Elastica

The south facing plot measures 40’x70’ flanking a conservancy on the east side in a typical dense urban setting. The house was conceived as an open fluid event space. The section of the house was conceptualized to enable this choreography of spaces. The section generates the plan and the form of the house. Conceived as a continuous loop that sectionally rises up from the ground the plan is carved out of the whole. The looping concrete slab not only demarcates the plan along a split section but also becomes the stairs to connect the various levels into one continuous folding surface. The folding slab animates the space around it and renders it fluid almost like thick viscous liquid. One experiences this gelatinous space as they walk along the loop through the house. The constantly changing section of the house further animates the house formally and spatially. 

Programmatically the dwelling has the living room at an elevated level overlooking an open kitchen and dining across a Zen garden. The four bedrooms and the home theater are organized along the folding loop at various levels in section. The home theater in the basement is at one end of the loop and the open air amphitheater on the terrace forming the other end.  

The interior design of the house further accentuates the fluidity of the space and form, elements such as cabinets, beds, ledges etc drape the existing fluid shell in a way to erase the difference between architecture and interior design. Malleable materials such as Ferro-concrete which is more commonly seen in exterior elements, is used for furniture, thus bringing about a connection between the architecture and interior design. Ply and solid surface acrylic are used to create the fluid objects that melt into the existing structure to create a cohesive sensuous whole. Digital media and physical models were an integral part of the design process, with these sculptures used as a reference prototype for the execution on site.

Since the shorter side of the house faces the south, we have re-conceived the traditional “brise soleil” in a more fluid avatar to constitute the elevation and thereby cut the heat. As the longer side faces the east with a conservancy, the edge is detailed as being porous so that the distinction between the inside and outside is blurred. This also enables ample east light into the house. The bottom transparent base also tantalizingly holds up the heavy fluid mass on top which appears to be levitating.