DOUBLE THE GREEN
29 Jun 2016
A new residential development in India will incorporate a two-storey garden on each private balcony that will encourage inhabitants to grow their own green and provide the building with a park-like facade.
Penda recently released further plans for the Magic Breeze residential complex in Hyderabad, India. A few months ago, they unveiled a design for a garden influenced by traditional Indian water mazes and stepwells to offer commual green space for building inhabitants. Now they've revealed each duplex sky villa in the complex will also have its own double-height garden space, where residents can grow vegetables or herbs.
The entire 41,806sqm complex will be developed by Pooja Crafted Homes. 127 stacked sky villas will be 242 to 372sqm, and each unit will have a private 47sqm square foot balcony. Inspired by the typology of a “private house with a garden,” Penda’s design allows residents to enjoy the outdoors and cultivate their own plants. Ribbon lawns and modular planters offer versatility.
According to Penda, “These green in-betweens give a great sense of openness and vitality to the compound that loosens up the density a tenant would experience in a common condominium building.” They envision the green spaces will look like a park creeping up the sides of the building as it stretches into the sky.
The abundance of plants helps the complex attain greater energy efficiency, potentially saving as much as 60 percent in energy use. The gardens also provide ventilation and passive cooling for the building. As Hyderabad temperatures can climb to above 38 degrees celsius in the summer, these features are immensely beneficial for residents trying to escape the heat.
Penda incorporated principles of Vaastu, traditional Hindu architectural practices, into their design. Vaastu emphasizes building “in harmony with nature.” Vaastu ideas are found in Hindu scriptures, and Penda worked to honor some of them by providing copious green space in the Magic Breeze design.
Construction is slated to begin later this year.
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