On the banks of the Krishna River in Vijayawada, India, residents will determine the design of this rising garden tower.
The Vijayawada Garden Estate, designed by Beijing-and-Vienna-based architecture firm penda, is a concept for a mixed-use residential building that combines high-rise density with organic elements to create a natural, urban living experience.
The tower is built as a uniform structured grid that can be filled with customized, prefabricated modular units, with options for the number of floors, garden and planting elements, and balcony layouts.
The ability for residents to design their own units that can be slotted into the building’s framework is a concept that architect Chris Precht says emulates the individuality offered with single-family home building.
“In an age of mass-production and a certain conformism in the building industry, we try to use modern construction techniques to bring back a level of individualism and flexibility for the inhabitants of a high-rise,” the firm says in a news release.
As plants grow along balcony trellises, the gardens will serve as a barrier from both neighboring apartments and the outside elements. The gardens control the indoor climate of the building and will be filled with pollution-absorbing plants for a natural air purifying system. A graywater supply system collects rainwater on the roof and recycles it to water the balcony plants. Open hallways provide a constant airflow throughout the building for natural ventilation to reduce the amount of air conditioning used.
The tower has seven different floor plans available, with units ranging in size from 1,300 square feet with three bedrooms to 2,000 square feet with four bedrooms.
The project, which will be developed by Pooja Crafted Homes,
is expected to break ground in the second quarter of 2016, and penda estimates
the project could be completed in early 2019.
