DD37

May 2017 | Vol 4 | Issue 37 | `200 the architecture magazine

BTEHAET
HEAT

AN ELEGY ON THE
HALL OF NATIONS

AR. RAJ REWAL

HAPPY HOMES

SPECIAL FOCUS

May 2017 | Design Detail 1

䴀䔀䐀䤀䄀 倀䄀刀吀一䔀刀

2 Design Detail | May 2017

May 2017 | Design Detail 3

Vol. 4. Issue 37. May 2017

DESIGN DETAIL IS A COMMITTED FORUM THAT
INSPIRESDESIGNERS, ARCHITECTS AND STRATE-
GIC PARTNERSTO NURTURE OUR HERITAGE AND
CULTURE TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE INDIA

EDITORIAL

Chief Editor : Ar. Karan Grover

Editor & Publisher : Ar. L. Gopakumar

Group Editor : Dr. Rema S. Kartha

Consulting Editor : C. J. Punnathara

Architecture Writer : Ar. Soumya S Warrier

Sub Editor : Renjith. T.R

Contributors : Ar. Gayathri Padmam
Ar. Gayatri Mutum
Ar. Gazala Amreen
Ar. Himani Ahuja
Ar. Kavya Bhat
Ar. Nipun George






Head of Design : Deep Das Gupta

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4 Design Detail | May 2017

editorial

T his is a sad and poignant moment: a moment when architects pause in
their pursuit of building a new and magnificent India. Are we building
for a new and prosperous India? Or, are we as a nation, on a building and
demolition spree: breaking the symbols of our glorious past, vanquishing
the symbols of our great heritage?

The Hall of Nations, at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, which had captivated the hearts
and minds of thousands of architects from around the world and millions of lay citizens
from around the country, was demolished on the night of April 23, 2017.

At the age of 23 I was given Champaner by my mentor Prof. R.N. Mehta who asked
me for 30 years of my life and a commitment to make it a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. I agreed, not realising what I was committing. I went
the next morning to his home to collect his 30 years work on the site,
to be shocked to find that he had passed away in the night but had left
a huge black trunk with his work, with my name pasted on top of the
trunk. You know the rest of the story. I gave 30 years of my life exploring,
discovering, helping to restore the 115 monuments of the site convinced
that our old heritage needed preservation.

At my meeting at UNESCO to fight for World Heritage Site status I
bumped into some fellow Indians fighting for World Heritage Site status
for Chandigarh. This opened my eyes that contemporary architecture
also needed protection. When I came to know that the Indian symbol of
contemporary architecture to celebrate 25 years of our independence
“The Hall of Nations” at Pragati Maidan was being considered to be razed
to accommodate a newer architecture, I was appalled.

So it is our lead story. I appeal to all the 10000 architects who read the
story to help start a movement which can be tracked and promoted by
Design Detail (if necessary) to stop such foolishness.

If we had wanted to add value to Pragati Maidan, would it not have been better to
add, supplement and enhance what we have (it only occupies 5% of the land!), and not
destroy it?

And that goes for all other situations – where projects in the hands of Government and
developers who don’t realise that this is like cutting off our feet which has given us the
strength and support to stand high competing with the best in the world.

Our Heritage, Our Pride, Our Wealth is on the orange badge I made 25 years ago for
the Heritage Club for children at Baroda. Membership was Rs.2/- which was the cost
of the badge. I was amazed how many children vied to wear the badge. At the last
count it was over 5000!

This could be and should be our purpose of being for all architects. Let’s together save
our common heritage, old and new – that is who we are and let us never forget it!

I await hearing from all of you how we can make this our mission!

Architect KARAN GROVER
Chief Editor

May 2017 | Design Detail 5

CONTENTS

24 CONFIGURING CONTOURS 42 THE PASTORAL HOME
Redefining the slopes of the hill- Alibag house Farmer’s Abode by Artha studio resonates warmth
by Malik Architecture and simplicity

34 THE IN-BETWEEN SPACE 48 TRADITION EMBRACING MODERNITY
An exotic house in the leftover space in Paddington for De Earth makes the barriers of tradition and
and by COX Architecture modernity dissolve in Muneer residence

10 AN ELEGY ON THE HALL OF NATIONS
Ar. Raj Rewal

6 Design Detail | May 2017

56 LABYRINTH OF FRAMES 64 LAWYER’S HERMITAGE
94
A new face to home telling- Experience Centre 70 THE RETREAT ZONE
in Bangalore by Collage Architecture Studio 76 ENCRYPTED IN CURVILINEARITY

82 POWER EQUATION
182 CM - MAKING OF THE POST NEW HUMAN 86 REHABILITATE AND REVIVE
BEAT THE HEAT - II 106-108
Relevance of Architecture, Curiousness for
History and Beauty of Photography meets in

182cm by Endri dani RNI No: KERENG/2013/51298 Registered KL/EKM/751/2017-19 KL/CR/EKM/WPP-02/2017-19 Total Pages: 116

Date of publishing: 01/05/17 Design Detail Magazine Licensed to Post Without Prepayment ISSN 2320 - 2408 Price `200

May 2017 | Vol 4 | Issue 37 | `200 the architecture magazine

Design Detail

May 2017

SPECIAL FOCUS Vol. 4 Issue 37

HAPPY HOMES Price `200

24-80 BTEHAET Cover image
HEAT Courtesy:
AN ELEGY ON THE
HALL OF NATIONS COX ARCHITECTURE
AR. RAJ REWAL
HAPPY HOMES
SPECIAL FOCUS

May 2017 | Design Detail 7

EXPERTS SPEAK

I have enjoyed reading Design Detail over the last
some months. To the extent I decided to subscribe and
not continue to read through complimentary copies
which you have been kind enough to send!!! Thanks.
And congratulations on a fine magazine!

