From the very first meeting with our clients, we knew the next two years would be amazing. We discovered that they share our passion for architecture. We promised to make the entire process of designing and building their home enjoyable for them, just as it is for us. It is incredibly important to us that the experience of building a home is not stressful. Instead, we want it to be filled with beautiful memories and moments that our clients will cherish for a lifetime. A formed concrete volume sits perpendicularly above a stone block, extending out as a large cantilever which functions as an entrance canopy, and softened by the dense vegetation amongst which the house resides. A steppingstone through the water body leads into the 12 feet high floor-to-ceiling pivoted Entrance Door. The water body has a glass bottom that allows refracted light to penetrate the spaces below.
Materiality
A predominantly concrete and basalt environment in the house is juxtaposed against slatted oak walls, which are evenly washed with daylight, and strategically conceal doors into the services and storage rooms behind.
Post War Modernism
Architecture of the house is inspired by post-war modernism, with formed concrete structure meticulously cast on site, that turned into our canvas for wall crafted murals and art pieces, interacting with the ever-changing light patterns caused by deep pergolas above and evoking varied emotions throughout the day.
Main staircase of the house is built structurally with hot-rolled steel, another one of our favorite recyclable materials, left unfinished on one side and finished with oak on the inner surface, was formed with understated yet dynamic faceted composition to provide a playful interaction with the monolithic concrete surface and the pergola above.
More about the project
SI’RENITi House is designed and built in Hyderabad, where the days are generally hot, while the nights are cool and breezy, on a 2400 square yard plot in the upscale Jubilee Hills, for a small growing family.
We spent many hours ideating, many a times with clients with us on the drawing board (we love having our clients over during the design process) evolving the layout to ensure that the programmatic requirement, services, privacy and space efficiency were immaculately compatible and in sync with each other.
Alongside physical & functional requirement of the spaces, we aligned our thoughts into how this home can play a role in enhanced wellbeing of its occupants. We introduced sky-lights with deep, angled pergolas to bring in controlled day-light into each of the spaces. Large overhangs connecting indoor and outdoor spaces have been so seamlessly intertwined that it's hardly possible to really differentiate the two, also ensuring that the home was always a few degrees cooler and in a well-ventilated environment that minimise the need to depend on mechanical energies.
A modern interpretation of traditional Indian courtyard house, all public and private spaces look inward into the private court with a lap pool, with floor to ceiling pocket doors that disappear when not in use. Colours of the swimming pool and landscape are brought into the art and furniture pieces to create a strong dialog between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Large art works on a formed concrete wall add a positive vibe in the dining space. Lightness of the table with its sleek metal base and the red chairs that are crafted in solid wood marquetry create an exciting balance against the art dominated concrete surface.
The daily dining kitchen is designed for the family to bake and cook together. Kitchen was crafted on site, clad in oak and a locally sourced granite. Along with the storage it also hides behind the slatted surfaces, a door that leads to the outdoor pool changing room. the kitchen overlooks the pool making it easy to keep an eye on children in the pool while cooking. Concealed counter mounted chimney ensures a smoke free space for the family.
The Bar for the home was visualised to be a fun hangout space, and to enhance the mood, we brought in patterned flooring using linear inlays of polished stone. We carried this language over to the bar counters, and created concealed bar cabinets using rounded timber slats. The large red speakers and linear lights above bar counter create an energetic vibe. Colourful furniture pieces, from mid-century masters, and an art wall curated with some of clients works from the past, as well as new work of artists such as Angelo Accardi complete the space.
Bedrooms are all on the first floor, and designed to be simplistic, well-lit and ventilated. Seamless details like floor to ceiling glazing and doors, complements the sharpness of its built environment. Furniture has been sourced from across India and bed linens and furnishings are made of pure natural fibres, adding sense of warmth and comfort to the private spaces.
Hallway on the first floor, connecting all the bed-rooms and terminating into a prayer room, is washed with diffused and controlled day-light due to the large sky lit pergola over the staircase.
The master suite has its own private courtyard and it takes centre stage, ensuring day-light and visuals of lush greenery from every corner of the suite. Bed space, bath and wardrobes, look inward and open into the courtyard. Counter in the master bath is a structural beam with no support from the wall behind it, casted on site and then clad in stone with concealed drawers.
The entire process of building the home over two years never felt like work! And that’s the pure joy in doing what we love! But what was most rewarding was when clients said that their home felt nicer than any place in the world!
