A CITY HOUSE @ KOLKOTTA

It is often said (amongst architects!) that design of a house is most challenging amongst all building typologies.

Even though design of hospitals, hotels and multimodal hubs etc. maybe technically more complex, yet design of a house, especially for client’s self-use, entails deep undertanding and decoding of their aspirations and dreams....some of these are 'implied and not worded'!

It gets more interesting (and complex!) when each family member jumps in and want their unique vision of the ‘dream-house’ to be fulfilled!!! Yet it is this very aspect of a house design that makes the process most fulfilling too!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/99c0fd_0f1bbc724c55498aaa41f0550387502d/480p/mp4/file.mp4

A-     THE WELLBEING ASPECTS:

We often give a special presentation focussed on lesser-known aspects of wellbeing to my clients and gift them my book ‘ARCHITECTURE FOR WELLBEING: 9 PRECEPTS OF BIOENERGETIC ARCHITECTURE’. The idea is to make them aware that there are more aspects of design that impact their wellbeing, besides vaastu which is commonly understood.

‘THERE IS MORE TO WELLBEING THAN MERELY BALANCING THE SENSORY ASPECTS. THE REALM OF SUBTLE ENERGY IN DESIGN PLAYS A BIG ROLE TOO’

Sharing above understanding of HOLISTIC WELLBEING with clients’ family is always received with a sense of wonder and excitement. Many clients have heard about vaastu only so they are thrilled when they know that their dream-house can many more aspects of wellbeing ingrained in it’s design at no additional cost!

It is thrilling and humbling how an architect can ‘REALLY’ touch the life of each family member in a positive way….and this is a big responsibility too!

B-     CELEBRATING LOCAL CRAFTSMANSHIP:

Using locally available material (as much as possible) makes a lot of financial and environmental sense (reduced embodied energy).

Intergrating local crafts connects the identity of architecture to it’s unique location and context. Architecture becomes a medium to celebrate and thereby sustain local crafts.

Terracotta works (especially Bankura Horses and custom-made tiles), wrougth iron crafts and selective use of local bamboo were few crafts that were used in this project as performance skin!

C -     TREADING LIGHTLY ON EARTH:

Integrating locally available material helps reduce embodied energy but their usage component is very small compared to concrete and steel. While use of flyash bricks will be helpful still major contribution towards sustainability in this project comes from a well insulated ( double skin) south facade and well lit & ventilated interiors. The louvres in stairwell and jali walls at top help to capture the predominant breeze from South & south east. The double skin also helps to conceal outdoor units of A.C and plumbing at places.

D -     THE GREEN FACADE:

Plants and vertical vegetation is perhaps best way to adorn architecture with a dynamic and living facade. Specially designed planters at roof and ledge-planters at baywindows and balconies

The Design docket has just left the drawingboard and started it’s journey towards manifestation.

Happy to share!

#bioenergeticarchitecture #designforwellbeing #efficienthousedesign #designandcraftintegration #architectureandcraft #architectureforwellbeing