Completed in April 2013, this office

building is located in the city of Jaipur, India which has a desert climate with average temperatures ranging from 30°C to 50°C grade through most of the year. The building is designed in response to the excessive heat imbibing traditional elements. Designed as a corporate office headquarters, the ground level houses a reception and conference room above a car parking basement with office areas at the above 5 levels.

On a small plot of 1075 sq. m. the building envelope is restricted on all sides in plan as well as governed by height restrictions. The resultant floor area on each level after leaving mandatory open space is only 326 sq. m.

The building manifests local tradition creating a structure that is strongly contextual to the site and its location while simultaneously creating a sculptural identity.

The concept of a jaali exterior is to force the air through small openings, cooling air and increasing its force marginally. This element of traditional architecture in Rajasthan has been used to reduce heat gain, increase ventilation and reduce noise from the busy traffic outside.

The jaali screens sheath the building on all sides reducing the heat gain and rendering the building very energy efficient

The building is fragmented into triangular facets with jali as a secondary screen all around it and the interstitial spaces are used for plants to further reduce the heat gain creating a building that is extremely energy efficient in response to the city’s 450c summer months that are from mid-March to mid-October.

The glass reinforced concrete plays the part of incorporating traditional architecture of the region, while simultaneously providing noise insulation & increasing the overall energy efficiency of the building.