KMC Corporate Office

Hyderabad, India

Picture © Robert Stephens

Drawing © RMA Architects

Photo © RMA Architects

Photo © Rahul Mehrotra

Picture © RMA Architects

Photo © Carlos Chen

Architects: RMA Architects

Year: 2012

Located in Cyber City, Hyderabad, the corporate buildings employ the idea of a double skin as an energy saving and visually striking mechanism. The inner skin of the building is a reinforced concrete frame with commonly used aluminum windows. The outer façade comprises of a custom cast aluminum trellis with hydroponic trays integrated for growing a variety of plant species. The trellis also has an integrated misting system in order to control and regulate the amount of water released to the plants and trays. The principal of the facade is inspired by the idea of a double-skin that allows a modulation of light and air through the building. This is in contrast to the business-as-usual idea of the ‘greenwall’, which is a simple application on a surface purely serving an aesthetic, rather than performative function. In this project, the screen also takes on an aesthetic function of a dynamic façade where assorted species are organized in a way to create patterns, as well as bloom at various times of the year, bringing attention to different parts of the building façade through the changing seasons.