The client’s family used to live in a twin bungalow located in a popular residential neighbourhood of Pune. Over time, as the family expanded, they outgrew the house and had to look for a larger space. Fortunately, they found and bought a vacant plot of land in the same neighbourhood, just a few paces down their existing home. This site had an interesting aspect to it. As one entered it from the approach road on the south, a large raintree on the central part (the roadside) would greet the visitor with its rich and abundant foliage. The lay of the land was such that there was a gradual slope towards the north where a seasonal rivulet (nullah) flowed.
The House of Skylights is home to a family of three generations consisting of the client and his wife, their two sons, and their respective families. The brief for N.D.D.C. comprised a modest material template culminating in a residence that would be rich in spatial experience. A covered car park was also an essential part of it. The planning was done in such a manner that the raintree would remain the focal point by dividing the structure centrally, flanked by two masses on either side. This division then became the central axis which had 3 elements, viz, the ‘existing raintree’ in all its natural glory in each succeeding season, a ‘deepmaal‘ (दीपमाळ) denoting light & prosperity, lastly, the placement of a ‘saraswati-yantra’ (सरस्वति यत्रं ) signifying the divine power of knowledge.
The Ground Floor would consist of all the public areas such as a semi-open living room and kitchen-cum-dining area on one side of the axis and a guest bedroom and an office-cum-study on the other. A landscaped veranda, the main element of this level, was located along the north and north-eastern corners, doubling as the children’s play area as well. The main feature element, the primary staircase connecting the ground floor with the first floor, was erected in the midst of a landscaped area of tropical plants in between these two areas. This being double-height space, the play of light & shadow created by the upper-level façade, in combination with the surrounding landscape, is verily a sight to behold.
The First Floor has the sons’ primary bedrooms with the children’s bedroom on one side of the axis, while the client’s master bedroom is on the other side. The central axis on this level acts as the family area for all, which is where the client would read stories to their beloved grandchildren.
The Second Floor is where the younger son can give a free rein to his muse inside a riyaz (रि याझ) room where he practises his music, knowing that the final output would be as good as if it were recorded inside a music studio. The interior here has been organised with a modular sofa which comes in handy when there are jamming sessions involving the participation of a number of musicians. This space also doubles as a home theatre with a projector and a screen. There is a semi-open pavilion on the south-western corner of the floor where one can indulge in leisurely chitchats, sipping or munching something from the adjacent fully functional pantry. The alfresco terrace on the east serves multiple purposes. Lastly, solar panels have been installed on the Roof with a view to harnessing the abundant solar energy to cater to all the outdoor zones. Rainwater is collected in different channels or gutters and then diverted to various locations through down-take pipes. This recycled water mostly takes care of the needs of the landscaped areas. The use of natural material such as marble for the floor and Gokak stone for the walls, etc, adds to the charm of the house. The use of Berge-Ply cladding in combination with a metal screen (jali) on the first floor has a few benefits such as insulation from heat for the peripheral walls as well as ample cross-ventilation in combination with interesting shadow patterns throughout the year.
Strategically placed skylights cater to the first floor and the landscaped areas with tropical plants on the north-east, which ample natural light in these spaces and also help them look and feel fresh all the time. Moreover, this makes for a salutary effect on the occupant’s mind because the space appears to be bigger than it actually is. A row of potted plants along the eastern walkway offers a floral welcome to the beholder.
The client has decided to name this house ‘Khyal’, i.e. ‘A thought’, in Hindustani classical music, is a composition through which the melody (raag) is rendered by the singer. Although the composition remains the bedrock of the melody chosen to be rendered by the singer, it offers vast scope for improvisation in the slow, medium, and fast tempos. In a similar manner, even though the material palette used in this project was quite minimal and repetitive, the way it was used in different spaces effectively resulted into a different spatial experience, albeit with a sense of continuity.
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