Axis Antara
Axis Antara
Urban development
points to limited housing supply, land becoming more rare and expensive,
pushing the development out to the suburbs. The crisis of “affordability” also
continues to aggravate the lives of people. A retort to this is to provide
housing which is more budget oriented with a robust typology and simplified
construction resulting in a development which is responsive and innovative.
Located in close proximity to one of the many IT corridors in the city, the land parcel of 1.3 acres impelled an integrative housing comprising of 120
units divided further into 4 typologies & distributed midst 4 levels, housing that would be cost-effective to build and maintain was the prime
impetus for the project.
The key intent of the design was to provide privacy for all the units and yet
foster an inter-dependent relationship and harmony. The structure evolved to
create a spatial composition which is visually dynamic wrapping around the site
boundary forming a central court. All the units around the double loaded
corridor have been configured such that they are offset from each other and no
units open directly in front of each other to ensure privacy, at the same time
providing ample of light and cross ventilation.
All the levels are
intimately clustered with close consideration of passive design strategies,
keeping in mind wind direction, sun path and mutual shading. The floor plans
are planned along 3 prime nodes with the distribution of units that is broken
only at turning nodal points on the floor plan so that the units with compact
volume form the endpoints. The individual unit design is based on
the idea of flexibility considering the present-day condition of constant
change in lifestyles.
The entire structure sits on stilts, framing the
view for the upper floors and leaving space on the ground floor for parking and
recreational amenities offering a more human scale to the user. The absence of
any vertical surfaces in the ground level also allow free movement of air and
thus creating a stack effect in the central core and providing abundant fresh air
to the inner core. The volume of the structure is a three-directional façade
sub-divided with punctures articulated in a way that gives a sense of entirety
as well as help drawing light into the building corridors thus limiting
heat island effect in the central core and also helping in cross ventilation.
The interior façade opening to the central core is composed with random
projections/balconies which animate dynamic spatial composition.
The façade is sharply
defined with a rhythm of rectangular cantilevers and angular walls which
protect the interiors from harsh weather conditions forming a hybrid exterior
space which acts as an extension to the common areas of the individual unit.
All the decks are aligned in order to maximize day lighting allowing the user
to appreciate the openness while still be cohesive to the community. The
complete composition is established on modularity and recurrence. A playful
composition of colours for all the cantilevers helps to reduce the visual
impact of the building.
The strong building
façade is softened with a landscape scheme that generates a harmony between the
individual units and central core. Planter boxes outside all the bedrooms with
overflowing greens form a protective screen to reduce heat radiation. The
outdoor spaces are punctuated with varieties of fruiting trees and farming/productive
patches to grow food coupled with different shading trees.The buffer greens and
the overall landscape are planned to have three tiered vegetation with ground
covers, shrubs and trees that maintain the biodiversity of the site.
The building system is
thus planned with a contemporary language, rational and technical in solution
signifying that affordable housing can be achieved with a strong identity which
is harmonious with the environs and has an improved social solidity.