Every time architect Rajiv Narain begins a new project, he ends up driving a lot. Sometimes, the drive is 48 hours, at times even 72 hours, but rarely less than 24 hours. | |
| For a project in Goa, for instance, Narain and his client drove into the lanes and bylanes of Old Goa, travelled to Panjim, met local craftsmen and gradually decided on how to proceed on the project. |
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| Similarly, for a government-sponsored, Nagaland-based project (to create a complete arts and crafts village) Narain drove to Darjeeling and nearby places to note the local designs of homes. |
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| At his office, nestled in a quaint farmhouse in Delhi's Mehrauli area, Narain shares some of his fascinating architectural stories with us. |
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| Having graduated from the Centre of Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad and the Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Narain started his award-winning multi-disciplinary firm in the '90s in New Delhi. |
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| While some of the best projects from the house of Rajiv Narain Design are still kept under tight wraps, only to be unveiled next year, Narain talks to us about two of his favourite projects: a boutique hotel in Goa, and another green architecture project completed on a barren five-acre estate in Rajasthan. |
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| For the Goa project (that was done way back in 1999 with the second phase completed in 2000) the public areas were done in traditional Portuguese design and the rooms given a chic look. It was, as Narain calls it, "juxtaposing the vernacular and the chic". |
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| He adds, "We asked a local painter to recreate some of the icons from the Bible on drift wood." Local craftsmen created special murals and a lot of furniture and light fixtures were customised. Narain takes us through a virtual tour of the place. |
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| "The process of entry into the hotel is heightened by the gradual procession; ramps which rise symmetrically and culminate in a central portico. The walls are adorned by a series of paintings depicting scenes of life that were initially recorded by a Goa resident." |
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| He adds, "The lobby is entered from a forecourt through a wide portico embellished by a star-shaped mosaic pattern on the floor. Two traditional benches in red cement, similar to those found at the entrances of all Goan homes, decorate the sides of the portico." |
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| Textured plastered walls, stained glass windows, ornamental lights, tiled floors, colonial furniture... the Heritage Village Club in Goa was one of the first few projects that Narain handled independently. |
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| Narain says that the three basic elements of a courtyard, colonnade and rooms is invariably utilised for various projects. "The expression is different but most times these three basic elements remain the same," he says. |
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| He cites the example of Manvar, which he and his client first saw as a barren five-acre piece of land near the Jodhpur-Jaisalmer highway. The project that began with a modest Rs 30,000 investment, now has a turnover of Rs 3 crore. |
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| "The client had been in the hospitality sector and because we were known to each other personally, we completely understood the concept. We knew we wanted to make the barren land a full-fledged destination." |
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| The luxury resort, complete with 22 rooms (it costs anywhere between $200-400 per night) was, according to Narain, a challenge, especially as they had to plant nearly 500 trees, get sprinklers ready and convert the area into a green belt. |
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| "Stone, earth and thatch, materials indigenous to the area, form the primary elements of construction. The buildings," he explains, "sit on an imposing deep red plinth constructed out of setrawa, random rubble stone masonry, while the main load-bearing walls are of lighter coloured, beige sandstone." |
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| Cement and concrete were avoided and lime mortar was used for the entire project. "Though we gave a rustic look to the project, there was a high level of customisation at every level to create a boutique environment," says Narain. |
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| Narain says these two projects posed a particular challenge since they forced him to recognise the aesthetics along with the culture of the places. |
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| "With these projects, I was able to soak in the essence of the destinations." Continuing, he adds, "Woven into these rustic expressions are technology and services that offer comfort levels of a high standard for contemporary tourists." |
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