When a construction spanning 17,000 sq. ft. must be accommodated inside a 7,500 sq. ft. web site already occupied by over 20 Gulmohar, Mango, Silver Oak, and Christmas trees, the job turns into difficult. It is heightened when the purpose is to retain the dense, mature trees, and combine the constructing seamlessly into their midst. Yet, architect Arjun Nambisan of Balan and Nambisan Architects (BNA) completed simply that, designing a multi-dwelling advanced that winds by means of the trees, a few of that are included into the constructing’s interiors.
“The design was a response to what existed on the site, the context of the location, the prevailing site conditions”, says Nambisan, elaborating on the strategy adopted in his challenge Vaishnavi Rhapsody, to retain the present trees and construct around them. “A couple of trees had to be moved, but we successfully relocated them in the site”, he provides.
Needless to say, this endeavour required meticulous mapping of the trees, with steering from a horticulturist, to make sure the greatest conservation technique inside the restricted house.
Based on the inputs gleaned from the horticulturist, the basis was laid around the trees, with the roots, stem and branches mapped utilizing a LiDAR survey. “Through the LiDAR survey, the growth path of the trees was ascertained including their existing boundaries. This helped to steer clear from this growth path and prevent their suffocation by the ensuing structure”, explains Nambisan. “A detailed study of the root system and how it works was done to ensure the bulk of the roots are not cut or penetrated by the upcoming structure.”
A tree intrusion
While want a delicate design, addressing the massing, Nambisan additionally ensured the constructing complied with vaastu necessities. Interestingly, the preliminary idea that he floated was extra unconventional and bolder than the closing iteration that was executed. “We envisaged bringing in the trees on a much larger scale into the structure in the form of skylit courtyards where each unit of the multi-dwelling would house a tree, the structure built around it”, he elaborates.
However, given the multi-dwelling mannequin solicited as an alternative of being a single dwelling, the idea adopted needed to be extra sensible to adapt to a neighborhood residence. What emerged was a construction housing a collection of balconies and decks that function courtyards the place a tree is permitted to pierce by means of their house and into the vertical expanse of the constructing. In one in every of the dwellings, given the existence of a tree in the house the place the bathroom was to be constructed, the partitions of the bathroom had been craftily sculpted around it, the tree reaching in and dictating the measurement and form of this bathroom.
Challenges galore
Even although the present trees had been meticulously mapped to grasp their root construction, and future progress patterns, earlier than designing the constructing and dealing on the basis, many challenges had been nonetheless encountered at the time of building, says Architect Janice Rodrigues, who labored intently on the challenge. “While executing the foundation, one of the existing trees fell, and this happened after meticulous mapping and planning had been completed. The tree was then saved with the help of a horticulturist”, she remembers.
The different problem Nambisan and his group confronted was the requirement to suit a constructed space of 17,000 sq.ft. into the tight web site of seven,500 sq.ft. “This meant every inch of the space had to be efficiently used”, factors Nambisan. “It called for a high-level planning to ensure there was value-add in every segment of the site.” Thus, an open plan prevails at floor stage with the setback areas and tree cowl transformed into neighborhood leisure and interplay zones. At the conceptual stage, this additionally blurs the boundaries of the inside and outdoors areas.
The challenges encountered didn’t cease with the design and execution however prolonged to educating the workforce to take applicable care of the present trees throughout the building. This referred to as for a powerful barricade around the trees to stop cement, nails and building particles from ruining them. Where trimming of branches was required, it was addressed scientifically after consultations with the horticulturist on “what could be trimmed and what could not be.”
Glass, metal and greens
In tune with the abounding greens in the web site, the façade of the constructing is stored easy, talking a language of metal and glass that’s interspersed with brick and wooden, the cowl of greens lending a way of heat and earthiness to the construction. “We adopted a composite structure of RCC and steel to permit the trees to fuse into the decks of the individual units in the complex”, explains Nambisan. The step-out decks of every dwelling are thus a cantilevered metal construction that plugs into the RCC body. The particular person dwellings additionally show a deft blurring of boundaries between the interiors and exteriors, creating a visible expanse in the areas.
This openness in the design retains the interiors naturally lit and ventilated, negating the want for synthetic lighting.
Large overhangs over the openings and decks additional cut back warmth ingress whereas visually opening the interiors to the greens. Interestingly, this delicate strategy in the design of the construction around the trees additionally prompted shelling out with a basement automobile park and as an alternative assigning the parking organically between the trees in the entrance part of the constructing.
The terrace of the constructing homes a big frequent space that’s as soon as once more suffused in greens, together with a kitchen and bar counter to function a neighborhood gathering house. The cover of greens masking this terrace house lends the really feel of dwelling amidst thick woods fairly than on a good web site in a dense city neighbourhood. The 4-stage construction homes 5 single-stage models and two duplex models. Because of its distinctive design, the challenge acquired the IIA Award for Excellence in Architecture 2021 below the class, Residential Projects B.
Published – March 21, 2025 08:38 pm IST
