An Indian House Tackling Extreme Weathers!

Mumbai-based Sanjay Puri Architects brought an ingenious home design to reality in Bhilwara, India. It is called the Mirai House of Arches and houses a large joint family and encompasses roads towards the south and gardens in the north. 

Sanjay Puri Architects used earthy tones of stone, wood and plaster to define the interior palette, making use of locally-sourced materials and finishes.

The living space of this residence is a successful attempt at alleviating the Rajasthan heat, which is wrapped in a sculptural second skin with a wave-like form, creating a nippy interstitial space that is accessed through large, arched entrances.

The studio explained: "A curvilinear, punctuated envelope surrounds the house, creating interstitial, semi-open spaces all along the perimeter, with deeper recesses on the garden-facing sides." 

The interior is systematised around a central corridor running east to west that divides the home, featuring a small pool of water at one end on the ground floor. Living, dining and kitchen spaces, as well as the main bedroom, occupy the ground floor, with additional three bedrooms on the first floor and a study and gym on the floor above. 

The spaces were curated with different ceiling heights, with open, double-height living and dining spaces contrasted by smaller bedrooms, according to their respective uses. 

In addition, the top levels have been set back to create shaded terraces and balconies, finished with wooden decking and sheltered by slatted canopies.

"The house is contextual to its surroundings, the climate and the owner's needs, resulting in a play of open, enclosed and semi-enclosed spaces at every level," said the studio.

Photography is by Dinesh Mehta.