Prince Galada in Chennai redefines high-end, contemporary urban living with an experience of a luxurious villa coupled with the security and amenities of a high-rise apartment. Located in the heart of the city and surrounded by a residential neighborhood in Vepery, the edifice marks its presence in the vicinity with its bold and contemporary style. With the brief focusing on the target users to be luxury apartment buyers, the units are planned to be spacious, with a tinge of opulence. The challenge then was to achieve a huge FSI in order to accommodate maximum units with large footprints in a highly linear and compact site, along with other constraints such as Vastu compliance. The concept evolved by keeping functionality, efficient planning, and user comfort at the center of the design strategy.
Following a biophilic design approach, and with an aim to break down the huge built mass, the floor plate has been split into two, at the center of which is a landscaped garden for the apartment users. Both blocks are equipped with a central core, allowing each unit a generous frontage with views of the landscaped area below and the city’s skyline. Sustainable strategies have been incorporated into the design of both blocks, enabling the users with the utmost comfort in Chennai’s hot and humid climate.
Every façade must be simulated, and the window-wall ratio must be balanced to bring in the best light with the least heat and glare into the spaces to achieve thermal comfort. After a thorough study of the sun’s path, both the blocks in Prince Galada are zoned to cast shadows on each other at all times during the day, reducing the harsh heat ingress. Double walls made of aerocon blocks are provided for insulation, ensuring the interior spaces are cooler and more comfortable. Windows and openings are placed strategically to ensure seamless cross-ventilation and ample natural daylight.
The plumbing shafts are designed to accommodate the outdoor AC units to ensure easy access for maintenance. The shafts are lined with closely-spaced louvers, maintaining a clean and minimal aesthetic appearance.
A color palette consisting of grey and beige is chosen for the apartment façade, enhancing the clean and minimal aesthetic. While form and aesthetics are important to any architectural intervention, functionality is central for the entire scheme to work seamlessly. A well-planned, the elevation looks effortlessly striking. This purview thoroughly resolved the plans and massing, resulting in a minimalistic yet striking elevation.
Quick Facts:
- Project: Prince Galada
- Location: Vepery, Chennai.
- Client: Prince Foundations Ltd.
- Architect: Varsha Jain
- Other Consultants: Ar. Navaz, Ar. Ganesan, Kalaivani – Engineer
- Commencement Date: 2014
- Completion Date: 2019
