search
  • An Artist’s Studio Perked in Lap of Nature and Everything Organic | Studio Array

    (5 Votes)

    Editor’s Note: An artist residency that aligns with the sheer ingenuity that is Fine Arts. Being around nature as one of its own, the spaces are stimulating and stir a sense of grounded belonging. The bamboo screens, fire bricks, and the lily pond revere over their raw and natural existence, letting themselves merge with nature as all things should eventually. ~ Nishal Sevak(Co-Editor)

    Located in Arjanghar, New Delhi, The artist residency, Farm 8 is nestled in a verdant oasis, within an otherwise densely packed urban village. Almost a decade ago, the clients, Ranbir and Rashmi Kaleka intended to use the site as an artist’s studio space for themselves. An artist’s studio perked in lap of nature and everything organic. Foundations and columns were thus cast at the time, unfortunately, the on-site work was stalled for unforeseen reasons. In 2020, with evolving needs and lifestyles, the artist-clients began using the 5-acre farm for sustainable farming and experimental permaculture practices as part of an artist collective called Farm8. The collective includes artists Ranbir and Rashmi Kaleka, the Late Vivan Sundaram, Bharti Kher, Subodh Gupta, Jagannath and Pranati Panda, Jogen Chowdhury, Shambavi Singh, Meera Menezes, Rajiv Bhargava, Anil Chandra, Manoj Arora, Eegje Schoo, and the late Sanjeev Sinha.

    An Artist’s Studio Perked in Lap of Nature and Everything Organic | Studio Array

    Visit: Studio Array

    Studio Array was brought in with a renewed intention of crafting an escape that would allow visiting artists to connect with the natural habitat, whilst disconnecting from their busy and demanding urban lives.

    The architects, instead of starting from a tabula rasa, intentionally resolved to continue working on the half-done canvas of columns and foundations that existed on-site. Perpetuating the client’s permaculturalist ideology, the architects sought to reduce waste and retain and wrap around the infrastructure that was already built on-site years ago.

    The artist’s residency therefore ‘caps’ and ‘envelopes’ the old structure while creating a structural contrast by intervening with lightweight steel, glass, bamboo, and wooden drywall construction. The residency plans to host artists from India and abroad.

    A weave between the old and the new, the outdoor and the indoor, and the public and the private became the paramount idea for the architects. Emulating the experience of sitting under a tree, semi-open spaces were carved out of the existing column grid structure to offer a sense of protection, without creating enclosures.

    Wrapping the old columns is a lightweight steel structure with insulated roofs sloping in distinctive directions to respond to functional and contextual demands. The modular sloping roofs are consciously maneuvered to create a myriad of spatial scales that ‘dematerialize’ the built mass.

    The roofs forge a humble and passive envelope, harmonizing effortlessly with the greens around. Deviating from an orthodox sloping roof, the architects use the roof as a structural gesture to constantly elevate and draw attention to the verdant landscape outside of the built form.

    Diverse volumes and scales were explored within organically planned modular blocks to blur further boundaries between the inside and the outside and create a strong functional narrative.  Double-height, semi-open verandahs were woven in as extensions to private quarters.

    These verandahs offer a volumetric and perceptional interest, allowing users to seamlessly traverse between private and public spheres, both spatially and psychologically. Large uninterrupted openings in the living quarters have been privatized by layering hand-woven bamboo screens, contextualizing natural materials found in farm environments.

    The bamboo screens will age and change color over time, as an ode to the unforgiving aging process, mimicking and inviting nature to take over for years to follow. The brick flooring sans mortar used in the semi-open pavilions is also designed to age and desaturate with time, with the possibility of allowing grass, weeds, and the landscape to enter the built space.

    Likewise, lime, wax-stained dry walls and hand-casted and hand-polished IPS cement flooring in the living quarters add a much-needed softness to the private spaces as one transitions from the outdoors to the indoors. In an attempt to glorify its natural habitat, studio Array crafts an unassuming, yet contemporary abode, gently emulating the greens it is perched within.

