The Birdhouse- Institute of Ornithology at Thol Lake

Aarya Chandrasekhar

AR2046

The portfolio showcases my approach towards projects where steel as an element is not an intuitive choice. The first is a small-scale lodging above an existing structure which I resolved through additive massing cantilevering out of the structure and playing with the levels created. The second involves incorporating steel for an institutional building along the lake edge of a bird sanctuary. The design process shows my quest for achieving a balance between the site’s ecosystem, users and the material by playing with the porosity through steel, giving me a design like that of a bird’s nest or birdhouse.

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DEMO KIT- this first four-week exercise was our first foray into exploring steel and its joineries. The site was a plantation near Sasan Gir. The program was a lodging space built above an existing structure overlooking the plantation for a family of 4.

DEMO KIT- Sections and Elevations

Institute of Ornithology- Concept Development and Design Process

Site Plan

Ground and First Floor Plans- The steps from the ground floor reception open into a large passage that gives an uninterrupted view of the lake islands dotted by numerous avian species. The first floor contains the publicly accessible spaces of the institute including the exhibition and the cafeteria. The embankment pathway is not broken, however.

Second and Third Floor Plans- The institute’s research and educational facilities are located on the second floor. The columns become small atriums joined by passages to other columns creating an organic circulation path. The third floor houses the accommodation blocks, here the circulation pathway is abstracted from the embankment forming a zig-zag passage as it connects the different blocks.

Sections- Just like the trees in the site angle towards the lake, the roofs and the second and third floors are staggered towards the lake.

Elevations

Wall Section- For fast and easy construction, the three-dimensional nodal structure allows similar cladding frame systems on both the facade and the flooring. HPL (High Pressure Laminate) panels and vinyl flooring with wood laminate finishes are used to give an organic feel to the structure without wood’s susceptibility to moisture and other environmental factors.

Wall Section 'G' Physical Model- 1:20 Scale