Ar. Abhimanyu Dalal
Abhimanyu Dalal Architects

OUR READERS RESPOND...

Design Detail Magazine Pages : 116 Price `200 Celebration of Colours Simple and Elegant
Registered No. KL/EKM/751/2017-19
Date of publishing: 01- 04- 2017 It was truly a rejuvenating experience I am a regular reader of Design Detail
going through the April issue of Design magazine for the last one year. I feel
April 2017 | Vol 4 | Issue 36 | `200 the architecture magazine Detail. It was a celebration of rich and that the magazine has always tried
vibrant colours. The cover photo was to preserve its uniqueness – where
Design Detail [inside] SPACES exceptional and produced the vibes of each issue features projects entirely
SPECIAL FOCUS a vintage period. Travelling along the different from the previous ones. The
April 2017 CHANGING life experiences of Ar. Rahul Mehrotra last few issues which include “special
PERSPECTIVES opened the doors of knowledge focus” have given the magazine a new
Vol. 4 Issue 36 AR. RAHUL MEHROTRA and provided fresh insights. The dimension and identity. Although I
photographs of Angkor Wat temple read many architecture magazines,
Price `200 featured in Freeze Frames were mind I have developed a special fondness
blowing. The layout was also great. for Design Detail. I really appreciate
Altogether the April issue was one the writing style and layout of the
among the bests of Design Detail. magazine. It follows a simple and
Hope you will be able to sustain the elegant style which makes it easy to
quality in the coming issues also. read and comprehend. Congrats to the
team behind the magazine and wishing
Hemant all success.
Kolkata
Naveen
Patna

Readers’ views and comments may be sent to:
Design Detail, Designer Publications, DPK Towers, R. Madhavan Nair Road, Ravipuram, Kochi-16, Kerala
or mailed to [email protected].

8 Design Detail | May 2017

May 2017 | Design Detail 9

MASTERS

Ar. Raj Rewal AN
10 Design Detail | May 2017 ELEGY ON THE
HALL OF NATIONS

This article was contributed by architect, urban planner and
conservationist Ar. A.G. Krishna Menon to the magazine in the
hope of strengthening the already existing movement against the
demolition orders for the Hall of Nations. As we print this issue,
Team Design Detail is equally shocked by the sudden demolition of
the structure on 23rd April 2017, marking a huge step back for Indian
architecture.

Text : Ar. A.G. Krishna Menon | Photos: Office of Raj Rewal Associates enriches its local identity, but in this case the iconic Hall
of Nations complex, an acknowledged masterpiece of
Recent reports about the proposed modern Indian architecture built in 1972, which occupies
reconstruction of Pragati Maidan into a less than five percent of the total area of the site proposed
‘world-class’ exhibition-cum-convention to be developed, is explicitly required to be demolished
centre highlights two problems that have to facilitate the design of the new. In this manner, the
perennially plagued the development of opportunity to use the production of new architecture
the architectural profession in India. First it reiterates to enhance the existing architectural culture of the city
the primacy of the self-aggrandizing imagination of is being sacrificed by culturally ignorant decision-makers
the promoters, in this instance India Trade Promotion to meet their typically hubristic agendas to make “Delhi
Organisation (ITPO). This reflects the marginality of like Shanghai”. What is being sacrificed in this case is an
the profession in mediating the production of major extraordinary example of modern Indian architecture
architectural projects. In contrast, one has only to recall but this is scarcely raising eyebrows either among the
the processes that were followed for the construction of promoters or the public-at-large. Perhaps these conditions
the grand projects of Paris to understand this point. And come to being because the significance of Indian
second, the ITPO’s project brief, typically, elides the local modernism is misunderstood, to its detriment, by the
context because it explicitly requires that the entire site profession itself. Consequently, there has been no clamor
must be razed to construct their ‘world-class’ exhibition- in the profession to advocate the idea to conserving
cum-convention center. In other countries, with a mature modern heritage in conformity with the rationale to
architectural culture, significant elements of the existing conserve ancient architectural heritage – as a civilizational
fabric of the city is accommodated in the process of urban imperative – and therefore, it is not surprising that society-
renewal resulting in a historical layering of the site that at-large denigrates the ideals promoted by the modern
profession.

All over the world, the conservation of architectural
heritage, in the broadest sense, is about managing change
to ensure a society’s sense of place in a globalizing world.
In India, however, conserving architectural heritage
is a contested field – why else is conservation viewed
as antithetical to development? As a result, there is a
steady attrition of historic buildings that once defined the
urbanscape. While the growing perception of this loss is
fueling a fledgling conservation movement in India, it
focusses primarily on protecting the ancient architectural
heritage of the country. To conserve modern architectural
heritage appears quixotic, but it is a concept that is slowly
gaining credence in many parts of the world.

