SHARANAM: CENTRE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
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SITE PLAN
PROJECT DETAILS
LOCATION: USTERI LAKE, PONDICHERRY, INDIA
YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2014
TOTAL BUILT AREA: 1728 SQ.M
ARCHITECTURE FIRM: JATEEN LAD & TRUPTI DOSHI
BUILDING TYPOLOGY: INSTITUTIONAL
SITE CONTEXT
SHARANAM IS A CENTRE FOR RURAL TRANSFORMATION, LOCATED ON THE
WESTERN OUTSKIRTS OF PONDICHERRY, SOUTH INDIA WHICH SERVES AS
THE HEADQUARTERS OF SARVAM, ACTIVE IN THE VILLAGES OF WESTERN
TAMIL NADU.
MEANING “REFUGE”, SHARANAM WAS CONCEIVED IN THE AFTERMATH OF
THE DEVASTATING 2004 INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI TO HOST ACTIVE
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS UPLIFTING ALL ASPECTS OF VILLAGE LIFE
INCLUDING HEALTH, EDUCATION, INCOME GENERATION AND SPECIAL
INITIATIVES FOR CHILDREN, WOMEN AND THE ELDERLY.IT WAS BUILT AT
THE EDGE OF A RURAL LANDSCAPE THAT WAS RAVAGED BY ILLEGAL
QUARRYING.
SHARANAM HAS ALLOWED SARVAM TO EXPAND ITS OUTREACH. THE
CAMPUS IS USED BY LOCAL SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOLS, DEVELOPMENT
AGENCIES, FARMERS AND TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTES, ALL OF WHICH
HOST REGULAR EVENTS THERE.
CLIMATE RESPONSE
IN RESPONSE TO THE HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE, THE BUILDING
HAS BEEN ORIENTED SUCH THAT IT IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE
DIRECTION OF THE PREDOMINANT SUMMER BREEZE. OPEN
ARRAY OF PIERS ARE ALSO PROVIDED TO FUNNEL COASTAL
BREEZES INTO THE BUILDING WITHOUT THE HELP OF AIR-
CONDITIONING OR FANS.
OVER 1000 NATIVE TREES WERE PLANTED AND THIS THICK TREE
COVER HAS HELPED IN CREATING A FAVOURABLE LOCAL
MICROCLIMATE AND ALSO IN THE PREVETION OF SOIL EROSION.
TO MAKE THE CAMPUS CLIMATICALLY RESPONSIVE, 12+
PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL COOLING HAVE ALSO BEEN INTEGRATED.
THESE INCLUDED EVAPORATIVE COOLING THROUGH WATER
BODIES, CAVITY WALLS INCREASING THERMAL MASS, VERTICAL
GARDENS AND ROOFTOP GARDENS.
ROOFTOP GARDEN FOR THERMAL CONTROL
. RADIANT COOLING SYSTEM HAS
BEEN EMPLOYED FOR THERMAL
COMFORT, WHICH HELPS IN
GIVING COMFORTABLE
TEMPERATURE AT A FRACTION OF
THE COST
CULTURAL CONTINUITY
THE DESIGN OF SHARANAM HAS BEEN INSPIRED BY THE CAREFUL STUDY OF TRADITIONAL
TAMIL BUILDINGS, NAMELY, TEMPLES, CHETTINAD HOUSES AND LOCAL BEHAVIOUR
PATTERNS. THIS WAS DONE TO PROVIDE A SENSE OF BELONGING AND FAMILIARITY FOR
THE PEOPLE COMING FROM THE VILLAGE.
