Paganeri Residence

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PAGANERI,CHETTINAD

THE CLIENT MR.RAMAIAH IS A BUSSINESSMAN SETTLED IN MADURAI.HE IS AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS AND HAS TWO SONS.AS HIS ANCESTRAL HOUSE IS A COMMON PROPERTY SHARED WITH HI BROTHER , IN 2008 HE DECIDED TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR HIMSELF IN HIS NATIVE AND WANTED IT TO BE SHARED BY HIS SONS IN FUTURE. USING AN ENGINEER HE HAD PLANNED A MODERN HOUSE AND STARTED CONSTRUCTION.THE PLAN WAS A BILATERALLY SYMMETRICAL PLAN BUT THE 3D VIEWS DONE FOR IT WERE COMPLETELY INCOHERENT TO THE SETTING.WITH A PORTION OF THE PLINTH BUILT HE APPROACHED US.

BEING A NATTUKOTTAI CHETTIAR , HE AND HIS WIFE  WERE PARTICULAR ABOUT THE SO CALLED MODERN BUILDING.IT TOOK US SEVERAL ROUNDS OF DISCUSSION TO CONVINCE THE FAMILY AOUT THE RICH LEGACY OF CHETTINAD ARCHITECTURE ,ITS STRONG PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND THE NEED FOR HIM TO STICK TO THE STRONG CHETTIAR HERITAGE FOR HIS  HOUSE AT PAGANERI.WITHIN CHETTINAD, PAGANERI VILLAGE IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS GRID PATTERN PLANNING AND PALATIAL HOUSES.

FINALLY THE FAMILY AGREED FOR A CONTEXTUAL CHETTINAD TYPE HOUSE AND THE INITIAL PLAN WAS CONDUCIVE FOR THIS DESIGN TRANSFORMATION.

CLIENT                                      :         MR.RAMAIAH

PROJECT AREA                      :          12,000 SQ.FT

PROJECT VALUE                    :          RS.1.5 CRORE

DURATION                               :          12 MONTHS

YEAR OF COMPLETION         :          2012

STATUS                                    :          COMPLETED.                     

SALIENT FEATURES            :     

THE PLAN IS A TYPICAL BILATERALLY SYMMETRICAL CHETTINAD PLAN WITH CENTRAL AXIS,TO SUIT BOTH THE CLIMATIC AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS OF THE HOT DRY REGION.

• AS THE WIDTH OF THE SITE DID NOT PERMIT CENTRAL COURTYARDS, THE CEILING WAS KEPT AT 4M AND A HIGH CEILING WAS PROVIDED AT THE GRAND HALL.THE CLIENT ALSO WANTED TO AVOID CENTRAL COURTYARD FOR SAFETY REASONS.

THE FUNCTIONAL DISPOSITION IS DONE AS BELOW:

-GROUND FLOOR : GRAND HALL,DINNING,2 KITCHENS AND TYPICAL CHETTINAD TYPE STORE ROOMS;

-FIRST FLOOR : 2 BEDROOMS FOR THE SONS AND ANOTHER MULTI-PURPOSE HALL ;

- SECOND FLOOR : GROUND AND FIRST FLOOR CARE TAKER’S QUARTERS

• A COMBINATION OF SLOPE ROOFS WITH TRADITIONAL MANGALORE TILES AND PREDOMINANTLY FLAT ROOF WAS DESIGNED TO BREAK THE MONOTONY OF THE FULL FLAT ROOF PREFERRED BY THE CLIENT
• A COMBINATION OF ANTIQUE FINISH GRANITE,ROUGH GRANITE AND AATHUNGUDI TILES HAVE BEEN USED IN THE HOUSE

THE FOLLOWING TRADITIONAL CHETTINAD ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN USED IN THE HOUSE

• CENTRAL AXIS DESIGN FOR BETTER MONITORING OF THE LINEAR HOUSES
• DOUBLE PANEL DOORS AND FOUR PANEL WINDOWS WHICH ALLOWS VARIOUS PERMUTATION AND COMBINATION OF OPENINGS
• PERFORATED PARAPET RAILINGS WHICH DRIFT OFF THE HOT AIR OF THE TERRACE
• ORAMENTAL DOOR JAMBS AND  TRADITIONAL ARCHES WHICH HELP TO AUGMENT THE HIGH CEILING DESIGN
• AATHUNGUDI TILES WHICH GIVES INORDINATE BEAUTY TO THE HOUSE AT A THROW AWAY PRICE
• TRADITIONAL WOOD RAILING AND ORNAMENTAL GLASS CHANDLIERS WHICH ADDS ELEGENCE TO THESE HOUSES WHICH ARE TODAY USED ONLY FOR FAMILY FUNCTIONS AND WEDDINGS.