Incredible Garden Art, Experience Center By Karan Grover & Associates

• Project Name :Incredible Garden Art, Experience Center
• Client Name: Twinkle Shah
• Location :Vadodara
• Photography:Tejas Shah

The Incredible Garden Art, Boutique Experience Center is a one-of-a-kind space that provides access to an intriguing world of exotic landscape elements. It is a collection of handpicked plants and trees from across the globe, garden sculptures, water fountains, courtyard elements and landscape installations.

The site is located on the outskirts of Vadodara away from the dense city fabric. The sites surroundings are mainly farmlands and private residences. Hence, the views from the site are open and green allowing for good ventilation and unlimited green views.

Being a garden experience centre, it was crucial to allow for a free-flowing circulation, with least visual and physical barriers. By thinking of the plan in such a manner, it was important to think of how visitors would move around the site and what the entry and exit sequence would be. Keeping this in mind, the drama of the architecture responds to the site by keeping the existing Mango Tree as a focal point and also the main entry. It is then flanked by 2 curved offices embracing the circular crown of the Mango Tree and 2 light-weight steel fabricated structures housing the indoor displays. The Mango court establishes the centre of the plan and orients one towards the green beyond. The entrance foyer is intentionally kept open to allow for direct views towards the external landscape display beyond the structure without any visual impediment. By doing so, the lines are blurred between indoor and outdoor spaces creating a sense of openness throughout the masterplan. The landscape beyond the entrance foyer threshold reveals itself in its entirety once visitors step up on the 600 mm plinth. The external landscape is cleverly designed to mimic an amphitheatre style display to allow for one to experience all plants and pots on display. Directly connected to the axis of the Mango tree is the large circular open area in the middle of the meandering landscape display. It was intentionally kept open to allow for the client’s requirements to be fulfilled of hosting small and large events like learning how to create ones own curated potted plants, baby-showers, dinners, music events and conferences.

The built structure is oriented towards North and South keeping the East and West surfaces minimal. There is a two-fold advantage by doing this; one, it mitigates the harsh East and West solar radiation and second, it allows for optimum cross-ventilation within the building. The entire built structure is positioned in the Northern most part of the site while keeping the open areas towards the South of the site. This was another way to allow for the wind to pass through without any obstructions.

 An important aspect of the project also rests in the indoor display areas along with the administrative offices. The steel structure of the 2 main displays is finished in an attractive red paint resulting in a dominating presence facing the main road. These structures have an exaggerated slope from 8’-0” on the South elevation to 14’-0” on the North Elevation. These spaces were thought of as a glass house but with proper insultation under the roof. It is important to note that the requirement was to have non-airconditioned spaces and the above strategy allows one to do so as the lowest side draws in natural air and releases it towards the North. In addition, as the larger glazing faces North, an abundance of soft-natural light completely fills the interior mitigating the use of artificial light and hence further reducing energy consumption.

As for the 2 offices, Managing Directors and the administration, are equipped to accommodate 10 staff members with a conference room, toilets and a pantry. It is strategically located at the entrance so as to keep a keen eye on the visitors coming in. The curved shape of the entrance steps flows right across the walls making it curved creating an interesting volume for the interior of the offices. Being offices, privacy mattered and hence the openings are restrictive and minimal. In addition to the typical window openings, we have introduced clerestory windows as well enhancing the indoor natural light quality that is glare free to allow the people residing within to work comfortably. In addition to the display units and the offices, supporting spaces for growing and storing of plants was provided directly connected to the service road.

As the architects, it is important to not only fulfil the bare requirements of the clients brief but also to enhance the experiential qualities to uplift the spirit of each individual. This was done by responding to the existing site context, orientation of the building, use of natural light and air, and the flexibility of indoor and outdoor spaces. To successfully deliver a project like this, the client’s vision must be given the top priority