ANAND RESIDENCE, MEDAVAKAM

G B SCHOOL, MELMARUVATHUR.

RAMESH RESIDENCE, PALAVAKAM

UDHAVUM KARANGAL HOSPITAL

VISHWAKSENA VIDYA VIKAS SCHOOL, SRIPERUMANDUR

   VISHWAKSENA VIDYA VIKAS SCHOOL

VISHWAKSENA GLOBAL SCHOOL

School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside – Lon Watters

India’s heritage is rich with the stories of students sitting in a tightly knit circle around their guru, faces flushed with the excitement of knowledge. Waning to the present times, the customs have changed but the vital role a school plays in India’s diverse society has endured. This school project is located in Sriperumbudur district, near Chennai, Tamilnadu, in a locality that is devoid of any prime educational nodes. The site is off the main road in a serene spot, placing the children away from the hustle bustle of the Tiruvallur-Sriperumbudur highway.

Through the prominent entrywayand past the façade wall - which is painted by the shadows of the pergola above, sprawling across 9 acres ofred earthen surface sits the school’s multiple blocks.The built-up is split over three blocks with the main CBSE block comprising of the nursery, primary and middle school classes, the stateboard block with the higher secondary classes and the lab block with the labs.

A path winds itself through, hugged by artfully landscaped lawns connecting the entrance to the admin block. The CBSE block - composed of bold lines and bright colors of green, white and yellow - plays with the mind with the help of the greenery and landscape that offsets itself off the path, enveloping the building on all sides.

The nursery areawith its low scale factor is boldly sculpted but playfully tinged with colorful elements suitable for little kids. The cheerful openings combined with the multi-hued pergolas create a view which makes it easy to imagine how a child would be lost in the world of colors and shapes as the building itself reflects the spirited enthusiasm and the whirling innocent movement found among children. When looking down at the niches and the shapes one finds numerous interesting lights and shadows created by the cutouts on the wall. It makes the child think of such possibilities and how different it looks form the usual concrete boxes that they are so used to seeing everywhere they go.

There are ample sit out spaces on the window ledges and the courtyard railings that allows a lot of interaction among the kids even as they remain under their teachers’ supervision.

The stateboard building has an elements not conventionally used in schools like curved walls, wall niches, skylights, etc.The building emerges from its central courtyard that connects all its levels and provides a mesmerizing view from everywhere and lights up all the spaces connected. The courtyard brings nature inside the building and blends well with the color and the mood of the surroundings and keep kids close to the nature. In the upper floors great care has been taken to ensure utmost safety measures without hindering a child’s view. Natural lighting has been provided to every nook and corner of the building and ventilation that promises nice breezy winds in the mornings and evenings.

The design builds up an innocent simplicity in experience with simple elements and effective use of materials like paint on concrete and glass. Even further inwards the design also shows how a curved wall has been treated beautifully with niches amongst which toilet ventilators were well camouflaged. The niche wall with colorful bright patterns on a curved space extends three floors high and captures dynamism of a rectilinear and circular shape. The internal spaces, classrooms, Staff rooms, toilets and corridors are also well defined and not restrictive.

Overall, the project creation evolved around enriching a child’s schooling experience a lively and memorable one. The spaces, forms and elements used are unconventional but endearing as they serve their purpose – to make this school a worthy home away from home.

Pannerselvam Residence:

“A real building is one on which the eye can light and stay lit.”

The residence of Dr. Paneerselvam and family is sited in Erode, Periyar District. The residents of the house belong to the Medical fraternity, and it was designed by keeping in mind the busy schedules of their lives. The clients desired spaces they could unwind in after a long and laborious day.

The residence is a composite construction of concrete, metal and wood. Visual connectivity is brought in by the location of the courtyards and a play of levels that bring in ample natural lighting and ventilation.

To enter the house, one has to cross the lily pond in the lawn, which provides a calm and serene entrance. By providing discrete courtyards connecting to the bedrooms, the clients get a sense of privacy and can get in touch with the roots of nature. This feature satisfies the need for the obligatory relaxation that the clients desire.

The shallow pool and the murals surrounding it acts as the central area that provides the visual connectivity to the multiple levels of the residence. The wooden metal staircase ties the informal family space to upper level informal family spaces.

The courtyards have been designed with perforated openings that act as an air duct to keep the interiors cool. These perforations also have an aesthetic appeal and provide a semi enclosed feel to the courtyards by bringing in a certain level of privacy to the residents.

The terrace garden and the meditation area on the terrace is a sanctuary for the residents where they can spend quality time among themselves and the landscape provides a calming effect on them.

The visual and spacial connectivity plays the lead role in this residence. It connects the various spaces of the residence but also demarcates them and does not fail to provide a sense of security and privacy.

