丨印度

Sarda House

Nashik, India

A stunning family home inspired by the concept of togetherness

Sarda House in the western Indian city of Nashik is a stunning new family home that has been inspired by the concept of togetherness. Designed for the multi-generational requirements of a private client, the home provides a series of separate but visually connected spaces that enhance family interaction and reinforce harmonious living.

Sarda House

Facts

Client:

Private

Size:

20,000 sq.ft.

Status:

Completed

The house derives its inspiration from vernacular Indian architecture where courtyards are the centre of place and in this project they play a key role in both the home’s choreography as well as its environmental performance.

The home is designed as a simple monolithic form with a series of internal and external courtyards that have been orientated to capture the south-westerly breeze and maximise natural ventilation and reduce the building’s energy consumption. Solar panels on the roof mean that the small amount of energy that is used is completely renewable.

The courtyards also inform movement around the building, acting as filter spaces between public and private zones while the courtyards also draw in and frame the outdoors, helping to create a seamless connection between inside and out.

The location of the courtyards also responds to the sun’s movement from east to west throughout the day, creating a series of morning to evening spaces designed to enhance user wellbeing where the family can relax in the early sunshine before retreating to shaded spaces as the heat builds through the day.

The internal design of the building focuses on how the family work together with an emphasis on the central importance of the kitchen, which connects to the dining area, family room, study and library through a large central courtyard.

On each side of the central courtyard are double height spaces, opening up a series of first floor walkways and ensuring a visual connection between family members wherever they are in the house.

The central courtyard also frames the sky, providing the highest possible levels of natural ventilation and light while hanging canopies provide buffer zones between inside and out, protecting from the sun and the rain.

Providing a safe, secure and private environment was also of paramount importance and so the home is surrounded on three sides by mature fruit trees while entry to the compound is via a gatehouse at the front of the property. Each room in the house also has a series of security features to provide additional protection in an emergency.

The building itself has been built on a raised plinth to avoid the monsoon floods and has been designed with a simple material palette of locally sourced chikoo limestone slabs and metal fins with a façade concept that transforms the character of the house through the day from a monolith block to a glowing lantern.

The use of rustic materials and earthy tones along with the green interventions are continued through the interior spaces, reinforcing and connecting the architectural language of the home.