VOL 28 (6)
FEBRUARY 2015
www.iabforum.com
INDIAN ARCHITECT & BUILDER EXPLORE
Terrace-Alive Design Competition Reclaim your share of the SKY!
DEADLINE : 15thth February 2015 Open to Professionals and Arch. Students (4th & 5th Year) Terrace Alive by Dr. Fixit calls the architecture fraternity to pick an urban roof and transform it such that the spilling over of inmates to the streets below is channelised in a vertical fashion, creating a program induced community space on the terrace. This competition aims at creating a second realm of public spaces, where the sky is your roof. The terraces of such residential buildings open a great spectrum of possibilities for innovative and new ideas of a communal and public spaces. The idea is to create a focal point of activity, which will foster the nature of a communal lifestyle and also revive the otherwise dead terraces of various residential buildings. Eminent Architect Christopher Charles Beninger would be the juror of this year's competition. With an established architectural practice in the urban Indian context, Ar. Beninger will judge the entries based on their design innovations. For more details log on to : www.iabforum.com
Send in your entries to : iabedt@jasubhai.com
VOL 28 (6) | FEBRUARY 2015 | www.iabforum.com RNI Registration No. 46976/87, ISSN 0971-5509 INDIAN ARCHITECT AND BUILDER
36 CURRENT
Chairman: Jasu Shah Printer, Publisher & Editor: Maulik Jasubhai Shah Chief Executive Officer: Hemant Shetty
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If I were a Young Architect, I’d first design a structure called ME.
An inspirational essay by Christopher Charles Benninger.
Editorial: Aastha Deshpande, Lavina Bulchandani Email: iabedt@jasubhai.com Design Team: Mansi Chikani, Prasenjit Bhowmick, Kenneth Menezes Events: Abhijeet Mirashi Subscription: Dilip Parab Production Team: V Raj Misquitta (Head), Prakash Nerkar, Arun Madye
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YOUNG DESIGNERS ‘15
Head Office: JMPL, Taj Building, 3rd Floor, 210, Dr D N Road, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001. Tel: + 91-22-4037 3636, Fax: +91-22-4037 3635
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ARCHITECTURE
Big Brewsky, Bengaluru
Nilay Patalia Architects, Bengaluru design a brewery in nude
SALES Brand Manager: Sudhanshu Nagar Email: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com
brick and concrete letting the design orate its intent in crisp
vocabulary with no aid of ‘plastered’ metaphors that would
confound or obscure.
MARKETING TEAM & OFFICES
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Small House
“A small house, on a small site, with a small budget.”
A brief realised by Group4 Architects in their minimalistic design of
the house at Khardi.
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House at Cross Roads, Trivandrum
Ar Jayakrishnan succinctly weaves a house at the crossroads into
the urban, social, spatial and infrastructural fabric of the city of
Mumbai Parvez Memon Taj Building, 3rd Floor, 210, Dr D N Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001. Tel: + 91-22-4037 3636, Fax: +91-22-4037 3635 Email: parvez_memon@jasubhai.com Delhi: Preeti Singh / Suman Kumar 803, Chiranjeev Tower, No 43, Nehru Place, New Delhi – 110 019 Tel: +91 11 2623 5332, Fax: 011 2642 7404, Email: preeti_singh@jasubhai.com, suman_kumar@jasubhai.com Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Gujarat: Sudhanshu Nagar Mobile: +91 9833104834, Email: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com Chennai / Coimbatore: Princebel M Mobile: +91 9444728035, +91 9823410712, Email: princebel_m@jasubhai.com Kolkata: Sudhanshu Nagar Mobile: +91 9833104834, Email: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com Pune: Parvez Memon Mobile: +91 9769758712, Email: parvez_memon@jasubhai.com Printed & Published by Maulik Jasubhai Shah on behalf of Jasubhai Media Pvt Ltd (JMPL), 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021. Printed at M B Graphics, B-28, Shri Ram Industrial Estate, ZG D Ambekar Marg, Wadala, Mumbai 400031and Published from Mumbai - 3rd Floor, Taj Building, 210, Dr D N Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001. Editor: Maulik Jasubhai Shah, 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021. Indian Architect & Builder: (ISSN 0971-5509), RNI No 46976/87, is a JMPL monthly publication. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part, in English or any other language is strictly prohibited. We welcome articles, but do not accept responsibility for contributions lost in the mail.
The latest news, events and competitions in architecture and design
from India and abroad.
