Let there be light !

Architectural Design III

11 September 2016

Modern Agraharam

Introduction
Shelter is one of the most basic requirements of any human being. The security and
satisfaction which is borne out of living in one’s own home can never be rivaled. Having
your own house built would be like seeing your dreams come to life in flesh and blood on
earth. It cannot be denied that as Architects we shape buildings and later those buildings
shape their inhabitants and hence we need to be responsible, for we indirectly shape
society. But as popular belief goes, architecture is all about flamboyance and irresponsible
use of space. Even a few masters thought so!

“Architecture is the art of how to waste space” !



- Philip Johnson

But times have changed! Respected architects such as Tadao Ando, Renzo Piano etc are
reinventing how to live small but smart!

“In this day and age, no future architect survives their

training without concerning themselves with the question of
mini-dwellings,”
- author Lisa Baker.

The argument of health issues and problems arising out of living in small spaces is when
the term “tiny” is universally used by researchers for defining poorly designed over
crowded, dark, shabby houses in the slums. In contrary, smartly designed quality spaces
with an understanding of their “utilisation value” is the right path to a sustainable future.
Natural light is any day the primary ingredient for designing quality spaces.

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“The sun never
knew how great
it was until it
struck the side
of a building”
-Louis I. Kahn

Need
A single family individual residence is a project with sufficient complexity, but with least
number of stakeholders. Residence is also a building typology which is highly encountered
by any individual throughout their life span. Architecture design must follow design
processes, for good architecture is never by accident.

“As an architect you design for the present, with an

awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially
unknown.”
– Norman Foster

For the student of architecture who is attempting a design project in a tight site for the first
time, residence design presents itself with all necessary complexities, from functionality to
form finding, which can be explored to the fullest in an intensive manner within a short span
of time.

The challenge lies in designing smartly each and every bit of space of the residence
keeping in mind a healthy utilisation value. For that the student needs to be thorough with
anthropometry and the architectural drawing should speak for itself!

“I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster, and leaves less

room for lies.”
– Le Corbusier

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Context

The site is located at 11th Cross in Thillainagar belonging to an old couple who's son now
resides in the USA. The site now has an old house which needs to be demolished to build
the new structure. The son plans to come back to India with his family of 2 kids( 5 yr old
Son and 8 yr old daughter ) and his American wife! to live with his parents. The older couple
presently staying here are aged 75 yrs (grandpa) and 67 yrs (grandma).

Requirements
1. Parking (1 car + 1 two wheeler + kids cycles)

2. Formal (and or ) Informal Living

3. Dining space

4. Common space / Family space

5. Home theatre.

6. Kitchen ( open or closed) with breakfast counter

7. Utility space ( drying, laundry, storage )

8. Common Toilet 1 nos

9. Bedrooms with attached toilet 3 nos

10. Kids bedroom 1 nos

11. Study / Workspace

12. Gym / yoga space

13. Pooja space

14. Terrace with pantry space

By Laws
A. Maximum height permissible - 10000mm ( 33 ft )

B. Maximum FAR permissible - 1.5

C. Minimum building setback from the road should be 4500mm(15ft)

D. Minimum rear side setback should be 1500mm(5ft).

E. Maximum of 1/5 th of plot area(520sft) to be left as open to sky space (courtyard).

F. Maximum Ground Coverage/Plot coverage - 50% ( area covered by the plinth )courtyards are
excluded.

G. 100% of the area covered by Corridors/Balcony/covered passage/covered terrace will be

considered for FAR Calculations

H. Detached Car parking and Servants Qts(optional) can be in the setback area and will not be
considered for Ground coverage.

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 As already informed half the class will have a north
facing plot and the rest south facing plot.

Submission
SL SUBMISSION SPECIFICATIONS DATE

1 Data Templates A4 OHP sheets with plans and sections in 1:100 31 Aug 2016
and 1: 50 Scale

2 Lighting Model 1:50 foam board Model and photographs of 2 Sep 2016
model in different lighting Conditions

3 Zoning and single line 1:50 Plans and Sections traced on Buttersheets 16 Sep 2016
plans and sections over grid sheet

4 Detailed Plan and Section 1:50 Plans and Sections traced on Buttersheets 30 Sep 2016
Scheme over grid sheet

5 Plot and Photograph Photographs of the space and traced sketches 7 Oct 2016
Inspace hand rendered

6 Detailed Manual Model 1:50 Foam Board Model 12 Oct 2016

7 Final Drawings 1:50 Manual drafted Plans, sections and views 14 Oct 2016
with water color Rendering/ any other medium
on textured presentation sheets

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F.A.R:
The floor area ratio (FAR) is the relationship between the total amount of usable floor area that a
building has, or has been permitted for the building, and the total area of the plot on which the
building stands. This ratio is determined by dividing the total, or gross, floor area of the building by
the gross area of the plot.

F.A.R. = Total floor area on all floors/Plot Area

F.A.R = B+C+D / A
D

C
B

Ground Coverage/Plot coverage = Maximum built up area on ground(plinth)/Plot area)x 100

B B
A A

Coverage = (B/A)x100