Location : Vadodara, Gujarat, India Programme: Residence Status: Completed, 2020 Photographer: Tejas Shah Photography
Nestled on the top floor of an apartment complex designed by us, this house is set in a tropical high-end locality of Vadodara. Open to the view of lush natural surroundings, this penthouse was originally a four-bedroom apartment. A developer himself, the client wanted the house to be designed for a family of two. True to their personalities, the clients dreamt of a simple house with a ting of quirkiness. Bridging the gap between the client demands and the existing planning, we redesigned the house befitting the building floor plate, structure and services.
True to its context, a decision to device an open plan for the house with overlapping spaces to allow constant engagement with family members and further allow visual connect with the natural surroundings was taken. Large openings were then conceptualised to frame the views around and bring in ample of natural light and air. Sheltered balconies were finally added as the connecting elements between the house and nature. With clusters of green plants and sit-out junctions, these balconies became the extended areas of the house blurring the boundaries between the interior and the exterior and keeping the main functional spaces shaded throughout the day.
White bare walls and grey floor create an overarching harmony in the house, which is then accented with highlights of blue. In consonance with this design language, blue metal details were added to otherwise simple wooden furniture. Synchronously the staircase was designed as blue solid wood treads cantilevered against an exposed IPS wall. The dash of blue metal in furniture, staircase and main door adds to the house’s tranquillity.
Divergent from the generic chic finished sleeping areas, a conscious choice was made to keep the bedrooms of this project bare. Colourful furnishings and monochromatic prints were then juxtaposed with the achieved rawness to create cosy spaces for one to lay down and relax.
The clients being well connected and very social by nature, love to spend leisure time and hold parties and gatherings. The upper level comprising of an entertainment room which extends into a terrace garden, was planned to adhere to the same. To add to their convenience, this level is designed to have access from inside as well as outside.
The highlight of this project is not an element designed or a planned-out space. It is the essence one experiences. The openness, the tranquillity, the feeling the end user undergo while living in it.
