Company Details
Company NametHE gRID Architects
AddressC 1001 ganesh meridian
SOLA. S.G. HIGHWAY
Ahmedabad
India
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NametHE gRID Architects
Job Titleco founder and co principal
EmailEmail hidden; Javascript is required.
Phone09427418225
Role of this organisation in the project being enteredDesigner
Category
  • Commercial Building - Buildings that are used for commercial purposes, and include retail, hospitality, workplaces, factories and warehouses and buildings where commercial services are provided. At least 50 percent of the buildings’ floor space will be used for commercial activities. 
Name of organisation entering the Awards (if different from above)tHE gRID Architects
Role of this organisation in the project being entered (if different from above)tHE gRID Architects
Project Name (written how it should appear)Organic Store
Project AddressPrernatirth derasar
satellite
Ahmedabad
India
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Client Nameconfidential confidential
Designer/Architect NametHE gRID Architects
Contractor NameNA NA
Project Description

% CARBON FOOTPRINT DESIGN benefiting the people that use the space and encouraging the community to understand the importance of organic materials and its beneficial impact.

This project represents a new way of thinking and design, connecting with nature to improve health and wellbeing, encouraging local craft and skills following ideas and principles of Biophilic design. Cost of production is low and reducing carbo footprints an initiative giving depth and indigenous and unique quality. Sensitivity and resonance to the material and the retail product lending the project an earthy and rustic feel and creating a calming and restorative atmosphere enhancing the psychological and physiological effects of the space. The impetus for the store came from the lifestyle of the client — a farmer by birth — who was heavily involved in organic farming and who followed an organic way of life, albeit in a modern context. The brief revolved more around keeping the budget and time-lines in check — and the architects took up the challenge of delivering the store in 15 days flat!

The store was situated in a residential locality, on the ground floor of a commercial building and enjoyed advantages of easy access and high visibility. At 500-square-foot, the store may be small, but the thoughts that were put in creating the right platform for the merchandise were enormous. While the design, but naturally, was shaped by the products it would sell (ORGANIC Food products) and enjoys synergy with the merchandise, the process sought to galvanize the local industry by incorporating local organic produce and labour. It also attempted to communicate that the composition of materials used in an organic interior is only a small part of what makes a space organic. A space becomes truly so when it has easy-to-live-with materials, and textures and colours that inspire healthy living.

The interior treatment is contextual and resonates the core idea of environment-sensitive living. It embraces regional elements of design and décor. To create a more meaningful space, the process also assimilated the philosophy of reduce, reuse and recycle. Deliberation on ideas of using organic materials and finishes to display and justify the ambience and design led the architects’ thoughts to cow dung, which, as research shows, is a mood enhancer, a natural insect repellent, a natural disinfectant and a good thermal insulator. The IPS flooring is integrated with the walls which are treated with cow dung application — a sustainable and powerful product – mixed with hay resulted in a natural texture creating a subtle backdrop. Recycled wood and reclaimed MS are the other mainstays of the material palette. The organic harmony of colours adds to the underlying cohesiveness and charm of the aesthetics, highlighted by energy-friendly LEDs. Attractive spin-offs of the design strategy are low cost of production, good indoor air quality and a reduced carbon footprint.
The traditional stone flour mill/ grain grinder reminds us of our roots and is symbolic to the design philosophy the clay/earthen pot depicts the traditional storage ideology.
For the designers, the organic store was an exercise in extending the philosophy of the store into the design and connecting the interiors to the product. In the process, they have also demonstrated that organic design and materials have calming effects, causing occupants to feel more at peace and gently welcomed into their space — recharged with nature’s life energy. This project represents a new way of thinking and design encouraging local craft and skills. A small store with an enormous thought process the need of today’s world and setting goals for the future retail interior Industry. The designs reflect the philosophy and principles of modern design inspired by tradition. Adaptability requires the capacity to accommodate substantial change over the lifetime of a building in response to its social, economic, and physical surroundings. Adaptability also responds to the ever-changing needs of building occupants. This is an endeavour to encourage that nature connected design is a response to the need to bring nature into the built environment. Good design creates a habitat where we, the human organism, can derive the health and fitness benefits associated with time in nature.

