The Design Philosophy
Posited in one of the most premium locations in the city of Mumbai, design of The Residency needed to maximize the potential breathtaking views of the sea and the skyline at the same time besides being a statement in luxury. This formed the cornerstone of our design philosophy! The idea was to address the above with flexibility on a floor plate, layering of spaces within the home, functional efficiencies, and the deliverance of a unique spatial experience through simplicity and elegance in design.
The Motivation behind the Creation
Continuing from the point, we were making above, motivated by the philosophy and the opportunity to make a statement in iconic residential development the parking podium needed to be as high as possible so that the club level and the residential levels above enjoyed uninterrupted vistas of the sea and skyline. The side core (aligned centrally to one face) allowed for the apartment to wrap around to specifically pick up views in 270 degrees (and more).
The 3.9m floor to floor height allowed for large windows framing the prime vistas. The 35 storied (including parking) thin and long frame epitomized the idea of a villament in the sky with mostly only one apartment on every floor. The stone and tile cladding with accents and embellishments in metal was meant to create the warmth of a home and yet help make the impact of a towering monolith.
Challenges Faced
The project is located on a crucial arterial road in the notable location of Napeansea Road with only one side (narrower face) of the plot facing the street. This was a design challenge since we had users for public parking; residents drop off and parking all accessing from one face. This was a construction and buildability challenge as well and was ingeniously tackled by the developer’s construction team. The thin and long frame both in plan and section meant that multiple user types needed to be tackled while addressing the needs of a flexible footprint unobstructed by structural or service elements. This tube form of the structure meant a lot of close coordination and planning needed to go into detailing the building.
Lastly, the project being a high rise required to meet up with all the code related requirements while attempting to see through the vision of the developer that lead to our philosophy.
Notable Projects
PGPatki Architects has a long lineage of mentionable works from the Renaissance at Powai to the Phoneix market city projects to some of the Inorbit malls in the country along with several iconic hotels and commercial properties along with masterplans over the length and breadth of the country. I have been privileged to have worked with a company with such a rich legacy of works. Every project I have had the opportunity to work on is special and close to my heart.
About the Changing Culture of Architecture in India
The three changes I would like to see are:
- Architects must attach more value to themselves and there in their time, efforts, and work. This will have a cascading positive effect on planning and execution as well.
- It would be good to have regulations, which are much simpler to read/comprehend.
- Liberalism (in terms of flexibility to design) and uniformity (across different parts of the country) should be allowed for maximum use of the latest technology and design methods. This will in-turn allow freedom of expression through design.
About the Future of India’s Architecture and Design in the next five years
In all honesty, I think we are moving from strength to strength, and therein we have unlimited horizons. We have the opportunities to design high rises, low-cost housing, master plans, mixed-use developments, the list can go on and on. This means that professionals will have the ability to span the spectrum or find a niche of their liking depending on their preference and perseverance. I think opportunities are only increasing, and innovation is going to be a keyword that will drive the next five years, considering the challenges of the time as well.
The Dream Project
My philosophy is that every project is my dream project and every client my dream client and yet one must always dream on since opportunities are limitless and one is ever too young to have achieved one’s dream.
The Inspiration
This is an easy one. For how I work and live, it’s always the philosophy of my father. For architecture, I have always been inspired by the works of Tado Ando. Still, the person who has inspired and taught me the ropes of designing and this business and will continue to inspire my professional journey is Mr S.P.Patki. He’s a legend of the field! It’s been a privilege to have had the opportunity to have worked with him for so long.
Architect – Rahul Mehta, Senior Associate P.G. Patki Architects
Project – The Residency, Napeansea Road, Mumbai
Client – Runwal developers
