IN PONDECHERY

BY. . .
ADITYA R. SINGH
5TH SEM. B.ARCH.(ID)
PIADS,NAGPUR
CASE STUDY
AT PONDECHERY-2013
 Golconda Ashram

Golconda is a Guest House owned by Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, India. It was
designed by the architects George Nakashima and Anton in Raymond, and was constructed by
the members of the Ashram in 1942 under the direct supervision of The Mother. It is an
architectural marvel that incorporates not only simple and beautiful concepts but also has a
very energy efficient design...
Sited on the coastal edge of the Bay of
Bengal, Golconda, a dormitory for the
Sri Aurobindo Ashram in
Pondicherry, India, seamlessly
negotiating between the tenets of
early modernist architecture while
addressing the pragmatic impositions
of a tropical context. Espousing radical
economy and uncompromising
construction standards, it proposes
environmental sensitivity as a
foundation for the design process.
Completed in 1942, Golconda was the
first reinforced, cast-in-place
concrete building in India and
celebrates the modernist credo:
architecture as the manifest union of
aesthetics, technology, and social
reform.
 The building is notable for being
"the first reinforced, cast-in-place
concrete building in India," though
Gupta and Mueller view it as "one of
the earliest works of sustainable
modern architecture in the world,
[espousing] the virtue of radical
economy and uncompromising
construction standards".

As Nakashima oversaw the project and its

construction, the original six-month construction
schedule was drawn out to years, due to
inexperienced construction crews, political
unrest affecting imports, the desire to limit the
noise and disruptions usually associated with
large-scale construction, and the impending
world war.
 Golconde Ashram :-
why the name Golconde ?

1)In Pondicherry, on the south-east coast of

India, behind the agitation a sea set garden
is hidden , called golconde.
2) surrounded by high wall and nearly
acceside,it is the dormitory of the
ashram of Shri aurobindo.
3)From many point of view golconde is a
milestone.
4)The construction work started at October
1938 and it took almost a deccade to get
completed.
5)The plan of the building is strikingly
simple.
6)The body of the building is of reinforced.
roof and slab are laid on RCC frame and
cantilevered from corridoors.
 Waterproofing :-
1) Five layer of rubberier waterproofing felt and sedan were used.

2) The way of making both focus fully open able was to have both sides with open able
louvered, which could be fully open, half-opened or closed by a series of simple
commanding bars.
 Layouts:-
1) The plan of golconde is very simple.
2) The architect of the ashram turned.
 Windows :-
1) Horizontal louvers are provided in windows.
2) The louvered lock each other.
 Store room :-
1) The walls are hollow with precast vertical louvered are present in metal
members.
2) The service area, the holes are made during casting.
pivoted are made during casting.
 Introduction of Golconde(THE ROOM) :-
1) Circulation space is cantilevered it is three storied building was made
the inner walls were painted white and after on retouch has been done.
2) The height of the ceiling is 4M.
3) No columns have been used for the staircase.
4) They run from slab to slab.
5) No fans are provided in the room, sufficient height and air to pass
through rooms.
6) Plants are planted instead of railings.
 Doors :-
1) Rooms are secreted from corridors by sliding doors that allow air
to circulate freely when open.
2) They have staggered state which allow ventilation even when
doors are closed.
3) Topmost part of all the doors is a skylight with sliding glass panes
which allow for wind movement.
4) They are no handles on the doors.
 Structure :-
1) Independent columns and footing in high strength RCC with an
concrete surface left from finished without plastered.
2) It has two long staggers wings which are set at an angle on the narrow
plot thereby making limited space.
3) Each wing consists of a series of single rooms that are strung out along
a north facing gallery, which runs the length of the
building.
4) On both the north and south sides, the entries building surface louvered
to afford protection from the sun and from violent winds
and rains, while allowing for ventilation.
Suitably design the lighting facade
with staircase
 Interiors And Materials :-
1) Khadappa stone used for flooring.
2) Doors- sliding teakwood.
3) Single piece teakwood used for railing on stairs opening made of asbestos and
concrete.
 Bathroom :-
1) Separate bathing areas are present.
2) There are common bathrooms.
3) Bathrooms on mid landing.
4) In the bathrooms, the doors are louvers without frames.
Landscaping in Golconda ashram
A VIEW OF Golconda ashram
Multi purpose otta with front landscaping
 Louvers adjustable
windows for better
air circulation

Cast in RCC Structure

Full timber partitions & door

 chhajja was
projected out

app. 1.5 M
Ground floor was give
jali for air circulation
THANK YOU
BY. . .
ADITYA R. SINGH
5TH SEM. B.ARCH.(ID)
PIADS,NAGPUR
CASE STUDY
AT PONDECHERY-2013