City: NEW DELHI

MATERIALS USED

Mana Hotels
Structural Steel
Kashia Stone Deck
Lightweight Concrete
XPS Insulation
High Solar Reflective Index Mineral Adhesive
Steel Surface
Frit Printed Insulating Glass
Lacquered Glass
Toughened Glass
Aluminum Composite Panels
Veneered plywood
Babool wood (from the vicinity)
Architectural Fabric- Mesh
Architectural Fabric- Decorative
Split Faced Nimbahara Stone (from the vicinity)
Semi polished sandstone floor
Hand Cut Random Rubble Masonry (from the vicinity)
Landscape: Regional palette + Firangipani (nursery established at site)
Rubble recovered from site
Lights: Decon

MANA RANAKPUR

Traditional Indian architecture is typically associated with ornamental detailing, and more specifically in Rajasthan, the architecture connotes the forts and palaces through techniques that are resonant of the wealth and culture of the region. Typically, people engage with tradition in a superficial manner in ways that are ordered, orthogonal and more often than not, a contemporary take on Indo-Sarcenic architecture. Architectural experience is about creating memories, and often, in an attempt to insinuate traditional architecture in order to create a lasting image while adopting a universal aesthetic, intervention ends up being kitschy and pastiche. Techniques, Technology and methods of construction that draw from the region and are ‘of the earth’ get lost in the midst of mainstream processes. Within this context, the design of Mana Ranakpur attempts to demonstrate the studio’s agenda of regional expression within a global context while being environmentally conscious, without adopting a kitschy intervention and predictable construction techniques. The local and regional forms of expression are explored as vital resources to create an architecture that engages with the future and is of a progressive disposition.

Sited in the vivid, enchanted Udaipur valley in the Ranakpur province, the hotel as a public space with a service-intensive program is conceived to celebrate order and dissonance, continuity, stability, the experience of slow-moving time and the vernacular as an imbibed ethos. These values are celebrated through an architectonic intervention, form and material play in a region with a stark change of seasons and landscape, where the forest changes from Lush Green to bare and arid and the hills turn red during spring as the Tesu trees come to full bloom. Amidst the hills, with a clean, shallow river in the front, a km away from the famed Jain temple and adjoining a reconstructed old haveli, the client brief called for a boutique hotel that offers a unique, iconic experience for travelers in all seasons. Through this apparent harshness, extreme weather and striking landscape, the vernacular acts as a bare canvas and forms a stoic backdrop for this dramatic change of seasons. Amidst the vernacular milieu, the site was extremely challenging as a reclaimed river bed with the water table at 600mm. While local sites represent solid stone in an intense and intricate manner in the form of Paleolitic monuments or pathological homes or as boundary walls that segregate the farmlands, the hotel is evocatively fabricated in the frugal stone masonry which is locally available as an expression of timelessness, space and contrast, old vs new, and the light vs heavy expressing the changing landscape throughout the year.

Introducing the design intent to the visitor by creating a reading of the building as it is unraveled, allows for moments and spatial intervention. Layering is adopted to restore the notion of  the collective memory, and repetition is used as a technique to establish the contrast and difference. The site is planned in a manner that upturns the land, as it opens up to the river on one side, while establishing contrast with the old haveli and the temple. The plan is derived from the time-honored 9×9 grid and the site was dotted with points that would then go on to become trees. Normalcy is achieved through the grid, and deviations are used to break the order. Aligning the grid with the north-south axis through the linearity of the site, a 1.8 m wide sliver is fashioned for pedestrian movement that reinforces the linear planning on the site and brings in a strong order. Settlements happen along these linear walls, crafting straight views to the outside, helping the visitors orient themselves within the site. Superimposition of these various layers establish a dynamic between architecture (constant) and the landscape (in motion through change) and leads to chance encounters and moments of rest. A huge, existing Budh tree on the site with its unique characteristic of a large spread of about 25-30 m dia, is identified as a focal point for the alignment of linear vistas. Views and movement are orientated towards this tree, which is a remnant of the customary tree-chaupal that would provide shade under a large tree to a communal space. Unlike mainstream hotels, some rooms also look out into this public space using a modern, glassy interpretation of the traditional jharokha (overhanging enclosed balcony), while other room ceilings look up to the underside of the tree.

