Client: Martina Lundquist

Typology: Staff Residence

Location: Udyogam Complex, Industrial Zone, Auroville

Site Area: 3 acres (overall campus)

Built-up Area: 100m2

Architecture and Interiors Team: Mona Doctor- Pingel, Samir Parmar, Amorette Pereira.

Contractor: Vijay Constructions

Timeline: Start of Construction: Feb 2001 | Inauguration: Aug 2002

KEY Features:

Local materials I Craft-based experimentation I Integrated work–living environment

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The staff residence is the first building constructed within the Udyogam complex, a 3-acre campus planned for small-scale food processing units and their  staff residences. Its early development allowed the team to test structural systems, materials and detailing approaches that would later be refined for the  Naturellement (jam & pickle) and Avatar (syrup) production units.  

The primary challenge was to create a harmonious working–living environment while addressing the ecological impact of small-scale industries. The guid ing principle -“the polluter pays, and the polluter stays”- ensured a continuous sense of responsibility and care towards the land. This led to a shared archi tectural vocabulary across the residence and subsequent buildings, characterized by concrete flat roofs with cantilevered overhangs, and vaults finished  in achakali brick and china mosaic.

Designed for a single occupant, the residence also accommodates a temporary secondary office or an additional guest when needed. Its compact lay out balances privacy with openness, setting the architectural and environmental tone for the development of the entire Udyogam campus.