BIOGRAPHY Anupama Kundoo Kundoo (born 1967) is an Indian ian archite hitec ct who after ter her scho schola last stic ic stu studies dies in arch archit itec ectu ture re started working at Auroville starting in 199! 199! wher where e she she crea create ted d sev several eral innovations in the pro"ects she designed adopting #sustainable building techn chnolog logies ies and infr infra astru tructu ctural ral s$stems#% s$stems#% &er architectural architectural designs are aesth sthetic tic and region spec pecific ific or #vernacular# that cater to the needs Figure 1 : www.wikipedia.com www.wikipedia.com of mode modern rn livi living ng blen blendi ding ng with with traditio traditional nal buildin building g designs designs%% 'he has a doctoral doctoral degree for her dissert dissertatio ation n on the sub"ect of #baked mudinsitu houses of India#% As a practicing architect since 199! she has more than 1!! pro"ects to her credit% 'he has also eperimented with design of high rise buildings for urban environment% Kundoo was born in *une in 1967% &er high school education was from +ar$ Immaculate ,irls,irls- &igh 'chool% 'he studied for architecture from the 'ir .% .% /ollege of Architecture Architecture 0niversit$ 0niversit$ of omba$ omba$ and received her degree degree in architecture architecture in 1929% 1929% 'he was awarded the 3astu 'hilpa 4oundation 4ellowship in 1996 for her thesis on #0rban 5co/ommunit$ esign and Anal$sis for 'ustainabilit$#% 'he got her doctoral degree from 8echnical 0niversit$ of erlin in !!2% Kundoo established herself as an arch archite itect ct in the Aurovi uroville lle wher where e she designed and built man$ econ economi omica call$ ll$ innova innovativ tive e build buildin ings gs with ith #ene #energ rg$ $ and and water ater eff efficie icient nt infr infras astr truc uctu ture re## adapt daptat atio ions ns%% 'he 'he worked here from middle of 199! till !! !!% &er appr pproach to build ilding ing design is based on material research that minimi:es environmen mental effects% &er basic design approach is to use use #wast #waste e mater material ials s unsk unskill illed ed Figure 2 : www.dezeen.com labour labour and local local communi communities ties#% #% &er work culture is a #researchoriented practice and practiceoriented teaching%# ANUPAMA KUNDOO : VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
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'he epresses her design approach clearl$ b$ stating #+$ designs are not driven b$ the worr$ that the world will end but b$ finding wa$s to make the most with what one has%# A full si:ed replica of her ;all &ouse was made b$ hand and ehibited at the 3enice iennale of Architecture%
pen 4oundation in % Another interesting theme brought out in her architectural creation is titled #@ibert$# which presents a reading place as a free book free librar$ where individuals can #sit and read whatever the$ wish to#% 8his creation is built with three t$pes of trees fied in the centre of a suare space% 8he trees- #trunks and branches# are made from steel and the leaves made of salvaged books with the floor made of concrete% 'itting under the shade of this tree people could indulge in conversation or read a book with the gentle wind blowing through the leaves% 8his was ehibited at the *laca de 'alvador 'egui in arcelona during .uneB'eptember !1C% Kundoo taught at the 8echnical 0niversit$erlin and armstadt in &esse during !!D% 'he worked as Assistant *rofessor at *arsons 8he
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PROJECTS RESIDENCES PAUL AND CLAUDINE’S RESIDENCE AUROVILLE 8he inhabitants wanted a simple and compact little house in Auroville to address their simple needs a living dining and kitchen area on the ground floor% A bedroom with an attached bath and dressing area on one side a little terrace with a mini pool on the other on the first floor% 8he living area is raised and is surrounded b$ three alcoves with rough Figure 4 : www.anupamakundoo.com granite cills% 8here is a direct contact with the open kitchen and the living area with the entrance and dining areas between them% ;arm earth colours define the mood of the house the walls being built with cement stabilised rammed earth from the site and a similar shade of pigment used as the I*' floor finish%
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A staircase without handrails in the
Figure 5 : www.anupamakundoo.com