In order to endow a visual clarity to the movement path and to create vistas a open up views as one walks through the site, Buttressed random rubble walls that are symbolic of tradition lend scale to the movement passage by naturally tapering away from the visitor and structural tactics are employed to make the columns disappear. The narrow, linear sliver of space is exaggerated through height while creating a dialogue with time, always allowing the visitor to walk along a masonry wall, hence facilitating orientation. A Linear staircase is wrapped and brought out on the facade to encourage the visitor to walk through, further enhancing the vista. Water bodies are interspersed through this loop that create the water loop from the building to the ground and temper the climatic controls whilst creating points of interchange. Engaging with the sky, the seasons and materials of the earth, landscape is brought as an infill into the built volume. The sloping roof brings in the sky, and expresses three-dimensional direct views whilst the wall remains timeless, as other edifices take support in the wall through temporary interventions that enable an architectural dialogue between form and technique.

In order to be environmentally conscious by reducing transportation, local material and manpower dictated the architectural intervention; only what was not available was prefabricated andbrought from the outside. Apprising the visitor of local ethnicity, an archetypal regional material palette of Stone Masonry and Sandstone floors has been adopted. For most part, the local Rajasthani craftsmen and construction workers were employed to build in a manner rooted in the region and its landscape. Structural steel has been used as it is a long life span material, reducing dead load & thereby overall material consumption. The concrete consumption is insignificant for a building of this type and size. The spanning system is made with locally available kashia stone- a sandstone that can span up to 3 meters and trusses are used to support it. Being in seismic zone 2, a lean, vernacular method of creating structural stability is adopted that allows for the creation of large spans that are well-optimised by the nature of the space. The steel joists that hold up the Kashia slabs are visible within the guest rooms. The main load bearing wall of the hotel cuts through the corridor one side, in contrast with the fabric panels on the other side. An acoustic ceiling also reminisces the perforations while cutting doing ambient sound.

Rainwater is harvested and Grey water from the sewage treatment plant is used to irrigate the hardy, local trees that are a part of the landscape. During construction, tree-cutting was avoided and the external hardscape is constructed and recycled from the waste materials that was accumulated during the digging process of the foundation. An exclusive HVAC system is developed as a significant element; a system that uses Earth cooling, Thermal Storage and Displacement ventilation to reduce energy consumption. While conventional air-conditioning systems consume 40% of the energy used in a building, apart from lower energy consumption, this system also ensures better indoor air quality and avoid recycling. Both water and air circulate in distinct open loops and air is exhausted from in- between the dry, sandwiched roof. Towers that emerge from the ground help to transfer air to the interiors, and work as a means of architectural expression that is evocative of the traditional forts of d to aenerate drauqhts of air and to filter sunlight.

Rainwater is harvested and Grey water from the sewage treatment plant is used to irrigate the hardy, local trees that are a part of the landscape. During construction, tree-cutting was avoided and the external hardscape is constructed and recycled from the waste materials that was accumulated during the digging process of the foundation. An exclusive HVAC system is developed as a significant element; a system that uses Earth cooling, Thermal Storage and Displacement ventilation to reduce energy consumption. While conventional air-conditioning systems consume 40% of the energy used in a building, apart from lower energy consumption, this system also ensures better indoor air quality and avoid recycling. Both water and air circulate in distinct open loops and air is exhausted from in- between the dry, sandwiched roof. Towers that emerge from the ground help to transfer air to the interiors, and work as a means of architectural expression that is evocative of the traditional forts of Rajasthan. Multiple layers of glass are used to generate draughts of air and to filter sunlight. The minimal heat transmitted through the glass is used to induce the displacement ventilation system. Jaalis that are evocative of traditional Rasjasthani stone Jaalis with filigree are recreated in vinyl as a notional device to filter light and air for comfort.

Daylight ingress into the building is ensured in a manner that eliminates the use of artificial light during the day. Night lighting resonates that of an art gallery; all lighting is from the top with a hint of the sky, the jaali or the clear glass. The landscape lighting is de-cluttered, and is lit with borrowed light from the cottages and the hotel buildings. The overhang roof is used to bounce life from under the cottage and the overall intent is to efficiently orchestrate lighting in line with the running cables with no sharp rendering. Light from the west that is a dramatic, warm yellow, crafts an array of experiences in the different rooms, while bright southern light is used to bring in luminosity into interior spaces.