RAISED PLATFORM INSPIRED FROM TAMIL VERNACULAR HOMES FROM THE CHETTINAD
REGION CALLED THINNAI ENCLOSES THE MAIN HALL AND IS USED AS A CONVERSATION
AND GATHERING AREA FOR THE ELDERS OF THE HOUSE. THE THINNAI (PLATFORM) HERE
IS NOW USED TO HOST MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS.
THINNAIS WERE ALSO TRADITIONALLY USED FOR TEACHING THE CHILDREN BY A FAMILY
MEMBER. IT WAS ALSO USED AS A SHELTER BY STRANGERS.
THE COLONADE PRESENT RESEMBLES THE
COLUMNS FROM DRAVIDIAN STYLE TEMPLES
THAT ARE PREDOMINANT IN TAMIL NADU,
BUT WITH LESS ORNAMENTATION AND
HAS A RECTILINEAR FORM.
ELEMENTS LIKE SIMPLE FLOOR PLAN WITH
WIDE SPACES, WELL-VENTILATED COURTYARDS
CALLED MITTAM AND SEGMENTED VAULTS ARE
TAKEN FROM CHETTINAD INTERIORS.
 CONSCIOUS DESIGN
BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED
MATERIALS USED: THE ARCHITECT HAS TRIED TO MINIMIZE THE USE OF
THE PRIMARY BUILDING MATERIAL USED WAS EARTH, NAMELY THE RED SOIL OF ENERGY CONSUMING AND ENVIRONMENTALLY POLLUTING MATERIALS
THE SITE ITSELF. TWO PRIMARY TECHNIQUES FOR EARTH CONSTRUCTION THAT (SUCH AS STEEL, CEMENT AND REINFORCED CONCRETE) AND FITTINGS (SUCH
WERE EMPLOYED ARE: AS AIR-CONDITIONERS) BY REPLACING THEM WITH ENVIRONMENTALLY
1. RAMMED EARTH FOUNDATIONS: FOUNDATION PITS WERE PRECISELY DUG RESPONSIVE MATERIALS AND SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES. THE MAIN
AND THE SAME EXCAVATED EARTH WAS SIEVED, MIXED AND RAMMED BACK. MATERIALS USED IN CONSTRUCTION HAD LOW EMBODIED ENERGY AND
NO STEEL OR CONCRETE WAS USED IN THE FOUNDATION PITS. THESE WERE OF HIGH QUALITY AND DURABILITY, THEREBY MINIMIZING FUTURE
FOUNDATIONS ARE ONLY 3 FEET DEEP, WAIST HEIGHT AND ARE CAPABLE OF MAINTENANCE.
TAKING A 7 STOREY BUILDING ON IT. THIS ENSURED ZERO WASTAGE OF RAW MAXIMUM OPTIMIZATION OF NATURAL DAYLIGHT:TO REDUCE THE
MATERIAL AND COST EFFICIENCY. OPERATIONAL ENERGY DURING THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE BUILDING AND TO
MAKE IT ENERGY EFFICIENT, THE DESIGN MAXIMIZES THE USE OF DAYLIGHT.
2. COMPRESSED STABILIZED EARTH BLOCKS (CSEBS): EARTH FROM THE LOWEST
POINT ON SITE WAS USED TO MANUFACTURE ALMOST 200,000 CUSTOM-
MADE CSEBS OF 9 DIFFERENT SIZES AND TYPES DEPENDING UPON THE USE.
THESE ATTAINED CONSIDERABLE STRENGTH BY STABILIZING THEM WITH 5%
CEMENT AND CURING THEM UNDER THE SUN. AS A RESULT, WHEN
COMPARED TO MARKET BRICKS THESE BLOCKS WERE THREE TIMES THE
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH, ONE THIRD OF THE PRICE AND CONTAINED ONE-
TENTH OF THE EMBODIED ENERGY.
FORM DEVELOPMENT

