Surface Design Awards – Complete

• LIGHT + SURFACE - EXTERIOR 
  The innovative use of light and the way it is inextricably linked to surfaces, whether it’s the effect the light has on the surrounding surfaces or the materials used to create the light. 

Beton Brut — raw concrete in French
A JOURNEY OF BRUTALISM IN CONGRUENCE WITH INDIANNESS. The idea was to design in such a way that CONCRETE has an impact.
This project involved creating a simple, functional home for a small entrepreneurial family with a creative streak. The visual of an Indian woman protecting her head and face from the sun with the graceful folds of her sari pallu became a compelling inspiration when creating the building's folded forms to creating a home sheltered from harsh climatic elements.
This is a pure structure respecting the honesty of materiality, the architectural path was determined as a brutalist one, typified by bare concrete, geometric shapes, a monochrome palette and a monolithic appearance. Infusing the interiors with Indian elements as soft touches. Incorporating ‘brutal’ in social housing ideals and traditional Indian typologies results in, what we call, neo-brutalism. This is why while Beton Brut — raw concrete in French — may appear strong and assertive, it possesses a soft, emotive, heart.
The plot faces southwest so the challenge was to control the sunlight coming in. The garden was placed on the west. The architectural envelope looked bulky and disproportionate to the scale of the home. To circumvent this, we sliced and staggered the rectangular box, and strategically ‘erased’ the bottom portion of the resultant cantilevered portion to derive the canopy, resulting in a visually light structure with deep overhangs that protected the fenestration from the sunlight and walls from heat gain. The skewing also gave rise to three layers of cantilevers, with terraces sheltering under the canopy and pockets, big and small, that could be used for plantation. The enclosed spaces are attended by lush greenery.
The entrance sheltering under a concrete canopy, features a three-metre-tall door, scooped outward and embedded with stone. Indian elements soften the gravitas of the concrete envelope in the aesthetic articulation. Reclaimed carved panels and brackets from old havelis, mandapas, pour an Indian essence into the home. The jharokha mounted on a soaring living room wall, through which you can glimpse the room from the first floor. The functional furniture does not disturb the architecture. The selection is ruled by the honesty and Originality of each material to shine unhindered by cosmetic overlays. Grey concrete, the central material, stars both in the architectural and interior narratives. THESE GREY EXPANSES ARE BEAUTIFUL TEXTURED BY TIMBER IMPRINTS OF THE SHUTTERING USED TO CAST THE SLABS AND WALLS. In the interiors, the building material is joined by sandstone, Kota stone, sunlight and teakwood. Light as a design tool - Natural light is of paramount importance in architecture, offering not only a sense of positivity and well-being but also a unique aesthetic dimension to a space. To maximize light in this home, we designed a central volume with two skylights. The first is a slender opening near the wall, illuminating the timber textures dramatically. The second, a faceted structure with a cut-out, gently bathes the stairwell and green court below in glare-free light creating a sense of wellness.
Extensive glazed fenestration throughout ensures that sunlight blesses the interior spaces throughout the day. This connection to nature through light, greenery, and proximity to plants enhances the comfort of enclosed spaces.
Beton Brut makes a definite visual statement depicting purity of form and intent. Its form possesses a softer side: that of contextuality and rootedness to the land and culture. Its narrative builds a relationship between the house and the city; man, and nature.
Cost: 25000000 Rs / 247349.67 £ / 300388.75 $
Completion date: 2022

MATERIAL USED IS DEVELOPED AS AN INTEGRAL PART AND NOT JUST APPLIED. THE CONCRETE USED IN CONSTRUCTION PRESERVE THEIR NATURAL TEXTURE AND COLOR, WITHOUT ANY COSMETIC OVERLAYS.
Material selection in this design prioritizes honesty and purity, allowing each material's intrinsic beauty to shine without superficial embellishments. Central to both the architectural and interior narratives is the use of grey concrete, which is textured with the imprints of timber shuttering, creating visually captivating surfaces. Inside, this dominant grey is complemented by sandstone, Kota stone, and teakwood for furniture, achieving a perfect balance between simplicity and opulence.
Light, as an indispensable design element, plays a paramount role in architecture. Its ability to instill positivity and well-being, as well as its contribution to aesthetics, is unrivaled. In this context, the home is meticulously bathed in natural light, achieved through a central volume housing a landscaped court and stairwell, crowned not by one but two skylights. The first, a linear slit-like opening positioned near a wall, bathes the concrete surfaces in dramatic light, accentuating their timber textures. The second skylight, a faceted structure with a cut-out, floods the stairwell and the green court below with glare-free illumination. Furthermore, extensive glazed fenestration throughout the house ensures that interior spaces are immersed in the benevolent embrace of sunlight throughout the day. This design approach seamlessly connects occupants to nature, providing both the comfort of enclosed spaces and a constant relationship with sunlight, verdant vistas, and nearby plant life.

