Pankhasari, India

Pankhasari Retreat

(with Michele Bonino Architects)

carlorattiassociati - Walter Nicolino & Carlo Ratti

A South-facing slope on the Indian Himalayas, bound by a swift mountain river and a waterfall, in the middle of tea estates and crop plantations. The houses, built with local materials and technology, reinterpret the local verandas and overhangs (protecting users from extreme rain and sun conditions) and gently touch the sacred, black boulders that punctuate the site. A high-speed Internet connection and extensive tele-working facilities allowed an innovative mix of living and working spaces, promoting longer-term and more sustainable occupancy patterns.

The site is located on a south facing slope, which is bounded by a swift-flowing mountain river and crossed by a waterfall. It retains a delicate equilibrium based on tea plantations and local agriculture in small rural villages. The mild climate – with winter temperatures between 6 and 14°C and summer temperatures rarely exceeding 28°C – encourages both tropical and temperate vegetation. Bananas and mangoes grow alongside ferns and oranges. Terrace farming on the lush green mountain slopes includes peas, potatoes, black cardamon and the betel nut. Exotic wild orchids flourish abundantly.

The concept of sustainability, introduced by the united nations report our common future, is based on a simple imperative: mankind should meet its present needs without compromising future generations.

For the pankhasari project we propose a strict interpretation of the concept of sustainability, based on the adoption of a zero emission policy. In order to achieve this target we propose to adopt the following strategies:

general strategies

- electric energy will be generated on site using a small-scale hydroelectric plant; additional power, if necessary, might be provided by solar photovoltaics.

- organic food will be produced on site; in particular, the client is exploring the feasibility of acquiring additional farming land to the west of the pankhasari site, in order to make the retreat self-sufficient.

- integrated treatment of water on site; tap water will be taken from the waterfall and stored in a reservoir in the upper part of the site; grey water and sewage will be kept separated and recycled for agricultural use after treatment.

- local materials will be used in construction; exquisite timbers, such as teak and sisso, are commonly used in the region; stone is also widely available.

- local labour will be involved in the construction and maintenance of the site; this would increase the degree of participation of the local community in the project and possibly result in lower costs.

architectural strategies

- use of general bioclimatic principles in architectural design.

- design of appropriate brise-soleils on the south-facing façades, in order to avoid solar radiation during summertime. because of the particular solar geometry at the site latitude, vertical as well as horizontal brise-soleils might be necessary, as in Corbusiers refined tower of shadows in the Capitol of Chandigarh.

- adoption of passive solar strategies to maximise solar gain during the winter. A passive solar building can be defined as a building in which the various components are arranged in a manner that maximises the collection of solar heat; this is then stored and finally distributed into the space without any expenditure of conventional forms of energy (definition by Knowles).

- use of thermal mass. In particular, the buildings should be kept in close contact with the earth. this strategy, which is evident in vernacular architecture, is justified by the average annual temperature in the region, which is much higher than in the UK and closer to the comfort zone.

- use of natural ventilation. Although there do not seem to be strong winds to be exploited in the architectural design, natural ventilation can be generated during summertime by using the stack effect.

- broadband internet connection, in order to allow more sustainable patterns of use (less travelling). Because of its location, the pankhasari retreat would be an ideal site to explore many issues posed (and proposed) by the IT revolution: for instance, the dichotomies of distance/proximity or connectivity/sociability. Each residence will have a fast Internet connection. This should ensure year-long use, instead of a seasonal short-stay occupancy by traditional tourists. Visitors exploiting tele-working facilities could be resident for extensive periods of time, integrating with the local community and culture. The architectural design will take into account the requirement of mixed working/living patterns of use. Each residence will contain spaces with high privacy to host professional activities. the other rooms and communal facilities will provide the framework for face-to-face informal gathering.

Europaconcorsi Beta

Pankhasari Retreat