Description

STUDIO

We are a dynamic practice based in Goa, designing contemporary, avante garde residential and commercial architecture in Goa, Mumbai and Delhi.

Practice Profile:

Bricklane was founded by Sergio Huidobro, Chilean Architect born in 1965.

After 8 years of practice in Chile where he worked mostly in experimental and ecological design, he moved to UK where he worked for 10 years. There he concentrated mainly on Landscape Design as a way to learn how to incorporate both natural and built environment. Since then, integrating landscape and built environment is a key aspect of each and every project. Sergio also worked as associate architect in projects in Chile, Dubai, France and UK with more than one international award-winning architect.

Once in India he formed Bricklane Architecture together with his partner Cairo Sealey.

It has taken only three years for Bricklane to become the only truly contemporary Architecture Practice in Goa, perhaps even in India.

Bricklane has 15 projects currently in development, all at varying stages. They range from single houses to a five star hotel, as well as a 130 villa complex.

The Birth of Bricklane in India

Just one visit to India left me impressed by the way the country is fast evolving into a major player in the international arena, and I realized quickly that infrastructure is a big obstacle in this process. I could see that there was a very real opportunity for me to contribute in this area and to develop a local contemporary language.

Bricklane is looking to create landmarks that will become icons of contemporary architecture in India. This country is on its way to becoming the world’s second largest economy but has yet to develop infrastructure, including public and corporate buildings, able to cope with the technological, environmental, practical and aesthetic demands of a growing and increasingly globalised market.

To respond to the demands of our clients, hungry for contemporary and efficient buildings, we have a select group of Indian architects working with us in our offices in Goa.

As we expand, we have plans to open offices in Mumbai and Delhi to cater for our increasing portfolio of clients. They include prestigious developers, both corporate and individuals, who have contacted us having seen or heard about our projects in Goa.

To offer services of an international standard we also work in diverse and specialised subjects such as Energy Conservation, Urban Planning, Project Management, Landscape Design and Interior Design.

Bricklane’s Contemporary Architecture in India

Most Indian architecture is very traditional, especially in the countryside. Even in the metropolitans, the ‘modern’ buildings have only some exterior modern touches like reflected glass, but still keep the same form as traditional Indian architecture. Regionalism and nostalgia have been prevalent forces in Indian architecture thus even the demands of the more demanding wealthier middle-upper class Indians are being met with clichés of pseudo-colonial style.

Bricklane’s architectural style is predominantly contemporary. Tropical contemporary has to be tackled differently everywhere. In India, and Goa especially, there are many factors which have to be considered, like the monsoons, prevalent winds, cool and hot seasons, humidity, luminosity and technical aspects. Each element has to be embraced, and incorporated into the design.

We design considering the limitations and shortage in skilled labour, but with experience in more sophisticated construction practice and wider availability of local materials. Whenever we can, we incorporate more elaborate and sophisticated technology (sometimes as simple as exposed concrete which also is a good way to insulate from heat and rain and is maintenance-free if done properly.) in order to have a simpler and more striking finish.

One vital distinction of our practice is its holistic approach and solution to all environmental and brief requirements without compromising on the built shape and final aesthetic of the building. We design each and every element until it feels indispensable, rather than an accessory to the project. Nothing is left to improvisation, and exhaustive detailing of each bolt, plate, etc. is produced.

With the incorporation of western standards in design and quality, combined with the local way of living and building, a new regional tropical will emerge and shape the Indian metros. We at Bricklane are developing a new language, with new shapes which do preserve the local way as much as possible, in order to root our projects and make them feel part of the environment.

Our approach to design here in Goa borders on the minimalist rather than on the high tech spectrum of contemporary architecture. This is partly due to technological limitations and cost. However, we will always find a way to achieve goals, elaborating the technical aspect as long as we first can find someone who can build it.

No challenge is too small for Bricklane and no limitation unsurpassable. In many cases the constraints that we begin with become a feature of the finished project we design. And we never finish a project unsatisfied with the end result. We are proud, and our clients are proud, to present our projects conceived and completed (or almost completed) so far in Goa.