50 Beautiful Houses in India 2020

50 BEAUTIFUL
CONTEMPORARY | MINIMAL | EARTHY
HOUSES IN INDIA E-BOOK

I N D I A’ S B E S T H O M E T O U R S - E X T E R I O R & I N T E R I O R
contemporary
2 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES 3
earthy

CONTEMPORARY EARTHY
PBA & DESGN - PG.12 MANOJ PATEL DESIGN STUDIO - PG.310
minimal
ABRAHAM JOHN ARCHITECTS- PG.26 VIR.MUELLER ARCHITECTS - PG.324
THE GRID ARCHITECTS- PG.36 NEOGENESIS + STUDIO 261 - PG.334
AVASITI DESIGN- PG.58 ALOK KOTHARI ARCHITECTS - PG.396
SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS- PG.70 KAMAT AND ROZARIO ARCHITECTURE

- PG.376
CHARGED VOIDS- PG.94
THOUGHT PARALLELS - PG.392
ATELIER SHANTANU AUTADE- PG.100
GROUND WORK ARCHITECTURE - PG.406
SAV ARCHITECTURE+DESIGN- PG.114
COLLECTIVE PROJECT - PG.422
DADA & PARTNERS- PG.156
MODO DESIGNS - PG.434
23 DC ARCHITECTS- PG.168
STO.M.P - PG.444
MORIQ- PG.184
STUDIO PKA - PG.458
WARP ARCHITECTS-PG.198
1 LEAPING FROG STUDIO - PG.468
DIPEN GADA AND ASSOCIATES-PG.212
B.DESIGN 24 STUDIO - PG.476
UNEVEN-PG.226
USINE STUDIO - PG.488
KNS ARCHITECTS-PG.236
AAYAM ARCHITECTS - PG.500
SDEG- PG.246
MA+RS-PG.254
PARALLAX - PG.266
ANAGRAM ARCHITECTS-PG.276
ESTABLISH ARCHITECTS- PG.286
SUNIL PATIL AND ASSOCIATES-PG.294

EDITOR'S NOTE
MINIMAL
FLXBL DESIGN CONSULTANCY - PG.516
ANAHATA - PG.530
SPACEFICTION STUDIO - PG.542
SPASM DESIGN -PG.560
STUDIO LAGOM - PG.576
I
ZERO STUDIO - PG.588
t’s a fact that these days, we are closer to digital media than the traditional
ESSTEAM - PG.600 niche publishing. In tracing the evolution, we have touched the right formats
and products that were missing so far from the conservative book industry.
LIJO RENY ARCHITECTS - PG.610
After the success of our previous book, we wanted to present a book that turns
MEISTER VARMA ARCHITECTS - PG.626 out to be a Bible for the Home Décor and assures the readers to have the gist
of leading beautiful houses existing in India. So, we are gladly presenting you
KDND -PG.642 with our new e-book “50 BEAUTIFUL HOMES“ by “The Architect’s Diary”.
Architecture for me has never been about mere designing buildings. It’s about
the right virtuous thought process to come up with the advanced design solu-
tion best suited for the users. So, through this book let’s celebrate the work
of the talented creatives who have been in the field for many years and have
delivered supreme legacy to the society. The book is a premium selection of
For the curious house interior lovers, innovative designers in search of inspiration, new house
buyers looking for exclusiveness, the reading strollers and also for people craving good fine works composed of a simple and organized approach.While continuing
design, at last, there is a book that proposes to catalogue the stunning homes around the the publishing tradition we trying to hold a kind of responsibility to spread the
country. So, we are gladly presenting you with our new e-book 50 Beautiful Homes brought knowledge and upgrade the living standards.
to you byThe Architect’s Diary.
Architects and Designers have been struggling hard to divide up their time
efficiently and in the end compromise with the value, they add at social and
economic levels. So, one amazing take away from this book is the Time Man-
agement Matrix. How you start is how you go. Now start on the right foot.
CONTEMPORARY
The market of books right now faces many challenges in the field of architec-
EARTHY
ture, arts, and design. But, these challenges have allowed us to go beyond
MINIMAL and embrace all other media formats to do what we do best i.e. conquers the
visual culture and narrate the stories of the buildings in the utmost interesting
manner. We made sure that the documentation done with the HD pictures,
content and drawings is more than only justified. This new approach not only
enables you with in-depths details but also copious images, plans, and sec-
tions. We believe our audience will surely see the value of our efforts.
SIDDHARTH BHAYANI
FOUNDER- DIRECTOR
www.thearchitectsdiary.com

contemporary

Contemporary House
PLUSH WITH WARMTH

SAFE HAVEN
CONTEMPORARY HOUSE
PBA & DESIGNS

Architects: PBA & Designs
Location: Surat,Gujarat.
Lead Architects: AR Bhavin Patel,
ID Sneha Dhandharia Patel
Project Team: Prachi Desai, Om Mistry,Aakash patel
Area : 18,482 ft²
Photographs: Credence Photography
VISIT > PBA & DESIGNS
BHAVIN AND SNEHA PATEL
AN INTERESTING
I
n the Vicinity of this Urban Textile Hub, Su-
SEQUENCES FUSING rat city lays this palatial piece of property
designed for an elderly couple who spent
A BIT OF MODERN most of their life in Africa pertaining busi-
ness purposes and wanted to create a ha-
CONTEMPORARY ven for themselves nearby their hometown.
They wanted their home to reflect a part of
TRADITIONAL their inbred culture along with the bits and
pieces that they learnt along the way. It had
FEATURES to be plush with warmth, so that whenever
they came back, they would come home.

LIVINGROOM
The house was conceptualised in-
tegrating the set of spaces into an
interesting sequences fusing a bit of
modern contemporary house with
the traditional feature elements.
A charcoal grey carpet is laid

down which leads you to the
grand entrance through a series
of interesting steps garnished
with flower beds on either side.
Keeping in mind the clients’ ap-
preciation of African culture, we
manifested their appreciation on
the concrete wall though etch-
ings on the concrete wall at the
entrance.

LIVINGROOM
The residence has huge openings that
look on towards the landscape and
the linear lotus pond sitting right in
the centre making the whole scheme
look beautiful, a perfect place to have
a cup of coffee with your friend and
catch up over lost time.
The peripheral garden is segregat-

ed into zones through levels, the
upper level is n extension of the
house itself, wherein one can enjoy
the view from afar, the second level
has an out seating in two corners,
one is open to sky and the other
is an elegant Gazebo on the other
end of the pond.

The House opens up into a large dou-
ble height space delineating the three
zones i.e Formal Seating, TV lounge and
dining via an intricately detailed central
staircase. The large opening does jus-
tice to the space within assimilating the
outside space and the living area.
To humanise the scale of the space an earthy

interior scheme is followed using Wood and
veneers with intricate linear patterns, con-
tinuing the same language from the exteri-
ors, giving a more homely feel to the house.
As we go up the bedrooms too are done

in a simple and clean language reso-
nating with the overall feel of the house.
Two balconies are cantilevered onto the
garden space and one can come out
and soak in the morning sun.

The beige coloured cladding and the thought-
fully put punctures in the walls lightens the
massive structure gives an elegant feel to the
overall residence.
Traditional Jalis with a bit of modern touch mini-

mizes the thermal exposure inside the room, fil-
ters and cools down the hot air from outside and
creates a pleasant atmosphere inside along
with adding to the aesthetic value to the space
through the different shadows casted at differ-
ent times of the day.
The massing of the spaces is done in such a

way that it looks massive yet has those subtle
variations and details so that it does not become
too overbearing with the contextual scheme.

CHHAVI HOUSE
filigree ABRAHAM JOHN
SCREEN HOUSE
ARCHITECTS
Architects: Abraham John Architects

Location: Jodhpur,Rajasthan.
Lead Architects: Abraham John and Alan Abraham
Project Team: Abraham John, Alan Abraham, Anca
Florescu, Niranjan Fulsundar, Prachi Donde, Neha
Gupta
Area : 7642 ft²
Photographs: Alan Abraham
VISIT > ABRAHAM JOHN ARCHITECTS
ABRAHAM JOHN | ALAN ABRAHAM
t
he challenge of designing a residential vil-
la in Jodhpur was trifold: extreme climate,
small footprint and a large project brief. The
house also needed to be and is Vastu com-
pliant – conforming with the ancient Indian
design principles regarding space, sunlight,
flow and function.

As one walks towards the main door, one
can pause on the bench and enjoy the
soothing sounds of the cascade The first
impression created is that of space and
privacy. The imposing wooden doors,
double height volumes and projections
that are reminiscent of the many pal-
aces, forts and temples set in the stark
landscape of the Thar Desert.
The plot was a restricted one within a

society scheme, encumbered by the ex-
isting adjoining buildings along its com-
pound walls on two sides, and two roads
along its north and east sides. Hence,
there was a need to create privacy,
through orientation of the views, screens
and courtyards, as well as through land-
scape design.
The little gardens, decks, waterbodies,

sculpture court, sky lit balconies and ter-
race gardens were all designed to enhance
its spatial feel.
The floating steps make an inviting entrance, the lighting and

landscape add to the sense of arrival.

The architects conceptualised an open
dining and living area. The living area is a
double height area with the ceiling continu-
ing through from the inside to the outside;
it’s L shaped openable windows connect-
ing it to the courtyard and waterbody.
In a city where temperatures routinely ex-

ceed 40 degrees Celsius, the filigree screen
is both functional (protects from the sun
and offers some privacy) and aesthetic, a
reminder of the traditional jalis of the region.
It looks spectacular at night, and during the
day it cuts down the heat and glare while
reflecting on the windows.
Accommodated within are parking areas

on the ground floor as well as naturally lit
office and utility spaces in the basement.
Local Jodhpur stone was used on the entry
steps, water bodies and compound walls.
The outdoor textured stone plaster finish

matches the colour of Jodhpur stone and is
used on some of the indoor surfaces as well, to
add to the overall outdoor feel and look.

The two bedrooms on the 1st floor
have a common landing (box look
hovering over the dining room).
The master suite is complete with
a large bedroom with two seating
areas
There is a sky lit green area with a

cosy bench seating, a dressing area
and a large spa-like bathroom; anoth-
er seating area overlooks the private
terrace that invites lots of birds and is
meant for relaxed mornings.

From the first landing you get a feel of the
double height, of the expanse and a new
angle to the screen which gives the villa its
character: combines the past (jalis) with
a feeling of modern, clean lines. The two
ground floor bedrooms display concealed
doors to the attached bathrooms, for a
clean look. One of the bedrooms opens
onto a deck and garden, while the other
has a sky lit private deck to augment its
sense of space.
The little gardens, decks, waterbodies,

sculpture court, sky lit balconies and
terrace gardens were all designed to
enhance its spatial feel.

Community
LIVING CULTURE
THE SCREEN HOUSE
THE GRID ARCHITECTS
Architects: The Grid Architects
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Lead Architect: Snehal Suthar,Bhadri Suthar
Area: 22008 ft²
Photographs: Photographix India
VISIT > THE GRID ARCHITECTS
SHENAL SUTHAR BHADRI SUTHAR
S
THE INTENT WAS creen House is a beautifully integrated de-
velopment that houses a large family and
TO KEEP THE various age groups. It comprises three dis-
crete spaces, each one serving the needs of
HOMES WARM sub-sets of the unit, yet linked in spirit and
design. The site is located facing north, with
AND WELCOMING all other three sides abutting adjacent prop-
erties. Within this, the three main constitu-
ents — facing west, north, and east — are
arranged in a C, encircling a central green
courtyard that actually functions as a com-
mon space; an open-air living room. This is
where the family congregates, to share sto-
ries, watch movies, read, and unwind.

Elevationally, all three structures see a
prominent use of brise soleil in the form
of screens — hence the name. The land-
scape was meticulously planned to seem
natural, organic, with several waterbodies
at intervals. For the architect, water plays a
symbolic role. “It changes our relationship
to space,” he says. “It creates a reflection
and adds an element of sensuality. Water
symbolizes life.” The exposed concrete
on the elevation is tautly balanced with
the earthen color and screens. A basic,
close-to-nature basic palette was selected
— stone, wood, and concrete — which
helped create a stable thermal mass.

During the day, the house takes on a
very “private” appearance. A veil of
timber screens, horizontal and vertical,
wraps around the houses, protecting
the façade and the main living areas
from the harsh sun and heat of the cli-
mate of Ahmedabad.
But at night, with the rooms illuminated
within, the effect akin to a magical lan-
tern. Everything was planned in rhythm:
architecture, landscape, and interiors.
Each house has a waterbody at the en-
trance porch and a personal sit out in
the continuum.
The intent was to keep the homes

warm and welcoming, a house that
always remains open.

The connectivity of the three homes is articulated by waterbodies, semi-open spaces,
and vegetation; while sightlines have been maintained by selecting plants and trees (es-
pecially those of the central court) which are not too dense or will not become too tall.

A co-evolution which resulted in a
coherent structure and style and ex-
pression maintaining architectural
vocabulary. The interior is artistically
composed and remarkably spacious.
The orientation is to catch the breeze
through balconies, verandas and wide
overhanging/cantilevered eaves that
would also provide requisite shade.
The development also shares several

facilities such as a well-equipped gym
and jacuzzi in the basement of a sepa-
rate structure, an outdoor barbeque
facility attached to a covered, fully-
glazed gazebo, and a fire pit to cater
to extending to the garden and water
bodies.
The exposed concrete on the elevation is tautly balanced

with the earthen colourand screens

The individual homes were planned to keep in mind the size of the plot, sun path, family re-
quirements, climate. The architecture explores the interplay of alliances between plant life,
water, sky, built-form, and humans. The building comprises of sections interlocked with the
functionality of the spaces to create a balanced whole.

The double-height of the indoor liv-
ing room in conjunction with the
green vista that unfurls through
floor-to-ceiling windows furthers
the ‘living in a garden’ endeavour.
The dining rooms are also extended

to a timber patio with a lily pond brim-
ming with koi fish. Essentially, the
ground floor living areas are concep-
tualized as an open space overlooking
the landscape filled with biodiversity
and water. In contrast, the upper level
is private and houses three bedrooms,
each one overlooking the central land-
scape, and featuring a generous en-
suite and dressing–closet.
A living space that merges with the garden, so that it almost becomes a
part of it. The constant presence of water in every house infuses serenity.
The screens protect and form a transparent curtain to the garden main-
taining a visual connectivity between exterior and interior.

The interior programme clearly demar-
cates and segregates semi-private and
private areas. Even beyond the main
entry, a vestibule caters to casual visi-
tors. After this, the programme unfolds
via a passage leading, on one side, to
the prayer room, kitchen and dining and
patio, and, on the other, the guest room,
elevator and staircase.
The selection of materials, meticulous at-

tention to detail, modulation and move-
ment of space planning and inculcating
landscaping as part of the whole, are the
hallmarks of this development. There is
abundance of natural light and nature.
The Screen House is an urban resi-

dence that embraces the community
living culture. A quiet retreat amidst
the bustle of the city.

HARMONIOUS
TRADITIONAL HOUSE
AVASITI DESIGN
Architects: Avasiti Design
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Lead Architect: Bipinchandra Chauhan
Design team: Bipinchandra Chauhan, Bhavin Soni,
Bansari Patel
Area: 10, 000 ft²
Photographs: Shilpa Gavane
VISIT > AVASITI DESIGN
BIPINCHANDRA CHAUHAN
g
aston Bachelard wrote, “The house shel-
ters day-dreaming, the house protects
the dreamer, the house allows one to
dream in peace.” This is especially true of
our busy urban life today, where we seek a
House Of
space for dreaming, away from the hustle-
bustle of everyday life.
DAY DREAMER
In case of the Mansukhbhai’s resi-
dence, this space of their own is a 10,
000 sq.ft family residence for six, on a
suburban plot in West Ahmedabad. This
lush-green neighbourhood became the
perfect place for this family to work with
Avasiti Design firm in their dream home.
The client’s brief was a simple function-
al house where they could host several
guests and gatherings spanning various
activities on different floors of the house.
While inside, the relatively simple plan

layout of the home takes precedence,
and one is connected to the living, din-
ing and lounge areas on the ground
floor.
The most striking feature through

these spaces is the presence of ample
natural light, which is both used and
celebrated to give the home a warm
and fresh feel.

While inside, the relatively simple
plan layout of the home takes prec-
edence, and one is connected to the
living, dining and lounge areas on the
ground floor. The most striking feature
through these spaces is the presence
of ample natural light, which is both
used and celebrated to give the home
a warm and fresh feel.

Opening into the common dining area, the
metal staircase with wooden treads is not
only a transition space but also a work of
art in itself. Crisp attention to detail and
commitment to clean lines is carried for-
ward and upward into the upper levels of
the house.

Here, in the bedrooms too, various requirements of the resi-
dents, depending on their age and preferences have been
addressed. From elaborate and comfortable headboards to
a fully functional study desk, all these aspects seem to have
been taken care of.

From a low platform bed with a side-deck,
to a well-detailed master-bed with elongat-
ed side-tables, the designers have attempt-
ed to address all possible combinations to
create comfortable spaces!
Interesting play of planes and solids is

seen in the bedrooms, where the study
desk intersects with the storage, which
in turn is part of a cozy window seat.
Of course, while timber and its finishes are

predominant in the space, this look is offset
by bright, vibrant choices of fabrics in the
curtains, tapestry, and panels.In the family
area with a home theatre, connected low
seating acts as an informal, inviting space
for gatherings and easy evenings at home.

