Betting big on green: on Studio Lotus’ projects shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival 2021

Sidhartha Talwar, Principal, Studio Lotus takes us through his firm’s projects shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival 2021

Come December, the 2021 virtual edition of World Architecture Festival (WAF) will not just celebrate the best of architecture and interior design but bring together global thinkers and industry personalities from the industry. The three-day event themed on ‘Resetting the City: Greening, Health and Urbanism’ features over 496 projects across completed buildings, future projects, and landscapes from 62 countries. From India, aside from Sanjay Puri Architects (for Aria Hotel, Nashik), Shibanee & Kamal Architects (for Van Gogh’s Garden, Bengaluru), among others, two projects by Studio Lotus — RAAS Chhatrasagar in Rajasthan and The Villa in the Woods in Uttarakhand — have been shortlisted in the Hotel & Leisure and the House & Villa (Rural/ Nature) Completed Projects categories, respectively.

Interestingly, both projects have been designed with ‘custom-made modular construction systems’ that lead to lightweight structures, with low-impact foundations. The reason, says Sidhartha Talwar, Principal, Studio Lotus, is that building in remote areas comes with a huge responsibility, where reckless development over the past few decades has put sensitive ecosystems — that support local communities and livelihoods — at the risk of irreparable damage. “Both sites were part of such fragile ecosystems. As there is a need for faster construction processes that rate high on resource optimisation and environmental efficiency, we explored the possibilities of modular building systems that involve off-site prefabrication of building components to be assembled on-site,” he says. He adds that with virtually no wet-work associated with conventional in-situ construction, the process ensured minimal wastage of water and material, reduced on-site pollution and minimised the building’s environmental footprint.