Architect Selects Steel to Frame Eco-Conscious Villa, Minimize Environmental Impact

Image is a screen shot from Studio Lotus video (watch full video)

The village of Matial lies between Bhimtal and Mukteshwar, at a lofty 6,700 feet in the Kumaon range of the Himalayas in Uttarakhandm, a state in Northern India.

Here in this unassuming village lies Devānya, a 90-acre eco-conscious residential development that looks like it could have manifested out of [The Chronicles of] Narnia, says Architectural Digest India.

Within this development, Ambrish Arora, co-founder and principal architect of Studio Lotus, set out to design a villa using sustainable architecture and regenerative practices. To achieve these results, cold-formed steel (CFS) framing was selected to frame the project.

Steel is one of the world’s most sustainable construction materials. Its strength and durability coupled with its ability to be endlessly recycled without ever losing quality make it truly compatible with long‐term sustainable development.

 

 

 

Modular Steel Framing Minimizes Disturbance to Surrounding Ecology

The construction of the 3-level villa was a considered exercise pointed at minimizing environmental impact.

“Reckless development in the mountains over the past few decades has put sensitive ecosystems at risk of irreparable damage–ecosystems that support local communities and livelihoods and often carry an incredible wealth of sustainable ways of being,” explains Arora.

“A modular construction system using prefabricated Light Gauge Framing Systems (LGSF) meant minimal on-site wet work, and in turn, minimal disturbance to the site and surrounding ecology,” he adds.

In an almost IKEA-esque move, Arora developed a lightweight, modular ‘kit of parts’ that could be easily transported and assembled by hand, thus reducing on-site pollution, says Architectural Digest. The villa has an ultra-light footprint, saving damage to the slopes and surrounding trees and coexisting in harmony with the fragile ecology.

Is Matial for you?

Vikas Srivastava, a Delhi-based lawyer, recently built a second home in Matial. His advice for anyone looking to build a home in Matial is to, first and foremost, have a perennial water source nearby, according to Condé Nast.

Since Matial is relatively cut off, commuting time and internet connectivity are also important factors. Given the sensitive terrain of the region, the architects suggest building in a way that will cause the least disturbance to the site and the surrounding ecology.

“Don’t worry about the size of the land,” Vikas says. “Build with the heart, make a home. They say that once you are in the hills you can never leave. So be prepared for that.”