Studio VDGA has completed The Street, a community clubhouse in Pune, India, that recreates the experience of wandering through traditional Indian city lanes. The 15,000-square-meter facility serves a new residential community of 240 self-build plots on the outskirts of Maharashtra's second-largest city, featuring perforated brick walls, courtyards, and arcades designed to encourage spontaneous social interactions among residents.
The architectural concept deliberately moves away from typical clubhouse designs that serve merely as marketing tools for real estate developments. Instead, Studio VDGA created a central hub that functions as the heart of the plotted community, incorporating meandering pathways and open spaces that mimic the vibrant atmosphere of traditional Indian bylanes. The design emphasizes shared experiences, traditional values, and a strong sense of belonging through its street-like layout.
The clubhouse provides comprehensive recreational facilities including a gymnasium, kitchen, multipurpose hall, restaurant, and swimming pool, all interconnected by winding streets and courtyards. Two main entrances at the north and south ends of the site lead visitors along brick pathways toward the central facilities, which are organized around open, stone-paved plazas that serve as natural gathering points for community members.
The eastern section of the complex houses the gymnasium and bathrooms alongside a large swimming pool, overlooked by outdoor seating areas and various sheltered spaces. These include a steel-framed canopy and a concrete arcade that provide shade and protection from the elements. The western portion features a sheltered multipurpose events space and an external amphitheater-style seating area that faces a plaza planted with trees, while a tower-like structure to the south contains the facility's utilities and storage areas.
Red brick was chosen as the primary building material to evoke nostalgia and connect the structure to the local landscape, paying homage to traditional Indian architectural practices. This material choice is complemented by raw concrete finishes that provide a modern contrast while maintaining the building's authentic, unrefined character. The brick walls enclose the various routes throughout the site and create an elevated seating area beneath a barrel-vaulted ceiling with perforated walls that filter light and air.
Small changes in elevation throughout the site are strategically designed to recreate the feeling of moving through an actual cityscape, enhancing the authenticity of the street-like experience. The perforated brick walls not only provide visual interest but also help with natural ventilation and light control, essential features for India's climate conditions.
Studio VDGA, founded by principal architect Deepak Gugarii in 2003 and based in Pune, has previously demonstrated expertise in courtyard-centered designs. Their portfolio includes a home in Dubai also organized around a series of open courtyards, and an innovative office building in India featuring curving walls made of honeycomb cardboard. The Street project continues the studio's exploration of traditional Indian architectural elements reimagined for contemporary community needs.
The project represents a thoughtful approach to modern community design in India, where rapid urbanization often overlooks the social fabric that makes neighborhoods livable. By recreating the informal meeting spaces and pedestrian-friendly environments of traditional Indian cities, The Street offers a model for how contemporary developments can maintain cultural continuity while providing modern amenities and facilities for growing communities.