Patterned
SCREENS
18 SCREENS HOUSE
SANJAY PURI
ARCHITECTS
Architects: Sanjay Puri Architects

Location: Lucknow , Uttar Pradesh.
Lead Architect: Sanjay Puri
Project Team: Ruchika Gupta, Nivedita Raverkar,
Nandita Rebello, Akanksha Singh, Jinal Jain, Swati
Gadekar
Area : 8500 ft²
Photographs: Dinesh Mehta
VISIT > SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS
SANJAY PURI
A SERIES OF
l
EXPERIENCES ARE
ucknow city in India has a rich heritage
with numerous buildings dating back to
CREATED IN THIS
the 18th century. The site for this house
lies along a busy arterial road and is
HOUSE
on the peripheral edge of an extensive
plotted development for private homes.
The house is planned to allude to the
traditional Indian courtyard house in
response to the climate of the location.
Temperatures in the lengthy summer
months are in excess of 35° C, with the
sun in the southern hemisphere.

Patterned screens derived from
traditional Indian architecture
and the famous Lucknow ‘chi-
kan’ embroidery sheath outdoor
seating areas for each room on
the south, west and east sides.
The extensive requirements of the

6 bedroom house are interspersed
with sheltered open terraces and
landscaped gardens around a 2
floor high naturally ventilated court-
yard. Patterned screens derived
from traditional Indian architecture
and the famous Lucknow ‘chikan’
embroidery sheath outdoor seat-
ing areas for each room on the
south, west and east sides. These
screens provide shelter from the
sun, create different light patterns
throughout the day and mitigate
traffic noise from the busy arterial
road on the southern side.

Large glass windows on the northern
side allow indirect light to infuse the
internal spaces of the house. Varying
volumetric proportions with differing
sectional spaces create an individual
identity to each living space with the
courtyard cohesively integrating them
together.
Built almost entirely in raw con-

crete, a natural palette of sand-
stone and wood with muted colors,
vivid Indian art and landscape are
brought together in different com-
positions in each of the internal
volumes.

A large garden on the north penetrating up to the internal courtyard between rooms has partial
shadows at most times of the day allowing it to be used in the extensive summers too.
A series of experiences are created in this house that by its design facilitates natural
ventilation and sunlight within and is simultaneously contextual to the location, sun
articulation, tradition, culture, and social aspects.

AURUS
SALES PAVILION
ABIN DESIGN STUDIO

Architects: Abin Design Studio
Location: Kolkata, West Bengal.
Lead Architect: Abin Chaudhuri
Area : 5651 ft²
Photographs: Ravi Kanade
VISIT > ABIN DESIGN STUDIO
ABIN CHAUDHURI
T
he combination of wood, steel, glass and
greens come together in this contemporary
expression of a residence in the tropical cli-
mate of Kolkata. This model home is a stan-
Facade Brings
dalone version of typical apartments that are
to come up as part of a 40-storeyed tower.
This is capped by a rooftop lounge and
terrace created to enjoy panoramic views
ASAIN EXPRESSION
across the site.

The Aurus Home is designed to be, currently, a mockup for
a 4-bedroom apartment with a double height living-dining
space and a large balcony.

The harmonious amalgamation of the two make for a
pleasant alfresco environment, perfect for every sea-
son. A concrete planter box rising from the water body
with a life-imitating sculpture along with its reflection in
the water give the landscaping an ethereal feel.
Greeted at the entrance by a Guard house that comple-

ments the building’s treatment, one enters the site through
concrete steps floating on a landscaped bed. The pathway
gradually reveals the building and its materials opening out
onto a large water body dotted with greens.
Wooden louvers wrap the entire structure save for the

openings emphasizing glimpses across the waterscape
into the home. The columns, floor and ceiling are treat-
ed in a dark grey colour to bring out the hand-crafted
wooden element to the fullest, eliciting a sense of luxury
from the very first glance.
The reflection in the water of the simple colonnade against

the modern wooden louvered facade brings out the contem-
porary Asian expression that the building aims to create.
The double height living, dining and balcony are clearly ex-
pressed as the focal features of the apartment even before
one enters inside.

The entrance foyer is presently a glass box consisting a mod-
el display area and reception. It is planned to be converted
into a tranquil pavilion amidst the greens. The main door
detail carefully mimics the exterior treatment. The warmth
of the door leads one into the foyer of the home which has
been designed as a bar unit. The art corner behind the bar
is an essential part in making the foyer unforgettable.
The name “Aurus” is not lost as the gold accents in the

bespoke furniture complement the otherwise monochro-
matic material palette.
A feature wall of wood and gold was developed to conceal a

bedroom door (currently used as an AV room) with a crafted
solid wooden handle. A large, circular, strategically chosen
picture breaks the monotony of the louvers. The feature wall
wraps around from the foyer and leads one further into the
home towards the living and dining area. This large volume
is the heart of the home and enjoys a fantastic view of the
water body across the large balcony. Its double height is
emphasized by a large wire-frame chandelier over the din-
ing and a brass ‘thali’ mural on the living room wall.

The bedroom is designed to effortlessly integrate modern elements with fuss-free practical
furniture. Simple sheer curtains adorn the windows that boast good views. The richness of the
marble flooring complemented by the simple stylish furniture, curated artwork and dreamy
ambience subtly hint a causal opulence.

RESIDENCE 35
CHARGED VOIDS
Interconnecting Architects: Charged Voids
Location: Panchkula,Haryana.
VOLUMES
Lead Architect: Aman aggarwal
Area : 6997 ft²
Photographs: Javier Callejas
VISIT > CHARGED VOIDS
AMAN AGGARWAL
t
o design a house for a 3-generation joint fam-
ily. The concept was devised as a juxtaposi-
tion of 4 layered boxes with a parasol roof
covering the space in between. This space
transpired into a series of central volumes of
the house, connected to each other in sec-
tion.

The plan was organized in a
way that the northern side of
the site was utilized as a water
body and courtyard that over-
looked the main public space of
the house.
The puja was placed at the cen-

tral vertical axis directly opposite
the entrance. The entrance was
through a double height wooden
screen where the main doors were
a combination of multiple shutters
there by allowing varied opening
sizes depending on the use.

The house is designed as a strong response
to the extreme climate of Chandigarh since
the large glass openings are only oriented
to the northern side while the openings to
the southern and western side are shaded
by deep overhangs and vertical shading de-
vices. Two terrace gardens on the second &
third level reduce the heat gain from the roof.
The interconnecting volumes allowed for

a connection between the various genera-
tions & also lent a grandeur to the interi-
or space since the cross axes became free
in the section.

Gesture Like
INDIAN HAVELI'S
WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM
TUBE WELL HOUSE
Rigorous studies of the site and the sur-
rounding contexts prompted the idea of
ATELIER
preserving the memory of pre-existing
elements. Elements like an old tube well
(built in basalt) and temple on the north,
SHANTANU AUTADE adjacent to the site, played a vital role in
the entire evolution and synthesis of the
Architects: Atelier Shantanu Autade design. Conscious efforts are taken to
Location: Ambajogai,India keep all the markers of the site intact. All
Lead Architect: Shantanu Autade foundations of the buildings were care-
Area : 400 ft² fully positioned to preserve the existing
Photographs: Kartik Ail elements for their reuse so that they
would become generators of the specific
VISIT > ATELIER SHANTANU AUTADE organizations and vistas.
The front Façade facing west is ar-

ticulated to create a gesture like
Indian havelis. Graticule windows,
projecting lattice boxes and large
overhangs reduce surface tempera-
ture and regulate wind flow.
SHANTANU AUTADE
T
he Tube-well House is situated in Ambajogai,
Beed district of Marathwada region, Maha-
rashtra. This project is built in response to a
proposal received, which mentioned the de-
molishing of an existing structure in the core
of a town, which was deemed structurally un-
fit for occupation and to build a new built form
on the same site. The proposition made to
build a maternity home (hospital) with a resi-
dence in hot and arid climatic conditions.

Speaking about the structure, Gran-
deur of the entrance is announced by
the upright volume, created by a pres-
ence of a slender column and long a
cantilevered wall.
The ground floor is divided into two halves

by a staggered passageway, connecting
the front and the rear street. This passage
expands public realm inside a building
connecting a medical, pathology and gym
area on the ground floor.
The abiogenicescalier adjacent to the

column below three-storied high canopy
further continuous to the first floor. At the
landing of the steps, the doorway opens
into a waiting space. The waiting area is
oriented such, that frames the adjacent
temple shrine. It divides the hospital floor
space into a consultancy and viable areas.

Planning of the building is done in such a
way where multiple folds are created on
the southern façade to encourage wind
flow through gaps between them. The front
Façade facing west is articulated to cre-
ate a gesture like Indian havelis. Graticule
windows, projecting lattice boxes and large
overhangs reduce surface temperature and
regulate wind flow. The significance of this
lattice façade is to manifest a dichotomy of
motion of privacy and participation simulta-
neously.
Every element of the structure is de-

signed to hold the attention of all visitors
The second part of this typology is a residence placed on top of the hospital. The resi- during the transition through spaces.
dence is connected by a subdued staircase to emphasize the experience at the threshold While making experiences in dwellings,
with a massive doorway that opens into a palatial volume of the living space.
the conception of spaces is influenced by
Indian traditional buildings.

This building seeks to live in the legacy of traditions, cherishing the memory of the site.
These memories are marked by the presence of tube-well predominantly, which in a way
governs a grammar of design. Tube-well being the emeritus, witnessed every event of evo-
lution on site, signifies the name of the house being ‘Tube-well House’.

Composition
OF ANGLES
DRIFT HOUSE
STUDIO LAB
SHONAN PURIE TREHAN + LANGUAGE.
ARCHITECTURE.BODY(LAB)
Architects: Language.Architecture.Body(LAB)
Location: Nandivali,Maharashtra.
Lead architect: Shonan Purie Trehan
Area : 8000 ft²
Photographs: Sebastian Zacharia
VISIT > STUDIO LAB
SHONAN PURIE TREHAN
THE INTERNAL
t
SPACES ARE BOTH
he villa of ‘The Little Much Farm’ straddles
a remote hill side location overlooking the
PLAYFUL AND
Sahyadri hills of Mulshi and its lake. This is
home for a family and their friends to re-en-
PRACTICAL.
gage in the environs of the hills that surround
Bombay. The spaces are planned as a se-
ries of potential happenings; layered, con-
nected, scalar, with an element of discovery.
This is a site with multiple view points and
extreme weather conditions.

The mild steel dia-grid roof struc-
tures float above the various interior
and exterior spaces. A ship building
fabrication team built the steel roof
structure on site. Exposed concrete
columns built with custom detail form
work, hold up the drifting roof planes
at strategic nodes of the dia-grid.
The locations of the columns allow

for large roof overhangs to shelter
the deck and considered interior
spaces. Oriented on specific axes,
spaces are enclosed with large
scale glazing and masonry walls.

The design strategy of the roof provides shelter from both monsoon rain and the
harsh sun; liberating the forms of the enclosures. The enclosures of the house
are a composition of angles informed by the various draws of the site and the
eccentricities of its owners.
Three single slope mild steel roofs slant in distinct directions creating spe-
cific conditions; a windy but dry corner, a crack of sky above the entry, a
sheltered monsoon walkway.
A LIVELY EXPERIENCE
FOR A HOME ON A
FARM.

The internal spaces are both play-
ful and practical. A large timber
slide connects the first floor with
social space on the ground floor.
The slide immediately sets the tone
for the potential of fun in the house.
The house is dotted with ele-

ments of bespoke design details
that bring joy. Reading the words
cast in the underbelly of the
slabs strategically placed above
the beds of the guest rooms,
bring moments of delight.

Cast in place sculptural terrazzo wash basins, laser etched
art on the wardrobe shutters, ceramic lily pads in the deck
floor, a sunset seat in the pool; curate a lively experience
for a home on a farm.

A Pause Mediating
THE INSIDE & OUTSIDE
THE DECK HOUSE
ARCHITECTURE
PARADIGM
Architects: Architecture Paradigm
Location:Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
Lead Architects: Manoj Ladhad,Sandeep J,
Prajwal Krishna
Area: 3498 ft²
Photographs: Anand Jaju.
VISIT > ARCHITECTURE PARADIGM
MANOJ LADHAD SANDEEP J. PRANJAL KRISHNA
t
he site for the deck house is situated
in the plains adjacent to the Tirumala
hills in Tirupati. The hills, part of the
Seshachalam range spreads from
east of the site towards southwest.
The site itself is located in a residen-
tial layout off the main road lined with
sporadic development.

he client wanted to combine the
house with a social space and an
office for his business needs. The
15000 sqft plot also was to ac-
commodate a multipurpose play-
court, a ‘Zen’ garden and flowing
water keeping in tune with the cli-
ent’s lifestyle.

A spiral staircase in the front of the house before the
main door states the ambiguity and premise of the
house. The entrance to the house itself is a ‘non place’,
a pause mediating the inside and outside.
Owing to the harsh sun and heat of Tirupati, the house sits
on a compact footprint allowing for landscape and garden
to encompass the house. The logic of the house lies in
the creation of two distinct blocks bridged by a large din-
ing space and united by a hovering roof. The two blocks
operate as distinct zones, one housing the bedrooms and
bathrooms and the other holding the public areas, kitchen
and servants space of the house.
Subtle changes in the floor planes articulate varia-

tions in volumes and provides for difference between
the various programmatic spaces.
The spatial strategy of two distinct blocks with a landscape

articulated in between space allows for seamless commu-
nication between the various programmatic spaces of the
house. This strategy alludes to the traditional courtyard
houses found in southern parts of India and provides for a
cohesive connect crucial for a home.

Another definitive level of operation
that informs the visual and performa-
tive aspect of the house is the way the
‘perimeter’ of the container is dealt
with.
On the west, bedrooms and toilets

are layered by a wooden louvers
system that provides relief and con-
tact with the exterior world. On the
north and east towards the front,
the large deck and its roof operates
as a welcoming and unifying ele-
The lookout on the north towards the hills adds to the drama and provides ment for the house.
specificity to the building and its elements. The ominous presence of the hills
is felt from this deck. This cantilevered space connects the family space and
office lounge to the outside and acts as a hosting place for business meets
of the client.

Material articulation reinforces the
differential conditions of the various
programmatic spaces. The lower lev-
els are clad with limestone giving the
appearance of a container rooted to
its surroundings.
In contrast, the concrete volume

hovers over this clad container
and articulates a condition where
the two distinct blocks meets the
outside world.
Wood screen clad on the home theatre volume from the outside in the first floor expresses
a volume perched between the two blocks. The concrete plane provides a datum and gives
an opportunity for occupation and cover against the harsh sun and glare of the place. A
system of rib beams at close intervals hold the cantilevered volume and provides for the
necessary thermal protection on the overhead plane.

Spirit of
THE SUN
SUN HOUSE
SAV
ARCHITECTURE+DESIGN
Architects: Sav Architecture+Design
Location: Goa.
Lead Architects: Vikrant Tike, Amita Kulkarni
Project Team: Amita Kulkarni, Anna Musychak,
Mario Olmos, Dhrumil Mehta, Vikrant Tike
Area : 5382 ft²
Photographs: Fabien Charuau
VISIT > SAV ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN
AMITA KULKARNI | VIKRANT TIKE
WHEN LINES BECOME
L
MOVEMENT ; AND
ocated in the tropical and sea side state
of Goa, in West India, the ‘Sun House ‘ , is
MOVEMENT MAKES
designed by the London, Mumbai and Goa
based SAV Architecture + Design . Inspired
SPACE.
from the fiery nature of sun , the architects
have created the house with local red later-
ite stone exterior walls , large sun screens
as well its double height brick inner entrance
and living spaces.

The sun house has louvered verandah /
porch creating an inviting and perforated
entrance to the house. Local laterite walls
with on the entrance and southern facades
facade allow for cooler temperatures within
the house while lending a fiery identity to the
house.
The floating teak wood open riser staircase

with brass rods as the balustrade along
with concrete floors and uniquely crafted
tall lights create layers of texture and an el-
egant materiality that flows through the entire
house.
The tropical architecture of the Sun

house is shaped through the bold sweep-
ing laterite walls and bronze sun screens
that set the fiery tones and the spirit of
the Sun that is reflected throughout the
house.

The exposed brick wall forms the central
spine of the house changing its course
as it moves to the double height living
space creating a dynamic and sweep-
ing effect. The curved living space is a
sunken one designed to be in line with
the level of the pool outside creating a
poetic visual bridge with ‘water’ with its
amphitheatre like seating. The double
height doors of the living slide and fold
to open the interiors wherein one feels
that the living spaces is part of the pool.
When lines become movement ; and

movement makes space. We wanted
the double height sunken living space
of the Sun House to create a force of
feeling like the Sun itself.
Through minimal furniture and

lights , we focused on the fluid lines
shaped by the house to bridge the ar-
chitecture and interior as one seam-
less space.

With its Goan-Portuguese inspired tradi-
tional cement tiled flooring, local gran-
ite counters, with a high spec modern
kitchen ,and bright fresh furniture the
open plan dining and kitchen is de-
signed to be a fun, fresh and light space
that beautifully blends a local and inter-
national feel .
Shaped around an internal courtyard

on both sides , the kitchen and dining
areas receive a lot of light , natural ven-
tilation and a constant connection to the
outdoors.
The double height living with its fiery

brick wall , geometrical lines and dy-
namic shape is designed to create
powerful emotions, through the nar-
rative spirit of spaces , where archi-
tecture is imagined and space is more
than the sum of its finite measure-
ments.
Bright fresh furniture the open plan dining and kitchen is

designed to be a fun, fresh and light space that beautifully
blends a local and international feel .

The Sun House has a central
curved courtyard with topical
ferns that rise up towards the sky
giving cool shaded light and natu-
ral ventilation to the adjoining in-
ternal spaces .
The terrace seating area is a a

tropical and minimal outdoor ex-
tension to the master bedroom .
We wanted it to have a clean

bold look with large plants that
complemented the handcrafted
teak sofa sets.

