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'THE BREATHING EDIFICE' featuring Elements
- Rohini Gomez Braganza
- September 5, 2020
- 6:34 am
ARTICLE CONTENTS
PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS
Project: Elements by Shantilal
Project Type: Residential
Clients: Shantilal Real Estate
Location: Chicalim Mormugao, South Goa, India
Year of Completion: 2019
Site Area: 4141 sqm
Total Built up area: 17191.54 sqm
Architecture Firm: Arijeet Raikar Design Studio
Principal Architect: Arijeet Raikar
Design Team: Archana Dessai, Ezekiel Machado, Nathaniel Dmello, Namith Bollady, Sidhi Tendulkar
Intern Team: Aneesha Cholera, Alicia D’souza, Kajal Gaonkar
Engineering Team: Dinesh Madali, Nandni Padmakumar
Interior Renders: Raj Chauhan, Mohit Sanchaniya
Exterior Renders: Eyecon Gujarat
Contractors: JAYASHREE ASSOCIATES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
Monolithically pitched on a hilltop escarpment, is a cube-like constitution called ‘Elements’. It attentively witnesses the meandering waters of the Zuari river flowing by from its vantage point, breathing in silent meditation. The hilltop design intervention is more than just a calm spectator, in a sparsely populated town in Goa’s coastal city. It is in fact home to 100 abodes and several recreational amenities. The upscale development conceals a systematic spatial arrangement that is unique, setting the stage for contemporary communal living.
THE DESIGN
The Elevation
External
The external profile of the built form, manifests a linear lattice-like composition of white painted vertical and horizontal structural elements. It is the sheer simplicity of this trellis like pattern that creates a unique minimalist and modern statement to the Architectural language.
The boldly white-washed verticals are spaced out evenly along the length of the building, greatly accentuating the verticality of the 8-storey form. It is complimented with intermediate thin horizontal lines at different levels. The horizontal lines manifest the edge profiles of staggering, recessed or cantilevering slabs. The cube-like profile of the architecture appears punctured amid these lines, tucking in idyllic open to sky balcony sit out spaces for each unit. Not only do these punctures add a bit of depth and 3-dimensional aspect to the surface facade, they also serve as air passages for the structure to inhale fresh air into its anatomy.
The external envelope encloses a central core or oasis to the building where all residential units share a communal central court that is open to sky.
Internal
From the complex’s central court, the building appears to sport a similar composition as the exterior, but with a more 2 dimensional appeal. It’s interior envelope adorns a checkered pattern of white-washed vertical and horizontal lines with intermediate punctures that accommodate balconies. To highlight recreational amenities from the residential, the external skin of these spaces exhibit a different elevational finish.
Spatial Constitution
The hierarchical pattern of spaces that constitutes the spatial interiors of the building, sports a neutral palette of tones and textures in finish. Rendering a subdued but tasteful composition of neat and clean lines. This creates a clean slate for each space to be furnished and styled to personal taste and preference. The design intervention especially highlights the use of exposed concrete in different manifestations, as a structurally aesthetic element.
A grand welcome
The building entrance exhibits an exposed concrete portal that strategically frames a scenic vista of landscaped features at the staircase foreground, and the central court of the building in the background. This arrangement is visually luring for a visitor to enter the building into the ‘Reception and Lounge’.
The lounge is aesthetically sandwiched between a serene water feature on one side, and the scenic vista of the central court on the other. It is sparsely screened from these features by a row of concrete structural fins on either side. The semi-open lounge showcases exposed concrete finishes in all its structural elements giving the space a contemporary edge to its appeal. It attempts to connect visually with the central landscaped court and physically terraces down into it becoming one with its scenery.
On entering the court, the pool and clubhouse appear to the left. Whilst the remaining circumambient elevation, showcases the 100 residential units scaling up to all 8 storeys.
Recreational
The clubhouse externally adorns a vertical striated appeal, constituting a series of powder coated aluminium box sections all along its facade. This makes it appear delicately veiled and different as opposed to the rest of the elevational treatment. It is lifted off the ground by a few structural columns, giving it a levitating effect.
The Plunge
The clubhouse amid levitation, shelters the semi-open indoor pool below, protecting it from the unpredictable local weather conditions. It is crowned artfully with a coffer slab ceiling exhibiting concealed lighting features midst each of its sunken panels. When illuminated the circumambient space is indeed transformed aesthetically. This coffer slab manifests the deployment of certain R.C.C design to engineer large span column-less spaces.
The pool is flanked on either side by an intricate screen of powder coated box sections, on one side, and a few rectangular columns on the other. The structural columns supporting the clubhouse above, appear to plunge into the pool waters becoming one with its design. Water from the main elongated pool cascades over between these columns into a paddling pool that merges with the central court landscape.
One hundred abodes
‘Elements’ showcases 10 variations of apartment designs, ranging between 2&3 bhk and duplex spatial arrangements. The uniqueness of all these designs is in the way they span the thickness of the building envelope in plan.
Each individual layout extends to a covered or cantilevered balcony on either side of its span. Enabling the residents to enjoy a picturesque view of the river on one side while the other shares a view of the communal central court. The balconies on the external facade, stagger strategically to provide each house with the best vantage point for unobstructed views of river to sky.
All apartments also adhere to the concept of finishes rendered across the rest of the building, sporting clean lines and minimalistic neutral tones. The extensive glazing seen in the facade fenestration illuminates each of the spaces, bringing the simplicity of this palette to life. This canvas serves as an ideal backdrop to be juxtaposed with any color scale of furnishings and finishes.
The town square
The central court of ‘Elements’ essentially is the most important element that makes the building a breathing structure. With the unique facility of a two way cross ventilation system seen across the peripheral envelope of the building, air is able to filter into and refresh all spaces internally, eventually exhaling through the open to sky central court. Making it ideal to counter the harsh weather conditions of Goa. A landscaped garden central to the court adds a finishing touch to the oasis.
A PLACE TO CALL HOME
The outward and inward looking structure is a celebration of simplicity in form, and sophistication in functionality. It’s intervention redefines ‘apartment-living’ by breaking away from restrictive configurations of conventional four walled high-rise residentials. The design especially attempts to reflect an independent property “design of living”, into the concept of apartments, with the addition of spill out balconies and the central court. It’s most commendable attribute manifests the quality of light and air filtration through its carefully designed envelope of spaces.
‘Elements’ virtue is not only to be a beacon of great residential design, it also caters greatly to everyday lifestyle basics, like recreational amenities, a stilt basement parking facility, and retail provisions for its residents. Further adding to these conveniences is the proximity of medical facilities, schools, cafés & restaurants, supermarkets, places for worship and jogging parks within a one mile radius of its location.
‘The breathing edifice’, indeed creates the most idyllic and comfortable habitation for a hundred families to experience and to especially call their ‘home’.
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Project drawings, specifications & Photography provided by the respective Architecture Firm
Analysis & Article written by-
Architect Rohini Gomez Braganza