Jabcon Consultants

building derives its form from a very specific architectural response to its programmatic intent, site, environmental conditions and dialogue with its patrons. A review of the projects designed by us will reveal that we do not favour the imposition of any particular style on our work. The firm’s architecture is conceived not as a synthesized container of specific activities but as a place to be inhabited, as a place to facilitate the course of human interaction. While the form of a given project evolves in direct response to the program and its specific environment, the ultimate resolution of the form maintains a level of independence and presence that is unique to itself. It is the tension between these seemingly contradictory qualities that is the genesis for our search for architectural form. Central to our search for an appropriate architecture has been the attitude towards energy. All our projects have evolved around themes which highlight the conservation of energy whether it is human or mechanical. The use of local materials, craft persons and appropriate technologies has been an extension of these attitudes. The firm places an important emphasis of urban design as an approach to the design of individual building, rather than focusing on simple projects as isolated elements. This holistic and comprehensive approach to design has been the objective in all our master plans at all scales and encompasses detailed site studies, transportation studies, the context and the surroundings. We have noted that numerous events in contemporary society have conspired against building construction as a craft oriented enterprise. The often heard condemnation of contemporary architecture as inhumane is partly due to the deterioration of building quality and the lack of attention to the kinds of details that we experience such as when we open or close a window or run our hand along a door frame. It has been one of our objectives to restore the craft of building to the process of both design and implementation. A thing made well will work better, age gracefully, and be better appreciated by its users. Considering architecture mainly as an art form, the participation of the artists and the crafts people at the inception of projects has become a goal we would like to actively pursue in all our future projects with the conviction that from these joint efforts architecture acquires a more precise and comprehensive expression reflective of the cultural perspectives and values of the time. In addition, creating a link between the artist and the building tradesman will serve to raise aspirations regarding quality workmanship and the craft of the building. Design Methodology:
A tightly knit working method and design philosophy has resulted from limiting the size of the firm and by having substantial participation in all projects by the experts. In the same vein we have developed and consistently embraced a design methodology that revolves around design teams framed at the outset of each project to work together from concept phase to completion. The teams provide a consistent attitude towards conceptual issues and technical matters to assure proper implementation of each project. It is not enough to arrive at a design concept and then to treat the design development ailed working drawings as an independent activity. The development of design details follows from the conceptual base of the project and generates a formal vocabulary that ultimately influences even the smallest details. It is for this reason that the firm is not departmentalized - those architects involved in the conceptual decisions also develop construction details for the building, review fabrication drawings and observe construction at the job site along with the various specialists and consultants added on board at the inception of the job. As the work progresses through the design phases, close contact with the client is maintained to assure that there is agreement at every step on the way. There is nothing more troubling than to reach a point where the client feels that he or she is not being heard - or that the design is not responsive to the stated needs. An essential part of this philosophy is the preparation of 3d models and of full scale mockups to make decisions jointly with the client about the building. At this stage alternative specifications, construction techniques appropriate monitoring schedules can be fine tuned with the contracting agencies to prepare detailed construction documents. Greater involvement, greater care and more testing at this stage, we have found, pays tremendous dividends at the later stages. In fact the success of any project depends on effective construction, contracting, logistic planning and co-ordination. There has to be a more detailed planning of the distribution of the construction activities over time on a critical path basis to meet the overall schedule targets. The client must develop the means of monitoring the progress vis a vis the construction plan as well as cost and cash flow requirements compared to the budget. A management information system is essential to give early warning of potential deviations from the plan and assist the client the to correct the deviations. As a rule we stress post-occupancy evaluation so that our clients and us get a true feedback on the assumptions we have proceeded along and adjustments and further improvements that can be added as the various phases proceed. In summary, it may be said that architecture for our firm is fundamentally a social enterprise. The form it takes is a result of personal expression informed by history, culture and human behavior, is the way in which it is appropriated by its inhabitants. And secondly, the degree to which it is imbibed with a timeless and memorable presence.