Internationally recognized as one of the top 100 architects around the world by Archdaily, Architizer and 224 other awards under its name, Sanjay Puri Architects is undoubtedly one of the forces to reckon with in the design world. Most of Sanjay Puri Architects’ designs have been residential and housing projects on homeland and foreign land too. Their design philosophy is creating spaces that allow people to engage holistically, foster social interaction and responsive environments.
It’s always clear to see their design principles shine through every project and Ishatvam 9 in Ranchi is not any different.
Cover image..source Sanjay Puri Architects
Ishatvam 9 by Sanjay Puri Architects
Situated in Ranchi, a city in East India, Ishatvam 9 is a residential building designed by the globally recognized Sanjay Puri Architects. Sitting on 1800 square metres of land, this 15 storeyed building is one of few in the area. Low-rise buildings are more common in this area as previously, buildings could not be built to higher than 15 metres. With a newly passed law, buildings can now be built to not only surpass 15 metres but be as high as 50 metres.
As a result, a lot of high-rise buildings have been constructed in the area. Unfortunately, most of these continue to stay unoccupied as they do not fulfil the needs of the residents who mostly lived in low-rise for most of their lives. Taking that into account, the architects at Sanjay Puri Architects designed a residential building that could answer to the needs of the people who would one day occupy Ishatvam 9.
Their design philosophy has always been to foster community and is responsive and the same idea was brought into the design of Ishatvam 9. As most residents mainly lived in low-rise buildings, they had plenty of access to green spaces and private areas. Many of the high-rise buildings in the area failed to provide this and it’s for that reason they stayed unoccupied.
Sanjay Puri Architects created a space with community and this need for privacy at the forefront and created an eye-catching residential building with angled balconies on each façade.
Building Concept and Style
In an attempt to provide residents with the open space and privacy that they were used to, each floor was designed for one home giving it multiple points of access to the outdoors. As integrating sustainability into designs has been a principle for Sanjay Puri Architects, the same is present in Ishatvam 9, which has multiple terrace gardens on each floor. Most Sanjay Puri Architects projects incorporate the use of colour, texture, and clear lines in their designs. The strong use of lines and their contemporary language stands out in the Ishatvam 9 design.
By creating two different floor types, they were able to line up to play with perspective and create the distinctive façade of the buildings. The odd and even floor plans each have an equal number of rooms and access to outdoor spaces but slightly different orientations. The balcony sizes and shapes also vary, providing a unique view of the building’s facade.
Each home opens to a large family area and is the core and centre of the design. This aspect takes from the culture that usually has a family of three generations under one roof, and communal space is vital. The living room then branches off into bedrooms and the kitchen, which lead to private balconies.
Construction
Sanjay Puri Architects have always believed that no space is too small to be designed creatively, and it is clear to see this in the design of Ishatvam 9. The excellent execution of the design provides residents here with the same qualities they would be able to get from low-rise buildings. They can benefit much more when views of the city of Ranchi are added to the list of benefits. With clever use of movement, what would otherwise have been a plain building brings a whole element to how space is perceived.
During the construction process, shuttering was used in plywood and later in steel sheets for a favourable finish. The construction was carried out by a local constructor that had mainly worked on low-rise residential buildings. Several different models showing the rhythm, plan, and façade were a critical part of the construction. Seventy-two workers that had previously not worked on buildings as high as Ishatvam 9 were trained through the process and were in turn empowered to tackle more complex projects in the future.
The result is not just a pleasant one for the workers but also the residents who can benefit from open spaces, double-storey private gardens—some of which are sheltered and others open as well as enough communal space. As for Sanjay Puri Architects, Ishatvam 9 is one project that will definitely bring more awards home.
