THE MAGIC BREEZE LANDSCAPE

Slated to begin construction later this year in Hyderabad, India, the Magic Breeze Landscape was designed by landscape architecture studio Penda for developers Pooja Crafted Homes. Totaling 8000sqm, Penda’s design is informed by India’s stepwells and water mazes.

Incorporating a range of features such as bamboo coves, gardens of flowers, herb and grasses, water-displays and seating areas, the space will serve as a communal garden for the residents of the 145 apartments in the development; a place where they can visit with family and friends or just commune with nature in a quiet space within what is a notoriously densely populated country.

The traditional elements of India’s aesthetics, namely rectangular pools surrounded by steps and shallow decorative mazes filled with water, served as the inspiration behind the Magic Breeze design. "We were always inspired by Indian stairwells," explained studio founders Chris Precht and Sun Dayong.

"It is very rare to find an architectural typology where function and beauty are so intertwined, and a harmony of human needs and environmental impact is so in balance."

The stepped elements of the design do double duty as tiered planters and in-built seating, as well as providing demarcation between different zones within the space. The maze-like geometry of the layout serves to define purpose-built areas that help to direct the flow of traffic, with three main routes geared to different functions.iamge4

A wide, straight path offers runners a usable area and provides emergency access, while a narrower path is better suited to more moderate exercise and dog walkers. A third more winding path invites residents and casual visitors into the various gathering spaces within the garden.

"Based on Indian water mazes, the steps get shifted to create different sets of atmosphere, from private gardens for a stroll in the park to open plazas for larger gatherings," claim the architects.

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