ABHISHREE VILLAS

“How does one develop design opportunities that lend a sense of identity to an otherwise ubiquitous, built typology? Does it require sizeable interventions, or does the recognition of the space lie in the smaller gestures?”

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Location
Ahmedabad

Typology
Residential

Site area
5221.5 m²

Built area
2322.57 m²

In a part of Ahmedabad that is fast developing, the studio was invited to design homes for two brothers in 2010. For various reasons, the execution of these homes was put on hold - finally beginning approximately 3 years ago. All through the design process, one of the key governing factors has been Vastu.

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Over the years, the design has evolved, and changes have been made pertaining to occupancy, functionality, and site boundaries. As they now stand, the houses, put together, measure approximately 25,000 sq.ft with each home measuring approximately 12,500 sq. ft.

Landscape India Project Image

Landscape India Project Image

Since its inception, the homes have been envisioned as courtyards, with an adjacent built; in so doing, a sense of structure and form is articulated not only through the spaces themselves, but also through the components that surround it.

The houses are located along the periphery of the land. With the evolution of the design, the built has been envisioned to be more compact, with the courtyards growing in size; becoming more expressed and pronounced.

The program of the homes is one that includes family spaces, guest rooms, bed rooms, a breakfast space, a yoga room, kitchen and utility space, a water body, and a servants’ quarters, amongst other elements. In their design, while some spaces mirror one-another, there are parts of the homes that express themselves in distinctive manners in comparison to each other – the lounge, and the home theatre, for example.

Landscape India Project Image

Landscape India Project Image

The entrance wall has been designed such that it adds a sense of interactive identity and dynamism to the space. The sense of an entrance is further reiterated through the introduction of an entrance foyer, and a Temple - imagined as fired brick sculptures, leading to the atrium.

A Court by the staircase has been modulated to bring in light, while the dining space, and lounge on the first floor have been envisioned as a pavilion that will further enhance the sense of connection with the outside. `

Landscape India Project Image

Landscape India Project Image

The living spaces overlook the garden, creating constant connections between the inside and the outside. A waterbody which was initially envisioned as multiple small, contained pockets, has now been expanded to encircle the formal living space, as well as the temple.

Large copper roof canopies have been used at various locations in both homes.

Apart from the ideas of spatiality that the design of these homes creates, it is the materiality of these spaces that set it apart; materials that, in some cases, the studio has worked with for the first time. This has included pigmented, and textured exposed concrete, lime plaster, and stone clad walls, along with the manner in which fired brick has been utilized.

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All in all, these spaces seem to reflect precise design interventions that lend a pronounced sense of identity to the homes.

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