RESERVOIR

This site is located in Rajasthan amidst desert land where water is a scarcity and temperatures are in excess of 40C through 8 months of the year.

The site is steeply contoured and the land forms a natural water collection pit from the surrounding land. To capitalize on the water collection that the site naturally has, stepped wells located in Rajasthan since centuries were studied and the design of the built form is directly inspired by the form of the ancient stepped wells.

Office spaces are created on the two north facing sides gradually stepping down at each level along the existing contours generating north facing landscaped terraces fronting each office.

The opposite south facing sides are shaped into open stepped platforms along the site’s contours further generating landscaped spaces and creating a large community space as the traditional stepped wells had.

Externally the southern side is protected by earth berms that rise to create sheltered parking spaces with lower berms on the northern sides.

The office spaces at each level vary from 6 to 7.5 meters in depth thus ensuring that there is sufficient natural light penetrating all the spaces & no need of artificial lighting through the day.

Opening into terraces facing the water reservoir & the north, the internal spaces will extend visually to the outside while each office space can use the external spaces.

The design is responsive to the site contours, the climate of its location and to the need of its users, generating office spaces that require much lower energy consumption due to their orientation while imbibing the traditional architecture prevalent in the region since centuries and creating a large water catchment area in response to the water scarcity prevalent in the location.

The entire structure will be built in local Chittorgarh sandstone available in close proximity of the site.
The design is thus sustainable in numerous ways creating an energy efficient responsive architectural solution.

The offices while being a small part of a large 100 acre site, create a large community space that is usable by the residents of the township.

In addition the original water collection area is enlarged and will serve to augment the water requirement of the entire township.

The Reservoir is thus not only a sustainable office design but it extends to create a meaningful & contextual community space.