EMRI Case Study

Emergency Management & Research Institute (EMRI)

The prior occurrence of form or function in design is as never-ending an argument as that of the chicken and the egg. Based on an elaborated brief and planned amidst constraints of time, the design is an answer to the complex multi-functional layering.

The architectural solution for the EMRI stemmed from the thought that preconditioned the simultaneous involution of excelling in functionality, environmental concerns, aesthetic values and contextual relevance. The architectural design demanded to be right rather than good. The design derivation was a process - integral and simultaneous.

The 'three-winged swastika' planning and form is a symbolic representation of the motive the institute serves to the welfare of the mankind. All the activities zones broadly identified as administrative, educative and call-centre are placed triangular around a central cylindrical core housing common areas and accesses to all zones. The crescent-shaped service blocks add a protective buffer to each zone placed in a pin-wheel formation.

The execution satisfies speed, finesse and economic viability by following a simple module to govern the planning, floor modulations - following through the elevation (flooring 2x2 & shuttering 2x4) into the exposed concrete walls. By maintaining the modularity throughout, a clean work of architecture is produced that leaves for minimum residues.

From contemplating, conceptualizing to constructing, the design in the truest of terms defies sustainability in its program, zoning and completion. It's not only programmatic but also stands as a built icon. The simple thought process led to the cracking of a complex architectural brief with an innovative design in tight time limitations.

The plan is a graphical depiction of inter-connectivity, structural aesthetics, form dynamics and cohesive functionality.