same finish takes one to the upper floor% 8he bedroom is on a raised platform and tucked partl$ into the bed alcove% 'torage space is claimed below the platform% 8he bed overlooks a little opento sk$ terrace with a reall$ tin$ pool a little bigger than a bathtub primaril$ for chilling out in the hot weather% 8he garden is watered out of this pool dail$% Gough granite that is used as coping slabs contributes to the outdoor feeling% 8he bathroom and dressing area are also ver$ simple the surfaces finished with stucco plaster containing marble dust% 8he upper floor is characterised b$ the warmth lent to its white walls b$ the terracotta under surface of the insulated vault roof as well as the earth coloured I*' floor finish% 4urniture is more or less avoided deliberatel$ and most of the needs are met Figure 6 : www.dezeen.com with b$ builtin solutions% Alcoves cills platforms and parapet heights take seating into account and one can sit comfortabl$ in man$ places% 0ncluttered spaces have been created devoid of furniture so that in spite of being small the space itself could be eperienced as the essential ualit$ rather than the numerous ob"ects that one possesses and gathers in the course of living% 8his gives the house a timeless ualit$% And gives the narrow spaces of the house the ualit$ of a ANUPAMA KUNDOO : VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
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much more generous space that is flowing into each other in continuit$ which is flowing freel$ between inside and outside% 8his gives the inhabitants the feeling of having space for their future instead of the feeling that their space is alread$ occupied with the things of their past%
Figure 7 : www.insideoutside.com
8he result is an elegance of beaut$ in simplicit$ revealing the underl$ing nature of things rather than the superficial
details of their manifestation%
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THE WALL HO USE AUROMODELE, AUROVILLE 8he ke$ concept is that of the house as etending right into the landscape with no ph$sical boundaries% Anupama conceived of the Hwall house? as a line drawn in nature% 8he entrance is a dramatic doubleheight soaring vaulted space% A narrow linear block to one side of the entrance contains all the private spaces% >n the first floor one sees the same linear form used to house a bedroom dressing room and terrace with a magical opentosk$ bathroom% Its narrow dimensions are accented b$ a light air$ etension framed in glass and metal (punched into the brick wall) that accommodates the bed% 8he design of the house ensures that the private activities are Figure 8 : www.architectureau.com cocooned into secluded secure spaces while the public living areas are large and open to nature% It is a house contemporar$ in st$le that could fit as well in a rural or urban contet% 8he design is the result of etensive research Figure : www.dezeen.com and eperimentation b$ Anupama Kundoo in three main areas ecofriendl$ building materials and alternative technologies that provide an imaginative option to current building trends energ$ efficienc$ and a climaticall$ responsive vocabular$% In addition Anupama also created an infrastructure for the management of water waste and energ$% H>ur uest includes making these techniues replicable in urban as well as rural areas? she sa$s%
ANUPAMA KUNDOO : VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
HANDLING SPACE AND LIGHT ;ith the architecture of this house Anupama has eplored alternative definitions of space and a lifest$le that embodies contemporar$ values within a rural setting% It is a simple house with clearl$ defined lines and masses $et with a pla$ in volumes that makes it hard to distinguish where the inside ends and the outside begins% @ong steps which continue from the inside onto the garden outside on both sides create a further demarcation of spaces%
Figure 1! : www.anupamakundu.com
A dramatic soaring vaulted space more than two store$s high marks the entr$ point% 8his is a transition space etending into the landscape a living space with no ph$sical boundaries% 8o the right a narrow linear concrete block in eposed brick runs from north to south% .ust % m wide inside this block contains all the private space in the house% >n the ground floor are a storeroom kitchen and dining area while at the rear is another room with a direct eternal access% Figure 11 : www.dezeen.com
A freestanding H:ig:ag? flight of polished green painted concrete stairs leads to the first floor where the same linear form embraces a stud$ a bedroom a dressing room and an eternal terrace with a magical opentosk$ bathroom% It is almost like a corridor indeed so narrow that to accommodate the bed and the dining space a light glass and metal framed etension is plugged into the eternal wall to the east of the brick tube% 8he bedroom with glass louvres on three sides completel$ opens out under the canop$ of an old tree while the private side of the wall (to the west) opens out into a Cmwide doubleheight verandah which is protected b$ thin steel mesh on a wooden structure% 8hus this area is full of natural glarefree light and allows one to en"o$ the sunsets from here% 'a$s Anupama H8he design of the house ensures that the private activities are cocooned into secluded secure spaces while the public living areas are large and open to nature%?