Southwest-facing house prioritized solar considerations and architectural aesthetics:
1. Solar Considerations:
• Positioned on a southwest-facing plot, the design focused on shielding interior spaces from intense heat and
sunlight. Strategic tree placement was planned to provide future natural shade.
2. Architectural Style and Materiality:
• Adopting a brutalist architectural style, the design featured:
• Exposed concrete surfaces.
• Geometric shapes.
• A monochrome color palette.
• A monolithic appearance.
• Emphasizing material honesty, grey concrete with textured timber imprints played a central role.
3. Sunlight Control and Canopy Design:
• Addressing the challenge of southwest sunlight, we created deep overhangs and cantilevers to protect
fenestration and walls from heat gain.
4. Integration of Nature:
• Drought-friendly plants adorned southwest-facing terraces, promoting biodiversity.
• Strategically placed trees shielded the house from heat, while indoor plants-maintained moisture levels.
5. Balconies and Greenery Integration:
• Architectural features like balconies and pockets were incorporated to seamlessly weave greenery into the design.
• Deep overhangs provided comfortable outdoor spaces.
6. Main Door Design:
• The main door showcased timber with sculpted elements, embedded site-found pebbles as a tribute to nature.
7. Skylights and Landscaped Court:
• Two skylights, one of which featured a faceted structure with a cut-out, provided ample illumination to both the
stairwell and the green court beneath. A third skylight was ingeniously integrated into the living room ceiling,
serving as the floor of the second-floor swimming pool.
• The landscaped court served as a green oasis within the house.
8. Indoor-Outdoor Connection:
• All living spaces maintained a connection to staggered terraces or gardens, blurring the indoor-outdoor boundary.

The challenges in deriving this architectural structure included proportion and scale, sunlight optimization, materiality and aesthetic balance, and floor plan finalization. The creative solutions ultimately contributed to the successful integration of the structure with the urban landscape while harmonizing with sunlight and greenery.

1. Proportion and Scale: One of the primary issues was the proportion and scale of the architectural envelope in relation to the home's intended purpose. The original design seemed disproportionate, posing a challenge in creating a harmonious living space. This issue was resolved by slicing and staggering the rectangular structure, effectively "erasing" portions to create cantilevered canopies. This solution helped achieve a lightweight design.
2. Sunlight Optimization: Due to the plot's southwest orientation, optimizing sunlight penetration into the living spaces was a challenge. To address this, a garden was strategically placed on the west side to maximize sunlight exposure. Deep overhangs were integrated into the design to shield fenestration from direct sunlight while maintaining outdoor comfort in sunlight and heat.
3. Materiality and Aesthetic: Balancing the desire for a brutalist aesthetic rooted in bare concrete with traditional Indian motifs was addressed by embracing "Beton Brut," a fusion of raw concrete with traditional Indian elements. This approach allowed for a unique form of neo-brutalism.
4. Floor Plan Finalization: Finalizing the floor plan within the constraints of the architectural design required innovative thinking. The skewed composition of the structure, resulting in three tiers of cantilevers, provided sheltered terraces and pockets for greenery, ensuring enclosed spaces thrived amidst lush foliage.

"Beton Brut" is standalone home. The house showcases an exposed concrete structure brutalist style. The design inspiration for the concrete canopies came from the imagery of an Indian woman shielding herself from the sun using her pallu a traditional garment. The interior narrative harmoniously combines Indian elements like old carved panels, jharokha (balcony), and decorative vessels, seamlessly blending them with the architectural ambiance. Sun-protected southwest-facing home design to combat intense sunlight and heat. Spacious design fosters togetherness and celebrates individual personalities. The home also aimed to intertwine intangible experiences with tangible architectural forms, offering diverse encounters within its physical structure.