MAYA

SOMAIYA
LIBRARY

LIBRARY LITERATURE STUDY

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 4
4TH SEMESTER
ADITI GOEL
 • SAMEEP PADORA IS A PRACTICING ARCHITECT AND
PRINCIPAL OF THE DESIGN STUDIO SP+A IN MUMBAI.
• HE RECEIVED HIS DIPLOMA IN ARCHITECTURE FROM
ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE WENT ON TO STUDY AT SCI-
ARC IN LOS ANGELES, AND RECEIVED HIS MASTERS FROM
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
IN 2005.
• HIS FIRM’S PROJECTS HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS INCLUDING THE ARCHITECTURAL
REVIEW’S EMERGING ARCHITECTURE AWARD IN LONDON,
THE MARMOMACC INTERNATIONAL AWARD
ARCHITECTURE IN STONE IN VERONA.

“THE STUDIO’S APPROACH HENCE IS TO LOOK TO CONTEXT AS A REPOSITORY OF LATENT RESOURCES

CONNECTING PRODUCTION PROCESS AND NETWORK’S, APPROPRIATING TECHNIQUES BEYOND THEIR
TRADITIONAL USE WHILE ALLOWING THEM TO EVOLVE AND PERSIST NOT JUST THROUGH
PRESERVATION BUT MORE SO THROUGH EVOLUTION.”

KJ SOMAIYA
COLLEGE FOR IT,
MUMBAI

SHIVA TEMPLE,
PUNE

LATTICE HOUSE,
JAMMU

SOCIAL KHAR,
MUMBAI

ABOUT THE ARCHITECT

SPECS OF THE PROJECT
Architects: Sameep Padora & Associates
Location: Koparagaon, Maharashtra, India
Area: 5750 ft² = 534.1925 m²
Year: 2018
Design Team: Vami Sheth Koticha, Archita Banerjee, Manasi Punde,
Aparna Dhareshwar
Structural Engineering: Foundation Design: Sameer Sawant
Client: Somaiya Vidyavihar
Site Area: 3 acres
THE MAYA SOMAIYA LIBRARY BY SAMEEP PADORA AND ASSOCIATES HAS WON THE
COVETED BEAZLEY AWARD 2019 FOR ARCHITECTURE.

MAYA SOMAIYA LIBRARY, KOPARAGAON, MAHARASHTRA

SITE PLAN
The site chosen for this small addition of a children’s library within
a school in rural Maharashtra, was a sliver between existing
buildings and the school boundary, a site that almost implied a
linear building footprint to adjust the program for the chosen site.
CONCEPT AND IDEA
• AN ACCESIBLE PAVILLION UNDERNEATH AND A WALKWAY LIKE
ROOF STRUCTURE
• FORM ACTS AS A TRANSITIONAL SPACE
• DESIGNED AS AN ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPE
• INSPIRING SPATIAL EXPERIENCE TO ATTRACT STUDENTS AND
OTHER RESIDENTS
BUILT VEGETATION SITE

SPORTS GROUND PATHWAY

VISUAL CONNECT

PHYSICAL CONNECT
 N

WIND DIRECTION

COURTYARDS
DAYLIGHT

VENTILATION AND DAYLIGHT

• THE LINEAR FORM ALLOWS FOR PROPER CROSS VENTILATION
• THE SITE IS SITUATED IN A MODERATE CLIMATE
• FIVE COURTYARDS FORMED BY THE VAULT PROVIDE DAYLIGHT INSIDE
THE LIBRARY WITHOUT MUCH RADIATION
• THE SELF-STRUCTURED WINDOW BAYS OPEN ALTERNATE PANELS AND
CAN REGULATE THE WIND FLOW INTO THE BUILDING
• SOUTH-WEST WIND FLOWS THROUGH THE PUBLIC SPACE ON TOP AND
THROUGHOUT THE LIBRARY
 Surrounding domes Library

SURROUNDING INSPIRED
• THE DOME SHAPE FROM THE SURROUNDING HAS BEEN
ABSTRACTED TO A MORE PLAYFUL AND AESTHETIC SHAPE OF
VAULT.
• PURSUE OF THE PROJECT FOLLOWED A CONTRUCTION
INTELLIGENCE.
 o THE EXTERNAL CIRCULATION IS ROOF

CIRCULATION o
CIRCULATION.
5 ENDS OF THE VAULT POINT TO
DIFFERENT AREAS LIKE THE KINDER
INTERNAL CIRCULATION
GARDEN, SPORTS COMPLEX AND THE
MAIN SCHOOL BLOCK.
EXTERNAL CIRCULATION
o A TRASITION SPACE
o THE INTERNAL CIRCULATION IS
DESIGNED TO BE PAVILLION LIKE.
o IT IS ACCESSIBLE FROM ALL 5 SIDES
THROUGH THE CORROGATED WINDOWS.
 SPATIAL ARRANGMENT

