For: Abaxial Architects PL
Street Elevation: Priyanshi Shukla
The brief was to look into the difficult lives of children with extreme mindsets, suicidal tendencies, addictions and so on. By design we were asked to find solutions for children who hurt themselves or others. We formulated an experiential brief towards the design of the orphanage, and improvised the functional aspects of the building accordingly.We believe it is important to keep ethics, compassion and respect in mind. As architects we are committed to a different kind of humanitarian architecture where by understanding social implications of architectural design we try to change things for the better .
It was our responsibility to design the place in such a way that it affirmatively impacted the lives of the children, that was lively for the children to be around in and that spoke to the children as and when they felt out of place. Duty was entrusted for recreating the house as children-friendly space. Keeping in mind the aesthetics that would be appealing for the children, the outer windows were conceived in the shape of a cone and the beds were to be placed behind this elevation. Each bed maintained a clear and direct axis with a window so their visions wouldn’t be limited to the street outside but to the sky, the stars.
The external facade was made to look playful by stacking beds like a beehive that reflected the geometry in the elevation in exposed brick. The building was designed with a courtyard in the middle, with large windows of the rooms facing inwards, thereby exposing the children to an external environment for recreation purposes.