Factory : Varachha

Surat, India

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A factory, with peculiar requirements of strict screening and grey lighting along with energy efficiency and organisational flexibility, is an ongoing project. In addition to the quantifiable requirements are owner’s principles of transparency and connectivity in the functioning of the organisation that are also to be embodied.

This is being translated into a design concept as “buildings within a building" that are inter and intra linked ; visually and physically with bridges, corridors, ramps and stairs. The routing of all these movement paths negotiates the security and access. The areas housing services and movements of people act as naturally lit and ventilated layers to the artificially lit and cooled main spaces. They are interspersed with tall shafts that divide them into long and narrow flexible modules. The shafts would act as wind catchers and light reflectors that are washed with indirect north light and flooded with channelised southern breeze. This would yield the desired work environs while reducing the load on artificial lighting and cooling.