Boathouse was born from the desire to bring sustainable solutions to everyone’s daily activities. Located in a green and serene area on the outskirts of the city, it was imperative that the design reacts to its surroundings. The first move, therefore, was not to disturb the natural slope of the site. A basement created at the -1200 level negated the need for any backfilling. The basement was planned to be smaller than the upper floors in order to have more space for the garden. A conscious decision was made to leave the site as-is, unpaved, except for the paths that have continuous movement.
Concrete was selected as the material to support the cantilevered slab and a shear wall system emerged. Each material used in Boathouse is selected only because it is sustainable, economical and the potential of each material is exploited to its fullest extent. A combination of recycled wood with exposed concrete and a steel structural system was used. Tiles were replaced with tile flooring and pigmented concrete, and other finishing materials, such as laminate, were avoided to help reduce the carbon footprint. All finishes are handmade to encourage employees in both skilled and unskilled labor-intensive jobs.
The floor near the pool and the access ramp is made of 75 mm cut and cast concrete. The beams are used as a structure for the partitions and as seating in the pool area. Wood slats that were reused four times in the formwork were cut into 10 mm thick pieces and used as screens in the partitions in the bathrooms and other areas. The good pieces that could be recovered in their entirety were used for the bedroom floor.
Another optimization strategy was achieved by dividing the functions into two zones – living and services – creating an intermediate space. The courtyard communicates horizontally and vertically: physically, visually and sensorially. It becomes a place of circulation within the volume and also where total transparency is observed. With steel screens welded on both sides, the courtyard is open to the elements and cools the air that passes through it. This void is the heart of the house, where old energy is expelled and new energy is constantly pumped in. Most rooms have openings on three sides to allow for better ventilation. To avoid additional lowered slabs in the service block, the entire floor is made of steel pipes.
The non-structural walls are made with glazed partitions or planes to ensure maximum natural light in the house, reducing energy costs. On the other hand, long horizontal slits have been placed on the west wall to minimize glare and sunlight throughout the day. Thermal energy is further optimized through the use of roof gardens with soil, water and plants.
The natural pool, built using the aquaponics system, is a space for swimming in the middle of nature. Its delicate ecosystem is formed by aquatic plants, fish, frogs, turtles and migratory birds. The architecture is a silent witness to the development of this life.
Information about the project:
- Area: 260 m²
- Year: 2019
- Photographs: Noaidwin Studio
- Suppliers: Architectonica, Hindware, Jaquar, Mitsubishi Electric, Norisys, Philips, Sun Company, Ultratech, cera
- Architect In Charge: Poonam Jolly
- Detail Design: Sanjay Rabari
- Architectural Design: Varsha Sujit
- Graphic Design: Jay Suthsan
- Interns:Omesh Shankalpara, Kiran Tvvs
- Manager: Rohit Shah
- Sustainability Consultant: Falguni Desai
- Civil Engineer: Hitesh Rathi
- Carpenter: Davendra Boravat
- Plumber: Mansukh Agera
- Electrician: Bimal Rajoria
- Architects: Architectonica Procreate
City : Ahmedabad - Country : India
Project Gallery
Description submitted by the project team.
