Exterior view of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Driveway of Stone House by Malik Architecture
The house is arranged around a narrow courtyard that extends into even narrower slits and fissures as it weaves its way through the house, essentially drawing on the proportions of voids and interstitial spaces of traditional dwellings as a method to counter the effect of the harsh summer sun. Large front and rear facing glazing is shaded by deep overhangs and operable, hand-cut stone screens to modulate light, privacy, and views.
Hard sandstone ( Jodhpur stone) is quarried 45 mins away from the site. At their request, the quarry foreman reverted to the “splitting” stone technique using traditional stonemasonry tools instead of the high-yield gangsaw extraction that is machine intensive and eliminates the natural stone grain. Splitting the stone mobilizes the human touch, limits the processing, and retains the natural Earth imprint of the stone.
Entrance passage of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Entrance of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Living room of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Stonemasons from the surrounding villages have worked stone with their hands for generations. The accumulated knowledge of the past along with the theory of Engineering created an interesting and often contradictory overlap of intelligences that was most often resolved by the Head Stonemason, including identifying the optimal size of stone that could be carried and laid by 2 masons with minimal mechanical assistance (unlike brick, there is no Standard stone size).
The purview of Craft, often limited to embellishment, artifice, and object, was expanded to the building scale. Easily consumable symbology is supplanted by the primal and essential deployment of material resource and craft in a space that is both Ancient and Contemporary.
Approximately 5-7*C variation can be observed between the exterior and interior. This is due to the thermal mass of material and the “cavity” construction. A minimal amount of steel such as tie-rods and shear pins reinforce the stone for seismic performance. Lime mortar is used only to seal the exterior joints.
Dining of Stone House by Malik Architecture
View from staircase of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Prior to finalizing this construction method, and owing to a limited budget, a detailed comparison between the “All Stone” method, “Reinforced Stone”, and “Conventional” Structure (i.e. R.C.C. frame, Civil infill, exterior stone cladding, internal plaster, and paint) was prepared. The proximity of the material and skilled stonemasons, reducing the number of agencies on site, etc, it was concluded that building in stone was actually cheaper than the conventional alternative.
Time and cost was reduced due to the method of quarrying, which also gave the project a balance between natural (Earth imprint) and smooth handmade finishes.
By focusing on a single building material that requires negligible processing between the quarry and its final application on site, and has a low embodied energy; the usage of other higher impact materials has been reduced or eliminated from the project.
Lobby of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Lounge of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Courtyard view of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Outdoor lobby of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Terrace of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Detailed shot of wall of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Detailed shot of foldable window of Stone House by Malik Architecture
South Elevation of Stone House by Malik Architecture
North Elevation of Stone House by Malik Architecture
East Elevation of Stone House by Malik Architecture
West Elevation of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Lower Ground Floor Plan of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Upper Ground Floor of Stone House by Malik Architecture
First Floor Plan of Stone House by Malik Architecture
Second Floor Plan of Stone House by Malik Architecture
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