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Shree Krishna Haveli: More Than a Hindu Place of Worship in Hertfordshire

Anabata Media · September 16th, 2022
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The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) briefed Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture to design a new haveli in Hertfordshire, England. The new haveli will be part of the courtyard of Bhaktivedanta Manor, a Grade II historic building that serves as a dedicated place of worship for the local Hindu community. Therefore, this two-story building is expected to support the role of Bhaktivedanta Manor with the part of a community center.

Shree Krishna Haveli entrance - worship facility and Hindu community center in HertfordshireShree Krishna Haveli entrance - worship facility and Hindu community center in Hertfordshire.

This Shree Krishna Haveli project tries to reflect the traditions and culture of indigenous India by considering the needs of the community and the considerations of the local planning department. Especially about the traditional haveli in India is often translated as a multi-story house built around its central courtyard. This typology of the house with the middle courtyard was later adapted by Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture in designing the Shree Krishna Haveli.

Shree Krishna Haveli has a design that reflects traditional Indian haveliShree Krishna Haveli has a design that reflects traditional Indian haveli.

In its design, Shree Krishna Haveli interprets the existence of the central courtyard as a functional space connected to other programs. One such program is the main hall which includes a prasad hall for dining and a multipurpose hall for home worship, weddings, and traditional theatrical performances. In addition, there are also additional spaces that serve as classrooms, offices, cafes, and shops.

The central courtyard is inspired by the typology of traditional Indian haveliThe central courtyard is inspired by the typology of traditional Indian haveli.

As an active space, the central courtyard of the Shree Krishna Haveli can be used for various community activitiesAs an active space, the central courtyard of the Shree Krishna Haveli can be used for various community activities.

In addition to the task of reflecting the theology of users, Shree Krishna Haveli is also required to be able to reduce the carbon footprint during the construction process and save energy use in her daily life. Recognizing these challenges, Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture applied several design concepts to answer them. The first step they took was to choose building materials that are sturdy and have low carbon values, such as bricks and clay roofs. Next, such materials form the exterior cladding of buildings, which cooperate with hybrid structures of steel, wood, and open green oak.

The orientation of glass openings in this building is one of the energy efficiency effortsThe orientation of glass openings in this building is one of the energy efficiency efforts.

To save on daily energy use, the orientation of the glass openings in this building is considered as best as possible so that sunlight can support natural lighting without over-intervening in the thermal comfort of each space. If the space inside public buildings is usually passively cooled, then the hall at Shree Krishna Haveli makes more use of the existing set of windows. Together with the mechanical ventilation system, the windows can be opened and closed as needed.

Shree Krishna Haveli main hallShree Krishna Haveli main hall.

This kind of design that attaches importance to energy efficiency proves that the Shree Krishna Haveli is not just a place of worship or a community center for a particular religion. As a result, Shree Krishna Haveli got an A rating in the EPC, which is a review of the property's energy efficiency.

Site planSite plan.

Ground floor planGround floor plan.

 

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Architecture · Public Space ·