Each of the bath spaces in the Sun House
is as dramatic and experiential as the rest
of the house.
This one ends in a sharp cornered wet shower

space with an angular skylight and is clad with
red stone tiles to create a strong evocative mood
reflecting the blazing intensity of bathing clos-
er to the ‘Sun’.
The Sun House is divided into sweeping

curved bays that forms the different spac-
es within the house. Each of the bay ends
with a large overhang and varying sloping
roofs that allows for semi shaded spaces
that cool the interiors in a tropical climate
and craete distinct private outside spaces
for the bedrooms.

House Around
CARYOTA COURTYARD

CARYOTA HOUSE
DADA
AND PARTNERS
Architects: DADA And Partners
Location: New Delhi
Area: 14000 ft²
Photographs: © Ranjan Sharma
VISIT > DADA & PARTNERS
SUMIT ARORA
PRIME COMPONENT
t
OF THE DESIGN WAS
he Residence design brief was to provide a
family home for a family of fourthat provid-
A SOARING FISH TAIL

ed generous comfort and luxury and was to
bepositioned within the tranquil landscape
PALM
of almost three acres. As the site was shared
between two existing houses, designing the
new home in a manner that enjoys the land-
scape whilst having privacy was paramount.

A prime component of the design was
a soaring fishtail palm tree that stood
disregarded behind the old structure
where the new house was to be con-
structed as if demanding to be part of
this family. This led to the inclusion of
the tree in the new home, hence nam-
ing the house ‘CARYOTA’.
The entrance to the home is along

a cascading water feature that runs
the length of the stepped entry court
and wraps the living room that sits
elevated over the infinity edge ac-
centuating a floating effect. One of
the steps cantilevers over the water
surface providing a perfect pad for
a sculpture.

On the first level are the bedrooms, ap-
proached through a gallery that circum-
ferencesthe internal courtyard with inter-
nal views givinga pivotal anchor to the first
floor.
A twelve feet wide window of the master

bedroom faces the internal court with a
spectacular view of the palm tree, making
the court feel part of the bedroom itself.
On the lower ground level are the enter-
tainment areas and a spectacular indoor
pool.
A sunken court forms the focus to both

these zones. It acts as a perfect outdoor
sit out to the lower lounge cum study. The
combination of the white wall, glass and
charcoal grey sheet claddingaccentuates
the minimalistic architecture that the cli-
ents requested for.

Pure Traditional
INDIAN HOME FEEL

AN INDIAN
MODERN HOUSE
23 DC ARCHITECTS
Architects: 23DC Architects
Location: Jalandhar, Punjab.
Lead Architect: Shiv Dada, Mohit Chawla
Photographs: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
VISIT > 23 DC ARCHITECTS
SHIV DADA & MOHIT CHAWLA
CONTEMPORARY
t
DESIGN WITH
This house in Jalandhar, India is a Contem-
porary design with elements of Indian Tra-
ELEMENTS OF INDIAN
ditional houses. It is an outcome of several
inputs and iterations from our design team
TRADITIONAL
which leads to proper utilization of the irreg-
ular shape of the land and also the vision of
HOUSES
client love for Indian elements. The entrance
to the house is through a deep corridor with
ornamented stone Columns Elements like
open Courtyard, jharokhas, etc. are incorpo-
rated in a contemporary style so that it gives
pure traditional Indian home feel.

The plan is oriented to gain maximum landscape area. Light is given special consideration by
way of location and orientation Connectivity of spaces, an open plan as well as privacy are bal-
anced in the design, which is layered into three levels and connected with external Landscape
spaces.

Courtyards provide open-to-sky,
outdoor space away from the pub-
lic eye. Family activities can spill
out, yet remain protected from the
outside world. The space became
an apt, socio-cultural congruent
providing ground space for the
family, especially women and chil-
dren to carry out daily chores and
festive celebrations.
The central void became a con-

necting volume between floors
with visual, audio and physical
link maintaining a rapport with
vertically segregated floors.

Indian design often calls to mind opulent rooms draped in colorful silks,
but some Indian interiors are quite simple and utilitarian. Hits of colors
and pattern liven up the clean lines of this contemporary Indian formal
living space. The exotic artwork on the wall, calm, neutral hues, simple
furnishings, natural material, and clean lines to create a balanced and
harmonious ambiance.

Light is given special consid-
eration. This open courtyard
in-house, which viewed from
every corner of the house pro-
vides ample of natural light.
Family lounge is the most sociable room in the house proving ample seating for the family with
the L-shaped lounger and poufy which plays multiple roles of the footstool, a seat and a coffee
table if needed. An apt area to spend quality time with loved ones together.

The dining room is still the perfect
place to share meal times and
beautiful moments with friends
and family. A chandelier, wall art,
and mesmerizing furnishing are
adding more glory to the room.
The coziest area in the house

is the ceiling-mounted swing
which serves as a stress buster
after the hustle and hectic day.

Indian decor is often rich in color, pattern, and texture; just a few strategically placed pieces
can fill a room with exotic flair. An antique Indian bed back, hand- stitched with beading and
gold thread, completely transforms this urban loft bedroom into a vibrant, energetic space.

Cobination of
LUXURY & SIMPLICITY

COURTYARD VILLA
MORIQ
Architects: Moriq
Location: Hyderabad, Telangana.
Lead Architects: Simeen Quraishi, Riyaz Quraishi
Area: 7500 ft²
Photographs: © Courtesy Of Moriq
VISIT > MORIQ
SIMEEN QURAISHI AND RIYAZ QURAISHI
t
his is a north facing vaastu compliant home
for a single family dwelling, which is de-
signed on a linear plot with neighbours
homes on east & west sides and an open
plot in the south.

The highlight of the project is the courtyard
in between the front courtyard and the living
area. This being a north facing plot as per
vaastu the living space had to be placed to
the north east side and any entry from the
north east side would mar the privacy of the
owners. So we have introduced the court-
yard in between the front yard and the liv-
ing space with an entrance to the living area
from the courtyard facing east.

Landscaping is such that it imitates the natural landscap-
ing in and around that area. There is a huge old tree at the
entrance which has been retained. Apart from that another
tree from the neighbour’s compound has also been taken
into the landscape design.

The living area is of double height and opens in the north. The flooring for courtyard comes
in a combination of white marble wooden finish tiles, natural stones from Pondicherry and
pebbles. The boundaries of the courtyard are customized and are made of louvers in combi-
nation of MS frame and natural wood.

A Game Of
TWISTING, STACKING &
INTERLOCKING

AN INDIAN
MODERN HOUSE
WARP ARCHITECTS
Architects: WARP architects
Location: Coimbatore, Kerala.
Lead Architects: Pradeep Arumugam & Shanil Riyaz
Area: 3850 ft²
Photographs: Prasanth Mohan, Running Studios
VISIT > WARP ARCHITECTS
PRADEEP ARUMUGAM SHANIL RIYAZ
THE DESIGN TRIES TO
o
CREATE DIALOGUES
n account of rapid urbanization and gen-
trification of Indian cities, construction and
BETWEEN THE
design typologies of houses have become
more and more formulaic based on the local-
SPACES IN-BETWEEN:
ly prevailing trends and thus losing their con-
nection with the Neighbour and the Nature.
BUILT AND UNBUILT.

The house is located in a crowded residential
neighborhood of Coimbatore within a typical
residential block. Tt Within the precinct; the
dialogue of the inhabitants and spaces.

The house is set aback from the street
breathing a landscape into congested
street making the house perceivable at
a glance. Each function of the house is
identified as individual volumes and then
introduced to a game of twisting, stack-
ing and interlocking creating spaces that
overlap spatially and converging angles
to a point where the inside meets the
outside. The spaces formed due to the
irregular angles let the inhabitants dis-
cover the use of the same space differ-
ently every time. These allows changing
equations between all the components of
the house defining the act of living.
Natural wood, charred wood, exposed

concrete ceiling with dark rustic tones
are balanced by plain white walls and
green spurs of plants.

Natural wood, charred wood, exposed
concrete ceiling with dark rustic tones are
balanced by plain white walls and green
spurs of plants. An amalgamation of forms,
volumes, light, landscape, and in-surging
territories creates an ambiance to discover
and experience as we go past time from
one day to the next.
Skylights over spaces provide an ever-

changing movement of light through the
day rendering different moods and ex-
periences. Natural wood, charred wood,
exposed concrete ceiling with dark rustic
tones are balanced by plain white walls
and green spurs of plants.
The illustration is the design in an iso-

lated surreal context with the city’s nat-
ural silhouette forming the background
denying the daedal mesh of urban con-
text impelling projections at a larger
scale.

The twisting of the central block
creates a courtyard around
which the rest of the block is
pivoted, the courtyard visually
binds all the spaces together
and hence rightly becomes the
house of the deity (Pooja room),
the idea of having the divine
look over the house. A 16ft high
charred wood free standing
wall forms a backdrop around
which the living room and stairs
are phrased spilling contermi-
nous volumes into each other.
The two illustrations place the

design in contrasting environ-
ments changing its equation
with its proximities in each sce-
nario:
the design in its actual urban

context and the dialogues it
creates in the urban knit. The
breaking of the repetitive pat-
tern adds a new layer of com-
plexity to the locality and its
context.

Mediterranean
EXPERIENCE
DR. NENE’S
RESIDENCE
DIPEN GADA
& ASSOCIATES
Project : Dr. Nene’s Residence

Location: Vadodara, Gujarat.
Area: 7500 ft²
Project Lead: Dipen Gada
Design Team: Ishank Patel, Krimmy Patel,
Shraddha Patel, Vishal Jani, Prakash Prajapati
Photography: Tejas Shah Photography
VISIT > DIPEN GADA & ASSOCIATES
CORTEN STEEL JALI

THAT RHYMES WITH DIPEN GADA
THE PLAYFULNESS OF
n
THE TREES
estled amidst a sprawling 75,000 sq. ft.
of lush green plot Nene’s residence is
ENCOMPASSING THE
an architectural delight that looks spec-
tacular with its clean, bold lines defin-
SITE.
ing its glory. The house is linear that
runs along the east-west axis with the
entrance being at the centre that parts
the public and private spaces in two
halves.

The house is designed such that minimal
heat penetrates but at the same time maxi-
mum natural light and ventilation floods in all
the areas. With no additional floor plate, the
house expands on the ground, housing four
bedrooms, a lavish living, family area and a
courtyard that is Zen through its placement The entrance is centrally located such
and design. A luxurious swimming pool over- that it seems to draw us to walk along the
looks the family area that further opens up to path that is guarded by a waterbody on
a vast garden. either side making the whole experience
Just as we enter, the house unfolds from
Mediterranean.
behind a huge tree revealing the two stark
cuboids with a corten steel facade. The fa-
cade is a synthesis of textured plastered
walls and voids encompassing corten steel
jali that rhymes with the playfulness of the
trees encompassing the site.

Just as we are still musing over the sheer
scale of the built masses, the magnitude of
the entrance creates an impact with the el-
egant branch-like brass casted handle of the
wooden main door.
The main door opens up to a Jaisalmer

passage that overlooks the courtyard and
giving a peek of the enormous living room
that is lit with the natural light blushing
the rare walls with interesting sciography
throughout the day with pergolas via the
skylight.

The passage has a fascinating enclosure of perforat-
ed bricks that pivot along the metal members fixed
on frames that lets in the light at the same time gives
a glimpse of the surroundings.

A small court is the connecting dot of the
three main bedrooms situated at various
ends. Each bedroom is designed such that it
not only has its own private balcony but also
a spacious bathroom with a court. The bal-
cony doubles up as a deck that overlooks
in front or rear end and has its own unique
character defined by the play of light and vi-
sion through the perforated corten steel jali
doors. The master bedroom has a fascinat-
ing work of terrazzo and brass Pattis with
terra cotta colored IPS.
The family area sits on the other side of the

entrance that overlooks the magnanimous
balcony in front and the swimming pool on
the other side. The ochre yellow IPS finish
seating created with sides blend seamlessly
with the multicolour Kota flooring.
The overall colour scheme is kept simple

and basic that merges with the rawness of
the site and surroundings.

Blur The Lines
NEW & THE OLD
THE VERANDAH HOUSE The approach to the bungalow is
through a linear driveway sided by co-
UNEVEN conut trees and landscape at sides in

an organic pattern; with the flooring that
integrate stones that run in a circular
Architects: Uneven fashion. The exterior design incorpo-
rates earthen colours that emphasises
Location:Vadodara, Gujarat.
the sobriety of the volumes.
Lead Architect: Shourya Patel , Dexter Fernandes
Design Team: Paresh Patel, Hardik Kharadi, Rajan Patel , The windows on the either side of the
Ami Shah ,Parita Jani , Swati Kadam, and Aarushi Khakkar facade have been veiled with exposed
Area: 14875 ft² brick arches and the brickwork end
Photographs: Darshan Dave with a gable at the top with an intricate-
ly carved cornice.
VISIT > UNEVEN
Though there has been a range of
styles thtat have blended in the de-
sign, the symmetry of their charac-
teristics and forms have been fol-
lowed through and through.
SHOURYA PATEL & DEXTER FERNANDES
t
he residence designed for Mr. Sachin Patel
is a perfect example of interplay between
contemporary and classical style of archi-
tecture. In an attempt to blur the lines be-
tween the new and the old, thus Kalrav was
designed. It overlooks a lake making it a
pleasurable place to live.

The driveway escorts one to a Grand
porch with a figure of lord Shiva engraved
on grey Kandla stone. The entry of the
bungalow is through the first floor. The
entrance leads one to a foyer that opens
up into a lounge. Long, double heighted
gothic arches with fixed glass separate
the foyer and the lounge. The arches are
carved in wood with the central arch hav-
ing a floral jalli that runs till the top of the
arch. There are four intermingling wooden
chakras that resemble rose windows of a
church of the gothic era, set in modern
times.
the veranda with exposed brick columns

opens into the garden with a vista of a
line of date palms, and a landscape in-
spired from the yin yang symbol made
from the pebbles and grass. A curved
pathway runs from the veranda to the
garden on the south of the site.

The folded plate staircase in the lounge runs down to the ground floor, with a family sitting
that opens into the deck and the swimming pool. The swimming pool has been enclosed with
a blanket of exposed brick arches that compliment the arches in the front facade.

The arches along with the carvings act as the centre of attraction in the interior of the
bungalow. The lounge is double heighted with a gable roof cladded with wood on the
interior. The three chandeliers in this space are inspired by a blooming lotus which is
hung upside down from the ridge. The lounge is the central part of the first floor, which
opens up into other rooms such as the pooja room, family room, formal sitting, parent’s
room and veranda.

ABHYUDAY
KNS ARCHITECTS
Architects: KNS Architects
Lead Architect: Ar. Kanhai Gandhi, Ar. Neemesh
Shah, Ar. Shresht Kashyap
Design team: Kanhai Gandhi, Namrata Deshpande,
Prashant Pipalia, Praful Mewada
Area: 16145 ft²
Photographs: Radhika Pandit
VISIT > KNS ARCHITECTS
NEEMESH SHAH SHRESHT KASHYUP KANHAI GANDHI
c
lean lines and angled geometry dictates
the design for this 1500 sq.mt. bungalow at
Ahmedabad. The architectural vocabulary
Dynamism
integrates the principals of modernism with
traditional responses to the local geography
and climate.
IN ANGULAR PLANES

The design envisages the top floor as
a floating white mass with and inter-
play of scooped hollows. In order to
infuse movement and dynamism into
the structure angular planes were in-
troduced in both the horizontal and
vertical dimensions. At some places
this profile flows forward and lifts up
to create sharp angles along certain
facades while it also flows down ex-
tending to form the linear lines of the
landscaped flower beds.
Landscape was a key element con-

sidered while designing. These were
used to define direction as well as
connect the landscape with the built
structure. Strategic placement of trees
along the fringe of the double height
spaces enabled sun shading & cool-
ing along with a thick plantation along
the periphery of the plot to maintain
privacy from neighbors.

The habitable spaces are planned around a central courtyard enabling cross
ventilation across maximum rooms. A shallow water body which wraps along
one side helps cool the cross breeze thus lowering the ambient temperature
and creating a comfortable micro-climate.

The house was positioned at the southern end of the plot, away from the entry giving enough
depth to perceive the structure. This also doubled up as a grand entrance with manicured
lawns leading to the entrance porch.

In response to the harsh cli-
matic conditions a number of
passive design principles were
adopted. Double walling on the
first level helps insulate against
the harsh summers and cold
winters while offering weather
protection for the glazed open-
ings.
Additionally, the first floor

is cantilevered outward pro-
viding a weather shade for
the ground level. Maximum
glazing has been introduced
along the north facade while
the south and west faces have
been kept impenetrable.

RL RESIDENCE
SDeG
Architects: SDeG (Sujit Nair Design Group)
Location: Bangalore,Karnataka.
Lead Architect : Sujit Nair
Area : 6210 ft²
Photographs: Shamanth Patil
VISIT > SDEG
SUJIT NAIR
r
L residence occupies a 240sqm urban plot
in Bengaluru. It is flanked by buildings on the
East to the north and faces two streets on
the west to south. This is a home designed
for an entrepreneur and his family of young
children, middle-aged relatives, and older
family members. The brief, therefore, was to
define a combination of spaces that respond
to varying levels of privacy - including three
bedrooms, semi-private family lounges, and
multipurpose areas for entertainment and
get-togethers.

To liberate the form from its programmed tautness, RLR has large indents of varying heights
and depths scooped off its facades. The recesses are articulated to hold windows, balco-
nies and other connections to the outside.
Polished plasters, copper laminates, steel and laminated glass aggregate to form a
variety of textures and effects.
The palette here is in stark contrast to a mute white that However, the color and character distinctions inside RLR were imagined differently. A
drapes the rest of the building. range of material tones is articulated in the interiors as subtle floor to ceiling transitions
between marble, wood, glass, lacquer, and fabrics.

