Matter . House . Soul / Two Fold Studio

Matter . Space . Soul / Two Fold Studio

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Text description provided by the architects. The universe has a harmonious soul in the visual and spiritual spheres, both architecture and nature are elements of the soul that should have a similar harmonious soul. The geometrical rules can be considered as guidelines to design such rhymed elements. A building needs to be placed within the context of a location and culture. Today’s architecture needs to reflect on the task and possibilities which are inherently its own. Keeping this in mind Two Fold Studio tried to exercise in creating a space that evokes an emotional response from the occupants of the space.

Initially, the owner of a restaurant approached 2FS to design an extension of his existing restaurant which is far away from the metropolitan chaos. His general idea was to isolate people from the daily monotonous life and offer a breathing space. After visiting the site and several brainstorming sessions our prime decision was to keep the space naturally ventilated to preserve its true essence. To study the form and façade of the particular structure we indulged in the scenic beauty of the site and thought deeply about the project. The wide scenario and expanded greenery itself help us to forget the stress of regular life. The whole landscape is occupied with paddy fields but in the monsoon entire area hides underwater. Two seasons offer totally different perspectives of this land. In tropical climates such as ours what we need is porosity in form. We designed a lightweight structure that allows air to circulate and makes better use of natural light. On the other hand conduction of heat is minimum due to excessive influx of southern air.

To ensure a certain level of privacy operable bamboo screening is introduced to shelter the users during summer. Because in the harvesting period local farmers work all over the land so there is a need to provide a sense of privacy between workers and users. Also, the elevations are designed in a way so that in monsoons maximum portion of the façade remains open as there are no issues of privacy during this time.

The pavilion offers its users to make this place of their own and use it with their own flexibility and choices. As a result, we did not offer any furniture in this space. Minimal seating over the platform is encouraged to comply with the local tradition of having food. This allows users to avail the spaces in a more friendly and ecological way. Since the space within is important therefore it becomes a living entity with a soul and it is not about external appearances as with a sculpture.

Energy conservation and sustainability are two important aspects when it comes to construction.  The design promotes an architecture with reduced environmental impact through the use of eco-friendly and locally available materials such as bamboo and wood. Our basic vision was to disclose an example of sustainable architecture that stands out in terms of aesthetic contentment, counteract the waste of forms and meanings, and speak its own language.