RESTELLO, KOLKATA

Based on the winning design from Living Steel’s International Architecture Competition, RESTELLO reinvents luxury living. The idea behind RESTELLO was to design and execute an environmentally responsible steel structure to cater to the need of society in terms of luxury, comfort and cost and to bring customers closer to the future trends in building. Conceived by UK architects Piercy & Conner, it combines traditional eastern architecture with innovative sustainable practices to create the very latest in modern living experiences.

Design Brief
Steel building is the future for providing sustainable development. At the outset, the design team was provided a simple brief to bear in mind – the main structure would be steel. The steel ‘skin’ of the building comprises one perforated steel screen and a second inner skin of floor to ceiling glazing. About 90 per cent of the construction material used was to be manufactured at the factory end, and later assembled at site. The structure was envisioned as having a highly superior finish thanks to the steel walls. Moreover, the steel structure would also allow for long spans, creating uninterrupted living spaces; and the perforated façade filters the light while providing natural ventilation.

Creating the Vision
With a competent team at the helm, the project made use of cutting edge technology to develop a unique building. Living Steel, a worldwide, collaborative program designed to stimulate innovative and responsible housing design and responsible housing design and construction was launched in 2005 by the World Steel Association. The program was developed to help address the unprecedented, communities and the quality of people’s lives stemming from growing urban population. The members of Living Steel manufactures include Arcelor Mittal, Baosteel, BlueScope Steel, CELSA Group, Corus, Erdemir, IMIDRO, Posco, Ruukki, SeverStal and Tata Steel.

The project, however, came with its own share of challenges. The prime reason being that the technical specification was unlike that of any normal contemporary buildings. The grade of concrete required was specific to the project and was not readily available; it was the efforts of a competent research team at Jadavpur University, Kolkata that help surmount the problem. Moreover, vendors for a project as unique as this were not easily found and a few had to be developed. It was the acumen and experience of the team behind the project that these seemingly difficult issues were overcome. The result – RESTELLO is not only a unique building in Kolkata, but, in entire India.

Redefining Concepts
Featuring 12 exclusively designed boutique duplex homes, with enviable area efficiency, RESTELLO offers a harmonious balance between the outside world and your own personal space. The perforated steel sheets on the exterior give a unique façade, provide greater thermal comfort and reduce the need for air-conditioning. Its unique geometry with two layers of filtered light façade acts as resistance to high winds and heavy lights at the same time allowing proper ventilation and day light.

Each apartment boasts a double height terrace, encased in an adjustable perforated steel façade. This allows fresh air to circulate, without ever compromising on privacy or security. The striking façade notwithstanding, this building also impresses in terms of utility, offering resistance to earthquakes and fires, thanks to its efficient designing. RESTELLO uses recycled steel, reducing the material used and energy intensity in the manufacturing process. Galvanized and painted steel protects against corrosion, damp and termites – ensuring a longer life for the homes. RESTELLO espouses the latest in smart, sustainable residential design without compromising livability.

RAVI TODI, Managing Director, Shrachi Group
In our way forward in developing cutting edge technology in the art of smart living, Shrachi Group in association with Piercy Conner Architects, UK, has developed the very first steel residential building RESTELLO in the country. Located in the opulent neighborhood of Rajarhat in New Town, Kolkata, RESTELLO is a class apart and takes luxurious boutique living to the next level. The building portrays a striking medley of traditional eastern architecture and innovative & sustainable design from the west combined to offer the very latest in modern living experiences. Designed to fit the ultra-modern lifestyle, RESTELLO is the building of the future with state of the art thermal insulation and enviable double height terraces. Built out of recycled steel, RESTELLO offers a harmonious balance between the outside world and your own personal space. Based on the winning design from Living Steel’s International Architecture Competition, RESTELLO beckons you to come and experience your very own urban utopia

ARCHITECT STUART PIERCY, Director, Piercy & Company
Conceptually, the project is the symbiotic relationship of a sealed, conditioned contemporary living space enveloped by a permeable and responsive patterned outer skin. Looking to the expressive and perforated architecture of Kolkata, the pattern of the outer skin is a direct response of layering sun paths with external views

FAST FACTS
Client : Shrachi Group, Kolkata
Architect : Piercy & Company, UK (formerly Piercy Conner Architects)
Structural Engineer : Price & Myers, UK
Steel Sections : Manufactured according to need
Software : AutoCad, STAAD.Pro and StruWalker evolution
Timeline : 24 months
Status : Ongoing