These internal relationships come through
in the arrangement of spaces; theNorth
and East edges hold stairways, an eleva-
tor, service areas, and a private study, to
form an almost impervious wedge towards
the neighbors.
Living and sleeping areas occupy the

core and slide out towards the streets as
cantilevered extensions. To fit in all of
the clients’ requirements, the program
is stacked vertically on four compact
floors.
The ground and rooftop levels are largely

open and flexible enough for a variety of
uses including games, guests, events and
barbeques. A private elevator lobby on the
ground level leads the family directly to the
first and second levels.

Seamless
CONNECTION

HOLIDAY HOME
MA+RS
Architects: ma+rs
Location:Bangalore, Karnataka.
Lead Architect: Anisha Menon, Sabyasachi Routray
Area :3800 ft²
Photographs: Manoj Sudhakaran
VISIT > MA+RS
ANISHA MENON SABYASACHI ROUTRAY
THE IDEA WAS TO
t
FEEL CONNECTED TO
he weekend getaway home is located in De-
vanahalli, Bangalore, the northern outskirts
THE SKY AND THE

of Bangalore, India which is currently spo-
radically developed. The site is an irregular
TREES AND CREATE

portion of land measuring 4000 sq. ft, a cor-
ner plot flanked by gardens on three sides.
A LIVING WITHIN A
Taking advantage of this the built mass is
planned as an L abutting the road and form-
GARDEN TYPOLOGY.
ing a garden courtyard inwards.

The idea was to feel connected to the sky and the
trees and create a living within a garden typol-
ogy. For which a major chunk of the ground floor
has been left unbuilt to give a sense of seamless
connection between the garden and greenery all
around the site. Thus, lifting the built mass with most
of its functions off the ground by 8’-0’ which also
enhances the views.
Volumetrically, the main stair is located in the cen-

tre of the building (functionally). Thus, dividing the
building into two halves separated by a large dou-
ble height stair with almost blinder like terrazzo walls
on either side leaving the user clueless about the
expanse of green and stunning views on the other
side. The southern portion of the building houses
the living, dining, kitchen and master bedroom on
the upper floor.

The sofa back is kept bare minimal to
highlight the artwork,.
Dining table is backed by a crockery

unit with stone tile cladding giving it
an earthy feel to the interiors.
The major challenge in this house was

designing the entrance lobby. Due
to its long passage it was difficult to
camouflage the passage design with
the living room interiors. Luckily we
nailed it.
The ceiling and slab edges are

form finish exposed concrete and
the walls (internal & external)
have been painted white creating a
rather understated offset from the
various shades of green all around.

The L shape of the building and the progres-
sively formed garden courtyard enable a space
that is open along two of the longer edges mak-
ing it extremely well-lit and ventilated. The loca-
tion is characterised by cloudy skies during the
latter part of the day and extreme sun during
the former. To harvest daylight and keep the in-
teriors cool and private, the façade abutting the
road is a double skin of jute and resin compos-
ite fixed louvers with openable pivoted shutters
on the periphery and toughened glass alumini-
um sliding windows on the inside.
a major chunk of the ground floor has been

left unbuilt to give a sense of seamless con-
nection between the garden and greenery all
around the site. Thus, lifting the built mass
with most of its functions off the ground by
8’-0’ which also enhances the views.
The building face along the garden however has only toughened glass aluminium
sliding windows. The structure is designed with three major supports on the ground
floor which are set in from the edge, thus cantilevering the ends of the building
making it look like a floating concrete mass amidst a large garden of sorts.

THE CLOSED OPEN
HOUSE
PARALLAX
Architects: parallax
Lead Architect: Raghunandanan Gururaj,
Nagendra Ramachandra
Area : 4000 ft²
Photographs: Anand
VISIT > PARALLAX
RAGHUNANDANAN GURURAJ NAGENDRA RAMACHANDRA
AN ABSTRACT
t
he story of this project began with creating
REARRANGEMENT OF a ‘home’ out of a builder-provided ‘house’,
when, after having rented out their apart-
LINES, FORMING AN ment for several years, the clients — Manish
and Shilpi Chandra — decided to move in
ASYMMETRICAL themselves.
COMPOSITION. The process started with altering the space

to fit the lifestyle of the clients: enlarging their
son’s bedroom and reviving the old, haphaz-
ard mix of Stataurio and Carrara marbles on
the floor. Other than this, the Chandras were
largely comfortable with the apartment.

Modeled on an open plan, this house was designed for a re-
tired, elderly couple in a semi-urban area in their hometown
of Bangalore, India after their 20-year long stay in Amster-
dam.
The design evolved keeping in mind their current life-

style and a strong yearning for a home, in touch with
their roots.
Capitalizing on the potential of the corner site, the façade

can be read as an abstract rearrangement of lines, forming
an asymmetrical composition. The minimalist, yet balanced
composition brings forth the third dimension, probing depth
and bringing forth the feeling of brightness and peace. The
use of cement sheath and wood in the interiors is starkly
similar to the contrast of the open house enclosed by the
compound wall and compliments the light, volume and the
serenity of the built space.

Bangalore has a pleasant climate throughout
the year which aids the openness of the de-
sign. The interior flows out into a shaded veran-
dah which flows into the open courtyard. The
physical confines are blurred by these spaces
that flow into each other. The true essence of
the project is in the application of the industrial
design ideology and the materials. Usage of
the steel columns and framework with glass
adds to the lightness of the structure. This also
helps create interchangeable spaces that are
designed to adapt to the changing needs of
the space.

The living room is separated from the
green backyard by full height fixed glass,
allowing immense light to enter the house
and liven up the spaces. The visual con-
nectivity is maintained with the greenery
outside, best suit our client’s needs. Aid-
ing these sources of light are skylights
placed in the double-height spaces.
The ample light and air in the house, the

double height windows washing the grey
floor with light, the huge sunken living-all en-
hance the living environment and add play
and curiosity to the place while warmly wel-
coming family and friends for a quiet even-
ing or an all-nighter! The sunlight plays with
the dark complexion of the steel columns,
wood and concrete tiles, creating lively inte-
rior as well as exterior spaces – with little to
separate the two.

Built Volume As
BREACHED MONOLITH

CLEFT HOUSE
ANAGRAM ARCHITECTS
Architects: Anagram Architects
Location:New Delhi
Lead Architect: Madhav Raman
Area: 14425 ft²
Photographs: Suryan Dang, Andre J. Fanthome
VISIT > ANAGRAM ARCHITECTS
Our approach steps away from conven-

tional circulation and spatial arrangements,
typical to such plotted residences (that
MADHAV RAMAN
share party walls), by considering the built
volume as a breached monolith rather than
o
as a composition of fenestrated volumes
ur clients for this northwest facing residence, and surface renders.
in Delhi, are members of 3 generation joint
family. Built on a narrow 326 sqm. plot, their Faceted and insulated stone facades
home faces a busy city road in a dense pre- protect the house from the lack of priva-
cinct. The design reconciles the acute lack
cy to the front, and similarly the service
of visual privacy on the site with their desire
for an open, light-filled and convivial home areas, en suites and closets are planned
that brings together their family and their at the rear to mitigate southern heat
friends. gain.

The deep void carved out, bridged
at the front and rear on the upper
levels, creates a meandering, natu-
rally ventilated and social courtyard
at the heart of the residence, pulling
in views and balconies from all the
rooms of the house.
It draws ample light, softened by

white and wood surface renders
and the rooftop glazing, deep into
the basement.
The cross-ventilation of the atrium,

controlled by operating the windows
on the bridges, can be enhanced
through thermal stacking in the sum-
mer months aided by an evaporative
cooler for humidification and through
a wind tunnel effect during the mon-
soons.

PRESIDENTIAL VILLA
ESTABLISH
ARCHITECTS
Architects: Establish Architects
Location: Vadodara, Gujarat
Lead Architect: Dhaval dobariya,Mehul Gajjar,
Vishal Harsora
Area: 4000 ft²
VISIT > ESTABLISH ARCHITECTS
DHAVAL DOBARIYA MEHUL GAJJAR VISHAL HARSORA
a
n exposed brick masonry and terrazzo plaster
gives the villa an evergreen look .The brick wall with
a height of over 30 feet adds to the grandeur of the
house.
The Parking area is cantilevered, thus offering

a rare spacious entry welcoming you to your
Undivided abode. You feel a sense of spaciousness which

gets extended all along your home.
ATTENTION
As you walk into your home you feel a
sense of minute detailing in each and
every nook and corner.And overall
sense of spaciousness un-clutters your
mind while the use of state of the art
,technology and superior material speci-
fication attracts your undivided attention
to a good life.
This house builds a level of privacy for

the users where they can interact with
each other along with the nature.

Sliding doors adds versitality to the space
and also compliments the language of ar-
chitecture by connecting indoor space with
outdoors. Programmatically there was deli-
barate delineation between the public and
private spaces.
Spaces such as kitchen, dining, living, com-

mon toilet and guest room are located on
the ground floor where as the upper floors
has 2 private rooms a family living room and
a recreational room.
Here, interior is designed by modern con-

cept and open planning system. Also, it must
merge with the concept of architecture of the
building. Garden and landscaped terraces
provide an spectacular view being the core
focus of house.
The large Living-Dining area opens

up to the garden letting you be one
with nature, yet allowing you the de-
sired privacy. The column free living-
dining area opens up to the garden.
The concept of garden been seen
from inside of a house remains same
on each level so one can adore gar-
den view being in any room. Cross
ventilation and natural light is also
well-thought-out as essential factor.
As you walk up the stairs from the

living room, the double height fam-
ily room with its abundant natural
light and a massive ceiling height
transports you to a different world.
It shall witness lively discussions
which shall extend to the attached
garden.

On the first floor the living room has
lofty high ceiling that breaks the
massing and has sloping roof with
adequate natural light. Artificial Light
act as work of art apart from light
source .
The bedroom is designed consider-

ing the instinctive usage of space
with ingrained furniture to go beyond
the normative idea of formal living
spaces. Also the garden space acts
as a buffer space and maintains the
privacy of the house.

House
OF LINES
HOUSE OF LINES
SUNIL PATIL
& ASSOCIATES
Architects: Sunil Patil & Associates
Location: Satara, Maharashtra
Lead Architect: Sunil Patil
Design team: Ar. Sunil Patil, Ar. Anuja Pandit,
Er. Sanjay Patil
Area: 6447 ft²
Photographs: Subhash Patil
VISIT > SUNIL PATIL AND ASSOCIATES
SUNIL PATIL
t
his is a typical urban assignment of client’s
requirement contrary to the limitation of plot
size in a city.
The site is located in the mixed use area of

Satara city with a busy road towards east
and tall structures to the rest of the sides.
The close proximity of the structures around
the site not only limits the view from inside to
outside but also perturbs the privacy of the
inside spaces.

The material have been chosen in accordance to the cli-
mate and context so natural material –
“ TANDOOR STONE” was chosen . Vertical Strips of Tan-
door Stone has been cladded from outside. In terms of
climate and privacy “Wooden Louvers” have been used
which protects from the radiation and maintains privacy
which turned into major architecture of this house
This combination of Wooden Louvers and Tandoor

strips creates a contemporary yet rustic feel. The verti-
cality of the stones and louvers draw the name “House
of Lines “.

From the cozy entrance foyer, one enters into
a grand double heighted living room which
opens out on the northern garden and com-
pletely connects with the garden through
large corner glazing and a walk out.
The double height gets emphasized by the

tall vertical garden in the courtyard along
with Pneumatic elevator which takes you to
the above levels in case one does not want
to take stairs.The beauty increased by highly
contemporary pendant light hanging through
the black cord.
The challenge was to design in such a way

that we create our own view and use land-
scape to create privacy within the plot.
While planning the spaces, zoning is done in
such a way that large garden is created on
the northern side and all the spaces get con-
nected to this landscape. This allowed us to
use large glazing’s on the north façade with-
out getting any solar radiations and harsh light
inside. Also, the side road on the north side
increases the visual distance from the bunga-
low to the building across.

stataurio marble flooring and Italian
furniture gets complimented by the
organic light fitting. The grey concrete
like texture wall on one side runs from
ground level to the first floor and cre-
ates a nice contrast for the stataurio
flooring.
The living room further connects to

the dining area which is designed in
axis of the courtyard to avail good
view and natural light, another cozy
courtyard has been created on the
south side.
zoning is done in such a way that

large garden is created on the
northern side and all the spaces get
connected to this landscape.

The kitchen opens out on the dinning side and
has been designed with contemporary mate-
rial pallete.
The string light over the dining table is another

piece of art. This minimalistic light fitting cre-
ates a statement. The staircase next to the
dining area is designed with the same grey
tile as continuation of the floor. It is highlighted
with red wood on the ground which turns in
a bench in the dinning. This highlight almost
acts like an abstract painting and bring colors
in the neutral theme grey and white.
Every space adheres to the design language

of the home, with a themed aesthetic.

Three master beds have been placed in
peaceful southwest corner overlooking the
garden.
The master bed of the couple is located on

the ground floor. The bed room is designed
along with study area. The veneer runs from
the wall to the ceiling. The wood and white
has been complimented with a column and
through abstract landscape paintings and
rugs.
The Son’s bedroom is located in the first

floor. There is a huge painting which runs
through the walk-in door. To complement,
concrete look alike texture has been used
which runs from the wall to celling which
creates neutral base for the vibrant paint-
ing. This vibrant and young theme is very
suitable for the son’s age.
The daughter’s room has a unique theme.

One wall is crafted with metal art work which
is designed like a world map where she can
place travel pictures, hobbies, memories,
etc. The pink sofa in the daughter’s room
adds luxurious impact.

earthy

Undulating
AESTHETICS

CLAY SCREEN HOUSE
MANOJ PATEL
DESIGN STUDIO
Architects: Manoj Patel Design Studio

Location: Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Lead Architects: Manoj Patel
Project Team: Manoj Patel, Shivani Tamboli,
Aishwarya Gupte, Krupa Kapadia, Urvesh, Prapti.
Area : 2690.98 ft²
Photographs: Darshan Dave
VISIT > MANOJ PATEL DESIGN STUDIO
CLAY ROOF TILES AR. MANOJ PATEL
FOR AN URBAN
T
he client was specific about having minimum
DWELLING IN INDIA furniture in the interiors yet should dictate the
modern aspects of the house. So the house
TO COMFORT ITS caters to artistic, colorful play of graphics
with balancing and minimal furniture, de-
HOT CLIMATE fine the warmth of the space. Each room,
personalized furniture pieces, cantilevered
staircase with fusion of staircase railing, syn-
thesis the overall outcome of the residence.

The architect’s, screening strategy aims
to research, discover and create new out-
comes from vernacular material every time
to stand boldly amongst the neighborhood
fabric. In current times, various costly and
high energy consumption materials are
used for cladding, which not only harm the
environment but also disturbs the balance
of ecology.
The design studio has explored another

possibility for building screening by reus-
ing of vernacular material, clay roof tiles for
an Urban Dwelling in India to comfort its hot
climate. The house features double height
volumes, where the east facade surfaces
to clad clay roof tiles, depicting the play of
earthy red textures with background glaz-
ing and white masses.
The entire volume of the dwelling also replicates the pattern in compound wall and en-
trance gate.The double V shaped clay tiles, used as a vernacular material, were trans-
formed into an appealing element for the east facing façade design. The clay tiles are
centrally placed tilt at an angle in series, where the grid pattern casts shadow on one
another, by keeping the interior cool and reduction in temperature.

the design studio took an initiative of find-
ing an alternative, by reusing of the clay
roof tiles in various pattern applications
suitable for facade design in cooling the
temperature according to Indian context.
The following concept also infuses use of
natural material in an eclectic style.
The pattern also displays an undulating

aesthetics in straight arrangements of clay
tiles due to its tilt installations. The layer-
ing of these clay tiles in contemporary pat-
tern is designed based on Indian temper-
ature context throughout the day, where
the background glazing transforms into a
shaded element.
Thus the screening turns out to be an

affordable and captivating formation,
where the local craftsmen get opportu-
nity to generate more employment and
increase their production.

The decorative doorway and adjacent wall
graphics give the foyer a modern theme
based look. The beauty of exposed ceil-
ing of the living room illustrates the use of
lily gold color finishes, with compliment-
ing blue fabric furnishings, golden yellow
center table and dark grey tv wall cabi-
net.The Italian tile flooring gives a classic
sense of luxury. The kitchen cabinets are
simple,contrasting each other in lily gold
color with white textures.
Also the dinning area is set around the

backdrop of mural made from vernacu-
lar clay roof tiles wall garden, having
the provision of plantations and lights
and central vertical wash basin.

The main living space with open sit out
garden and functional areas of the house
include the kitchen, pooja space, master
bedroom on the ground floor, while the up-
per floors have 2 master bedrooms, kid’s
bedroom and a family gathering space on
the top.
the elevated entrance steps gives a sec-

ondary access to the sit out garden on the
ground floor as a connecting element.

One of the master bedroom on the up-
per floor represents a large, elegant am-
bienece, achieved through the use of
blue color palette alongwith light textured
laminates use for connecting wooden
bed backdrop on both the walls in furni-
tures. Another bedroom on the same floor
represents one massive frame in pictoral
graphics of pink color palette in wooden
bed backdrop, designed alongwith groove
patterns emphasising the side elements
through diffused lightings. From this, one
can visualize the bold asethetics touch
added to the interiros with complete com-
fort.

Brick Weaving
AS KINETIC ELEMENT

SINGH RESIDENCE
VIR.MUELLER
ARCHITECTS
Architects: Vir.Muller Architects
Location: Noida
Lead Architect: Pankaj Vir Gupta,Christine Mueller Gupta
Area: 10354 ft²
Photographs: © Saurabh Suryan & Lokesh Dang
VISIT > VIR.MUELLER ARCHITECTS
PANKAJ VIR GUPTA CHRISTINE MUELLER GUPTA
A SIMPLE PLAY
t
ON WEAVING THE
his brick home has been designed for the
cohabitation of several generations on a
BRICKS AS A KINETIC
close-knit Indian family. The main entrance
of the house arrives at an interior courtyard,
ELEMENT
offering light and ventilation in the heart of
the home. The courtyard is richly patterned
in brick, playing with dramatic shadows from
the opening to the sky.

