Residential – The Earth Home Architecture

SIX VILLAS

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 15:35:48 +0000

Designed for a joint family comprising of more than six close-knit family units, this development is a cluster of six bungalows. Sandwiched between a village and an estate, the planning was conceived as one for self sustenance, with its major core acting as a central congregational space while the side setbacks being used for buffer activities like informal parties or games, screened with walls which also serve as design elements and creating a secluded singular environment.

The planning has been done in such a way that each bungalow has its own private space yet forms part of a collective whole. The whole design works around the idea of three axes, visual and physical, which form the main entry drive-ways to the villas. There are no boundary walls around any of the houses, architecturally interpreting the relationship of a joint family while keeping each nuclear family separate in a different house.

There is an unquestionable resonance between the built and its landscape, such that one flows through the other. Each façade of each house has been meticulously designed in accordance with the sun path. Large and thin crowning cantilevers shade the western and southern zones of the house leaving the interior space cool even in summers.

In the heart of each villa is a living room, which has an external rear access for the other joint family members to directly enter while the formal entry is through a luxurious double height space into the drawing room. The drawing room flows out into the landscape and may be used as an extended open deck for parties. This ensures that each villa has its own private space for a party as well as a common central open space for family get-togethers.

VERTICAL ANNEX

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 15:07:53 +0000

The owners of the residence, a two-storied family unit, wanted to add another floor for the soon to be expanding family.
On analysis of the existing building through a scanning process, the structure was found to be unfit to take the load of an extra floor.
As a design strategy, it was decided that columns would be erected on either side of the building and a structure of vierendeel girder be mounted on the columns and the extension built within.
Pile foundations 20 metres deep hold the 4 main double height columns on either side surpassing the height of the existing structure. The vierendeel girder structure, made in steel was prefabricated and assembled on site. The slabs are in deck-sheet and the walls are in foam-concrete to reduce weight of the overall structure.
Spanning more than 75 feet, this house has been designed to express the structural system imposed on it. Though the original building is in a minimal classical language, the new structure envelopes the existing and creates a dialogue between the old and the new.

VILLA MAHARANI BAGH

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 15:05:41 +0000

Designed for a close-knit family of 5, this house has been designed as a direct representation of relationships as spaces. Inspired from a traditional Indian courtyard home, the main bedrooms are all on the ground floor opening onto a centralized double height family lounge, which is connected with the main kitchen and is the place from where the staircase leads up to the upper floors. On the first floor a set of three multifunctional rooms, double up as guestrooms, day rooms, study and spa. All these areas are again around the double height lounge connecting them to the central courtyard inspired family lounge.

The public areas start with a double height entrance foyer, leading onto a double height drawing room, which has an upper public deck accessible both by the lift from the foyer or the internal staircase from the family lounge. The public and private spaces are architecturally connected while being segregated with interior elements, creating a sense of expansiveness as well that of privacy throughout the house at the same time.

The top floor is designed for parties with an inbuilt pool set into a large lounge, a large, well-appointed game room and a generous open pantry and bar. A squash court adds a surprise double height space to this floor adding to the volume of the built form.

The language of the house is inspired from European classical architecture drawing resemblances from the colonial history of the city and memories from travels of the family.

AANGAN HAVELI ,PUNJAB

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 15:02:08 +0000

The architectural design of the house attempts an interactive interface with the external environment to achieve greater energy efficiency. It is planned and constructed bearing two main concepts in mind- first being the traditional inward- looking Havelli plan and second being the climatic factor.
The existence of the ‘Purdah’ system in Rajput families and the prevalent customs of Shekhawati resulted in an introverted house. The courtyard was planned keeping the system of separation of men and women folk of the family in mind. As a result, the architectural style of Haveli evolved around the courtyards to ensure the privacy of the womenfolk and protection from long and harsh summers. The internal courtyard with high building mass all around, leads to induced ventilation, lowering of temperatures by convective cooling and natural lighting. In winters, theses courtyards serve as the center of activities while in summers, the semi-open spaces and enclosed rooms are used more during the daytime.
Located in Talwandi Sabo, 28 km Southeast of Bhatinda (Punjab), the city experiences longer summer spells; May to September and shorter winters; December to February, the moderate weather is in October, November, March and April.
Introverted space organization results in clear distinction between private family life and public social life. The building adopts the compact rectangular form and comprises of two levels wrapped around a central courtyard. The building layout is based on a planning grid of 7’ X 7’ to permit a high degree of flexibility in layouts. Keeping in mind the solar orientation, the building block is oriented on south-west axis. The service spaces are placed at separate location from the main living spaces. The building fabric is designed to minimize the air conditioning load.
The external façade is treated with cavity insulated walls with large windows for cross ventilation and daylight. The proportions of the openings have influenced the surface articulation and architectural detailing of the façade, which are in the harmonious relationship between the space inside and its surroundings, which in every way speaks of the social and climatic considerations that were kept in mind while planning. The arches in the design are both for structural and decorative purposes, which are supported by the typical Hindu style circular columns.

