Smriti
The project aimed in converting a comparatively congested 35-year-old two-bedroom house to
a climatic responsive, four-bedroom residence with enabled functionality. The addition was a
first floor with two spacious bedrooms and a stair room. The jaali wall that covers the two floors
altogether serves as the main feature of the house, providing adequate privacy and an elegant
light play in the interior during the morning daylight, and in the exterior during the night. It plays
an all-in-all lead by filtering the views, breeze and light. With a horizontally terraced elevation,
this house creates a mesmerizing scene that infuses a variety of surfaces. The masked balcony
and verandah contribute to the character of the building, concurrently aiding to the privacy,
without compromising its functionality.
The interiors are spacious and efficient, polished to the point where one can't tell between the
new and the old. The association of jaali walls and a waterbody inside the stair room
complements the natural wind flow inside the dining room, as an exemplar of breathing
architecture, and suffuse the room with soft daylight. The skylight positioned above the stairs
enhance natural lighting in the interior and creates shadow plays throughout the day. The
common balcony is positioned in favor of the rays of the setting sun and the windy west side of
the house. The extended courtyard acts as a wind channel which is connected to the balcony,
thereby serving it with a view, and acting as a vertical communication space.
The landscape of this house is aligned longitudinally around the existing mango tree, with the
lush foliage of Calathea lutea running alongside the compound wall. vertically prominent
elevation with a color palette that stays close to the nature, with its terracotta textures and
earthy tinted jaalis stands out in the green backdrop. The massiveness of the high jaali wall in the
façade is broken down with and exposed balcony placed right beside it. This balcony that emerges
from the main bedroom with its glass walls, overlooks the entry way, exhibiting magnificence.
Exterior