The exterior of the house - a
simple play on weaving the
bricks as a kinetic element –
offers a tough skin to the heat
and dust of the site. The house
is presented in as logic – em-
bodying a truth of the context,
it’s material culture; and as
canvas, recording the light and
circumstance of the setting.
The central ‘street’ axis of the

house leads to the main staircase;
this gallery of circulation is lined
with load-bearing brick masonry
walls and punctuated with open-
ings to the main rooms. The inte-
rior floors are a mosaic of the In-
dian Dungri white marble, a cool
and bright counterpart to the rich
earthen hue of the bricks.

Modest
COUNTRY HOUSE

JUNGALOW HOUSE
NEOGENESIS
+STUDIO 261
Architects: Neogenesis+Studi0261
Location: Surat,Gujarat.
Lead Architect: Chinmay Laiwala, Jigar Asarawala, Tarika
Asarawala
Design Team: Gopal Suthar, Umesh Anghan
Area : 6000 ft²
Photographs: The Fishy Project(Ishita Sitwala)
VISIT > NEOGENESIS+STUDIO261
CHINMAY LAIWALA | JIGAR ASARAWALA | TARIKA ASARAWALA
THE HEART OF THE
t
he project aims at creating an economically
HOUSE IS DOUBLE- modest built form for an agriculturist and his
family. Abstraction of urban farming could
HEIGHT COURT- be seen in both exterior and interior spaces.
The design uses the natural light and the
YARD built form to its advantage. The site abuts ac-
cess way on the south and other two sides
by adjoining structures. Its location is pecu-
liar as the site is located on the city fringes.

The surrounding dwelling unit compris-
es of peculiar semi-urban row houses.
South facade has the main entrance
and is flanked by a series of balconies
and stepped terrace on each floor.
Activities are distributed on various lev-

els- semi-private spaces on the ground
floor while private spaces on upper floors.
The heart of the structure is the

double height courtyard which
is embellished with creepers and
climbers. The green curtain cuts
the direct entry of west sunlight in-
side the house and creates a buffer.

The view from the spaces offers a
glance of a voluminous courtyard.
The shape of the temple is evolved
from the form of Shikhara – a fea-
ture of Hindu temple architecture.
Temple with triple height factor

acts as a wind tunnel with a me-
chanical exhaust fan. Circular win-
dows in the bedroom, out looking
the landscape serves as a natural
picture frame. The basic building
materials are kept in its natural
form and texture to comprehend
the naturality of flora.

The Wada
EXPRESSION

THE BRICK ABODE Study of the site surroundings & the ex-
ALOK KOTHARI
isting structure showed that the main
reasons for the existing house being
dull & dark were the parking+3 storey
ARCHITECTS bungalow on the east side of the site
that was cutting off the morning sun
& small opening sizes which didn’t al-
Architects: Alok Kothari Architects low enough light to penetrate into the
Location: Pune, Maharashtra house.
Lead Architect: Ar. Alok Kothari
Area: 2600 ft² Massing of the structure has been
Photographs: Mr. Hemant A. Patil kept very subtle & focus has been
put on highlighting the materiality
VISIT >ALOK KOTHARI ARCHITECTS
of brick. To complement the red col-
our of the bricks, exposed concrete
box windows & weather shades have
been introduced.
Also, the square grid of rough cement

finish plaster on the compound wall ac-
centuates the presence of bricks. In or-
der to break the monotony of the brick
façade & also to provide privacy, ‘jaali’
(perforated wall in brick) work has been
used.
ALOK KOTHARI
n
estled in a quiet residential neighborhood,
this 3,600 sq.ft. site hosted a 25-year-old sin-
gle storey house. Unfortunately, we decided
to bring down this structure as it was in a
dilapidated state, its interiors were gloomy
& also, it wasn’t a vaastushastra (tradition-
al Hindu science of architecture) compliant
house – which was the client’s main require-
ment.

In order to cater to this issue, we de-
cided to anchor all the spaces in the
new design to a central ‘sky light’
which would not only draw in light
during the entire day but also act as
a ‘brahmasthan’ (an important as-
pect related to vaastushastra) of the
house. Also, having large windows
to all the rooms was the logical way
forward.
Along with the norms of vaastushastra,

the larger planning principle used was
to divide the house into 2 functional
zones – one for the private spaces & the
other for the public spaces – along the
north-south axis. The client’s demand
of having all the daily necessity spac-
es – living, dining, kitchen, pooja room

The client wanted a house that was simple but still makes a
statement. We took this up as a challenge & started exploring
different ways of architectural expression.
Our research took us to the traditional residential typol-

ogy of Pune – the wada – which was always as simple &
elegant and was mostly constructed in exposed brick or
basalt stone or both.
We decided to use brick as it is a reasonable material from

environment as well as cost perspective. Moreover, the warmth
& the aesthetics provided by brick as a material is unmatched.
While the material palette (brick & concrete) for the exteriors
of the building is carefully chosen to give it a simple, natural &
a playful look; the interiors also follow a similar approach. The
material palette comprising of teakwood finish & light colours
helps in providing a neat, clean & a spacious ambience.

The living & the kitchen were placed
on either side of the central ‘sky light’,
below which the magnet of the entire
house was placed – the dining area.
The positioning of an L-type, folded

plate, ferrocrete staircase around the
dining added a play to this central core.
The living extends onto the outdoor seat-
ing area which hosts a traditional Indian
swing that the client had bought from
Rajasthan.
The kitchen is connected to the utility

space at the rear side (south side) of
the house. Continuing the same grid, the
first floor is composed of 2 bedrooms,
toilets & a multi-purpose room. Carving
out a block from the ground floor grid,
provision was made for 2 car parks next
to the entry porch.

The main USP of the interior
design is the use of ‘patterns’ in
defining different spaces. The
seed of this once again lies in our
study of the traditional Indian ar-
chitecture where the use of such
patterns is evident in floorings,
wall carvings, ceilings, etc. Ac-
cording to vaastushastra the use
of such shapes & patterns boosts
the energy flow & generates posi-
tive vibrations. These positive
vibrations are what transform a
house into ‘a home’ – an abode.

Perfect Epitome
OF PLANE CURTAINS

BRICK CURTAIN HOUSE
DESIGN WORK GROUP
Architects: Design Work Group
Location: Surat, Gujarat, India
Project Team: Dinesh Suthar, Bharat Patel, Jitendra
Sabalpara, Sonakshi Berlia, Bhavika Suthar, Vishakha
Jain, Ankit Sojitra, Chirag Katrodiya
Area : 8719 ft²
Photographs: phxindia
VISIT > DESIGN WORK GROUP
DINESH SUTHAR BHARAT PATEL JITENDRA SABALPARA
HAPPINESS IS
r
NOT MEASURED IN esidence the architectural space we
call a “House” is the image we have
SQUARE FEET BUT IN of a functional environment where we
carry out part of our life. It is a place
THE QUALITY OF LIFE. containing a Miniature Universe able to
speak of its inhabitants and their life-
time achievements.

The site is a part of Residential society a
corner plot approached from road on the
west edge. The layout was organised such
that the private zone were at the inner side
and public zone in the front facilitated by
a centralised connecting services.
On the ground, the front occupies parking

while the rear consists of servant room and a
multi-purpose hall that connects with the out-
door Garden In the habitable spaces above ,
Private spaces like kitchen, dining and bed-
room are accommodated at the inner side of
the house while the front portion serves the
client interactive nature and hence contains
Semi- Open Spaces on both the sides that
helps connection with the neighbours with a
double height Living area in the centre. With-
in the centralised connecting spaces lies the
prayer area which can be looked up to from
the 2nd and 3rd floor.

A brick façade with bulges protruding in and out was selected. As the façade majorly needs
to shade the central indoor environment the two ends are straight without bulges, giving the
undulations in the centre a firm hold.

It’s an outcome of seeking sustainable
and functional amalgamation for the
living environment.
To reduce heat gain various explorations

were done after understanding the archi-
tectural elements of hot climatic region:
Material,Texture,Jali,Engraving.
The analysis led us to select BRICK - a

module that is raw and natural just as the
client, and could help create projections
reducing the heating effect.
A brick façade with bulges protruding in

and out was selected. As the façade ma-
jorly needs to shade the central indoor en-
vironment the two ends are straight without
bulges, giving the undulations in the cen-
tre a firm hold.
Further, on the third floor, the Home Office is at front merging with the terrace garden on
the sides. The spatial Organisation brought with it the biggest climatic challenge the front
facade with large surface areas stood exposed to the West side intensifying the heat gain
throughout the day.

The house is a perfect epitome of how a plane curtains itself. It stands out and connects to
surroundings – both at the same time! The brick façade provides an ideal backdrop for the
living area and major interaction spaces aesthetically adding simplicity and integrity to the
design.

Overall the expression of house is response to client’s af-
finity for nature. It’s an outcome of seeking sustainable
and functional amalgamation for the living environment.

Accentuated
brick house

CORBEL HOUSE
KAMAT & ROZARIO
ARCHITECTURE
Architects: Kamat and rozario architecture
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Lead Architect: Lester Rozario, Smruti Kamat
Project Team: Divya Joseph
Area : 3650 ft²
Photographs: Niveditaa Gupta
VISIT > KAMAT AND ROZARIO ARCHITECTURE
LESTER ROZARIO SMRUTI KAMAT
THE EARTHY
t
TERRACOTTA COLOUR
he design developed from the client’s brief,
which was to have a modern house inspired
MAKES A DIRECT
by the family’s roots in Kerala, India. We
looked towards traditional palace construc-
REFERENCE TO THE
tion of Kerala for inspiration.
MATERIALITY OF
KERALA ARCHITEC-
TURE.

We noticed a few key features that most
of these structures portrayed, such as
- the verandah that wrapped the living
spaces all around, the appearance of
a heavy masonry base on the ground
floor, with thick arches and carved col-
umns and a first floor which appeared to
be lighter in terms of materials and over-
all treatment. This became the inspira-
tion for the front façade of the building.
Carved columns, which are a prominent
element of traditional Kerala architec-
ture, were adopted but with a contem-
porary twist.
The two sides of the building show the

strong presence of exposed brick ma-
sonry. The earthy terracotta colour
makes a direct reference to the materi-
ality of Kerala architecture and stands
in sharp contrast to the light metal bal-
conies pushing through in the front and
rear. Openings in the masonry are kept
minimal in order to accentuate the open-
ness in the front and rear.

The undulating brick masonry is a playful interpretation of a Mangalore
tiled roof surface – another element seen extensively in Kerala. The ma-
sonry swells out to allow for openings and is constructed using the Flemish
bond. As the brick gradually corbels outwards, its negative imprint is seen
on the inner side - almost as an acknowledgement of the drama outside!

The planning has been kept simple. The
open and continuous public and semi-pub-
lic spaces are on the ground floor along
with the guest bedrooms. Individual private
spaces for the couple and their children,
along with a separate family area are on the
first floor.
Contemporary, bright and touch of The use of materials for the interiors was also
royality in living area inspired by those seen in a traditional Kera-
la home. The combination of cane screens
with teak wood is an attempt to add that el-
ement of nostalgia to an otherwise minimal
interior. The continuous, almost monolithic
granite floor helps further accentuate the
open ground floor plan. The house is pow-
ered by solar panels placed on the roof of
the structure.

Lightness Of
AMBIANCE
TRADITIONAL
AFFINITY HOUSE
THOUGHT PARALLELS
Architects: Thought Parallels
Location: Kerala, India
Lead Architects: Nikhil Mohan , Shabna Nikhil
Area : 3500 ft²
Photographs: Ashiq MK
VISIT > THOUGHT PARALLELS
NIKHIL MOHAN SHABNA NIKHIL
R
THE HOUSE KEEPS anjit and Renu a Couple residing in Dubai
THEIR CHILDREN with their two Children Jay and Nanda. They
approached us with a clear picture in their
ROOTED TO THEIR mind about what they wanted while design-

ing their house. Ranjit and Renu are very
FAMILY VALUES. proud of their culture and traditions and

wanted to pass on these values to their chil-
dren, who lived in Dubai where traditions and
cultures were poles apart, hence a strong
need to have a house with affinity towards
tradition coupled with contemporary styling
was what they aspired for, so every visit to
the house keeps their children rooted to their
Family Values.

The 3500 sq.ft . site is located in a private
enclave, away from the chaotic hustle bus-
tle of Kozhikode city. It is well connected
to the city. The humanistic desire to be cul-
turally connected to ones surroundings is
reflected in the harmonious architecture;
a typology which can be identified with a
specific region. This augmented facet of
architecture is present in the architectur-
al genre, spatial language and form; that
hauls through the urban edifice.
MINIMAL USE OF
FURNITURE AND
SUBTLE PALLETE.
A climate sensitive design with sloping roofs and large over-

hangs is positioned to combat the heavy monsoons. Semi perme-
able spaces such as patio and large expanses of verandah from
the dining room take advantage of the tropical climate of Ker-
ala. It’s linear horizontal lines and vast cantilevered roof forms
weave around the resident trees, and large expanses of glass
blur the spatial boundaries between the garden and the house.

One experiences a sense of infinity while walking through the open plan
of the living spaces, which are demarcated from one another by sliding
bi-fold doors and in some cases, no barriers at all.

The spatial flow takes in to consideration the famil-
iy’s requirement of segregating public and private
space.
The ground floor has a living room, dining room, pooja

room, entertainment room, two kitchens and a guest
room; while the upper level has two bedroom, a stair
hall and a covered terrace. There is a blank wall behind
the terrace which cuts the heat from south direction.
The dining , open kitchen and family sitting is concen-

trated in the central hall, which is the prime space in the
house. It has ventilation from all four sides of the room,
which acts as the lung of the unit which breathes and
distributes air to different zones from the central space.
The single storey block is primarily made of steel mem-
bers to make the structure more lighter and landing it a
sharp chiseled aesthetics.

The edge detail of the roof is also a cus-
tom design for the project which gives
a razor sharp end profile. In a nutshell,
this project accommodates a traditional
Indian family and traditional living prin-
ciples, but at the same time it is con-
ceived as an extremely contemporary
and modern house. This house repre-
sents luxury that is redefined: the luxury
of different experiences.
Instead of having conventionally de-

marcated spaces, the house sponta-
neously responds to its surroundings
by choosing to dwell upon gratify-
ing views from strategically placed
rooms. The straight flight, folded
plate steel staircase coalesces with
the lightness of the spaces around it.

Interesting
INTERPLAY OF SPACES

SHAILA PATEL HOUSE
GROUND WORK
ARCHITECTURE
Architects: Groundwork Architecture

Location: Ahmedabad,Gujarat.
Lead Architects:Brijesh bhatha
Project Team: Brijesh Bhatha, Chakshu Suthar
Area : 12,217 ft²
Photographs: Dhrupad Shukla
VISIT > GROUNDWORK ARCHITECTURE
BRIJESH BHATHA AMISHI BHATHA
s
haila Patel House is built on a plot area of
2263 m2. The brief was to design a house
with a possibility where three generations
could live together as one unit, while also
allowing independent domains for each.
Therefore, the core design focus was to cre-
ate an interesting interplay of private spaces
with that of the living spaces which would
permit one part of the family to have privacy,
while the other part of the family would be
actively using the living spaces.

The building uses natural brick and
exposed concrete as the basic exter-
nal finish with plastered walls in the in-
ternal spaces. The house is spatially
organized on three levels. There are
four bedrooms, one main living area,
family living and dining areas with
large veranda facing the backyard
garden and a party lounge with home
theatre in the basement. The house is
oriented with all openings facing north
and south and more solid surfaces
facing east and west.
This view is accentuated by the presence of a linear water

body and plants guiding the view to the outside while the
space allows for a pause point at the entrance into the house.

The entrance court is accessed from the
street which has parking garages, secu-
rity cabin, access to the rear garden and
access to the servant quarters. The north
The main living area is a double
facing entrance porch welcomes one into height space which opens onto the
the house through the double height ves- garden on the south through a large
tibule. Once inside, one is surprised with veranda and has a smaller living
the view of the garden. space facing the north.
This view is accentuated by the presence
of a linear water body and plants guiding
the view to the outside while the space This courtyard provides natural light
allows for a pause point at the entrance and ventilation to the basement spaces
into the house. The vestibule connects making them comfortable providing a
to a corridor which is oriented east -west break out space for the activities. The
with spaces flanking on either side facing first floor has three bedrooms with a
south or north. study and a separate spiral staircase
to access the service terraces. The
master bedroom opens onto the south
The north facing entrance porch wel- facing garden through a large balcony.
comes one into the house through the The rest of the bedrooms open on to
double height vestibule. Once inside, the north façade with large openings.
one is surprised with the view of the
garden.

The ground floor has two major domains.
On the left is a private living area connect-
ed to the bedroom with both spaces open-
ing onto a private courtyard and a veran-
da facing the main garden. On the right
are the living areas including the kitchen
and other utilities. The main living area is
a double height space which opens onto
the garden on the south through a large
veranda and has a smaller living space
facing the north. The dining space has an
open wooden deck accessed through a
small veranda facing the garden.
The staircase is located centrally with ac-

cess to the basement and the bedrooms
on the first floor. The basement has a
family lounge and a home theatre which
opens out into a sunken courtyard with a
separate access from the ground floor.