Young Designers ’15 showcase diverse scales of work that is
relevant and well-crafted, demonstrating a commendable ethos to
the design of space.
Trivandrum.
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Follow the Sun
A unique approach to a constrained site and providing a solution
to issues of light and ventilation, brings about the evolution a
concept that studies the sun path to create a spatial language.
84 INTERIORS
Atulyam: an unparalleled journey through the senses
Mumbai based firm DeFACTO has created an oasis of peace in the
city of Nasik that relaxes the mind, rejuvenates the senses and
brings the guests closer to nature.
90
Magic Threads
Designed by Studio Motley, this kids’ boutique and activity center,
breaks away from the conventional perception of a children’s store
and yet retains a playful quality of space.
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ITF office interiors
With an ambition to create a unique and interactive work space,
the interiors of the ITF office is a young and inventive design.
102
Shaatika… the Sari boutique.
A sari store that delights with its vivid hues in a compact space.
108 LANDSCAPE
Sannidhi Residence... Beyond the pluck and push
Anchored on a linear site, Sannidhi residence, is a complex
geometrical massing that plucks and pushes not only the cuboid
form but also plays a clever intervention with the landscape.
114 PRODUCT
Wooden Chair Design
Integrating seating comfort and aesthetic appeal in this
minimalistic design of the Wooden Chair as part of a larger fine
dining experience for the restaurant – Recipes.
118
SPACE FRAMES
Kushti- A forgotten craft
Experimenting with unusual angles of the akadas, Abhijit Joshi,
makes his work stand out from other documentaries on the
forgotten craft of Kushti.
EXPLORE
Cove Printed & Published by Maulik Jasubhai Shah on behalf of Jasubhai Media Pvt Ltd (JMPL), 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021. Printed at M B Graphics, B-28, Shri Ram Industrial Estate, ZG D Ambekar Marg, Wadala, Mumbai 400031and Published from Mumbai - 3rd Floor, Taj Building, 210, Dr D N Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001. Editor: Maulik Jasubhai Shah, 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021. Indian Architect & Builder: (ISSN 0971-5509), RNI No 46976/87, is a JMPL monthly publication. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part, in English or any other language is strictly prohibited. We welcome articles, but do not accept responsibility for contributions lost in the mail.
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New Delhi, 18 th December
“Sustainability - A Way of Life” Design, Innovation, Sustenance
N
erolac “Earthmatters” in Association with IA&B saw an evening with over 110 architects in New Delhi on 18 th December about Sustainability…a way of life with a keen focus on design, innovation and sustenance. The attempt was to speak about sustainability not as a speciality but as a prerequisite of all actions, specifically creation here. Architecture with a special address to design, innovation & sustenance. The evening began with presentation by Mr. Yatnesh Pandey, Head Marketing, Decorative Paints, Kansai Nerolac , which highlighted about eco-friendly products introduced by Nerolac and the steps taken by the brand for a sustainable future. The three distinguished panellists were Ar. Ashish Ganju from New Delhi, Ar. Prem Chandavarkar from Bangalore and Ar. Savita Punde from New Delhi. Sustainability being their forte, the speakers presented and discussed various facets of the issue, each with their own ideologies and concepts about how to translate it to architecture. Mr. Ganju with a couple of illustrative examples elaborated his view of sustainability and pointed certain loopholes that come with all terminologies attached to it. In addition, he cited certain examples from his own book and ventured into a rather controversial, albeit interesting, critical analysis of some popular buildings of the world. Mr. Prem in his talk quoted various scholars of different fields and cited examples from biology, economic theory and human behaviour, drawing analogies with the field of architecture and elucidating on
Indian Architect & Builder - February 2015
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If I were a Young Architect I’d First Design a Structure Called Me! Christopher Charles Benninger
Y
oung architects desire to wander, think and ponder, thereby creating themselves almost unknowingly through steps in darkness. They kind of drift along without any plan of where they’re going, thinking that their school curriculum, life’s cycles and their parents will decide what they should do, where they’re going, and what they will become. One rarely understands that they are being formed, shaped and created into a fixed structure, in a manner that is out of our control. Day by day we are getting shaped chaotically, without any direction, or plan, into an unknown design. Young architects are also anxious to earn, gain fame and compete, possibly eroding the very process of their own constructive evolution. Youngsters are thus trapped between conflicting desires and felt needs. They have to study this paradigm of conflicting choices, understand the consequences of their decisions, and deal with these consequences in an objective manner. They have to start looking at themselves in a mirror and asking themselves: “Who is this person I am looking at?” Maybe they need to sit down and paint a selfportrait before this question arises again?
