Fact File
Project name: ID Origins
Location: Mumbai
Program: Office, Residential, Lobby
Site area: 1.5 acres
Built up area: 18,750 sqm
Client: I.Dudhwala Group
Design: Amit Gupta, Britta Knobel Gupta
Project lead: Dewesh Agrawal
Status: completed
The original structure was built in the 1980’s and is the pivotal focus of where the owners started their business, hence, the name ID Origins. Twelve additional residential floors are erected above the existing six commercial floors, with a transfer girder between the two strata acting as a load transfer as well as additional columns that have been designed starting from the ground up.
Given the dichotomy of the requirements of these distinct activities in the building, the design looks at creating perforated screens on the commercial floors to reduce solar glare and provide optimum lux level. These calligraphic strokes gradually wane as they reach the residential floors, thereby maximising the panoramic views for the residential apartments. The new façade of the project creates a locus for the site, and acts as a visual marker for the entrance to the overall site, which spreads over 12 acres of land.
The urban rehabilitation of the site extends into the urban fabric by means of rerouting the entrances and exits to decongest the entrance road; uplifting the pedestrian walkways in the vicinity of the site; dissolving the site boundary; and creating an urban lobby, which becomes a part of the Mumbai streetscape.
The significance of the project arises both from its location in the city of Mumbai and also from the sentimental value the building holds for the owners. In the dense urban fabric of Mumbai, the project will be visible from pedestrian as well as vehicular routes, making the site experience more coherent.
Architects Amit Gupta & Britta Knobel Gupta
Given the undulating nature of the façade, it was important to rationalize it into panels that are easy to construct. The geometry of the calligraphic moves is planar in nature, with a V profile in plan. This was done to ensure multiple options of materials and techniques to execute the design. Given the loading requirements on the old existing structure, this execution flexibility inbuilt in the design was helpful. Mock-ups were done on site for GRC, FRP, ACP and finally CNC routed ACP panels were selected due to their light weight and fire rated properties. The time of execution was reduced by six months as no moulds were required. Thus, the overall cost of construction was also reduced.
