Hotel Retreat in Thiruvananthapuram
Project Details
The project explores the articulation of environmental design as a catalyst for the development of novel architectural typologies. The design strategy integrates an innovative microclimate control system with a counterbalanced kinetic canopy that responds to changing wind patterns to regulate the ventilation of hotel rooms below. The dynamic canopy also provides shaded space for the amenity roof space, which features a cascading swimming pool and water flowing through the facility. These elements further contribute to regulating the building space through evaporative cooling.
Collaborating with local residents and the fabricator, a life-size mockup of the kinetic canopy prototype was constructed and tested on-site.
The hotel proposal was conceived during design research conducted at University College London. It subsequently received the prestigious Bronze Medal and Serjeant Award for Excellence in Architectural Drawing Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects. The proposal also included an outdoor multi-activity area and a covered space beneath the building. These features were designed to encourage the extension of the nearby street market activity into the site and serve as a new contrast between busy road junctions with commercial street activity and the beach. This approach aimed to integrate the new building with the existing urban environment.