The teacher of Frank Lloyd Wright, a great architect himself, Louis Sullivan, wrote his own story, calling it the “Autobiography of an Idea.” I think he’d written that autobiography when he was young, and he was just editing the story as he went along in life. If I were a young architect I’d also ask myself: “Who am I?” “Who do I want to be?” “What will make me happy?” “How will my happiness create the energy to make an everlasting contribution to humanity?” Making beautiful things does not make you happy; being happy leads you to make beautiful things! Be happy and you, yourself will be beautiful too! I would design myself the same way I’d design a building: to be strong. I’d think of the values I’d like to be remembered for. Maybe
If I were a young architect I’d think of designing myself before I’d worry about designing any building, or earning a living. I’d think about the structure of myself, and how I’d like to design it. I’d ponder over the major equipment, like my brain, and think of how it would be. Would it be full of values, knowledge and wisdom? I’d develop a concept of my body and think of it as well maintained, durable and safe. I’d not worry about being tall and thin; or short and heavy; dark or light. I’d worry whether I am thinking, conceptualizing and designing ME in my future. I would not model myself from a magazine! Young architects must design themselves, and then see themselves in that image. Like a construction site, that period of “making” will be messy, a bit chaotic and even confusing. But sketch out the concept of yourself; write down the specifications; and have an idea what your creation will be like before it gets built! Then understand that this “designing and building me project” is a life-long one. You will always be playing about with the design, as if it were a clay model that can be tweaked and tinkered with here and there, and changing a little bit almost every day. Indian Architect & Builder - February 2015
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Make yourself.
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↑
1955 Sketches of Don Quixote by Picasso.
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the value of that difference. I’d want to be Holistic in my ability to see the same single thing as many different things, from different perspectives, different angles, and to understand the value of multiple manifestations. To do this I’d yearn to be of an inclusive and exploring nature, looking at philosophy, the arts, and scientific thinking simultaneously, seeking their connections and their interrelationships. Yes, I’d like to design myself “wise,” instead of “stupid!” When I am finished building my design of me, I’d want myself as a Trustee of natural and human wealth. I’d see Trusteeship in my understanding that we are all here on this earth only for a short period, and it is our honor to create and hold wealth as a common resource for future generations. I don’t want to design myself greedy like the tallest building in the world, or to amass wealth and property like the most ugly, oversized mansion. I want to be driven by compassionate wisdom to hold the wealth of nature and of humanity, utilising it in a just and sustainable manner, for the whole of humanity, now and forever. Thus, I will never actually own anything; I’ll just be a trustee of my wealth and employ it for the common good! So in designing myself, I’d think of these things and how I can make them an integral part of my thinking, my very soul, and my true being. I’d be concerned that I become a “thinker-doer,” and not just a “thinker-talker!” James Joyce, the famous Irish writer, began his autobiographical novel at age 21, called “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” publishing parts of it over the years, but only the entire book at the age of 34. He was clearly designing himself through his craft when he first obtained a vision of his future self. I would want to work on this design of me, and then to see that it is a functional design that can be done; can be made, and can change the world! I’d design myself to become an actor who does things, and not an observer who sits on the side observing and criticising the “doers!” I would not worry about my career path too much, but I’d worry about my personal path of self-discovery. I’d try to increase my skills, deepen my knowledge, and most of all sharpen my sensitivities. Maybe I’d list down the skills, the areas of knowledge, and the sensitivities I’d like to acquire in my Sketchbook of Myself. Then I’d plan out how, and through what means, I can acquire these elements, integrating them into my personae.