BRICK HOUSE
COLLECTIVE PROJECT
Architects: CollectiveProject
Location: Bangalore, Karanataka.
Lead Architects: Cyrus Patell and Eliza Higgins
Project Team: Cyrus Patell, Eliza Higgins, Prakash
Uthappa, Akash Moish, Nandan Kelotra
Area : 4600.0 ft²
Photographs: Benjamin Hosking
VISIT > COLLECTIVE PROJECT
ELIZA HIGGINS | CYRUS PATELL
l
ocated in a major tech suburb of Bangalore,
that until 15 years ago was open farmland,
this project strives to create a quiet retreat
for a young family of five in an otherwise
densely populated and unplanned commu-
Partial
nity.
BRICK PROJECTIONS
A small triangular courtyard at the centre of the home is
formed as a reminder of the original foundation and history
of the site

Constructed on the foundation
of a small brick house that the
family had outgrown, the new
design builds off of the existing
palette and angled plinth to cre-
ate a personal narrative of open
and interconnected spaces that
challenge the standard assump-
tions of load-bearing brick con-
struction.

A small triangular courtyard at the centre of
the home is formed as a reminder of the orig-
inal foundation and history of the site, cre-
ating complete porosity between inside and
out and a visual connection between public
and private spaces.
Using hand-moulded table bricks with natu-

ral variations, this project celebrates the im-
perfection of the material and the manner in
which it is laid.
The tension between traditional building

methods and contemporary geometries
is softened by the introduction of porous
jaali screens and the contrasting shadow
patterns of partial brick projections.

THE VERANDAH HOUSE
MODO DESIGNS
Architects: Modo Designs
Location:Ranchodpura. Gujarat.
Lead Architect: Arpan Shah
Area : 6781 ft²
Photographs: Bharat Aggarwal
VISIT > MODO DESIGNS
ARPAN SHAH
t
his house is on the outskirts of Ahmedabad
on a 4-acre land having dense flora, a lily
pond and an existing outhouse having a
Vernacular
vernacular typology. The new house was to
be a permanent dwelling away from the city
into the natural wilderness. Earlier the Mun-
shaw family owned a colonial style house in
TYPOLOGY
a densely populated locality of Ahmedabad
and which was build in mid 20th century.

The owner’s initial brief for the new
house included a preference to
avoid a rigid box formation, a men-
tion of lifestyle that was mostly out-
doors, and a dwelling that would
be a container for the collection of
artifacts, paintings, Persian rugs,
books and ancestral furniture.

The proposed design weaves and integrates the above concerns. The fluid curvilinear forma-
tion is a reinterpretation of imagery of old ancestral house and also to reiterate the existing
natural formation on the site. The house bends to allow views of the lily pond. and simultane-
ously generates an element of surprise in the experience of interior space. The entry verandah,
lower and upper verandah that comprises a major part of the house and all these are oriented
towards main garden and lily pond. These are a 15 feet cantilevered and hovering spaces that
fuses with the surrounding landscape. The interior space lavishly opens into these semi-open
verandah spaces.
The house is a ground floor structure having the master bedroom and daughter’s room at a
higher level. The central spine segregates the living, dining, library and master bedroom on the
side that has the main garden and lily pond. The rear bay houses the kitchen, mother’s room,
and daughter’s room. The rear bay is also interspersed with landscaped entry court and the
central court that relieves this bay and lets natural light within the house. The central spine also
is illuminated by skylights to have a contrast to the dark Kotah floor.

The house is a fusion of raw character of outdoor
spaces and the finesse of the interiors. The exterior
material palette is natural jute panels on the curv-
ing beam face, Valsadi wood paneling, and doors,
concrete ceilings, terracotta colored rough surface
and rough Kotah stone flooring.
This is further complemented by old renovated

wood and cane furniture in the verandah spac-
es. The interior space, in contrast, has white
walls, polished Kotah stone. The interior space
fuses old and customized new furniture along
with lots of artifacts, paintings, and Persian
rugs.

Steeped in
CULTURE ESSENCE
HOUSE IN A GROVE
STO.M.P
Architects: STO.M.P
Location: Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu.
Lead Architects: Vignesh Sekar
Area : 3928 ft²
Photographs: Prithvi M Samy, Balaji Pandiyan
VISIT > STO.M.P
VIGNESH SEKAR
h
eritage is this gamut of inherited objects,
ideas, culture, and traditions. Not to be con-
A FAÇADE SKIN OF fused with preserving or restoring old things,
values and ideas; It is often the collective of
TERRACOTTA JAALIS, the tangible and intangible that has been
passed on over time. Chettinad in Tamil Nadu
THAT THERMALLY is a city known for its wealthy merchants that
were once hosted to wealth from across the
INSULATES AND globe.
But the Great Depression of the 1920s’ led
KEEPS THE SPACES to their gradual downfall. Even the opulent
homes crumbled as the inhabitants couldn’t
VENTILATED WITH afford its upkeep. The city today, perhaps,
resembles a discolored painting. A stan-
NATURAL LIGHT. dalone palace haunts a desolate land with
impressive exteriors but disintegrating with-
in. In the case of Chettinad and alike, what
does the current time inherit?

To combat solar radiation and
LIVINGROOM
facilitate cross ventilation, the ar-
chitects developed a façade skin
of terracotta jaalis, that thermally
insulates and keeps the spaces
ventilated with natural light.
Two major light-wells, façade

jaalis and skylights engage the
interiors in a constant cavort of
light and shadow.
The lounge on the first-floor made

of filler slab, witnesses the play of
light and shadows at sunrise, ac-
celerated by the terra-jaalis and
skylights endows a fleeting and
shifting quality to the interiors
through time.

The answers are many and multi-layered.
And amidst these questions, stands a home Even the terracotta pots used in
in Chettinad that reflects a fusion of traditional the filler slabs were made with soil
cultures, some heritage, and contemporary excavated from the site. Similarly,
ideas. The clients wished for a modern home deteriorated trees on site were cut
steeped in the cultural essence of glorious and its wood was used for concrete
Chettinad past. The fundamental elements shuttering. In retrospection, the
entailed massing, accommodating an open house does not imbibe the architec-
plan and hierarchy of spaces connected ture of Chettinad, if one compares
through corridors and projected eaves to both entities side by side.
house indoor-outdoor spaces.
Not in aesthetics or even the
grandeur that the mansions en-
compassed. And the intent was
perhaps never to mirror ‘herit-
age’ or revel in the nostalgia of
the past. But the Chettinad archi-
tecture lay the seed of an idea and
the architects trailed their jour-
ney from the house from thereon.

The light and shadow configurations are further complemented by the rustic fin-
ishes used throughout the house. Exposed concrete is used on the ceilings, mar-
ble plaster on the walls and the floors are a mix of natural wood, Jaisalmer and
Kota Marbles and Athangudi tiles.

5 ELEMENT HOUSE
STUDIO PKA
Architects: Studio PKA
Location: Pawna Lake, Maharashtra
Lead Architect: Puran Kumar
Area: 10000 ft²
Photographs: Amit Pasricha
VISIT > STUDIO PKA
PURAN KUMAR
Homage F
amous for its captivating vistas, Pavana is as
much a getaway as it is a pristine landscape
TO HILLS
– with the lake landlocked by the Sahyadris,
crowned and guarded by three forts... The
family of four sought to discover a weekend
retreat as well as a reprieve from the bus-
tling life of the city and hence ventured out in
search of a tract of land that would not only
capture the essence of the place but could
also inspire, delight and satiate their creative
endeavors.

Rising high and at the level of the
Sahyadris, the story begins where
the Five Elements meet - The Earth
and The Sky, with Air, Water, and
Fire in-between - molded from the
earth and open to the vast sur-
round allowing the outside to step in.
“The abode exists in tandem with

the elements around it – a sub-
liminal nod to nature itself.”
The footprint ensures that the site has

been altered to a bare minimum. The
house rises and falls, following the
lay of the land. Each level responds
to the contour which gives rise to a
dynamic and playful mix of risers
and landings - a homage to the hills.

The textured and subdued winter-
green walls grow warmer in tone un-
der the sun and mimic the tones of the
earth; which not only blends in with the
landscape but gives the impression of
a mass that has grown and emerged
from the land on which it rests.
A simple and earthy palette of ma-

terials and tones – limestone (Sha-
habad & Kadappa), sandstone,
slate, teak wood, terracotta tiles,
exposed brick, cement plaster,
mild steel - complement and re-
spect the site and its surroundings.
Taking advantage of the site and the

surround, the design evolved from
a cohesive single unit to a structure
that spreads out in blocks, akin to a
jigsaw, with built and unbuilt spac-
es interlocking to create a whole.

Following the profile of the roofs, large fenestrations bring in daylight and warmth
creating a connection with the changing hues of the skies above and a casual reminder
of the passage of time. The spaces within the house stay in a constant dance of light
and shadow – with light that shimmers and glides along walls and dark patches that
spread out across the floor. The elements are allowed to enter and can be seen, felt
and heard, enticing the users to pause and constantly explore, experience and live the
space.
Segregated into numerous zones – the master block, the kid’s block, the living block and the
guest block – the house takes into account the family’s requirements and their professional
inclinations. Each zone spills out into an informal space – the aangan (a small courtyard), the
pool, the lily pond – that ensures the continuity and flow of spaces from the interior to the ex-
terior. Conceived as a home for friends as much as it was a home for a family, the 5 Element
House is a place for celebrating life itself.

HOUSE SAMPADA
1 LEAPING FROG
STUDIO
Architects: 1leapingfrog Studio
Lead Architect: Bhyrav B.R and Aatira L. Zacharias
Area : 4000 ft²
Photographs: Gareth Hoover
VISIT > 1 LEAPINGFROG STUDIO
AATIRA ZACHARIAS | BHYRAV B.R
s
ituated in Kormangala, one of Bangalore’s
Engineering
premium residential areas, House Sampada
sits in an urban context, with houses built
very close to each other. The site is a 60’ X
40’ plot on a street completely shaded by
SYNERGY
trees.

The idea behind the house stems from
its immediate context of a residential
urban scape. With neighbors closing
in on all sides, the house turns within
for repose. Light is borrowed through
the central courtyard and a series of
playful but well placed skylights. The
form on the first floor modulates itself to
respond to the greenery on the house
front creating an opposing extroverted
and uninhibited character when com-
pared to the ground floor.
A design completely governed by site con-

text and existing elements.
House Sampada is an architectural

project that packs in many different
spatial experiences in a small site area.
With varied volumes and a strong rela-
tion between the built and the unbuilt
in the form of open terraces and court-
yards, the house manages to enhance
one’s perception of space.

Concrete was used creatively to construct
various gestures in the house. Various
planes fold around the house to create the
spaces of different natures. Large picture
window frames the tree outside.
A brick screen with seating and planters

on the first floor terrace acts both as a de-
sign element as well as a screen to ensure
maximum privacy from neighbors. A strong
language of the open spaces intertwined
with the built area in terms of the street,
parking, courtyard and open terrace helps
in the house portraying itself in a language
of its own.
The main foyer encompasses a double

height space with circular skylights, a
common element seen throughout the
design that harnesses ample sunlight,
given the context.

Private spaces are pushed away from the front facade, which showcases a
prominent portal and terrace, opening out into the embrace of the greenery,
thus rendering the first floor outward in character as opposed to the more
introverted ground floor.

Symbolic
TROPICAL INTENT

GABLE HOUSE
B.DESIGN 24 STUDIO
Architects: B.Design 24 Studio
Location:Surat,Gujarat
Lead Architect: Bheru Jangid
Area : 14,530 ft²
Photographs: Photographix
VISIT > B.DESIGN 24 STUDIO
BHERU JANGID
d
THE INSPIRATION OF esigned as a relaxation space and spatially
THIS HOME IS FROM

planned as an outhouse that is architectural-
ly unique and different from any other struc-
THE TROPICAL HOUS-

ture of the city, the inspiration of this home is
from the tropical houses of Singapore. De-
ES OF SINGAPORE.
signed with a tropical concept, therefore, the
house is the result of the client’s brief with
a similar approach adopted for the interiors
too. A clean and simplistic plan determines
the spatial planning of this oasis within a
huge landscaped area with lush greenery A
House in the Garden, the lower floor accom-
modates living areas and rooms for servants
while the first floor accommodates a swim-
ming pool, a baby pool, and a formal living /
dining space and kitchen.

A multi-triangular roof anchors the project,
giving it a unique identity and become symbolic
of its tropical intent.
While the implementation of the roof was a chal-

lenge, through specific marking of the center
points of each roof, this unique structure has been
achieved to perfection.
Other challenges of execution such as a high water

level in the footing and the location of the swimming
pool, etc, were all overcome through stringent con-
struction processes. The weight of the entire first
floor was carefully calculated and implemented
thereafter. Weight, leakage, and privacy were the
three issues to be taken care of during swimming
pool design and implementation.

The interiors adopt the same tropical
approach, improvised in an Indian
context. Indian Black Marble with dif-
ferent finishes, i.e., Riverwash, Sand-
blast, and Leather wash is used for the
external facade to diversify its aesthet-
ics.
Mild Steel, a commonly used construction

material is used in the cladding of the col-
umns, which is not a common adaption
of the material. The fins surrounding the
entire structure are made of rusted iron,
in order to endow it with a rustic look and
augment the earthy aesthetics.

Each of the living areas opens up to the
pool and the greens outside by means of
decks and verandahs, creating a spatial
hierarchy of open, semi-open and covered
spaces. The swimming pool, being on the
first floor keeps the overall sense of privacy-
deemed crucial in the Indian culture intact.
Upon reaching the second floor, all bedrooms

are located here, each with its own private
balcony that optimizes the surrounding views
while creating private, semi-open spaces.
All open and covered spaces are

reminiscent of the tropical open-
ness and open themselves up to op-
timize the naturesque surroundings.

Yahvi
HEAVEN AND EARTH

YAHVI RESIDENCE
USINE STUDIO
Architects:Usine Studio
Location: Vadodara,Gujarat
Lead Architect: Yatin Kavaiya, Jiten Tosar
Area: 7,500 ft²
Photographs: Tejas Shah
VISIT > USINE STUDIO
JITEN TOSAR YATIN KAVAIYA
A FLOATING SLAB AND
t
A BARRIER WALL, his discreet 15,000-square-feet Vadodara
bungalow called Yahvi, owned by a busi-
RESULTING IN SOME ness family, is surrounded by lowrise
apartment stacks on three sides and a
EDGY SHADOW LINES. busy street in the east. To counter the
chaos, Jiten Tosar and Yatin Kavaiya of
Usine Studio converted 7,500-square-
feet of the built-up area into a courtyard
and inward-leaning garden spaces.
The house, like many of Usine Studio’s
earlier projects, is an introverted built
mass.

LIVINGROOM
The front façade comprises a

home-run office and parking
space with internal courtyards ef-
fectively cutting off any cacopho-
ny from the exterior. Alongside a
lotus pond, the main entrance re-
ceives unabashed Vadodara sun
which plays with the void created
by a floating slab and a barrier
wall, resulting in some edgy shad-
ow lines.

The original bungalow exterior follows a
traditional brick statement while the interi-
ors remain simple. To break the monotony,
Usine Studio chose to experiment with a
lot of patterning details beginning from the
compound wall with wire-brushed plaster, to
the inviting alternate-coursed brick columns
in the foyer, and flooring of grey Kotah stone.
“When you are playing with limited num-

ber of materials in a minimalistic design,
one needs to remain cautious about pro-
portions and placements. Brick being the
major element, we have tried to break the
monotony by placing it in different patterns
so one cannot get bored by looking at the
same material at different intervals. I feel
appropriating this balance was the major
challenge while designing a seemingly sim-
plistic space,” says Kavaiya.

The living room housed under a pitched,
wooden roof displays motifs of flora and fau-
na. A series of black-andwhite paintings of
a bull, Rsabha by Ravindra Salve, a bronze
leopard sculpture, and a painting of a bird
by Amarnath Sharma adorn this room. Abun-
dant natural light floods in and the room is
illuminated only by a chic chandelier and
pedestal light in the evening. The warm glow
of the lighting against the olive grey sofas
and the yellow armchairs beneath the slop-
ing wooden ceiling imbue a semi-modern
charm.
The living room, passages, the smaller court

spaces—all look into the heart of the house—a
black granite human sculpture emerging from
a stone block by Dilip Sompura.
The flooring of this space was intended to mimic
the colour of the earth and relieve the semi-open
space of the Kotah flooring.

The master bedroom has a basic, unobtrusive
aesthetic with a painting by Bose Krishna-
machary. The master bath combines both in-
door and outdoor showers, fenced by a bam-
boo grove beneath a pergola topped cut-out
and with its white-tiled panel against river
washed granite.
The guest bedroom on the second level is

enlivened by indigo mosaic tiles, by Bharat
Flooring, illuminated by a set of three custom-
made glass lamps. The ceiling of the room is
done in cement sheets with wooden beading
while that of the adjoining bathroom is in slat-
ted wood against a skylight.
“Yahvi in Hindi means heaven and earth

conjoined,” says Kavaiya interpreting the
meaning of the house’s name. And to the
family that calls it their home, it certainly
is paradise.

Brownstone
FARMHOUSE
RAGHUVIRSINH HOUSE
AAYAM ARCHITECTS
Architects: Aayam architects
Location: Anand, Gujarat
Lead Architect: Hiten Kakadiya
Area: 4000 ft²
Photographs: Nikhil Patel
VISIT > AAYAM ARCHITECTS
HITEN KAKADIYA
t
he site is situated in the lap of nature- the
fields- deep inside the road at Aanand. The
challenge here was that the landscape had
been already done and a footprint was left
for built.
The trees welcome you as you enter in the

site and an earthy way surrounded by trees
becomes a guide to reach to the house while
the paved open foyer becomes a pause to
get the glimpse of the whole built.

Natural stones are used for random rubble masonry which
was available in different shapes and sizes.

It consists of 2 bedrooms, living space, kitch-
en and dining at ground level. The recessed
opening for entry opens up in an interior foyer
lit colorfully with skylight and colored glass.
Living room and a bedroom are connected
with this calm dimly lit foyer space.
The double height living room allows nat-

ural light to penetrate inside and also the
stone walls – floors and wooden roof above
generates a very natural and healthy envi-
ronment.

