C P Kukreja Architects (CPKA), India’s leading multi-disciplinary architectural and engineering firm, has won the prestigious HUDCO Design Awards for their project HRRL Township in Barmer, Rajasthan.
The Architects received this honour in New and Innovative Town Design Solutions/Eco Cities for their outstanding project through a national competition. Spread over an area of over 250 acres and is being developed as a thriving eco city, this wonderful project imbibes vernacular design and construction strategies.
Located adjacent to HRRL’s upcoming oil refinery and in the interiors of Thar Desert, the project is a joint venture company (HRRL) between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Government of Rajasthan. It is conceptualised as a self-reliant township for the workers of this major Indian oil company.
Designed with a sustainable approach, the city flaunts features like dense natural vegetation, w-rise edifices with local Rajasthani architectural elements, open and shared recreational areas and a well spread out water body that maintains the micro-climate within and around the site.
Recently, the project is under construction. The architects took cues from the Johad (an oasis) to plan the layout of the Township. An oasis is ‘an isolated area of desert vegetation, typically surrounding a water source which provides a protected habitat for flora and fauna including humans.’
The careful planning of the project allowed the Architects to use concepts which would enable the township to grow as a regeneration model, one which revives the dry and arid region while using vernacular design practices. The township will also be ‘smart’ and sustainable with a deep focus on water conservation and management.
About CPKA
Started in 1969 with a vision to redefine architecture and planning in India, CP KUKREJA ARCHITECTS (CPKA) is one of the most revered architectural firms in the country. The firm is ranked amongst the Top 100 architecture firms in the world and Top 5 in Asia. CPKA has achieved the unique distinction of being the first design firm in India to have acquired a US-based design practice, specializing in Sustainability. Their integrated practice undertakes consultancy in Master Planning, Architecture Urban Design, Structural and Civil Engineering, Electrical, Plumbing and Sanitary Engineering, Air-conditioning and FDV System, Fire Fighting System, Quantity Surveying and Estimating, and Project Management.