Mangala Heritage home is perfect for a weekend getaway. The temple, along with the temple tank, around which the village is built, makes for a beautiful sight. The building itself is a restored, traditional Tamil style house with a very austere looking exterior which is in direct contrast with its cosy interiors.
A silent, peaceful resort along the side of the Chittar dam reservoir. Very subtle, blended with nature cottages. The cottages are of exposed brick and random rubble masonry What makes the resort special, are the small details, the gateways, the niches for lamps, the thatched gazebo next to the lily pond and many such simple elements which becomes significant in the whole picture.
Set along the river, the resort has small cottages over looking it, along with a swimming pool which blends with the flowing water near by. The restaurant, in the first floor, has large windows on all sides, thus making it airy and ventilated, at the same time giving a lovely view of the swimming pool and the river and the mountains.
IPM is a hospital for palliative care for people who are terminally ill. The patient blocks are all built in single storeys whereas the institutional wings are two storey structures. There are many verandahs and courtyards, the roofs are at different levels making the elevation interesting from outside and inside.
Huge courtyards, verandahs and well ventilated classrooms , are the main highlights of the school. The class rooms have low windows, to provide ample lighting and cross-ventilation, to make comfortable the learning experience. Every class room opens out to large verandahs, and open to sky courtyards, thus enhancing the comfort level of the students in the school. Architecture emphasizes the freedom of the student and enhances the creativity.
The Chandramandapa is the ancient Kuzhi Kalari of Kerala, transformed into a concept of twenty-first century Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Chandramandapa’s basic structural design starts in the traditional precepts. It is a“kuzhi” or pit, dug out of the earth, toa depth of 4 feet from ground level. The raised roof allows for a greater air flow and to take advantage of being on the seaside, to compensate for the absence of air conditioning, but providing natural coolness that is vital to all performers.
The original Theatre, which has been updated, is now named “Chandramandala”. The changes are hardly perceptible, as they have been subtly worked into the original 25 year old structure. The height has been raised, the stage enlarged and the green rooms with their facilities have been added. What once served as mainly rehearsal and work-in-progress space is now transformed into a contemporary, open-air theatre for small audiences.
Sundari Silks is a textile shop that has a south Indian character. The shop is simple with high ceiling and lot of circulation space with an internal courtyard. Small sized green Athangudi tiles are used for the floors.Though done with traditional elements, it is done in a contemporary way to suit the versatile collection of the store.
The office has many courtyards and internal verandas, which serve as a surprise element when entering form the entrance. It is a single storied structure, with traditional Tamil-Nadu pan tiles on the sloping roof. The roof is made of hollow box steel sections; no concrete has been used for the roof. Recycled doors and windows have been used. Many principles of sustainable architecture have been followed.
The residence has a smooth and gradual massing towards the south-west, bringing in the feature of the extensive sloping roofs. The house reflects the planned flow of spaces to intentionally connect the many otherwise separate areas.
Designed as a duplex for a family of three, Sangwan House sits quaintly at a corner plot in Delhi’s Karala Village, translating the client’s vision of having a small house but plenty of open space and green. It’s one of Habitat Design Collective’s (HDeCO) low-cost residential projects and has been designed and completed in INR 30 Lac (USD 43,500).
-Habitat Design Collective
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