FOLDED PLANES

The house is designed for a joint family of two brothers, their wives, children and their elderly mother. On a plot admeasuring 3900 sq.ft in a planned layout, the design brief was to have independent houses with a common parking area for 5 cars, which can also be jointly used for small household family get-togethers. 

The volumetric juxtapose of the requirements resulted in a compact plan with a cuboid appearance to the building.

To further articulate the rigid cuboid form, emerged the concept of planes as a building element which are further fragmented to make an interesting composition of forms.

Simplicity of form and easy circulation are the major attributes to this design. 

Stilt parking is provided at the ground and the house starts at the first floor level.  As the adjacent houses are very close to the plot, introvert planning is adopted with a central courtyard in the living and the dining area which acts as a get together space. The central duct/courtyard visually and audibly connects the two houses. This central courtyard is well lit with a ventilated skylight on the top, which helps in evacuating the hot air trapped inside, making way for the cool breeze from the west.  Placement of large openings on the north and the skylight at the top enables optimum use of controlled daylight, whereas the southern side is well shielded by the service areas from the harsh glare and heat. The actively usable terrace areas on the second floor is covered with pergolas which creates an ever changing interesting shadow pattern on the walls and floor and also helps in providing partial shade to the terrace.