An airy cow shelter in India prioritises wellness for animals and humans alike
Gaugram, a cow shelter designed by architecture studio Compartment S4, breathes new life into an existing facility – and places animal welfare at its heart
This striking home is not the typical kind that features in the pages of magazines – called ‘Gaugram’, it’s a cow shelter. Still, for its architects, Ahmedabad- and Mumbai-based Compartment S4, this home for cattle is as design-led as any residential architecture project destined for human inhabitants.
Explore Gaugram, a new, design-led cow shelter in India
Located in a 350-acre fruit orchard in Dahanu, Maharashtra, as part of a bigger campus also including a school and skill development centre, the cow shelter was created to replace an existing structure on site, which had been in disrepair. The architects aimed to design a new facility with 'health, behaviour, and dignity' at its heart, both for the animals (some 400 cows) and the people working there.
While the building reads as a fairly straightforward structure – a permeable space that ‘breathes’ – it is elevated by careful internal arrangement of the different areas as well as its rich materiality; it is composed of sourced black basalt stone, exposed brick, and handcrafted elements. These factors, coupled with details in stone, brick, bamboo, and metal, make for a building with an almost civic presence, which is at the same time rooted in the region's material resources.
Inside, clearly defined zones for cattle, services, and open paddocks ensure 'hygiene, ease of movement, and long-term operational clarity', the architects write in their project description. This underlines their commitment to a hygiene-first approach and reducing stress for the animals.
Meanwhile, small adjustments make a big difference in the operational life and wellness of all users in the facility, the architects explain: 'Rounded water troughs reduce the risk of injury, breathable brick flooring improves hygiene and cow belly health, and reinforced MS columns with rounded caps double up as scratching surfaces. In the open paddocks, drinking water troughs or 'havadas' were designed as communal water bodies inspired by the logic of an earthen pot or matka.'
'Lined with lime plaster, these water bodies remain naturally cool. A tree planted at the centre allows the surrounding soil to regulate heat, and the shade of the tree creates a comfortable, sheltered space for the cows to drink water in the open.'
The complex is also anchored in passive cooling strategies to allow for a sustainable overall design approach and function. The thermal mass of basalt stone and exposed brick further helps maintain internal temperatures to pleasant levels. Open-air paddocks help create a microclimate across the site that benefits both humans and animals.
It all results in a mindful piece of agricultural infrastructure, created with nature at its core. The architects conclude: 'Gaughar challenges conventional perceptions of agricultural architecture and animal shelters. It demonstrates that spaces designed for livestock need not be anonymous or purely utilitarian, and that care, dignity, and architectural intent can be integral to their functioning.
'More than a shelter for cattle, [it] stands as an example of how architecture can act as stewardship. It is a place where craft meets ecology, where systems are designed to sustain one another, and where the built environment quietly supports the shared lives of animals, caretakers, and the land they inhabit.'
