EvenFlow Is Designed To create the perfect experience of sound and visual | I-con

The Project:

Breaking the barriers of the normal experience of a home theatre, EvenFlow, is an out of the world audiovisual experience which has a strong design core supported by technical know-how that has fuelled the unique narrative.

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Detailed Design Note:

The elemental ethos was based on how the human senses work in a fixed space. Over 900 sq.ft of unrestrained space in a commercial building, with a high public footprint, made for the perfect space. The intention was not only to go beyond the confinement of four walls, used in general practice to design a home theatre but to also use challenging materials that are not conventionally audio friendly and yet create the perfect experience of sound and visual.

Execution note:

The intention was to create an experience for the visitors with the feel of the human senses of touch.  The space for the theatre was received as a blank hall where major civil changes were executed. To create a variation in level the floor was executed with concrete fine finishing to create a sunk in theatre. Parts of the flooring were done in concrete with calculated grinding and polishing to generate the desired finish. A four-inch very thick rug was laid in the theatre area where the feet could sink into the world of luxury with the intention to heighten relaxed comfort for the user. The space division was mainly done on the basis of experience of the occupant where the entrance area is a pause point and services are sheltered behind a twisted brick wall keeping it understated and in the background.

The lounge and theatre were designed as a single space divided by metal and string partition to bring in a hierarchy of the space. The theatre space was divided with the function of active entertainment in mind while the lounge space was intended to lend a relaxed and passive demeanor. Both spaces, exuded different moods, were physically connected with a partition designed with metal form and strings. Strings and lighting were used to divide both spaces to allow a smooth transition of the state of mind of an occupant using both the spaces.

The metal form though dynamic visually was not friendly towards the acoustical demands hence it was enveloped in wood to control the vibration of the metal. The use of strings too aided in controlling frequencies. To generate this dynamic form of metal partition the workers had created a specific tool to bend the metal which was later placed at the entrance to pay a tribute to this creation. A raw look was consciously created so that the experiencer would be tempted to use his/her five senses and not be focussed on the décor. Even the washrooms were planned with a raw concrete look. A concrete bathroom was designed without using stone and tiles where the use of concrete had been optimized to have a casted WC platform, basin, and spout executed at site.

Lighting played a calculated role in the design. The journey from entering the space until the exit was controlled through a play of lighting. The visibility was kept in such a way that visitor’s concentration could not be interrupted through fancy aesthetic elements. Further to it for a deliberate experience space was detailed out with speakers and projector mountings out of metal and wood in such a way that it could be adjusted as per client’s need. Dolby Atmos Audio, 4K Projection technology, advanced lighting control, and automation along with Preference Audio Speakers, A JVC Projector, and Lutron lighting control and Casadigi Automation were chosen to bring value beyond the ordinary thus creating an extraordinary environment for concurring human senses.

The form of the space being organic with two different functions was a challenge for the designers. It was an empty space with three walls and a glass wall on one side. From a tech point of view, the reverberation time of the room was reduced by using unusual absorptive and diffusive material, such as car dampening material on metal, using strings as an acoustic solution, using wooden pieces and rubber behind the metal to cut the resonance, a concrete wall was created for subwoofer enclosures which were a novel solution acquired through years of experience.

Conclusion

Putting together out-of-the-box thinking, experience, and remarkable use of materials a taut balance was achieved between creative designing with unusual technological support thus successfully rendering EvenFlow to be a center of wonderment for an audiovisual experience.  

FACT FILE:

Client: EvenFlow

Firm: I-Con

Location: Piplod, Surat

Details of the space (area in sq ft): 950 sq ft

Concept & Interior Design: Contemporary, Minimalistic

Principal Architect/designer: Dhaval Rangani & Khushrau Jilla.

Design Team: Nouman Malik, Vishal Akbari, Chetna Shethiya.

Acoustics – Khushrau Jilla

HVAC – Jay Air Systems, Surat

Photograph credits: Mr Bhavesh Raghavani (Yellow Frames)

Website: http://www.i-con.co.in/

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