Armi Welfare Housing Association by Bharadwaj & Associates

It is a 30 storey high Twin Tower housing project having 300 apartments of 3 bedroom/4bedroom types.  It has a Community Centre and a basement for car parking & Services System etc. The site is tight having an area of 22,000 sqmt.  It has a large beautiful Golf Course facing it on opposite site of the road.

International Award for Sustainable Architecture Awards 2018
Second Award | Category: Housing
Architects: Ajaya Bharadwaj
Studio Name: Bharadwaj & Associates
Team Members: Sameer Kham
Country: India

Inspite of limited site the built up area in the plot is 21 % and most of the balance area is used for providing internal roads, lawns and extensive landscaping.

1. Project Requirements
   

Were to build Apartments at minimum cost with provision of Sustainable and Innovative Systems. The design to be evolved so as to take the best advantage of its site and environment considering Golf Course facing it.

2. Design Concept

• Considering tight site, the buildings has been built on stilts so that the front spaces and the rear space of the plot which have lawns and enriched landscape gets integrated. An internal road provides access to the four vertical cores of the building with lifts and stairs. Car parking provision is also under stilts.
• Eight Scenic lifts are provided which all face the Golf Course to access to the Apartments. Four freight lifts are provided in addition.
• The plan of the building is developed such that maximum number of Apartments with their rooms have the view of Golf Course and provide extensive cross ventilation. Balconies are provided with all rooms for outdoor sitting.
• Plan of Apartment designed so that one Bedroom with toilet approachable for outside can be rented for PG accommodation or office.
• Very interesting Entrance is made to basements by providing circular ramps for cars coming down to basement. It has large waterbody and fountains in its middle and an extensive landscaped plant mural of different flowers around it.
• Building has high planning efficiency as only 9% area of building is lost by circulation of staircases, corridors etc and 91% area usable for Apartments.
• Inspite of repetitive design of Apartments, the buildings monotony is broken due to different heights of blocks and large colour variation.

3. Structure & Service Economy

To achieve maximum economy structural design is modular based with highly repetitive use of sizes of columns, beams and slab spans so as to also cut down on shuttering cost.
Building has maximum proximity of toilets and kitchens to save on piping cost provided common shafts adjacent to balconies for easy maintenance.

4. Sustainable and Innovative Systems

These include External Solar Water Heating System on terrace, Sensing devices interwoven in the building, integrated Fire Fighting System with smoke detectors, sprinklers provided etc, comprehensive Water Supply System complete with Hydropneumatic system and overhead and underground tanks.  A foolproof independent Electrical System including independent power generation when required. Rain Water Harvesting System provided for use of rain water and reuse of effluent after treatment in landscape.  All Apartments and common area have an integrated Public Address System amongst various other new Systems provided.