↑The second floor houses the sons’ open-plan apartment.
Large balconies spanning two floors jut outwards, rendering the building
visually stunning.↑
Externally, the architects have skilfully separated the functions within
the building. They elaborate, “On the exterior, the public/private
functions are visually separated by the surface treatment of plaster and
colour. A red ochre wall deriving its colour from the company logo wraps
around the building setting it apart from its residential surrounding.”
An interesting visual element on the façade is the placement and
treatment of the balconies. Large balconies spanning two floors jut
outwards, making the building visually stunning, and unique compared
to the neighbourhood it belongs to. The balconies are functional, in
that the architects envisioned them as a space for urban gardening.
They mention, “Inbuilt planters on the balconies act as vertical kitchen
gardens used to grow creepers and herbs.”The project paves the way for an invigorating model for life in a dense
urban environment, incorporating a variety of spaces and functions.
Overall, the architects worked to overcome the physical limitations
and boundaries of the existing built structure to renovate the spaces
inside and outside so as to reflect the client’s vision, and accommodate
the various intended programs, in a way that is visually, spatially and
functionally attractive.FACT FILE:
Project Name : Identiti Advertising Renovation
Architecture Firm : Meister Varma Architects
Design Team : Krishnan Varma, Vanessa Meister, Anila Cherian,
Sruthi Vijay
Completion Year : 2017
Built Area : 3600 sq. ft.
Project Location : Kochi, Kerala, India
Photographer : Vishnu Raj
Structural Design : Rao & Associates
Manufacturers / Products : Saint Gobain, Bayferrox, Schneider, Grohe, Tata Steel