Embracing Innovation for Sustainable Living in Arid Climates
Architectural Innovation: Curved Screens for Climate Control
The exterior of Cielo, a towering residential structure in Maharashtra, India, is distinguished by its elegantly curved screens. Conceived by the visionary team at Sanjay Puri Architects in Mumbai, these screens are more than just an aesthetic feature; they are a sophisticated solution to combat the intense heat prevalent in Nagpur for a significant portion of the year. This design element highlights a commitment to climate-responsive architecture, ensuring comfort for residents.
Strategic Design in a Constrained Urban Footprint
Situated on a compact 900-square-meter parcel in Nagpur, Cielo navigates stringent local building codes that mandate open spaces around its perimeter. The architectural solution was to dedicate each of the 12 levels to a single, spacious 270-square-meter apartment, each boasting four bedrooms. This strategic layout is crucial for maximizing natural cross-ventilation, a vital element in passively cooling the interiors and enhancing air circulation.
Addressing Nagpur's Arid Conditions with Architectural Ingenuity
The city of Nagpur is notorious for its scorching climate, a factor often overlooked in contemporary urban developments. Sanjay Puri, the studio's founder, emphasized that Cielo's design directly confronts this challenge by incorporating generously shielded areas and balconies for every room. This thoughtful integration of architectural elements ensures that the internal living spaces remain comfortably cool without heavy reliance on active cooling systems.
The Pioneering Use of Foam Concrete Modules
Cielo's distinctive facade is crafted from custom-made curved foam concrete modules, a result of a collaborative effort with FlexStone, a leading cladding company. These modules give the building a unique, almost pixelated texture. The primary function of these meticulously designed components is to act as a formidable barrier against extreme heat, thereby facilitating passive cooling throughout the residential units.
Dynamic Facade: Functionality Meets Esthetics
Each curved module spans two stories, ingeniously forming a protective screen for the apartment on the lower level. Above, they elegantly extend outwards, creating an inviting balcony for the adjacent residence. Puri elaborates that this alternating horizontal and vertical arrangement across the building not only shields against heat and provides verdant outdoor spaces for each room but also endows the structure with a captivating sculptural quality, reflecting regional architectural traditions that have utilized screens for centuries.
Sustainable Construction: Echoes of Heritage
In a nod to both historical architectural practices and environmental responsibility, these innovative screens are produced using 80 percent recycled materials, significantly reducing their carbon footprint. This commitment to sustainability underscores a broader vision for eco-conscious development.
Thoughtful Interior Layout for Enhanced Living
Inside each apartment, Sanjay Puri Architects has meticulously arranged the living areas at the core, with the kitchen occupying one corner and the bedrooms strategically distributed across the remaining three. This layout ensures privacy and functionality while maintaining an open, airy feel.
Optimized Ventilation and Thermal Regulation
Every room in Cielo benefits from a semi-open area, with layouts ingeniously alternating between screened balconies and double-height open decks. This design minimizes heat gain and substantially improves natural ventilation, further affirming the building's climate-responsive approach. Puri highlights that the combination of strategic layouts, advanced screens, and sheltered balconies markedly reduces internal heat accumulation, creating a consistently comfortable indoor environment.
The Legacy of Sanjay Puri Architects
Founded in Mumbai in 1992 by Sanjay and Nina Puri, the firm consistently delivers groundbreaking projects that blend functionality with artistic expression. Their recent portfolio includes a gracefully swirling community center in Rajasthan and a sophisticated boutique store in Mumbai, characterized by its striking cobalt blue floors, reflective chrome furniture, and an artistic column of yarn balls, showcasing their diverse architectural prowess.