FIRODIA CENTER FOR INSPIRATION @ SNEHALAY
SNEHALAYA (MEANS A HOME OF LOVE) IS THE NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION WHICH IS FOUNDED IN 1989 BY DR. GIRISH KULKARNI IN AHMADNAGAR. THIS ORGANIZATION SERVES INDIAN'S HIDDEN POPULATION: PEOPLE WHO GO UNCOUNTED AND UNCARED FOR. THEY SUPPORT WOMEN, CHILDREN AND LGBT TO FIND A SAFE EXIT POINT FROM POVERTY, COMMERCIAL SEX INDUSTRY, AIDS, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, CRUEL EXISTENCE OF RAPE AND VIOLENCE, ILLITERACY BY CREATING AWARENESS AND PROVIDING EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE AND LIVELIHOOD SERVICES.
• THE CHALLENGE WAS TO CREATE AN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE SPACE & INFORMATIVE GALLERY FOR VISITORS, SHIELDED VISUALLY AND ACOUSTICALLY FROM INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT. THE FORM IS EVOLVED WITH EXISTING KITCHENETTE, GEODESIC DOME WHICH WAS BUILT 15 YEARS BEFORE, WITH NEW COMPONENTS AS AMORPHOUS INTERLINKED UNITS, ON BASIS OF PRAGMATIC NEEDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT OF SITE BY PROVIDING SHIELD FROM HEAT AND GLARE EXTERNALLY.
• THIS PROJECT AIMS TO CREATE HIGHLY SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS THROUGH APPLICATION OF VARIOUS STRATEGIES. FIRST BY REDUCTION OF WASTE GENERATION BY RECYCLING AND / OR SALVAGING AT LEAST 50% OF MATERIAL. 90% USE OF BUILDING MATERIAL AND PRODUCTS AVAILABLE LOCALLY. MINIMIZING LIGHTING LOADS BY USING NATURAL LIGHT OBTAINED THROUGH SKYLIGHTS & NORTH LIGHT AND USING EFFICIENT LED LAMPS.
• THE INFORMAL ENCLOSURE AROUND THE GEODESIC DOME IS CREATED BY PLACING CRISS CROSS WALLS TO CREATE OUTDOOR EXHIBITION SPACE. THESE WALLS ARE PLACED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THROUGHOUT THE DAY OUTDOOR GALLERY CAN BE USED.
• THE INDOOR GALLERY BLOCK IS PLACED TILTED TO EXISTING BLOCK TO CREATE SMALL COURT INBETWEEN WHICH WILL PROTECT THE INTERNAL SPACES FROM DUST, WIND AND HARSH SUN.
• THE DRAMATIC INTERNAL VOLUME IS MODULATED WITH NATURAL ILLUMINATION. WHITE WALLS LIT WITH NATURAL LIGHT, BROWN KOTAH STONE FOR FLOORING AND OVER DETAILED INTERIORS ARE AVOIDED TO BRING SIMPLE DIGNITY OF SILENT ARCHITECTURE. COLOURED ROUGH TEXTURED PLASTER IS PROVIDED FOR EXTERNAL SURFACES WHICH ADD CHARM TO EXTERIOR SPACES.
• THE FENESTRATION REQUIRES FOR RESPECTIVE FUNCTION ARE DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE THE HEAT GAIN & MAXIMIZES SUFFUSED DAY LIGHTING. LARGE OPENABLE PERFORATED SHEET DOORS OFFER A SWEEPING VIEW OF ADJACENT COURT WITH PLANTATION AND COLORFUL WALLS FROM ALL WORK AREAS.
• A POWERFUL ARCHITECTURE, PLAYING WITH THE CONTRAST BETWEEN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, ACHIEVES THE DIGNITY ESSENTIAL TO VISITOR CENTER.
• THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS INFORMED THE DESIGN, INCLUDING THE ORIENTATION, WINDOW SHADING AND NATURAL VENTILATION. LOW, MASSIVE AND WITH VARYING VOLUMES, THE ARCHITECTURE IS BOLDLY CONTEMPORARY BUT INSPIRED BY ITS CONTEXT.
• EXTERIOR WALLS ARE PAINTED IN COLOURED ROUGH TEXTURE, BLENDING WITH THE LANDSCAPE AND SURROUNDING. IN DRAMATIC CONTRAST, INTERIORS ARE PAINTED IN IMMACULATE WHITE WITH NATURAL LIGHT.
• WHERE THE CHOICE OF MATERIAL, COLOR AND TEXTURE DRAWS ATTENTION AS A MODEST, INEXPENSIVE YET FRESH AND AUTHENTIC ARCHITECTURAL EXAMPLE
