Cloister House

Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Project Description

The residence is designed for a product designer who runs a Furniture Design Studio in Delhi. The studio is involved in designing and manufacturing various furniture pieces for the European market. As many of the manufacturing plants and workshops are located in Jodhpur, the residence is designed for the owner to be used as a rest house during his frequent visits and also facilitate the international buyers.

The residence is composed of basic functions with very less spatial requirement. The FAR is less than 75 and large open spaces are left around the house for landscaping. The house is climatically oriented and the built volume of the house is designed in a manner to provide shaded open spaces to the inhabitants during the summer months as well as areas are planned that receive south sun to be used in the winter months.

Concept and Ideology

The design revolves around the vernacular architectural language of Jodhpur and brings about the fundamental elements that have always been used in the Hot and Arid regions around the world. The volumetric and the spatial character of the inner spaces are inspired from Havelis (residential structures) and Forts (defensive structures) that defined the urban vernacular fabric of Rajasthan. The built structure and the functional requirements have been planned according to the climatic orientation to provide comfort and reduce energy consumption during the summer months.

The key principal in the design is to protect the inner spaces from the hot and dry climate of Jodhpur. This measure led to the building being built with thick walls for insulation, with small windows and with devices designed to take advantage of any potentially occurring cool breeze. The thick, well-insulated walls help in minimizing the heat gains.

Space Planning and Design

Circulation, toilets and service areas are located on the South and West sides of the building. This creates a buffer and reduces the heat loads in all the habitable spaces.

Each guest room is planned as a duplex to maintain privacy within each room; it also houses an internal stairway that connects the two bedrooms and opens up in the cloisters. The main staircase is planned adjacent to the courtyard so that no energy is spent on lighting and ventilation of circulation areas. The staircase is placed on the western façade and is the highest volume in the structure. This volume overshadows the internal courtyard and keeps it cool during the daytime. Cloisters are placed adjacent to the built structure with sunken central open space. The cloisters provide a multi-use space to the guest house.

Each room is planned as a duplex to maintain privacy within each room; it also houses an internal stairway that connects the two bedrooms and opens up in the cloisters. The main staircase is planned adjacent to the courtyard so that no energy is spent on lighting and ventilation of circulation areas. The staircase is placed on the western façade and is the highest volume in the structure. This volume overshadows the internal courtyard and keeps it cool during the daytime. Cloisters are placed adjacent to the built structure with sunken central open space. The cloisters provide a multi-use space to the guest house.

Climate Orientation

The planning is done to reduce heat gains from the western and southern façade. All major opening are planned along the north and eastern façades. This provides with ample daylight in all the interior spaces without increasing direct heat gains. This further reduces the air conditioning loads in the building and makes it cost as well as energy efficient. To further reduce the energy loads, a courtyard is planned at the center of the building that provides with daylight and green open space. Due to the stack effect, ventilation is maintained inside the building.

A cloister is adjoined with the residential part of the complex; an open space surrounded by covered walk-ways with open arcades on the inner side running along the walls of buildings forming a quadrangle. The attachment of a cloister to a building forms a continuous and solid architectural barrier that effectively separates the exterior to the interior personal space thus maintaining the privacy of the inhabitants and provides outdoor space in the extreme climate.

With the incorporation of various passive techniques for keeping the indoor temperature lower, reducing heat gains and providing fresh air inside the building, the complex becomes sustainable and a healthy living place.