West of 77 Apartments

Bangalore, India

Project details
Client

Divyasree Developers, Bangalore

Duration

2015-2016

Services provided by Buro Happold

Building Services Engineering (MEP), Structural engineering

Forming part of the sought after Divyasree Technopolis mixed use complex, which incorporates commercial offices, residential villas and luxury apartments, West of 77 is a residential development that features five 14 storey apartment buildings and a clubhouse.

The development adds a new dimension to Technopolis, providing modern, moderately priced homes for people working in the IT sector.

Challenge

Buro Happold delivered the structural design and building services engineering for this project. A key element of our client’s brief for the apartment blocks was the concept of modularity, which meant our team had to come up with a structural design that maximised repeatability in the building form. In addition, our client wanted to include prefabricated bathroom pods in all of the apartments, which further challenged our engineers to find structural options that would enable us to install the pods on every floor after the buildings were constructed.

The clubhouse that features in one of the apartment blocks also presented our team with several engineering problems to overcome, as the architect envisaged it as an open plan, triple storey space that reaches from the fourth floor to the seventh floor, where the accommodation levels begin. This created stability issues that were confounded by the fact that the development is in a seismic area.

Another key requirement for our client was the inclusion of a diesel generator in the basement of one of the apartment blocks to provide power across the site. This was a significant challenge to our team due to the large amount of ventilation required, which would be difficult to accommodate in a basement location.

We realised an impressive open plan, triple storey clubhouse for residents through careful design and clever use of transfer beams. Image: MA Architects

Solution

Our structural engineering experts originally proposed constructing the entire structure of the apartment buildings in precast concrete, which ensured strength, durability and repeatability. After consulting with local contractors, however, we realised that we needed to modify this design slightly to make the best possible use of the skills available in Bangalore. As a result, we adapted our strategy so that an in situ concrete construction method was used.

To solve the problem of installation access for the prefabricated bathroom pods, our structural engineers carefully considered a variety of options to find the optimum solution. The result was a design that used closed spaced walls in one direction, and long walls at the end of each wing with no peripheral beams. This maximised available height in the internal spaces, allowing easy installation of the bathrooms and also improving the interior environment for residents. It is also a highly flexible and cost effective design strategy.

To achieve the tough architectural requirements of the clubhouse, our engineers introduced transfer beams at the seventh floor level of the building to carry the load of the storeys above. To ensure this large, open plan space didn’t inhibit the building’s ability to resist seismic activity, our team relocated two of the staircase cores to provide additional stability.

When it came to the problem of the diesel generator, our engineers devised a plan to place the generator room along the periphery of the building, which enabled us to incorporate large ventilation shafts from the ground floor into its design.

West of 77
Developing a unique structural design that could be repeated across five buildings to create a modern, moderately priced residential development. Image: MA Architects

Value

Our work was pivotal to realising a development that provides the people of Bangalore with liveable luxury in the heart of a thriving community. West of 77 Apartments offers residents stunning architecture, comfortable accommodation and great facilities, all at an affordable price tag.

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