By Jodi Paper

PROJECT TEAM Designer: SJK Architects, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Stone Supplier and Installer: Bricksteel Enterprises, Bangalore, Kamataka, India

Located in the town of Karur in Tamil Nadu, India, the Factory for Synergy Lifestyles is a highly innovative structure that incorporates local elements into a design that builds upon the contemporary needs of the factory itself and its workers. "As a design firm, understanding the local architecture and available materials forms our basic design philosophy," said Rakhi Modi, the architect at SJK Architects in Mumbai who designed the project's presentations and compilations.

"On one of our first visits to Karur, we came across interesting gable wall and coping details, which formed our first set of visual inspiration," he said. The designers, of course, had to adapt the features to suit the home textile factory's needs, which included modifications for climatic conditions, energy efficiency, and the factory workers' comfort. What resulted was a cocoon-like structure "developed into a streamlined, form-fitted skewed rectangular [shape]. A curvilinear thrust from the main structure breaks the formal linearity, allowing an effective integration of a courtyard."

Stone was a key ingredient in the design and structure of the factory. "The entire building has been cocooned in 18-inch thick, random rubble masonry walls that, because of it being a good insulator, help in cordoning off excess heat from the outside into the internal factory spaces," Modi said.

The town of Karur is situated in a climate of extremes; fierce heat and harsh rains are typical weather trends, which required special attention in the planning of the facility, particularly for the comfort of the people working there. For this purpose, "a vaulted roof was designed as a softer version of the pitched roof typically used all over Karur, which suited the climatic conditions of that region very well," Modi said.

Three types of stone were utilized throughout the facility: an igneous rock, locally referred to as "blue granite," which is quarried in the state of Tamil Nadu; Kadappa stone, an igneous black rock also quarried locally; and the grayish-green Kotah stone. According to Modi, "The entire external cocoon of the factory was built out of stone, which constituted about 60-70 percent of the structure and amounted to about 3,400 cubic meters (4,444 cubic yards) of stone for the entire building and its compound walls."

The majority of the structure was built out of the blue granite, which — in addition to being an excellent source for internal climate control — proved to require very little in upkeep. "Since the rains wash the stone regularly, the maintenance, as is necessary in a factory environment, is almost zero," Modi said. Another bonus: "[Employing] a locally available material gave us an opportunity to explore the possibility of using locally available masonry skills, as well as [allowing us] to contribute our share in the development of the town."

A semi-polished Kadappa stone was used in slabs 38-50 millimeters (1-1/2 to two inches) thick for steps, ledges and sills throughout the building. Machine-polished Kotah stone, cut 20-25 millimeters (3/4 to one inch) thick, was used for much of the flooring throughout the factory, including in the restroom and pantry areas.

Possibly the most outstanding feature of the Factory for Synergy Lifestyles is the main courtyard to the west of the most densely occupied area of the building. Modi explained that this courtyard "becomes an anchor for the building as a green hub, cutting out the harsh west sun, and reducing the afternoon heat gain by providing a vegetation buffer."

Adding to the unique design of the structure, there are also three smaller, though no less significant, courtyards that sporadically emerge along the primary passageway, which Modi describes as "reminiscent of those featured in the local homes." Each of these "open-to-shy" courtyards serves an individual purpose: one is a water court, featuring small pool with an inner lining constructed of Kadappa stone; the second features a pebbled area with a colored wall; and the third serves as a light well. All three add to the aesthetic sensibility of the factory, as well as the comfort of its workers. "In addition to bringing temperature control, they become junctions for visual relief and [worker] interaction," Modi said.

"Our design sensibilities revolve around understanding the local architecture to derive a vocabulary and to understand materials suitable for a particular given place in combination with the client's requirements and constraints," Modi said. With its vaulted ceilings, array of stone and multiple courtyards — all in the name of factory efficiency and worker comfort — the Factory for Synergy Lifestyles truly encompasses the sensibilities of which Modi spoke and comes together in a synchronicity that adds up to a factory much greater than the sum of its parts.

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