Striking Rippling Brickwork Features The Sienna Apartments Designed by Sameep Padora and Associates | Hyderabad

Nestled in the Jubilee Hills check post area of Hyderabad city, this wonderful project christened ‘Sienna’ is designed by Mumbai-based Sameep Padora and Associates (sP+a). The striking feature of the building is its captivating rippling brick facade that offers vantage views of the abutting park. The entire project is designed carefully with interior layouts ensuring proper air ventilation through the terrace and balconies in each unit. Get to know other interesting features of this stunning project shared with SURFACES REPORTER (SR) by the firm:

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Interestingly, the architecture firm conceptualized and designed the building in Hyderabad, one of the early movers amongst cities in India that used form-based coding to structure the construction of new buildings.

The client approached the firm to design a building after getting municipal approvals for extending the building envelope.

Proper Air Circulation

As the building facade extents got approved, the firm took further steps to re-plan the floor layout so that the two apartment units on each floor were cross-ventilated through terraces and balconies on adjoining faces of each section, overlooking the surrounding green landscape. 

Undulating Exposed Brick Facade

The second point of intervention was the Sienna Apartments building envelope consisting of undulating walls and horizontal sun protection. The firm worked with master brick masons from Pondicherry, South India to design a wall system made from 9-inch-thick brick walls.

The structure is then corbelled to transport the load of stone faced lintels/chajjas. Glass bay windows are recessed, set into the openings created by the corbelled brickwork and the cantilevered stone faced lintels. 

Also Read: Studio Lotus Designs A Distinctive Brick Facade Inspired by Ikat Patterns For Krushi Bhawan in Odisha | An Epitome of Sustainability

Corbelled Walls Define Its visual Aesthetics

To ensure the structural integrity of the wall corbelling, the design team framed wooden templates for the masons to join and keep the bricks at their required angles.

So, while the project is visually defined by these corbelled walls, the systemic potential of the project is from the design of these simple low-tech wooden templates that allow for the corbelling to happen with accuracy. 

The project through its usage of advanced coding tools and construction processes looks to acknowledge and analyse vernacular architectural elements along with optimising the expertise of the traditional craftsman, helping in evolving the extent of their craft in a modern way. 

Project Details

About the Firm

sP+a (Sameep Padora and Associates) is a Mumbai-based design studio founded by Sameep Padora. The firm has become increasingly popular owing to its persistent encouragement of sustainable, contextual and innovative architecture. In 2017 sP+a won two prestigious international competitions, for the National War Museum at India Gate in Delhi and the Maharashtra Nature Park In Mumbai. Sameep is also a member of academic councils for several architectural schools in India and is a member of the National Technical Committee of Habitat for Humanity, India.

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