Usage of landscape and open courtyards also increases the serenity of the space and helps the residents to ease and wind down after a strenuous day.

The interconnectivity of space and the play of levels not only increases the aesthetic appeal of the building, but also paves way for the incoming of natural ventilation and lighting throughout the entire residence.

On the whole, the residence of Dr. Paneerselvam and family has an overall homely atmosphere and is a haven for its inhabitants.

MANOJ BHAVAN – HIGHWAY RESTAURANT

"They say life is a highway and we all travel our own roads, some good, some bad, yet each is a blessing of its own.”

One does not take a road trip without stopping at a Highway Restaurant. Any journey, be it an adventurous one or an arduous one, needs a break to refresh and relax. Such highway restaurants must be inviting to the travelers who wish to explore the journey more than the destination.

"Any clever devil would decorate the highway to hell as beautiful as possible."

The Manoj Bhavan - Highway Restaurant is positioned in Madhuranthagam, along the 100 feet wide Trichy – Chennai National Highway. The essence of the restaurant is to attract and arrest the attention of fast moving highway vehicles from a distance by the use of strong geometry and bold shapes and sharpness, a play of varying silhouette, material, texture, color and form.

The restaurant is an incorporation of massive structures with irregular angles that create three different faces to the on lookers. This way, the travelers are welcomed from all the directions. These three faces create a visual axis which is both inviting and appealing to the visitors.

Slanting walls along with the combination of irregular angles entice the on lookers and creates an interesting visual appeal.

"The best thing about concrete is that, it looks unfinished."

The exterior and the interiors are constructed with exposed concrete and plywood shuttering. The cantilevers are formed by steel truss framework and they are an interesting play in the structure which emphasizes the outlook of the building.

Usage of exposed concrete and the neutral colour scheme of various hues and tones of grey and white, creates a balance and uniformity that compliments the usage of the irregular angles.

The cantilevered Director’s room is designed in such a way that it overlooks the processing and the flow of activity of the restaurant. The glass frame with steel channels are held together by channel sections. Niches have been fashioned as seating along the interior exposed concrete walls. The janitor area in the washrooms has also been carved with niches.

The tower which holds the over head tank and its head room acts a focal point that is capable of attracting passengers in the surrounding 3km radius. The massiveness of the tower makes it as a prominent landmark of the restaurant and its verticality and vastness makes it easier for the visitors to spot it even from a distance.

The children play area along with the landscape provides a relaxing ambience for both the adults and kids. The pathways are defined through the means of landscape.

The highway restaurant acts as a retreat for all the travelers. Its serene location and ease of access makes it a pleasurable space for people to unwind and rejuvenate after a long tiring ride.

The comforting landscape and the sculpture-like mass will invite the tired traveler in, offer a pause period and a time of bonding, and rejuvenate their senses, before they restart their journey.

In conclusion, Manoj Bhavan, makes the journey of a traveler to a destination more delightful and enjoyable, because the journey to a destination is equally important as the destination itself.

“The road is a word, conceived elsewhere and laid across the country in the wound prepared for it: a word made concrete and thrust among us.”

RESIDENCE FOR MR.NIYAZUDEEN :

“Nothing beats the sun shining through the windows and the breeze blowing within the place you call home – the one place you’ll spend most of your time. “

The abode of Mr. Niyazudeen and family sits on the ECR stretch on a 1 ground ( 40’ x 60’) site, where the cool breeze from the beach streams in keeping the place disconnected from the hustle bustle of Chennai. This house was designed keeping in mind the Islamic morals and religious beliefs of the habitants.
One of the main concerns of the client was to bring natural light into the interior spaces and this was done through various methods.
This house is designed in a way with a courtyard being the welcoming element and the living and dining areas wraping around it where one could step inside and get lost in the greens. This also makes the design an introvert one, connecting the major spaces inside the house to the courtyard , thus creating a sense of privacy for the ladies while also ensuring a smooth and seamless connection to nature
The tall volume in the living room was designed specifically to foster visual connectivity from both levels with the greenery outside. 
Each bedroom opens to a private court which has its own skylight allowing ample amount of light to be enter inside house throughout the day and adding a fresh touch to the entire interior décor.. 
These courtyards are also designed with perforated openings to have an aesthetic appeal and provide a semi enclosed feel to the courtyards by bringing in a certain level of privacy to the residents.
The solid walls of the rooms were replaced with sliding doors and wooden screens to let light flow freely and to facilitate cross ventilation and interaction between the interior and exterior. This minimalist home with clean open well lit spaces thus gives the feeling that Just living is not enough .One must have sunshine, freedom and atleast a little flower inside their home sweet home.