A minimal palette of stone, glass, steel and vinyl that is not distracted by too many surfaces is adopted to craft an architecture that is intense and bare-boned all at the same time. Concrete is used to a minimum, hard edges are contrasted with timber warmth, and the structural system/ construction techniques are expressed clearly with as little cladding as possible. As a hat tip to the 70’s India modern, the solid, minimal furniture in rubberwood and rosewood inlay as inserts is designed to reflect the environmental concerns of the hotel. The contrasting circular pattern in the perforations also mimics and expresses itself as an intention in the upholstery, linen and furniture. As an attempt to blend in the local craft and culture, the furniture is sourced from local artisans and craftsmen. Like a glasshouse in a jungle, Mana Ranakpur attempts to recreate the site as it was discovered, by unearthing the various layers that have been embedded in time. Rooted in regionality and collective memory, through its architecture, it creates interfaces that are expressed not as mere filigree or ornate decoration, but as a reflection of time.

Krushi Bhawan is a facility developed for Government of Odisha’s Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment. It was originally planned as a purely administrative building; upon our suggestion, the spatial programme was revised to accommodate spaces for community engagement and learning.

The ground floor has been designed as a free-flowing public space that opens out into a plaza, whereas the terrace has been designed to house urban farming exhibits and for demonstration of best agricultural practices. The purely administrative spaces—which have restricted access—have been placed on the first, second and third floors.

We collaborated with over 100 highly-skilled artisans to create a vibrant and contemporary narrative of traditional Odia craft depicting agricultural folklore and mythological stories, envisioned at an unprecedented architectural scale. The material palette employs locally-sourced laterite and khondalite stones. Dhokra (tribal cast metal craft) has been adapted to make light fixtures and metal screens that line the corridors. Bas-relief carvings in laterite along the Public Plaza depict ripe paddy crops illustrated in the Odia Pattachitra (cloth-based scroll paintings) style.

The upper floors feature a distinctive brick façade inspired by Ikat patterns of Odisha handlooms, created using clay in three different colours that represent the region’s geographical diversity. The consequent double-skin fenestration system reduces heat gain to 40% by regulating ingress of sunlight.

The complex consists of a central courtyard that provides optimal air circulation. It opens through a series of colonnades into the Public Plaza, which consists of a garden with native flora, featuring an informal amphitheatre and a pond that cools the forecourt.
In response to Bhubaneswar’s warm-humid climate, the design integrates passive and low-tech climate control mechanisms, cutting down the need for mechanical air-conditioning to only 20% of the built spaces. Low window-to-wall ratio, deep and staggered recesses also reduce heat gain. A simple night-purging system pulls cool air into the building through the northern façade when temperatures drop at night; the building’s high thermal mass traps this ‘coolth’ and becomes a ‘coolth’ exchanger with the surrounding air in the day when outside temperatures are higher. Other interventions include roof-mounted solar panels, on-site rainwater harvesting and wastewater treatment, and an anaerobic bio-digestive solid waste management system which generates compost and fertigation water for the landscape.

Materials of Construction Details

At Krushi Bhawan, highly-skilled artisans have enabled the creation of a vibrant and contemporary narrative of traditional Odia craft. Dhokra (tribal cast metal craft) has been adapted to make light fixtures and metal screens that line the building corridors. The pedestal level and South Wing use locally-sourced laterite and khondalite stone. Hand-carved khondalite lattices provide a sense of enclosure to the Central Court. Agricultural motifs have been displayed across the building through a variety of craft techniques – such as the bas-relief carvings in laterite along the Public Plaza, which depict ripe paddy crops illustrated in the Odia Pattachitra (cloth-based scroll paintings) style. The Central Court houses a Crop Calendar, created on a stone inlay floor, which displays the harvesting cycles for the most prevalent crops in Odia farmlands.

Inspired by the Ikat patterns of Odisha handlooms, the louvered brick facade has been created using clay in three different colours to represent the geographical diversity of the region, asserting a distinct urban identity. The consequent fenestration system eliminates the need for mechanical air-conditioning in 80% of the indoor spaces.

The strategic integration of craft and technology via a locally sourced material palette. The rich narrative of laterite, khondalite, brass and brick was processed in-situ to lower the environmental impact of the project, and treated to address common concerns like slippage and cleaning—as essential for a public building.

Special Features

(a) Re-imagining the Relationship between the Citizen and the State

Developed for the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha in the state’s capital city, the project had an undoubted mandate to reimagine the government’s relationship with its people. The original brief—that of a purely administrative facility—was modified by the architects in consultation with the government to include public functions and community spaces so the building would add to the city’s social infrastructure.

