SLCC ROOFS
From the Forest Department facility at the entrance to the Deodar Café deep in the evergreen woods, asymmetrical canopies gracefully crown the sturdy stone/timber structures of the SLCC buildings. All three nature-based, Voronoi-patterned roofs create a field of gently shifting planes that capture winter sunlight, frame distant Himalayan views, and efficiently distribute structural forces. All the roofs on the cold north are lower, while they open up towards the southeast/south.
Through this precise 3D orientation, the building passively warms itself, turning architectural geometry into a functional environmental strategy. The entire roofscape of the Snow Leopard Conservation Centre sits on a concrete ring beam that anchors the hybrid timber-and-steel structure above, achieving a deliberate “light on top of heavy” tectonic balance. Ar. Himanshu Lal and Ar. Kartikeya worked hard, through full-scale on-site mock-ups, to ensure the builders got the angled timber trusses with steel diagonal tie-rods perfectly in place. This intricate woodwork was brought to life by a dedicated carpentry team comprising Moh. Arshat, Sonu, Shadab, and Moshin, with the lead duo having honed their traditional skills under Ustad Haji Abdur Rahman. The structural logic is topped with local deodar planks to form a robust deck, while XPS insulation will ensure good thermal comfort.
