Houses | South City Residence
The issue of privacy and independence was tackled with a different approach to the modern Indian family; two identical houses were designed which were joined together through balconies and a common compound area.
​6450 SF
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2019
Traditionally, the Indian family system has been associated with that of a joint family; in recent times, that has changed with each unit that is a part of the joint setup developing a specific requirement of space and privacy. The client brief necessitated a house for two brothers, on two adjoining plots.
The problem was tackled with a different approach to the modern Indian family; two identical houses were designed which were joined together through balconies and a common compound area. This gave the two brothers independent houses to project their vision and maintain a connection between both spaces at the same time. With a unified facade, the two houses end up looking one. Open spaces and connection with nature has been incorporated at varied levels with two gardens in the front and back of the house. A take on modern Indian joint family living space, Twin house sets a precedent for Indian homes today.
Houses | South City Residence
Retail & Hospitality | USI, Rohini
Delhi’s urban villages have evolved from being sleepy hamlets surrounded by British era planned development to becoming the city’s design and entertainment hotspots. Free from the strict municipal regulations that are enforced in the rest of the city, the increased density and cheap rents attract young entrepreneurs to set up shop in the narrow lanes. Hauz Khaz Village, located near the lake that once supplied Delhi it’s drinking water, represents the extreme end of this evolution. Divested almost completely of its original inhabitants, it is now inhabited mostly by fashion designers, art galleries and restaurants.
Location: New Delhi
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Typology: Hospitality
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Built up Area: 1500 SF
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Principal Architect: Amit Khanna
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Completion Date: 2012
The client, an accomplished yet young chef, was already running a successful restaurant in another part of the village and was keen to set up a restaurant with a garage theme. The new site was located on the upper floor, affording great views to the outside, but was burdened with sharing the entrance with a house and a few other restaurants. Keeping with the theme, the interior was designed with raw untreated surfaces - exposed brick walls, grey epoxy flooring, and even the smooth ceiling plaster were removed to reveal the raw concrete roof. The view to the forest was opened up with an edge to edge glass wall that was recessed from the facade, creating shade for the glass and a deep verandah for outdoor sitting.
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To create a distinctive character for the restaurant exterior, the entrance was enclosed with a long membrane of curved corrugated metal. This corrugation forms the backdrop to the bar counter from the interior. Recalling vintage garage doors, the main entrance door is reinforced with steel tubes and painted green and it is set in a distressed exposed brick frame that echoes the interior walls. An added attraction to the area, Garage, Inc references the old while catering to the new.
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The project was executed in collaboration with Archiopteryx Architects.