The ground floor is a free-flowing public space, housing a learning centre, a gallery, an auditorium, a library, and training rooms. Through exhibitions, workshops, haats (weekly markets), lectures and school visits, this becomes a hub for imparting skills and sharing knowledge. The terrace houses urban farming exhibits and crop samples to educate the local populace on the best agricultural practices. Spaces that require restricted access are placed on other floors.

(b) The State as a Patron for Local Art/Craft Economies

The coming together of over 100 highly-skilled artisans to punctuate the project’s built fabric with Odia craft at an architectural scale exemplifies how a government can be the prime facilitator of patronage for regional craft and local communities. For instance:
The distinctive brick façade is inspired by the Ikat patterns of Odisha handlooms, created using clay in three different colours that represent the geographical diversity of the region.
The tribal cast metal craft of dhokra is adapted to make light fixtures that wrap around the ground floor columns, as well as metal screens that line the building corridors.

2. An Exemplar of Sustainability: Low-Tech Climate Control

The design integrates passive and low-tech climate control mechanisms, for instance:
(i) DGU on all external fenestration with louvers and sill projections that act as shading devices—a system that reduces heat gain to 40% by regulating ingress of sunlight. The time lag achieved for heat transference through the cavity walls is approximately 6-7 hours, which aids thermal comfort.
(ii) Bhubaneswar experiences significant drops in night temperatures through the year. Taking this into consideration, a simple Night-Purging system has been devised for cooling and ventilation. Through this mechanism, cool air gets pulled into the building through the northern façade when temperatures drop at night, by means of a custom designed ‘low-tech’ damper system. The high thermal mass of the building traps the ‘coolth’ and becomes a ‘coolth’ exchanger with the surrounding air in the day, when outside temperatures are higher. A deduction of internal air temperatures by 7-8°C (in comparison to the ambient temperature) has also been achieved through the night-purge system; the cumulative impact of these interventions has been that only 20% of the built spaces now require air-conditioning via HVAC systems.

GREEN BUILDING FEATURES

Indigenous passive design strategies contribute to the sustainability parameters of the building. The courtyard morphology and the inclusion of a stilt level aid optimal air circulation through the building, whereas the low window-to-wall ratio and deeply recessed windows and balconies help lower heat gain.

The building profile along the Central Court is characterized by staggered masses which enables self-shading and blocks direct glare.

The project also employs a material palette primarily comprising locally-sourced materials, which has helped in significantly reducing the building’s carbon footprint.

The façade has been designed to ensure 100% daylit internal spaces. Further, a double-skin facade strategy has been put in place at the complex, which consists of DGU on all external fenestration with louvers and sill projections that act as shading devices—a system that reduces heat gain to 40% by regulating ingress of sunlight.

Taking this into consideration Bhubaneswar’s significant drops in night temperatures, a simple Night-Purging system has been devised for cooling and ventilation. Through this mechanism, cool air gets pulled into the building through the northern façade when temperatures drop at night, by means of a custom designed ‘low-tech’ damper system; the high thermal mass of the building traps the ‘coolth’ and becomes a ‘coolth’ exchanger with the surrounding air in the day, when outside temperatures are higher.

The time lag achieved for heat transference through the cavity wall is an optimal 6-7 hours, which aids thermal comfort. A deduction of internal air temperatures by 7-8°C (in comparison to the ambient temperature) has also been achieved through the night-purge system; the cumulative impact of all interventions has been that only 20% of the built spaces now require air-conditioning via HVAC systems.

The project takes the immediate context into account foremost through its site planning, with the building footprint conceptualized keeping in mind the existing trees on site—all of which have been retained and incorporated in the landscaping.

The landscape strategy entails the utilization of local flora in the lawns of the public plaza, as well as the creation of green terraces on the first and second floor of the building; the latter have been incorporated with the interior façade design, with each workspace provided with views of the central court, the terraces, or both.

One-fifth of the floor space at Krushi Bhawan is also dedicated to crop and fishery samples—housed on the terrace level, these urban farming samples serve to train the state’s farmers in the latest agricultural techniques as well as educate the local population about the ecological diversity of the region.

Other interventions include solar panels on the terrace, on-site rainwater harvesting and wastewater treatment, and an anaerobic bio-digestive solid waste management system which generates compost and fertigation water for the landscape.