Conserving modern architecture is a fairly recent
phenomenon and is spearheaded by a movement called
Docomomo: documenting the modern movement. It
was founded in Europe in 1988 to take up the challenges
of protecting and conserving the classical examples of
modern architecture and urbanism, which were being
replaced by newer developments. The term ‘modern
movement’ refers to the polemical ideas of architects and
city planners who, at the turn of the last century, sought
to transform architecture and urban planning to create a
‘brave new world’. The premise underpinning Docomomo
is that it is as important to understand the narrative of
the development of the modern architectural culture as
the buildings of the ancient Greeks, Romans, the Gothic
or the Baroque periods, and therefore, just as society has
understood the need to protect the examples of historic
architecture, it is also necessary for us to conserve the
benchmarks of the modern movement. The lesson one
has learnt from the Docomomo movement is that the
more people learnt about the significance of the buildings
and concepts behind the modern movement, the less
likely they would be destroyed.

The same rationale underpins the case to conserve
the outstanding examples of modern architecture
and urbanism in India. Indians are justly proud of the

May 2017 | Design Detail 11

12 Design Detail | May 2017

AND IT IS GONE.

The Hall of Nations in Pragati Maidan is
now history. On Sunday, 23rd April 2017,
the structure which stood as the epitome of
the architectural and engineering marvel of
our country was reduced to rubble, despite
the continued plea and petitions against the
demolition by noted architects and bodies,
both national and international.

“The buildings were not categorised as
heritage by the Heritage Conservation
Committee (HCC) as those are only 45
-years-old. So, we have demolished those for
the new project. Demolition of the Nehru
Pavilion is still going on,” says a senior official
of the ITPO.

“The ITPO wanted certain changes like air-
conditioning of the building and renovation
which could have easily been done. I even
submitted plans to re-develop and modernise
Pragati Maidan when the ITPO asked for
designs. However, they were dismissed only
because the Hall of Nations and Industries
Complex along with the Nehru Pavilion were
a part of the design and the ITPO wanted
them demolished,” said Ar. Raj Rewal.

Ar. Rewal had filed a petition against the
demolition in the Delhi High Court which
was dismissed on April 20. “The case was
being considered in the Delhi high court
and the hearings were scheduled on 27th
April 2017 and 1st May 2017”, “So, it is very
unfair,” said Ar. Rewal. “It may not be out of
place to mention that the independent body
of the Indian Institute of Architects and the
Institute of Engineers had requested the
authorities to preserve these buildings for
posterity for their unique achievements.
INTACH had pleaded in their court case to do
the same.” he added.

“This is just shocking. It is not just a loss of
architecturallegacybutinawaytheevolution
of the history of the city as well. Next is what?
Demolish the India International Centre (IIC)
or other modern-era icons? Is the span of its
existence the only criteria for heritage? What
about its architectural significance and the
emotional bond people have had with it?”
asked noted urban planner A G K Menon
who was also the former convener of the
Delhi chapter of INTACH.

Ranjit Hoskote, curator and cultural theorist,
said “Raj Rewal is 83. Mahendra Raj is 93.
This is how we honour our cherished elders
in the new Bharatiya Sanskriti: by destroying
their work. It is a tragic day for Indian
Architecture.”

Photo: Ar. Prachi Singla Co-ordination: Ar. Abhinav Goyal

May 2017 | Design Detail 13

architectural achievements of their ancestors, the colonial period when a hybrid colonial
but they also need to appreciate that after modern architectural style took root. So, when
Independence, Indian architects were equally a post-Independence generation of architects
imaginative and proficient. They also wanted who had studied at universities in the West
to create a ‘brave new world’. But there was and worked directly under the masters of
a difference in the ideals that animated the the modern movement, established their
imagination of post-independence architects professional practice in India, they confronted
in India which makes the narrative of modern two ideas of modern architecture: one, the
Indian architecture more compelling. Whereas colonial legacy, and two, the putative legacy of
in the West, the lineage of the modern western modernism that they had encountered
movement was rooted in on their cultural during the formative period of their
milieu, in India, the evolution of architectural architecturaleducationabroad.Whilearchitects
modernism is more complex, because it was practicing in post-independence India lacked
mediated by the colonial interregnum in our the autochthonous traditions that sustained
cultural history. The principles and practices of the evolution of architectural modernism in the
architectural modernism that developed in the West, they nevertheless grappled with a potent
West were transferred fully developed to India cauldron of social, economic and cultural forces
after independence. The modern profession of that was sui generis, which created what can
architecture was, of course, established during arguably called an ‘Indian’ modernism. It is this

