Self-Contained & Self-Sustaining, Idyllic Urbanity on Hills along the Brahmaputra
The project site is around 7 km from the urban center of Assam's capital
city, Guwahati, and spread across 300+ acres of a lush and hilly linear
tract near an erstwhile tea plantation along the great Brahmaputra
River. This community was visualized as a self-contained mix of
residential, commercial, institutional and hospitality facilities at close
proximity with nature and having great views of the river and hills. The
community includes an ideal combination of features like a variety of
housing options viz. apartments, condominiums and villas, good
schools, colleges and hospitals range of retail outlets and convenience
shops, resorts and hotels, fantastic recreation options like water sports,
promenades, hiking and extreme sports, and much more. This
comprehensive lifestyle opportunity set in pristine natural environs
comes almost devoid of the guilt of unsustainable interventions for the
more than 6000 families residing here.
Site Area : 250 Acres Builtup Area : 1,30,00,000 SF Services : Visioning and Programming,
Master Planning, Architecture Concept,
Landscape Design Concept,
Infrastructure Planning concept
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Sustainability through
Least Interventional
Approach
The project was committed to a sustainable vision of
minimal intrusion into the natural balance of the local
ecosystem. This design challenge was met by tracing
the natural topography with the built form and the road
network after a thorough study of the local
geomorphology. Upgrading and augmenting existing
transport routes to create a well-defined road hierarchy
took sufficient care of servicing all areas while
negotiating the topography. Each road category was
aptly detailed to ensure its convenient functioning.
A detailed study and modelling of various scenarios
of built-form typologies, densities, FARs in different
parts of the site preceded the final proposal of
optimum mixes laid out in a district-wise zoning
plan. Ensuring the climate responsive orientation of
buildings featured early in the design process.
Details like parking space options worked out for
each typology also contributed to the community’s
development guidelines. Recognising and nurturing
different naturally occurring as well as
design-inserted green zone varieties was also
critical to ensuring sustainability.
Zonal Planning and Topography-Guided
Development
A main trunk road runs nearly parallel to the river-front, the next road categories branching out from
this, loop around contours to spread and serve every corner. This road-network helps defines the six
different functional districts according as per geographic assets. Thus, the Down-Town district with
commercial outlets, public promenades and river-front recreation enjoys prime stretches of main
road along the river front; the resort district approached by the main road becomes a lush green
self-contained river-side universe; the institutional district is placed inland at mid-height. The
remaining pre-dominantly residential districts get classified as river-front, hill-top or valley as per
their location.
Villas & Apartments Detailed
as per District-wise
Characterization
Districts being clearly defined as such helps characterize
each zone with apt design details. The Down-Town District is
defined by spacious plazas, wide promenades, tall
commercial buildings and riverine boating jetties. Rooms
with spectacular river-views, terraces, urban parks are
tucked into the river-side greens of the resort district.
Shrishtinagar Villas line the feeder roads of the valley,
located on private plots having private gardens and pools.
As these plots slope from tree-lined peaks down to the
water edge, the villas are also planned in split levels which
trace this natural incline being supported on stilts or
embedded into the earth. This facilitates formation of
passive climatic responses like shades for the recessed
openings and socio-cultural spaces like terraces. When
teamed up with sloping roofs with wide overhangs with
locally sourced woodwork railings, pillars and capitals
enveloping the balconies and terraces thus formed, they
contribute the architectural character of the district.
Residential buildings of ground plus six to eight floors having
3BHK apartments have been designed and located in higher
FAR districts along the hilly slopes. These have been planned
with staggered floor-plates to negotiate the steep contours,
accommodating parking spaces in the lowest stilt floors
formed as a consequence. Climatic response is taken care of
by the balconies that line the outer walls and overlook the
beautiful landscape and water features lining the continuous
courtyards below.
“Allowing Natural Systems of Sustainability to
Lead Urban Development & Planning.”