Sandstone was cut down into square and
rectangular shapes used as coursed ma-
sonry for the walls. Wooden louvered win-
dow, open court, wooden roofing and
natural stone help to reduce heat gain in
summer.
The combination of random rubble and

coursed stone masonry with a pitched
roof and rustic interiors generates a
character of the “farmhouse”. The tex-
ture of rough Andhra brownstone en-
hances the soberness of flooring.
Wooden tree deck designed in the dense

area of trees increases the connective rela-
tion between human and nature.

Naturally lit and ventilated house re-
duces the use of electricity and the re-
maining required power is generated
from the solar panel. It increases the
green value of the building by con-
suming only that much which is re-
quired and using the source of energy
has a very low carbon footprint.
The resultant of all these design

ideas, techniques and elements
make this building efficient and let
it caters to the larger idea of sus-
tainability.

minimal

THE EXPOSED
CONCRETE RESIDENCE
FLXBL DESIGN
CONSULTANCY
Architects: FLXBL Design Consultancy
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Lead Architects: Cunal Parmar
Project Team: Lalit Panchal, Shail Patel
Area : 8500 ft²
Photographs: Harsh Pandya / Panchkon
VISIT > FLXBL DESIGN CONSULTANCY
CUNAL PARMAR
T
he house, dubbed as the Private Residence
No. 7 is located in the middle of a neo-posh
locality of the city. The exposed-concrete
Interlinking residence shows how architecture can be

used as a tool to give expression to human
SOLID & THE VOID

mind through a clever play of open and
closed spaces.

The house is crafted for the family of four
keeping with their love for nature and the
keen desire for accommodating immense
greens in the spaces such that it mingles
with the daily life of the family through el-
evated garden and rooftop courtyard.
The residence demonstrates pro-

grammatic and experiential continu-
ity through a complex interlinking be-
tween the solid and the void.
Its interior spaces adorned with a mix of

wood and other urban fabric create an in-
teresting contrast with the concrete exte-
rior enhancing the exterior views.

The interior voids, facade openings, rooftop
courtyard, elevated garden and extended
walls work together with light, shadow and
the landscape to create a powerful influ-
ence of nature while keeping the identity of
that of the monolith intact.
The building responds to the local climate

which is typically hot for a major part of the
year while it brings in plenty of natural light
and ventilation in every room.
The openings are oriented to pull in more light

from the north and east facades and to signif-
icantly reduce heat gain from the south and

The approach way to the entrance provides one with a view of the rooftop garden and
a hint of a secret tree court. The bedrooms and entertainment room at the first level
extend along the eastern side of the rooftop courtyard capturing a cinemascope view
of the green spaces and a skyline of the trees and screening landscapes.

The ground floor houses a large liv-
ing room extending towards the dining
area at the south, a family room at the
west and the entrance at the east, all of
which look onto peripheral gardens.
The living room is oriented on a north-

south axis to attract northern light inside
the residence, and the kitchen and din-
ing spaces extend into southern dining
patio and raised garden.
THE RESIDENCE
DEMONSTRATES
PROGRAMMATIC
AND EXPERIENTIAL
CONTINUITY

Readaptation
OF VERNACULAR

PADIVAL HOUSE
ANAHATA
Architects: Anahata
Location: Belagavi, Karnataka.
Lead Architects: Mithila Manolkar, Puneeth Hegde
Area : 2290 ft²
Photographs: Shamanth Patil J
VISIT > ANAHATA
PUNEETH HEGDE | MITHILA MANOLKAR
a
young couple and their 2 children, origi-
nally from Mangalore, a coastal city of south
India, approached us to design their home.
The brief was to build a clean modern con-
temporary house. Padival house is a private
dwelling located in the south of Belgaum
in a gridiron neighborhood with the streets
running north-south. The site is rectangular,
west facing with an 80 feet major road.

“Inside and outside, earth and heaven converge in
In Mangalore, the courtyard was an the enclosed garden. The building is, so to speak,
integral part of a traditional house.
erected out of the mass of the earth, with the garden
We chose to vividly reflect the mem-
ories of a courtyard, readapting the a cavity in that mass. The boundless space of the
vernacular typology to a house in sky penetrates the garden and absorbs it. “
an urban context. The program is
organized into spatial compart-
ments around the courtyard based
on the function they are designed The entrance lobby leads to the courtyard on one side
to serve. Each of these compart- and the living space on the other. The living space, a floor
ments further evolves into primordi- height of one-and–a-half storey, diminishes to single sto-
al geometric masses. The idea was rey height as it flows into the courtyard, and thus resulting
to create a more pure form of archi- in a Library space on the first floor which looks into the
tecture - of architecture stripped of courtyard on one side and the living space on the other.
its non-essentials, reduced only to The transition from the living to other private functions of
its basic elements and the feelings the house is through the well-lit dining area. The river fin-
that the space itself evokes. ish tandoor flooring seamlessly connects the living and
dining spaces to the courtyard.

The transition from the living to other private
functions of the house is through the well-lit
dining area. The river finish tandoor flooring
seamlessly connects the living and dining
spaces to the courtyard.
The entrance lobby leads to the courtyard on one side and the living space on the other. The living
space, a floor height of one-and–a-half storey, diminishes to single storey height as it flows into the
courtyard, and thus resulting in a Library space on the first floor which looks into the courtyard on
one side and the living space on the other.

The Altar is a space floating in the
air. Externally, the mass deliberately
disconnects from the living room wall,
giving an impression of a floating
cube sliding out from within. The re-
duced floor height and the clerestory
window invokes a mystical feeling.
Stairs from the Altar lead to the Library
and the family spaces. The one-and-
a-half storey height of the living room
leaves a clerestory window in the li-
brary exhibiting a dialogue between
the courtyard and the terrace of the
living room.
The walls of the private spaces around

the courtyard are kept low with glass
continuing to touch the ceiling. The
courtyard thus flows into the bed-
rooms, blurring the boundaries of the
courtyard while establishing a con-
nection with the internal spaces of
the house. The spatial strategy is de-
signed to visually connect spaces to
allow a sense of communication. The
concrete ceiling is left exposed to
add a sense of informality in contrast
to the smooth white plastered walls.

The interiors and furniture designs are Light percolates into the building
heavily inspired by contemporary Indian through strategically placed fenestra-
artist SH Raza. His approach to color, tion, in some places touching the roof,
line, space and light, the geometries in his allowing an unobstructed flow of view
paintings, all reveal a deeper understand- to the outside. Two major light wells,
ing of emotions. Concrete, white plaster, the courtyard and the skylight above
brass, wood and natural stone became the stairs in the family space display
the color palette for the interiors. An ab- a subtle, perpetual play of light and
straction of the painting ‘Tanava’ on the shadow creating a high sense of order
floor using colored stone, adorns the living and visual impression. Light as a build-
room. ing material is sculpted carefully to de-
fine spaces and their functionalities.
It rises into the third dimension with the As the sunlight changes throughout
floating pyramid stools and coffee table the day, the shadows make the space
set in harmony. The shadows formed by dynamic and ever-changing across all
the courtyard skylight empirically reinter- seasons. The perception of space var-
pret the patterns of Raza paintings. The tri- ies depending on where one is stand-
angular book shelf in the Library, indulges ing in relation to the light wells.
in an amicable conversation with the light
each time the sun renders the wall behind.
The painting, ‘White crosses’ is sculpted “The Sun does not realize how
in wood to form the wardrobes adding wonderful it is until after a room is
warmth to the bedroom interiors. made.” - Louis Kahn

The house is an abstract
composition of masses re-
sponding to the west sun.
The sharp shadows move
as the day progresses giv-
ing life to the facade. The
compound wall is designed
to resemble a fabric, very
light and absent keeping the
composition undisturbed.
The house attempts to

stand as a piece of art.

SOUL GARDEN HOUSE
SPACEFICTION STUDIO
Architects: Spacefiction Studio
Location: Hyderabad, Telangana
Lead Architescts: Baba Sashank and Vindhya Guduru
Project Team: Anusha Dasari
Landscape: Green Leaf Landscape
Area : 3900.0 ft²
Photographs: Monika Sathe Photography
VISIT > SPACEFICTION STUDIO
BABA SASHANK VINDHYA GUDURU
t
he smallest plot size available in most of
the residential layouts of the city is about
200sqyards or 170 sqmts. A Large require-
ment on such a small plot called for an intro-
verted solution with a garden at the center,
around which the rest of the spaces function.
This garden was lifted up to accommodate
parking, a room for the domestic help and a
Transperent & Shines games room on the stilt floor. An extra room
was added on the terrace for guests.
YELLOW JEWEL
The façade has operable louvers made
out of perforated mild steel. This offers
a certain amount of privacy from the
close proximity neighborhood. They
are opaque from the outside during
daytime and when the light shines from
within in the evening, they become
transparent and shine like a yellow
jewel.
The central double height court is covered with mild steel,

with laser cut perforations; parametrically designed to create
privacy.

All services were pushed to the south as a buffer to the heat. The
living / dining areas surrounding the garden have operable, slid-
ing glass doors to contain the air conditioning. When these are
open the whole length of the house behaves as a single space
connected by the garden. Two bedrooms are pushed to the next
higher level connected by a corridor with a concrete bench.

The central double height court is cov-
ered with mild steel, with laser cut perfo-
rations; parametrically designed to cre-
ate privacy. The perforations are smaller
where the adjacent building has an
opening looking into the court and larg-
er, where the building has a blank wall.
The flooring is a mixture of yellow

& white cement oxide, handmade
cement tiles, yellow tandoor and ter-
racotta tiles. The ceilings are left ex-
posed after the de-shuttering of con-
crete slabs. Walls are mostly white
with an occasional yellow highlight-
er.

This system is covered with glass on
top and stainless steel mesh on the
side as a protection from rain and
insects. The filtered light through
this powers the tropical growth of
the garden below. A cutout allows
light all the way to the games room
in the basement below.
The garden also houses a foun-

tain which brings the tropical
environment alive with its sound
of water. Wherever one is in the
house they’re always aware of the
elemental nature of the garden.

The master bedroom has an at-
tached balcony which opens up in-
wards onto the garden below. The
wardrobe features handmade cane
work, a fast vanishing craft practice.
The attached toilet is made trans-
parent so the planters inside are
visible, lit from the skylight above.

The kid’s bedroom has a balcony which opens onto the east. A
play nook is integrated into the wardrobe which looks down onto
the garden as well. The study room attached has a planter under
a slit skylight which forms a focal point as one enters the room.
The study area is lit with the eastern sun in the mornings which
filters through the perforated screen and hits the study desk.

Equilibrium
SOLIDITY & LIGHTNESS
THE HOUSE OF
SECRET GARDENS
SPASM DESIGN
Architects: SPASM Design
Lead Architects: Sanjeev Punjabi and Sangeeta
Merchant
Project Team: Ingit Anand, Kalpesh Shah,
Mahendra Shah, Laxman Desai
Landscape: Kunal Maniar
Area : 4600.0 ft²
Photographs: Umang Shah, Photographix,
Edmund Sumner
VISIT > SPASM DESIGN
SANGEETA MERCHANT | SANJEEV PUNJABI
ARCHITECTURE
t
ECHOES A his is a private home in Ahmedabad, is an
expression in Dhrangadhra stone. The stone
CONTEMPORARY YET used in many of the architectural antiquities
of Ahmedabad. The stone has a mottled tex-
SENSIBLE AND SLICK ture and bone coloration, available in blocks;
slabs and dust from quarries nearby it be-
WAY OF OCCUPYING came an obvious choice. It ages pretty well
too. The cellular structure of this sandstone
THE SITE. holds intermittent microscopic air gaps, act-
ing as an insulation panel itself. This led to
the idea of cladding the entire body of the
house as a monolith. The organization of the
plan is like a simple cross.

This allows for one room thick
arms, hence permitting easy
cross ventilation and the possibil-
ity of a seamless connection with
the outdoors. The stone is used
in giant blocks vertically to form
a periphery, a border to the gar-
dens to frame the edges, allow
breezes, and a sense of contain-
ment and scale. This frame allows
the home to be immersed in the
greens, considered imagery and
landscape will form the surrounds
of the cross-shaped construct.

Chosen from the client’s collection and
commissioned from local artists, the
home will abound several bespoke ob-
jects and pieces, many of which are
designed by SPASM for this project in
particular. We searched for a custom fit
to the client’s lifestyle, aspirations, and
needs. A project in which the architec-
ture is inspired and echoes a contem-
porary yet sensible and slick way of oc-
cupying the site.

Intended as seamless extensions of the living spaces the gar-
dens will over the years mature as view boxes which come
alive with the moving sun, breezes animating them and rain
imbuing the home with the fresh aroma of the dry earth
thirst quenched.

In Ahmedabad, we find the light very
sharp and harsh at times, comfort can
be achieved by a darker wall or floor
surfaces to reduce reflected glare.
A long search for an appropriate

emotion for the water body, ended
in the commissioning of a life-size
sculpture of a pensive monk, in Be-
slana stone gingerly poised on
the water’s surface as if levitating.
Even externally, the body of the

house can be surmounted via as-
cending stairs in solid stone, to dis-
cover an elevated garden roof. This
home promotes the use of external
spaces, all along the edges of the
cross layout.

Courtyards facilitating the conventional
movement of airt will be a major part of the
passive climate control in the home, stone
fins, rough cuts perpendicular to the build-
ing face, cause incident shadows hence
cooling the face and creating an ever-
changing rhythm of shadows and light.
The interiors are embellished with

rich woodwork boxes that contain
wardrobes and large luxurious en-
suite bathrooms, sitting within a vol-
ume of ceilings and walls all rendered
in lime plaster had applied like stucco.

The plans adopt a strategy of roofed and
open-air rooms…
The aim was to deliver a home which allows
its occupants to live a life in the bosom of
nature, sensing the seasons, entertaining
their family and friends and juicing the joys
of a well-played life… with art, sculpture,
objects, contributing to the serenity of the
home. The architecture we believe is about
summoning beauty and distilling moments
of tranquil inner happiness, an awareness
of just being and celebrating a single breath
when everything is perfect.

Feeling Of
SERENE SECLUSION

H-CUBE HOUSE
STUDIO LAGOM
Architects: Studio Lagom
Location: Surat, Gujarat
Lead Architect: Hardik Shah
Design team: AnishaJariwala, Nishant
Gandhi, VivekNayani, Raj Prajapati,
SwetaGajiwala,Doriwala & Kruti Sheta Patel
Landscape: Hasnain Sabuwala
Area: 2,400 ft²
Photographs: Photographix | Sebastian + Ira
VISIT > STUDIO LAGOM
ARCHITECTURALLY,
THE FORM IS
HARDIK SHAH
t
DERIVED BY CUTTING he site was a 35’ x 35’ corner property in a
densely populated community of urban Surat.
UP THE STRUCTURE The square dimension meant the absence of
a long axis that could have otherwise been
INTO FOUR CUBES used as a base for spatial articulation. The
exercise thus became centered around as
much creating a good space as proving to
ourselves that we had the capability of sur-
mounting the challenges posed by a small
scale and its detailing.

The footprint of the house, after leaving out regulation setbacks, was approximately
25’ x 25’. Within this square was a set up a grid that finally yielded three rectangular
blocks: two of 10’ x 25’ and one of 5’ x 25’, with the smaller block allotted to circula-
tion, services and storage.
The house can be accessed via a discreet, tunnel-like and narrow staircase nestled
between the wall of an elevated garden block and that of the structure, a deliberate
attempt to move away from the open-to-public-view staircases seen otherwise, with
little or no thought behind their design.
Architecturally, the form is derived by cutting up the structure (specifically, the lev-
els that house the living spaces) into four cubes, and shifting one quarter (on the
upper level) out, to create a cantilevered block.
A shift in material (concrete as opposed to white paint) distinguishes this volume

further. Within it, is housed the master bedroom. The elevation also strikes an equi-
librium between solidity and lightness; opacity and transparency. Below the can-
tilevered concrete block of the master bedroom, for instance, is a long L-shaped
puncture spanning the two walls of the living room.

The living room of the H-Cube House is essentially
an open space brightened with a slit-like L-shaped
window. A cordon of green outside filters the urban
chaos and endeavours to create a feeling of serene
seclusion.
The exposed concrete ceiling prevents the space

from slipping into the clinical. The sense of calm-
ness on the lower level is further heightened by an
internal waterbody complete with a cascade and
tiny island replete with plants, that has been cre-
ated in one corner of the living room.
A hichko, a staple of every Gujarati household popu-

larly seen on verandahs or patios, makes an appear-
ance in this internal version of a verandah. This tri-
ple-storey courtyard is actually part of a strategy to
establish visual linkages and connections, to avoid a
feeling of being hemmed in and isolated.

The internal zonal articulation is also as simple, with a distinct horizontal delineation of semi-
private and private zones. The semi-private zone (living room, kitchen and dining) is housed on
lower level, with two bedrooms being situated on top. The street level is devoted to a car park.
The dining area brims with earthy warmth, thanks to wooden

furniture set on rough Kadappa stone.

Aligned to the client brief, the colour
scheme is neutral and the material pal-
ette, minimal. Exposed concrete, white
plaster, black limestone and teakwood
are the mainstays of the unobtrusive shell,
which is then overlaid with bright (but not
overly so) soft furnishings and accesso-
ries. The materials have been deliberately
left bare, bereft of any cosmetic additions,
to let their purity shine through.
The constituent spaces of the semi-pri-

vate zone are arranged in a C, with the
dining forming the connecting element
between the other two. The living room
and the kitchen are separated by a large
storage block which can be accessed
from all four sides. On the level above lie
two bedrooms on either side of a landing.