14 Design Detail | May 2017

indigenous brand of modern architecture – the the development of architectural culture in
so called ‘Indian’ identity – that architectural India and underpin the need to preserve the
critics and historians are beginning to re- historic layering of the Pragati Maidan site. It
evaluate even as architecture in India gets contests the project proponent’s puerile desire
globalized. Historians like Kenneth Frampton to rebuild Pragati Maidan to metaphorically
have already acknowledged its contributions emulate the image of Shanghai. Such
to the global narrative, but we need to do so for emulations are obviously predicated on the lack
ourselves. Conserving its exemplary models of awareness of the value of modern heritage
would be the objective of Docomomo in India. of architectural development in India, and by
insisting on demolishing the Hall of Nations
The Indian narrative is also inflected by complex to achieve their goals, it results in
the works of Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, the same kind of cultural vandalism that we
acknowledged masters of the modern deplore when ancient buildings are torn down
movement in the West, who designed or mutilated. Similar ignorance of decision-
important buildings in India. Their influences makers has already resulted in the demolition
were transformed by Indian architects to of the Chanakya Cinema in New Delhi.
address local exigencies which have become
one of the several strands of Indian modernism. It is nobody’s case that Pragati Maidan should
These complexities provide fertile grounds for not be re-developed, but it is the strategy that

May 2017 | Design Detail 15

they are stubbornly insisting on following that and the structural consultant Mahendra Raj,
is the problem. It should concern architects in designed the large exhibition spaces under
India for two reasons to which I have alluded conditions that were typically ‘Indian’ — lack
to earlier: one, the project proponent refuses of resources and abundance of ingenuity to
to acknowledge the iconic value of a post- achieve their visionary goals. Rahoul B. Singh
independence architectural masterpiece, in this had this to say about the building:
case the Hall of Nations complex, and thereby
refutes the status of modern Indian architecture “The truncated pyramids of Raj Rewal’s Hall of
itself and its role in transforming India, and two, Nations and Hall of States, a project realized in
their intentions are so self-centred and their 1972, resulted from a competition for the design
concept of the city so limited to their plot of land of exhibition halls to commemorate 25 years
that it is akin to those of rapacious exploiters of of India’s Independence. It was a competition
common resources of society. entry that Rewal began work on after having
spent time in (the office of Michel Ecochard in
The Hall of Nations complex was built to Paris) designing a steel space frame structure for
commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of a museum in Kuwait. It was this experience that
India’s Independence. The architect Raj Rewal gave Rewal the confidence to undertake such a
task in concrete.

16 Design Detail | May 2017

The project exploits the potential of geometric undoubtedly have utilized industrialized
form as seen in a three dimensional lattice processes. The contractor, Puri Constructions,
frame as a means of defining an uninterrupted however, opted for the time tested procedures
exhibition space of 82 meters by 82 meters and of a craft-based solution by making the critical
27 meters high. Designed in conjunction with joint in situ… (This building) was arguably the
the engineer Mahendra Raj, the structure result of a rapport between what could broadly
touches ground at eight points, from where it be described as the “rationality of western
is supported by a pile foundation. In deference thought” and the predisposition of handmade
to Humayun’s tomb, a monument that Rewal craft based solutions. As a modus operandi,
lived in close proximity to for 12 years, the Rewal’s subsequent projects could broadly be
corners of the exhibition hall is chamfered to categorized as operating within three typologies
mark its entrance. of tectonic arrangements engaged with craft,
material form and symbolism in different ways
The nine pin joint of the concrete frame, and with varying degrees” .
was initially intended to be the result of a
precast process allowing for the building to Rahoul Singh’s description of the Hall of
be assembled at site, a sequence that would Nations complex clearly identifies some of the

May 2017 | Design Detail 17

18 Design Detail | May 2017

May 2017 | Design Detail 19

20 Design Detail | May 2017

important themes that engaged the architects of the
post-independence period. The significance of the Hall
of Nations complex as a record of the development
of modern architecture is therefore apparent and its
tangible presence would contribute immensely to
understanding that extraordinary narrative. This is a
complex narrative that has often been misunderstood.
For example, Rewal has been widely criticized for
using reinforced cement concrete instead of steel
for the space frame structure. No less a personage
as Buckminster Fuller apocryphally dismissed the
building as “a space age structure using bullock-
cart technology”. In response, years later, Robert Le
Recolais cogently contested Fuller’s views on behalf
of Rewal’s unorthodox choice on the grounds that
conventional practice of using steel for such structures
was a particular consequence of its development
in the United States. Le Recolais pointed out that it
was perfectly justified and even logical in places like
India (and Italy, as per works of Pier Luigi Nervi, for
example), with labour-intensive craft tradition, to use
reinforced cement concrete for such structures. Such
perceptions of the contested characteristics of building
justify its conservation.

It would be better by far if this complex were to be
retained as an element in any future redevelopment of
the Pragati Maidan. The Pompidou Centre in Paris and
Museum of Modern Art in New York, among other
important institutions have recognized and celebrated
its contribution to the narrative of global modernism.
The ITPO’s intention to demolish it as a precondition
to the redevelopment of the site is therefore based not
only on the profound ignorance of contributions of
the building to the development of Indian modernism
but on the false and egregious proposition that the
imperatives of conservation and development are
antithetical to each other.

