Eastern India is a land of water bodies, lakes, ponds, and rivers. Outskirts of Kolkata is dotted with over 13 % of registered water bodies. Human body is more than 2/3 rd of water element. Maintaining a balance of elements, particularly water, was crucial for our wellness center.
This Wellness Center Is Inspired By The Surrounding Water Bodies | SALIENT
Attributes of water and its connect to our sensory responses is key to wellness.
As an ever-growing city, Kolkata is a home to many physical and psychological ailments. This project – A wellness center aims in restoring the physical, mental, and spiritual (body, mind, and soul) balance through hospitality and care.
This wellness retreat has 3 essential components – The spa, The yoga Shala, and The Salon. The site was carved out in a peninsular profile surrounded by a 5 acres of water body (lake). Located within a 90-acre Holiday-Home Campus, the wellness facility includes 24 guest blocks. These are for staycation guests participating in longer wellness programs.
A total of 14 key treatment areas comprising- western treatment (massages), ayurveda treatment (massages), hydrotherapy, mud/Dhara therapy, the yoga Shala, the kriya Shala, the beauty treatments (salon).
Here is a design which activates your muffed sensitivities. It induces us to perceive even the subtle responses performed in the treatment with distinct clarity.
Design Ideology: A series of experiential courtyard was developed for the wellness center with meandering narrow walkways linking introvertedly planned, disintegrated blocks/modules.
When the guest walks through multiple courts (each designed scientifically to activate our 5 sensory perceptions), the transitory experiences, employing water and nature in true Biophyllic settings calms us instinctively.
The highs and lows, the stillness and the turbulence, light and darkness etc activate our deeper/ remote cells of neurocortex – those which remain dormant in the urban environment.
Daylight, natural ventilation, textures, Colours, fragrances, the flowing architectural form, aromas of earth, sounds of the winds and much more all tied up in the singularity of terracotta shade is rejuvenating.
The tangible should give way to the intangible.
The design includes prescriptions of Vedic architecture to induce positive energy pockets (courtyards) for health and vitality.
Vault shell rog to cast off fluctuating EMFs from HT power grid, No RCC beam grid network in the corridors to provide smooth flow of energy, dark pool proportions more than 1:7 to absorb negative environmental energies etc are few such prescriptions.
Interesting use of Artworks from spiritual India subtly celebrating the concepts of oneness and inclusivity builds up a positive environment pulsating HOPE in wellness hospitality.
The microclimate (through passive cooling strategies and planned natural circulations) benefits allows the common area 100% non-air conditioned. 100% Daylight harvesting in the interior spaces and comments spaces etc has reduced the power requirements to less than 50% as compared to conventional systems.
The design allows for many spa activities to be performed in semi covered areas and open areas connecting guests with the exiting flora and fauna – the act of instinctive wellness.
It is a Green Design in true sense! At the site around 88 tress have been planted carefully curated to invite the fauna species driven out of the urban environment – an act of inclusive existence!
Fact File
Designed by: SALIENT
Project Type: Hospitality (a wellness retreat)
Project Name: ITC Storii Devasom – The Wellness Retreat
Location: Bairampur, West Bengal
Year Built: 2022
Built-up Area: 22000 sq. Ft.
Principal Architects: Ar. Vivek Singh Rathore (Design Principal), Ar. Anuradha Rathore (Landscape Principal)
Photograph Courtesy: Subhajit Das & Mohsin Taha
Firm’s Website Link: SALIENT
Instagram Link: SALIENT
Facebook Link: SALIENT
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