In the Indian city of Mumbai, there are a huge number of informal settlements, which in fact, subtly provide great lessons in resourcefulness, multi-tasking, adaptability, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. This mammoth collage speaks a unique visual language and has inspired S+SP Architects to depict this form in a private college house, without incorporating any romanticizing aspect.
The project involves the creation of a residence which clubs together recycled eclectic materials, to develop a unified whole. Simulating the beautifully incongruous yet speckled Indian city, the construction brings forth an unconventional style, wherein a range of re-used and found elements are patched together. This is purely influenced by the manner in which the local citizens of Mumbai build their homes, with the help of found materials. On the whole, this creation of S+SP Architects is a brilliant statement of resourcefulness, uniqueness, and style.
The project, in fact, takes into account the idea of collage and recycling in a number of ways, starting from the physical like energy and materials to the intangible such as memories, history, and space. The front façade, made of recycled doors and windows obtained from demolished homes, represents the central idea of recycling.
There is also an exposed concrete ceiling supported by recycled columns that are at least 100 years old and a wall made up of metal pipe leftovers. This structure is paired with furniture from the colonial era and waste scraps recycled into a fabric that decorates the interior. In fact, the complete house depicts a kind of harmony between the contemporary and the traditional, the new and the old, as well as the refined and uncultivated.
The 100-year old columns definitely rejuvenate memories, while a steel and glass pavilion offering fabulous views of the hillside, provides food for nostalgia. The major striking feature of this house is the huge amount of recycled materials used, including old textile, Burma teak, fabric waste, colonial furniture, and much more.
