SURFACES REPORTER (SR) is glad to share this design project aimed at raising awareness about poaching, a crucial issue as we move towards the 6th Mass Extinction of species in the history of mankind.
The dynamism of contemporary Architecture and its postulates keep facing numerous amendments in terms of new techniques, materials, and ways of construction. Parametricism or Parametric Architecture is one such style that emerged out of advanced ideas of computation and digital animation techniques, molded into the built world.
With the help of this mechanism, today designers can choose to recreate any form that seems relevant. However, the primary concern at hand, is whether these can be manifested to address pertinent global issues related to the environment, climatic changes and animal abuse.
Ant Studio has always endeavored to create designs that generate a conversation by blending such avant-garde processes with the exotic vibes of nature and express it through Art.
An Artistic Awareness Against Poaching
The ‘Pangolin Pavilion’ designed by Ant Studio at the ‘OneistoX’ workshop, required an ideology that would go beyond the generic norms of design and re-invent the concept of Parametricism but with a social cause.
Pangolins are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world. Despite their friendly temperament and an inability to cause any significant harm to human kind; they are trafficked for their scales, meat and blood.
In compliance with the Studio’s core philosophy, the firm sought to create an installation that could successfully spread an artistic awareness against poaching of these fascinating creatures. The primary brief handed by ‘OneistoX’, was to design in order to educate the upcoming architects and students about the intricacies of Parametricism.
Ar. Monish Siripurapu, Founding Partner/Principal Architect
Monish Siripurapu, Principal Architect, chose to raise the bar and implement an abstract form of the Pangolin, to meet the specifics of the organizers as well as spark a thought against animal abuse.
“In the age of infinite possibilities driven by technology, the question is no more how we build, but why we build and what we build'', as he states concisely.
Steel Rib Pavilion With Clamps to Hold Terracotta Tiles
Along with possessing the silver lining of representing a social cause, the design team sought to conceptualize a structure that is simple to assemble and incorporates mass- produced modules for the ease of procurement. Thus, the fundamental skeleton was made of steel ribs of unifying radii with clamps that hold the tiles. These ribs were then cut to suit the varying arc lengths and implanted at different angles, to create the basic structure.
While this segment of the modus operandi represented modern technical affluence, the twist which is synonymous to most designs of Ant Studio, was supplemented through the clamped tiles. Customized to symbolize the scales of a Pangolin, these Mangalore tiles were made of terracotta and thus added the ‘extra leaf’ of Nature to the final pavilion created.
Completed in a mere span of 10 days, the team was elated to be able to devise the apt blend between contemporary materials and an enveloping natural demeanor through its concept and execution.
An Innovation Inspired by Nature
Biomimicry is one of the most inspiring principles of design that can easily be instilled in our built world. Ant Studio team believes in connecting the people and the spaces we design with nature; like in the words of the great artist inventor Leonardo Da Vinci, – “Human ingenuity may make various inventions, but it will never devise any invention more beautiful, nor more simple, nor more to the purpose than Nature does; because in her inventions nothing is wanting and nothing is superfluous!”
Project Details
Installation Name: Pangolin Pavilion
Location: School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi
Completion Date: January 2020
About the Principal Architect
Monish Siripurapu laid the foundation of the ANT Studio to create designs that aim to not only reduce the harmful effects of the built environment on the natural aspects, but also to create a positive impact on the whole. His works has been published in numerous renowned publications in the world namely CNN, The Hindu, STIR World, The Week, World Architecture, Inside Outside, Archdaily, Elle Décor and many more. He has been an invited speaker at TEDX, UNDP India, Hyderabad Design Week, UNIDO and British Council.
About ANT Studio
The studio is miscellany of Art, Nature, and Technology inspired by teamwork and intelligence of Ants. Pondering upon the intersections of art, architecture, and design, the studio was founded by Monish Siripurapu, a graduate from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi, with a sole motive to bridge the gap between craft and machinery embracing all the spheres of art, architecture, technology, and materiality fusing with nature.
Photography Credits: Jaidev
Text Credits: Ar. Bineeta Ghoshal