project # 10

TITLE: SHIHOR FARM HOUSE
ARCHITECT: LEO PEREIRA
LOCATION: SHIHOR, BHAVNAGAR DIST, GUJARAT

This weeks post highlights a project done by Ahmedabad based architect Leo Pereira: a farm house at Shihor, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat. The plot, which measures around 32,675 sq m, has been divided in two parts by strategic location of the house that sits almost in middle of the plot. This division of the plot makes rear part available for dense vegetation; while the front portion takes care of approach from the main road and landscaping. The house is made up of two levels; the ground floor that can be accessed with a wooden bridge over the water body, and the first floor that has a delayed approach through ramp. Ground floor mainly comprises of two bedrooms with a verandah space between them that also acts as arrival space. This floor of the house has a very inward looking character as opposed to the first floor which is almost treated as a pavilion in the landscape. It is also characterized by wooden louvers that allow light-ventilation in the space at the same time maintain the privacy of the ground floor.

The house has a bar-like plan with a single bay that is 12 feet wide. This bay comprises of 14 inch thick parallel masonry walls that act as load bearing elements. To this bay a ramp has been added on one side leading to a terrace with built in seats and a tree. This terrace and the verandah are the two key spaces that establish the pavilion like nature of first floor. The verandah space is also connected to ground floor with the help of an internal staircase. Master bedroom, meditation space and pantry are the other main functions on the first floor.

approach....................................................terrace.........................


verandah & bedroom on first floor...................................................


arrival space on ground floor...........................................................


view from north...............................................................................

The overall built form of the house stands out in the landscape with clearly defined forms, and within this form roof turns out to be the most prominent feature. The house employs the idea of double roof where the outer layer comprises of sloping roof. This sloping roof defines the overall form of the house, and under which volumetric play happens because the main spaces like bedroom have their own flat RCC roofs. Plastered and painted walls, IPS flooring, exposed concrete and wood for doors-windows are the few dominant materials in the palette.


photographs courtesy: All photographs have been taken by Mr. Dinesh Mehta

project # 9

TITLE: ARCHITECT'S OWN HOUSE
ARCHITECT: KIRAN PANDYA
LOCATION: AHMEDABAD

Architect Kiran Pandya’s own house and studio are located on a stretched rectangular plot that can be approached from two shorter ends; southern approach from the society road, and northern approach from the main road. The plot, which measures approximately 300 sq. yards, has one long side as shared wall. The entire house comprises of three levels, with studio that occupies semi basement and house on the rest of the two levels. Entrance from the north is mainly reserved for the studio making it directly accessible from the main road, without disturbing the rest of the house; while the house enjoys much private southern entrance from the society road, with a lawn in front. The studio is also connected to the house with the help of an internal staircase.

Plan has been divided into three parallel bays, of which the western bay is left open for the purpose of margins and to bring light-ventilation till the studio level. The eastern bay mainly comprises of functions like living, verandahs, staircase and terraces. The very nature of these functions makes this bay primarily open for the purpose of light and cross-ventilation. The central bay occupies dining, all the bedrooms and services like kitchen, bathrooms and storage. This linearity of the bays is broken with another axis that gets formed by living, dining and the deck space on the ground floor.

view from the lawn.....................................................


studio ...........................................living area.................................

living & dining................................................................................

landing space.......................sunken court.............

The house is characterized by sublime quality of light that wash the white plastered surfaces of the walls. Indirect skylights have been used very effectively in meeting room, living area, landing seat and even toilets on the first floor. The material palette of the house comprises of rough plastered walls, terracotta tiles, red oxide IPS, exposed RCC and wood for doors-windows.

project # 8

TITLE: THE HAMLET
LOCATION: TRIVANDRUM
ARCHITECT: LAURIE BAKER

There are a few reasons for which I consider myself very lucky, and one amongst them is my brief encounters with ‘Daddy’ (Laurie Baker). Initially it was thanks to my five months of office training at COSTFORD, Trivandrum, in the year 1998; and later in 2001 for the purpose of my dissertation. These photographs of ‘the hamlet’, Baker’s own house, were taken on a sunny afternoon in year 2001, along with an interview with. I will try my best to share the memories that I have of this house.

upper-level entrance
mural at the entrance


private terrace
top-most level

The house sits on the slope of a rocky hill with a total level difference of almost 15 meters between extreme points. Things have been added, modified, contours have been established, and thus entire house has grown over a period of time since Bakers occupied this land in 1970. The entire house now comprises of five levels and can be accessed from two levels. The lowermost level can be accessed directly from the Nalanchira road; while the topmost level, where all the main functions of the house are located, has its own vehicular access. The house occupies the ground without making any noise, with the help of semi-enclosed spaces, living areas that open onto terraces, water body and dense vegetation. Almost all the wood used for this house is recycled wood and the house is built with the trademark Baker technology. 9” thick exposed brick walls with rat-trap bond, filler slab with mangalore tiles as filler material and red-oxide flooring are the few dominating materials. The hamlet is an ideal example of what Baker had described as ‘a low-energy house’.

RELATED LINKS:

http://www.prashant-das.com

http://lauriebaker.net

http://architecture-practice.blogspot.com/2008/05/project-2.html

project # 7

TITLE: NEWMAN HALL
ARCHITECT: HASMUKH C. PATEL
LOCATION: AHMEDABAD

Newman Hall is an institution that houses the Ahmedabad Jesuit School Society. The building is designed by Architect Hasmukh C. Patel and it represents his architectural philosophy very accurately. Architect Hasmukh C. Patel is a well-known figure in the field of contemporary Indian architecture. His practice started in 1960 with three people is now a design corporate functioning with 100 people, lead by his son Bimal Patel (HCPDPM). I have already published Bimal Patel’s Ahmedabad Management Association in my earlier post. Newman Hall houses an office, teaching facilities, accommodation facilities and a church.

entrance porch
bridge between two blocks
office block

church

Newman hall has an ‘H’ shape configuration in plan, with two internal courtyards. Two building blocks run east-west with corridors connecting them on every floor. The building is entered from south side, perpendicular to this ‘H’ shaped plan, thus creating an axis which gets reinforced by the bridge-like corridors that connect the two blocks. The office block occupies the east courtyard while the church is placed on the west side at the extreme end, creating another axis that is perpendicular to the entrance. The staircase is also placed in the courtyard on this axis almost like a sculptural element. The building language and the material palette of this complex has been kept to very simple and basic with 9” thk exposed brick walls, exposed RCC, mosaic tiles for floor and steel for doors-windows.