Studio PROMADA offers a vision of a modular future with Amalgam Residence in India

On the face of it, modular design is far from a new concept, with speed and efficiency now ranking among the most prioritised aspects of bringing any construction project to life. When combined with prefabricated architectural structures, the ceiling is virtually limitless when examining how the process of assembling a building can be optimised even further in the current scenario. Aside from simplifying the translation of an idea into a physically tangible and inhabitable piece of architecture, this also aids in quality control as well as another crucial issue that is perhaps the most pertinent of them all—sustainability. In fact, prefabrication and modular design are among the most effective ways to limit material wastage since the standardisation and mass production of building elements streamline the entire process to a degree where operations at every stage can be refined to a tee.

Since its widespread use during the modernist era, which permitted free, open floor plans to become ubiquitous at all scales and in all typologies, the grid has defined contemporary architecture down to its most fundamental building blocks. In this regard, a recent project by Studio PROMADA, which is based out of Kerala, India, has invoked the capability of the grid to structure, organise, and give direction to abstract concepts, bringing them to life by rooting them in a formalised pattern. Under this guise, the project, titled Amalgam Residence, is located amid stretches of rice paddies in Thiruvankulam, a suburb of the city of Kochi.

"The studio has worked in many pre-engineered buildings and believes that steel is the future,” mentions the design team in an official release. Hence, the firm’s residential design scheme eschews the traditional concrete beam and slab system in favour of a steel skeleton, whose members have been left partly exposed for viewers, at times, even wrapping around segments of the structure. Furthermore, “the service utility lines, electrical lines, sprinkler lines etc. are embedded in the building prior to the construction of the superstructure,” reveals the studio.

In a blatant contradiction of the organic, isolated nature of its context, Amalgam Residence radiates rigidity and a sense of the man-made, invoking the essential tenets of an industrial-style aesthetic which celebrates its ties to systems of mass production. From a distance, the unembellished cuboidal form of the structure, wrapped in alternating panels of glass, concrete, and wood, on a steel frame, seems almost too simple for a façade design of this stature. However, its delicate rhythm and conceptual implementations of the grid at various levels provide a hint of the complexity ingrained in its design and construction.

As shared by the architects, “The structural steel sections were manufactured in Coimbatore (as per the studio’s patented design pattern), transported to the site, and assembled spontaneously using cranes and hoisting machinery. There was no welding of steel on site, it was welded elsewhere and riveted on site.” They continue, "The house was originally designed as an exposed concrete structure; therefore the project also involved designing column and beam shutters. The louvres, automation, doors, hinges, nuts, bolts, furniture, lighting designs, were designed, fabricated, and implemented as part of our intervention.”

Composite in its porosity, the building’s interior makeup features alternations between larger voids for public spaces, and more solid enclosed zones that accommodate bedrooms and other private areas, along with air scoops—a signature characteristic of the firm's work—as contextual design measures to facilitate air movement and deal with the region’s tropical climate. Under the terms of this arrangement, the building has a continuous activity space comprising the living and dining areas along its front, sheathed in large panels of glass.

“The house was envisaged as a glazed building owing to the problem of excess heat, as mentioned in discussions with the client from the very outset. The frontal portion of the building is a seamless activity space which comprises living and dining spaces that flow together without obstruction. Huge panes of glass are placed without a single mullion to hinder the view. In order to keep the glass panes clean, grills were not provided which was a non-conventional option. Through this, the building is divided into a transparent hemisphere and an opaque hemisphere,” says the practice.

By orienting the structure towards the north, the practice limits the adverse effects of sunlight and glare—a measure augmented by their use of external greening and planters which will evolve to become overgrown as the structure ages. Approaching the home along the driveway that borders its front edifice, an external verandah with a sunken pool of water welcomes visitors up to the threshold, where the glazed walls offer a hint of the experience to come. Inside, the layout gradually unfolds in accordance with the parameters of the grid, albeit in a fashion that is far more subtle than what is observed on the house’s exterior.

Earthy tones of greys, browns, and flashes of green have been used to render the interior design, which blends industrial-style materiality and profiles with tropical modernist flair. The essence of the home’s modularity even permeates elements such as its shelving, counters, and furniture, which are austere in their makeup, featuring little ornament or extravagance to favour pure function. This is not to say that the design is at any point dull, but rather, the familiarity and continuity in the proportions of these elements create a sense of rhythm that resonates throughout the larger composition from its overall structure to its minutest detail. 

While the ground level hosts the master suite and a guest bedroom in proximity to the staircase, the first floor features two additional bedrooms, a bar area, home theatre, and an open terrace. Ascending the wood and steel-framed staircase design is a journey marked by drastic spatial expansion, where the double height area is capped by pitched ceilings with north light windows that permit light to diffuse inwards at low angles. Once again, each element of the furniture design and the detailing of the staircase itself exudes an air of modularity, with little decoration if any, such that they appear to have been simply mass manufactured and slotted into place as part of the final ensemble. What this yields is an aesthetic sense where no one element dominates the field of view, and instead, each individual constituent serves to elevate the home’s interior as a whole.

Regarding the more technical aspects of the residence’s architecture, Studio PROMADA notes: "The residence operates as a self-sufficient and sustainable structure. A normal water filter would have interfered with the elevation of the building, hence the water filter was designed by the in-house team. There are solar panels that generate about 10kW of electricity for the home’s needs. Since the client’s professional background was rooted in automation technology, he was an integral part of the project during the execution phase.”

Presenting a view on modularity for the Indian architectural context, Studio PROMADA’s vision for Amalgam Residence is sure to have many more imitators or ventures to take notes from it in the years to come. In a region where this approach to building is still in its infancy, the success of similar endeavours in the future is sorely necessary to help advance the country’s construction industry to a standard that can compete with more developed nations where prefab design is not a choice but more often a norm.