    Fact File

    Designed by: Studio Array

    Project Type: Residential Architecture Design

    Project Name: Artist Residency Farm8 

    Location: New Delhi

    Year Built: 2023

    Project Size: 6458 Sq.ft

    Principal Architect: Rachit Srivastava

    Junior Architect: Jainam Kothari

    Photograph Courtesy: Edmund Sumner

    Source: Archdaily

    Firm’s Website Link: Studio Array

    Firm’s Instagram Link: Studio Array

    For Similar Project >>> A Striking Brick House with Hints of Traditional Design and Essence of Reformed Living

    Nest – A brick house design in all its glory | era architects and associates

    A combination of hand crafted grandeur, schematic elegance and the evergreen brick house design in the cultural city of Vadodara. Nest – A brick house design in all its glory | era architects and associates The ‘Nest’ aims to subtly transmit family values and beliefs to future generations. This project is exclusively designed, and customized for […]

    Read More

    This Hill Side Residence has all the Charm of a Traditional-Tropical House | Urbane ivy

    A tropical house with an impressively innovative spread of pitched roofs and everything local. This Hill Side Residence has all the Charm of a Traditional-Tropical House | Urbane ivy Visit: Urbane ivy Editor’s Note: In its vast abundance to embrace the extraordinary, ‘Punarjani’ celebrates its triumph over ethically infused traditional design. The use of pitched […]

    Read More

    Various Sensory Experiences are Enhanced in this Kerala home | Mudbricks Architects

    A layer of grounded living and sensory experiences are unveiled by Mudbricks Architects Various Sensory Experiences are Enhanced in this Kerala home | Mudbricks Architects Visit: Mudbricks Architects Editor’s Note: As so rightly named, ‘carving a court of quietude’ observes itself within a grounded practice. It has a humbling and unalloyed aura that is authentically […]

    Read More

    Vastu for Kitchen: A Guide to Creating Positive Energy in Kitchens

    In an Indian household, the kitchen is the heart of the home, and Vastu for Kitchen is one of the most important factors to consider. Cooking elaborate recipes can take a significant amount of time in the kitchen to prepare a delectable meal. As a result, applying Vastu principles to the kitchen is critical to […]

    Read More

    A Modern House in Kerala with a Natural and Earthy Look | Grey Collective

    Editor’s Note: AA residence in Kerala honors its surroundings while being nonchalant in its existence. The cubical structure, in its diluted tones, invites one into the bleeding white interiors. Apart from the double-height dining that grabs attention, the fish pond is a sweet surprise that adorns the living room. The furniture pieces too follow that […]

    Read More

    Devghar is a Masterpiece of Craftsmanship, a Sanctuary of Spiritual Reflection | Chaudhari Associates

    Golden accessories, meticulously placed throughout the Devghar, add a touch of opulence and symbolism. The Devghar is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, a sanctuary of spiritual reflection, meticulously fashioned from a harmonious blend of rich, polished wood and translucent acrylic. The wood, with its warm, earthy tones, provides a sense of natural connection and grounding, while […]

    Read More

    20 Most Beautiful Arcade Architecture in Indian Monuments

    Arcade architecture has a rich history in India, dating back centuries and evolving through various dynasties and architectural styles. It consists of a series of arches supported by columns or piers. Thus, Arcade Architecture represents a path from the past to the future, conveying openness and strength. Although the use of true arch in Indian […]

    Read More

    Brick house design of modern silhouettes | MDC Architects

    Brick house designs are the most trending theme in interiors as well as architecture.  Editor’s Note: For the ever-evolving love of exposed brickwork and clear-crisp white! Balanced and proportioned projections savor the exterior layer of the house. The insides are a bliss amalgamation of traditional elements and modern design with simple yet effective features that […]

    Read More

    TADstories with Ar. Mrugini Pandya | Robust Studio

    Ar. Mrugini Pandya, founder of Robust Studio shares her compelling design journey that began from her deep interest towards design. Robust Studio is based in Vadodara, Gujarat, led by Ar. Mrugini Pandya. Since childhood, she had a bug for design and soon enough it flourished in her professional practice. After finishing her studies in design, […]

    Read More

    A Lavish Home that Combines Luxury, Greens, and Simplistic Elegance | AH Architects & Maatiscape Architects

    Editor’s Note: A framed composure for an elevation with varied materials in its spread, there is a motivated thrust in the design. The structural spine of the house, the elliptical staircase, is an impressive piece of execution that faces the common spaces. The spaces are airy, breezy, and ex[pansive in nature. ~ Nishal Sevak Our […]

    Read More
  • The 'White Office' Elegantly Marries Minimalism, Tranquility, and Authority | R.A.I (Rai Architects & Interior designers)

    20 Ergonomic and Aesthetic Salon Design Projects 2024