So let the proposal to the transform Pragati Maidan
become the testing ground to conserve India’s
modern architecture and show that development and
conservation can go hand-in-hand to manage change.
It would be a very productive strategy to accommodate
the Hall of Nations complex in the renewal proposals
of Pragati Maidan and reuse it, perhaps, as a museum
of modern Indian architecture for the same reasons
we have a National Museum and the National Gallery
of Modern Art. Such a museum would make a strong
case to bolster the image of modern Indian architecture

– and the profession – in the public imagination. dd

Reference

1 Frampton, Kenneth, Modern Architecture: A Critical History, London,
Thames and Hudson, 1992

2 Rahoul B. Singh, Raj Rewal: Tectonic Manoeuvres in the Constructed
Landscape in Raj Rewal: Memory, Metaphor, and Meaning in his
Constructed Landscape Paper, Editors:A.G. Krishna Menon and Rahoul B.
Singh, for a Retrospective of the Works of Raj Rewal at the National Gallery
of Modern Art, New Delhi, 2014, Published by National Gallery of Modern
Art, New Delhi, 2014.

May 2017 | Design Detail 21

HHOAMPPEYS

22 Design Detail | May 2017

SPECIAL FOCUS

Aspace to cook your adventurous Categorisable into various historical timelines
meal or read your favourite book; based on their origin, style, size and more, the
a space for the blue days and concept of ‘home’ has traversed the varying
laughter alike to dream, relax and frequencies of a highly experimented
love – there’s room for everything bandwidth. Ranging from huts and mud
and everyone back home. From sun to moon, homes to palaces and cubist designs, the
they shape and frame the good, bad and ugly in underlying actuality of the home being ‘the
us. It’s fascinating as to how that which started one place where you go to for everything’,
as a mere concept of ‘shelter’ later evolved to still remains intact. So here’s to the design of
being one of the most defining factors of human happy homes; here’s to the home in you.
behaviour, so much so that, architecture of the
same became one of the major focuses of our Ar. Soumya S Warrier
journey ahead.

HAPPY HOMES

PAGE 24 - 80

May 2017 | Design Detail 23

IN DETAIL

24 Design Detail | May 2017

CONFIGURING
CONTOURS

Text : Ar. Soumya S Warrier | Photos: Bharath Ramamurtham

Taking one away from by Malik Architecture, is a conscious
the hustle and crowds of departure from the clichéd ‘stepped
Mumbai city, the coastal terrace’ typology that is expected from
town of Alibag is a relief on a heavily contoured site. The architects
the hills. The rolling contours came up with a form that appears to
engraved on the town forms the perfect have evolved organically from the site.
landscape to house the unusual residence, This conceptual decision resulted in a
which overlooks the sea and the bustling deconstructed cuboid form which is
skyline of Mumbai city at a distance. tilted and suspended over the ground,

Contradicting the layered topography appearing to float and flow down the 1) View from
of the site, the design of Alibag house contours down the hill. the pool area

1

May 2017 | Design Detail 25

2 2) The lines of the
3 house run parallel to
the slopes and levels
26 Design Detail | May 2017 of the site

3) The pool area
overlooking the valley

4) Patterns and
compositions in
design that connect
the various blocks

The stepped house would have resulted in large
amount of excavation on site which would
have precluded a seamless ingress of the hill
through the house. The design was thus broken
down to smaller blocks positioned according
to the varying levels of the site which created
pocket spaces in between that were converted
to courts. One can easily connect with the open
planning of the house where the spaces flow
effortlessly to one another. A distinct separation
of the bedroom at the entry level using a
connecting bridge ensures the much required
privacy for the residents.

The individual blocks are topped by a tilted tube
structure, whose inclination is in tandem with
the natural slope of the site. It creates a tangible
link between the design and the site, thus
reinforcing the visual connect between the
two. The tube which hovers over the courtyard
provides the bridge with the required weather
protection, without creating a large obtrusive
footprint on the ground. The master bed that is
contained within enjoys magnificent views of
the hills through the extended balcony.

As the house stood atop the hill, it was prone
to high wind speeds and heavy rains, which
could not have been properly restricted by

4

May 2017 | Design Detail 27

i. The House MALIK ARCHITECTURE
ii. Future Expansion ( House2)
iii. Waterbody Kamal S Malik graduated from the School
iv. Security Cabin of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
v. Garage & Servant’s Quarters in 1972 and has worked with world
vi. Vegetable Garden renowned firms like Don Ashton(U.K),
vii. Tennis Court Willi Kaufhold (Germany) and Setup
Design Studio from the years 1973
SITE PLAN to 1975. Celebrating the 40th year of
inception, the ‘Malik Architecture’ founded
by Kamal is a group of architects, interior
designers and service consultants that
has its principles rooted on a providing
comprehensive design solutions using
newest technologies, thereby resulting
in innovative and dynamic solutions in
architecture and interiors.
Perhaps, one of the few offices in
the country that enjoy an integrated
capability of architectural, structural,
H.V.A.C., electrical, mechanical and
interior designing, the firm currently
has 40 architects. The various national
and international awards won by them
include International Property Awards
2015, ‘Single Residence’ for K-Lagoon at
Alibaug, Artists in Concrete Awards 2013,
‘Commercial Architecture’ for GMS Grande
Palladium at Mumbai and more.
Kamal, who has delivered lectures on
diverse subjects such as sustainable
design, landscape, healthcare design,
hospitality design, design of research
institutes and more is joined by his son,
Arjun Malik who graduated from Rachana
Sansad Academy of Architecture, Mumbai-
2002 and also holds a Masters of Science
in Advanced Architectural Design from the
Columbia University, New York- 2005.

