Our brief was to create a house with a large program, on a smaller piece of land. This required stacking up several floors. We then introduced layers stacked up above each other to create solids and voids on every level, creating an interesting transition between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Solids and Voids
The site, located in an upscale neighbourhood in Jubilee Hills, with a narrow frontage meant multiple floors in order to accommodate the entire requirement. We added solids and voids in the form of protruding spaces and terraces, to create interesting play of levels almost stacked up like blocks. Stacking these blocks and then splitting them laterally create courtyards and slits that formed sky-lights. These vertical slits floods every corner with controlled natural light, and is the most positive experience in the house.
Indoor-Outdoor
There was a lot of focus on bringing the outdoors into the living spaces. All public spaces seamlessly open up outwards, blurring the indoor-outdoor boundaries. The house, on its small piece of land, has many voids, in the form of open to sky courtyards. Large terraces are planned at multiple levels. A north facing skylight in the central zone floods the entire house with diffused day light.
The intent of our design was to create clean seamlessness, inspired by Modernist Architecture. We wanted to create a balance between the mid century modern and the new age dynamism.
More about the project
Sky-lit staircase has louvered ventilators with filtering exhaust system, on its topmost level to send out hot air accumulated at the top. Exposed concrete, raw brick walls and local stonework were our primary building materials. To filter in light into the parking space, we casted 1200 custom sized bricks to create a screen that transformed the space with its dramatic play of light.
We would describe the design language as finding a balance in understated elegance; with mid century inspirations and focus on creating a beautiful experience in every space.
