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Architecture

2023

Photographer : Ishita Sitwala, Vivek Eadera, Sohaib Ilyas

Jubilee hills is a hilly, up market residential neighborhood in Hyderabad, India. It is filled with large, opulent residences; most of which are more vanity projects of its influential inhabitants than climate or context sensitive structures. As such, every building in an attempt to appear distinct and more striking in its immediate surrounding, made this neighborhood an amalgamation of a misfit mix of architectural styles from every when and where. Character, if any, comes from the undulating hilly roads, the rocky terrain and the consistent presence of large trees, especially the Yellow flame trees (Peltophorum pterocarpum), compared to the other neighborhoods of Hyderabad.

The site is 160 feet long with shorter sides of 60 feet facing north and south. The shorter sides have road access and slope down 30 feet from south to north. On the north and south, just outside the site, are gigantic Yellow flame trees towering over four storeys.

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Architects	:	Spacefiction Studio
Area	:	27,500 sq. ft.
Year	:	2023
Website	:	https://www.instagram.com/spacefictionstudio

Exterior view of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Living room of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

A large foyer with an overhanging garden punctured with skylights welcomes one into the lower two levels of the house through a colossal door. These levels accommodate all the recreational spaces centered around a large double height volume which houses the pool.

The upper five levels stagger back to create north terraces echoing the undulating paddy fields of India. These terraces are shaded throughout the year by the floor preceding it, filled with landscape that cascades onto the subsequent lower terraces. The towering yellow flame trees along the northern and southern sides act as a natural visual barrier, from the immediate surroundings and their dramatic seasonal bloom adds a lush yellow foliage to the environmental palette.

Living room of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Dining of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Kitchen of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Study area of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Inside, in the heart of the house is a large central volume, with two connecting double height areas. A large, blank, marble cladded wall runs through the entirety of this volume, over which light washes through the skylights strategically placed above the indoor plantation areas. A sculptural staircase bends sinuously in the chiaroscuro that shape shifts with the skylights overhead, fanning out to the first floor living room.

There are three bedrooms, two on the first floor and a third on the second, all peeking into the central volume through introspective windows. Usurping the third floor, a master bedroom finds itself graciously complemented by an attached study and a private verandah. The apex features a party room for al fresco entertaining conferred upon the family’s inner circle of friends and visitors.

Study area of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Staircase of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

View from first floor of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Bedroom of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Bedroom 2 of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Bedroom 3 of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Bedroom 4 of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Washroom of Jubilee Terraces by Spacefiction Studio

Inert white marble forms the majority of the palette with a few highlights of beige lime plaster and brass. Light becomes a building material, percolating through various skylights in large volumes. Biophilic landscapes in the interiors as well as the exterior, juxtapose over the contrasting marble interiors to create a sense of timelessness. A multiplicity of visual and sensory experiences is given precedence over fleeting luxury trends.