The
Linear house is tucked away in the high-density town of Mandvi, Gujarat. As the
name suggests, the design is driven by the site constraints of a 3m x 30m plot
size, open ended on both sides along the length, with an active street front,
and an open courtyard at the back.
Adhering to the original live-work housing typology also found in the
neighbourhood, it was important to not only segregate and provide privacy, but
also break away from the linearity of the living space and provide ample
daylight. This was achieved by adding a floating bridge in the middle, which
helped create a central double-height volume, and provided the opportunity to
bring in natural daylight through an articulated skylight in the roof. Adding a
central staircase helps organize and connect all the spaces around it, while
creating a seamless visual connection between them, thus making it an ideal
spot for the living space to be situated, transforming it into the social hub
of the house.
The house
can be categorically split in two levels, public and private. The ground level being ‘public’ includes the
jewellery shop in the front, which brings you to the central living space
connected to the kitchen, which further leads to the guest bedroom overlooking
the back courtyard. All these spaces have been designed to have a constant
visual flow as you transition from one space to the next. The upper level is
more private consisting of the master bedroom facing the back courtyard, and
the kids’ bedroom facing the street, connected by a central social space and a
floating bridge.
The
building envelope has been designed as a response to the local climate. It aims
to maximize daylight in what could have been a dimly lit narrow living space
and works to keep the building cool. In order to provide privacy from the busy
street and protect the kids’ bedroom from the harsh south-east sunlight, a
rotating terracotta brick jali was designed to not only act as a screen, but to
create a kinetic façade for visual interest along with a tree planted adjacent
to it. Both these elements act as
shading and cooling agents for the house. On the other hand, the roof skylight
has been articulated to maximize the natural light in the space below, while
optimizing the position of the solar panels for maximum solar gain - making the
Linear house more sustainable and energy efficient.
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