DESIGN IDEOLOGY:

 A series of experiential courtyard was developed for the design with meandering narrow walkways linking introvertedly planned, disintegrated blocks/modules.

DESIGN CONCEPT:

Built Area: 22000 sq. Ft.

Eastern India is a land of water bodies, lakes, ponds and rivers. Outskirts of Kolkata is dotted with over 13 % of registered water bodies. Human body is more than 2/3 rd of water element. The balance of elements, essentially water is a key decider of our wellness.

Attributes of water and its connect to our sensory responses is key to wellness.

As an ever-growing city, Kolkata is a home to many physical and psychological ailments. This project – A wellness retreat aims in restoring the physical, mental and spiritual (body, mind and soul) balance through hospitality and care.

This wellness retreat has three essential components in its programme – The spa, The yogashala and The Salon. The site was carved out in a peninsular profile surrounded by a 5 acres of water body (lake). Located within a Holiday – Home Campus of 90 acres, a component of it has 24 key guest blocks for staycation guests and also who engage themselves in longer wellness programs.

A total of 14 key treatment areas comprise of western treatment (massages ) , ayurveda treatment ( massages ) , hydrotherapy , mud/Dhara therapy , the yogashala , the kriya shala , and the beauty treatments ( salon ) .

“The process of Wellness translates from soul to mind and then to body”.

Here is a design which activates your muffed sensitivities and induces us to perceive even the subtle responses performed in the treatment with distinct clarity.

THE 5 SENSE DESIGN TRULY!

When the guest walks through multiple courts (each designed scientifically to activate our 5 sensory perceptions), the transitory experiences, employing water and nature in true Biophyllic settings calms us instinctively.

The highs and lows, the stillness and the turbulence, light and darkness etc activate our deeper/ remote cells of neurocortex – those which remain dormant in the urban environment.

Daylight, natural ventilation, textures, Colours, fragrances, the flowing architectural form, aromas of earth, sounds of the winds and much more all tied up in the singularity of terracotta shade is rejuvenating.

THE 6th SENSE ARCHITECTURE

The tangible should give way to the intangible.

The design includes prescriptions of Vedic architecture to induce positive energy pockets (courtyards) for health and vitality.

Vault shell rog to cast off fluctuating EMFs from HT power grid, No RCC beam grid network in the corridors to provide smooth flow of energy, dark pool proportions more than 1:7 to absorb negative environmental energies etc are few such prescriptions.

Interesting use of Artworks from spiritual India subtly celebrating the concepts of oneness and inclusivity builds up a positive environment pulsating HOPE in wellness hospitality.

A Sustainable and Green Design

The microclimate (through passive cooling strategies and planned natural circulations) benefits allows the common area 100% non-air conditioned. 100% Daylight harvesting in the interior spaces and comments spaces etc has reduced the power requirements to less than 50% as compared to conventional systems. The design allows for many spa activities to be performed in semi covered areas and open areas connecting guests with the exiting flora and fauna – the act of instinctive wellness.

It is a Green Design in true sense! At the site around 88 tress have been planted carefully curated to invite the fauna species driven out of the urban environment – an act of inclusive existence!

The Winning Case!

Post pandemic, it is important we as humans connect and accept nature as a prescriptive order of life. The need to weave an experience of the body mind and soul in our built environment is important.

This design explores the timeless concepts of open Indian courtyards in a realm of biophilia and Vedic sciences to create a wellness expression in hospitality architecture.

Less is really More!

ART AND ARCHITECTURE:

We seek happiness and this lies in our perspective (seeing) of life. The solution lies in our nation’s strength – spiritual wisdom.

Art has a universal code, beyond languages. It has preserved and professed spirituality and its values across ages in its various forms and mediums. Art has been the best source of instilling wisdom, hope and happiness. It is a connect to our mind and soul. By careful and sensible installation of art/artefacts in space we added in furtherance of this intent making it more palatable and contextual to the mood.

The medium is terracotta and metal, it is regional to Bengal and engaging local artists is an ethical practice too.

ILLUMINATION AND DESIGN:

The orchestration of changing shadow profiles in the day give way to a meditative evening and sensual night time. The intent is to simulate the flickering lamp effect, with no lights fixtures mounted either on the ceiling or on the wall.

Attention has been taken to ensure moonlight is well reflected over dark water bodies (devoid of underwater illumination) creating a surreal blue simmer on the walls.

There lies a human connect with lamp – it is a timeless representation of positivity – the divinity.