NATURAL ACOUSTICS: TO OVERCOME THE ERRATIC POWER SUPPLY, THE

VAULTED ROOF HAS BEEN ACOUSTICALLY DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT
SPEAKERS CAN BE CLEARLY HEARD BY 300 PEOPLE WITHOUT USING
MICROPHONES.
THE SECOND MAIN MATERIAL USED WAS FERROCEMENT WHICH UTILISED
MINIMUM STEEL & CEMENT. NATURAL LANDSCAPING: THE ENTIRE CAMPUS HAS BEEN DESIGNED AROUND
EXISTING TREES AND THE SURROUNDING FLORA.
ZERO WASTE TECHNOLOGY: THE BUILDING ENCOMPASSES ZERO WASTE
PRINCIPLES AND IS ENTIRELY RECYCLABLE. THE EARTHEN VAULTED ROOF WAS
BUILT WITH 9.5M WIDE FREE SPANNING ARCHES, WITHOUT ANY
FORMWORK. THROUGH PRECISE STRUCTURAL CALCULATIONS, THE
THICKNESS OF THE ARCHED ROOF WAS BROUGHT DOWN FROM 150 CM TO A
MERE 9 CM AT THE KEYSTONE, THUS REDUCING THE NEED OF SEVERAL
HUNDRED BAGS OF CEMENT TO MERELY 33 BAGS.
WATER AND WASTE MANAGEMENT: TO ENSURE MINIMAL WATER
FOOTPRINT, ROOFTOP RAINWATER IS HARVESTED AND RECYCLED FOR
OTHER PRINCIPAL MATERIALS INCLUDE LOCAL BLACK GRANITE FOR THE THINNAI, SECONDARY DOMESTIC PURPOSES SUCH AS FLUSHING AND REFILLING POOLS
SALVAGED JAISALMER STONE FLOORS, WASTE PEBBLES, LOCAL LIME, NATURAL THE PROJECT UTILISES TRADITIONAL BUILDING MATERIALS (MUD) AND DESIGN IN THE LANDSCAPING. TREATED WASTEWATER FROM THE KITCHEN AND
PIGMENTS, COCONUT OIL AND WHITE WAX. ELEMENTS TO CREATE A CONTEXTUALLY FITTING BUILDING STRENGTHENED BY WASHROOMS IS USED IN IRRIGATION AS A NATURAL FERTILIZER FOR PLANTS.
INNOVATIVE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES ALL THIS ENSURES MINIMUM DEPENDENCE ON GROUNDWATER.
28 TALL EXPOSED PIERS OF THE
SUPERSTRUCTURE WERE CONSTRUCTED ARCHITECT’S IDEOLOGY
WITH AN INTEGRAL EARTHQUAKE
RESISTANT FEATURE. A 5CM DIAMETER THE ARCHITECT’S WORKS ARE GUIDED BY A BELIEF THAT GOOD THOUGHTFUL
HOLE AT THE CENTRE OF THE BLOCKS DESIGN AND ETHICAL CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES CAN BE A FORCE FOR
ALLOWS PASSAGE OF VERTICAL STEEL TIES SOCIAL CHANGE.THIS IS SEEN IN THE USE OF LOCAL BUILDING MATERIAL AND
WHICH ARE TIED TO STIRRUPS SET IN THE VILLAGERS AS LABOURERS IN THE PROJECT. HE STRIVES TO WORK AT THE
MORTAR AT REGULAR INTERVALS. THIS GRASSROOTS AND IMPROVE COMMUNITY QUALITY WITH THE HELP OF
GREATLY INCREASES THE SHEAR STRENGTH HOLISTIC SUSTAINABLE DESIGN.
OF THE PIERS.
 CHECKLIST FOR SITE SELECTION
LIK 21 – 22 THEME: INFILL ARCHITECTURE, VERNACULAR-MODERN CONNECTION

PROJECT NAME: SHARANAM CENTRE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

PLACE: PONDICHERRY

✅ 1. IS IT BUILT WITHIN LAST 30 YEARS?

COMPLETION YEAR- 2014

✅ 2. DOES IT HAVE A MINIMUM BUILT AREA OF 1000 SQ. M?

TOTAL BUILT AREA- 1728 SQ. M

✅ 3.*(IS IT BUILT BY AN ARCHITECT?) *

ARCHITECT, PHONE NUMBER – JATEEN LAD

✅ 4.IS IT A NON-RELIGIOUS OR NON-SPIRITUAL STRUCTURE?

• IF SO, UNDER WHICH BUILDING TYPOLOGY DOES IT COME UNDER?

RESIDENTIAL
☐COMMERCIAL
✅ ASSEMBLY
✅ INSTITUTIONAL
☐ STORAGE
☐ CIVIC
☐ INDUSTRIAL

☐ 5. DOES IT CLASSIFY AS INFILL ARCHITECTURE (BY FOLLOWING THE SITE CONTEXT)?

- IS IT BLENDING IN WITH BROAD AND IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS?

- HOW IS IT FOLLOWING THE SITE CONTEXT?

✅ CLIMATE
• TOPOGRAPHY
 • TEMPERATURE
• WIND
• PRECIPITATION
• ORIENTATION
• SEASONALITY (RECORDING REGULAR ABNORMAL CHANGES OVER A
CERTAINPERIOD OF TIME)

✅ HISTORICAL ELEMENTS AND TRENDS

☐EXISTING ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE

✅ 6. IS IT PROMOTING CULTURAL CONTINUITY?

- IF SO, IN WHAT WAY(S)?
✅ FORM
☐SPATIAL PLANNING
✅ MATERIALS USED
✅ CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
☐CHARACTER
✅ SITING

☐SCALE

☐DETAILING
✅ SYMBOLISM USED

✅ 7. IS THE DESIGN A MIX OF LOCAL AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS WHILE FOLLOWING THE
ARCHITECT’S IDEOLOGY?

- IF SO, THE CRITERIA FOR ANALYSING THE PROJECT IS AS FOLLOWS:

 • MATERIALS USED
• CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
• ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
• PLANNING TECHNIQUES
• ORNAMENTATION

✅ 8. IS THE BUILDING CONSCIOUSLY DESIGNED?

- IF SO, ON WHAT BASIS?
✅ SUSTAINABILITY
✅ ECOLOGICAL DESIGN
✅ FUNCTIONALITY
☐HERITAGE CONSERVATION

DESCRIPTION