6. Bed Room 12. Verandah
13. Bridge
1. Entrance Porch 7. Bath Suite 14. Engineering Space
15. Pool
2. Living Room 8. Powder Room 16. Water Body
17. Water Tank
3. Dining Room 9. Study

4. Kitchen 10. Den

5. Storage & Utility 11. Court LONGITUDINAL SECTION AT DD

28 Design Detail | May 2017

1. Entrance Porch 10. Den PLAN AT THE ENTRY LEVEL
2. Living Room 11. Court
3. Dining Room 12. Verandah
4. Kitchen 13. Bridge
5. Storage & Utility 14. Engineering Space
6. Bed Room 15. Pool
7. Bath Suite 16. Water Body
8. Powder Room 17. Water Tank
9. Study

1. Entrance Porch 10. Den
2. Living Room 11. Court
3. Dining Room 12. Verandah
4. Kitchen 13. Bridge
5. Storage & Utility 14. Engineering Space
6. Bed Room 15. Pool
7. Bath Suite 16. Water Body
8. Powder Room 17. Water Tank
9. Study

PLAN AT THE LOWER LEVEL

May 2017 | Design Detail 29

NORTH WEST ELEVATION
SOUTH WEST ELEVATION

TRANSVERSE SECTION AT CC

30 Design Detail | May 2017

FACT FILE

PROJECT : RESIDENCE AT ALIBAG
LOCATION : ALIBAG, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA
ARCHITECTS : MALIK ARCHITECTURE, MUMBAI
DESIGN TEAM : ARJUN MALIK, JIGAR MEHTA,
GANESH KUGAJI
CONSULTANTS

PLUMBING : SUHAS GANGAN
ELECTRICAL : VORA ELECTRICALS PVT. LTD.
STRUCTURAL : STRUDCOM

}GCLLAADZIDNIGN G CHINIWALA PVT. LTD.

}SOLAR

RAINWATER MUNGEKAR
HARVESTING & ASSOCIATES
VERMICULTURE
SWIMMING POOL : SILVER POOLS

MATERIAL VENDORS
STEEL : JINDAL STEEL
GLASS : SAINT GOBAIN

AREA : 11500 sq. ft.
YEAR : 2010

HVAC : COOL AIR SYSTEMS

POOL INFINITY EDGE DETAIL

5) Contemporised

5 version of the

traditional clay
tiled roof

the traditional pitched roof that worked well
only in homogenous spatial conditions. The
roof of the living room and verandah was
thus designed as a modern interpretation of
the traditional clay tiled roof, contemporised
for better performance. The design has been
parametrically manipulated for this purpose
and it extends to provide weather protection for
the main pool deck, entrance verandah and car
porch. The structure takes an upward sweep
as it extends to allow headroom for the stair
leading to the upper level.

In response to the client’s requirement, a pool
area was provided in the vicinity of the primary
living space and verandah. The pool which
configures itself along the contours of the hill
thus formed a perfect fit to the design, which
also formed an auxiliary shaded seating area at
the lower level that opened onto a large garden,
overlooking the hills.

May 2017 | Design Detail 31

6 6) Split levels that
7 add dynamism to
the interiors
32 Design Detail | May 2017 7) Flooded with
natural light-view of
the living area

A walk through the house invokes in one a
unique feeling of being suspended in space,
of intimate closure and of being connected
to nature. A myriad of geometric inflections
and articulations are designed to engage one’s
senses in unconventional ways. The architects
have created spaces where the creation of
singular sensory experiences has been the
primary organising and sculpting vector. The
design conducts a constant dialogue with the
ground on which it rests; it is informed by the
earth but chooses at certain junctures to thrust
over a precipice, completely oblivious of it. The
material palette that is formed of concrete and
steel creates a vocabulary that forms a subtle
addition to the existing natural language of the
site.

Alibag house thus transforms itself as a tool

to read and reinterpret the landscape that

exists. Where the various elements arrange

themselves as dematerialised objects freely

floating over the rolling grounds of the hills, the

design that results when they come together

as a whole, forms a perfected design statement

worth celebrating. dd

May 2017 | Design Detail 33

AESTHETIC GROUNDS

34 Design Detail | May 2017

1

THE Text : Team Design Detail | Photos: Christopher Frederick Jones
IN-BETWEEN
In the picturesque backdrop of Paddington, lay
SPACE a site with such unattractive dimensions that,
when put to auction, no buyers except for two
1) Visual continuity of young architects were interested in it. Three
interior spaces metre wide at the front, the site widened to
a seven metre length at the rear, but regulations
permitted the extension’s width to be up to five metres
only. The unfavourable conditions of the site, a dogleg
at mid-length and a partly occupied caretaker’s cottage
– all seemed like a complex design problem to the
young graduates, but Casey and Rebekah decided to
take up the project to explore their passion for design
and construction.