Materials Used

The hero of the entire narrative is Cowdung. Reinforcing the intent through senses and objects: The material development and research were done on site, and no artificial pigment or additives were used in the process of making the organic paste for the application on the surface of walls and ceiling. These make the spatial narrative richer and convey the commitment to build with a respect for the place we inhabit resulting in Low embodied energy.
1. Reclaimed – wood and MS
a special organic paste developed – cowdung mixed with hay and an organic binder, the natural binder -
organic glue extracted from a local tree (traditionally used) and other organic ingredients like hay for
reinforcement.
2. Stone manual Hand grinder / pounder – reclaimed from their ancestral home.
3. IPS flooring
4. Clay / earthen URNS from their ancestral home - reclaimed
5. Jute sacks (reclaimed)
6. The material development and research were done on site, and the design team takes pride in the fact that no artificial pigment or additives were used in the process thus reducing the carbon footprint, emphasizing the notion that eco-friendly interiors can be low-cost while also being sturdy and luxurious in appearance.
7. Encouraging the visitors and customers to understand that organic products merchandised through an organic interior done with organic materials can be sophisticated and inviting. No cosmetic overlays.
Colours
These are mainly from the materials used in their original form. The colours and texture resonate with the theme and core design

This project represents a new way of thinking and design, connecting with nature to improve health and wellbeing, encouraging local craft and skills following ideas and principles of Biophilic design. Cost of production is low and reducing carbon footprints an initiative giving depth and indigenous and unique quality. Sensitivity and resonance to the material and the retail product lending the project an earthy and rustic feel and creating a calming and restorative atmosphere enhancing the psychological and physiological effects of the space. The interior treatment is contextual and resonates the core idea of environment-sensitive living.

Sustainability

Time frame: 15 days, 0% carbon footprint design
Reinforcing the intent through senses and objects: The material development and research were done on site, and no artificial pigment or additives were used in the process of making the organic paste for the application on the surface of walls and ceiling. These make the spatial narrative richer and convey the commitment to build with a respect for the place we inhabit resulting in Low embodied energy.

1. We used earthy, local materials, shaped and worked by local hands, to build this store. All the materials
used have very low or no impact on the environment and reduces the carbon footprints
2. All the materials are in their original finish without any cosmetic overlay.
3. Natural material cow dung is an energy efficient and climate responsive material choice. Cow dung is
natural and durable, emits no VOCs, requires almost no maintenance, and provides a connection to the
earth and our history.
4. Cow dung has reduced the CO2 levels in indoor spaces whilst adding natural beauty, restoring
concentration levels and having a calming and peaceful effect.
5. Time frame – 15 days - challenge
6. Local labour and local material
7. Recycled wood and reclaimed MS, jute sacks reclaimed are the other mainstays of the material palette.
8. Biophilic design features have been incorporated.
9. The special paste developed to apply on the walls from cowdung mixed with hay, clay and an organic
binder has many attributes. The natural binder - organic glue extracted from a local tree (traditionally
used) and other organic ingredients like hay for reinforcement.
10. Encouraging the visitors and customers to understand that organic products merchandised through an
organic interior done with organic materials can be sophisticated and inviting. No cosmetic overlays.

(COW DUNG) Attributes
a) Cow dung mixed with hay - Natural insect repellent, Natural disinfectant, Good thermal insulator
b) It absorbs the perfume of the incense sticks and retains it.
c) Research shows cow dung is also an excellent mood enhancer.
d) Cow dung mixed with hay and grains with a natural binder inseparable lending warmth to the ambience.
e) The indoor air quality, energy conservation, resource conservation, reduced material waste, and the use of products that are better for the environment and for people.

0% CARBON FOOTPRINT DESIGN benefiting the people that use the space and encouraging the community to understand the importance of organic materials and its beneficial impact.

Issues Faced

Time frame 15 days and budget were our biggest challenges.
We managed to adhere to the time frame by sourcing everything locally and the economy was managed by sourcing the material from the client’s farm (cow dung and hay with the natural binder)
The application of this paste has traditionally been happening in the Indian villages and so the labour for the same was sourced easily and was cost effective.
The natural binder - organic glue extracted from a local tree (traditionally used) and other organic ingredients like hay for reinforcement.
The experiment to achieve the ideal consistency of the wall paste application with hay acting as a reinforcement was carried out on site and finally, we reached the ideal proportion and applied to achieve the results.
Triumphing over constraints posed by budget and a short timeline of 15 days, we successfully delivered a space that is rooted to the earth and crafted from it. SUSTAINABLE, LOCAL CRAFT, TRADITION, VERNACULAR, LOCAL LABOUR. Reducing as much as possible the impact on the environment and the aim to have a responsible interior design with lesser CO2 emissions and 0%carbon footprint design.

Additional Comments

Organic design and materials have calming effects, causing occupants to feel more at peace and gently welcomed into their space — recharged with nature’s life energy. Adaptability requires the capacity to accommodate substantial change over the lifetime of a building in response to its social, economic, and physical surroundings and respond to the ever-changing needs of building occupants. It’s an endeavour to encourage that nature connected design is a response to the need to bring nature into the built environment. Good design creates a habitat where the human organism, can derive the health and fitness benefits associated with time in nature.

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