Strata

Situated on a tight site of 40’ by 70’ in an urban context, the client approached us with a brief of designing a residence for a joint family with members across a varied age group.

We grappled with the issue of providing private spaces for all the members, without compromising the feel of an independent residence, as opposed to a multi-level residence.

Individual spaces across three levels enabled us to maintain privacy for the family members. The fragmented arrangement of these individual spaces, created break-out spaces at each level, which facilitates the congregation of the family members. 

A large cut out which spans through the vertical volume of the residence, enables the members to constantly be in visual connectivity with each other. This also creates a sense of continuity in terms of the volume when a member enters at the ground level and ascends through the residence. The interiors were designed to look rich, replacing the traditional carvings with more contemporary finishes which make the spaces look more chic and glossy.

We looked at the idea of a conventional facade comprising of decks and glazing, and made it more dynamic in nature. The facade appears to be a stack of hollowed out spaces and fluid forms. We responded to the immediate context of green foliage by introducing openings at all levels. This allows the members to have a visual connect with the outside and moreover appreciate the foliage that exists. 

The house is a collage of individual aspirations and design ideologies. Each private space has been closely detailed with the member, and tailored to suit their briefs. It was a challenge for us to maintain a cohesive language throughout the house. 

The facade albeit is an assemblage of elements, is a contrast to the internal volume of the residence, which is vertically continuous from the ground level onwards.