Designing a House Which is Meant to be Explored
1. The House with Balls
The 600 Sq-Yard weekend home for an aquarium owner comprises four separate fish breeding tanks, an observatory that could double up as living space and a private sleeping area, all with provisions for biogas, rainwater collection for fishes and ETHE. On opening the house's distinctive shutters, this linear space transforms completely into an infinite one, continuously mingling with and perpendicular to its original direction.
The house assumes a squat position and the curving wall to one side allows one to walk up the gentle slope on to the terrace running over the length of the house. Rainwater is harvested throughout the year to be used for the fish tanks and space made by this curving wall is used as a tank.
2. House with the Warped Court
The intention here was to use traditional design solutions, one of which is to centre the spaces around a courtyard that provides a reclusive family area. The other was to use 'Haveli' inspired closed outer shell and hollow insides.
Irregular site lines act to generate a skewed wood form the finished concrete box that encloses the house and provides a vision, climate, and noise buffer. These lines also help in making the best of the required margin space, engendering individuated clear and green spaces on all sides of the house enjoyed through the selective openings into these landscape gems.
3. House with Wall of Light
The dwelling emulates the various facets of a diamond in several ways through the use of contrasting materials. The rough diamonds are represented by the concrete walls poured in stone casts and the polished ones are represented by the light emanating the onyx wall.
One is opaque, the other transparent. One envelops the house and the other ties the house together. One absorbs, the other radiates. One is neutral, the other colourful. One is rough and the other is smooth. The core family and private areas are placed in a "black box" characterized by the use of Kadapa stone representing carbon, another avatar.
One is opaque, the other transparent. One envelops the house and the other ties the house together. One absorbs, the other radiates. One is neutral, the other colourful. One is rough and the other is smooth. The core family and private areas are placed in a "black box" characterized by the use of Kadapa stone representing carbon, another avatar of the diamond. The base flooring is economical and common but robust Kota stone represents continuity and is set against the chic neutrality of travertine representing contemporary living.
The three identical staircases are aligned to the three site angles converging near the entrance; one is placed on the floor, the second on the wall and the third on the ceiling; signifying the illusionary world of diamonds.
