Corporate Resort for Shri. Nitin Gadkari :
This Corporate Resort is being designed for Shri. Nitin Gadkari which incorporates meeting, conference, dining & accommodation facilities for his business activities. It also accommodates a weekend house for him and recreational Facilities such as Spa, Sauna, Indoor and Outdoor Games, Swimming Pool, Gym etc. The sloping site for the project enjoys a scenic location outside the city overlooking a lake. The 9 Meter slope within the site has been creatively used by creating ‘terraces’ & by providing facilities one below the other so as not to obstruct the lake view. The direction of the lake view also coincides with North, hence facing all activities to North had been possible in a terraced form with harsher South on their backside.
The Masterplan has evolved with the zoning of 3 clusters of activities in one direction (N-S) & 3 level terracing in the other direction (E-W) thus creating 9 modules. The finer grid of 6 & 4 m alternatively is embedded in entire Masterplan. The design is based on strong principles of ‘Sustainability’ & to achieve maximum thermal comfort in hot-dry climate conditions of the region. Many of the activities are buried under the ground, with landscaping on their roof-top & with South side structures taller & terraced casting shadows on activities below.
All the key activities & built form (business, conference, Chairman’s house etc.) are placed at top level enjoying un-obstructed views of central multi-functional lawn merging into lake-view. The Recreational block has been placed away from business activities having a seamless connection with Weekend House. Along with activities like Spa, Sauna, Gymnasium & Indoor Games, it has a swimming pool having infinity edge making the pool and lake look one!
Instead of going for cavity walls, hollow brick blocks of terracotta clay are being used that has waffles of cavities within it. Other key sustainable design features are Hollow Filler Slab, extended roofs and pergolas, Rainwater Harvesting, use of Solar Panels & Thermal Tubes, & extensive ‘Green Cover’ on the site.
Wooden decks facilitate the Visual Treat of Central huge Lawn and the stunning Lake-View in the background!
The visual character of built form has not been designed but has ‘evolved’ through the architecture and structural system itself. The entire Master Plan has been designed on a grid of 4m and 6m alternatively and the architecture is simple, straight lined, modular yet contemporary. The material vocabulary is ‘form finish concrete’ & ‘exposed brick-work’, thus keeping them in their original form, true to material and structural system. This character along with extensive landscaping creates very subtle design language, blending well with site’s natural setting.
One of the two Spatial as well as Visual Axis through site takes the form of stepped corridor and opens out towards the Lake which has been further emphasized by a tall watch-tower at the rear end.
The overall built form is predominantly linear volumes in terraces which has been carefully punctuated by gaps and vertical elements. The 9 Meter slope within the site has been creatively used by creating ‘terraces’ & by providing facilities one below the other so as not to obstruct the lake view.
The exposed brick work and Form-Finish concrete in their true form create a distinctive Design Language.
