Located in a crowded suburb of Mumbai, the Ayushakti Health Resort is a five-storeyed building sited on a rectilinear plot of 600 sqm and surrounded by tightly-packed residences. A world of Ayurveda (the ancient Indian medical system), the building comprises an OPD with waiting for 100 people, treatment rooms, nursing rooms, a beauty parlour, a restaurant, a boutique, a health club, and an auditorium in the basement.
The challenge was building with Mumbai’s development control regulations, utilising the available FSI of 1.33, tackling the narrow 16-metre-wide plot, and yet creating a joyful and peaceful environment infused with natural light and ventilation. The resulting design, therefore, consists of varied openings, balconies, and jharokhas (a kind of suspended balcony found in traditional Indian architecture), among other architectural devices. This has enabled the architects to invite in the sun and the wind while blocking out the heat. The architects have also incorporated earthy materials such as natural stones, terrazzo seating and wood to render a sense of closeness with nature.
Since the wind primarily flows in from the southwest during the Mumbai monsoons, the building’s eastern façade has been opened up with balconies, and openings on its west have been minimised. Thus, the east, with its balcony seats covered with traditional sloping chajjas (projections), remains protected and is utilised for public activities. On the other hand, the building’s western facade, which is also more susceptible to the harsh afternoon sun, has been layered with a second skin through which a number of building services run.
The Ayushakti Health Resort, thus, facilitates quality living within the tight constraints of urban life by building in harmony with the natural elements, connecting the indoors with the outdoors to create a sanctuary that facilitates well-being.
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