South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre (砖表皮建筑).docVIP

ArchitectAnagram Architects Project South Asian Human Rights Documentation CentreNew Delhi / India, 2006 Description South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC) is a non-governmental organisation which seeks to investigate, document and disseminate information about human rights. A small office with limited resources, the SAHRDC also runs an internship programme attracting scholars from universities in India and abroad. It required an office to be made on a 50 sqm plot emphasising spatial efficiency and cost effective construction.Design GeneratorsSTREET CORNERThe site is at a busy street corner with essentially pedestrian traffic. As the site is not very large, the acoustic and visual intrusion of the street activity into work spaces was a key concern.CONSTRAINTS OF SPACE AND COSTSThe method of construction adopted had to optimize the space available on site and a modest budget.SOLAR THERMAL GAINThe orientation of the site is such that the longer 10m side is exposed to direct sun throughout the day. Reducing the resulting solar thermal gain was an important design generator.Design responseENGAGING THE STREETAlthough some fortification against the street was required, it was crucial for the fa?ade “converse” with the external activity. The external wall is conceived as an animated, dynamic skin reflecting the bustle of the street and activating what would otherwise have been a mundane fa?ade with minimal fenestrations. The porosity of the wall maintains a degree of privacy while playfully engaging with the street corner.SPACE AND COST OPTIMISATIONEfficient Space utilisation is achieved by creating a single consolidated volume on each floor to be flexibly partitioned as per the client’s requirements. This volume is serviced by a flanking buffer bay of a single flight cantilevered staircase and a toilet stack. Costs were minimised by using exposed brick construction and by creating a beamless soffit at every floor. To create a beamless