The Concept is an African forest

Sanjay Puri Architects unveils The Forest, a high density development project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to prevailing rules governing built-up areas, this project required a vertical tower since the ratio of built-up area permissible is 9 times the plot area.

Photo credit: SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS

Photo credit: SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS

Photo credit: SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS

The vertical circulation core is planned on the southern side to mitigate heat gain and simultaneously provide privacy to the existing residential 15 storey buildings on the southern side. The offices are all oriented towards the north and north-west, with the best views of the Congo River, while also reducing heat gain by allowing natural indirect light into the office spaces. Situated in the pretext of the Congo River, the building shape provides peripheral glazing surfaces orienting towards the river. Capturing maximum river views at the shortest distance, the balconies are aligned and projected radially from the offices.

Photo credit: SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS

Photo credit: SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS

Photo credit: SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS

Photo credit: SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS

The concept thread is drawn from the African forest, creating a structure that replicates a dense tree via parabolic balconies that embark upon the building façade. The angled balconies overlap at subsequent floors, providing double and single height balcony spaces for every office. The building shape, with its projecting decks, allows integration of open spaces with enclosed ones. The form generated by the blend of building shape and balconies creates a parametric envelope of repetitive cascading elements to develop a unique identity.

Sanjay Puri Architects

Led by founding partners Sanjay Puri and Nina Puri, Sanjay Puri Architects has been listed in Archdaily’s list of Top 100 architects worldwide and in the WA UK top 100 architectural firms, as well as the Architizer New York’s top130 architecture firms in the world. With a current firm strength of 90, the essence of the firm’s design philosophy revolves around evolving design solutions that are contextual and sustainable, and creating spaces that explore spatial perceptions with new design directions.