The terracotta house
stands like a warm oasis in conversation with its neighbor- gupta residence. The
house exemplifies a relationship between neutral grey concrete and earthy terracotta.
Terracotta tiles wrap the façade to mystify the lives within, and create a harmonious
world outside with a walkway and lush greens. The residents of this abode are a
family of five across three generations.
The balmy attitude of
house is inspired by the congenial etiquette of the family inside. A color palette carrying white and earthy
tones, welcomes a visitor with a voluminous double height entrance lobby and a
bridge on the top that defines the experience of the journey throughout the
house. A Peter Lik piece adorns the entry and a suspended flock of unique stainless
steel birds conceptualized by Mukul Goyal ushers a curious visitor inside with each
bird performing a distinct activity.
The house, with users
and their aspirations has distinct floors that are connected, both visually and
functionally. The Ground and first floor serve the seniors with a double height
onyx wall, defining the two floors in unison. Furthermore, the informal living
on the ground floor extends to the first - a gesture to fasten the floors, with
an artwork formulating a family tree. The same informal living has access to a
swing from one end, and a garden from another, framing a thorough connection.
The ground floor also
features a double height formal living area- challenging the traditional scale
and proportions. A series of five paintings on a concrete wall depict the
city’s skyline - starting from Taj mahal, concluding at the residence itself. The
choice of low height furniture in a large space alters the perception of the place.
The blankness is further accentuated with a stone wall in continuation with the
stone on dining table, lending iconicity to this unconventional aesthetic of
this formal living room. The paintings have an overhaul of natural light
through a horizontal puncture during the day, complemented by a Davide Groppi
tape light to mimic daylight and uniformly highlight the pieces in the evening.
Minimal yet striking, the corner and dinning table light installations, steal
the show with their poise.
The ground floor
further houses a master bedroom and a room for the elderly, connected to a
double height temple completely carved out of stone. The master bedroom is a
seamless space with distinguished functions without visual barriers. A black
cantilevered TV unit conceals the screen, the back of which doubles up as a
study. Wardrobes extending till ceiling blend with the room coherently. The
bedrooms are minimal, but not bare.
The master bedroom
also extends internally to a double height outhouse, rising from the
basement. The outhouse, with its
reflective ceiling follows the same color palette as the house. It is cozy, and
compact with a home theater in the basement and floating wooden log staircase
leading to a convertible pool table on the mezzanine floor. A circular powder
room is also tucked right outside the outhouse with glass and concrete in
dialogue.
A floor water-mist feature
can be savored sitting on mound in the garden, from the outhouse and the
informal living- all at once. Technology equipped with audiovisual control,
almost every function in the house is smart, automated for ease of use. A modern, minimal
kitchen with a skylight delivers natural illumination, lending a timeless
appeal to this functional area.
The upper two floors belong
to the two sons of the family. The two floors rhythmically function as
interconnected spaces- both horizontally and vertically, literally and
metaphorically. The integrated and segregated floors cater to personal,
professional and future needs of the two bachelors. The two floors house a
personal living area, a study and bedroom fit-out for each with a concrete
bridge connecting the two. The bridge has bamboo planters personifying a
jungle, attaining the desired balance of intervention and privacy. A concrete
bench sits on the same bridge facilitating an enjoyable view.
The personal living
rooms are accessible from individual floors, as well as interconnected
internally via a small staircase. A common kids’ area with a wall scrabble,
floor concrete chess, ludo carpet all inject an out-of-the-box playful flavor. The terrace is punctuated
with a kitchen garden and a private pool with a retractable roof.
The architecture of
terracotta house shares the story of a contemporary Indian household. The flux
and difference in lifestyles, activities and daily routines across three generations,
brought together seamlessly by the design of the space they live in. How
independence and togetherness can co-exist, much like the society we live in. The
design attempts to create a space that is universal in its presentation, with
layers unfolding as one experiences it.
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