © Parham Taghioff Rowzan residence is a private residential building in 7 story consists of a private triplex unit upon two individual flats .The site is located in Zaferanieh neighborhood, in northern part of Tehran on a steep slope which varies up to 16 meters from south to north which ensures scenic overlooks toward the city skyline. So it was a main purpose in design process to take advantage of this spectacular view, but in the north and east sides there is a camp with student rush, thus minimum opening was preferred to have more privacy and quietness. ![]() © Parham Taghioff ![]() Section ![]() © Mehdi Kolahi The project is organized in three parts which settle on the slope gradually. The southern part is the yard and spiral car ramp which connects the street to the parking floor in two height upper. The middle part includes parking area and the twin flats and the northern part devoted to lobbies of the residence , both public and private, and the triplex unit with direct access to the northern alley.Here architects designed a perforated concrete shell safeguarding the inhabitant's privacy from the overlooking neighbors .It acts as a second skin protects the inner transparent mass which has been set back and let it have large windows with maximum possible light. This creates a unique calm in-between place which keeps you far away from the city next to that ,where water pond duplicates light by reflection and the bamboos, potted in oval-shape container ,add life and beauty to the space.This shell continues in the east side, becomes the single skin of the envelope which channels limited light and sight in ,but in the south with sweeping views of the city, it has been cut off to have maximum openness. ![]() Courtesy of Ali Daghigh ![]() © Parham Taghioff These eyelets and scratches have been inspired by functions behind. In north ,there are enclosures in each floor which oriented them towards a closed-shape and in the east, with open space and spiral staircases, the perforation orientation shaped in a more dynamic way .Diversified depths and length of them not only enhances the dynamism and vitality of the facade, but also boosts the lighting features and the overnight beauty of the building. ![]() Courtesy of Ali Daghigh In the traditional Persian architecture, when privacy and introversion was one of the most significant features, windows have fundamental role in forming the appearance and identifying the architectural characteristics of residential buildings. However, with the progression of time , there is a lack of variety and characteristics for windows and they have lost their historical position. In this project architects tried to revitalize this historical role with an attempt to avoid monotony and boredom in the repetition of these apertures. ![]() © Parham Taghioff ![]() © CUHKU - KUST
![]() © CUHKU - KUST From the architect. After the Ludian earthquake in 2014, most of the local rammed-earth buildings in Guangming Village were destroyed. Villagers chose to build brickâconcrete houses during the reconstruction period. However, the price of building materials rapidly increased and became unaffordable for most local villagers. ![]() Site Plan This project innovates the traditional rammed-earth building technology to provide villagers a safe, economical, comfortable, and sustainable reconstruction strategy that the villagers can afford, own, and pass on. ![]() © CUHKU - KUST A prototype house has been built for an aged couple to validate the technology and building performance of the innovative rammed-earth building system. ![]() © CUHKU - KUST Within a limited land, the design is integrated with the living and semi-outdoor spaces to provide a comfortable and artistic living environment for the aged couple. Double-glazed windows and insulated roof are used to improve the thermal performance of the building. ![]() Plans To improve the seismic performance, the components of the wall are well adjusted using clay, sand, grass, etc. Steel bars and concrete belts are added to the wall to improve structural integrity and to avoid vertical cracking. The concrete belts are hidden in the wall so that the earth facade could be integrated. The quality of the building materials, rammed tools and formwork are increased. ![]() © CUHKU - KUST The result of a shaking table test shows that the seismic performance of the rammed-earth building is significantly improved and can meet the local seismic codes. ![]() Sections The â3Lâ (local technology, local materials, and local labor) strategy has been used in the reconstruction project. The outcome could be summarized into three aspects: ![]() © CUHKU - KUST In environmental dimension, the environmental impact of the houses are minimized. Good thermal and daylighting performance guaranteed a low operating energy consumption. ![]() Sketches In economic dimension, the construction and operating costs have been minimized to be affordable to local residents. The villagers themselves constructed the houses mainly with manpower and simple tools. They could easily improve and maintain the houses in the future, and utilize this technology as a means of earning their livelihood. ![]() © CUHKU - KUST In social dimension, local residents are fully engaged in the entire process of reconstruction. Local government and multidisciplinary university resources are used to supported rural reconstruction. We protected the local traditional rammed-earth construction method and lifestyle by improving its building performance with a simple strategy and local materials. ![]() © CUHKU - KUST In the subsequent stage, this anti-seismic earth building system will be applied to more rural projects in Southwest China. This strategy will also provide guidance for local reconstruction policies and rammed-earth building standards. ![]() © Hemant Patil
![]() © Hemant Patil The project is a photography studio complex for a young photographer who specializes in automobile, product and fashion photography. ![]() © Hemant Patil The premise, based in Pune, India, which was earlier a factory complex, was in an abandoned and dilapidated state as it was unused for many years. It comprised of a large factory shed, servants' quarters and a watchman's cabin with a good amount of open spaces in the front. This area was in a no-development zone, hence it was not allowed to build any additional covered structure outside the limits of the existing structures in the complex. The exercise therefore, was to provide all the requirements while maintaining the footprints of the existing structures. ![]() © Hemant Patil The Factory shed was converted into the studio for the photography due to its expanse and the height available, while the watchman's cabin and the servants' quarters were converted into an image processing unit and an office respectively. An unused space of about 7' between the new office (erstwhile servants' quarters) and the factory shed was converted into a transition court, which the office looked into. This court, which is secured with a M. S. Pergola above, provides light and ventilation to the office, which has blank walls on 2 sides. An L- shaped wall flanks the court on the front side, providing some enclosure and housing the L shaped pergola, which highlights the entrance to the office. Linear, multi-colored windows in wood planks, open out the office façade to the paved, landscaped entrance court with existing and added plants and a couple of green benches.  ![]() Courtesy of Lovekar Design Associates On the other side of the plot was the main access to the factory shed with a watchman's cabin and an outdoor toilet. This area was worked on by re-designing the toilet, adding a wall that hid the toilet door and creating a frame in brickwork that gave an identity to the space. This frame houses a bamboo pergola with a potted Frangipani and a yellow bench, creating an enclosure for outdoor seating. ![]() © Hemant Patil Sustainability is achieved by using the existing structure with minimal changes to the architectural footprint. The climate in India being hot, doesn't allow for large openings and use of glass. The structure, therefore, has minimal windows and obtains light and ventilation only through the front colored windows and the side court, which is open to sky. The design character too is minimal, with almost no decoration. Natural elements such as light and air along with architectural characters and colors that are local to the tropical climate of India forms the design language. An unused factory complex was thus converted into a contemporary studio for a young photographer with minimal expenditure and in a short time frame. ![]() © Hemant Patil Product Description. The project needed a raw and rustic feel to it. Hence plain cement concrete flooring, which is called âThe Indian Patent Stoneâ, was used for flooring and highlighting a few walls. Other than this, paints in earthen shades were used on hand-plastered walls to give a raw look. The ceiling was painted black, while the doors and windows were painted in bright shades of acrylic emulsion paint. ![]() © Hemant Patil ![]() the concept re-envisions the japanese postwar movement called metabolism, combining architecture and biological growth. The post the city above the city: muça + safaryan ecologically expand capsule tower in tokyo appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine. |
AuthorHis current project is a modern, yacht-inspired 15,000 square foot home to be built on Lido Beach, Sarasota. It will be a marvel of curvaceous, geometric precision. Mr. Stanbury is the founder of J. Stanbury Design Inc. in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. Archives
November 2017
|