Archiopteryx designs ’people tree house’ nurturing a coexistence between the humans and non-human inhabitants

The 7000 ft² building generates energy, recycles and irrigates with age-old water harvesting techniques.

Project: People tree house

Location:
India

Architects:
Archiopteryx

Typology:
Private Residence

Area: 500m²

Text based on description by the architects*

Ashvattha: ‘the Sacred Fig’, derived from the Sanskrit terms ‘shva’ (tomorrow) and ‘stha’ (that which remains)NOIDA is a planned satellite city of Delhi, and part of the National Capital region of India. The city is organised as a series of rectilinear tree lined transportation grids: encompassing sectors, that are further divided into blocks of plots.

The ‘People tree house’ is a 7000 sqft building, built on one such plot and is surrounded by neighbouring buildings on three sides. The clients: medical entrepreneurs and their children, lovingly chose and named the plot ‘Ashvattha’ based on the fortuitously located ‘fig tree’ to the eastern corner of the site.

Ficus trees : like Banyans, Pilkhan and Peepal, bear inward growing fig flowers that are pollinated by their own specific species of ‘fig-wasps’ which in turn can only breed inside their partners fig fruit. This exhibition of mutualism results in the ripened fruit being a year round source of nourishment for frugivorous and insectivorous birds and mammals. The project is an attempt to lure these visiting birds, and insects to explore: carefully selected and located flora on our site, resulting in a sustainable harmonious relationship between human and non-human residents and visitors.

Reminiscent of the sub-continents rich architectural heritage, light is let in from the south-east quadrant through apertures, skylights and cut-outs: broken into shadow, filtered and reflected off surfaces to bathe the volumes in ‘sufficient light’. The building generates energy, recycles and irrigates to nurture life, in tradition with age-old water harvesting techniques.

The curved roof and sloped skylight, channel rain water to a storage tank at the pool level where it is released to the lower level planters via a drip-irrigation system. The reinforced brick concrete balcony extensions are finished with WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) floors and double up as reservoirs for rain water and waste water runoff: a by-product of domestic water purification systems located at the highest level.

Pool water and excess irrigation water overflow, from the upper levels is then channelled via pipes to the underground rainwater storage tank. At the entrance level this pipe doubles up as the handrail for the staircase that leads to sunlit subterranean work areas. Wheneverneeded, stored water is re-channelled to upper levels, creating an efficient closed loop of: ‘collect-irrigate-store-re-use’.

The hybrid structural system; framed and load bearing (brick vaults devoid of reinforcement), have infills of locally available random-rubble stone masonry, brick and earthen pots

Besides contributing to the reduction in use of Concrete and Steel in slabs, masonry infills provide insulation from the heat and cold.

Living and recreational spaces for ‘all life forms’ are organised about a central cylinder (trunk) housing the elevator and elliptical staircase and orients the visitor towards framed views of the built mass, the ‘people tree and its inhabitants’, plants and the skies beyond. In this age of digital and screen fatigue these openings allow for cross- ventilation and much needed visual respite.

Locally sourced rubble for masonry walls, along with hand crafted – grit washed walls, complimenting the curved walls of the ‘trunk’ are an ode to a sculptural craftsmanship hitherto forgotten in the urban realm.

Eighty million years ago the fig trees formed an elegant partnership with some tiny stingless wasps and today sustains more species of wildlife than any other group of plants.

In a time of rising temperatures, climate in-action and falling trees, the story of the ‘People tree’ offers rare reasons for hope.It offers a powerful lens through which we can examine our own ‘place’ in nature, as well as our future and our past.