Brigade Gateway is a landmark project for Bangalore and for Brigade Group. How would you rate the project as an assignment?
We think this is a terrific assignment because of the visionary approach that Brigade has: trying to raise the bar for development, to bring it 3-5 years ahead of the state-of-the-art in Bangalore today.

Could you sum up the master plan for Brigade Gateway in a few sentences?
We would say that this is a sustainable development. In our trips to Bangalore, the congestion because of the exponential growth has become very obvious. Brigade Gateway provides for a compact, dense environment. Yet there is plenty of open space so that there is relief for the users of the enclave.

What are the special challenges you faced while the concept and design were being developed for Brigade Gateway?
We think the biggest challenge was to deal with the number of automobiles that we have to actually park on the site and still retain an open space. We've handled this with a multi-storey parking structure behind the office building, 2 levels of parking below the retail, 3 or 4 levels of parking for the hotel and a very large parking plinth for the residential areas. The other challenge was to try and create a new Lifestyle Centre that was more like a series of pavilions and less like an enclosed mall.

The concept of a Lifestyle Centre, a separate Residential Zone and a Commercial Block in an integrated enclave is still quite new to Bangalore. Could you briefly elaborate on the special features of each zone?
The Lifestyle Centre has a hyper mart, potential for smaller zoned areas for smaller retailers as well as indoor and outdoor dining. The idea is that you can actually feel like you're walking more through an open space than through an enclosed shopping mall. The office building will be iconic and state-of-the-art. The project also includes a hospital, a school and a club, as well as residential units. The whole project is focused around a lake that becomes the focal point for the enclave. And we see this lake being a feature which is used 24 hours a day. It's animated on all three sides, yet the use is different on all three sides.

What do you feel are the strongest features of the office building, apart from the fact that it will be the tallest building in Bangalore?
The ground floor includes a 3-storey lobby with secure access to three different elevatoring cores. On the third floor will be a cafeteria, an executive center and a fitness center. Additionally, the top of the building will have an observation deck with retail and restaurant space.

The building's floor-to-floor heights are 4.2 metres which allows for state-of-the-art IT and electrical distribution within each of the floor plates. It includes modern air-conditioning systems, toilets close to the core, as well as solar control on the southern facade of the building and wonderful views to the north. Parking is available immediately adjacent to the building. The building also has on-site water treatment facilities. In fact the whole distribution system will be provided for by a co-generation plant so that the power on the site will be clean power and be backed up by generators.

So any company looking for office space in Bangalore will know that if they lease space in this project, it conforms to all of the standards one could find either in New York or Tokyo.

How have you handled issues of retaining the privacy and identity of each zone?
The retail is facing a public street, which allows for a lot of visibility. The office building is the vertical element so it becomes the fulcrum for the entire project. And the residential is tucked away so as one enters from Dr. Rajkumar Road, through the side, it becomes, from a very public experience to a very private experience.

What are the salient features of the landscaping of the project and how is this going to be implemented in each zone?
We want to use materials that are grown locally. There will be places for repose and contemplation within the site, especially in the lake environment and the islands within the lake. Also the landscaping can be used as architecture. For instance, large trees can create shade over sidewalks.

H.O.K.'s philosophy is to create simple, effective spaces that enrich people's lives. How does your philosophy come through at Brigade Gateway?
Well it's made possible by having aspirational clients. We hope to create a very rich ground plane filled with texture and plant materials and a quality of life that actually knits all uses together. It's important to us as a firm that we do sustainable work and creating a dense mixed-use environment, reinforces what we think is the appropriate direction for urbanism in Bangalore.

The Woodrose: Soft Opening

An informal get-together and high-tea on 6 August marked the soft opening of the sports facilities at The Woodrose. Swimming, squash, billiards, table tennis, badminton and gym facilities are now available to the members of the club, located in the Brigade Millennium campus in J.P. Nagar. Besides the sports facilties, the bakery at The Woodrose is now open. There is 'Tambola' and dinner on week-ends.

The rest of the facilities, including the tennis courts, spa, library, coffee shop, guestrooms and restaurant, will become progressively operational over the coming months. The club will be affiliated to other clubs across the country. Selective membership to The Woodrose is now open.

Homestead offers
Corporate Residences/Executive Apartment

Swimming pool at our Corporate Residences on Cambridge Road

Homestead Koramangala and Jayanagar

Homestead, Bangalore's first professionally managed Serviced Apart-ments, will soon be starting operations in Koramangala and Jayanagar.

Homestead first opened off Lavelle Road in 2001 and provided visitors to Bangalore with a unique combination of a home, an excellent hotel and an exclusive company guesthouse.

After the success of our serviced apartments at Lavelle Road, Cambridge Road and Indiranagar, our new branches at Jayanagar and Koramangala will continue the tradition of offering a high quality of service and pleasurable living experience to our guests.

The Bhoomi Pooja of Homestead-III, at Koramangala, was held on 2 May and the Bhoomi Pooja of Homestead-IV, at Jayanagar, was held on 22 June.