The floor mounted fixtures emulating oil lamps were made. All fixtures are dimmer control (< 2200k) and LED at source. A conscious call is to have the light in patterns, as caustic waves etc so as not to attract insects and flies.

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE:

In here Interior design is an alter ego of architecture design in a neutral palette of shell white vitality! – The all-inclusive shade of light.

The approach to the interiors is to engage the architectural form and add a layer of detail inspired from the ripples of water, inspired motifs of Bengal jasmine (the local flower), the folds of lake surface etc. The subtle reliefs on the vault ceiling bring a calming meditative mood.

Timber and anti-skid tiles on floor, low relief stucco finish on the walls compliment the textures of nature around.

Dual curtain system, shear for daylight and black outs, give guest the desired options for experience.

Indian Minimalism is the intended interior expression.

INNOVATIVE MATERIALS USED IN THE PROJECT

Here it was important to use locally / common material innovatively and respond to requirement of wellness.

Create an inspiring environment out of a left-over site adjacent to a HT line. 

This ensured apt response and minimal impact.

RCC 100 mm shell construction using locally improvised MS shuttering was the only difficult part of construction.

RESPONSE TO CONTEXT

-Cut and fill within the site. The cut areas were converted to build a lake around the development and filling ensured raising the low-lying site condition. 

-construction was a single level development using RCC shell method. Single module in MS helped in achieving 60 percent of the development by sheer Repetition.  

-Being a remote site, all labour was a locally sourced

DESIGNCONSIDERATIONS

HERE IS A DESIGN WHICH ACTIVATES YOUR MUFFED SENSITIVITIES AND INDUCES US TO PERCIEVE EVEN THE SUBTLE RESPONSES PERFORMED IN THE TREATMENT WITH DISTINCT CLARITY

1) Proximity of HT lines – Due to this, no construction was feasible on the site within a certain offset distance (approx. 35M) from the centerline of HT cables.

2)Through cut and fill the site was converted into a Peninsular Appendage, with the water body developed artificially.

3)Prior to the built intervention, the site was surrounded by a water body on its 3 front edges, with a narrow entry on the rear edge.

4)The intervention was an insert in the existing Bungalow masterplan.

WHY THE VAULT SHAPE

VAULT AS A ‘SAFE SHELL’: Because of the existing power lines on site, the EMF interferences were minimised by the Vault shape.

VAULT AS ‘REFUGE’: Vault facilitates the creation of extensive interiors (Spacious, column/support free unobstructed areas).

VAULT AS A ‘RESONANT’: The curvature of vaults helps to diffuse sound waves, enhancing acoustics. Vaulted profiles enhance the quality of sound by reducing reverberation and improve speech intelligibility.

The noise from the high traffic is muffed by the plantation and deflected by the wall profile. The close vegetation offers Solar shading in this case.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Vaults can facilitate natural ventilation and cooling, reducing reliance on mechanical systems.

SPATIAL LAYERING AND ZONING

-Two extreme bandwidth of experiences were layered by implementing narrow circulation pathways and connecting introvertedly planned, disengaged blocks. This approach aimed at providing varying spatial and experiential qualities within the built environment.

-The design was planned with a focus on cardinal principles. Taking into account the direction the solar
orientations and the low of the wind, the modules were laid out in a particular fashion, giving rise to courtyards.

-The courtyards were designed with curvilinear profiles, chosen deliberately for the visually soothing qualities. Because of to their gentle and flowing forms, they evoke a sense of harmony and relaxation.

-The deliberate arrangement of open spaces/voids between modules and the careful integration of both open(courtyards) and closed volumes contribute to the effective facilitation of cross ventilation. By strategically positioning the modules and allowing for ample gaps between them, air currents are encouraged to flow freely through the premises.

MATERIAL

-The strong monochromatic architectural rendering of terracotta is complimented by a monochromatic treatment of interiors – a neutral palette of shell- white vitality! – the all-inclusive shade of light

– Wellness is best related to biophilic design. Inspirations from Bengal jasmine (the local BELI flower) in motifs, relief work subtly connects to the imageries of nature.

– Water being dominant in design, ripples, folds and flutes becomes an important take into Interior design.

– Materiality is natural – timber, stone, lime coats, natural fabrics, rattan and metal.

– The larger narrative of 5 senses design intent was carried through preserving the impressions of changing daylight, views, induction of natural aromas, natural sounds and stillness.

– Prevent glare, daylight management using 2 layers of curtains, anti-skid flooring requirements, repetitive patterns on vaults to better acoustics, aesthetically engage the MEP installations, Low maintenance and resilient furniture design and many other important considerations were subtly resolved using simple design interventions.