“We evolve the best when pushed to brink and design better when driven by constraints” – it is this thought that dawned and connected our efforts in the studio while designing this project.
First Award | DAF 2016 Awards
Category: Residential (Unbuilt)
Participant  Name: Vivek Rathore
Country: India

Jiva Housing (1)
Jiva Housing (1)

1 – The site had a shrinking existing lake which we wanted to revitalize and do a sensible ecological objective.
2 – 43 % of existing water body left a very little space to place the road, mandatory green requirement and the building scale which duly justified the real estate viability of upper MIG housing in the city.
3- The height limit of 40 m and the need of consuming full FAR / FSI was understood if one develops upper MIG housing in Kolkata.
4- The need for 100 percent vaastu compliant homes was a prescription, especially rectangular perimeter of apartment units etc.
5- Resolving the parking when without any transfer floors was a sensible challenge
6- With all this, of course the homes should spell quality living, Adequate Sunlight, Ample Daylight, Ventilation, facilities and amenities.
Jiva Housing (2)
Jiva Housing (2)

The Big Idea was to celebrate the connect of water in Bengal and evolve the social and community places around the water body , provide for biodiversity and increase the biophyllic quotient in design .
Jiva Housing (3)
Jiva Housing (3)

Massing responds to wind movement and the geometric alignment preserves the required privacy needed in such high density developments. Care has been taken that utility / drying balconies don’t become a part of the elevation and spoil the visual congress of facade elements. A innovative concept of step out balcony as a continuous integrating feature solved our requirement of accommodating the AC outdoor units and also the need for “my balcony green” – an interesting pleasure in a Bengali home.
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