72 Screens, Jaipur: by Sanjay Puri Architects, Mumbai
Sanjay Puri, a multiple award-winning Indian architect, has marked his presence across continents, either through architecture or through the awards bagged by his studio, or as a part of juries of several design forums and competitions! His portfolio is vast – and filled with a plethora of buildings with striking geometrical explorations. One such is this corporate office headquarters, in Jaipur – a six-level structure enveloped in abstractly folded planes of perforated screens!
Located in the desert city of Jaipur, with average temperature ranging from 30oC to 50oC through most part of the year, this corporate office headquarters is built on a small plot of 1075 sq m. Keeping in mind the building height restrictions and margins on all four sides as per the byelaws, a total floor plate size of approximately 326 sq m could be managed.
Minimizing heat gain being the primary focus of the design, blocking the southern façade was the starting point of the concept. Therefore the service core and toilet blocks were pushed to towards the southern side. Moreover, the entire façade of the building is sheathed in contemporary reinterpretations of the traditional ‘jaali’ – an element commonly found in the erstwhile architecture of the region, and an important climate-responsive feature of design.
These glass-reinforced concrete screens further reduce heat gain and render the building very energy-efficient. The screens are supported by a steel framework with projections that vary from 0.9 to 1.5 m. This creates an external periphery space for plants at each level that will act as further insulation from the external heat creating cooler office spaces within.
The interior planning has a reception and conference rooms on the ground level; above a car parking basement. The main office areas are spread across the five levels above. The trapedoizal planar geometry continues in the interior as well - on the ceiling, the receptionists' counters and even in the furniture layout of the ground floor lobby.
The screens create a magical ambience, when the sun comes streaming through - and creates kaeidoscopic sciographical patterns in the interior spaces!
The office building thus overcomes the restrictions of the small plot, while creating energy efficient office spaces that combat the excessive summers of its location. Thus being responsive to the climate, the building also displays a response to the context – with an abstract manifestation of traditional architectural elements, lending a sculptural quality.
For more amazing projects from the studio of Sanjay Puri, visit his TFOD Profile!
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