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Architects: Co.lab Design Studio
- Area: 19375 ft²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Sebastian Zachariah
Text description provided by the architects. The house being sited in between a busy neighborhood, the owners of this home felt the common dilemma of a requirement of private living spaces surrounded by gardens. In order to create a luxurious and spacious home where the owner feels constantly connected to the outdoors, the design inverts the concept of a bungalow set in a garden by infusing gardens into the bungalow and encapsulating the natural green space within the house.
The private residence is designed to flow with how the family functions in their routine life, breaking down to a simple formula _ Private v/s Public. Hence the arrangement has been divided into two wings connected by the circulation making it an H-shape layout, one wing being the Guest wing (public) and the second wing being the Family Wing (private) with gathering spaces flanked with courtyards on both sides which set up dramatic views of the immediate greenery throughout the house.
The building layout creates a complete and hermetic bond between the interior and the exterior. The courtyards acts as in between dynamic spaces that allows microclimate to be experienced daily, blurring the lines of indoor – outdoor living. The captivating courtyard design provides this home with a special sense of serenity and acts as personalized nature retreat that feed into adjacent interior spaces.
The building stands strong on its own with minimal architectural forms. The character of the residence is generated by the inclusion of an off-form solid mass that dramatically cantilevers over the underlying spaces. The upper volume is stone cladded, creating the illusion of floating atop the delicate glass from below. The extensive glazing on the ground floor “lightens up “the massive structure and the Black granite mass on the top acts as an interface with the surrounding neighborhood making the spaces introvert in character. Hence, the contrast of opacity and transparency continues throughout the house with the efficient use of materials. On the other hand, the monotony of the solid box is broken up by the timber-looking movable aluminum screen which serves to soften the robust stone cladded texture.
The design intent for the house is focused on creating experiences, where meaning and substance took precedence over gratuitous form. The design was enhanced by embracing and highlighting the scale as required, while creating a warm ambience for the residents.
Rightly said by Sir Philip Johnson, “Architecture is basically the design of Interiors, the art of organizing interior space”, this house has been executed keeping in mind the effect of architecture on interior spaces and vice versa. A clear vision for the project is evident in the meticulously conceptualized spaces, selection of appropriate materials and in the clean execution of the Design. Though designed in a Contemporary Style, the spaces adhere to the needs and roots of the users. The material palette used in the interior justifies the purpose along with the clever mix of texture and patterns and a variety of furniture layouts making the spaces comfortable.
