Colored Bay Windows of the Hostel to Creates an Identity | Sanjay Puri Architects

Text description provided by the architects. Taking a cue from the old city streets of Mathura city in India where this project is located, this 800 room students’ hostel creates organic spaces.

Designed in 4 level high, 5 linear blocks, the built spaces snake across a wedge-shaped site twisting and turning along their length. Sitting adjacent to repetitive hostel blocks on the east and west these new hostels within a large university campus create individual spaces within a discernible identity in each part of the layout.

The orientation of all the buildings is done with a view of generating large north facing garden areas overlooking a vast playground towards the north. In addition, each hostel room is punctuated with a wedge-shaped bay window oriented towards the north and the playground.

Each hostel room has ventilation openings in the internal corridor facilitating cross ventilation through bay windows. The linear buildings create small break out spaces at each bending point allowing natural light into the internal circulation spaces.

These factors create an energy efficient building minimizing heat gain in response to the climate which has average temperature in excess of 300 c for 8 months of the year when the sun is in the Southern Hemisphere. During the winter months when the sun is in the Northern Hemisphere, direct sunlight is facilitated to prevent the rooms from becoming cold.

Two focal areas are created at the ends of the linear buildings to house cafeterias, games rooms and gymnasium opening into the north facing gardens and terraces. Each of the public spaces is large volumes with 20’ high ceilings

The organic layout of the buildings characterizes each space within the site. Color accentuates different blocks and facilitates within. Each block is differently coloured along with the internal face of the bay windows of the hostel in bright colours to create an identity.

Rainwater harvesting and water recycling and usage of solar panels additionally make the project more energy efficient along with the orientation and facilitation of natural ventilation.

The Street is contextual to the climate and the orientation of the site thus creating varied experiences and changing perceptions of space in each part of the 6acre site.