How can a building form a Living Envelope which can adapt itself to the surroundings? How can we create a building with a sustainable eco-friendly approach such that we contribute positively to our environment?
The design of any building is directly linked to its context; and therefore its location, characteristics of the land and surroundings deeply influence our buildings.
We live in a Tropical climate, ‘Hot’ & ‘Humid’ therefore comes along with it. How do we overcome it? Air Conditioning is the quick answer but it should be the LAST solution.
What other factors are to be considered in the Architecture? Here are some we believe are important:
Site Orientation with Respect to Wind & Sunrise/set Direction
Plot Extent to provide ease of movement
Vegetation Cover in the vicinity to protect from the heat
Road width to provide for easy entry and exit
Ratio of built & Open Spaces in the surroundings to provide air movement
Ratio of Volume to surface Area for providing ventilation
Roof Profile to ensure that heat & water are spread out faster
Materials used to ensure strength, thermal insulation and finally durability
Once these are carefully incorporated into the design, we can start exploring to contribute to the environment, and the building can accommodate itself to the climatic variations.
What drives our Architecture is the Holistic Planning Process. Our Planning does not stop only with the building but the surrounding environment which also includes:
Water Harvesting and Recycling through natural means
Increasing Energy Efficiency by Airflow and Thermal Insulation
Sustainability of the Structure over the Lifetime with minimal maintenance
Cutting down Heat, Glare and Dust from entering the building
Balance of Light & Shade so that the inside
Maintain Ambient Indoor Temperature through Natural Cooling
Lowering the Future Maintenance Cost
One can see examples of each of these being accomplished in our different projects.