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Figure 12 : www.dezeen.com
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CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS
brick the same in ancient
Anupama has scaled down the eposed facades b$ using local achakal bricks of 12 cm 1! cm %D cm dimensions used times instead of the standard 5nglish si:e%
Geviving the use of these bricks she has set them with Figure 13 : raked "oints in lime mortar to which 1!J cement has www.upcommons.upc.edu been added for initial setting strength% 8he thickness of the walls varies between ! ! and 1! cm with speciall$ designed bonds as the$ do not follow the usual 1 proportions% 8he foundations are of cementstabili:ed rammed earth B the earth having been procured from the same foundation pits% It comes as no surprise that Anupama has also eperimented with different roofing s$stems% /atenar$ vaults of hollow cla$ tubes have been used for climatic insulation which also eliminates the need for structural steel that one sees in roofs toda$% 8here are vaults in the ground floor where achakal bricks are used as structural supports% 8he flat terraced roof over the guest room has been built b$ using hollow burnt cla$ trape:oidal etruded modules over partl$ precast beams as in the "ack arch B these modules were speciall$ manufactured locall$ for the purpose of finding insulated roofing solutions to flat roofs% 4or the intermediate floor Anupama used terracotta pots as fillers to increase the effective depth of concrete while minimi:ing the volume of concrete and steel in the slabs that did reuire to be insulated% H>ne of our aims was to demonstrate that structural materials can also be used as finishing materials%? CLIMATIC RESPONSE
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8he plan of the house with its narrow spaces responds to the hot and humid climate of the region as it allows maimum crossventilation% Aligned along a southeast northwest ais the house has small openings in front and large openings at the rear to create effective air Figure 14 : www.dezeen.com channels which optimi:e ventilation% 8he doubleheight volume enhances the air stack movement and increases the upward drafts of the ventilation% 8he hot air rising inside the covered spaces is forced out through openings in the vault and as the roofs are also designed to be insulating heat radiation is minimi:ed% #LOW O# SPACE 8he interior blends with and enhances the architecture and the landscape% In fact the whole house is planned in such a wa$ that there is no segregation between the interior the eterior the built form and the landscape% 'a$s Anupama H8he interiors are not perceived as furnished areas with LuntrueM decorative ob"ects but as spaces with a distinct ualit$%? In the entrance to the dining Figure 15 : www.dezeen.com area stands a table rec$cled out of a single old rosewood column% 8he natural teture and surface of the wood is left as it is and the table can be reassembled back again to the form of the original log% Another stud$ table is built out of a rec$cled teak beam inserted into the wall it uietl$ blends into the architecture%
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CONTE%T AND APPROPRIATENESS @ocated in a reforested Auroville communit$ the house is tucked awa$ in a corner and manages to create for itself a private open space on one side to which it opens out% 8he Hwall? is like a line drawn in nature which separates the private and public spaces% Anupama sums it up H8his eperimental house continues Auroville?s legac$ as a laborator$ for eperiments in space form engineering and living%
Figure 16 : www.upcommons.upc.edu
HUT IN PETITE #ERME AUROVILLE 8hese houses is the most basic simple dwelling consisting of a thatch roof (woven coconut leaves) supported on untreated casuarina members that are tied together in place with coconut ropes% 8he structure stands on rough granite stilts that prevent the termites from reaching the wood% 8he upper floor is made of split supari or pakamaram stems that are also tied on with rope%
Figure 17 : www.anupamakunda.com
,ranite pillars are further used to create graded transition between the inside and the outside to include court$ards in the living or private opentosk$ spaces in the bath areas%8his is a house that has a low impact on the environment harmoniousl$ blending into the nature and totall$ dependant on the sun for its electrification and water heating demands%
HEMANT AND DIVYA’S RESIDENCE AUROVILLE