The ‘Left-Over-Space-House’ as it is named for its
location, is on a strip of land adjoining an old dance
hall. The squeezed front of the cottage was converted
to a design studio and library, where the apertures

May 2017 | Design Detail 35

2 provided helped them initiate a visual dialogue
3 between the interior and the exterior. The
entrance was shifted to the side easement
36 Design Detail | May 2017 where the user is greeted with a small and cosy
loggia space and seat. A narrow hall that leads
to the dining room conceals the bath area. The
dining space occupies the remaining cottage,
beyond which the extension becomes a bridge
overlooking the atrium. This acts as a second
library and leads to the combined living and
kitchen space that hovers over the atrium.
Ample flooding of northern light is experienced
here due to the site’s dogleg. A sky lit stairway
that is situated beyond this, provides access
to three split levels: rooftop deck, the parents’
bedroom suite, and children’s interconnected
bedrooms at the bottom. A wide staircase from
the dining descends to the lower level of the
house.

Arranged in varying levels, the project was a
self revealing and exploring journey for the
architects. The extension is timber-framed
and clad in rough stained ply. The painted
weatherboardsofthecottagewerestrippedback

UPPER PLAN

LOWER PLAN

2) Integration of greens SECTION
in the washroom area
3) Interiors completed
in timber

May 2017 | Design Detail 37

COX ARCHITECTURE

COX Architecture is a multidisciplinary
Australian practice which integrates
architecture, planning, urban design
and interior design, with an ethos based
upon principles of structure, craft, art and
nature. The practice was begun in 1962 by
Philip Cox based in Sydney. Currently, COX
offices are present in Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide, and
subsequently Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi,
Dubai and Muscat, with an overall of 400
staff.
They aim to optimise value to the
clients by exploring how any given
project can extend beyond its brief to
deliver unforeseen benefits. These may
be to the project value or attraction,
to the wider community, to authorities,
to the environment. COX is committed
to employing the best graduates from
universities through scholarships that
enable their standards to be maintained
or bettered over time. The quality and
dedication of the staff, they believe,
underpins their long term reputation as
one of the world’s most respected design
4 practices.
5

38 Design Detail | May 2017

FACT FILE

PROJECT : LEFT-OVER-SPACE-HOUSE
LOCATION : PADDINGTON, AUSTRALIA
}APRRACCHTITICEEC TURE COX ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN TEAM : CASEY VALLANCE
REBEKAH VALLANCE
} SCTLRIEUNCTT URAL : VALLANCE FAMILY
EDMISTON & TAYLOR
CONSULTANT
BUILDER : CDC BUILDING SERVICES

STEEL FABRICATOR : HIRCO MANUFACTURING
JOINERY : FINE DESIGN FURNITURE,
CASEY VALLANCE, REBEKA
VALLANCE
CUSTOM GLAZING : ASHGROVE GLASS
TILING : PETER JOHNSTON TILING PTY LTD
CUSTOM LIGHT
MANUFACTURER : THORN LIGHTING
CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY : BATTEN UPHOLSTERY
ELECTRICAL &
MECHANICAL : JUST-IN TIME ELECTRICAL
PLUMBING & GAS : GREG COCHRANE PLUMBING
BATHROOM FIXTURES : ROGERSELLER & CAROMA
KITCHEN TAPWARE : ROGERSELLER
KITCHEN SINK : ABEY
KITCHEN APPLIANCES : ILVE

AREA
EXISTING : 35 sq. m.
INTERNAL : 105 sq. m.
EXTERNAL : 80 sq. m.
YEAR : 2014
AWARDS : WORLD’S BEST HOUSE AWARD,
WORLD ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL, 2013

4) The design 6) Harmonious blend
configures to the of colours and textures
changing levels
of the site 7) Operable steel
plates help moderate
6 5) View of the the light in the
library area interiors

7

May 2017 | Design Detail 39

8 8) The house as viewed
9 from the street
9) Perforated steel
40 Design Detail | May 2017 plates form a striking
design element in the
exterior

and stained to match. Timber is a predominant
material used to complete the interiors - the
walls, floors and ceiling are timber-boarded.
As a striking contrast to the timber-adorned
interiors, the outer edge of the atrium is
made using a veil of solid and perforated steel
sunscreens which continue along the side of
the living room. These screens, which are part
fixed and part operable, help moderate the
degree of privacy and daylight penetration.
Casting intriguing chiaroscuro effects on the
interior surfaces, they thus become one of the
most dynamic and communicative elements of
the design.

Though the design covers only a small area,

the architects were efficient enough to

incorporate all functional requirements into

the space artistically, making it seem simple and

effortless. The amount of care given to details

could be seen in the pendant lights, window

boxes, clerestory insertions, space dividers,

joinery, door and cupboard handles, and plant

containers. Retaining their own individuality

while forming a unique part of the whole,

they render the design flawless and alive. The

harmonious blend of elements gives a sense of

warmth and affection to the interiors. dd

May 2017 | Design Detail 41

ADOPT ADAPT

42 Design Detail | May 2017

THE PASTORAL
HOME

Text : Team Design Detail | Photos: Hemant Patil tested sensitivities. The majority of materials
used were salvaged from local sites. The
Located amidst the pastoral setting bricks were reclaimed from the old house; the
of Umbari Balapur village in wood and roofing tiles from the village temple
Maharashtra is a home that transmits undergoing reconstruction; and basalt stones
the refreshing scents of sugarcane, from the nearby quarry. These old materials
tomato and cauliflower harvests. The have been given a new meaning in this project.
dwelling is a candid reincarnation of materials,
forms and sensibilities preserved by the culture Apart from employing local materials, the
of the people and the contours of the land. construction of the house also provided
tremendous employment opportunities for
This innovative design is born from conserving, local craftsmen. Also acknowledging the rich
repurposing and revitalising materials, while cultural heritage of the village, the house stands
invigorating local economies, employing
vernacular technologies and reviving time-

1) Open courtyard 2) Simple design
provides lavish space using wood and bricks
within the small becomes the essence of
house construction

2

1

May 2017 | Design Detail 43

as a load-bearing structure, revealing to the
community its forgotten building tradition.