In “The Natural House,” Frank Lloyd Wright wrote down a Credo, coming from the Latin word, “I believe,” and he listed down all of the beliefs that he deemed to be self-evident truths guiding his actions throughout his lifetime. Each one of us should write in our Sketchbook our own Credo and we should work on it, and revise it now and then. This list becomes the performance standards for the design called ME. The items on this Credo would be the basis of my serious discussions, the essence of my debates, and even the guts of my arguments with my friends and my mentors. These questions would be the facts, the ideas and the concepts I’d explore with my colleagues, classmates and my teachers. We’d each have our own Sketchbook of Myself, and we’d compare notes and sketches. We should look at our basic design concept and how we are detailing it out. Just like the idea of a building, we’d be arguing over the idea of a person; a person called me! Each young architect should write down, in their Sketchbook, a personal Credo of their guiding beliefs that will in fact create them into the future person they cherish to be! Each young architect should always be asking: “How can I define myself?” “How can my design of myself be better, more efficient, truer and more beautiful than what it is?” I’d be thinking, discussing and sketching down, How can one be truly beautiful, not from the outside, but on the inside! I’d yearn to be a great architect, but I’d prefer to be a good person, should I have to make a choice between the two! I’d rather be admired by the people close by to me than by the unknown masses of admirers off in distant places that I do not know. Yes, if I were a young architect I’d first design a structure called ME! *Christopher Charles Benninger began his teaching career at The School of Architecture at Ahmedabad (1968), Harvard’s Graduate School of Design (1969-71), The School of Planning at Ahmedabad (which he founded with Balkrishna Doshi in late 1971), and at the Centre for Development Studies and Activities (which he founded in 1976, continuing through 1996). His book, Letters To A Young Architect, won the Best Architecture Book of the Year Award and was on the Top Ten Best Selling Non-fiction Books List for many months. It was later translated into Chinese, Gujarati and now into Marathi and Bengali. His page (A Network of Ideas; Not a Social Network) www.facebook.com/christopher.benninger.3 is the most popular architectural site between Zurich and Tokyo, with more than 30,000 members.
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A
rchitecture is a diverse school of practice. There are scales to be negotiated, materials to be explored and places to be true to. And in the context of our sub-continent, this also means there are informal sectors, a completely diverse constructional dialect and red tape to manoeuvre around. Through all of this, there are firms both young and old, yet not so well-known that diligently persevere against these odds to build relevant spaces, in a dialogue that resonates beyond the constraints of the brief. These are the practices that need to be given their due, ones that tread the fine line between the contemporary and the meaningful every day and do it earnestly, ones that eventually become practices of consequence. In its 16 th edition this year, IA&B’s Young Designers competition has constantly striven to showcase the importance of conscious design, in a time where the smallest act of building has global implications. The practices this year demonstrate a purposeful drive to propel architecture beyond the dark corner of unresponsive necessity that it has been relegated to. Moved by a creative resilience that accommodates and includes, buoyed on by a spirit to improve and express, in an attempt to reconnect with a seemingly indifferent society, they put architecture back on the map in a meaningful way that deserves to be celebrated. The initiative has once again witnessed a barrage of exceptional design entries, to which a single issue would scarcely do justice. Owing to this overwhelming response from young and inspired designers, the CITATIONS featured this month will be followed by the SPECIAL MENTIONS in subsequent issues as an extension of ‘Young Designers 2015’. Indian Architect & Builder - February 2015
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HOUSE AT CROSSROADS Ar Jayakrishnan K B,Trivandrum
Ar Jayakrishnan succinctly weaves a house at the crossroads into the urban, social, spatial and infrastructural fabric of the city of Trivandrum. Text and Images: courtesy Ar Jayakrishnan K B
The city does not tell its past, but contains it like the lines of a hand, written in the corners of streets, the gratings of the windows, the banisters of the steps, the antennae of the lightning rods, the poles of the bags, very segment marked in turn with scratches, indentations, scrolls. Ar Jayakrishnan K B graduated in Architecture from College of Engineering, Trivandrum in the year 1993. In 2008, he and his wife Ar Chitra Nair, established the firm JCJR Homes in Trivandrum Kerala. Since then he has been working as a partner in this firm. He is also keen on Architectural education and involves in many academic activities in Trivandrum. Indian Architect & Builder - February 2015
architecture
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The Front Court and the Entry Foyer. Indian Architect & Builder - February 2015
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MAGIC THREADS Studio Motley, Bengaluru Designed by Studio Motley, this kids’ boutique and activity center, breaks away from the conventional perception of a children’s store and yet retains a playful quality of space. Text: Lavina Bulchandani | Drawings: courtesy Studio Motley Images: courtesy Siddhi Madgaonkar & Anand Kurudi