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'ince he had first come to Auroville &emant had lived for several $ears in a ver$ simple thatch hut on granite pillars simpl$ tied together with coconut rope "ust like man$ others do in their earl$ $ears in Auroville% &owever after those initial $ears the$ looked forward to living in a house that offered more permanance and comfort%
>utdoor areas freel$ penetrate the indoors and there are two court$ards enclosed within the ground floor b$ arranging simple rough granite pillars in a series one as an etension to the bathroom to provide it with a patch of earth and sk$ and the other ad"oining the living room incorporating a small water tank that can be use in Figure 1 : www.dezeen.com summers to dip in before the water is taken to sustain the garden% 8he "oists were cut out of reall$ old (around D! $ears old) casuarina trees and are far stronger than people epect at that age% /asuarina as it is mostl$ known for its use as scaffolding and for temporar$ building works is usuall$ harvested at three to seven $ears%
8he transition spaces between the house and the garden are naturall$ landscaped in an unnoticeable wa$ mainl$ consisting of the same repetitive elements brick paving granite benches and pillar screens boulders and pebbles%
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HOUSING PROJECTS VOLONTARIAT HOME #OR HOMELESS CHILDREN PONDICHERRY
Figure 2! : www.anupamakunda.com
8hese homes are planned to accommodate 1D children and D foster parents% 8his pro"ect was built using a rare technolog$ pioneered b$ Ga$ +eeker of ,olden ridge *otter$ which consists of baking a mud house insitu after constructing it% A fired house or a fireestablished mud house is in principle a mud house built with mud bricks and mud mortar that is cooked after building as a whole to achieve the strength of brick%
8he interior space of the structure is stuffed with further mud bricks or other ceramic products such as tiles and fired as if it were a kiln% 8$picall$ kiln walls absorb about C!J of the heat generated% In this technolog$ the house is the kiln and the Hheat loss? is directed towards firing the house and stabili:ing it from water damage% 8he fuel cost is largel$ Figure 21 : www.anupamakunda.com accountable to the products inside% 8he strength of brick in principle would be achieved for the piece of mud% 4urther the cement in the mortar mi would become unnecessar$% 8his technolog$ involves almost onl$ labour with ver$ little spent of Hpurchased? materials% 8hus the mone$ spent remains in the local econom$ and it enriches it% 8he house becomes a producer of sustainable building materials instead of being a consumer%
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8he house takes B C da$s to burn% /atenar$ shaped domes are used to get the best structural stabilit$ before firing when it Figure 22 : www.architects"india.org functions as an earth building during firing which is an unstable stage of vitrification process and after firing as a brick load bearing structure% 8he domes are various si:es according to the cluster program which includes one foster parent per C children% A social pro"ect with cost as a ma"or aspect that informed design the pro"ect uses man$ unconventional materials as well as absorbs urban waste% ic$cles wheel frames were used as formwork for windows and later as window grills% ,lass bottles were used as structural units for masonr$ in toilet areas% ,lass chai cups were used to finish the openings at the top of the dome% 8his highl$ eperimental pro"ect is an eample of radical thinking that is being eplored to approach the problem of affordabilit$ of housing for all and more over integrall$ sustainable in all its aspects%
SANGAMAM COST E##ICIENT HABITAT AUROVILLE 'angamam is situated at the outskirts of Auroville in an area affected b$ environmental and social problems including water scarcit$ saline water intrusion soil erosion and declining soil fertilit$ unemplo$ment and inadeuate housing educational and medical facilities% 'oil from the site has been laborator$tested and found to Figure 23 : www.inside"outside.com be suitable for the construction of load bearing walls% 8he ageold rammed earth building techniue is introduced in a more sophisticated form with cement stabilisation to achieve better standard of finish more strength and waterresistance and enabling a uicker modular method of building% 4ive per cent of cement is added in the sieved earth to make the mass waterresistant thereb$ significantl$ adding to the wet compressive strength of the material% Goofs are constructed using terracotta filler slabs bricks as "ack arches and conical hollow vault elements designed specificall$ to achieve an affordable solution with low environmental impact that is beneficial to generate local emplo$ment% 8he low cost housing scheme is provided with ecofriendl$ building infrastructure for rain water harvesting%
