Company Details
Company NameMasons Ink
AddressUnit 106 prestige copper arch
Infantry road
Bangalore
India
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NameRosie Paul
Job TitlePrincipal Architect
EmailEmail hidden; Javascript is required.
Phone9886399192
Role of this organisation in the project being enteredProject Architect
Category
  • Housing - Buildings such as houses, flats and apartments that are used for sheltering people. These could be either part of the private or public sector and could be individual dwellings or multi-dwelling developments. Social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing provided to specified eligible households whose needs are not met by the market, are included. 
Project Name (written how it should appear)The Organic Farmhouse
Project AddressYash Farmstay
Narayanaghatta, Chandapura
Bangalore
India
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Client NameKarthik Padmanabhan
Designer/Architect NameRosie Paul
Contractor NameMohan Jayaraman
Project Description

Completion Date: January 2018
Project Cost: Rs. 1,00,000,000/-
Nestled among the green foliage this earthen edifice blends in beautifully with its surroundings. A contemporary design inspired by the vernacular forming soulful calming spaces away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Sustainable practices have been weaved seamlessly through this project from its conception to construction and follows through in its operational phase as well. The flow of spaces has been planned to incorporate an effortless transition from the outdoors to the interiors. One is welcomed by a quaint verandah surrounding an open to sky courtyard. This is the heart of the entire structure. There is a clear demarcation of the public and private spaces using several semi open areas as buffers between them. Think local act local is the mantra used for the construction – materials have been used from in and around the site to effectively bring down the embodied energy of the structure. Employing a combination of both passive and active techniques has kept the operational cost and energy consumption to a minimum.
Apart from being home to the client, owing to its rustic aesthete and earthy tones, this space is often used as a backdrop for several video and photo shoots. The 1.2-acre property has also hosted several corporate and team building workshop. All in all, this building is more than just mud brick and mortar, the building and ancillary spaces come together organically to create a great environment of collaboration and well-being.

Materials Used

The project aims to challenge the notions of mud as a primitive and perishable material. The walls of the structure exhibit two different methods of using mud – Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks and rammed earth. Stone and reclaimed wood are the other major materials used thus minimizing the carbon footprint of the building. Alternative roofing systems such as the sloping roof, and the filler slab with clay highlights, limit the usage of steel and concrete.

Sustainability

Closely looking at materials from a cradle to gate point of view, there was a lot of importance and thought given to what we put into the material palette of this organic structure. From using mud as all of the walling material to looking at the complete site for water management – sustainability is present in every thought and action when it came to the planning and conceptualisation of this building. The final aim is to take the structure completely off the grid – this will be done in a phased manner as and when the finances allow the client to install more active measures – like more solar panels and biogas.

Issues Faced

The site is located in the outskirts of Bangalore. One main issue thus faced was the acceptability of mud as a building material. But this soon became an opportunity as this building served as a prime example to how mud though humble in appearance can be used as a material for mainstream architecture as well.

Additional Comments

The central courtyard that forms the soul of the entire space is not only beneficial from the point of view of aesthetic and special planning; it positively impacts the performance of the structure as well. As a whole is the performance is also greatly improved by following principals of sustainability and building local. By borrowing from the traditional language and style have inherent characteristics of improved performance when it comes to climate responsive design.

Video Linkyoutube.com
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