The brief called for a boutique for children’s clothes along with spaces demarcated for a jungle gym and a multipurpose activity room which could house parties, events, etc. A decision was made early on to eschew the use of bright colours one would normally associate with a children’s store and instead create the desired liveliness with light and shade patterns and natural textures playing off each other. The intent was also to create a subtle backdrop for the children’s clothes and accessories, one which doesn’t compete with the bright objects but in its own way contributes to the ambience
Studio Motley is a multi-disciplinary design studio with project experience ranging from large scale master plans to architecture and interior design. The two partners, Kajal Gupta and Anand R Kurudi have bachelor’s degrees from Bengaluru University and a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and Savannah College of Art and Design, USA respectively. Together the team brings in the right blend of international experience and local expertise in design. Studio Motley is an architectural and planning practice dedicated to pursuing excellence and integrity in design and service. Bringing a high level of commitment and ambition to all, the architects, work closely with stakeholders, to create environments that are valued by and are meaningful to the users. Indian Architect & Builder - February 2015
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Subdued interiors of Magic Threads, kids boutique and activity center. Indian Architect & Builder - February 2015
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Kushti- A forgotten craft Curator: Dr Deepak John Mathew Photographs: Abhijit Joshi
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ushti is a form of traditional mud wrestling from India. It is centuries old, but in the last few decades the number of people taking up Kushti has been diminishing, with wrestlers taking up mat wrestling instead. Currently played only in few cities in India, Kolhapur being one of them, where only 6-7 traditional Talim’s (The Wresting Training Place called ‘Talim’) still thrive while the rest converted to modern technique (very often persuaded by the Indian Government to adapt to the Olympics eligibility). In Talim, the ‘Pehalvan’ (wrestler) trained to enhance his wrestling skills in a definite patch of Red mud called ‘Aakhada’ for 7-8 years under guidance of a ‘Vastad’ (Trainer/mentor/teacher) to win medals in locally organised competitions. Abijit has documented the agony and ecstasy of the traditional sport ‘kushti’. His attempt is not to merely document the craft but to bring the spirit of the fighter and various forms of tensions he undergoes. The training is tough and tedious. Through light and shade he has brought forward the pains of the person who is undergoing kushti Training. He has chosen and experimented with unusual angles of the akadas and that makes his work stand out from other documentaries. Many people including Raghu Rai have photographed this subject in black and white; the light and shade and play of human forms makes it an ideal subject for black and white Photography. Abijit has dared to use colour and he has become quite successful in that too. The warm tones created by the reflection of light on red mud builds the atmosphere of fighting and the spirit of this sport. His compositions narrate the untold stories of these forgotten artists.
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Abhijit Joshi
Dr Deepak John Mathew
Abhijit Joshi is an avid photographer, travel enthusiast and Brand Consultant. Born and brought up in Dhule, on quitting his advertising job, Abhijit set off on his own offering multitude services such as product shoots, designing, video production etc. While he thoroughly enjoys all these creative mediums, his heart lies in documentary and street photography. Currently he lives in Pune, India.
Dr Mathew was Head of Photography Department till 2013 and Founder of the Photography Design Department at NID (National Institute of Design). Currently he is working as an associate professor in the Design Department at IIT (Indian Institute of Technology). Dr Mathew has developed the curriculum and designed the first post graduate Dual Master level programme in Photography Design in India. With an experience spanning over eighteen years in photography, painting and graphics, he has published several papers and conducted workshops on photography worldwide. Dr Mathew has taught as visiting professor at many institutes in India, New Zealand and UK. Deepak John Mathew’s Website: http://djmphotography.in/
Space Frames investigates issues of architecture and environment through the medium of photography. To contribute, write to us at iabedt@jasubhai.com or to the curator Dr Mathew at dr.djmathew@gmail.com.
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Indian Architect & Builder - February 2015
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IN CONVERSATION Mario Botta, Mario Botta Architetto ARCHITECTURE Delhi Public School, Bengaluru: Khosla Associates Lateral House, Bengaluru: Gaurav Roy Choudhury Architects HERITAGE Adaptive Reuse of Jal Mahal Bijolai, Jodhpur: Grup.ISM Pvt Ltd CAMPAIGN: Architectural Education Women Students, Culture and Pedagogy: Madhavi Desai DELHI DIALOGUES Dwarka is the Chosen One
In Conversation Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury, URBANA Competition: TATA TISCON RAISE Street House: Sensen Designs, New Delhi Architecture KPIT Cummins Campus, Pune: Venkatraman Associates Academia Knowledgescapes : Neha Koul and Dr Gaurav Raheja
Free supplements: Asian Paints ColourNext 2011 • Birla Yuvaratna 2010
Young Designers ‘14 Architecture: Of Mud And A Moat Product: 3Rs Chair
Cool Crossovers Innovations in Sustainability
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