ANUPAMA KUNDOO : VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
Figure 24 : www.insideoutside.com
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PUBLIC BUILDINGS SRI AUROBINDO WORLD CENTRE #OR HUMAN UNITY AUROVILLE
5fficient structural design can lead with Figure 25 : www.anupamakunda.org substantial savings in steel and cement the two most commonl$ used high energ$ materials% A circular open pavilion of 16 meters diameter is supported b$ some additional service rooms% After several iterations the concept chosen for eecution was the one that used 7D cubic meters of G// instead of 1D cubic meters amounting to substantial savings% 8he structural s$stem has a ma"or influence on the architectural form and space% Inspired b$ the work of *ier @uigi
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glass covered opening in the center in the roof allows da$light to enter at the centre of the space emphasi:ing the vertical central unif$ing force% 8he sunra$s strike the lines of inlaid stainless steel that make the pattern on the stone floor% Figure 26 : www.dezeen.com
ph$sical centre of unit
%$8he circle is chosen to contain the shape of the hall to emphasi:e unit$% 'itting around a circle ever$one is focused on the center where the point of unit$ lies% 8he amphitheater steps ripple outwards and tend to change its shape from circle towards a suare% 8he last step is a suare with rounded corners to impl$ that the ripples ma$ etend even be$ond the Figure 27 : www.dezeen.com
IMPORTANT #EATURES N 8he structural members being important elements of the design contribute to the overall aesthetics of the building% 8he structure is an interesting combination of bold curves of the roof and floor which are linked b$ sharp and angular columns with Haerod$namic? beams% 8he circular roof slab being a strong element of the building has a ver$ d$namic look emphasi:ed b$ its lighting pattern of lights like an illuminated disc at Figure 28 : www.design#oom.com night% 8he meeting hall epands on three sides onto open to sk$ amphitheaters% 8hese are linked to the main structure b$ concrete bridges on the peripheral water channel% 8hese outside spaces allow the meeting activities to spill over onto the surrounding landscape with earth berms on all the sides acting as transition spaces% N ;ater bod$ water bodies around the hall maintaining the uiet and calm atmosphere of the building% 8he waterspouts of the roof slab deliver the natural water to the water bod$ on four sides% TE CH NO LOGY
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'loping and eposed concrete columns reduce the span of the roof slab B forming an individual member of the structure% 'hape of the radial beams supporting the slab is based on design efficienc$ thus using ver$ "udiciousl$ onl$ the minimum uantit$ of concrete% 8he shape also adds to the aesthetical ualit$ b$ softening harsh edges% 0se of 4errocement mould as Hlost shuttering? for the beams giving an even finish and reducing the cost of shuttering% Figure 2 : www.dezeen.com
/orner of slabs are reinforced using diagonal steel bars for stiffening thus shifting the point of support inside for reducing the span without increasing the effective depth and corresponding volume of concrete% Inverted circular beams at inner and outer rings of the disc further stress the lightness of the structure as seen from below and give the impression that each of the radial beams are stand alone connected onl$ b$ the slab% 8he effect is even more d$namic%
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BIBLIOGRAPHY WEBSITES
httpOOwww%indianarchitects%comOenOanupama kundooOsourceindePupdatedPnew httpOOwww%slideshare%netOssleleCD6Oaurovillearchitecture httpOOwww%italcementigroup%comO+IG+!1CP!C2 KundooP5<,%pdf httpOOwww%anupamakundoo%comOpaulandclaudineOQ httpOOwww%ft%comOcmsOsOO2b72bbacb!Ce11e2!D2!!1CCfeab7de%html httpsOOen%wikipedia%orgOwikiOAnupamaPKundoo httpOOwww%anupamakundoo%comOsustainablebuildingO httpOOwww%anupamakundoo%comOmaga:inesO httpsOOaap%cornell%eduOpeopleOanupamakundoo httpOOupcommons%upc%eduObitstreamOhandleO!99O1D2!2O6997C1'+%pdf httpOOtekton%mes%ac%inOwpcontentOuploadsO!1CO1!Oanupamakundoo%pdf httpOOwww%insideoutside%inOinsideoutsideOissuemaga:ineO9CC7Owallhouse anupamakundoo httpOOwww%de:een%comO!1O!2O!Owallhouseb$anupamakundooatvenice architecturebiennale!1O httpOOarchitectureau%comOarticlesOwalltowall1O httpOOwww%aruitecturaviva%comOenOInfoOrphanage httpOOwww%designboom%comOweblogOimagesOimagesPOmassimoO
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