PRIVATE STUDY AREA DISCUSSION POCKETS FORMED BOOK SHELVES ARRANGED TO MAKE POCKETS

BASIC ZONING

PUBLIC
PRIVATE

SPATIAL ARRANGMENT AND ZONING

• THE PUBLIC ZONE ACTS AS A PAVILLION WHERE STUDENTS WALK IN FROM
DIFFERENT PARTS TO STUDY OR JUST HANG OUT. THE ENTIRE ROOF IS
PUBLIC AT ALL TIMES.
• THE SMALL PRIVATE POCKETS ARE MADE SO THAT STUDENTS CAN STUDY
IN QUIET. THE CEILING HEIGHT IS RELATIVELY LOWER IN THESE PLACES,
DISTINGUISHING THE SPACE BY ITSELF.
• THE ARRANGMENT OF THE BOOK SHELVES BOUGHT AN OPPORTUNITY TO
CREATE DISCUSSION TABLES.
6M

22.5M
18M

18.5M

• APPROXIMMATELY 60% OF THE SITE

BUILT
IS BUILT AND 40% UNBUILT
DIMENSIONS COURTYARDS.
• THE MAX CEILING HEIGHT IS 6M
UNBUILT • THE MAX SPAN IS 22.5 APPROX.

BUILT AND UNBUILT

 • WOODEN BOOK
SHELVES
• METAL FRAMED
CORROGATED
WINDOWS
• CYLINDRICAL STOOLS
AND TABLES FOR
COLLABORATIVE
STUDY

• A FLOOR STOOL
SYSTEM
TOWARDS THE
EDGES FOR A
MORE INTIMATE
STUDY AREA .

• THE CEILING IS
LEFT UNTOUCHED
TO RETAIN IT’S
BEAUTY
• FANS ARE
SUPPORTED FROM
GROUND

INTERIOR PHOTOS
 LIBRARY EXTENDS TO THE OAT

SELF-STRUCTURED WINDOWS PROVIDE ADEQUATE DAYLIGHTING

STRUCTURE
• THE ARCHITECT LOOKED AT THE FORMS OF VAULTED BRICK CEILINGS FOUND
IN CATALONIA TO DEVELOP THE COMPLEX CURVED ROOF.
• THE USED THE BRICK LAYERING TECHNIQUE OF CATALAN VAULT FROM SPAIN
• THE REINFORCEMENT TECHNIQUES FROM URUGUAY WHICH WAS
DEVELOPED BY RAFAEL GUASTAVINO MORENO
• THE LOCALLY AVAILABLE MATERIAL BRICK TILES IN INDIA
• WITH THE HELP OF A SOFTWARE CALLED RHINO VAULT THEY DEDUCED THE
FORCE SYSTEMS OF THE FLUID ROOF
FREE STANDING STRUCTURE REINFORCEMENT BARS USED

CATALAN VAULT PROVIDING COLUMN FREE SPACE

CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
• 32MM THICK BRICK TILE
• 25MM MORTAR
• 15MM MORTAR JOINT BETWEEN BRICK TILES TO PREVENT SEEPAGE
 BRICK TILE VAULTING

GEO-TEXTILE MATERIAL

REINFORCEMENT
TECHNIQUES
FROM URUGUAY
DEVELOPED BY
ELADIO DIESTE

ROOFING MATERIALS
• LOCALLY AVAILABLE BRICK TILES USED
• GEOTEXTILE MATERIAL USED BETWEEN THE BRICK LAYERS
• THE GEO-TEXTILE MATERIAL TAKES THE LATERAL FORCES
• THE BRICK IS LAID IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE JOINTS DO NOT
OVERLAP TO PREVENT SEEPAGE
ACCESIBLE ROOF
PLAN

SECTION

ELEVATION

DRAWINGS
PHILOSOPHY OF THE
PROJECT
oThe structure as an “ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPE”
oA place inside for study and above for play
oCombining traditional techniques with modern software's
oProviding a free learning space with porosity
oColum free space for children
oProving the idea that learning happens both in open spaces and
closed spaces
oA spatial experience to attract students as well as the residents
near by to help the economy of the school
oA pavilion accessed from multiple sides
oKids friendly monolithic seating
oNo ceiling attachments to retain the beauty of the vault
oA structure more than just four walls and a roof
oA landscape that invites children to climb on it and walk under it
into a cavernous space
oTo make architecture a part of the memories that associate with
the development, with the childhood of the children
oTo create a building that would imbed itself into the imagination
of the children that go through the school