Given its location, the house necessarily became an introvert one.
The connections to the outside became discreet, shielded. which
meant that ventilation had to be carefully resolved. Louvered win-
dows in the south-west corner (on both levels) allow cool breeze
in, while the warm air escapes through the vents of the skylight and
windows along the eastern face.
Additionally, the master bedroom has been given a slit-like sky-

light just above the bed, which creates a living artwork on the
exposed concrete wall, with the sciagraphy that plays through
the day, and indeed, across seasons.Given these daylighting
strategies, the dependence on artificial light is minimal, and
mainly achieved through exposed and recessed spotlights.
Creating H-Cube House, to us, has reinforced many beliefs: that

size doesn’t matter; that there are always solutions; and that God
is in the details.

RESIDENCE IN
PERINTHALMANNA
ZERO STUDIO
Architects: Zero Studio
Location:Perinthalmanna, Kerala.
Lead Architect: Ar. Hamid MM ,Ar. Hafeef PK
Area : 6781 ft²
Photographs: Bharat Aggarwal
VISIT > ZERO STUDIO
AR. HAMID MM AR. HAFEEF PK
w
hen approached with two choices one: to
design a new home in a vacant plot and to
realize the aspirations of the client through a
brand new, fresh, home; two: to renovate an
existing house and make it meet the require-
Thinking
ments put forward by the client and of course
making him happy about it; to choose the lat-
ter one would be tagged mundane by many.
OUT OF BOX
The client brief was a house which also ‘looks small’, sim-
ple but elegant with no ornamental detailing, no massive
form but modest by all means, to go with choice number one
was too obvious given that the second option presented the
architects with a house to be renovated with almost nothing
that strikes a chord with the client’s idea of a home.

The belief that unconventional
choices sometimes make re-
markable outcomes, or in other
words ‘thinking out of the box ‘
may ultimately bring you content
and satisfaction, led to the mak-
ing or rather ‘reinvention’ of this
home. The journey was not a jolly
ride when you are trapped in the
maze of space, of the old home;
to get rid of this ghost of the past
seemed quite difficult.

The challenge was to redefine the interior
spaces with more fluidity, openness and
the exterior with utmost simplicity with no or
minimum indication of what is inside out of a
structure which was completely contrary to
the idea. The thought that architecture does
not always need to be new or the materials
and even the spaces could be ‘reused’ with
careful analysis of the context and bringing
a sustainable output by solving the con-
straints.
Constraints here involved spaces that

were not a match for the client require-
ments and were to an extent aesthetically
unappealing. The sustainability lies in
the reuse of materials, the thermal com-
fort attained and the overall energy ef-
ficiency.

The interior spaces have been reinvented with the sophistication involved in getting rid of a
maze of space, which included: getting rid of unwanted walls, bringing in natural light and
ventilation and thereby making it energy efficient. The inclusion of a ‘light- well’ and one more
by the side of the dining does the key role along with the double layered roof in enhancing
the thermal comfort of the home. The interiors remain well lit and ventilated even without many
numbers of windows opening to the elevations.
The choice of pallid for walls along with wooden finished flooring is aimed at a subtle blend
of colors without much confusion. This is reflected in the choice of furniture and the overall
treatment of the interior. The house has an additional floor added to it to be used as multi
functional space but not until one sees the stair to the top realize that it has one. The focus
on horizontality made the illusion possible together with the minimal façade and the exterior
landscape that merges along with it.

The driving force behind the project had always
been the thought that architecture need not be
‘brand new’ and ‘big’ but can be the simplest pos-
sible solution for the given requirement. Of course,
‘architecture of happiness’ or ‘happiness through
architecture’ lies with the unanimity of the design
with the client’s hopes and aspirations.

AN ENGINEER’S HOUSE
ESSTEAM
Architects: Essteam
Location:Surat,Gujarat
Lead Architect: Jigar Dalal, Ankur Desai, Ketna Padhar
Morker, Nikunj Patel, Nishith Jariwala
Landscape : Earthscapes
Area 7500.0 ft²
Photographs: The Fishy Project
VISIT > ESSTEAM
SNEHAL SHAH
Engineering A
s a designer, this project was one such
rare opportunity, where the client himself
is able to contribute in the design process
to reach levels of synergy which is unthink-
able for both as individuals - the Architect
SYNERGY
and the Client. ‘The Engineer’s House’ is
a case where the Client, a brilliant me-
chanical engineer and a global leader in
manufacturing of very high end diamond
process related machines, offered all his
knowledge and infrastructure to the Archi-
tect’s disposal.

In the first meeting itself, we agreed to a
vision of creating a house which pushes
the limit of architectural design, through
meaningful engineering resolutions to
issues. The conventional paradigms of
door closer, ceiling fan, swing, elevator,
geothermal cooling, louvers and lot of
other elements were questioned and the
outcome is truly noteworthy.
However, for us, the success of the pro-

ject, lies in the fact, that none of these
mammoth product design and develop-
ment exercises, came in the way of cre-
ating such wonderful living spaces for
an equally wonderful family consisting of
four persons. In fact, each of these en-
gineering marvels, enhanced the overall
experience of having a great family and
personal time for each family member.
The entire house is also a journey to do
everything that is right and sustainable
in true sense.
The entire house is also a journey to do everything that is

right and sustainable in true sense.

The 1400 square yard plot is part of a
closed gated society in the newly devel-
oped areas of Surat. It’s a corner plot,
located right across the common gar-
den space of the society, with roads on
the South and the East. Spatially, the
four bed room villa, is organised around
two open spaces - the public lawns and
the private courtyard.
The louvered walls on the north and south

of all the spaces enable natural daylight in
all these habitable spaces throughout the
day.
Further to this, there are number of sky-

lights in the living space and the move-
ment tunnel to bring in more daylight.
The bathrooms have interesting en-
deavors in various types of skylights,
which combine with the textured con-
crete walls creating mesmerizing user
experience. The grid connected rooftop
solar photovoltaic cell panels generate
almost 8 KW of electricity, which near-
ly takes care of almost the total power
needs of the house.

The public block consists a singular glass box housing the living room, dining area, the
kitchen and the elevator transporting one to the first floor family room. It is flanked by a long
verandah spaces on both the sides, for allowing circulation and climatic comfort.
A slightly inclined copper box floats over the dining area, which houses the family room.
Beyond the public block, one climbs few steps to get into the private realm, which has the
four bedrooms built around a courtyard. The praying space is the culmination of the circu-
lation tunnel which runs along the public block and then through the private zone.

The floor is a combination of large sized pol-
ished and leather finished Kotah Stone. Rest
is all natural anodised aluminum, glass, black
granite and teak wood. Copper sheets have
been used to define the axial movement tun-
nel and the floating family room. Bright color-
ed compact laminate sheet have been used in
some doors to add sharp accents in an other-
wise a monotone grey-silver house.
The living room has a very interesting look-

ing square wooden platform lying on the floor
with a bicycle seat and paddles mounted on
a stand. You guessed it right; its an elevator
which can take about three people at a time to
the upper level family room, with one person
paddling to make this happen.
This is a very complex piece of engineering

considering the various aspects of human
safety and with a electrical override to the
bicycle, to call the elevator. This is possibly,
the greenest elevator for human transport
in the world.

Landscaped
COURTS
THE REGIMENTED
HOUSE
LIJO RENY ARCHITECTS

Architects: LIJO RENY architects
Location: kerala,India.
Lead Architect: Lijo Reny, Lijo Jose
Area : 6850 ft²
Photographs: Praveen Mohandas, Suneesh Suresh
VISIT > LIJORENY ARCHITECTS
LIJO RENY|LIJO JOSE
THE SIMPLE YET
t
FORMAL NATURE OF
his project seemed like an Architect’s dream
at first but upon closer understanding, of the
BUILT FORM
site and the brief, revealed its complex na-
ture. The seemingly large plot of 2.45 acres,
populated with a variety of trees - small and
large, was to be shared between the client
and his brother, who had an existing house
on site, without any compound wall in be-
tween.

The clients, like many, worried about se-
curity and privacy, wanted a strong sense
of ownership and exclusivity even without
building any walls separating neither the
pedestrian path nor his brother’s house.
Adding to the complexity was their deep
desire for an inside-outside feel for ther
house, with the inclusion of nature as much
as possible.
The result was ‘The Regimented House’.

The simple yet formal nature of this built
form, with the extended frontyard and back-
yard demarcated by hard landscape grids
established a notion of a boundary, subtle
nonetheless potent. Moreover the grid lay-
out was designed to accommodate land-
scaped courts of various types to ensure
the essential blending in with nature as well
as soften the otherwise bold presence of
the built mass.
A landscaped entry court was added to

blur the transition between the verdant
landscape and the seemingly rigid build-
ing.

The layout consisted of two simple,
yet robust, blocks placed one above
the other, separated by a large dou-
ble height landscaped courtyard
acting as a buffer between them.
A landscaped entry court was add-

ed to blur the transition between the
verdant landscape and the seem-
ingly rigid building. The ground floor
of the primary bay houses the for-
mal and semiformal functions of the
house and the secondary bay has
the two bedrooms, one ach floor ac-
cessed by a staircase.
simple designs create warm, ever-

lasting memories.
The kids see the house as a large

playground enabling them with excit-
ing new experiences each day, and
the owners have already slipped into
these secure yet comfortable spac-
es, enjoying the simple pleasure of
life.

The large grid like openings puncturing
the shell of the building, were strategi-
cally screened with perforated corten
steel and G.I pipes to facilitate both pri-
vacy and ventilation. When lit up at night,
the house looks like a lantern glowing in
the woods. Internally, all rooms around
the central court open into it by means of
large sliding doors that ensure an open
layout when desired. This possibility of
engaging with a fairly large internal land-
scape, with trees that may grow to touch
the ceiling, gives one the feeling of be-
ing outdoors with the elements, enjoying
each season, each moment.
A combination of carefully curated

framed black and white abstract na-
turescape photographs and mirrors
extend this experience to a surreal di-
mension.

The material palette and decor of the house
was refined towards simple minimalist pos-
sibilities in order to enable an unadulter-
ated experience of the volumertic spaces
that connect with the landscape. A com-
bination of carefully curated framed black
and white abstract naturescape photo-
graphs and mirrors extend this experience
to a surreal dimension.
An open dining and a bridge placed in

the central court informally connect the
two. The layout of the house is designed in
such a manner that each room in the house
enjoy perfect cross ventilation, making the
best of seasonal shifts of winds, keeping
the internal temperature at a possible low
throughout the year.
‘The Regimented House’. The simple

yet formal nature of this built form, with
the extended frontyard and backyard
demarcated by hard landscape grids es-
tablished a notion of a boundary, subtle
nonetheless potent.

Delineated
IN 2 VOLUMES
MAISON KOCHI
MEISTER VARMA
ARCHITECTS
Architects: Meister Varma Architects

Location:Kochi, Kerala.
Lead Architect: Krishnan Varma
Area : 1700 ft²
Photographs: Praveen Mohandas, Govind Nair
VISIT > MEISTER VARMA ARCHITECTS
KRISHNAN VARMA
AN OPEN PLAN
ARRANGEMENT
b
MAKES THE INTERIOR
uilt on a tight 170 sqm plot for a family
of four Maison Kochi also functions as
SPACES BLEND
studio and office in the South Indian city
of Kochi.
SEAMLESSLY.

The west facing building is delineated
in 2 volumes, the taller south-west block
shading the shorter north-east one
throughout the day. Living spaces are
arranged in the shorter block while stair-
cases and toilets face south or west to
buffer the heat.
An open plan arrangement and per-

forated net windows ensure ventila-
tion across rooms. A vent in the roof
access hatch cools the house with its
chimney effect.

Rainwater channels are integrated into the
roof design as are solar panels. The collect-
ed water is used to recharge the groundwa-
ter through an injection system. Flat roofs
are insulated with hollow clay blocks and
sloping roofs with polyurethane sandwich
panels. The building is conceived as a chia-
roscuro – a white solid exterior leading to
cool interiors finished in polished cement.
An open plan arrangement on both floors makes

the interior spaces blend into each other seam-
lessly. Wall to ceiling windows enhances this
flow as does the continuous black oxide floor.
Windows are designed in steel and doors use
bison board paneling. Bathrooms are finished
in colorful ferrous oxide with lamps and coun-
ters cast in place.

Almost all interior objects and furnishings are
custom-made down to the brass switch plates.
Furnishings like cushion covers and curtains
utilize the minimalist lines of Kerala saris and
soften the cement walls. Traditional urban
crafts like cane cycle boxes are an inspiration
for multi-colored baskets that hold everything
from blankets to diapers.

HOUSE B
KDnD
STUDIO LLP
Architects: KDnD Studio LLP
Location:Alibag, Maharashtra.
Lead Architect: Shobhan Kothari
Landscape : ADND
Area: 14000.0 ft²
Photographs: Photographix | Sebastian + Ira
VISIT > KDND STUDIO LLP
SHOBHAN KOTHARI
f
luctuating scales, transforming spectrums of
Tangible
light & a color palette that dictates vitality &
warmth. Casa B, an Alibag Getaway home
designed by KDND STUDIO LLP is what tan-
gible bliss is made of.
BLISS
With a context eluded of the boisterousness
of their Mumbai lifestyle, the client’s family
entrusted the design firm with the genesis of
an abode that would be an equivalent of that
of a ‘Second Home’ set in the plush fringes
of Alibag.

The built structure plays a hide & seek of sorts as its façade
harbors capacious spaces indoors while simultaneously
projecting a minimalistic exterior.

Roughly a 2 Acre site interspersed
with scattered palm vegetation & a
monumental mango tree, set the stage
for the design premise of House B. A
sense of intrigue builds as one navi-
gates the driveway & is welcomed by
the built form soaked in a sunny hue
of yellow entwined with the element of
green foliage.
A two-year period of construction

went into creating this ensemble of
14,000 sq. ft of a space which is a
concoction of stark architectural &
rejuvenated nuances.
There is an uninterrupted dialogue of

linked spaces through the skeleton of
the house that breaks the confines of
an inside-outside segregation & tran-
scends the stereotypical norms of
space interplay. The entire framework
of the built form is strung into a harmo-
nious interplay of dramatic sciography,
color schemes, changing daylight pat-
terns, ventilation & volumetric disposi-
tion of spaces.
With Alibag’s weather conditions that operate in extremes of heat & rainfall
subjectivity, a materiality that was durable & simultaneously aesthetic be-
came imperative in order to strengthen the project’s sense of identity & time-
lessness. Polymer Plastered exteriors in yellow, river washed Kadapa stone
in black utilized in varied size ranges find applications through the expanse
of the nooks. Stained Black Oak has been utilized to create paneled doors
which further add an umber tone to the interior scheme.

The project’s vital internal zoning has been
based on the activity parameters & engage-
ment of the inhabitants with the nooks of the
home. The physical zoning may be visualized
as three horizontal ‘bars’ of activity zones
placed in an array to suggest three distinct
sections of functional needs & movement.
The entry into the plethora of spaces is via a cas-

cading set of steps that open up into an elaborate
arrival plaza replete with tropical strains.
The Northern Block houses the public func-

tions of the design scheme. The spaces
designed are aimed at creating stimulating
interactions amidst the family members as
they revel in the structural setup & the ameni-
ties curated therein. Functions like that of a
splendid Living & Dining Area, plush Seating
Deck & a Games Room are schematically ar-
ranged along the ground level of the block.
A Metal Tin spiral staircase gyrates its way
up to a private Terrace Cum Seating space
on the first floor level of the Northern unit &
provides generous views of the Central Pool
stretch below.

The Central Courtyard zone housing the linear pool is the ‘nucleus’ of the home. Flanked on either
end with Changing Room units, the Kitchen section & a quaint Lily Pond, this central section of
the form acts as the spine of the design layout.
This residence has come to embody the image of a getaway abode which tends to its users
emotional & physical facets of rejuvenation with its alchemy of ‘feel good’ niches lay-
ered with tactile factors, that function in synchrony allowing one to spend days indulging
in the embrace of architectural finesse.

Thank you
WILL BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU ,
PLEASE CONNECT
contactusthearchitectsdiary@gmail.com


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50 Beautiful Houses in India 2020

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50 BEAUTIFUL

CONTEMPORARY | MINIMAL | EARTHY

HOUSES IN INDIA E-BOOK

2 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

4 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

THE GRID ARCHITECTS- PG.36 NEOGENESIS + STUDIO 261 - PG.334

AVASITI DESIGN- PG.58 ALOK KOTHARI ARCHITECTS - PG.396

SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS- PG.70 KAMAT AND ROZARIO ARCHITECTURE

ESTABLISH ARCHITECTS- PG.286

SUNIL PATIL AND ASSOCIATES-PG.294

6 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

SPACEFICTION STUDIO - PG.542

SPASM DESIGN -PG.560

STUDIO LAGOM - PG.576

8 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

10 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

12 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

PBA & DESIGNS

BHAVIN AND SNEHA PATEL

14 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

A charcoal grey carpet is laid

16 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

The peripheral garden is segregat-

18 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

To humanise the scale of the space an earthy

As we go up the bedrooms too are done

20 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

Traditional Jalis with a bit of modern touch mini-

The massing of the spaces is done in such a

22 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

Architects: Abraham John Architects

ABRAHAM JOHN | ALAN ABRAHAM

26 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

The plot was a restricted one within a

The little gardens, decks, waterbodies,

The floating steps make an inviting entrance, the lighting and

30 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

In a city where temperatures routinely ex-

Accommodated within are parking areas

The outdoor textured stone plaster finish

32 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

There is a sky lit green area with a

34 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

The little gardens, decks, waterbodies,

36 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

VISIT > THE GRID ARCHITECTS

SHENAL SUTHAR BHADRI SUTHAR

40 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

42 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

The intent was to keep the homes

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46 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

The development also shares several

The exposed concrete on the elevation is tautly balanced

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50 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

The dining rooms are also extended

52 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

The selection of materials, meticulous at-

The Screen House is an urban resi-

54 50 BEAUTIFUL HOUSES WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM WWW.THEARCHITECTSDIARY.COM

VISIT > AVASITI DESIGN

While inside, the relatively simple plan

The most striking feature through