Salient Features of the Project :
Name & Location: Surat Diamond Bourse, Surat, Gujarat
Cost of Project: 3200 crores INR Approx.
Built-up area: 66,000 sq. m
(In case of Public Building minimum built-up area should be 1000 sq. meter)

Description of Project:
Surat Diamond Bourse consolidates India’s 67,000 diamond professionals within the world’s largest single-office building. With a built-up area of 7.1 million sq. ft. occupying a 35.3-acre site, SDB exemplifies high-density office architecture and transcends global sustainability benchmarks. It is a seed building for the Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City, an upcoming business district, leading to an unprecedented socio-economic development in the region. Built entirely by the diamond community for the community as a cooperative, the building is a testament to shared vision and collective agency. Focussing on environmental sustainability, it consumes 50% less energy than the highest green benchmarks and features one of the world’s largest radiant cooling systems. For its sustainable development efforts, the project has achieved IGBC’s GREEN New Building Platinum Rating.
Independent and consolidated functioning for 4,500 offices ranging from 28 sqm to as large as 7,000 sqm, makes it a city within a city. Its wide-ranging amenities include a sprawling 10,000 sqm food zone, a retail plaza, and over 8,000 sqm of gym, spa, conference areas, banking, customs, and banquet facilities.

Material of Construction Details:
Modular structural grids align efficient parking layouts.
Two basements are designed to avoid the need for pile foundations, which would be typical in this area, thereby bringing costs down.
Flood mitigation was one of the primary site constraints because the site lies roughly a metre below the highway road. The plinth was raised, and a trench was created around its periphery to harvest rainwater.
The construction uses conventional RCC combined with post-tensioned (PT) slabs for the nine towers.
Locally sourced materials were incorporated with a minimal waste-to-landfill approach. Lakha red granite and Gwalior white sandstone used in the construction are procured within a 300 km radius.
Stone-working communities from the Deccan Plateau were employed at all stages, from quarrying to dressing and application.
The building also features one of the largest installations of radiant cooling (approximately 20 kms of running length of radiant pipes per floor; the cumulative length is approx. 300 kms.), where 40% of the built-up volume is cooled by an energy-efficient system that uses chilled circulated water on the floors and ceilings.

Special Features:
Designing the world’s largest commercial building required achieving exceptional efficiency in every aspect. The primary challenge was facilitating easy and efficient daily navigation for over 67,000 professionals through the high-security premises, making circulation and sustainable development defining parameters of its monumental design. The design optimizes travel distances, ensuring that the farthest office module is reachable within 5 minutes. This addresses the challenge of navigating large volumes of people within trading-time constraints, with walkable corridors across 15 floors. The central spine, flaring into vertical fins to funnel prevailing winds using the Venturi effect, ensures that 100% of the building’s circulation spaces, which make up 30% of the built-up area, are naturally ventilated. Staggered atria interrupt the spine vertically, allowing hot air buildup to escape through the stack effect while incorporating landscaped elements that create green lungs, fostering a pleasant internal microclimate without mechanical cooling. The office towers are oriented north-south with narrow floor plates, blocking the harsh western sun and ensuring 75% of the workspaces receive diffused light throughout the day. This design strategy significantly reduces dependence on artificial lighting and enables the common areas to operate on solar power year-round. The building features interconnected courtyards that create a variety of views and support functions like food courts, recreational spaces, and interaction areas. Passive landscaping strategies help control the local microclimate, reducing radiant heat by over 10°C. Lakha red granite and Gwalior white sandstone used in the construction are procured within a 300 km radius, promoting a minimal waste-to-landfill approach. Stone-working communities from the Deccan Plateau were employed at all stages, from quarrying to dressing and application. The radiant cooling system, spanning 300 km—approximately 10 times the coastline of Surat (~35 km) and one of the largest in the world—significantly reduces operational maintenance and dependency on mechanical cooling. Modular structural grids streamline parking layouts and save 25% of the construction area. The design focuses on elevating users’ spatial and transitional experiences. The central spine serves as an interactive hub with breakout spaces, green atriums, and dense vegetation for improved indoor air quality. These measures have resulted in a 15% saving in Capex, a 50% saving in Op-ex, and a 50% reduction in energy consumption compared to the highest green rating standards, with a building performance of approximately 45 kWh/sq.m./yr.