Sanjay Puri Architects

Crest Nine Community Center

CREST NINE COMMUNITY CENTER

Sanjay Puri Architects

Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani

ARCHITECTS
Sanjay Puri Architects

LEAD ARCHITECT
Sanjay Puri

INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANT
Sanjay Puri Architects

MEP CONSULTANTS
Epsilon Deign Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.

HVAC CONTRACTOR
Weather Controlling Solution India Pvt. Ltd.

CIVIL CONTRACTORS
Tanmay Mehta

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR
Nishi Electricals

ROOF
Aadyaam Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN TEAM
Sanya Gupta, Madhavi Belsare, Akshay Chikhalkar, Payal Raut

INTERIOR CONTRACTORS
Maitri Interiors Project Pvt. Ltd.

LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
Studio Roots

POOL CONTRACTOR
Oceanic Enviro (I) Pvt. Ltd.

RCC CONTRACTOR
Acs Buildwell Llp

MANUFACTURERS
Ashbury International, Burhani Interiors, Cane India, Dorma , Flexstone, Hafele, Loom craft, Maitri Interiors Project Pvt. Ltd., Rajdhani Crafts, Simpolo, Supernova Lights, Vox India

STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
Epicon Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Vinay Panjwani

AREA
32000 m²

YEAR
2026

LOCATION
Anjarle, India

CATEGORY
Wellbeing, Community Center

Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani

English description provided by the architects.

Situated on a steeply contoured hill overlooking the Ocean in Anjarle, Maharashtra, India, Crest Nine is a community centre designed as a recreational hub for a gated villa enclave.

The site drops sharply from the approach road, allowing the building to emerge gradually from the natural terrain, rather than sit upon it.

Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani

A sweeping curvilinear form follows the natural gradient of the land, with the entrance positioned 6 metres below the access road level.

Visitors descend via a wide staircase and a gently curving ramp that runs alongside a sloping landscaped garden, arriving at the main circulation spine that stretches across the length of the building.

Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani

The built form transitions dramatically from a simple curvilinear entrance facade into a sequence of parabolic volumes of varying heights.

These sculpted forms are interspersed with courtyards and landscaped pockets, creating a rhythmic interplay of built and open spaces.

Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani

The parabolic volumes house an indoor sports room, gymnasium, restaurant, bar, and four guest bedrooms. Each space opens onto generous curvilinear decks that frame expansive ocean views to the west.

Above, a sectionally curved roof undulates across the structure—rising prominently above primary volumes and dipping between them to define intimate courtyard spaces. Deep overhangs extend over the decks, providing protection from sun and monsoon rains.

Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani

At the centre, an open stairway wraps around a circular courtyard, descending to the swimming pool level below.

This lower level accommodates three pools, a health club, and an open cafeteria connected to a large, naturally ventilated multifunctional deck.

Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center

The building employs locally sourced laterite stone for its walls, rooting the structure materially and visually within its coastal context.

Every internal space receives natural light, and nearly 70% of the built areas are naturally ventilated and non-air-conditioned. The roof structure comprises a metal framework finished with shingles.

Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani

By prioritising local materials and local contract labour, the project achieves a significantly reduced embodied carbon footprint.

Its reliance on passive cooling, natural ventilation, and daylighting further minimises lifecycle carbon emissions.

Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani

Integrated seamlessly with the existing terrain, the community centre is perceived as a series of interconnected volumes of varying scales, linked by landscaped open spaces that encourage social interaction and flexible use.


Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani


Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani
Crest Nine Community Center
© Vinay Panjwani


Crest Nine Community Center
Ground Floor Plan
Crest Nine Community Center
Lower Ground Floor Plan


Crest Nine Community Center
Section

Sanjay Puri Architects
T +91 22 66662111
Sanjay Puri Architects
20, Famous Studio Lane, Off. Dr. E. Moses Road, Mahalakshmi, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400011, India