Built Expressions Bangalore :: Ar. Sunil Patil

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Architecture in Harmony with Nature

Ar. Sunil Patil, Principal Architect, Ar. Sunil Patil & Associates

In a candid interaction with Built Expressions, Pune-based, Ar. Sunil Patil, shares - "architectural design should be able to strike the right balance between human aspirations our eco system."

At this juncture of progressive development and advanced technologies, we are witnessing a blend of efficiency and eco friendly sentiment. This trend is catching up without dampening the spirit of creativity. One can behold such fusion of efficiency, eco-friendliness and creativity in the works of Ar. Sunil Patil from Pune.

Graduated from Kolhapur, he started his practice in 1994 as Sunil Patil and Associates (SPA). SPA is one of the leading Architectural consultancies with offices in Pune and Kolhapur and a team of 42 creative Architects and Interior Designers.

Ar. Sunil Patil has designed more than 350 versatile projects across India which includes Residential & Commercial Complexes, Industrial Buildings, Institutional Blocks, Residential & Corporate Interiors, and Public Utility Places etc.

Drawing inspiration from world renowned architect Charles correa's who is known for simplicity in architecture; Ar. Sunil adopts much of his philosophy and says, "His architecture proves that aesthetics is not just about unusual forms but it’s all about the scale and proportions."

He strongly believes in designing spaces with due respect to nature, so the philosophy of his studio and works centres around 'Harmony with Nature' - By instinct, man likes to be with the nature. His body and his mind respond better to the nature than manmade spaces. There is nothing better than nature that relaxes the man and keeps him healthier. “I have always believed this and has been practicing for last 22 years with this philosophy," adds Ar. Sunil.

Each project out of 350 has its own identity and invariably stands apart. He feels that, unlike other arts in architecture the gap between the formation of idea in mind and the execution of it in reality is much high, which allows the mind to continue designing even after completion. “Therefore, after completion of every project, I feel that it still could have been done in a better way. I always find the scope of improvement in every project even after completion. Hence my favourite project is always the one, which is under designing,” he adds.

In the span of his 22 years of architectural stint, he has been the recipient of so many national and regional awards. Recently, he won 'Artist in Concrete Award', a national award under Industrial Category – Winery at Akluj. Also, 'Excellence in Architectural Profession and Education' award instituted by Indian Institute of Architects(IIA) Maharashtra Chapter and The Indian Institute of Architects Awards - – National Award – Excellence in Architecture in industrial category - Winery at Akluj to name a few.

"Winery at Akluj"- An award winning project

Ar. Sunil Patil

The site for winery is located at Akluj (Dist. Solapur) , Maharashtra having a typical sub-tropical climate. It sits in the middle of 44 acre vineyards with road on the north side. In an industrial building, the performance of the building in terms of its function is of paramount importance.

Economy in construction plays an important role as every penny invested is expected to gain calculated income. Besides creating an appropriate environment for the work encouragement, it is a great challenge to achieve sustainability in the building as normally industrial buildings are perceived as menace to sustainability.

He details the project elements and says, "This project has been designed using climate as the basic parameter of the design and has been successfully completed in a stipulated budget and time. The true architecture is beyond all these technical parameters of the building. Every building has the unique soul which expresses itself in its unique manner. The soul of this building is the intricately designed spaces which interact with each other in such a manner that the visitor can feel the process of wine making. One can enjoy viewing the vineyards and the processing unit from the wine tasting lounge and feels the entire process of wine making."

The challenging part of the project is to maintain the environmental quality as per the product specification.

The winery is divided into three main zones - Manufacturing unit, Administration block and Guest house. The primary and largest zone is the manufacturing unit which needs to follow technical parameters precisely on which its performance is based. The solar passive approach has been used to attain thermal comfort & use of natural light and ventilation has reduced the running cost of the project adding to its cost effectiveness.

Open spaces are integral part of built form as they tend to modify the microclimate based upon how they are positioned. The main tank hall and the administrative block are placed in such a way that central courtyard is formed. This courtyard remains shaded by the built masses around it hence reducing the heat gain during the day. Building materials form a large component of energy consumption that is why it becomes important criteria for any sustainable building. This project has been built with large use of natural and low cost materials. Landscape plays a key role in the campus not only as a visually pleasing element but also as a microclimate modifier. The landscape for Winery is designed to merge with its surroundings and has natural flair to it.

The interior is very simple and minimalist. The wine tasting lounge is designed in such a manner that it floats over sprawling vineyards and landscape mound and also has view of the main tank hall through courtyard.

Architecture and its evolution

Architecture, while going through various eras, has been changing its definition and purpose. Starting with stone age where architecture started just as a shelter for various human activities, it became status symbol and the recognition of various civilization in the history, but today we have come to a consensus that excessive construction has become menace to our planet itself, hence architecture is as great responsibility to strike the right balance between human aspiration our eco system. Hence today the sustainable & green architecture is not just important trust the only thing to look at as architecture.

'The Contemporary - Vernacular Architecture'

We believe that the architecture shall belong to the geographical location, the culture, the climate and the era in which it is built. Our designs stress on using vernacular material and ethos in a contemporary style, which we call The Contemporary Vernacular Architecture.

Unlike other arts, architecture creation is an inhibited sculpture. It has to perform for the function for which the space is designed and built for. Hence, it's always "Form follows functions". Well, in case of iconic structure, form itself is the beacon.

Commenting on a query on the role of advanced technology over creativity of sketching on paper he says that the advanced technology has definitely reduced the use of pencil and sketchpads but they are not obsolete as the designers still prefer pencil and sketchpad for basic idea formation. The human hand always keeps better pace with the brain than any other instrument.

Vertical farming for tall buildings

Tall buildings appear to be inevitable and order of the day especially in urban habitat. Imbibing sustainable structure with due respect to new generation construction material is a challenge.

"In today's densely populated urban areas, it is necessary to reduce the construction foot print which will allow us to have healthier open space to built up area ratio. Reduction of footprint itself is an important aspect of sustainable architecture. With the modern technologies and materials we can built taller & still maintain the required population density. We can also promote vertical farming which can be possible with the new material & technology," opines Ar. Sunil.

To conclude, about his work he feels that the spaces which are created shall not just satisfy the functional needs of the users but shall become their companion in sharing the unforgettable moments in their life. In future, he hopes to see the usage of modern technology to create smart and sustainable cities in future.

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