Model For Cultural Sustainability

Project: Kondan-The Retreat Resort, Maval, Pune Architects: PMA Madhushala, Pune

Maval, a scenic region between Mumbai and Pune facilitates the needs of the cities like food, dairy, power and water supply. Though rich in natural resources, the villages along interior hills still lack availability of transportation, school and medical facilities. The only income source here is farming and dairy. The client chose the site so that it would not only satisfy his business module but also open up livelihood opportunities for local people.

The project sprawls over 30 acres of sustainable campus, out of which five acres is dedicated for the resort, three acres for the water lagoon and power management plant and seven acres for plantation and nature. The remaining land is leased out for economic sustainability of the project.

The design philosophy was based on some core factors including: Self-sufficient site in terms of water resources; Strategic energy generation to achieve high performance with low maintenance and minimum dependability on the grid; Development with minimum intervention to the site by its proportions, planning and everyday waste management; Proper site management, suitable landscape design with local plants to maintain its primitive ecosystem; Use of local resources in the form of material and manpower; and providing opportunities for locals retaining the traditional values to uplift the current living standards.

In the process of maintaining the virginity of the site, it was divided into social and private spaces. Only the built form is designed to facilitate the use with actual urban level comfort and the surrounding has left to retain its original sense, encouraging the user to adjust with the surrounding nature.