Boat House Design idea and Plan,…Casa Barco was born from the desire to provide sustainable solutions to everyone’s daily activities. Situated in a serene, green area on the outskirts of the city, it was imperative that the design reacts to its surroundings. The first move, therefore, was not to disturb the natural slope of the site. A basement created at level -1200 negated the need for any type of backfill. The basement was planned to be smaller than the upper floors in order to have more space for the garden. A conscious decision was made to leave the land as it is, unpaved, except for the paths that have continuous movement.
Boat House Design Ideas and Plan
Concrete was selected as the material to support the cantilever slab and a shear wall system emerged. Each material used in Casa barco is selected only because it is sustainable, economical and the potential of each material is exploited to its fullest. A combination of recycled wood with exposed concrete and a steel structural system was used. Tiles were replaced with tile floors and pigmented concrete, and other finishing materials, such as laminate, were avoided to help reduce the carbon footprint. All finishes are handcrafted to encourage employees in both skilled and unskilled jobs.
The floor near the pool and the access ramp is 75 mm cut and poured concrete. The beams are used as a structure for the partition walls and as seats in the pool area. The wooden slats that were reused four times in the formwork were cut into 10mm thick pieces and used as screens in bathroom partitions and other areas. The good pieces that could be fully salvaged were used for the bedroom floor.
Another optimization strategy was achieved by dividing the functions into two zones -housing and services-, creating an intermediate space. The patio communicates horizontally and vertically: physically, visually and sensorially. It becomes a place of circulation within the volume and also where total transparency is observed. With steel screens welded on both sides, the courtyard is open to the elements and cools the air passing through it. This void is the heart of the house, where old energy is expelled and new energy is constantly pumped in. Most of the rooms have openings on three sides to allow better ventilation. To avoid additional lowered slabs in the service block, the entire floor is made of steel tubes.
Non-structural walls are made with partitions or glazed planes to guarantee maximum natural light in the house, reducing energy costs. On the other hand, long horizontal slits have been placed on the west wall to minimize glare and sunlight throughout the day. Thermal energy is further optimized through the use of roof gardens with soil, water and plants.
The natural pool, built using the aquaponics system, is a space to swim in the middle of nature. Its delicate ecosystem is made up of aquatic plants, fish, frogs, turtles and migratory birds. Architecture is a silent witness to the development of this life.
Project Gallery Photos.
Ref. Architects: Architectonica Procreate
| Project : | Boat House, Ahmedabad 2013-19 |
| Location : | House at Suramya 7, Ahmedabad 2013-19 |
| Area : | 800 sqyds |
| Brief : | Sloping site and a row of five Peltoform trees allowed the design to have an open basement to save provide a transparent building. Made of one rectangle (accommodating the services) and a tube, accommodating the bedrooms and living areas, the in-between space is open to rain, sun and wind. To further maximise this effect, the in-between zrea is made entirely of steel tubes |
