Planning
The planning process began in 1997 and the project was envisaged to be completed in two phases. Phase 1 included a restaurant with total 125 seats, a Business centre, a central Kitchen Block, which would also serve the other restaurants of the BTH in Ernakulam, 14 cottages and a convention centre to seat 750 people with Banquet facilities. Whereas, phase 2 included a hotel tower block with 130 rooms (50% air conditioned), 2 Specialty restaurant, Business Centre, Conference facilities etc. Besides, there was need also for a swimming pool, an Ayurved health centre, a lawn for social get-together, spaces for exhibitions and displays, a boat club and other amusement facilities. Of theses phase 1 achieved completion in 1999, with a total built up area of around 45,000 sq feet.
There were two main governing factors, which resulted in the zoning of the site. First was the decision to create an artificial lake, which would harvest the rainwater and satisfy the all-year-round water requirements of the hotel and also at a landscape and recreational feature. This lake gives the hotel its name ‘Sarovaram' as ‘sarovar' in Sanskrit means a lake. The second consideration was the coastal regulation law, which resulted in all the built form being placed on the eastern side, beyond 100 meters from the backwaters, and the lake being positioned on the western side, around which the guest room were planned.
The design
The current design is an informal layout, having a reception, a coffee shop, an air-conditioned restaurant with a fully equipped kitchen and a conference hall as one block, which is placed close to the entrance. Immediately at the entrance, there is a small temple with unique copper sheet roofing, which is devoted to the family deity. Further inside there is a convention hall, which is an open structure, covered only by a metal truss and tiled roof. The guest rooms are planned as a double storied curvilinear row of units hugging the eastern profile of the free form shaped lake and overlooking this lake and the backwaters beyond. The aim was to create an inward looking private zone for the accommodation area.
The vocabulary used for the entire complex is that of exposed brickwork arranged in aesthetic patterns and sloping, tiled filler-slab roof, evoking the vernacular appeal of the Kerala style of architecture. The concept of the design has been to be able to blend the modern requirements of a hotel, with the traditional look and elegance of the vernacular style, being eco-friendly and economic at the same time. This has been achieved in the exteriors as well as the interiors. The spaces in the hotel are embellished with raw use of stone as lintels, excellent crafted woodwork, handcrafted terracotta mural work, handcrafted bell metal accessories, together with the free flowing mural paintings made by specialists and red oxide works. The flooring is mostly done in Terracotta. The services of the Crafthouse were used to custom-make, the ergonomically crafted the furniture, specially designed by a furniture designer and the light-fittings and other crafts and accessories such as planters and handrails, also designed by a product designer.
The part of the project constructed till date has costed about 3.9 crores with a rate of 850 rupess a square foot of construction. This rate includes all the costs of construction from the structure, interior furnishing and finishing, infrastructure, services and labour, which is significantly low compared to the cost of construction of similar projects using conventional technology. |