RUBIK’S CUBE

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 14:56:38 +0000

The site, a 2000 sq. yd. plot at the periphery of the New Delhi, had a full grown tree line close to the northern edge of the site apart from the trees that dotted the other edges.

The house was designed to sit close to this tree line with the north face opening onto the foliage. The house was conceived like a cuboid with chunks of double height volumes subtracted from various parts of the cuboid. This subtraction was used as a strategy to open up spaces from within to look onto the most desired areas. The zoning was an outcome of climatic design with the harsh summer sun being offset from the main habitable areas by buffer zones like dressers and toilets, while the subtraction exercise opened up the habitable areas to the desirable areas for day-lighting.

The house is awash with natural light with large decks and verandahs opening into the greens. The spaces are bold and the movement feels dynamic with large volumes and planes cantilevered across the lines of sight.

The house is fitted with a heated wave pool, a gymnasium, a salon with a service lift apart from a main passenger lift. The basement is washed with natural light with strategic volumetric subtractions that make the entry foyer and extended part of the party areas in the basement.

BUNGALOW LUCKNOW

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 14:52:52 +0000

A true reflection of Indian contemporary culture, this villa speaks in the European classical architectural language while being firmly rooted to the Indian Planning System, incorporating Vaastu principles and local climatic considerations.
The Villa opens up into a large central, glass-vaulted atrium that lights up the entire villa from within. Finished with solid teak and Italian marbles, inlaid artfully by the most skilled craftsmen, this house is handcrafted to excellence.

SANYUKT NIWAS

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 14:50:15 +0000

Set in a lush 4 acre green site, the expansive 25000 sq. ft. residence houses three families of a close knit integrated joint family of ten across four generations. The spaces and their relationships have been derived by systematically analyzing the connections and desires of each individual as well as the group as a whole.

Each family has their own independently sustained units, the common spaces of which open up onto a central community space much like a town-square which overlooks a large central courtyard. This public space also houses the formal dining, drawing and entertainment areas and creates a dynamic and lively heart for the entire residence.

The residence is served by subsidiary blocks housing a gymnasium, pool and spa area, an outhouse, work spaces and staff quarters.

VILLA VERANDAH

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 14:45:22 +0000

DESCRIPTION: Designed for a family of 4, this farmhouse was conceived on a concept of pure straight lines intersecting to create plains, punctured to get openings thus generating a pleasantly intriguing visual assembly.

This ensemble of sculpted plains tucks itself into the designed landscape rather impressively. There is a burst of fresh colors with the water body and flower beds resting on the podium, soothingly lit with strip lighting, to create a picturesque scene. The external façade is punctuated with screens which are accentuated with lighting from underneath.

The design of this farmhouse is driven by solar passive architecture thus reducing the overall energy consumption by manifolds. Natural day lighting has been given supreme importance in this design with orientation specific facade treatment.

The northern facade has been kept fully glazed to allow penetration of northern diffused light while the screens, deep recess shading and cantilevers have been employed on the west and south facades. Great consideration has been given to details like sunshades, which have been designed such that they cut the summer sun but welcome warm winter sun.

The design skillfully integrates all the water functions in the farmhouse into one water body thus reducing the overall consumption of water by creating an artificial water pond which also serves as a swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Energy consumption is also reduced by the use of biogas for all heat related supplies.

HOUSE 14, KANPUR

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 14:43:12 +0000

The residence is located on the outskirts of Kanpur and is designed to accommodate the family and their house help. The architectural language of the building is along the lines of purism, consisting of a composition of large planar surfaces and clean lines.
The maximum number of windows have been provided on the north façade while the south façade has very few windows. All rooms are attached to large balconies, which are wider on the north face and narrower on the south face of the building. Maximum blocking has been done on the south and west sides, while keeping the design language in mind.
The staff quarters have been used as a buffer for the south facing bedrooms. A separate staircase and circulation have been provided for the staff quarters. The south side also has a semi open space on the ground floor to be used as a utility and wet area for the kitchen. The layout of the residence follows the principles of Vastu.
The exterior walls of the building have also been used for sun shading. The staircase, although on the south side, is shaded by extending the adjoining wall outward. The larger west wall extends to shade the rooms and adjoining balconies during the day. The walls also extend to form seamless parapets for the balconies.

COURTYARD HOUSE

nadeemdamique — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 14:38:42 +0000

Built on a sprawling 3 acre site, the expansive 25000 sqft farm house just outside the city extents creates a luxury abode for the family of four.
The single-storied building hugs the ground despite its height and opens onto the greens from all its spaces. Built around an impressive central and multi-functional space with a glass roof, the public, transitional and private spaces seamlessly come together here, demarcated only by subtle differences in levels.
The impressive sightlines from this central space along with the glass roof connects with the farthest points on the site and the open skies truly connect the inside and outside both horizontally as well as vertically.
The interiors are minimal and modern in line with the architecture, with hints of carefully sculpted earth inspired artworks in stone and brass.