The Site comprised of a piece of land that sloped from North to south with roads on East & North the strata being mostly hard rock and the contour drop being almost 3 to 4mtrs, facilitated parking through the approach road on the East , while the visitors entries on the North.
The client had a peculiar brief to design a single house that could be split into a twin house for two brothers and their families as and when needed. The number of occupants consists of two young couples with five children and grandparents all staying together as one large extended family. For most hours of the day all adults would be out working except the grand mother and grandchildren moving around in their respective schedules. However the house would turn into a retreat over weekends or holidays, when all members of the family shall spend time together , invite friends over , and yet had their respective private areas to rest in solitude and silence.
The brief translated into a design that allowed for a lot of open clutter free central open space for the children to keep playing around the house with all private areas organised around the periphery where the adults could have their privacy undisturbed , yet allowing intermingling of all spaces by connecting them visually in the horizontal as well as as vertical axes.
As we enter from the North, the house has two separate entries that lead into the common visitors lobby . The lobby has a low height ceiling that oversees and opens up into a double height central open to sky court to the South and a small forecourt on the North. This visitor’s lobby is flanked by fabricated staircases on the East and West leading to respective upper floors.
The central open to sky courtyard becomes a pivot around which the spaces intermingle . A private family space is formed by raising a stone wall up to 2.1 mtrs height between the court and the family room, thus allowing the space to be physically separated but remaining visually connected. A level difference between the lobby and family room creates an interesting play of volumes , while allowing the spaces to flow seamlessly. On the East and West are two separate houses with four bedrooms each. One bedroom being on the Ground floor and remaining three on the first floor. Both the houses have separate kitchen dining areas whereas they share a common family room that opens to a deck and garden on the South. That makes this South Veranda one of the most important hang out space for the children as well as adults. The master bedrooms on the upper floors extend out to form a deep overhang on this veranda making it a glare free space allowing the air to flow throughout the house.
Two separate service staircases reach the ground floor from the parking area to facilitate entry and exits for the residents without having to go through the visitors lobby. The kitchen dining of the East wing is on the South while that of the West wing on the North West corner with attached wet kitchens and utility areas .
The main staircases are designed as free floating open riser fabricated flight of steps hanged from the Family room above the visitor’s lobby. While the brothers share a common family room with their parents on the ground floor, the first floor family rooms are kept separate for them to entertain their respective friends and family members. The level difference between the family room and staircase landing adds to the play of volumes as on the ground floor. This common landing between the bedrooms of both the wings opens up into the central court atrium connecting the spaces on all three levels . A small staircase is squeezed in between the children’s bed and the Master bed that leads to the mezzanine floor above makes for an interesting twist into the vertical access. Roof above the mezzanine is designed as sweeping wings of a bird perched on the central courtyard opening on the East and West axis. Thus filtering in light throughout the house at all hours of the day while connecting the house visually .
The bedrooms are designed as a cluster of rooms around a central common landing where the parents and children have easy access to each other while they have their own private spaces. The pallete is kept minimalist and neutral . White walls, the central family room has free standing M.S columns painted white. The slabs are kept form finished and floors of all public spaces are finished in river bed finished mushroom stone. The bedrooms have wooden flooring. Doors and windows are in polished solid wood and all railings in M.S.
Basically a house designed for a multi generational extended family around a central open to sky court reminiscing the Wada typology typically found in the state of Maharashtra interpreted to suit contemporary lifestyle and requirements.
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