THE CRESCENT SURAT design created in response to site and its orientation cra Peet) ferns Saronic Cree Oat he instructions given to the architect was toprovideasmall singleleve office for the client with the requirements of a reception, cabins, pantry, a dining area for the staffandasmall conferenceroom. The site is located in Surat City in Gujaratin India where temperatures arein excess of 35°C for ‘months ofthe year and the sun isalways onthe southern side. The plotis ata junction ofa road and building to the south. The road junction abuts the site on the northern and western sides. ‘Aminimum of 3.0 M setback from all sides of the plot is mandatory for the built area. There is no other constraint, The design is created in response to the site and its orientation. In response to the sun direction which Is always in the southern hemisphere in this location, the spaces are arranged sequentially in a curvilinear volume with a central north facing open courtyard. The circulation spine within the office skirts the perimeter of this open courtyard with a shallow reflecting of this open courtyard with a shallow reflecting pool of water, allowing its users to experience the outdoor space while moving within the office. There being a large 9-storeyed building under construction close to the southern side of the office, a small garden space is created between the 2 larger office cabins that acts as a buffer. In addition, each ofthe internal spacesislitby north facing openings created by splitting the curvilinear form into a series of sequential spaces basedupon the needs ofthe office This orientation ensures that each part of the office derives indirect north ight, thus, increasing the energy efficiency of the spaces within due to the reduced heat gain from the south. Simultaneously, the design ensures thatno part of the office looks towards the large ddominatingbuilt structure on the southern side. ‘The water pool within the courtyard helps reduce the temperatures further due to evaporative cooling. The building height varies from 9M on the north facing side to 4M on the southern side with the roof gradually stepping down. Ventilators within the roofs varying heights allow natural light to additionally penetrate the internal spaces. Built entirely in a steel frame the external face of the building is comprised of corten steel sheets while the oofis ofgalvanized metal. Completed in 3 months this small building has {internal spaces which areexpressed externally as well as volumetrically, The design creates an energy efficient sustainable building in response twitssitelocation. « Pores os eee cone ena ed