The house satiates the lifestyle of the farmer,
while summoning natural elements through
the play of fenestrations and courtyard. These
openings act as wind scoops and work on the
principle of Gomukh. Cow-dung is the primary
flooring material, with toilet floor of terracotta
tiles and bedroom floor of reclaimed wood.
Exterior walls are made of exposed stone and
bricks, while interior walls are lime-plastered.
No artifacts were used for adorning the house.
Old brass and copper utensils, and existing
glassware were reused in the kitchen, while
the furniture was salvaged and restored from
nearby villages. The house also acts as a refuge
from leopards hidden in the sugarcane fields, as
it creates an introspective universe within the
vastness of the farm.

3)The well lit dining 5) The kitchen design
area integrates tradition with

4) The simple modernity

construction of 6) The windows open
stones and bricks onto the courtyard
3 defines the identity providing ventilation to
of Farmer’s Abode the interiors

4

44 Design Detail | May 2017

ARTHA STUDIO

Artha Studio is a sustainable design firm 5
located in Pune, Maharashtra steered by
Saurabh Malpani. In his more than twelve
years of architectural practice, he has
apprenticed with great masters, such as
Geoffrey Bawa in Sri Lanka and Alvaro Siza
in Portugal. Saurabh received his Diploma
and Degree in Architecture from the
School of Architecture at CEPT,Ahmedabad
in 2003.He had the opportunity to study at
Technical University of Delft and received
further training at Faculty of Architecture
at University of Porto.
The studio challenges the idea of
commoditisation and standardisation of
building production. Its goal is to create
spaces which are beyond the mere
pragmatic confines and does not follow
staunch and prosaic ideas for any program
and are neither radical in design approach.

6

May 2017 | Design Detail 45

SITE PLAN

A. Arrival Buffer F. Courtyard J. Bedroom GROUND FLOOR PLAN
B. Water Body G. Dining Verandah K. Rear Court
C. Prayer Room H. Kitchen L. Shower ROOF PLAN
D. Powder Room I. Toilet M. Utility
E. Living Room

46 Design Detail | May 2017

78

7) The open 8) A mezzanine 9) Extensive
shower restroom floor is attached to use of wood in
9 provides a the bedroom and the interiors

connection with acts as a private
the nature space for study

FACT FILE

PROJECT : FARMER’S ABODE

LOCATION : NEAR UMBARI BALAPUR VILLAGE,
AHMEDNAGAR DISTRICT, MAHARASHTRA
}ARCHITECTURE
PRACTICE ARTHA STUDIO

ARCHITECT : SAURABH MALPANI

BUILT UP AREA : 215 sq.m.

TOTAL AREA OF PLOT : 1,13,312 sq.m.

COST PER SQM : 20,930 INR

TOTAL COST : 45 LAKHS

MATERIALS : BRICKS, BASALT STONE
MANGLORE TILES, COPPER
TERRACOTTA TILES
COWDUNG FOR FLOORING
LIME FOR PLASTER

YEAR : 2015

This is not a farmhouse, but a house on the farm

– with the design that remains open-ended,

agile, and most importantly, unpretentious. A

conscious choice is made to create economically

modest, sensually rich, and environmentally

sustainable abode, which beats the winds of

time, styles or transience of any kind. This

timeless design is a sincere testament of what

the past has preserved and echoes what the

future can foster. dd

May 2017 | Design Detail 47

REDEFINED

TRADITION
EMBRACING
MODERNITY

48 Design Detail | May 2017

RText : Renjith.T.R | Photos: Biju Ibrahim
edefining and renovating
a project involves great
challenge on the part of the
architect. When it is about
creating a contemporary,
luxurious space without disturbing the
traditional architecture, it becomes a
daring attempt that seeks admiration. It is
this quality of merging the tradition with
modernity to create a synergising space
that sets apart Muneer Residence from its
counterparts.

May 2017 | Design Detail 49

Located in the Malappuram district of Kerala,
this traditional house has got a lot of nostalgia
attached to it that comes from stories that is
passed on through generations. Therefore the
construction involved redefining the luxury
of space while preserving the values of the
original form and spatial qualities.
The traditional houses in Kerala usually have
a Nalukettu, a typically rectangular structure
where four blocks are joined together with a
central courtyard open to the sky. This provides
much natural light and air inside the building
maintaining a cool ambience. The pitched
roof is lowered to very low heights to avoid
direct sun and create reflected light inside the
spaces. But, here it was not a part of the original
structure. So the space was re-arranged and
extended to create a Nalukettu as an extension
to the main structure which forms the major
highlight of the design.

1) The multi layered
doors and windows
maintain the tradition
2) Extended verandah
and wooden furnitures

1 have been given a

modern finish

2

50 Design Detail | May 2017