‘GUHE’-RESIDENCE FOR Mr.C.R.SIMHA

Client: MR.C.R.SIMHA

Site: 50’x80’

Built up area: 3000SFT

Completion year:1991

Contractors:Neelkant

C.R.Simha is a famed stage actor especially renowned for his mono acting of historic characters. ‘GUHE’ is aptly named.

 Bangalore development authority had as an honor by the govt. of Karnataka, awarded him a crowning prize A SITE in Bangalore the most coveted of possessions.

 SIMHA was elated, but this joy was short lived when he went to inspect the site. It was 50’ x 80’ south facing located on the ring main, , the site was 15’ below the road adjacent to a culvert and below a storm drain on the road side and secondary drain on its western side at a lower height. 

The authorities could not give him an alternate nor was anyone willing to give him a design to suite his pocket. Desperation written all over but with a glimmer in his eyes he walked into ‘FOUNTAINHEAD’. 

His requirements were simple enough but the dreams how these requirements are to be dispersed into spaces was mercurial and challenging. The site added its part. Here instead of accepting a single simple challenge it was decided to really go at the throat of the challenge and to use an expression ‘DESIGN AND BE DAMNED’. Accepting the challenge the concept started evolving with the house upside down, the approach at a higher level and the main house at the lower level. 

Taking advantage of the topography of Bangalore and the rear road drain and coaxing the local sewage board engineers to accommodate a little bit, the design evolved to hard construction. And for the FIRST time the HOURDI clay hollow extruded tiles of 8”x16”x6” was used ,to become the MATERIAL DICTATE of both structure and aesthetics. Laying a concrete platform and directly building the hollow tile walls married with deep recessed stonewalls the structure shell was formed. Here SIMHA steps in again and says his HERO is CHARLIE CHAPLIN. And of such chance remarks are genius born. The requirement of a structural column in the middle evolved to the Dream of CHARLIE caryatid floating on a reflecting pool and supporting through a cut out the upper floor slab, and to make matters more intriguing it was decided to eliminate the column at the upper level and float the entire roof over, with a volcanic cut in the middle crowned with a sunburst color fiberglass dome. 

No known structural method was possible. An intuitional concept was taken and executed with sheer guts. The roof is a crowning glory. The rock selected to the design of the dome and collecting the tiles, designing the vents (windows what are they!) to every contour of the building and its environment was each magical and a challenge to surmount. (Incidentally there are no conventional windows, doors or roofs).

I I P M  (INDIAN INSTITUTE OF PLANTATION MANAGEMENT)

Client:                     National Dairy Development Board

Site:                        4.2 acres

Built up area:         1,00,000 sq.ft

Completion year:   Sept. 2000

Contractors:           RNR Constructions

Consultants:           MRC (structural), Uma (electrical)

Sited on top of a valley, with two hillocks, amidst a sloping terrain.

One walk and it was clear as crystal, where the mind – the Learning center with its library and conference center would be, not on the taller hillock, but on the lower one, looking for guidance and gaining confidence.

The taller hillock would include rowing spaces – the professors and the other head (including the director) who would guide the destiny of the institute.

In the valley – a small water body (apart from RWH) which would reflect both and with a steady rock ready to leap off into the world of adventure. 

The …… space further away towards the west such that, ‘early morning’ the splendor would set off towards the rising sun, full of spirit and anticipation. ……. from the head and mind and with involved spaces water crossing the lecture hall and class rooms bind spatial internal open spaces – where students  …. with one another (with no suffocating corridors)  All these sit on the top of the cafeteria which is below, hugging lawn and terraces that allow the outbreak of highly involved individuals searching each other with abandon and freedom – “in search of more.”

ITC-Infotech, Bangalore:

The metamorphosis of tobacco go-downs into state of the art think-work places. The go-downs were highly contextual to their time. The campus with its concrete roads spread across an area of about 30 acres. To-day it is one sprawling park interspaced with built spaces which are woven as a single total fabric. It is an ambiance that evokes the spirit of one and all who walk, think and work, to a higher mental plane.

To transform this environment, to realize the optimum potential of the land was no easy exercise.

As one walked around the place amidst few patches of greenery, it was easy to visualize the tremendous potential that lay within these spaces. Soul-less sheds, with an imaginative intervention could be transformed into places of spirit. This would bring about a transformation to make this an alive, bustling and a creative environment.

 Second and a stronger response would be how does ONE retain the present ambiance and work environment? The answer to this would be to make one’s objective and philosophy of design approach very clear and evident.

With this in mind, the transformation began.

An imaginative palette of colour not only emphasized the content but also the corporate image of ITC Infotech in such a dynamic way, that the brand image created by the campus was very unique in the built environment of the IT field. The challenge was achieved with stupendous success. 

What were dreary walks suddenly turned out to be a walk in the park. The transition between spaces became journeys of thought. These influences are very essential for a creative and imaginative profession in the world of cyber space. 

Nature, in its abundance was merged to make a metamorphic transformation, with the original hard built spaces, rendering the total environment magical. 

The materials used and the techniques employed during construction were a unique combination of native flavour and modern technique, in tune with the culture and philosophy of the corporate theme.

Some evenings and moonlit nights give the campus an ethereal quality. All the seven elements of nature, the sensibilities of man and the sensuality of space fuse to create a timeless sense of space. 

LIGHT AND LIFE ACADEMY-OOTY

Client: Mr.IQBAL.K.MOHAMED

Site: 3.4 acres

Built up area: 35000sft

Completion year:1999

Contractors:srinivasan

Light and life academy is India’s first photography institute of international standards.

The academy is situated at 6500ft above above sea level on a mountain top, overlooking a breathtaking valley, rubbing shoulders with dense forest.Eco friendly architecture and ethnic architecture blend with the natural setting. Every minute detail has been thought through and designed for easy flow of work.

The structure is light and merges well with the surroundings.

The different levels of the institute follow the natural contour. This creates an amazing play of spaces.

It is a magical world waiting to be discovered.

We can call it a synonym of form, space and order.